Pinching the note in her hand, Dong Shu pondered it carefully, then got up and went to the main courtyard and told Mrs. Xu about it.

"Mother, I don't know anyone else in the capital, not to mention that this note is not signed, only I am asked to meet in Qingxiang Tower in the city at noon tomorrow." Dong Shu spoke, and handed the note in his hand to Mrs. Xu.

When Mrs. Xu listened to Dong Shu's words, she had already guessed something, and after reading the note handed over by Dong Shu, she still didn't tell her the news she knew.

"Since it's a note from someone you don't know, you shouldn't have seen it. Rest at home for these two days and eat more good food, after all, there is nothing to eat during the New Year's banquet. ”

As soon as Dong Shu heard Mrs. Xu mention the New Year's banquet, her attention was immediately diverted, and she stared at Xinyueyan with a puzzled expression: "There is nothing to eat at the New Year's banquet?" Shouldn't there be a lot to eat at the New Year's Banquet? Every time I enter the palace, I can eat something that is not delicious. ”

Looking at Dong Shu's puzzled face, Mrs. Xu immediately shook her head with a smile and said: "There are a lot of delicacies in the palace, but think about it, the New Year's banquet is so cold, and the imperial dining room has to do so much food." In addition to the saints, there are a few Niangniang and King Duan who can eat hot food in front of them, and the food in front of us people is afraid that it will be cold for a long time. In such a cold weather, no matter how delicious the food is, you may not have the appetite to eat it. ”

Speaking of this, Mrs. Xu paused and continued: "However, the tea is always hot during the New Year's banquet, but it is inconvenient to drink too much tea, so it is better to endure it when the time comes." ”

As soon as Mrs. Xu's voice fell, Dong Shu nodded and said, "I see, then I will make up more at home for the next few days, and wait until the day of the New Year's banquet, and then put two pieces of dim sum in my purse." ”

Listening to Dong Shu's words, Mrs. Xu did not open her mouth to stop her from doing so, after all, it was her, and she could not guarantee that everything would go well at this year's New Year's banquet.

Bring two pieces of pastry, and maybe you can really cushion your stomach by then.

Because Dong Shu was not going to go to the appointment on this note, and Mrs. Xu did not persuade her to go, Dong Shu stayed at home and waited for the arrival of the New Year in the next few days.

Although Xu Shiqiu never came back, because the New Year was approaching, they didn't have much time to think about whether he would be on the way back, or if something had happened again, and he didn't come back from Northern Xinjiang at all.

On the morning of the thirtieth day of the Chinese New Year's Eve, under the guidance of Old Mrs. Xu, the three rooms of the Xu family worshipped their ancestors in the old mansion.

After the ancestor worship is over, Ye, Mrs. Xu and Dong Shu will go to the palace to attend the New Year's banquet.

Jiang looked enviously at the sister-in-law and the third brother and sister standing behind her mother-in-law left and right, her heart was very sad, but she also knew that her husband was not an official, and she was not a county lord with royal blood like the Ye family, so the annual banquet in the palace really had nothing to do with herself.

Unless in the future, her family Yanwei can be a very popular minister, and she will be invited to give her a mother.

Old Mrs. Xu could sense the sourness in Jiang's whole body, she was also wearing a commandal suit today, and after glancing at Jiang, she looked at her and said to Hu Shi who was standing aside: "Today we enter the palace, and you of the second family are responsible for the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner at home today." ”

After saying this to the Jiang family, ignoring her surprised expression, Mrs. Xu looked directly at the Hu family and said, "You are the eldest granddaughter-in-law of our Xu family, and your mother-in-law entered the palace as the county lord, so you will also be responsible for these things in the future." In the future, I will ask you for an edict, and this matter will be handed over to your brothers and sisters. You can help your second aunt this year, and when Brother Ning is older next year, you will be fully responsible for these things. ”

Listening to what Old Lady Xu said to the Hu family, the Jiang family immediately put away the surprise on his face.

