Chapter 100: Banquet
Ji Yunshu closed the account book in his hand and solemnly promised Jin Shi: "As long as this matter can be properly resolved, I guarantee that the Jin family will not be implicated."
The Jin family is located in Suzhou and is directly under the jurisdiction of Xingqing Prefecture.
It would be easy for the prefect to take control of this family.
No matter what the considerations were, Jin Shi was betting that the entire family would help her.
Jin Shi breathed a sigh of relief: "Thank you, ma'am."
He had no doubt that Ji Yunshu would not be able to fulfill her promise, but not just anyone could convince him willingly.
In order to put on a show, Jin Shi stayed until lunch before leaving.
But after a while, a steward came to tell Ji Yunshu that the Seventh Young Master wanted to take her to a dinner party hosted by the prefect.
Ji Yunshu asked again, "Is Aunt Mei back?"
The manager shook his head.
After he left, Yin Ye said, "She actually went to complain. It seems the dinner party is aimed at you. Do you want to go?"
"Of course we have to go. There must be something wrong with this prefect. We might be able to get some useful information from him."
Being a woman is already inconvenient, not to mention the current tense situation in Xingqing City. She has to be careful at all times.
There are not many opportunities to come into contact with the enemy, so we must seize them.
She was just thinking about how to dress up to be in line with her status when the steward sent a maid to help her with her makeup.
Ji Yunshu felt that Jin Shi was quite considerate.
After she had dressed up and thought it was almost time, she left the yard.
Jin Shi's carriage was already waiting at the door. She got in and found that there was no one else. She couldn't help but ask, "Are we the only two?"
Jin Shi's usually playful expression turned a little cold, but when he looked at her, he softened a bit: "Yes, the prefect specifically sent someone to pass on the message that he must take you there."
The carriage started moving. Ji Yunshu looked out at the wide, deserted streets and frowned, "Could it be that he really discovered something? That A-Mei..."
"A few days after the prefect sent her here, I went to the capital. I heard from the steward in the courtyard that she had a bad temper, was picky about food and clothing, and was always causing trouble, as if on purpose. Of course, she was definitely not as stupid as she appeared."
His conclusion was similar to Ji Yunshu's.
After thinking carefully about what might be exposed, he said, "Then let it be and see what the prefect means."
She was well prepared for this trip and would be able to escape unscathed no matter what.
The carriage took nearly half an hour to arrive at the place where the prefect was holding a banquet.
It was not in the government office or the prefect's own residence, but in a restaurant called Yihua Pavilion.
According to Jinshi, it was nominally a restaurant, but in reality it was the most famous place of entertainment in Xingqing Prefecture, and the interior decoration was extremely exquisite and elegant.
There are delicacies and fine wines collected from all over the world, the most beautiful dancers and the best singers.
Anyway, as long as you have money, you can get the best enjoyment here.
As soon as he entered the gate, Ji Yunshu discovered that this place was like a completely different world from the outside.
The prefect hosted a banquet in a separate courtyard.
When Ji Yunshu and Jin Shi went in, the people had not arrived yet.
But the two did not dare to make any unusual movements and waited for others in an orderly manner.
About a quarter of an hour later, a middle-aged man walked in.
This is Zhou Qingbang, the prefect of Suzhou.
He looked to be in his forties, thin, and had an elegant scholarly air.
It’s not quite what Ji Yunshu imagined.
There was a slightly younger man next to him, and the two walked side by side, looking like they had a very good relationship.
Ji Yunshu guessed that it should be a friend. After all, there were not many people in Suzhou who could be compared with the prefect in terms of status.
This man doesn't look like an official.
The last person to come in was A-Mei.
Unlike the noisy atmosphere at the Jin family, she was quiet and submissive at this moment.
As soon as he came in, he took the initiative to approach Jin Shi and whispered in a somewhat aggrieved tone, "Young Master."
Jin Shi laughed and said, "You are really too angry. Why can't you tell me something instead of bothering Lord Zhou?"
"I...you forgot about me when you had someone new. How dare I act so presumptuously in front of you?"
Lord Zhou, who had already sat down in the main seat, smiled and said, "It's my fault for sending you someone who wasn't trained well. I'm sorry for causing you trouble."
Jin Shi said hurriedly, "You are joking, my Lord. Between men and women, quarreling is fun. There is no need to talk about whether it is troublesome or not."
Mr. Zhou said to A Mei, "Did you hear that? Don't be so ignorant in the future and come to me for every little thing."
A Mei said softly, "Yes, sir."
Ji Yunshu heard her words with a sense of obedience, not like a woman to a man, nor like a younger generation to an elder, but more like a servant to his master. He couldn't help but turn his head to look.
A Mei lowered her head and her expression could not be seen.
At this time, Lord Zhou glanced at Ji Yunshu and asked Jin Shi, "Is this the person you brought back from the capital? She is really good-looking. No wonder even A Mei is jealous."
He spoke calmly, but Jin Shi's heart was beating wildly. He had to respond with, "Thank you for the compliment, sir."
Lord Zhou looked at him with an ambiguous expression, but said nothing. Instead, the person who came with him said, "I heard she's a singing girl. Why don't you sing a song for us?"
Ji Yunshu had previously guessed that this banquet was aimed at her, but she didn't expect that these two people would point their spearheads at her as soon as they arrived.
However, it is not difficult to understand. The Jin family is just a business family. The personal invitation from the prefect is already a great honor for them.
Whatever you want is just a matter of words.
There's no need to beat around the bush.
Just like the matter of A Mei, it was dealt with with just a few words, and Jin Shi didn't dare to say anything about it.
Fortunately, she was well prepared and learned several popular songs in the capital along the way.
Jin Shi also knew that he couldn't refuse, so he nodded and said, "Since the Lord wants to listen, Yanlan, please sing a song."
After saying this, he smiled at Lord Zhou and said, "This is the singing girl from Yihong Courtyard in the capital. She really has a great voice."
Zhou Qingbang nodded.
Ji Yunshu found this by accident. His vocal conditions are indeed good, and the practice during this period has achieved some results.
She sang a song. It can't be compared with the top singers, but there is nothing wrong with it either. It can be considered a normal level for a singer.
Mr. Zhou exchanged glances with the man and said, "You sing well."
Ji Yunshu showed joy on his face and bowed: "Thank you for the compliment, sir."
But then Lord Zhou said to Jin Shi, "You have a good eye. It's rare to find a woman with both talent and beauty like this, especially in Xingqing. It's rare to find such a beautiful woman."
Jin Shi has been in this kind of occasion for many years, so naturally he would understand the meaning of this sentence.
If it was an ordinary woman, he would definitely not hesitate, but Ji Yunshu...
He said it wasn't that simple.
He was just hesitating about what to do when Lord Zhou narrowed his eyes. "It seems that what A-Mei said about Young Master Jin's deep affection for this girl is true."
Ji Yunshu knew that Jin Shi didn't dare to let him take any risks, so he gritted his teeth and refused.
But since Magistrate Zhou had spoken himself, he had no room to refuse. The longer he delayed, the more suspicious the other party would become.
The trouble was, all six eyes of the other three people present were on the two of them, and she didn't even dare to say a word.
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