“…” Marchioness Su almost smacked the table hard in anger. She gripped the handkerchief even more tightly, so much so that her well-groomed nails had grown a little white.

If Qin Gui really did this, taught a lesson to Xia Lian before everyone, Marchioness Su would lose all her prestige before the servants of Fragrant Courtyard.

Qin Gui smiled and asked innocently, “Second Aunt, didn’t you want this?”

I don’t want it! I really don’t want it! Isn’t it clear that I asked the servants to keep an eye on Qin Gui!?

Marchioness Su’s chest heaved up and down in anger as she squeezed her handkerchief hard. She somehow squeezed the words through her teeth, “This kind of deceitful servant deserves to be slapped on her mouth!”

So, a confused Xia Lian was taken to the courtyard outside the Glory Hall and knelt down after some time.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

The bamboo board hit Xia Lian’s cheek mercilessly.

Xia Lian kept begging for mercy in a hoarse voice. Her cries echoed throughout the Glory Hall.

Marchioness Su felt as if each slap of bamboo board was hitting her face instead. Her face grew pale as her cheeks tingle in pain.

When Qin Gui returned to the Fragrant Courtyard, the air in the courtyard seemed to have changed for the better. When people looked at her, they were all in trepidation. Cold sweat drenched their bodies as the fear of getting slapped by the bamboo board next gripped their hearts.

Qin Gui, on the other hand, didn’t care about this.

She went back to her room and changed her clothes. At the third quarter of Chen Shi, she followed Qin Xin, Qin Sheng to the Shenghua Pavilion.

[TLN: Chen Shi, the period of the day from 7 AM to 9 AM.]

Shenghua Pavilion was the property of the Royal House of Tai. It was on Heyu Street south of the city. It was pretty popular among the nobles of the capital. They often came here to enjoy tea and flowers.

The Poetry Convention was held only once a season. And the ladies in the capital were proud to receive its invitation.

The maid of the Shenghua Pavilion checked the invitation before leading the Qin sisters trio in.

There was a small garden at the back of the tea house facing the street. Although the garden was small, it had multitudes of pavilions. Its entire layout spelled nothing but elegance and beauty.

It was the beginning of October; the autumn was reaching its peak. The garden was packed with green grass and beautiful flowers.

There was an octagonal pavilion at the northeast corner of the garden. There were many girls sitting in the pavilion.

Most of them were acquainted with Qin Xin and Qin Sheng. They greeted each other affectionately. But when their gazes landed on Qin Gui, there was a subtle change in their eyes.

All of them had heard of Zhongyi Marquis’ Qin Family accepting a girl from the countryside over the past few days. Rumor had it that she went missing in childhood. And the empress had asked the Qin Family to take her back.

They couldn’t help but look at each other, wondering, ‘Is this the one from the rumors?’

“Sister Xin, this is…” Princess Yingluo of Royal House of Tai looked at Qin Gui and asked Qin Xin in a friendly tone.

“This is my third sister. Her name is Gui.” Qin Xin magnanimously introduced Qin Gui. “It’s the name given by His Highness herself.”

It’s really her!

The ladies exchanged glances with each other. They all seemed pretty interested.

She really is a hillbilly! She doesn’t even have a proper name, His Highness had to adopt it for her.

Qin Family is really unlucky!

They sized Qin Gui up and down with a certain degree of condescension in their gazes as if they were looking at a new toy.