Dream of the Red Chamber: Start by gaining Zhao Yun's martial prowess, and be ennobled in a sin

The hall fell silent for a moment.

The group exchanged glances, each with their own unspoken meaning.

The Jia family did not hold a grand celebration today; they only invited a few of their closest relatives and close relatives.

The Princess Dowager of Nan'an and the Crown Princess of Dongping were not among those invited, yet they chose to arrive at this very hour. Moreover, they were two people of such high status who are rarely seen in public. I wonder what their intentions were!

Princess Zhen of Beijing's eyes flashed, her expression unreadable.

She heard from her master that the Prince of Nan'an was secretly at odds with the Duke of Jing, and that the Jiang family of the Marquis of Pingyuan, who was executed in this court assassination case, was the maternal family of the Princess of Nan'an. There was a lot of grudge between them!

Not to mention, the three military orders issued by Duke Jing yesterday were aimed at the veteran military officers of Shenjing City. It seems that the Princess Dowager of Nan'an and the Princess Consort of Dongping have ill intentions!

Li, who was standing to the side, frowned and looked thoughtful.

Niu's fair face also showed a solemn expression. She had dealt with this Princess Nan'an before and knew that she was no easy person!

The smile on Grandmother Jia's face faded slightly, and her eyes darkened for a moment, but only for a second before she regained her previous kind expression. She raised her hand to straighten her sleeves and said to Yuan Chun, who was sitting beside her:

"Young lady, you and your mother go and greet them for me."

Both Yuan Chun and Lady Wang were officials of noble birth, so it was appropriate for them to go out and greet them.

He nodded again to Madam Wang, his tone unreadable, and said in a hoarse voice:

"The Princess Dowager of Nan'an is of noble status and cannot be neglected!"

The so-called "Imperial Consort" naturally refers to the mother of the Prince of Nan'an and the widow of the old Prince of Nan'an!

The Nan'an Prince's Mansion and the Jia Mansion have drifted further and further apart over the years, a fact that Grandmother Jia is well aware of, not to mention that her third grandson has offended countless people outside the family.

Just a few days ago, because of the Jiang and Shi families, the Princess of Nan'an also came to visit, but Grandmother Jia pretended to be ill and did not see her.

At this time, taking advantage of the birthday banquet, the person came to visit again, which was probably not a good thing. However, Grandmother Jia could not refuse to see him, otherwise it would be a complete breakdown in relations!

Yuan Chun responded and stepped forward to help Madam Wang, leading several maids and servants outside.

Before long, Yuan Chun and Lady Wang led the Dowager Princess of Nan'an, the Crown Princess of Dongping, and a group of nannies into Rongqing Hall.

The Princess Consort of Nan'an was about seventy years old, with silver hair, yet she was still very energetic. She wore a crimson-purple brocade jacket with floral patterns, and a phoenix hairpin adorned with red gold and kingfisher feathers on her head. She leaned on a dragon-headed cane, her steps were steady, and her brows and eyes exuded the majesty of someone who had long held a position of authority.

As soon as she entered, her gaze swept across the hall. She paused for a moment upon seeing Princess Zhen of Bei Jing and Lady Li of the Nian family, then quickly put on a broad smile and said to Grandmother Jia:

"Happy birthday, sir! I'm late! Today is your special day. I couldn't sleep all night, just wanted to come and see you and share in your good fortune!"

The Crown Princess of Dongping followed behind. She was in her early thirties, wearing a lake-blue brocade jacket with gold embroidery. She had a beautiful face, but her eyes revealed a hint of worldly wisdom and shrewdness.

As she entered, she gave a deep curtsy to Grandmother Jia, her tone carrying a deliberate air of intimacy:

"Happy birthday to the old lady! May she enjoy boundless happiness and longevity. My father-in-law heard I was coming to offer my congratulations today and specifically asked me to give him his regards!"

This is clearly nonsense. Everyone in the capital knows that the Prince of Dongping is on his deathbed and can no longer speak!

Although Grandmother Jia was wary, she still greeted the visitor with a smile and said:

"Okay, okay!"

As she spoke, Grandmother Jia asked Yuanyang to find a seat and ordered someone to pour tea.

The Princess Dowager of Nan'an and the Crown Princess of Dongping exchanged greetings with Lady Zhen, Lady Li, Lady Niu, and others before taking their seats.

For a time, the vast Rongqing Hall was filled with beautiful women, glittering jewels, and dazzling splendor.

Grandmother Jia's gold headband, the dragon-head cane of the Princess of Nan'an, and the gold-threaded phoenix hairpin with pearls on Princess Zhen's hair, all shimmered with varying shades of light under the candlelight and sunlight streaming in through the window.

Layers of brocade robes and embroidered skirts, jingling with pearls and jade pendants, created a lively and festive atmosphere for the birthday banquet.

Those seated in the main hall, those seated to the side, those standing, and those attending to others were all surrounded by jewels and jade, their hair adorned with fragrant flowers and clothes, truly a scene of dazzling splendor and overwhelming wealth.

After a few brief pleasantries, Grandmother Jia asked with a smile:

"Today is just a minor birthday celebration, why has the Imperial Concubine come in person?"

This also provides an excuse for not inviting the Nan'an and Dongping families: it's a minor birthday celebration, not a full birthday celebration!

At the same time, they inquired about the true purpose of the two people's visit!

Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look at the Princess Consort of Nan'an.

Normally, for these kinds of birthday banquets, invitations are sent out, and people are invited to attend. I've never heard of anyone showing up uninvited; there must be something else going on.

Feng Wan, Si Chun, Ke Qing, You Shi, Bao Dai, Nian Shilan and others all kept a close eye on it.

Tan Chun stood silently behind Madam Xing, her eyes full of wariness. She always felt uncomfortable looking at this Princess Consort of Nan'an!

Only Madam Xie gazed at the two, the Princess Dowager of Nan'an and Madam Xie, with a beaming smile, as if she had seen her own people.

"Elder sister, to be honest, besides wishing you a happy birthday, I have something else on my mind today."

The Princess Dowager of Nan'an began to speak, seemingly waiting for Grandmother Jia to ask what was on her mind!

Grandmother Jia's heart skipped a beat. She picked up a cup of tea to moisten her throat and thought to herself:

Please don't come to me with outside matters. She doesn't want to hear about outside matters right now, let alone agree to anything.

Everyone present had an expression that said, "I knew it."

Seeing that Grandmother Jia showed no intention of asking questions, the Princess Dowager of Nan'an didn't seem to care. Her eyes flickered, and she spoke to herself:

"Sister, I was having dinner with Ming'er yesterday, and he didn't look too well. I asked him what was wrong, and he said it was because of your Jing'er!"

Tomorrow will be Huo Zhaoming, the Prince of Nan'an.

Yesterday, while the Nan'an Prince's family was having dinner, Huo Zhaoming seemed preoccupied. The Nan'an Dowager Princess noticed this and asked him what was wrong. She learned that he was worried about the military orders issued by the General Military Affairs Office.

After the Princess Dowager of Nan'an learned about Jia Jing's three ruthless military orders, she was filled with worry and indignation. That's why she took advantage of Grandmother Jia's birthday banquet today to come to test and put pressure on him!

Hearing the name Jia Jing, Grandmother Jia wondered what trouble her third grandson had gotten into this time, and could only say:

"What's wrong with Jing-ge?"

Grandmother Jia was unaware of the three military orders, or rather, the current situation outside. Unless she actively sought out Jia Zheng and Tan Chun to inquire, she had no other source of information!