Chapter 84: Misunderstanding

Jun Yiyi did not wear the clothes she had bought at the clothing shop yesterday; she preferred to wear the clothes made for her when the First Lady was still alive, as the fabric of those bought at the shop was worlds apart from the old ones. When she saw Jun Zijin arrive in the magnificent robes of a Princess and Jun Shuyan arrive in cloud brocade, boarding the carriage amidst the gazes and praises of the crowd, the jealousy and resentment in Jun Yiyi’s heart burned like a wildfire, difficult to quell. She secretly pondered that as the legitimate daughter of the household, she had once been the center of all affection. When the First Lady was alive, her food and clothing were always the best in the household; when had she ever suffered such grievances? Originally, the First Lady had promised to make her a set of Shu brocade clothes, but she had lost control of the household management before it could be started, not to mention the cloud brocade she hadn't even seen once.

She glanced at Jun Zhidie and saw her standing awkwardly to the side, seemingly realizing that the clothes she had bought at the shop were not outstanding, but rather somewhat abrupt. Jun Yiyi sneered inwardly; the First Lady had been in charge for many years, and her methods were indeed formidable, keeping every branch of the family firmly suppressed. Now that the old thing was in charge, it seemed the branches were living a bit better, but in reality, the second branch was still as strapped for cash as ever. Comparing this, Jun Yiyi felt slightly more at ease.

Looking at Jun Zhidie again, she was wearing the ready-made clothes she had picked from the Old Lady yesterday, thinking she had chosen the best-looking one, yet she hadn't expected to be the only one wearing that ready-made garment. Compared to the others, she seemed the most presentable. In reality, because Lady Wu had been in charge for many years, every branch had been heavily squeezed, and Lady Li had spent her days looking at Lady Wu’s face, never having gained any profit over the years.

Jun Zijin was now a Princess, enjoying royal treatment, so she couldn't compare. Looking at Jun Yiyi, even though the First Lady was dead, she still had so many good things. Looking at Jun Shuyan, she was dressed in cloud brocade, walking with light steps, her every gesture revealing a noble temperament. Jun Zhidie felt even more indignant; this little concubine-born daughter, usually unremarkable, had now suddenly gained power and was wearing cloud brocade that even an Imperial Consort rarely saw. This was a far cry from her original expectation of stepping on them all.

Jun Zhidie was so frustrated and annoyed that she wanted to hide in the carriage immediately. Just as she was about to climb in, Jun Yiyi extended her leg and tripped her, causing her to stumble.

"What kind of world is this, where there is no distinction between high and low? A daughter of a minor branch actually wants to take the lead in everything."

After saying this, Jun Yiyi ignored Jun Zhidie and turned to elegantly board the carriage.

Jun Yiyi’s words carried obvious sarcasm and disdain. Jun Zhidie was tripped and nearly fell to the ground, her face instantly flushing with shame, anger, and resentment. Watching Jun Yiyi’s back, the fire in her heart burned brighter and brighter, yet for the first time ever, she forcibly restrained herself from erupting. She had not forgotten the repeated warnings from her parents and brothers regarding this trip to the palace.

Jun Zhidie took several deep breaths, finally managing to suppress some of the anger in her heart. She stepped forward and followed closely behind, boarding the carriage.

The more Jun Yiyi and Jun Zhidie looked at each other, the more they found each other an eyesore, and they couldn't help but look away, neither paying any mind to the other.

Jun Zijin’s carriage was not stopped by the palace gate Eunuchs; who would dare stop the currently red-hot Princess Qingping?

Meanwhile, the Jun family’s carriage stopped in front of the palace gate to queue for registration, and many people cast their gazes this way. Although Jun Zhidie had attended a palace banquet once before, she had previously been Jun Yiyi’s follower, and others had mistaken her for Jun Yiyi’s maid, so few people truly recognized this Third Young Lady.

Jun Zhidie had been holding it in the whole way and could no longer contain herself. As she followed Jun Yiyi off the carriage, the crowd glanced at her and, seeing her following behind the eldest daughter of the Jun family and not wearing expensive fabric, they also mistook her for Jun Yiyi’s maid. Thus, no one paid her any respects.

Jun Zhidie felt increasingly unhappy, and seeing the other young ladies dressed more brightly and beautifully than the last, she felt she was the most shabby. At this moment, a young lady came over to cozy up to Jun Yiyi and, as luck would have it, pointed at Jun Zhidie and said, "Eldest Miss Jun, you even have your maid dressed so well; it’s truly enviable."

Jun Yiyi gave a contemptuous smile and did not reply, which was taken as an admission. Only then did Jun Zhidie realize that everyone had mistaken her for Jun Yiyi’s maid.

Jun Zhidie’s face turned livid instantly, and in her heart, she cursed Jun Zhengyuan and Lady Li again for their incompetence, which had implicated her in serving Jun Yiyi for so many years, to the point where even outsiders thought she was Jun Yiyi’s maid.

Seeing that Jun Yiyi did not deny it, the young lady became even more convinced of her guess and continued, "Eldest Miss Jun, your maid is truly blessed to be able to enjoy such comfort by your side."

Jun Zhidie’s face turned from green to white, and she could no longer hold back. She suddenly raised her head, glared at the young lady, and said with a trembling voice:

"What makes you think I am her maid? I am the Third Young Lady of the Jun family, Jun Zhidie. Let me tell you, I am engaged to the Second Imperial Prince!"

The young lady was clearly startled by Jun Zhidie’s sudden outburst and stood there, at a loss. The surrounding people also cast curious gazes, sizing up this Third Young Lady of the Jun family who had suddenly "popped up." Someone in the crowd recognized Jun Zhidie as the Third Young Lady of the Jun family who had been "involved" with the Second Imperial Prince during the Mid-Autumn internal banquet.

Discussions broke out immediately. Seeing the crowd’s reaction, Jun Zhidie felt slightly better, thinking everyone would respect her because of it. However, the whispers in the crowd were mostly mocking.

"She’s just had some entanglement with the Second Imperial Prince; she really thinks she’s a phoenix."

Hearing this, Jun Zhidie trembled with rage.

At this moment, Jun Yiyi smiled lightly and said:

"Third Sister, do not be angry. I imagine this young lady was just being blunt. Although you had a marriage contract with the Second Imperial Prince, you were never married, and everyone knows how that contract came to be."

Jun Zhidie was so angry that her calves were trembling, and just as she was about to retort, a palace Eunuch walked over and shouted:

"Young ladies, please follow me into the palace."

Jun Zhidie had no choice but to swallow her anger, glare fiercely at Jun Yiyi, and follow the procession toward the Imperial Palace.

At that time, the Tianqi Imperial Palace was magnificent, and the banquet hall was filled with all kinds of delicacies, the fragrance overflowing and making one’s mouth water. Officials of the fourth rank and above and their families, dressed in fine robes, entered one after another, smiling and exchanging greetings, looking forward to this grand celebration together.