On the day of the Laba Festival, it was a sunny day.

Ancestral rituals are an important matter and cannot be delayed.

In front of the ancestral hall, everyone greeted each other until Du Gongfu and Old Mrs. Xia arrived, then immediately quieted down.

Du Gongfu had trouble walking, but he was still the head of the family, and was supported by Du Huaiping and Du Huaili as he hobbled into the ancestral hall.

Du Yunluo knelt between her sisters, listening to Du Gongfu recite the ancestral rites, and she suddenly thought of the ancestral hall of the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion.

The ancestral hall of the Mu family was much larger than that of the Du family, and the Chastity Arch in front of it loomed like a mountain, making it hard to breathe.

Du Yunluo closed her eyes, forcing the familiar scene out of her mind; in her past life, the arch had fallen, and in this life, she would not let the Holy Emperor grant her another one.

The name of chastity meant nothing to her compared to the life of Mu Lianxiao.

After the ceremony was over, Mrs. Zhen was going to take Du Yundi to Potuo Mountain, and Old Mrs. Xia summoned Du Yunluo to bring her back to Lianfu Garden.

Bowls of Laba porridge were brought out, but Old Mrs. Xia didn’t like it; she only had a few spoons as if she’d eaten enough.

Du Yunluo, on the other hand, preferred sweet flavors, and despite the fact that the porridge had been cooked to the point of mushiness, she relished it because of its sweetness.

In this respect, she was like Du Gongfu; grandfather and granddaughter cheerfully commented on the lotus seeds in this bowl and the peanuts in that one, while Old Mrs. Xia, accustomed to their behavior, pursed her lips: "Old and young, both misbehaving."

Du Gongfu heard it and gave Old Mrs. Xia a sidelong glance but didn’t argue with her, merely remarked to Du Yunluo, "She’s jealous, don’t mind her."

Old Mrs. Xia was infuriated, while Du Yunluo pressed her lips together in a smile.

The Laba porridge from Potuo Mountain was delivered back to the mansion before noon, distributed among the different rooms and courtyards, and the bustling morning finally came to an end.

The festive spirit grew stronger.

The plum blossoms in the garden bloomed brilliantly, red and white intermixed, exuding a cold fragrance.

Du Yunluo took a few people to cut some branches and sent them to Lianfu Garden to be arranged in vases, delighting Old Mrs. Xia.

The old lady was pleased, and Lanzhi and several maids and servants joined in the praise, making it quite lively for a moment.

Nanny Xu lifted the curtain and entered; Du Yunluo looked up to see her holding an invitation.

Du Yunluo was curious—everyone was busy during the twelfth month, and any visiting or entertaining usually waited until January, so why was an invitation being sent now? 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Nanny Xu curtsied in greeting and presented the invitation: "Old Madam, an invitation from the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion."

Crash—

Du Yunluo’s hand shook, and unable to grip the scissors properly, she cut more than intended off a plum branch she was about to trim, rendering it unusable.

Old Mrs. Xia glanced at Du Yunluo, saw her surprised and astonished expression, then slowly withdrew her gaze: "I can’t see clearly, read it to me."

This "you" referred to Nanny Xu.

Du Yunluo perked up her ears to listen, finding the matter increasingly peculiar.

The invitation wasn’t only for Du Yunluo; it also invited Du Yunying, Du Yunnuo, and the three brothers Du Yundi weren’t left out either, yet the signer wasn’t Madam Wu, Mrs. Zhou, or the Lian family, but Mu Lianhui.

Mu Lianhui invited them to Wangmei Garden outside the city to admire the plum blossoms on the eighteenth of the twelfth month.

Old Mrs. Xia frowned, pondered for a moment, and said, "Wangmei Garden? I remember this is the Imperial Consort’s villa, isn’t it?"

Du Yunluo nodded inwardly.

The Imperial Consort was the late Emperor’s favorite concubine, given the title "Mei," and this villa was granted to her by the late Emperor when she was still known as Mei Fei.

