That day, Shen Xuan found it quite amusing when he learned about Xue Fengli's dispute and money-throwing contest with Young Master Ye from the Ye family at his own shop.
He had long known that this Second Young Master Xue was at odds with Xue Fenglin. Since such a person was willingly giving him two hundred taels of silver, he certainly wasn't going to refuse a free gift.
Meanwhile, after Suyun and Suyue were scolded by Lady Ye, they only then realized that Shen Xuan had quietly opened a shop outside.
Recalling how he went out daily and dabbled with food in the kitchen a few days ago, they realized they had underestimated this young man.
"This Shen Ger is probably not what we thought. He's not an easy person to deal with," Suyun finally felt confident in her judgment.
"I've suspected for a long time that Mama You was intentionally undermined by him, and now it seems that's precisely the case."
"How could a ger like him open a shop outside and yet be so tolerant towards a servant at home? He's probably doing it for Lady Xue to see," Suyue also said.
"Last time, he used us to challenge Mama You, which led to our confinement. Now that we are at odds with Mama You, he holds the real authority in the mansion. He truly has a clever mind."
"If that's the case, what should we do?" Suyun sighed. "Lady Ye told us to keep a close eye on him, but as soon as we get close, Mama You comes to stop us. Now we can't even get near him."
"You're confused too," Suyue said upon hearing this. "Madam only told us to keep an eye on him, not to serve him intimately, did she? From now on, we just need to regularly report his movements within the mansion to the Ye residence. What else can we manage?"
"Is that alright?" Suyun still hesitated slightly upon hearing this...
Suyue then took his hand and twisted the silver bracelet on his wrist, saying, "We are, after all, Ye family members. How can we meddle in the Xue family's affairs? Since Madam told us to serve Shen Ger, we'll just serve him well. If there's any oversight, isn't it Mama You's fault?"
The silver bracelet on Suyun's wrist was precisely a gift from Shen Xuan. Suyue's meaning was also to remind him that following Shen Xuan wouldn't lead to a promotion anyway. it was just temporary service.
Offending him would bring no benefit, so it was better to turn a blind eye, appease Shen Xuan, and receive more rewards.
Suyun looked down at the silver bracelet on his hand. Weighing over one tael of silver, and quite exquisitely made, it could fetch at least three taels of silver if sold.
He had served the Ye family's young master for many years and had never received such a generous reward. Previously, such rewards were only given to first-class personal attendants.
"You're right," Suyun nodded, settling his mind.
After all, it was just temporary service. The work with Shen Xuan was easy, and he was generous. If anything else came up, and the Ye family asked, they could just push the blame onto Mama You.
***
Shen Xuan was unaware of their thoughts. He was currently very surprised to receive Lady Ye's invitation.
The Mid-Autumn Festival banquet was something Lady Bai had deliberately arranged for Xue Fenglin to appear at, solely to humiliate him.
But Lady Ye was against him marrying Xue Fenglin, so why would she invite him to the Double Ninth Festival outing banquet? Wasn't she afraid he would make The Shizi lose face?
Along with the invitation came a dressmaker from the Ye family. She was highly skilled in needlework, managing all the clothing for the entire Ye household.
"Shen Ger, Madam thought you might not have suitable attire since you're new to the capital, so she specifically sent me to tailor clothes for you to wear for the outing."
"Thank you for Lady Ye's thoughtfulness," Shen Xuan nodded in thanks. He hadn't expected Lady Ye to be so considerate.
He wasn't sure what Lady Ye's intentions were, but she seemed amiable and thorough on the surface. Since she had gone to such lengths, he certainly couldn't refuse to give face.
He got up and allowed the dressmaker, Lady Li, to take his measurements. Then Lady Li gestured, and a maid behind her brought out a stack of fabric samples, placing them before him, "Shen Ger, these are the fabrics from the Ye family, all suitable styles for banquets. Please choose one you like?"
Shen Xuan felt a bit overwhelmed looking at the dozen or so fabrics. So, he casually pointed to a rust-colored one.
The rust-colored fabric was embroidered with maple leaves in the same color silk thread, which perfectly suited the autumn scenery.