She understands that her mother-in-law also warned herself about what she said just now, although she is an elder, but after all, she is a second room, and in the case that Changfang has married her eldest daughter-in-law, she will be a helper at most in the future, and she will not be fully responsible.

However, thinking that the next year would be at most during the Chinese New Year, Jiang did not show any more envy.

Now that the old lady is still alive, they will get together for the New Year, and when the old lady is gone, they will have a second room, or she will be in charge.

After Mrs. Xu saw that Jiang had figured it out and didn't show any more wrong expressions, she looked at the few grandsons who stayed at home and said, "What should be said, grandmother has already told you, and the family will be handed over to you." ”

Xu Yanqing is the grandson of the Xu family, even if he has been preparing for the imperial examination since he was a child, he is not a weak scholar who is powerless.

There may be something big happening at this New Year's banquet, and Mrs. Xu has already told him.

As for Xu Yanbo in the big house, he has been helping Xu Shiqiu collect intelligence recently, so he naturally knows about this matter.

is the two brothers Xu Yanlang and Xu Yanwei in the second room, only Xu Yanlang, who has been managing the family's business outside, noticed that something was wrong, and as for Xu Yanwei, he didn't notice anything wrong at all.

After watching a few grandchildren, Mrs. Xu finally looked at Xu Yanmo, who was reported for a cold and stayed at home today, "Yanmo takes Yuan Xi at home, don't go out." ”

Xu Yanmo is the only daughter of the Ye family, even if she is not married, but because of the careful teaching of the Ye family, she can also detect that something is wrong today.

Since a few days ago, my mother didn't let me go out, and released the news that I was infected with the cold, and this morning I sent someone into the palace early in the morning to say that I couldn't enter the palace to participate in the New Year's banquet.

Now I saw my grandmother tell herself, and after she hugged her cousin who wanted to pull the pearl flower on her head in her arms, she looked at Mrs. Xu and said, "Grandmother, don't worry, I will always take Yuan Xi with me today." ”

Seeing that Xu Yanmo instantly understood what she meant, Mrs. Xu nodded with satisfaction and prepared to leave.

After explaining the affairs of the family, Mrs. Xu took Ye and Dong Shu, accompanied by her eldest son, and got into a carriage and went to the palace.

Although Ye and Dong Shu both had their own carriages, the two of them still chose to accompany Mrs. Xu today.

The Ye family knew that there was something big going on in the palace today, and they were afraid that it would be inconvenient for the family to be separated.

And Dong Shu, because she was told by Mrs. Xu several times, she should always be by her side today.

As soon as the carriage of the Xu family arrived at the gate of the palace, it happened to meet the carriage of the Zhang family, and the two old ladies were helped down from the carriage by the juniors together, and after the eyes of the two collided in the air, a smile quickly flashed in the eyes of both of them.

They have experienced a lot, and they are not as flustered as other people who sense that something is wrong, and they all understand that although today's events are risky, once they succeed, then their identities will be completely different in the future.

Because the two of them were of the same rank, they looked at each other and smiled, and then walked towards the palace together.

It's just that as soon as the two of them walked to the palace gate, two little eunuchs quickly walked out of the palace gate, and the two little eunuchs walked to the two old ladies one left and one right, and hurriedly saluted the two with obviously frozen bodies: "The queen mother specially sent a sedan chair, and the two old ladies please get on the sedan chair." ”

As soon as the two finished speaking, Dong Shu saw several familiar faces walking slowly carrying two sedan chairs that were not luxurious but very delicate.

After confirming that this was indeed Queen Hu's arrangement, the two old ladies sat in the sedan chair with the support of the younger generations of each family.

There are very few women who can be gifted with a sedan chair today, except for the old ladies of the Xu family and the Zhang family, only an old princess of the royal family has this honor.

As for the old ladies of the Hu family, they all walked to the palace of the New Year's banquet step by step with the support of their younger generations.

Because the Hu family did not receive preferential treatment, everyone did not feel that Queen Hu had done wrong.

