But Yun Muyou had forgotten one thing: this was the Prince’s residence. Could any of the guests possibly come from modest backgrounds?
Had she not been the wife of Marquess Yuanshen, she wouldn’t have even been allowed past the threshold.
So there she waited in place for a long time, yet no one approached her to say hello, nor would they speak to her as they walked past—whereas after passing by, they engaged in hushed conversations.
She knew that those people were gossiping about her, mocking her, and there was nothing she could do about it.
At the moment, there wasn’t even anyone to talk to.
During lunch, her humiliation was complete: seated before a table of Marchionesses, not a soul spoke to her, as if she didn’t exist.
Through the meal, she felt as if she were chewing wax.
At another table, however, a woman was being fawned over by everyone; they kept offering her food, urging her to eat more.
The woman wore a smile full of warmth and grace.
The ladies at her table praised her in every aspect—her temperament, her nature, and her kindness.
It was said that she was the youngest sister of the Noble Consort—and she was born of a concubine.
In that moment, she realized that poverty and low status were not to be feared; rather, reputation was of utmost importance to a person.
And the reputation of the Yun Family had long been ruined by her grandmother, with her mother likely playing a significant role as well.
No one cared how much or how well Yun Muyou ate; they were all too busy flattering the Princess.
Among the male guests, the Emperor sat in the place of honor, flanked by the Prince and Chu Yu.
Following them were members of the royal family and nobility - to be seated at the main table signified an extremely high status.
"Nineteen, I toast to you!"
Upon hearing this, Chu Yu smirked playfully, "Brother Emperor, the first toast today should be to our uncle, the Prince—it’s his happy day after all," he said, not acquiescing to the Emperor.
Caught off guard, the Emperor laughed and replied, "Indeed, today is a joyous day for our uncle!" He turned with his cup towards the Prince, "Uncle, I toast to you!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty, thank you!"
The Prince could hardly contain his joy.
After having drunk his cup, Chu Yu then raised his own and said, "Uncle, I also toast to you. May you be blessed next year with another set of twins, a boy and a girl!"
"Ahahaha, good, good!"
Having twins was not uncommon, but boy and girl twins were indeed a rarity.
Consider the Yun Residence, Yun Qi had a pair of twin daughters and a pair of twin sons, but no twins of different genders.
Overjoyed, the Prince could not help but drink a few more cups.
Chu Yu, always the instigator, as well as Chu Zhaowei and Chu Renzhi, rushed forward to encourage more drinking, much to the chagrin of the Prince’s son, Chu Xinhuan.
Today, he should have been the main character, but instead, his father was being plied with drinks by his cousin, the Astute Prince.
Before he had time to be relieved at his narrow escape, Chu Yu was already approaching with a cup and a bottle, grinning, "Xinhuan, my dear cousin!"
For a moment, Chu Xinhuan wondered whether it was still possible to run away.
But Chu Yu was already too close, giving him no chance to flee.
Chu Zhaowei and Chu Renzhi, as well as Chu Yu’s entourage of fearless, devil-may-care young nobles, followed suit.
With Tuantuan surrounding him.
"Xinhuan, my dear cousin, you won’t be able to escape today!" Chu Yu declared with a wicked grin.
Chu Xinhuan could only laugh in resignation, "Today, I will not flee!"
And once he confirmed his intent, Chu Xinhuan found himself bombarded with drinks, each glass more bitter than the last.
His chest felt ablaze, searing hot.
He vowed never to drink again.
The discomfort was simply too much.
As the drinking continued, he couldn’t manage another drop and began to stumble, unable to stand straight.
He had to be helped back to his quarters.
Chu Yu, Chu Zhaowei, and Chu Renzhi laughed heartily as they watched, "Come on, let’s go drink some more!"