Lady Li secretly nodded, thinking to herself that although this Shen Ger was from the countryside, he didn't pick the more gaudy or luxurious fabrics, but chose this more suitable one. His taste was actually quite good.
She had someone put away that fabric and then picked out another piece, stepping forward and saying, "This fabric is very elegant, but one outfit might be too little. Most female relatives at banquets in the capital usually bring at least two sets of clothes, in case one gets stained and they have no replacement. Shen Ger, why don't you also choose this celadon-colored cloud-patterned brocade fabric? It also complements your skin tone."
"Thank you for your guidance, Lady," Shen Xuan nodded, agreeing to the fabric Lady Li had chosen for him, and gave Jin Gui a subtle look.
When the Ye family's people left, Jin Gui chased after them from inside and slipped a purse to Lady Li, saying, "Shen Ger said to thank you for your careful work, and this is for your tea money."
Lady Li often received tips, and she didn't decline the purse, just accepted it with a smile, saying she would deliver the clothes to the residence in three days.
After she left the Shen residence and entered her sedan chair, she opened the purse. She was a bit surprised to find that it contained one tael of silver.
A one-tael silver tip was common for legitimate young masters and ladies of a marquis's residence, but Shen Xuan was just a country young man. Where did he get so much money? Could it be that he was trying to put on a show beyond his means?
However, since the money was given to her, Lady Li wouldn't complain about it being too much.
She had originally been a bit annoyed that Lady Ye made her come out to make clothes for such a low-status country young man, but now, in a joyful mood, she put the silver away and began to think about the design for Shen Xuan's outing clothes this time.
***
Three days later, Lady Li indeed delivered the finished clothes as promised. She only asked Shen Xuan to try them on immediately so they could be altered if they were too big or too small.
Shen Xuan tried them on and found that Lady Li's craftsmanship was indeed excellent. The clothes were made very smoothly and fit perfectly, with meticulous stitching everywhere.
The rust-colored fabric was made into a narrow-sleeved, round-collared long robe. The collar could be folded open, revealing a part adorned with purple Bao Xiang flower fabric, and the waistband and collar seams were joined with soft leather.
The celadon-colored fabric was made into a wide-sleeved, short-shirt set, which was the most popular style among ger in the capital at the time.
The collar and the lower skirt were adorned with dark blue embroidered patches featuring a "double swallow" pattern, which was both harmonious and delicate.
"These clothes fit perfectly and are well-made. There's nothing that needs changing," Shen Xuan said, changing back into his own clothes and putting away the newly made ones.
Although Xue Fenglin had given him many clothes before, to avoid attracting Lady Bai's attention, they were all convenient for going out, relatively low-key and elegant, and simple in style. These two sets of clothes Lady Ye gave Shen Xuan were more suitable for attending banquets.
At this point, Lady Li took out two sets of jewelry and placed them in front of Shen Xuan, saying, "These two sets of jewelry were chosen by Madam to match Shen Ger's clothes, and she specifically asked me to deliver them."
Shen Xuan looked and saw that one set was a gold filigree and mother-of-pearl inlaid crown and mother-of-pearl belt ornaments. Although the style was antique, the luster was very splendid, looking quite expensive.
The other set was a scroll-patterned, openwork jade crown and a jade pendant of the same material with a flying swallow design, as well as an eighteen-seed prayer bead bracelet. The jade was transparent and moist, which was quite presentable for the occasion.
These accessories and clothes suited Shen Xuan's temperament very well. When worn on him, they made him look quite noble, not at all like a ger who grew up in the countryside.
Shen Xuan looked at so many valuable gifts, which probably totaled over two hundred taels, and felt a little emotional.
Lady Ye clearly disliked him, but to avoid embarrassing Xue Fenglin, she treated him quite meticulously. This was much better than Lady Bai.
On the day of the Double Ninth Festival, he put on the rust-colored outfit early in the morning and had Jin Gui put away the remaining set for backup.
This time, the Ye family's Double Ninth banquet was held near the military training ground in the suburbs of the capital. Since Jin Gui and Jin Zhi had never attended such a large banquet, Shen Xuan thought about it. When leaving, he left Jin Zhi behind and brought Suyue instead.
