Chapter 320 - 202: Duped and Deceived
"What a pity that such exquisite Suzhou embroidery is stitched onto white folded cloth," Ran Yun lamented. White folded cloth, which is cotton, is quite well-made, and due to its rarity, its price is almost comparable to high-quality silk, but to the nobles accustomed to silk and satin, this material is still too humble to grace the halls of elegance.
Ran Yan was already simply dressed, in a short jacket embroidered with pea-green vine patterns and a smoke-colored silk skirt underneath, choosing warmth and convenience because she had planned to play in the snow, not to attend a banquet.
Before leaving, the maid added a black marten fur-collared cloak over her outfit.
As she seated herself in the carriage by the Inner Gate, Ran Yun said, "I’ll tell you in advance, the place we’re going to is the private garden of Cheng’s mansion. The person who invited me is the daughter of the Market Officer of the Capital, Han Kang, named Han Xun, the eldest daughter of the Han Family. The Market Officer of the Capital is a sixth rank senior official, in charge of the East Market, and has close relations with our family. Han Xun is quite spoiled, but she is not the petty type who holds grudges. Whatever she says, just don’t take it to heart."
"Alright." A brazier warmed the interior of the carriage, and Ran Yan warmed her hands by the fire, responding seriously.
Seeing that she was attentive, Ran Yun continued, "The highest-ranking person at this gathering will be the legitimate daughter of the Cheng family, named Qing’er. I’ve heard that her temper is fierce, a spitting image of her father, and she should not be offended lightly. However... with our status, it’s unlikely we’ll offend her even if we wanted to."
While they were going there to play, there were actually not many opportunities to really forge closer relationships. When taking a break, the ladies all had their own circles, and without an introduction, it would be very rude to approach them recklessly.
Ran Yan nodded, then immediately asked, "The Cheng family? Is that the Duke Cheng Zhijie?"
Cheng Zhijie, originally known as Cheng Yaojin, was forced by circumstances to rob on the roads with the Wagang Village at the end of the Sui Dynasty and later surrendered to the Tang Dynasty. He was one of the founding heroes of the Tang Dynasty. In most people’s minds, Cheng Yaojin was seen as a brute swinging a tri-pointed double-edged sword with little culture, but in fact, he came from a distinguished family, with both his grandfather and father being high-ranking officials under the Northern Qi dynasty.