Chapter 92 Lotus Appreciation Banquet
Xie Yuan led the troops and supplies to Huzhou. Empress Hua was free for a while. She remembered that her half-sister, the wife of the general, had told her about Jiang Ming'an's marriage a few days ago, so she became interested and asked the palace maids to send out invitations, planning to hold a lotus viewing banquet in Handan Garden, inviting the noble ladies in the capital to enjoy it together.
Of course, prestigious families in Beijing flocked to this officially organized blind date banquet.
Handanyuan is located on the westernmost side of the imperial palace. It is actually a large pond covering hundreds of acres with a wide pavilion that can accommodate hundreds of people in the middle.
The pavilion is supported by dozens of stone pillars and extends to the land. The two sides are hollowed out without windows. The breeze blows gently, making it feel exceptionally cool even in summer.
Jiang Yuyan was wearing a natural blue gauze skirt of her own design today, which was similar to the style of a modern dress. She had a long red belt tied around her waist, which meandered down her round buttocks from behind. It was so graceful and elegant that even Empress Hua stared at her and said with a smile, "The Saint's dress is quite novel."
Jiang Yuyan teased and turned around, "If your Majesty likes it, I will make one or two for you." This made Empress Hua smile and pointed at her nose and said, "You are so smart!"
Jiang Yuyan smiled and supported the queen towards Handan Garden.
Before entering the pavilion, I could hear a few noble ladies on the outside whispering to each other.
"After being rejected, she still dared to come to the lotus viewing banquet. This general's wife is really shameless!"
"I heard that General Yuheng came back after being convicted of a crime!"
"Yes, Li Ruyun is here today too. It's really embarrassing!"
Empress Hua's face darkened. Jiang Yuyan also frowned and couldn't help but ask, "Do you dare to go to the general's wife and say what you just said again?"
When the noble ladies saw the newcomer, they were so frightened that they broke out in cold sweats and knelt down to pay homage: "Greetings to the Queen, may the Queen live a thousand years!"
When the people in the garden heard the noise, they all stood up to greet her. When they saw Jiang Yuyan, they were shocked again. The young men blushed with shame, while the ladies secretly felt jealous and ashamed.
Empress Hua walked past the noble ladies with an uneasy look on her face, and only asked them to stand up after she sat in the main seat for a while.
Empress Hua turned around and saw the young man beside her. Her expression softened a little. She smiled at General's wife Gu and said, "Look at me, Ming. The feng shui of this capital city is good for nurturing people. He has only been back for more than a month, but he has become so beautiful. Even the ones in my family can't catch up with him!"
Jiang Yuyan took the opportunity to glance at Jiang Mingan. The man had taken off his armor and was wearing an indigo brocade robe with wide sleeves and a narrow waist. Although his face was still cold, he looked very noble. He was indeed the son of a general or a prince!
Gu was modest, "Your Majesty, you are joking. He is just a rough man, how can he be compared with your princes!" As she spoke, she glanced at Jiang Yuyan beside her.
Mrs. Gu missed the New Year's Eve palace banquet due to illness, so she didn't recognize her.
So he asked tentatively: "Madam, which family is this lady from? Why have I never seen her before?"
Jiang Mingan tilted his head slightly when he heard that, looking unnatural.
Empress Hua rolled her eyes and said, "This is the Saintess of the Lingshu Clan in the Western Territory. She is staying in the palace for the time being..."
Gu was about to ask more, but the wife of the Chief Censor, Zou, spoke indifferently, "I heard that His Majesty also has a special liking for the Saint Girl. Madam Gu is afraid that what she wished for will not be realized."
"My mother-in-law is such a joke. If His Majesty really has a special liking for her, why is this Saint still staying in the palace without any status? I'm afraid some people are trying to steal a chicken but end up losing the rice!"
A familiar voice came, Jiang Yuyan looked up and saw that it was Li Ruyun! It turned out that she was married to the family of the Chief Censor.
Jiang Yuyan glanced at the man next to her. He was just a pretty boy. In terms of looks and demeanor, he was far inferior to Jiang Mingan!
Li Ruyun also noticed her ex-fiancé. At this time, she was extremely regretful. Seeing that Madam Gu was interested in the Saint, she naturally couldn't avoid a round of squeeze.
Jiang Yuyan smiled and said, "Madam Zou, Madam Li, are you all right! I won't talk about my situation, but you two actually had the guts to gossip about His Majesty at the Queen's banquet. I'm afraid you don't think you've lived long enough!"
"What nonsense are you talking about! When did we ever gossip about Your Majesty?" Zou was horrified.
"According to the laws of our Dayue Kingdom, Your Majesty can only marry one queen and one concubine. I have been living in the palace, and Your Majesty has treated me honestly. What you are saying about being deeply in love is just gossiping about Your Majesty! If Your Majesty knew..." Jiang Yuyan smiled provocatively.
