Chapter 164

Chapter 164: No One Came?

The Princess Qing Ning Residence lay on Yong Kang Street. The location was a bit out of the way, but the estate had four successive courtyards and five layers of inner halls, with a screen wall in front and a garden in back.

Sheng Zhi Wan had not lived here before, but the place had always been maintained, so the Palace Attendants sent by the Empress Dowager did not need to spend much effort. Once everything was settled, Nanny Xiu presented the indenture contracts for several Palace Maids she had brought along.

Sheng Zhi Wan did not refuse. She had brought many people from the Duke Residence, but compared to a Princess Residence of this size, it was still not enough. New maids also needed someone to teach them the rules, and the people Grandmother sent were sure to be trustworthy.

It seemed that tomorrow, she not only had to go to the Duke Residence to move tables, chairs, and cabinets, but also had to add another batch of hands. Sheng Zhi Wan gave her orders one by one.

Ting Lan had already ordered people to prepare hot water so Sheng Zhi Wan could loosen her tired body. A specially made medicinal sachet was tossed in, and in only a moment, her whole body felt clear and warm.

After she stepped out of the tub, An Zhi took the ointment she had just mixed and applied it from Sheng Zhi Wan’s neck downward, inch by inch, until even her delicate ankles were nourished. Only then did Sheng Zhi Wan change and lie down on the couch.

Her black hair spilled behind her like a waterfall. Her skin looked like snow, her nose fine and straight, and she looked sweet even without makeup.

An Zhi stared without meaning to. When Sheng Zhi Wan noticed and looked back, An Zhi snapped out of it.

Yet the moment An Zhi thought of how such a good Princess might end up staying in this Princess Residence for the rest of her life, her chest turned sore again.

Sheng Zhi Wan met An Zhi’s gaze: “Is something wrong?”

“Yes.” An Zhi lowered her head. “The residence-opening congratulatory banquet – what day does the Princess plan to hold it?”

In Sheng Kingdom, whenever a prince or princess opened a residence, there was always a congratulatory banquet. First, an auspicious day and time were chosen to ensure a smooth move. Second, on the day of opening, they invited members of the Imperial Clan and noble ladies. If the ties were close, guests also brought congratulatory gifts, and everyone stayed to feast and drink, adding liveliness to the new residence.

Sheng Zhi Wan’s situation was a bit special. She did not need to pick another auspicious day and time, but she still had to hold the banquet.

Sheng Zhi Wan thought for a moment: “The day after tomorrow. Tomorrow, follow the old list of contacts and send out the invitations. Whoever wants to come can come. Whoever doesn’t want to come, we won’t force it.”

After all, she had only just divorced. Some households probably did not want to associate with her.

The next day, at the Duke Residence, Duke Qi and Qi Shu Xian also heard that Sheng Zhi Wan planned to hold a congratulatory banquet.

Duke Qi snorted. “Just wait. She’s a divorced woman. Who would be willing to go to her door?”

For the past two years, Sheng Zhi Wan had stayed deep inside the residence. Most of her time went to boiling medicine for Madam Cui and pressing and massaging her. How would she have time to attend the capital’s women’s banquets?

Only a few households that were already friendly with the Duke Residence visited often, and Sheng Zhi Wan received them when they came. Even the usual holiday exchanges were all handled as part of the Duke Residence’s relationships.

Since they were the Duke Residence’s relationships, how could those old acquaintances abandon the Duke Residence and choose to associate with a divorced woman like Sheng Zhi Wan instead?

Still, just in case, Duke Qi thought for a moment and summoned Madam Tao – no, she should be called Concubine Tao now.

He told her to send invitations immediately and invite the women of various residences to come to the Duke Residence tomorrow to admire the snow and drink tea.

“Also,” Duke Qi added, “let the word slip that at tomorrow’s snow-viewing banquet, the Duke Residence will also be choosing a new wife for Shu Xian.”

With that, Duke Qi refused to believe those people would not come to the Duke Residence.

As soon as Duke Qi finished speaking, Qi Shu Xian’s face showed resistance. “I won’t consider taking a new wife right now.”

