Chapter 7: The Socialite Circle [Edited]

Hearing this, Xia Tong frowned slightly. Was fate conspiring against her, not allowing her to help the heroine?

After hesitating for a moment, she whispered a few words into Qing’er’s ear. Qing’er’s face changed, and she looked puzzled. “But… if the old madam finds out…”

Glancing at Lin Qin, who was chatting with others, Xia Tong said quietly, “Of course I have my own plans, just go ahead.”

Qing’er didn’t understand why her mistress was doing this, but since it was an order, she had no choice but to obey. Gritting her teeth, she quietly left the hall.

Seeing Qing’er leave, Xia Tong finally breathed a sigh of relief. This was all she could do to help the heroine.

“Sister Tong, I heard that Yu Defang just got a new batch of fabric from the Western Regions. It’s said to be incredibly smooth and soft. If you want, I can reserve a few bolts for you,” Lin Qin said enthusiastically as she approached.

The conversations between women were nothing more than gossip and clothes and jewelry. Xia Tong naturally smiled and nodded, but she was thinking about other things in her heart.

Before long, the Empress Dowager and the Emperor arrived, and everyone paid their respects. If Xia Tong hadn’t known better, she might have mistaken the Emperor for the Empress Dowager’s peer. Ancient people aged fast, but this old emperor, though only in his fifties, looked as if he were sixty or seventy. His eye sockets were sunken, his expression was lethargic, and his dragon robe, which should have been majestic, hung loosely on his frail frame. Frankly, it looked like he could pass away at any moment.

The hall was grand. A eunuch stood holding a scroll, reading out the list of gifts brought to the celebration. The Empress was whispering something to the Empress Dowager, who, after hearing it, seemed displeased. Narrowing her eyes, the Empress Dowager said, “These noble daughters are getting worse with every generation. Handle it as you see fit, but make sure they don’t disgrace the palace.”

“I understand, Your Majesty,” the Empress nodded slightly.

Down below, the music and dancing continued. A palace maid leaned in and whispered to the Empress, “The old madam from the Xiahou family came to pay her respects earlier. She brought along a young lady who seemed unfamiliar—probably the fourth young miss who recently returned to the capital. She was polite and respectful, and quite beautiful. But since His Highness the Crown Prince was present, I didn’t let them in.”

Hearing this, the Empress lightly dusted her sleeve with her nail guard, her long, narrow phoenix eyes slightly narrowing. “What good is beauty? Let’s hope she doesn’t end up like that girl from the Shen family, disgracing the noble name.”

As the seat across from her lay empty, and noticing that the traitor had once again disregarded etiquette and left early, the Empress couldn’t help but shake her head slightly. Now that treacherous ministers were in power and the Emperor did not accept loyal advice, there was resentment in the court. At this time, she could only rely on her son. She must carefully consider the choice of the Crown Princess.

Down below, Xia Tong was watching the performance and couldn’t hear the discussions happening above. She only noticed that the troublesome villain had left early again. He must do this often—surely the rigid court officials had been seething in anger for a long time.

It wasn’t long before Qing’er returned and gave her a slight nod, indicating that the task had been completed. Only then did Xia Tong relax and enjoy the rest of the performance. Without the villain present, the palace hall felt much more peaceful. After the banquet ended, she followed the old lady back to the manor, skipping the heroine’s later interrogation.

In the carriage, the previously resting old lady suddenly opened her eyes and spoke in a calm tone, “Where did you go earlier?”

Caught off guard by the question, Xia Tong blinked and replied with an innocent face, “Grandmother, I wasn’t feeling well earlier, so I went to the side hall to rest for a bit.”

She didn’t believe her grandmother would actually go ask the palace maids to verify her whereabouts!

The old lady said nothing, only giving her a long, meaningful look.

Xia Tong started feeling uneasy. Her grandmother was a master at household intrigue—had she seen through her plan?

Once they returned to the manor, Xia Tong still didn’t know what had happened to the heroine, but she had already done everything she could. Now, it was up to the heroine’s “Mary Sue” aura to kick in.

