Chapter 45: During the Lunar New Year holiday, whether it was pure friendship or just a good friend...
During the Lunar New Year holiday, officials in Shuozhou frequently visited each other, whether they were just close friends or superiors and subordinates. Whether they were maintaining relationships or building relationships of interest, the exchanges were lively.
As Yan Heng was the superior, his subordinates often visited the general's mansion. However, due to their rank, it was not convenient for them to return the visit. So he decided to send an invitation on the twelfth day of the first lunar month and host a gathering at the general's mansion, inviting officials of all ranks to get together, thus settling the matter at rest.
When the specific date was finalized, he was sitting opposite Ji Yunchan by the window playing chess.
The two of them chatted back and forth, discussing something.
Yan Heng, holding the black piece, placed it close to the white piece and said casually, "You entertain the ladies for me."
Ji Yunchan was about to make a move, but when she heard the voice, she paused and looked up in surprise: "But I am my husband's concubine." How can a concubine entertain guests? Isn't that disrespectful, she thought.
She then dropped the white piece and continued, "Actually, my husband has never married, and we don't have a respected maid in our house. You don't need to invite any female relatives. Just ask someone from the household to come alone."
Yan Heng clutched the chess piece in silence, having practically forgotten all about it. He knew in his heart that she was his wife, but others didn't.
But he was unwilling to let her stay alone in the backyard, because she was obviously his wife.
So Yan Heng didn't know how to respond to her for a moment.
Ji Yunchan thought he was unhappy. She thought about it and compromised with a smile: "It's not a big deal. Everyone knows that the general has never married. I think I can help with some socializing and they will understand."
This is exactly what Yan Heng meant.
He raised his eyes calmly, then nodded seriously: "You are right."
Facts have proved that this arrangement is correct.
Ji Yunchan had only two choices when it came to doing things: not doing anything or doing it to perfection, so after agreeing to do this, she arranged everything in an orderly manner.
As Yan Heng was watching, he suddenly remembered that Yun Chan had many suitors in her early years, and they probably only valued her ability. Thinking of this, he snorted and went to receive the male guests.
There was a long line of sedan chairs and carriages in front of the mansion gate. Soon, an extremely gorgeous carriage stopped and the prefect Wang Yuan, his only son Wang Kang'an, and the prefect's wife got out.
Yuyan followed behind the wife of the prefect, glanced resentfully at Ji Yunchan who was coming towards her, and then lowered her head deeply.
Ever since she heard that the prefect's wife was coming to the general's residence, she felt that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, a good opportunity to bring disgrace to that bitch Ji Yunchan.
She touched her cuffs and followed the prefect's wife silently.
While Ji Yunchan was greeting the wife of the prefect, she naturally noticed this familiar face. She glanced at Yuyan, a little surprised, and then remembered that Yuye had mentioned before that this person had gone to the prefect's mansion, so she said nothing. After leading the wife of the prefect to sit down, she went to greet the next lady.
Yuyan was frightened by that look.
She couldn't help but think in her heart, what if this bitch reported her to the people in the prefecture? She clenched her sleeves tightly.
Fortunately, she just glanced at her.
Yuyan breathed a sigh of relief, then thought fiercely that this bitch deserved to fall into her hands.
......
Ji Yunchan didn't care about the rainy night. She was already busy enough accompanying Yan Heng to entertain guests. When no one was around her, she had long forgotten the grudge.
After all the guests arrived, the banquet officially began. Yan Heng wanted to pull Ji Yunchan to sit at the top beside him, but Ji Yunchan refused.
He looked at her awkwardly as she went to sit down below, while he sat alone up there, feeling bitter. Every official below him came with their wives and children, which made him seem so lonely.
As this thought flashed through their minds, everyone sat down and Yan Heng raised his glass.
"I am deeply grateful for your care last year. I have prepared a little wine today. I hope you will not despise it. In the new year, we will work together and do our best for our country."
After finishing his polite remarks, he drank the wine in the glass in one gulp, signaling the start of the banquet.
The wine cup falls and the stringed instruments begin.
There was a constant flow of responses from the audience, with laughter and chatter.
Several ladies came up to Ji Yunchan and pulled her aside to talk. Ji Yunchan was very familiar with attending banquets when she was a girl, but this was her first time after getting married. It was only after she went home temporarily to ask her mother that she understood the ins and outs of it.
Among the people surrounding her, there were many who were trying to please her or to make friends with her for a purpose. Ji Yunchan compared the closeness and power relationships between them in her mind with what Yan Heng had said, and she was able to do it with ease.
Among these people, some came over to watch Ji Yunchan's fun.
Thinking about how a concubine, flying up to become a phoenix on a branch, could handle such a situation, but they didn't know that Ji Yunchan had grown up among people. Seeing her handle things with ease, neither flattering nor distant, with a hint of a lady's demeanor, they felt that they were inferior in comparison, so they felt bored and dispersed.
I secretly felt that the general's concubine was no ordinary person.
Halfway through the banquet, people were either admiring the plum blossoms in the garden or sitting in small groups chatting. Unnoticed, Yuyan quietly left and stopped a yellow-dressed maid carrying an empty plate.
The yellow-robed maid saw her and asked in surprise, "Sister Yuyan?"