Duke Qi soothed him. “Of course I won’t make you marry immediately. We’re only releasing the news first. When your position and rank rise, you’ll have more room to choose.”

Most of those connections were formed when the Duke Residence declined. Their families were not of high standing. Even if they wanted to climb up now, Duke Qi did not think much of them.

He simply wanted Sheng Zhi Wan to see it clearly. Without the Duke Residence, what did it matter that she was a Princess? The husband she had abandoned would have plenty of people fighting to take him. Her congratulatory banquet would be cold and empty, while the Duke Residence’s snow-viewing feast would be packed with guests.

*Light snow fell for three straight days without stopping.

At the Princess Qing Ning Residence, the gates were thrown open early that morning.

Zhang Da, who had already been promoted to Household Guard Steward, led people to clear the snow outside the gates again and again. Still, no one came.

An Zhi was even more distracted. When she delivered the invitations yesterday, the madams’ attitudes seemed fine.

But feelings turned cold quickly. Those connections were mostly tied to the Duke Residence. Now that the Princess had left the Duke Residence, would those women still be willing to befriend the Princess?

She waited a little longer. Still no one came.

Zhang Da ran out to the mouth of the lane to look three times. When he was about to run out a fourth time, An Zhi stopped him: “Forget it. I’m afraid no one is coming…”

It had already been a quarter of an hour past the agreed time. Anyone who planned to come would have arrived early. Those who had not arrived only meant they did not want to come.

An Zhi’s heart turned bitter as she thought about how to report it to the Princess. Yet just as the words left her mouth, she heard the soft crunch of carriage wheels rolling over packed snow.

Not far away, Qi Shu Xian had arrived early.

He had expected that not many people would come to the Princess Residence’s banquet, but having not a single person show up still caught him off guard.

He wondered what Sheng Zhi Wan felt right now.

In Sheng Kingdom, men always stood above. A woman without a husband to rely on, no matter how noble her status, was like a piece of floating duckweed with no roots.

When Sheng Zhi Wan left him, had Sheng Zhi Wan thought about the situation she would face now?

As Qi Shu Xian thought of it, he could not help taking a step forward.

But before his foot fully landed, a carriage that looked familiar turned into the lane from the corner.

Qi Shu Xian froze.

An Zhi recognized the embroidered crest on the carriage curtain at a glance: “Welcome, Marchioness Shun Yang!”

An Zhi hurried forward. Zhang Da also quickly led attendants to guide the carriage attendants to the courtyard that had been prepared.

Qi Shu Xian stared in disbelief.

Marchioness Shun Yang had always been close to Madam Cui. Even if they later grew distant, between the Duke Residence and the Princess Residence, she should have chosen the Duke Residence, not the Princess Residence.

Yet she had come.

How could this be?

Before Qi Shu Xian could sort it out, he saw several more official wives’ carriages that had once been close to the Duke Residence stop outside the Princess Residence.

Madam Wang, the wife of Cui Ji Wen, the Minister of Works.

Madam You, the wife of Secretariat Director Feng Mao, along with Madam You’s two daughters.

And more besides.

Qi Shu Xian pressed his lips tight. If they came here, then they must have refused the Duke Residence’s invitation.

Qi Shu Xian still remembered that Mother once said Madam You wanted to marry her legitimate second daughter to him. It only got delayed because he married Sheng Zhi Wan. Now that there was a chance, why did Madam You not bring her daughter to the Duke Residence?

Why did Madam You come to the Princess Residence instead?

Qi Shu Xian could not understand it.

Qi Shu Xian naturally did not know that in the two years Sheng Zhi Wan managed the Duke Residence, she poured her heart into maintaining these relationships.

Sheng Zhi Wan wanted Qi Shu Xian’s official career to go smoothly. Men looked down on the inner household, but they did not realize that the women inside the inner household were often the most useful path to building connections.

For example, Marchioness Shun Yang only had one daughter. That daughter married Prince Yi’s second son, and the couple loved each other dearly, yet they failed to have any offspring for many years.