The next few days were calm, and Xia Tong didn’t hear any news from the palace. However, she didn’t idle—facing danger from all sides, she needed to prepare for an escape. So, she went to her father and asked for 500 taels of silver.

“What do you need so much silver for?” Xia Zhian asked, frowning as he set aside the official documents in his hand.

The room was filled with the faint scent of ink. Xia Tong, eager to please, came behind her father and began massaging his shoulders. In a playful tone, she said, “Father, you have no idea how expensive everything is in the capital. I can’t even afford decent clothes or jewelry. Isn’t it embarrassing for the Xiahou family?”

As his daughter complained in a delicate tone, Xia Zhian thought for a moment. She was right—the goods from Suzhou couldn’t compare to those in the capital, and his daughter shouldn’t be made to feel inferior. After some thought, he waved his hand generously. “Have Uncle Zhang deliver the silver to you later.”

The Xiahou family had solid foundations, and the modest salary from his position wouldn’t have been enough to sustain them. Each family member owned shops and properties. As the former magistrate of Suzhou, her father had earned quite a bit.

“Thank you, Father!” Xia Tong beamed, her eyes curving into happy crescents as she continued to enthusiastically massage her father’s shoulders. Suddenly, her eyes glinted, and she asked, “Father, have you ever considered splitting the family?”

“What did you just say?” Xia Zhian turned sharply, his expression serious.

Xia Tong bit her lip, looking worried as she replied, “You’ve seen it too, Father. Grandmother doesn’t like Mother and always targets her. It must make Mother feel terrible. And with so many rules in this household, wouldn’t it be better to separate? I don’t want to keep getting rashes all over my face.”

As she spoke, she lowered her head, her voice tinged with grievance. The first step to escaping with her parents was to convince them to split from the family!

Xia Zhian frowned and remained silent, lost in thought. It wasn’t a small matter, and he had considered the same thing. However, if they were to split, as a second-rank official in the court, it would surely cause gossip and impact the Xiahou family’s reputation.

After a long pause, he waved his hand. “I’ll think about it. You should stop worrying.”

Knowing she couldn’t rush things, Xia Tong nodded and left the study.

Back in her room, she began sorting through jewelry she no longer liked.

“Find a quiet time when no one’s around, and take these out of the manor to sell. Then deposit the money into the bank for me,” Xia Tong said as she picked through her collection at the dressing table.

Qing’er was stunned and remained speechless for a while. She couldn’t understand why her mistress was doing this.

Xia Tong picked up an old jade bracelet from the drawer and casually tossed it into a small box, the sound crisp. “These things are useless to me. I’d rather save up some money for my dowry.”

She had to prepare her escape at all times. If you had money, you could go anywhere. Without it, you couldn’t move an inch. If push came to shove, she’d leave her parents behind and run away by herself. After all, she’d done everything she could. If they refused to flee with her, there was nothing she could do. If the villain ended up getting killed, she could always come back later and stab his corpse a few times to avenge her parents.

Qing’er blushed and stammered, “Miss… you’re really planning far ahead.”

Xia Tong carefully stowed the box under her bed and sighed, “Just look at Grandmother’s actions, and you’ll know I don’t have much time left.”

Hearing this, Qing’er nodded seriously. After all, the old lady’s recent behavior had been quite telling.

“Miss, the old lady has requested your presence,” a maid suddenly announced from outside the door.

Xia Tong froze for a moment and quickly adjusted the hairpin in her hair. The old lady summoning her now could only mean trouble.

When she arrived at the main hall, she was greeted by bursts of laughter. As soon as she stepped inside, she saw the old lady sitting at the head of the room, uncharacteristically smiling. Beside her stood a familiar figure.

“Sister Tong!”

The girl with dimples immediately rushed over, grabbing her hand and shaking it excitedly. “Mother has kept me busy with painting lessons lately, but I finally managed to sneak out and find you.”

Lin Qin was dressed in a shimmering Shu brocade gown, with a delicate butterfly-shaped gold hairpin swaying atop her head. Her face was full of complaints, as if they were the best of friends.

Xia Tong blinked in surprise, not expecting this superficial friend to actually come and try to bond with her.