Upon hearing this, Zou and Li Ruyun were so frightened that their faces suddenly changed. They fell to their knees and apologized repeatedly, with sweat breaking out on their foreheads.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me! I just spoke out of turn!"
Empress Hua was somewhat disgusted and said seriously, "Today's banquet is only for appreciating the lotus. If anyone talks nonsense again, I will have them kicked out immediately!"
"Yes, yes!" Everyone responded in panic.
After this incident, Gu was confused and didn't dare to bring it up again. She just chatted with the queen about some interesting childhood events. The table was filled with joy.
Li Ruyun looked at Jiang Mingan frequently with resentment. She didn't expect that the general and evil spirit in the rumors were so handsome! She was unwilling in her heart, and even looked at her husband with some disdain.
Jiang Mingan pretended not to know and drank glass after glass with an expressionless face.
At this time, a pretty girl came up to Jiang Yuyan, staring at her intently with an envious expression, "Sister, you are so beautiful!"
Jiang Yuyan looked at the little girl with big eyes, her heart softened, and she smiled gently: "You are also very beautiful!"
Unexpectedly, the little girl was not satisfied with just looking at it, and she touched it and exclaimed: "Sister, your skin is more tender than a peeled egg!"
Jiang Yuyan was extremely embarrassed and helplessly covered her face with her hands.
Everyone at the table laughed, and the young men became even more excited when they heard the words.
Empress Hua jokingly said, "This is also my niece, Prime Minister Hua's only daughter, Hua Xiangxiang! You two should stop admiring each other and look at the good man sitting here! Look how anxious and fiery they are!"
The young men at the banquet looked around shyly, yet hoping that the beauty would take a look at them.
Jiang Yuyan had heard of Hua Xiangxiang, the most beautiful woman in Beijing! Seeing this girl so innocent and lively, she also liked her and picked some delicious food for her to put on the plate.
The little girl's cheeks were bulging with food, which was very cute. She also said incoherently: "Thank you, sister!"
Empress Hua rolled her eyes and whispered to Madam Gu, "Xiangxiang is sixteen this year. The three men she married before were all well-educated and well-mannered. There are still two positions for the five legal husbands. If you are interested, even though you were the fourth husband, the three previous husbands were not from high families, so they cannot surpass you."
Madam Gu hesitated for a moment. According to their family background, he should be the eldest son, but her son's engagement was rejected, and it was not easy to find a good marriage now. Seeing that Hua Xiangxiang was very beautiful, she felt a little satisfied and said, "It's all up to the queen!"
Empress Hua heaved a sigh of relief. If her nephew married her niece, it would be a hundred benefits for her. She smiled and said, "I ordered people to put some boats in the pond. You young people can go and play by yourselves, and let me and the ladies chat here."
After saying that, he signaled Jiang Mingan with his eyes.
Jiang Ming'an still looked as cold as ice. He had good hearing, so he naturally heard what the queen said just now. However, General Yuheng had been guarding the northern border alone since he was sixteen years old, and had never had the experience of being alone with a woman, so he had to stay where he was without saying a word.
Mrs. Gu looked anxious and whispered, "Go and invite Hua Xiangxiang to ride on the same boat with you!"
Jiang Ming'an's body was stiff, his stern face was full of embarrassment at the moment, "Mother..."
Li Ruyun came over and said, "General Yuheng, how about you ride with me?"
Madam Gu looked unhappy and snorted coldly, "I remember that we have already called off the engagement with the Minister's Mansion. What does Madam Li mean by this?"
Li Ruyun was not embarrassed and said, "I believed what others said before, but now I know that the general is such a handsome man. Mr. Jiang's reputation has been damaged because of me, so I should take responsibility..."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Mingan's face suddenly darkened. He just kept drinking without responding or looking at her.
Jiang Yuyan couldn't stand it anymore and sneered, "Madam Li, you ugly people should stop making trouble. General Yuheng is such a big shot, do you care about your responsibility?"
He immediately pulled Hua Xiangxiang over and said, "General, why don't you travel with us?"
Jiang Ming'an felt relieved, looked up and nodded.
Li Ruyun's face turned red, "Who are you calling ugly?!"
"Anyone with a discerning eye can see that!" Jiang Yuyan said sarcastically.
Everyone at the banquet also laughed.
"You!" Li Ruyun was so angry that he was fuming. Looking at the backs of the three people walking together, he cursed without thinking, "I don't want someone, but you treat me like a treasure!"
Jiang Mingan paused, and when he looked back, his face was fierce. Li Ruyun's face turned red, and he shut up immediately out of fear.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
