Garden Party

  Song Lingyu walked forward and said: "Nothing, just happened to see you, second sister, just saying hello. Second sister doesn't have anything urgent to do right now, does she?"

  Song Linglong shook her head.

  Song Lingyu said: "Since there's no hurry, why did Second Sister run so fast? People who don't know would think I'm a tiger wanting to eat Second Sister."

  Song Lingrong was speechless, but in her heart, she thought: Aren't you Song Lingyu just a tiger that eats people without spitting out bones?!

  Seeing Song Lingluo in this state, Song Lingyu didn't want to entangle herself further. What's frightening isn't being forced to death, but the process of being forced to death. It would be easy to make Song Lingluo die, but what she wants is a slow and fearful death for her. "Sister still has things to do, so I won't disturb Second Sister's playtime here."

  After Song Lingyu left, Song Lingluo also lost interest in taking a stroll outside and immediately returned to her own courtyard.

  Five days later, it was the annual hunting conference and the annual garden party.

  Male officials and their sons followed the emperor to the hunting ground for archery and capturing prey. The madams, young ladies, and various female officials accompanied the empress dowager and the empress on a tour of the garden.

  The crown prince's consort and various imperial consorts followed their natal families as the princes accompanied the emperor on a hunting trip.

  The Zuo family produced a crown princess, while the Song family on the right produced an empress. No matter who walked in front, it would cause controversy, so they simply walked side by side.

  Contrary to Song Lingyu's expectations, the relationship between Mrs. Lou and Mrs. Song was not like that of the Right Prime Minister and the Left Prime Minister, where they had to compete with each other in everything. The two women appeared very calm, as if nothing mattered. However, the emotions hidden beneath their eyes did not escape Song Lingyu's notice.

  The elder lady looked at Madame Lao with a hesitant expression, while Madame Lao ignored her and continued chatting with the crown princess.

  Song Lingyu looked at the two people's strange behavior and couldn't help but be puzzled. These two people, one was the eldest daughter of the First Mountain Villa, and the other was Jiang Taihou's adopted daughter, named Shangguan Qing.

  According to Song Lingyu, Shangguan Qing's father originally fought alongside the previous emperor to conquer the world. However, in order to protect the previous emperor, he sacrificed himself. Her mother was also assassinated while protecting their children.

  Empress Dowager Jiang valued loyalty and righteousness, so she adopted Shangguan Qing as her goddaughter and eventually married her off to the Left Prime Minister.

  These two people who can't get along with each other always seem to have some kind of secret.

  While strolling in the garden, Madame Wang and Song Lianqiao got together, leaving Song Lingyu out. This scene was just like the last banquet, only this time the person being left out had changed.

  Even if Song Lingluo wanted to avoid Song Lingyu, she still had to give everyone a kind and generous image outside. Song Lingluo turned her head to look at Song Lingyu and said: "Sister, look at how beautiful the peach blossoms are."

  Song Lingyu also knew that this was not the time to bicker with Song Linglong, after all, there were so many people watching. She turned her head and looked at the peach blossoms that were blooming happily, nodding: "Yes, they're really beautiful. But if they bloom too luxuriantly, they'll inevitably meet someone who will pluck them, and when that happens, the flower branch will be broken." After speaking, she seemed to intentionally yet unintentionally turn her head to look at Song Linglong: "Second sister, what do you think?"

  Song Linglong was slightly stunned, and in an instant, she seemed to understand everything. Song Lingyu was clearly making a veiled criticism, and today she was wearing a peach-red dress, coincidentally matching the peach blossoms unintentionally. She said the peach blossoms were beautiful, clearly referring to herself. Breaking off the flower branch to make it a withered flower? This was clearly out of jealousy towards her own beauty!

  Song Linglong smiled and said, "Sister is right."