Suyue had accompanied the Ye family's eldest young master to many banquets before and had more experience with such occasions.
Shen Xuan didn't know any of the female relatives from the prominent families in the capital and needed Suyue to help remind him.
Suyue hadn't expected Shen Xuan to bring him to the banquet this time. While secretly pleased, he also felt that Shen Xuan was flexible and very intelligent.
He and Jin Gui were already quite familiar, and it wasn't awkward when they rode in the carriage with Shen Xuan.
Along the way, Shen Xuan treated them very amiably, and he consulted Suyue on many etiquette points for the banquet, which Suyue patiently answered one by one.
Near the military training grounds in the suburbs of the capital, they saw a large, enclosed hunting ground set up by the Ye family, where many banquet tables were already prepared.
At such outdoor banquets, guests could enjoy spring outings, hunting, and polo.
It was not only lively and fun but also an excellent opportunity for families to scout for potential marriage matches. If one truly couldn't make it, every family who received an invitation would attend.
Shen Xuan arrived at Chen Shi San Ke (around 8:45 AM), and many guests had already arrived.
He got out of the carriage and entered the enclosure, only to find that polo was already being played, making it very lively.
Master Ye was originally a military general. It goes without saying that Ye Chen had followed him to practice martial arts since childhood. Even Ye Mi, the eldest son of the Ye family who was already married, knew some martial arts.
Today, his maternal family was hosting a banquet, and he had come as a guest with his in-laws' siblings. He was currently battling on the polo field, fully engrossed.
Everyone present was of noble status, yet Lady Ye specifically invited this country ger.
If it were anyone else, they would probably have shown their timidity, too nervous to know what to do.
Jin Gui, who used to be just an ordinary attendant in the Xue family, couldn't even attend the family banquets. This time, just seeing so many noble people and their dignified presence had already frightened him speechless.
He secretly glanced at Suyue beside him. Although the other person had attended many such occasions, his expression was also quite serious, likely feeling some tension as well.
However, Shen Xuan's expression was as usual, without a ripple, as he walked into the enclosure.
At this time, everyone's attention was drawn to the polo game, so they didn't pay much attention to Shen Xuan's arrival.
Shen Xuan immediately spotted Lady Ye sitting in the main seat. Since he had arrived, he naturally had to greet her first, so he walked over with his two attendants.
Lady Ye quickly noticed Shen Xuan's figure, but seeing his calm demeanor, she was somewhat surprised.
She wasn't sure if Shen Xuan was merely feigning composure or if he was genuinely steady. But his conduct was impeccable, not losing any composure nor embarrassing Xue Fenglin in the slightest.
Lady Ye felt a mix of emotions for a moment, unsure whether she should be happy or displeased.
Upon reaching Lady Ye, Shen Xuan greeted her. Lady Ye was also quite amiable, her expression much kinder than it had appeared that day at the Xue residence.
She merely nodded at Shen Xuan and said, "Indeed, clothes make the man. This attire suits you quite well."
Afterward, she had Ziyuan lead them to a slightly secluded spot to be seated.
However, the seats above Shen Xuan's were occupied by female relatives from princely and high-ranking official families. Lady Ye's seating arrangement was quite reasonable and did not intentionally neglect him.
After Shen Xuan sat down, Ziyuan didn't leave but sat beside him to serve. She also began to introduce him to the identities of the various guests at the banquet.
After introducing everyone, she said to Shen Xuan, "If Shen Ger wishes to play polo, you can also join the game. Madam has prepared a polo mallet and horse for you. Since you're new to the capital and don't know many people, you should participate more in such activities to make connections with others."
No sooner had Ziyuan finished speaking than a heroic ger walked directly over from the polo field.
The ger was just at the age of jī jí (around 15 for girls, indicating coming of age/marriageable age), with a beautiful face and a blood-red mole.
He wore a bean-green short jacket, had a single topknot, and was accompanied by two maids. He approached Shen Xuan, scrutinized him, and then asked, "Hey, is this that country ger named Shen?"
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