There were quite a few people in the hall, including Xia Min and others. Seeing how close the two seemed, the old lady smiled in satisfaction. Forming a good relationship with the Duke’s family was undoubtedly a great thing.

Madam Zhang and the others felt a bit uncomfortable. They couldn’t help but secretly glare at their daughters. This little girl had only just arrived in the capital and already befriended the daughter of the Duke’s family, while their own daughters only associated with people from less prominent families!

“The Duchess is only looking out for your well-being. You’re just too mischievous,” Xia Tong scolded lightly, tapping Lin Qin’s forehead, playing the part of a loving sister.

“I’m not! I just thought we could visit Yu Defang together,” Lin Qin pouted, clinging to Xia Tong’s arm playfully.

Seeing this scene, the old lady also laughed out loud, “In that case, Tong’er, you and Qin’er can go out for a walk and buy whatever you like.”

As she spoke, Momo Liu immediately handed a box to Qing’er. Xia Tong didn’t know how much money was inside, but she graciously accepted it. It was rare to get anything out of this old lady, so she didn’t plan to be modest.

“Great, let’s go!” Lin Qin excitedly grabbed Xia Tong’s hand and rushed out.

Meanwhile, Xia Min, who couldn’t hold back, suddenly spoke up, “Grandmother, I’d like to go out for a walk as well.”

She glanced at Lin Qin as she spoke. Naturally, she too wanted to get closer to the daughter of the Duke’s family.

But before the old lady could respond, Lin Qin had already pulled Xia Tong away, completely ignoring her. As the Duke’s legitimate daughter, Lin Qin had the privilege of dismissing those she considered irrelevant.

Seeing this, Xia Min’s face turned pale as she clenched her handkerchief tightly. Even the old lady gave her a displeased glance. People are not equal, she thought. With her granddaughter’s personality, what noble lady would ever want to associate with her?

Leaving Xiahou Manor, Xia Tong was still somewhat bewildered. She hadn’t expected her “plastic” friend Lin Qin to be so bold, not even bothering to make a pretense. Now, Xia Min would surely hold a grudge against her.

Inside the carriage, Lin Qin seemed to have read her thoughts and scoffed lightly, “In my family, I have the final say. I despise two-faced people the most. Before you arrived, your cousin was constantly bad mouthing you. I can’t stand that sort of person. But don’t worry, I’ll stand up for you. Once I spread the word, no one will want to befriend her.”

The carriage rocked gently as street vendors called out from outside. Xia Tong didn’t know how to respond. It seemed like navigating high society wasn’t going to be easy. Still, it felt satisfying to have someone put Xia Min in her place.

“Oh, by the way, you left early that day. You wouldn’t believe how cunning Shen Xin is! Even though the evidence was clear, somehow a maid appeared out of nowhere, claiming she saw Shen Xin only just arriving at the west hall. Shen Xin really knows how to talk her way out of things. In the end, she managed to escape punishment. But even so, she’s surely left a bad impression on the noblewomen in the palace. No prince would dare marry her now,” Lin Qin said with a hint of satisfaction.

That last sentence was probably what Lin Qin really wanted to say. Xia Tong wasn’t particularly moved by the news. If the heroine were that easy to defeat, she wouldn’t be the protagonist. Shen Xin was the chosen one for the hero, destined to become empress.

“Who knows what the future holds?” Xia Tong smiled indifferently.

As the carriage came to a halt, they had arrived. Stepping out, the scene before them was lively and bustling. The capital was indeed far more prosperous than Suzhou.

Standing tall in the busiest part of the city were three large characters: Yu Defang. Lifting her skirts, Xia Tong entered with Lin Qin, who was brimming with excitement. However, as soon as they entered, they overheard some sarcastic remarks.

“After bringing such shame upon her family, she still dares to show her face in public? If it were me, I would’ve cut off my hair and become a nun.”

“How can you compare yourself to her? Some people are shameless and couldn’t care less about such things.”

The shop, filled with elegant women dressed in fine garments, was abuzz with conversation. A group of noble ladies, whom Xia Tong had seen at the banquet, were mocking someone with thinly veiled disdain.

The target of their ridicule was a stunning woman in a fiery red dress, her expression calm. If it wasn’t the heroine, who else could it be?