Song Jinxuan didn’t care about Song Yunzhao’s cold face and followed her into the room, sitting down directly.
Song Yunzhao’s mouth twitched. She couldn’t quite understand why Song Jinxuan in the book seemed so different from the one in front of her—it just got stranger and stranger.
Song Jinxuan didn’t notice Yunzhao’s peculiar look. She composed herself, pretending not to care, and said, “The letter has been sent. If all goes well, Father should come to the capital early.”
“The matter is already done, so why are you here?” Yunzhao was puzzled. They weren’t even close enough to be called fake friends, so there was no need for such familiarity.
“You…” Jinxuan felt a lump in her throat, gritting her teeth, “I don’t believe you don’t want to enter the palace.”
Yunzhao looked at Jinxuan with a very sincere expression and said, “I really don’t.”
She wasn’t lying; she truly didn’t want to enter the palace, but participating in the selection was still necessary.
Song Jinxuan was stunned. How… how could that be?
Who wouldn’t want to reach heaven in one leap?
Perhaps Yunzhao’s face was just too sincere, as Jinxuan didn’t speak for a while.
“Mother favours Eldest Sister. If you don’t participate in the selection to find a way out for yourself, how can you expect the Madam to arrange a good marriage for you? Don’t you ever think about your future?”
Yunzhao looked at Jinxuan in surprise, not expecting her to say something like this.
Jinxuan clutched her handkerchief tightly, “I know it’s disrespectful to the Madam, but every word I`ve said is heartfelt. It’s not just about you—I think the same way about my own marriage. My mother has always been despised by Madam, and I know my marriage won’t be easy in the future. Are you really not worried?”
In the book, Jinxuan also participated in the selection, but was sabotaged by Qinghan, just like the protagonist. Although she wasn’t as unlucky as the original owner, who ruined her reputation and face, the Emperor still had a poor impression of her. When marriages were arranged for the unsuccessful candidates, Jinxuan did not receive such an honour. Upon returning home, Cai Shi used the Emperor’s rejection to create trouble for the mother and daughter pair and eventually married her off to a poor scholar.
Thinking of this, Yunzhao frowned slightly.
Seeing Yunzhao`s frown, Jinxuan thought that she had persuaded her and quickly added, “Third Sister, there’s no deep grudge between us. Shouldn’t we face this predicament together? I don’t ask for much- I don’t aim to enter the palace; I just want to participate in the selection to earn a good reputation and secure an appropriate marriage. I’m not competing with you for the honour of being chosen.”
Song Yunzhao was indeed tempted. Song Qinghan was the third female supporting character in the original book, and her impact was quite significant. Forming an alliance with her could be a good choice.
However, Concubine Che and her daughter were very cunning. Yunzhao couldn’t believe that just because she had transmigrated and knew the plot of the book, she could do whatever she wanted while control everything.
An alliance was still necessary.
“What do you want me to do?” Yunzhao asked curiously.
Jinxuan breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, “Eldest Aunt will surely want Mother to take Fifth Sister. I’ll find a way to get Mother to take me too. Third Sister, just don’t stop me.”
Yunzhao thought that it was something major. Since it wasn’t, she immediately said, “If that’s the case, I’ll agree.”
Jinxuan was delighted, as she and Yunzhao had never gotten along, and she feared Yunzhao would sabotage her plan, “Thank you, Third Sister.”
“Goodbye. I won’t be seeing you off.”
Jinxuan: …
She left in a huff.
Even though Song Yunzhao was her ally, she still found her to be so annoying.
After Song Jinxuan left, Song Yunzhao carefully reviewed the plot of the book. She knew that before the selection process began, the Eldest Madam and Cai Shi would have several confrontations, and Song Qinghan wouldn’t stay idle, constantly visiting the Dingnan Residence to gain favour.
In the book, Concubine Che waited until Third Master Song arrived in the capital. She took advantage of the Emperor allowing more young ladies to enter the selection selection and used her influence to push Jinxuan into the competition.
But now the plot had changed, because Yunzhao had given them an idea. It was evident that Concubine Che and her daughter had another plan, but for now, it posed no harm to Yunzhao, so she would go along with it.
She really wanted to see Qinghan being repeatedly humiliated by Chu Yuying at the Dingnan Residence. What a pity that Qinghan would want to save face so badly, that she wouldn’t show her embarrassing moments.
Her soul was burning the desire to gossip and see a good play.
It was truly such a pity.
“What’s such a pity?” Yunzhao was startled to see Xie Linlang entering. She didn’t realise that she had spoken her thoughts aloud and quickly corrected herself, “I was just lamenting that even though we’ve arrived in the capital, we’re stuck in the backyard and can’t go out to explore.”
Xie Linlang instructed Hua Zhi to place an ornate gift box on the table and said with a smile, “I brought you some snacks.”
Given their recent pleasant collaboration, they had become much closer, and Xie Linlang thought highly of the Third Miss.
“What’s this?” Yunzhao glanced at the exquisite three-layered gift box1photo 1 at the end . Just the gilded, hollow-carved box itself was worth quite a bit.
She felt like a poor person looking at something she couldn’t afford. She wondered when she could achieve financial freedom.
Xie Linlang opened the gift box and took out each layer, arranging them neatly. “These are famous pastries from Sanyuan Tower in the capital. My Older Brother has sent them over. You should have a taste.”
The first layer contained a plate of White Jade Osmanthus Cake2photo 2. It was almost transparent, with golden osmanthus flowers visible inside. The faint fragrance of osmanthus could be felt, even before tasting it.
The second layer had Ruyi Rolls3photo 3, which were different from others, made from yam cake and filled with crushed dates. They were shaped like Ruyi and drizzled with a light honey syrup, offering a refreshing yet slightly sweet taste that was just right.
The third layer contained Rose Pastries4photo 4 , which melted in the mouth and had a rich rose aroma. They were mildly sweet and shaped like beautiful roses.
Sanyuan Tower?
That was a well-known restaurant in the book, a hotspot for gossip and lively gatherings- truly a paradise for those who want to eat melon5watch a spectacle, gossip. Unfortunately, since her father hadn’t arrived yet, she couldn’t leave the house, which made her feel distressed.
Feeling satisfied after eating, Yunzhao remembered something and asked Xie Linlang, “Did you only send this me?”
Understanding her meaning, Xie Linlang smiled and softly said, “Everyone in the residence received some.”
Yunzhao, finding herself quite in sync with Xie Linlang, replied, “That’s good.” Then she added, “Your brother is very generous.”
The pastries from Sanyuan Tower weren’t cheap, and she had to send them to so many people. In order to ensure that Xie Linlang was living comfortably in the family, the Xie Family really put in a lot of effort.
Moreover, in the book, Xie Linlang was finally able to enter the Prime Minister`s residence because of the Xie family`s planning and support .
Linlang didn’t mind, “What’s a bit of money? Besides, only you and I received the most famous and expensive pastries from Sanyuan Tower.”
Yunzhao couldn’t help but smile, “Don’t worry, I won’t say a word about it.”
Linlang’s eyes curved into a smile as well. She said happily, “I have important news to share with you. Don’t rush to the Dingnan Residence for the selection. It seems like there will be a change.”
Hmm?
Yunzhao looked at Linlang in surprise. She knew there would be changes because she knew the plot. But how did Linlang know?
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TL`s note: The photos arent super accurate, but they give a general sense of the dishes. Also, our main girl just wants to sit around and gossip. I wonder what kind of person the male lead will be? He must be interesting if he wants to be her match
