Chapter 220 - The Battle Lines Are The Easiest To Draw When There Are Misunderstandings 2

At Zhongshan Ling and Xia Ying's end. After the salute. 

Zhongshan Ling and Xia Ying separated as they arrived at the garden, the male and female guests were hosted at different locations as per usual practice. Usually, during house parties that involved both unmarried and married male and female guests, delegate events were held a short distance away from each other. As a means to protect the reputation and virtue of the unmarried young ladies present at the parties.

There were already a few elderly ladies around the same age as old madam Yuan that sat around her. For the banquet held for the ladies Old madam, Yuan was the main host, she sat at a high seat at the centre of the pavilion where she had a clear view of all the female guests as they arrived. Old madam Yuan glanced up as her granddaughter standing beside her drew her attention to Xia Ying's arrival. Old madam Yuan's grandaughter Yuan Liqiu, a pretty slender young lady stood beside her in a light blue silk gown. 

Yuan Liqiu was the eldest daughter of the old madam's First son, Assistant minister Yuan. Like most unmarried young ladies, she idolised Xia Ying and Zhu Fengyin, who were popular for being the perfect example of talented and gracefully young ladies of noble families. Yuan Liqiu stood straighter eyes bright as Xia Ying saluted old madam Yuan. 

Daiyu who followed Xia Ying closely carried a painting chosen by her mistress to be presented to old madam Yuan as a birthday gift on a tray. She stepped forward and passed the tray to an elderly maid serving old madam Yuan. The elderly maid presented the gift to old madam Yuan who nodded and instructed her to open up the painting. It was a small painting of a set of famous mountains close to old madam Yuan's paternal house. Old madam Yuan hasn't gone back there since her father the last marquess Yin died over two decades ago.

Old madam Yuan although a member of the Imperial family from her mother's side, wasn't close to the royal family. It was well known that old madam Yuan and her deceased mother had fallen out with the royal family after her father's death. However, old madam Yuan was quite influential in the royal family thanks to her close relationship with the deceased Empress Dowager. The sight of the mountain in the painting brought up some good memories of her carefree childhood. This immediately endeared coating to her, old madam Yuan had gotten more sentimental as she got older. 

Her eye slanted into two slim half-moons as she smiled widely, this was the first sincere smile she had since the banquet started. She glanced at the maid standing by the side and called them over. "Don't leave her highness standing for so long, quickly get her a seat close to me".

"Yes", the maids chorused and quickly brought over a free seat and placed it at the old Madam's side. 

Xia Ying bowed and sat on the designated seat beside the old madam, her gaze met the spiteful gaze of the Fifth Princess Consort who was seated a few seats away on the rolls of seats at old madam Yuan's left. She ignored the glare shit her way and looked away, she didn't see the Fifth Princess consort as someone relevant. To Xia Ying that older woman was as uncultured as they come and judging by status, Xia Ying considered the fifth Princess consort to be many classes below her given that her family were from the so-called new nobles with titles only gotten a generation ago. 

As the battle between the three remaining princes got heated, their wives and family got involved. Although she maintained a calm and respectful image, Xia Ying was no angel. She held her own when placed among the two uncut wives of the other princes. She suspected that the fifth prince was involved in the current misfortune, The Crown Prince was facing due to the close relationship of the Ning family and his wife's maternal family the Wang family.

Xia Yong attended the birthday party to deliberately bait the fifth Prince's side and prove her suspicion. She immediately sought the Eldest madam of the Yang family seated two tables away from the Fifth Princess consort and nodded holding the eldest madam's eyes. However, before they could go forward with their plans, Su Liya was announced.

There was a noticeable shift in the mood at the Yuan family's end as Su Liya walked in. Her eyes narrowed as she glanced from the cold smile on Yuan Liqiu's face to the unwavering fake smile on old madam Yuan's face. The tension in the air could be cut in two with a knife, she brought her cup of tea to her like to mask her smile. 'Seems like there is bad blood between this maid at the Yuan family', Xia Ying thought as she watched Su Liya walk closer. 

Two beautiful maids followed behind Su Liya, as she passed there was an awkward silence as the other guest was aware of the unorthodox relationship between the Yuan Family and Su Liya. They all waited to witness a drama as they had the last time Su Liya attended a banquet hosted by the Yuan family. A few madams looked Su Liya down and began to judge her started with the two maids following her.

A madam seated on the second roll a few seats away from Su Liya commented, "these types of people don't deserve to be invited to high society, apart from her beauty what exactly does she gave to offer. It is a pity that an honourable man like Prince Wu fell petty to her tricks".

"They have been married for over a year now, how come there is no news from her, even her Eldest Madam Zhu will give birth soon. What does this girl have to offer? His Highness should just get himself a proper senior concubine of better birth to further his family line," another Madam said.

"Since there have been no results all these while given how in love the rumours claim they are. Do you think that it might be a problem for her, maybe she cannot give birth after the promiscuous life she had lived". Another madam commented.

"If that is true then she had better do her duty and get his highness a more suitable match, these two maids of hers are pretty. She should put one forward, which Prince's side courtyard is empty didn't the Crown Prince just stuff another concubine inside his?" A madam chuckled

"Hush! Her highness is seated just a few seats away. She might hear you", the first madam said eyeing Xia Ying who was seated a few seats away. 

The woman remained silent for some seconds as they started at Xia Ying cautiously. When they didn't notice any strange movement from her end they continued taking jabs at Su Liya. 

"Given how she got into her position, I doubt she would let anyone get closer. I heard that they share a courtyard, this must be a trick to keep the maids away. Pathetic!"

The madams all burst into low laughter at that. Xia Ying on the other hand was yet to recover from the previous statement the madam made about the Crown Prince and didn't get the humour. She just felt a sudden sadness as she thought of the path not taken.. These past few days she found herself thinking of how things would have been if she had married Lu Yaozhu not the Crown Prince.