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A few days later, in the Lin family.
"Cousin, hurry up, what are you dawdling for?" Lin Zhiqing lifted her skirt and was the first to get into the carriage.
Lin Shi'an's face was grim, but he still followed Lin Zhiqing's steps without a word.
"After today, the matter of retrieving the ginseng is not to be brought up again," he said stiffly once he settled down.
"No problem," Lin Zhiqing agreed readily.
Facts proved that nothing was impossible to negotiate. If it was, then the stakes weren't high enough.
Thinking of Lin Shi'an's startled expression that day when he heard her wanting to retrieve the ginseng, Lin Zhiqing wanted to laugh. This cousin seemed to care more about his elder cousin than she had imagined.
Lin Zhiqing felt that her ginseng was well worth it.
Previously, she had indeed considered choosing between Lu Huai and Jiang Liuyun to attend today's Spring Banquet. However, choosing either one would offend the other, which was truly inappropriate.
It was also inappropriate to find a new partner, as she had a fiancé.
But Lin Shi'an was different.
Partnering with her own cousin would, firstly, avoid misunderstandings, and secondly, it would indirectly allow her to build good relationships with Lin Yangyang and Lin Shi'an. It was all benefits and no harm.
The more Lin Zhiqing thought about it, the more stable this choice seemed.
Unlike her state of resting with closed eyes, Lin Shi'an sat at the edge of the carriage, appearing very reserved.
He had never been out alone with Lin Zhiqing before, and it felt strange.
This awkward atmosphere continued until the carriage stopped in front of the Imperial Academy's residence.
Lin Zhiqing eagerly got out of the carriage and immediately saw the large characters "Imperial Academy Residence."
Compared to the Lin family's manor, the gate of this Imperial Academy Residence was slightly smaller, but the stone lions at the entrance exuded a "brave and imposing" aura, which was very striking.
The Lin family's entrance was also wide, but for some reason, it always carried a sense of desolation.
In just this short while, carriages coming and going had already blocked the entrance.
Lin Zhiqing, relying on the portraits Aunt Mu had given her, recognized a few familiar faces.
As soon as she and Lin Shi'an stepped into the Imperial Academy's gate, they heard a commotion.
"This... what kind of pairing is this?"
"What wind do you think blew these two here? I remember they never attended the banquet in previous years."
"Attending the banquet is one thing, but wasn't it agreed to be one man and one woman partnering?"
"Young Master Jiang would rather come with another man than bring that silent, unfeeling Miss, how laughable."
"Only well-bred young ladies can receive invitations. Don't you think Lin Zhiqing, that jinx, has anything to do with well-bred young ladies?"
When Lin Zhiqing was mentioned, the young ladies present seemed to have a tacit understanding and burst into laughter.
Good heavens, she was being gossiped about herself. Lin Zhiqing stopped.
Lin Shi'an frowned. Although he knew Lin Zhiqing's reputation wasn't good, he didn't realize these noble ladies spoke so harshly.
But Lin Zhiqing was acting as if nothing was wrong, craning her neck to watch the show.
What he didn't know was that Lin Zhiqing wasn't watching the show at all.
She couldn't help but rub her eyes. Good heavens, why were Jiang Liuyun and Lu Huai here?
And they came together?
Is this right?
At this moment, the two protagonists of the gossip central exchanged glances, both seeing disgust in each other's eyes.
If not for... their gazes landed on Lin Zhiqing not far away, then quickly moved away.
As expected, the two were quickly stopped by a servant at the door.
"Young Master Jiang, Young Master Lu, this... this is against the rules." The servant had never seen two men present a single invitation before, and these two were powerful figures not to be offended. A thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.
"Rules? I ask you, did the Grand Academician's rules state that the Spring Banquet must be attended by two partners?" Lu Huai raised an eyebrow.
"To answer Young Master Lu, indeed so," the servant nodded.
"Then I ask you again, did the rules state that it must be a man and a woman partnering?" Lu Huai's lips curved, a bright smile on his face.
"This..." The servant found it hard to speak. Although the rules didn't explicitly say so, it was an unspoken secret that the Spring Banquet was a gathering for young masters and ladies to find prospective partners.
With nothing left to say, Lu Huai fell silent.
Lin Zhiqing, not far away, shook her head. Lu Huai's words were indeed sharp.
Jiang Liuyun coughed lightly, then took over the conversation: "Brother Lu is right, there really isn't such a rule. I will personally explain to the Grand Academician."
He cupped his hands, then placed the invitation down, entered the main gate, and headed straight for Lin Zhiqing.
Lu Huai followed his steps unhurriedly.
Seeing this, Lin Zhiqing quickly pulled Lin Shi'an's sleeve, signaling him to hurry away.
What was this if not a battlefield?
Fortunately, she was quick enough, and the banquet separated genders. She went to the women's section, thus avoiding confronting the two men.
Lin Zhiqing breathed a sigh of relief and then began to observe her surroundings.
Although the Imperial Academy's residence was small, its internal scenery was quite extraordinary.
Just the "gender-separated seating" was designed very cleverly.
Although it was called separated seating, there was actually just a large scenic lake in between.
Lin Zhiqing sometimes felt a little confused. The entire Shengjing held etiquette in high regard. They were especially strict with women, placing great importance on the segregation of genders.
Yet, the setup of the Spring Banquet and the seating arrangements were not as strict as Lin Zhiqing had imagined, carrying a strange sense of incongruity.
She shook her head, unable to make sense of it.
The women's section was set up in a waterside pavilion, with screens placed beside it to block the wind and also to separate views.
The closer Lin Zhiqing walked, the more distinct the faint floral scent became.
Perhaps to match the theme of the "Spring Banquet," various flowers and plants were arranged along the veranda. As Lin Zhiqing moved, she occasionally disturbed butterflies hidden among the blossoms.
The men's section was set up in an octagonal pavilion on the opposite side of the lake.
That pavilion was as large as one of Lin Zhiqing's courtyards, capable of accommodating many people.
Though it didn't look as colorful as the women's section at first glance, the intertwining rockeries and green bamboo offered a unique charm.
Officials were officials. Lin Zhiqing still liked this kind of scenery very much. The Lin family's garden wasn't as meticulous; various elements were piled together, looking quite ordinary.
After observing the layout, Lin Zhiqing took Aunt Mu to a corner and began her "lesson."
"The one sitting in the center wearing red is Princess Pingning. The white-clad lady beside her is the Prime Minister's direct daughter..." Aunt Mu pointed out the young ladies she recognized.
Lin Zhiqing listened very carefully. After all, these people could all become her potential clients in the future.
Lu Nanyue was right, the invitations to this Spring Banquet were indeed rare. There were only about twenty people at the banquet.
The flower-like young women standing together were, all in all, a sight of beauty competing for attention, pleasing to the eye.
Lin Zhiqing didn't want to stand out too much today. She wore a modest, flowing green silk dress, with a few jasmine silk flowers in her hair bun, looking simple but dignified.
Once she recognized most of the people, she moved to a not-so-conspicuous seat.
As she got closer, she could easily hear the conversations of the noble ladies in the center.
However... the more Lin Zhiqing listened, the more intriguing her expression became. The content of their conversation seemed to be about herself?
"If my father had done something like this, he would have had no face to live on. If she had just slit her throat with a knife, I might have admired her integrity..."
Wait, Lin Zhiqing froze. This voice... it was very familiar!
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