Hearing this address, Yuyan's smile faded. Without further ado, she dragged the maid to a secluded spot before letting her go. Amidst the maid's skeptical expression, she sized her up from head to toe. "I heard you have a brother who's a gambler?"
The yellow-robed maid's lips trembled as she clutched the plate tightly.
......
Yuye was about to go to the kitchen to see if Ji Yunchan's daily medicine was ready, and he met Yuyan on the way.
Yuyan greeted her, "Yuye, long time no see."
"Yuyan? Why are you here?" Yuye stopped and asked in surprise, "Are you here with the masters of the prefectural government?" Seeing Yuyan nod, he asked again, "How are you doing?"
Yuyan's expression remained unchanged. "I'm doing pretty well. The master over there treats me very well."
Yuye was genuinely happy for her, and then he pulled her arm and said earnestly, "You're lucky after all. You weren't sold to a shabby place. God bless you this time. You should reform yourself and be an honest person. Don't always think about climbing up the social ladder, okay?"
"I know I was wrong." Yu Yan lowered her gaze and nodded in agreement. Then, as if remembering something, she said, "I just saw a few children playing over there in the pond. There was a big hole in the water. It looked dangerous. I called out to them a few times, but they didn't take it seriously. But the lady was anxious to send me back, so stopping to talk to you has delayed me. I have to leave now. You should go over there and take a look."
Yuye also felt danger when she heard the sound. She said goodbye to Yuyan and said, "I'll go and take a look. You go back quickly." Then she hurried to the edge of the pond. Sure enough, she saw two or three little girls from officials' families laughing and playing, with no one watching them.
This place is secluded, not even a single person is around, so if you fall in, no one will hear you. Yuye softly stepped forward and said, "Ladies, it's dangerous by the pool. Can I take you somewhere else to play?"
But one of the girls refused outright: "No, we want to play here."
She held the candy in her hand and turned to the other two girls, "Right."
The other two girls also echoed: "Yes, yes." The three of them talked at the same time, and no matter how Ren Yuye tried to persuade them, it was useless. When asked who the girls were from, they refused to tell him.
There was nothing he could do on a rainy night, so he had to go back and report to Ji Yunchan.
Ji Yunchan was chatting with a lady. Yuye went up to her and whispered a few words to her. Ji Yunchan decided to go and take a look, and nodded to say goodbye to the lady.
Just as she was about to go, a maid in yellow came forward with medicine and said with her head lowered, "Auntie, you haven't taken your medicine for today yet."
Ji Yunchan didn't think about it, took it and drank it in one gulp, then left in a hurry, not noticing the panic on the yellow-clothed maid's face and her slightly trembling hands.
Yuyan, who was hiding in the dark, watched Ji Yunchan actually drink the medicine, and then watched her being led towards the pond by Yuye, who was unaware of the truth, and immediately let out a sarcastic smile.
She looked at Wang Kangan, the son of the prefectural governor.
The other person was handsome and elegant. When Yuyan first arrived at the prefectural government, she thought he was a modest gentleman. However, she did not expect that within two days, her true colors would be revealed. He was even more lustful than the prefect and actually wanted her without any explanation.
Yuyan was tactfully teasing him, trying to prevent him from succeeding. "This could be of some use now," she thought. "I'll give you a chance." Wang Kang'an was oblivious to this. When Yuyan passed by, he was sizing up the decor of the general's mansion, finding it nothing special. Seeing the girl he'd coveted for so long finally approach him, Wang Kang'an was overjoyed.
"Sir, I'm waiting for you behind the rockery by the pond. It's quiet there." Yuyan said these words almost into his ear.
The little girl was as warm and soft as jade, and Wang Kangan's face was half numb. He was drunk and hurriedly greeted her: "Okay, you go there and wait for me.
He was about to wrap a strand of her hair around it, but Yuyan didn't let him succeed.
…
On the other side, Yuye was walking halfway with Ji Yunchan when someone suddenly called out from behind.
The two stopped and saw that it was the maid in yellow. Ji Yunchan couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong?"
"Replying to Auntie." The maid ran out of breath and bowed to Ji Yunchan, saying, "Master Chang is looking for Sister Yuye everywhere. He said he has something, but he didn't say what it was."
"Chang Sui?" Ji Yunchan was puzzled for a moment. Why did Chang Sui call Yu Ye? Then she thought, given Chang Sui's temperament, if he could call her personal maid, it meant that he really had something to do.
She met Yuye's gaze and said, "Go and take a look."
Yuye followed the maid and was about to turn back, but turned back worriedly: "There is no one to serve my aunt, so you better be careful. I'll be back soon."
Ji Yunchan waved her hand and said, "Go ahead."
The courtyard of the General's Mansion was not small, and the further one walked towards the pond, the quieter it became. Ji Yunchan arrived there in a short while, but there was no one by the pond.
She felt a little puzzled and called out a few times, but it was quiet and there still didn't seem to be anyone around.
Perhaps because she was in a hurry, her body felt a little hot. Ji Yunchan stepped onto the wooden bridge and when she was about to reach the rockery, she thought
A person walked out from the dark corner, and said in a neither loud nor soft voice: "Miss Ji."
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