Chapter 65: The Concubine's Sister Has Someone to Support Her, Xie Yao Appears

The wife of Marquis Anping, dressed elegantly with her hair in a bun, was helped out of the car by her maid.

Coming down with her was a beautiful girl in a green dress who was about to reach marriage age.

"The one next to you is the concubine sister of the wife of Marquis Anping and the granddaughter of Prime Minister Jiang. Yan'er, go up and say hello." Earl Wenchang pushed his son forward.

"This is my son's thank you banquet." He said with a smile.

Xie Yan frowned reluctantly, but before he could speak, Xie Chengbai next to him took the initiative to step forward.

"I am Xie Chengbai, a junior. I am honored to meet Madam Hou and Miss Jiang." Xie Chengbai bowed respectfully.

The wife of Marquis Anping and the woman in green skirt looked at him, and their eyes fell on Xie Yan.

Xie Chengbai's appearance is not as good as his elder brother's, and can only be considered above average. However, he is tall and graceful with elegant demeanor.

Xie Yan is one year younger than Xie Chengbai, but he has completely inherited the handsome face of his father Wenchangbo when he was young. He is dressed in a brocade robe, has a delicate face, and his eyebrows and eyes are somewhat cold.

The wife of Marquis Anping thought of Xie Yan's mother, Xu. She knew that the Xu family was very wealthy, and she couldn't help but look at Xie Yan twice more.

"The eldest son of the Lord is indeed a handsome man," the wife of the Marquis of Anping said politely to her sister. "Chengbai has grown up so much now. This is the brother of Chengyu whom I mentioned to you before, Xie Chengbai."

Upon hearing this, Mr. Xie and his wife were delighted.

Even Xie Chengbai's chest straightened a little.

It seems that the wife of Marquis Anping is more familiar with their second branch.

The wife of the Marquis of Anping added, "This is my third sister, Jiang Nianxi."

Jiang Nianxi bowed to everyone and secretly looked at the Xie family.

Her sister and Han's sister used to be close friends. They came to the Winter Solstice Banquet today to choose a suitable husband for her.

After introducing Jiang Nianxi, Lady Anping Hou just stood at the door and looked behind Mr. Xie.

She didn't see the person she wanted to see, so she couldn't help but ask, "Where's Sixue?"

The expressions of the second branch of the Xie family changed.

Xie Chengyu coveted his cousin Xie Zhi, and the news spread throughout the capital, leading to the Xie family being held accountable by the emperor.

However, Minister Han took the initiative to refuse the compensation from the Xie family in the court, and said that there was no need for divorce. The Xie family did not want to break off relations with the Han family, so they were naturally very happy to agree. Therefore, they took the initiative to cover up the fact that Han Sixue had stabbed Xie Chengyu.

Apart from the Xie family, no one knew that Xie Chengyu was stabbed fatally by Han Sixue, and no one knew that Xie Chengyu was still unconscious.

Wenchangbo looked at the second wife and smiled even more deeply.

He even wants to snatch the girl from his son without thinking about the mess in his family and whether others will look down on him.

Mr. Xie was secretly having a headache. He had forgotten that Han and the wife of Marquis Anping were good friends. Every year at the winter solstice banquet, the two would chat and talk about the land together.

He whispered to his confidant, "Go to Wanxiang Courtyard and invite Han over quickly. The sooner the better. Remember, be respectful."

The youngest son beside him muttered, "She hurt her eldest brother, and she still wants to be respectful?"

The second wife also looked indignant, but she didn't dare to say it directly.

Mr. Xie glared at his youngest son, signaling him to shut up, and then smiled apologetically at the wife of Marquis Anping.

"Si Xue is still angry with my rebellious son, but knowing that the Marquis's wife is coming, she will definitely come out immediately."

The wife of Marquis Anping nodded. She knew that Han Sixue had been wronged in the Xie family, but she was not clear about the specific circumstances.

She came here today to find out whether the Xie family is worthy of her sister marrying into it.

Just as she was about to enter, the Marquis's wife asked again, "Where are Madam Xu, and Miss Xie?"

She had heard this name too many times in Beijing recently and was really curious.

At this point, Wenchangbo's face froze. "My wife has always been weak and it's not convenient for her to see guests. As for Yao'er, she's still on the way. I'm sorry to have embarrassed the Marquis."

He immediately sent someone to invite Xie Yao.

The guests who came to the banquet arrived one after another.

When the time came, the men of the Bo's Mansion, led by Bo Wenchang, went to the ancestral hall to burn incense and offer sacrifices.

Other invited guests came to the front hall.

The front hall is divided into two halls on the left and right by four screens, on which are painted plum, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum in ink and brushwork.

Although there was a screen between them, men and women only needed to get a little closer, which did not hinder their conversation and they could still see the situation on both sides.

The customs of the people of Dayan were much more open than those of the enemy state of Yong. Separating men and women was just a pretense of being cultured.

On the women's side, Aunt Sun was dancing gracefully, greeting the guests, while the second wife pulled the wife of Marquis Anping aside to talk, trying to facilitate the marriage between Xie Chengbai and Jiang Nianxi.

Wherever Jiang Nianxi went, many noble ladies in the capital greeted her politely, and the men opposite her also called her "Miss Jiang San" and chatted and laughed with her.

The charcoal fire in the house was as warm as spring, and the first snow was rustling outside. Some people walked out of the main hall, stood on the pavilion, and looked at the red plum buds in the back garden.

