Both of them shed the worries that had been troubling them all along, and therefore slept very well.
Moreover, with no elders in the house, they were the oldest, so they slept soundly and boldly.
They slept until Chen Shi.
The sun had risen from the east of the mansion, and had already shone into the room from the east window.
It was truly high noon.
Su Xiaoqi was awakened by the light, and turning her head, she saw Shen Yun had already gotten up and was looking for his clothes.
She quickly got up, not even bothering to put on her shoes, and fetched a newly made bamboo-green brocade robe from the top of the wardrobe.
This was the attire she had prepared for Shen Yun to attend various banquets.
There were a total of eight sets, four of which were for attending gatherings of scholars before the imperial examinations.
The other four were planned for after Shen Yun passed the imperial examinations…
Well, although it was a bit early to say, Su Xiaoqi was confident, so she prepared them with a clear conscience.
"Shen Yun, let me help you." She rushed over with the clothes.
Halfway there, Shen Yun scooped her up and placed her on the bed.
Shen Yun looked at her with a helpless expression and pointed to the embroidered shoes on the ground.
The silly girl was in such a hurry that she didn't even wear her shoes. Moreover, he didn't know what she was thinking, always calling him by his full name.
Before Su Xiaoqi could give him the clothes, Shen Yun first pressed her onto the bed and put the shoes on for her.
Having experienced Shen Yun washing her face and feet last night, Su Xiaoqi was surprisingly receptive to the matter of wearing shoes.
She also meticulously helped Shen Yun put on his clothes.
After putting on the robe for him, she smoothed out every inch and then turned back to carefully examine it. Once satisfied, she began to tie his belt.
Her hands were long enough, passing from behind Shen Yun's lean waist to his abdomen in front. Bending her head and waist, Su Xiaoqi did all this with extreme seriousness.
Shen Yun could see Su Xiaoqi's fair skin and delicate, full forehead from the corner of his eye.
He suddenly felt a surge of contentment.
He gently pulled Su Xiaoqi into his embrace.
"Hey, hey, Shen Yun…"
"Naughty wife," Shen Yun chuckled softly.
"Hey, husband, don't move. I just finished dressing you, and it'll wrinkle again if you move," Su Xiaoqi pouted and complained in a low voice.
Shen Yun's body felt weak from the touch of her delicate, boneless hands. His voice was hoarse, "Wife, I'll do it myself."
If she continued to dress him like this, he would be unable to resist doing something.
Shen Yun's voice suddenly changed from clear to a low, husky tone. Su Xiaoqi understood what was happening.
Feeling a bit helpless, she struggled to retreat from his embrace and lightly patted his chest, "We're going out soon, I'll help you quickly."
"Okay," Shen Yun readily agreed.
He also knew it was getting late and they really couldn't dawdle any longer.
After they reached a consensus, they quickly tidied themselves up, left the house, and managed to wait at the entrance before the Princess's carriage arrived.
Su Xiaoqi boarded the Princess's carriage, while Shen Yun took a separate one.
Upon boarding the carriage, Su Xiaoqi saw that the Princess was not alone; beside her sat a bright-faced young girl.
She appeared to be around thirteen or fourteen years old, with her hair styled in double buns, adorned with pearl hairpins, wearing large pearl earrings, and a necklace with an eight-treasure enameled ruby collar.
Her face was round, still carrying a hint of baby fat.
"Greetings, Princess," Su Xiaoqi knew that before Baoge, the Princess had a daughter, Princess Huian, who was now fourteen years old.
Seeing the young girl before her, Su Xiaoqi had a good idea of her identity. Before even sitting down, she rose to pay her respects.
Princess Huian's expression stiffened when she looked at Su Xiaoqi, but upon meeting her smile, she pursed her lips and bravely greeted her,
"Xiao, Sister Xiaoqi, you must be the Sister Xiaoqi that my Baodi talks about. You, you are so beautiful."
"Your Highness is too kind," Su Xiaoqi replied politely, and then she also praised Princess Huian, saying she was well-mannered, gentle, and lovable.
"Thank you, Sister Xiaoqi," Princess Huian hesitated for a moment, letting a smile spread across her face. Her apricot eyes narrowed into crescent moons as she smiled, appearing so charming and adorable.
"Alright, you are my precious daughter, and she is a junior I like. Xiaoqi, don't be so formal with her.
This girl might have heard about you from Baoge and seen the things you gave Baoge, so she likes you a lot. She's been pestering me to bring her out to find you."
The Princess looked at Princess Huian with affection.
This was her precious daughter whom she had doted on since childhood, but her temperament, sigh…
Upon hearing this, Su Xiaoqi knew that she was easy to get along with, and she relaxed her guard to interact with Princess Huian.
After some interaction, she found that Princess Huian was not bad in other aspects, but she was overly shy and a bit timid, though generally a good person.
