After a long while, when she looked up again, a coldness flashed in her eyes, but her gentleness remained unchanged.

"Wow, little sister, you've really managed to control your emotions well," Xie Lingqin praised.

Xie Lingyu's beautiful eyes shone with a captivating light. "Heh, just thinking about whether you'll still be able to laugh later makes me incredibly happy, so none of this matters right now."

"Oh," Xie Lingqin responded indifferently, and then ignored her.

It was like punching cotton; Xie Lingyu's emotions, which had just been calmed down, suddenly became turbulent again.

Behind Xie Lingqin, Zihe and Chequ looked at Xie Lingyu's fluctuating and depressed expression, exchanged glances, and couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her.

Fighting against the young lady... this second young lady was clearly defeated miserably.

On the other side, Yu Qingyi took this opportunity to secretly raise his eyebrows at Xie Lingqin, clearly trying to curry favor.

So, Xie Lingqin, wasn't this young master awesome?

Yes, but it's a bit too much.

Xie Lingqin turned her eyes away.

“Hey, Second Aunt, don’t take it to heart. You see, Prince Xian cares about Miss Xie. But what do you think is the reason why the Emperor hasn’t issued the decree to grant the marriage?”

"There's no other reason. There's an eldest daughter who hasn't been born yet, so it's not appropriate for the younger sister to get married first."

"Then this..."

"Sigh, after all, this young lady was divorced by the Prince Xian before, and now, sigh..."

Where there are many women, there are many gossips. Moreover, today, apart from the main table, the male and female guests are seated separately at the other tables. So, it hasn't been long before rumors have started to circulate.

Although it was faint, anyone with a decent ear could hear it.

Moreover, it was the Vice Minister's wife who first brought up the topic.

Yu Qingyi, who was sitting at the main table, was very unhappy with these words. He raised his eyebrows at Xie Lingqin, who was sitting opposite him, as a gesture.

Do you want me to teach them a lesson?

Xie Lingqin shook her head silently, making it clear that she was refusing.

The point is to let them talk. The more they portray her so negatively, the more they will slap them in the face when they retaliate.

At that moment, Xie Lingyu and her second aunt exchanged a secret glance, their eyes filled with venom and scheming.

The autumn sky was high and the clouds were white. We were exchanging toasts, and the banquet was already halfway over. By custom, General Xie should have raised his glass to toast everyone at this point.

Before the wine could even reach the person's lips, a guard outside the courtyard reported this.

General Xie initially intended to send the man away, but a glance out of the corner of his eye revealed that the man was stammering and seemed hesitant to speak. He then looked at Prince Xian and Yu Qingyi before beckoning, "Come in and speak."

"Reporting to the General, a man has arrived outside the mansion gate. He says..." The guard lowered his head, his voice growing increasingly weak, "...that he is looking for the young lady's maid, Tridacna."

"It's just finding a maid, why are you making such a face?" General Xie's expression was displeased, and when he looked at Xie Lingqin, there was also a hint of displeasure in his eyes.

Of course, the maidservant was someone who served her.

"Tridacna, is someone looking for you?" Xie Lingqin looked behind her with a puzzled expression.

Tridacna immediately shook her head, "Miss, that's impossible. Everyone I know is in this General's Mansion, let alone a man."

The giant clam looked completely bewildered.

“Then…” Xie Lingqin lowered her eyes slightly towards General Xie, “Father, perhaps you have the wrong person.”

General Xie nodded, then waved his hand and said, "Let that man leave."

"But, General..."

The guard did not retreat; instead, his expression became even more anxious.

"You, the guard, should just say what you have to say. Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet at the General's Mansion. Everyone here is my father's friend and relative. Just say what you need to say." Xie Lingyu clearly couldn't stand it anymore and spoke up softly.

These words were so thoughtful. General Xie glanced at Xie Lingyu again, nodded with satisfaction, and said to the guard, "Speak."

"The man said he came from the barbarians... to find his sister."

"What?"

General Xie suddenly stood up. "From the barbarians?"

"Yes, General."

For a moment, everyone stopped eating and drinking, and all eyes turned to the prince in silence.

Many years have passed. Since the general's wife repelled the barbarians, they have lived in peace and paid tribute to Beirong every year. However, the customs and nature of the barbarians are too different from those of Beirong, making them difficult to control. Beirong's hostility towards the barbarians has not substantively subsided, and they have had little contact with them.

now……

For Bei Rong, the barbarians were a sensitive topic.

"General Xie, since that's the case, we should ask clearly." A look of solemnity flashed across Yuwen Xian's face as he looked at Yu Qingyi, "Young Master Yi, what do you think?"

"What does this have to do with me, Minister of Personnel?" Yu Qingyi then passed the buck to Xie Zhengyi, the younger brother of General Xie and Minister of Personnel.

Xie Zhengyi was only a few years younger than General Xie, and they even looked three or four parts alike. However, compared to General Xie, he was more reserved and pragmatic. Meeting Yu Qingyi's gaze, he pondered for a while, then looked at General Xie, raised his hands and clasped his fists, "This matter concerns the barbarians, so I'm afraid we should ask them properly."

"Bring the person in," General Xie ordered immediately.

At this moment, Tridacna stepped forward somewhat flustered, "Miss, I have no brother, and I have no relation to the barbarians."

Xie Lingqin gestured for the giant clam to calm down, "It's alright, a clear conscience fears no accusation." After saying that, she also looked outside the courtyard with the others.

"Xie Lingqin, the show is about to begin."

At this moment, Xie Lingyu took the opportunity to come over and sneered in Xie Lingqin's ear. Seeing Xie Lingqin's bewildered look, he felt extremely happy.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!