Jiang Yimian quickly grabbed the little guy by the back of his collar and pulled him to her side.
She still remembered how the little guy had been drunk on bayberry wine last time. Although the osmanthus wine wasn't very strong, it was still wine after all.
The little one is going to girls' school tomorrow, so I can't let him go with a headache.
Meeting Jiang Yimian's serious gaze, Xiao Nuan'er only glanced longingly at the two jars of wine before slowly pouting and looking away, saying with a wronged expression, "Don't worry, sister, Xiao Nuan'er doesn't want to drink anymore."
As he spoke, he wiped the corner of his mouth.
Jiang Yimian was amused by her and pinched the little one's cheek, saying helplessly, "I'm afraid you'll get drunk and have a headache tomorrow."
Ono nodded like a little adult and said seriously, "Sister is right, you can't drink it anymore. If you want to drink it, you can try it tomorrow."
Xiao Nuan'er nodded, but Liu'er sighed comfortably from the side, "This is what wine should be like. It's no wonder it was sent from Jinling."
Little Nuan'er was so tempted that she angrily closed her eyes.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Xiaonian quickly came over, picked up the wine jar, poured himself a cup, and after taking a sip, exclaimed in amazement, "Wow, this wine is really good. I can tell at a glance that it wasn't sent by Brother Lin."
As he spoke, he poured himself another cup to quench his thirst, and then asked curiously, "Sister Yimian, have you seen anything in my room?"
"How could they just disappear like that? Those were things I kept for my next job, especially the red berry jam—it's so hard to make!"
He was also thinking of taking on more of these scary jobs in the capital recently, because they were fun, he could hear about the affairs of wealthy families, and he could also earn money.
This is much more interesting than his fortune telling.
To my surprise, I searched the house for a long time this morning but couldn't find the white dress and the jar of red jam.
Jiang Yimian almost choked on her osmanthus wine when she heard this. After a while, she said guiltily, "Maybe it was accidentally taken away by some cat or dog."
She was pressed for time that day, so she borrowed Zhao Xiaonian's things, intending to return them after she finished using them.
Unexpectedly, she forgot about it later, and since the white clothes had become a "blood-stained garment" and looked really scary, she just threw it away somewhere. She never expected that Zhao Xiaonian would still remember it.
Zhao Xiaonian frowned and responded, his face full of displeasure: "These cats and dogs really know how to pick things, they only take my things, it's really disgusting."
If I catch them, I'll definitely make them help me, without paying them a single penny.
"Sister Yimian, could you please keep an eye out for those awful cats and dogs?"
Jiang Yimian: ...
Zhao Xiaonian checked the time and, seeing that it was still early, immediately took Xiao Nuan'er and Xiao Ye out to play, saying he was going to take them to a nice place.
Jiang Yimian saw that they had guards with them, so she didn't stop them.
Liu'er suddenly remembered something and asked curiously, "Miss, I heard that even the Empress Dowager was alarmed by this archery banquet. She said she wanted to watch the competition between the soldiers of the Great Jin and the warriors of Tuyuhun together with His Majesty."
Could you take me in with you that day?
In the past, the Empress Dowager never participated in the archery banquets. Except for occasions where her presence was required, she was usually in the Cining Palace.
In recent years, she has rarely participated in various palace banquets. For example, the Empress Dowager did not appear when His Majesty bestowed rewards upon the group of officials who returned from Qingnan.
His sudden participation in the Yan Archery Banquet must be because he feels that Da Jin has a great chance of winning this year's competition.
Thinking about it, she said smugly, "Miss, wasn't I very farsighted when I poisoned those people who caused trouble in front of Baoxiangfang last time?"
Those people looked like the Second Prince's men; they were probably originally supposed to attend the archery banquet, but now that they've been poisoned, they definitely can't participate.
She originally only wanted to teach those people a lesson, but unexpectedly, she ended up helping the soldiers of the Great Jin Dynasty.
She felt that the Great Jin would definitely win this time.
The poison she gave those people, though not a deadly one, was enough to give them a hard time. It wouldn't kill them, but it would render them unable to fight for a while.
Jiang Yimian remained silent with a furrowed brow, her mind preoccupied with what the Empress Dowager's purpose was in appearing at the archery banquet.
In the past, she definitely wouldn't have thought about it.
But ever since she learned that this person had a close relationship with the Marquis of Anding, she felt that this person was somewhat frightening.
It's quite remarkable that she was able to hide her entanglements with court officials for so many years without anyone discovering them.
Especially considering that it has been at least a decade or so since the late emperor was alive.
The scheming and cunning they displayed are chilling to even think about.
She wouldn't believe that this person could become empress so easily just because of good luck.
It is no easy feat to maintain the emperor's favor while living deep within the palace and without children by one's side.
This woman not only gained the emperor's favor in the harem, but also the affections of the Marquis of Anding, who was willing to kill his own wife for her.
Seeing that she remained silent, Liu'er waved her hand in front of her eyes before asking curiously, "Miss, is there a problem?"
Jiang Yimian then came to her senses and frowned, asking, "Where did you hear this news? Are you sure the Empress Dowager will be at this archery banquet?"
Liu'er nodded seriously, "I think the news is true. I heard it from the ladies in Baoxiangfang. They also said it might be because of you, Miss."
"Because of me?" Jiang Yimian frowned, feeling a bit strange.
Liu'er smiled and said, "Miss, don't underestimate yourself. Your competition with the Third Princess of Tuyuhun at the Princess's Mansion has been the talk of the town in the capital. Everyone knows about it now. The Empress Dowager must have heard about it and wants to see you and give you a reward."
The banquet was incredibly lively. I heard that in the past, almost all the officials in the capital could attend, and they could even bring their families. It was a truly spectacular event. I imagine it will be even more lively this year.
It's a pity we didn't win the previous few times; I wonder if we can win this time.
Jiang Yimian suddenly realized something.
Marquis Anding will surely attend this archery banquet as well. Since both of them will be at the training ground, they will definitely find an opportunity to communicate with each other.
Normally, the Empress Dowager resides in the inner palace, making it very difficult for outsiders to enter, and even if messages are sent, they are not very frequent. However, this banquet is a good opportunity.
With everyone's attention focused on the competition, the two will have more time and opportunities to exchange messages.
I suspect it's related to Chen Shuyu's madness.
The Empress Dowager must have heard about this and wanted to ask the Marquis of Anding for clarification.
This archery banquet is also an excellent opportunity for her and Lu Cijian. At least they won't have to investigate things from more than ten years ago in a haphazard way. Ideally, they can use this banquet to fully understand the entanglement between the Empress Dowager and the Marquis of Anding, so that their plans will all fall through.
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