Chapter 24

“These two!”

Yan Meili pointed to the two legitimate daughters standing beside her.

“Alright! Please come in!”

The palace maid extended her hand in an inviting gesture.

“Mother, I want to go in too!”

Xia Shuixian anxiously grabbed Yan Meili. She had seen Xia Jinlan and Xia Tinglan both walking in, but she was stopped at the door.

“Oh! You want to enter? Your name isn’t on the invitation, and I just noticed it now. I’m afraid you two will have to wait outside for us. If you really don’t want to wait, you can take a carriage back to the manor!”

Yan Meili brushed off Xia Shuixian’s hand and gave her a regretful look.

“Mother will go in first!”

Watching Yan Meili walk in with a triumphant expression, Xia Shuixian gritted her teeth, biting her lip in frustration.

Hmph! I will find a way to get in!

“Hey! Move aside, good dogs don’t block the way!”

A lady in a bright red dress pushed past Xia Shuixian, who was standing at the door.

Xia Shuixian was shoved aside and nearly lost her balance.

Her eyes welled up with tears from the injustice of it all.

Xia Qingqing stood beside her, looking around. It was the first time she had seen so many beautiful women in Hanfu, and she was a little surprised. She decided to wait until she had seen enough before heading inside.

Xia Shuixian took a deep breath, calming herself.

She walked over to Xia Qingqing and sneered:

“Looks like we’re both in the same situation. Neither of our names are on the invitation, so neither of us can attend the banquet, huh?”

Xia Qingqing glanced at her, “Ah! I’m actually a very kind person, not wanting to add insult to injury. But you really look like you need a lesson. Who said I’m in the same situation as you? Hmph!”

“You’re nothing but a lowly concubine-born daughter! You think you can join in the fun? You must be dreaming!”

Xia Shuixian vented her anger on Xia Qingqing.

“Tonight, with so many madams and young ladies here, I have important things to do, so I don’t have time to bother with you!”

Xia Qingqing had been carefully observing the madams and young ladies who passed by. She noticed that those with good skin had only a little powder on their faces, while those with worse skin were caked with thick makeup.

She had her target audience now, and her confidence grew.

“Hey! Where are you going?”

Seeing her walk towards the entrance, Xia Shuixian called out in surprise.

“Mind your own business!”

Xia Qingqing mumbled as she quickly walked up to the palace maid.

The palace maid eyed her carefully and smiled:

“Little girl, which family do you serve? Maidservants can’t just enter, you need to wait outside the gate!”

“That’s right! Maidservants can’t enter casually!”

“Even young ladies can’t enter without an invitation!”

The madams and young ladies behind them started mocking Xia Qingqing.

Xia Shuixian squeezed through the crowd, watching with amusement. Did Xia Qingqing really think she could still act like she did back in the manor, taking a knife to cut people? If I can’t get in, how could she?

“Xia Qingqing, stop embarrassing yourself here. Let’s just go back to the manor!”

Xia Shuixian stepped forward, grabbing her hand.

“That’s right! You should go back. If your name’s not on the invitation, you can’t get in!”

“Good dogs don’t block the way. Move aside! Another one trying to climb the social ladder! She doesn’t even know her place!”

A noble lady dressed in grand robes looked at Xia Qingqing with disdain.

“Fourth sister, if you’re going back, go ahead. I’m going in to have a look!”

Xia Qingqing shook off Xia Shuixian’s hand and took out the golden-embossed invitation given to her by Qian Qiu.

The crowd gasped in shock.

“Is this a joke? She looks plain and dressed so ordinary, where did she get an invitation?”

“Check it!”

Xia Qingqing handed the invitation to the palace maid with both hands.

“She must have stolen it!”

“Even if she didn’t steal it, she must have forged it! People these days are really shameless, just to climb the social ladder!”

“Xia Qingqing, if you forged that invitation, you’ll be found out and might even lose your head!”

Seeing the invitation, Xia Shuixian shouted in panic.

Xia Qingqing stood calmly in front of the palace maid.

The palace maid carefully examined the invitation, then looked at the name inside, her eyes widening in surprise.

“You are Xia Qingqing?”

“Yes! The Sixth Miss of the Xia Family!”

“Great! Qian Qiu specifically told me that you were coming, and I was supposed to bring you to her right away!”

The palace maid suddenly smiled warmly. The disdainful look she had earlier had turned into one of respect. She bowed 90 degrees and returned the invitation to Xia Qingqing with both hands.

“Miss Xia, please enter!”

“Someone, take Sixth Miss Xia to see Qian Qiu!”

A palace maid stepped forward and respectfully invited Xia Qingqing into the yard.

“Miss Xia, please follow me!”

Everyone was stunned!

Xia Shuixian stood frozen, her hand over her mouth. She couldn’t understand how Xia Qingqing had managed to get an invitation, and it wasn’t forged!

Many madams and young ladies looked at Xia Qingqing with envy and jealousy.

“Madam Ji, Qian Qiu is the head matron beside the Empress Dowager! If she’s going to see Qian Qiu, she must be going to see the Empress Dowager!”

“Wait! Her invitation must have come directly from the Empress Dowager!”

“We all got ours from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and it’s not the same level!”

“Ah, we said so many bad things about her earlier, if the Empress Dowager hears it, we’ll be in trouble!”

“Who knew she was personally invited by the Empress Dowager! Ignorance is no excuse!”

Everyone looked at each other in fear.

“Madams and young ladies, please don’t block the door. Have your invitations ready and go inside one by one for identification!”

The palace maid resumed her meticulous behavior, checking the invitations.

“Why? What right does she have?”

Xia Shuixian muttered to herself.

The burning jealousy and resentment flared inside her chest. She had just said so many sarcastic things about Xia Qingqing, thinking she was beneath her!

But now…

She never expected this to happen so quickly!

Although she didn’t physically slap her, it felt as if her own face was being slapped.

Slap! Slap!

Sob, sob, sob…

Xia Shuixian just wanted to crawl into a hole.

She took a step back, then another, looking for a quiet place where she could cry out loud.

She couldn’t hold it in anymore!

Xia Shuixian turned and walked quickly to a corner near the palace walls, leaning against the wall, covering her face and sobbing uncontrollably.

“Woo woo woo…”

“Hey! Who’s crying over there?”

A deep voice called out.

“Mind your own business! Let me cry in peace!”

Xia Shuixian yelled.

The person froze for a moment, then walked over.

“Miss, are you being bullied? Did someone wrong you? Maybe I can help you?”

“What can you help me with? They all have invitations, and I don’t! I was embarrassed so much! Is it wrong for me to want to attend the banquet? Am I not just a little concubine-born girl? They all bully me!”

“Oh! I see… maybe…”

The person lowered his head, looking at the pitiful, tear-streaked figure. Something inside him softened a little.