After all, they all understand that the Zhang family is the outer family of the five princes, and the Xu family is the maiden family of the five princesses.

On an occasion like today, it is natural that people with lower grades will come earlier, so by the time Dong Shu and the others arrived, the palace was almost full.

It was the first time for Dong Shu to participate in such a big banquet, and she had been learning from her sister-in-law Ye's appearance, with a shallow smile on her face, and followed behind Mrs. Xu.

Just when Dong Shu thought that he could keep following like this, he suddenly noticed a somewhat familiar gaze falling on him.

He quickly looked up at the line of sight, but instead of dodging, he saw that the owner of the line of sight not only did not dodge, but nodded at her.

Dong Shu didn't understand why Liu looked at her like this, although she was curious, she also remembered what her mother-in-law told her, she couldn't leave her at will today, and she had to follow her all the time.

Thinking of this, Dong Shu could only chuckle and nod at Liu, which could be regarded as a greeting.

This will be Mrs. Xu and Mrs. Zhang talking about the marriage between the two grandsons and granddaughters, and Ye, as a mother-in-law, is naturally enthusiastic to participate in it.

Dong Shu had been listening silently, and just as she was listening carefully to the two families talking about this matter, she suddenly noticed that someone next to her pulled her sleeve.

"It's you, looking for me?" As she spoke, Dong Shu took two steps outward, and although she left Mrs. Xu's side, she was not too far away.

The person who came was a second-class palace maid from Fengyi Palace, her face was full of anxiety at this time, and after seeing Dong Shu avoiding the crowd, she whispered her lips close to Dong Shu and said: "Third Mrs. Xu, just now Niangniang didn't know what news she received, and suddenly cried and laughed, Mama Su and Mama Hu couldn't persuade Niangniang, so they could only send slaves and maids to invite you to take a look." As she spoke, the palace maid also took out a jade plaque belonging to Fengyi Palace.

As soon as she saw the jade plate, Dong Shu believed the identity of this palace maid, and asked a little anxiously: "Niangniang is still in Fengyi Palace at this time?" ”

"Exactly, it's about to be the time to come here, but the mother doesn't want to continue to make up." As the palace maid spoke, the eagerness on her face grew.

Hearing the palace maid's words, Dong Shu nodded at her, and then immediately turned back to Mrs. Xu, and whispered to her that she was going to leave for a while.

As soon as Mrs. Xu heard Dong Shu's words, she immediately turned her head and glanced at the palace maid who was still waiting there, and then looked at Dong Shu and said, "You should also pay attention." ”

The reason why Mrs. Xu dared to let Dong Shu leave alone was also because she knew that Dong Shu had someone around to protect her.

Even if there is really something, there are people arranged by Queen Hu, and no one can do anything to Dong Shu.

Dong Shu also understood what Mrs. Xu meant, and after hearing her words, she nodded seriously at her, and then turned around and left with the palace maid.

It's just that Dong Shu didn't expect that as soon as she followed this palace maid out of here, a familiar palace maid walked quickly.

When the palace maid saw Dong Shu, she was busy telling her guilty salute, "Third Mrs. Xu, the mother has stabilized her emotions at this time, and Mama Su asked the slave maid to tell you that you don't need to go over." After saying this, she paused and continued: "But Niangniang instructed that you should stay with her later, and let you talk to Mrs. Xu in advance." ”

Dong Shu didn't get angry when she heard the palace maid's words, she just nodded obediently.

Just after she nodded, the later palace maid wanted to lead the palace maid who came to look for her to go back first.

Looking at the embarrassed looks of the two of them, Dong Shu smiled and said, "It's okay, you guys have to go ahead of time, I'll go back by myself." ”

This is just outside the palace, as long as you enter the door, there will be many palace maids and chamberlains, and she is not worried about her safety.

Hearing Dong Shu's words, the two palace maids were busy confessing and leaving.

As soon as the two of them left, Dong Shu turned around and prepared to go back, but she didn't expect that she had just taken two steps, but she was stopped by Liu's again.