The banquet at Marquis Zhongyong's Mansion on the fourth day was not on a grand scale, with only a few close friends and relatives in attendance, so there wasn't much to be done. Madam Sun, wife of Yin Xiaocheng, found some time and approached Madam Yin to bring up the matter of Ye Xinyan's marriage.
The reasons she gave were very tactful, stating that Ye Xinyan was not young anymore, and if she had to return to Yuyuan Prefecture after the New Year to manage family business, it might result in another year's delay. By then, the options for a marriage alliance would be even more limited. Therefore, it would be best to find a suitable match for Xinyan before she left the capital, and to settle it beforehand.