Even Old Madam Xie was wrapped in a thick sable fur coat, chatting and laughing with several noble ladies in the pavilion.

The Winter Solstice Banquet at the Wenchang Marquis' Mansion was really lively. I wonder how such a small Marquis' Mansion could afford so much money.

Xie Yan sat in the men's hall, but his eyes were fixed on the opposite side.

"Young Master, which girl have you taken a fancy to?" A classmate raised a glass of wine and asked in a toast.

Xie Yan was the only legitimate son of the Earl of Wenchang, so those who wanted to curry favor with him usually called him "Little Uncle".

"I'm waiting for my sister." Xie Yan said.

"Here, your elder sister is here."

The man suddenly pointed, and his eyes lit up when he saw the person coming.

"The eldest daughter of the Wenchang Marquis's Mansion is truly as beautiful as a lotus emerging from the water."

The one who came was Xie Zhi.

She was wearing a pink and white cross-collared jacket, a pink and rosy satin skirt, a gold-powdered gilded hairpin in her hair, and a soft white fox collar, which made her look gentle and graceful.

Before, Xie Zhi was a famous talented woman in Beijing. A few days ago, the scandal of Xie Chengyu coveting her became known to everyone.

When they saw her, many people showed strange expressions, and the noble ladies who had been on good terms with her before pretended not to see it.

Xie Zhi looked at Xie Yan with a hint of resentment in his eyes.

However, her brother, who used to follow her like a lapdog, now didn't even look at her.

It’s all because Xie Yao returned to Beijing!

She secretly hated him in her heart, but remained calm on the surface, biting her lips, looking even more charming.

Fortunately, Miss Jiang San, the sister of Lady Anping Hou, suddenly came forward and affectionately took Xie Zhi's arm.

"Sister Zhi, long time no see. I have a lot to talk to you about."

Xie Zhi breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that the valuable calligraphy and paintings she had given away were still useful.

Haha, even if she can't marry the emperor, her talent and status in the capital are incomparable to Xie Yao!

Her eyes trembled slightly as she said, "My dear sister, you have become more and more beautiful. You are truly as clear and beautiful as jade. I have missed you these past few days and even painted a picture of 'Green Willows Supporting Smoke'. Let's look at it together later."

Jiang Nianxi: "Sister asked me to come to Wenchang Marquis's Mansion. I didn't want to come, but thinking about Sister Zhi's writing, I was really itching to come."

The two of them started chatting.

Miss Jiang San is actually just a concubine's daughter of the Jiang family, but she is the concubine's granddaughter of Prime Minister Jiang and the younger sister brought by the wife of Marquis Anping, so her status is noble.

Prime Minister Jiang has served as prime minister for three generations. His eldest son is the Minister of Revenue, and his second daughter is the current Empress Dowager.

The granddaughter was granted the title of princess and married to the Marquis of Anping.

I heard that among the women selected to enter the palace this time, there is also another granddaughter of Prime Minister Jiang.

The Jiang family is truly the most prestigious family in Beijing.

Seeing that Jiang Nianxi and Xie Zhi were on good terms, all the noble ladies in the capital immediately smiled, and soon, they became as close to Xie Zhi as real sisters.

Some people also whispered.

"This girl is truly worthy of her reputation. She is as pretty as clouds and willows, as beautiful as flowers and jade. She is as beautiful as the Third Miss Jiang. No wonder Xie Chengyu has set his sights on her."

"The eldest daughter of the Xie family is so beautiful, I wonder what the second daughter looks like."

"I heard that Second Miss Xie grew up on the border and is ugly, not one ten-thousandth as beautiful as the eldest lady."

"No way, after all, Second Miss Xie is also the Princess of Jingbei, who was married to him by His Majesty."

"Don't you know that King Jingbei also looks like a devil..."

"She's the Princess of Jingbei after all. Why hasn't she come yet when our guests have arrived?"

Wenchang Bo also heard the noise and whispered, "What time is it? She hasn't come yet. She has no manners at all. Go call that girl again."

His face was gloomy. No one from the Han family came, and no one from the Xiao family came either. He was afraid that people would ask about Xie Yao again, so he simply stood up, said goodbye, and slipped away.

On the side, Xie Chengbai saw that his uncle was angry with Xie Yao, and he was very happy.

He rolled his eyes and spoke in a deliberately strange voice: "My cousin, tsk tsk."

Xie Chengbai didn't say yes, nor did he dare to say no. The disdain revealed in his eyes clearly explained something.

The others cooperated, showing expressions of understanding.

When Xie Yan heard these voices, his face became even gloomier and he stared at the door even colder.

After Xie Yao finished practicing sword skills in the early morning, she had breakfast at Xu Susu's house and went out for a walk.

Passing by the ancestral hall, I saw incense burning inside.

Passing by Xie Mingan's study, there were several guards guarding outside.

Her eyes became red and her hands itched as she watched.

When they returned to Wanxiangyuan, they saw that Han Sixue had also been called away. Wenchangbo asked people to urge her three times before Xie Yao set off slowly.

Since she returned to the capital, she had gone out of the Bo Mansion several times and also visited Yunhe Tower. This was the first time she appeared in front of these noble ladies in the capital.

Just as she reached the door, before the servants announced her arrival, Xie Yan was the first to see her and shouted, "My sister is here!"

The originally noisy main hall suddenly became quiet.

"It's the second young lady of the Xie family, she's here!"

Many eyes, some surprised, some contemptuous, followed Xie Yan's gaze.