Su Xiaoqi coaxed her in her room, and soon they were playing together.
She also took the opportunity to ask about Baoge. The Princess said he was riding with one of his older brothers and they would meet at the Liu family's residence later.
Su Xiaoqi touched the building block blueprints in her sleeve, feeling a hint of anticipation.
They arrived at the Liu family's residence at Si Shi.
The Liu family was previously just an ordinary scholarly family. Because the驸马 (Emperor's son-in-law) had gained the Princess's favor, and the Princess was particularly favored by the Emperor, love extended to him.
Moreover, the head of the Liu family, Liu Qiaosheng, had once struck it rich by luck and saved the Emperor's life, which directly resulted in him being granted a marquis title. Now, the entire family had become noble.
Although the Liu family did not hold high official positions, they were still greatly favored.
They had a mansion bestowed by the Emperor in the capital, which also contained a very large back garden.
The flower-viewing banquet held this time was in this garden named Qionghua Garden.
It not only cultivated Qionghua but also planted hundreds of varieties of flowers and trees, including various precious peonies and orchids, as well as common roses, azaleas, and climbing roses.
But its fame stemmed from being the best place in the entire capital to cultivate Qionghua.
Qionghua was originally a flower that bloomed in the south.
The north was too cold for cultivation, but because the Liu family was from Jiangnan and had lived in the Jiangnan region, they were very skilled in cultivating Qionghua.
In the mere ten years they had lived in this mansion, they had cultivated it into the foremost Qionghua garden in the capital.
Thus, five years ago, the Emperor bestowed the name Qionghua Garden.
It was also from that time that flower-viewing banquets became popular here.
Held once a year, and with the Princess's patronage, it grew better each year.
From a flower-viewing banquet attended only by the families of officials below the fifth rank, it had now become a place where only the families of fifth-rank officials and above could attend.
The noble families of the capital were all proud to receive an invitation to the flower-viewing banquet.
Of course, the invitations during the triennial imperial examinations were slightly different.
In addition to the officials of the fifth rank and above from previous years, many scholars coming to the capital to take the examinations were specially invited.
Su Xiaoqi did not know this when she first received the invitation.
But thanks to He Qiulei, the ever-informed busybody, she learned everything she should and shouldn't know.
Her first reaction was to back out.
After all, people of the same kind flock together. Although she had never looked down on herself, she privately felt that she did not fit in such occasions.
At least not at the moment. She was a practical person and was not interested in such power and fame.
But as He Qiulei had said, it was an invitation from the Princess, and she had not refused it at the time. It would seem improper to decline it now.
After much consideration, Su Xiaoqi had no choice but to agree.
He Qiulei was right. If she wanted to cultivate a good relationship with the Princess and pave the way for Shen Yun in the capital, she would naturally have to attend such banquets more often in the future.
Even if she didn't make connections now, just quietly observing and familiarizing herself with the faces would be beneficial.
As long as she kept a low profile and didn't cause trouble, she figured it would be fine.
Shen Yun was a little worried about her and had given Zhang Yu to her early on.
After all, it was her first time attending such a banquet, and she only had Guo'er with her who had come from the estate. She probably hadn't even learned all the etiquette yet.
"Take good care of my wife," Shen Yun said earnestly to Zhang Yu.
Zhang Yu, eighteen years old, wore a hairpin, a simple pale green ruqun, and a plain hairstyle with only a pink pearl flower. Her expression was respectful and serious, clearly different from ordinary maids.
"Master, rest assured," Zhang Yu replied and followed Su Xiaoqi.
The flower-viewing banquet was divided into male and female sections, both guided by members of the Liu family.
The male guests were received by Liu Qiaosheng, the Minister of Personnel and Left Assistant, who was the younger brother of the current驸马.
Shen Yun and his group headed to the left, where he had a group of scholars he had met at Zhuangyuan Tower to converse with.
Su Xiaoqi, on the other hand, followed the Princess's carriage into the venue outside Qionghua Garden.
This area was only for the carriages of royalty and nobility. Two carriages were already parked there. Seeing the Princess arrive, they quickly stepped forward to pay their respects.
"Greetings to Her Highness the Princess," a beautiful and wealthy middle-aged woman curtsied, then pushed a young girl beside her forward to also greet the Princess.
"Pingning, no need for such formality. We are, after all, cousins, and once in the palace, we are family. Now that we are out, you become so polite."
"Her Highness the Princess speaks wisely, but etiquette must not be abandoned." Princess Pingning did not become complacent upon hearing the Princess's words and still completed her courtesies.
She then looked at Su Xiaoqi with a hint of confusion.
Su Xiaoqi had already noticed her. Looking at the beautiful and gentle middle-aged woman before her, a sense of oppression inexplicably swept through her.
It was a very uncomfortable feeling.