Uncle Ling wrote a letter to his family overnight, and the next day, Sun Shi ordered the servant to send the letter back to Dingzhou.

After the servant who sent the letter left, Sun Shi suddenly remembered an important thing. After Ling Jingshu and her brother arrived in the capital, it seemed as if they had never written a letter to their family?

Not only that!

In her daily conversations, Ling Jingshu did not reveal the slightest feeling of missing her family…

Was Ling Jingshu cold by nature, or was there something else hidden?

When Ling Jingshu and her brother came to pay their respects, Sun Shi pretended to be casual and asked: “Ah Shu, Ah Xiao, you have been away from home for more than a month in the capital. Have you ever written a letter home?”

From the day she left Dingzhou, she never planned to go back. Her family far away in Dingzhou was just a group of people with blurry faces to her.

How could she still be in the mood to write a letter home?

Ling Jingshu pulled the corner of her lips and replied lightly: “I have been so busy with Ah Xiao’s treatment these days, that I forgot to write a letter home.” 

Even if Sun Shi was slow, she could hear something wrong. She looked at Ling Jingshu’s pretty face, full of inquiry: “Is it really because you are busy that you forgot?”

Ling Jingshu’s eyes flashed slightly, and she asked with a smile: “Why did you suddenly ask this, bómǔ? Could it be that my dàbó just wrote a letter home, so my bómǔ remembered to ask me by the way?”

Sun Shi: “…”

This girl was simply born with a sharp mind. Scary shrewdness!

Sun Shi cleared her throat and said, “Yes, you’re right. Your dàbo had someone write a letter home last night, and I just sent someone to send it back to Dingzhou this morning.”

Ling Jingshu said with a half-smile, and asked casually, “Why did our dàbó suddenly write a letter home? Is there something important?”

Sun Shi coughed and replied a little unnaturally, “It’s nothing special. I just want to report that you both are safe and that Xiao has started his treatment under Doctor Wei. So that they won’t worry in Dingzhou.” 

She was afraid it was not just that!

With the temperament of Uncle Ling and Sun Shi, she was afraid they had already set their sights on the Crown Prince’s Mansion and were dreaming of becoming royal relatives.

Ling Jingshu sneered in her heart but did not expose Sun Shi. She followed Sun Shi’s words and smiled, “Bómǔ thoughtful. My brother and I thank you.”

Sun Shi felt a little guilty, but she was not thick-skinned enough to remain calm. She forced a smile and quickly changed the subject: “Ah Xiao has been treated by Doctor Wei twice. He drinks soup and applies ointment every day. Do you feel better now?”

Ling Xiao answered obediently, “My head occasionally hurts, and my eyes feel hot and itchy.”

“It’s always good to feel something.” Sun Shi smiled and comforted Ling Xiao, “You were blind for nearly six years before. It will take some time to cure your eyes. It’s definitely not a few days’ work.”

As she was talking, the doorman walked in quickly and reported with a strange look, “Madam, the eunuchs from Chāngpíng Gōngzhǔ’s mansion are here.”

 The Ling family had no contact with Chāngpíng Gōngzhǔ’s mansion. Why would an eunuch from Chāngpíng Gōngzhǔ’s mansion suddenly send someone here?

Sun Shi was stunned at first and soon remembered what happened when they met Chāngpíng Gōngzhǔ in the Crown Prince’s mansion that day. At that time, Chāngpíng Gōngzhǔ casually asked Ling Jingshu to attend the Lotus Appreciation Banquet at her mansion. Could it be that this steward came to deliver an invitation?

No matter what the purpose was, he must not be neglected.

Sun Shi immediately ordered: “Please invite the steward in quickly.”

…

Chāngpíng Gōngzhǔ was the most beloved princess of the current Emperor. Wherever she went, most people flattered her. The eunuchs in the princess’s mansion naturally had an air of superiority.

This eunuch was about seventeen or eighteen years old and was quite handsome. But his appearance was a little feminine and his voice was a little shrill. After entering the inner hall, he didn’t even look at Sun Shi and others: “I am from the gōngzhǔ’s mansion. You can just call me Eunuch Lu.”

Even though Sun Shi was not very comfortable in her heart, she would never show it. She smiled and greeted: “It turns out that Eunuch Lu has come. Sit down and talk quickly. Come on, serve tea!”

As the wife of an official, there was absolutely no reason to salute a eunuch. Sun Shi just passed by like this.

Eunuch Lu was not polite either and sat down at the top seat with a swagger.

Ling Jingshu and Ling Jingyan looked at each other. They both saw the contempt in each other’s eyes.

Like Master, Like Servant.

This sentence was indeed true.

Eunuch Lu finished half a cup of tea, and then he slowly explained his purpose: “We are here today on the orders of Her Royal Highness the Gōngzhǔ to deliver the invitation to the Lotus Appreciation Banquet.”

After that, he took out a dazzling golden invitation from his arms.

She and the King of Yan were indeed blood siblings, even the ordinary invitation was made of gold thread.

Sun Shi smiled took the invitation with both hands, and responded repeatedly: “Your Royal Highness the Gōngzhǔ is thoughtful. Thank you, Eunuch Lu, for running so far to deliver the invitation. Here is a small gift. It is not a respect, but I hope you will accept it.”

As she said that, she stuffed a purse into his hands.

Most eunuchs who have been castrated loved money.

This Eunuch Lu was no exception.

He squeezed the purse, and there were a few light pieces of paper inside. Obviously, there were silver bills.

Eunuch Lu finally had a satisfied smile on his face, and his tone became a little more gentle: “Those who are eligible to receive the invitation are all daughters of nobles and marquises. The Ling family ladies are lucky enough to attend the banquet this time, which can be regarded as a blessing from the previous life.”

Although the words were a bit harsh, they were also true.

The daughters of a mere fourth-rank official would never be eligible to attend the banquet at the Gōngzhǔ’s mansion.

After Sun Shi sent Eunuch Lu away with many thanks, she immediately said to Ling Jingyan and Ling Jingshu with excitement: “Ah Yan, Ah Shu, this time going to the Gōngzhǔ’s mansion for the banquet is a great opportunity for you two. You can take this opportunity to meet some famous ladies. If you can meet one or two jùnzhǔ, it would be even better.”

Ling Jingyan pouted: “If they are all like Fumin Jùnzhǔ, it doesn’t matter if we don’t meet them.”

Ever since she heard about Fumin Jùnzhǔ’s “evil deeds”, in Ling Jingyan’s heart, Fumin Jùnzhǔ was undoubtedly ranked first.

Thinking of Fumin Jùnzhǔ, Ling Jingyan couldn’t help but feel a little worried. She turned to look at Ling Jingshu: “Ah Shu, you and Fumin Jùnzhǔ have had a grudge. What if you run into her on the day of the banquet?”

Fumin Jùnzhǔ and Changping Gōngzhǔ were cousins, and they often interacted with each other. Fumin Jùnzhǔ would most likely come to the lotus appreciation banquet.

Ling Jingshu had expected this and replied calmly: “It’s okay to meet her. If she takes the initiative to provoke me, I will just ignore her.”

She wanted to establish a relationship with Changping Gōngzhǔ in the shortest possible time. In the future, they would inevitably interact with each other, and she would inevitably run into the willful and capricious Fumin Jùnzhǔ. Simply avoiding her was not a solution.

… (To be continued.)