The chrysanthemum banquet of Meiqi's sixty-eighth year has finally arrived.

  Guangwen Hall is different from the past, verification has become a contest of talents. Anyone with talent can go on stage to challenge their peers at will, showing off the vigor and vitality of young people, while also showcasing the unique qualities of Guangwen Hall's students.

  Both male and female students are on the same stage, that is to say, they are not divided into men's groups and women's groups like before. If you like it, girls can challenge boys' strengths in strategy and archery, and boys can also challenge girls' strengths in piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, but such situations rarely happen.

  Early in the morning, the Shen household was already bustling with activity. In the west wing, Frost carefully fastened a silver hairpin onto Shen Miaocui's hair and smiled: "Miss, it's done."

  Frost descended to comb her hair, previously Shen Yue wanted to take it for herself, but Frost was personally chosen by Madame Shen as a gift to Shen Miao. Frost refused and Shen Yue could do nothing about it.

  "The girl's dress is really beautiful." Bai Lu looked at it and smiled, then hesitated: "It's just that the top looks a bit too plain."

  Shen Miao's hair was black and abundant, and after being combed by Frost, it was styled into a delicate cloud bun, looking elegant and unique. Even after putting on her hairpin, Shen Miao still wore the double buns like a maid, but with a new style, she seemed to have grown up a bit. Her round and lovely face also became more refined and gentle, finally having some girlish charm.

  It's just a silver hairpin standing alone on her head, looking rather pitiful.

  Valley Rain's face couldn't help but reveal her anger. The Shen family was wealthy and influential, yet today Shen Miao didn't have a single piece of decent jewelry to wear. The entire Shen family relied on Shen Xin for support, yet they did such despicable things. To make matters worse, Shen Miao couldn't say anything about it because the jewelry they had given her were all gaudy gold trinkets that would only invite ridicule if worn outside.

  Shen Miao only glanced at Gu Yu and guessed what she was thinking, couldn't help but shake her head and smile wryly. In fact, from childhood to adulthood, the second and third branches of the Shen family had been racking their brains to cultivate their own mediocre hobbies, trying every means to make her believe that those glittering gold ones were the best. This way, they could say to outsiders that it wasn't the second and third branches intentionally making things difficult for the eldest branch's daughter, but because she originally loved such dazzling gold accessories!

  Looking at Shen Miao Le's tireless wearing of those exaggerated accessories, people thus had such a perception that the eldest daughter of the Shen family was greedy and loved money, being vulgar beyond endurance.

  Gold is valuable, but it's not for wearing on one's body.

  Gu Yu feared Shen Miao would be heartbroken and quickly changed the subject, saying: "However, that Li Niang truly has good craftsmanship, this dress of yours is really beautiful."

  It's unknown whether it was because of Shen Miao's pity, but the clothes sent by Li Niang were incredibly exquisite. It seemed to be taking care of her slightly small face, and the lotus green color would inevitably make her look old, so she had embroidered large peony flowers on the hem of the skirt, which looked lifelike and bloomed beautifully, really extremely beautiful.

  Shen Miao surprisingly also wore it perfectly, without a single place looking uncomfortable.

  Frost and White Dew exchanged a glance, both seeing the surprise in each other's eyes. Nowadays, Shen Miao can even suppress such a heavy color, it's unknown what's going on.

  "Let's go." Shen Miao stood up: "Can't wait too long."

  As soon as she came out of the hospital, she saw that the peach blossoms in the garden had bloomed a lot. She stopped and picked a small one, tucked it into her raven-black hair bun, and suddenly it was like adding flowers to brocade.

  "The girl is really beautiful." Gu Yu exclaimed.

  Gu Yan just came out of the small kitchen, preparing some snacks for Shen Miao in the carriage. When she came out with a basket, she saw Shen Miao and couldn't help but be startled.

  She had served Shen Miao for so many years, and Shen Miao was also raised by her. It could be said that she had watched Shen Miao grow up, but today she felt like a stranger to Shen Miao. With a calm and steady temperament, paired with the noble lotus green color, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call her a princess. She almost didn't hold onto the basket in her hand, and just stood there foolishly.

  Until Bai Lu smiled and said: "What is Nanny Gui looking at?"

  Madam Gui was taken aback, about to utter some flattering words out of habit, but suddenly remembered that today was the Chrysanthemum Banquet and Shen Miao's exceptional beauty would overshadow both Shen Yue and Shen Qing. She swallowed back the praise that had already reached her lips and turned around with a worried expression: "Miss, this dress color is really too heavy, Miss is still so young, why wear such a color, it covers up your good complexion for nothing. Why not go back and get that peach-colored embroidered flower branch magpie jacket from before? It looks delicate and tender. And this hairpin, I remember the second madam gave you many of them, if things go on like this, no one will say that the young ladies of General Shen's household are still so simple."

  Gu Yu rolled her eyes. The pink jacket with embroidered flowers and magpies was a gift from Ren Yuanyun, the color was tacky, and paired with the gold and silver accessories on her head and face, she looked like a country bumpkin's daughter. If she went to the chrysanthemum banquet today, Shen Miao would definitely be ridiculed by everyone. Gui Yatou was clearly not being kind-hearted, just as she was about to scold Shen Miao, she heard Shen Miao speak up in a soft voice: "Now that the country is at peace and the people are living happily, Your Majesty advocates for frugality. The way of the world is that extravagance and waste are inferior, being simple is not bad either. If others see it, they will only say that our general's mansion is honest and upright, with a good reputation, which is a good thing. As for clothes, there's no need to pay attention to them." Shen Miao raised the corner of her mouth: "Today, we are here to appreciate flowers and compete in talents, it has nothing to do with clothes."

  Her words were soft and gentle, yet they carried an unmistakable air of authority. Gu's mind was a complete muddle; she wasn't afraid of Shen Miao getting angry, but how could Shen Miao have spoken so much reason to her? Shen Miao didn't like homework usually, which meant she had no brains. Now, with such long passages of reasoning, so cultured and refined, it left Gu, an uneducated rough person, at a loss for how to refute them.

  Bai Lu couldn't help but burst out laughing with a "pu" sound, and then quickly covered her mouth and composed herself, but the joy in her eyes still couldn't be concealed.

  Madam Gui refuted and refuted again, but was ridiculed by several maidservants, feeling frustrated in her heart. She couldn't figure out why she always ended up at a disadvantage every time she conversed with Shen Miao. Whenever Shen Miao spoke, her words were sharp as a knife, yet her tone was gentle and soft. When Madam Gui tried to counterattack, Shen Miao's words left her speechless.

  Gu Yan's aunt handed the basket in her hand to Gu Yu: "This is for the young lady's snacks on the road, there is still some distance to the chrysanthemum banquet, don't let the young lady go hungry." She said to Shen Miao: "The old slave will return to the house to do things first."

  "Go." Shen Miao replied lightly.

  After Guigui left, Guyu and Bailu were overjoyed. The more Shen Miao was strong-minded, the more she had a master's demeanor, so those people in Shen Mansion who didn't have eyes couldn't bully her anymore.

  He walked up to the gate and saw two carriages stopped there. The first one was ready to depart, while the second one was empty.

  Shen Qing's maid Chun Tao was standing in front of the first horse carriage.