As far as she recalled, the Imperial Consort visited the villa once just after it was built, and it remained unoccupied for decades, tended to by palace maids and eunuchs.

Not until a few years ago, when Prince Cheng took over the villa, did the people in the Capital hear that the Heirs of Prince Cheng, Li Yu; Prince Rui, Li Luan; and some of the city’s noble young men often visited, even the Crown Prince Li Ke went there once or twice a month.

Why would Mu Lianhui host guests at Wangmei Garden?

Even if she were favored by the Imperial Consort, would the Imperial Consort be willing to lend her the villa? Or perhaps the Empress Dowager was informed and allowed it?

Since the invitation also included Du Yundi and others, it’s likely that the Mu family brothers would show up. After all, as a lady, Mu Lianhui wouldn’t be suited to host male guests alone.

But that day, would there be other guests at Wangmei Garden besides the Du family and Mu family?

Du Yunluo furrowed her brow in thought, and Old Mrs. Xia’s mind was also whirring as she sternly instructed Nanny Xu, "Go find out which families the Lady sent invitations to."

Nanny Xu complied and left.

Old Mrs. Xia closed her eyes and rested against a pillow, while Shui Yue took a beauty hammer and gently massaged her.

Du Yunluo’s mind had drifted from the plum blossoms; she already disliked Mu Lianhui, and thinking of her nit-picking personality, increasingly felt this plum blossom banquet was a potential trap.

With the two mistresses silent, no one dared make a sound, and the room was hushed except for the ticking of the Western clock and the soft thud of the beauty hammer.

After about an hour, Nanny Xu returned with a complex expression and greeted them, "Old Madam, Fifth Miss."

Old Mrs. Xia heard her, but didn’t open her eyes, merely tapped her fingers on the Arhat Bed, signaling Nanny Xu to continue.

Nanny Xu clasped her hands respectfully and said, "The invitation was also sent to Prince Rui Mansion, Prince Cheng Mansion, Duke Jing Mansion, Chengyi Bo Mansion, Enrong Bo Mansion, and the Jiang Mansion..."

Seeing Old Mrs. Xia’s fingers pause, Nanny Xu quickly explained, "That’s the family of the second mistress of the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion who hasn’t married in yet."

Old Mrs. Xia nodded, and Nanny Xu continued, "To the mansion of Mr. Duan, the Minister of the Ministry of Rites and Mr. Tian, the Imperial Supervision Office."

Du Yunluo’s head was buzzing, what was Mu Lianhui thinking? Why not invite Princess Hui of Prince Rui Mansion as well and let Princess Hui and Princess An Ran have a showdown, making for a grand spectacle?

What puzzled Du Yunluo the most was that Wangmei Garden was managed by Prince Cheng Mansion, yet the invitation was sent there?

Who was really the host?

Du Yunluo couldn’t understand, she had no idea what Mu Lianhui was thinking.

Old Mrs. Xia was equally perplexed, but after pondering for a long while, she said, "The Lady invited us, and the invitation’s been sent, refusing it might offend the in-laws. But since Chengyi Bo Mansion received the invitation too, with Yun Ying’s wedding approaching, going abruptly might not be appropriate."

Du Yunluo’s heart stirred; she and Mu Lianxiao had been engaged for over half a year, their wedding was still far off, unlike Du Yunying, who had recently had her engagement confirmed and would be married next year, constrained by many formalities.

If it was inappropriate for Du Yunying to go, what about the much-talked-about and credible invitation of Princess An Ran meeting the son of Enrong Bo Mansion, would that be appropriate?

Moreover, according to the previous life’s events, the Empress Dowager intended to have Mu Lianhui marry Li Luan. Even if she met Li Luan while coming and going in the court, rashly sending out invitations was still improper.

Setting all that aside and assuming it was just to have a lively time with the in-laws, inviting the wife of Mr. Tian from the Imperial Supervision Office, who is a relative of Madam Wu, made some sense, but what about the invitation to Mr. Duan from the Ministry of Rites?