Chapter 113 Governor Yan's Celebration Banquet
The night banquet began and palace lanterns illuminated the entire hall.
The ministers sat according to the steps, delicacies were laid out on the table, and the aroma of wine filled the air.
The dancers in the hall spun around, their gauze clothes fluttering in the wind, and the sound of stringed instruments rose, clear and melodious to the ears.
Although it was not the first time that Qin Mingzhu attended such a palace banquet, she was still amazed by the luxurious scene before her.
She sat there for a long time, but found that the seats around her were empty.
Not far away, a few young ladies were whispering to each other, glancing at her from the corner of their eyes from time to time.
The smile on his face, as if he was enjoying a good show, made people feel very uncomfortable.
Qin Mingzhu has attended several banquets in her past and present lives, but this is the first time she has attracted so much attention. In the past, she was a completely invisible person at such banquets. Unless they were a few acquaintances, not many people would take the initiative to talk to her.
Suddenly, a pink-dressed figure walked up to her side, speaking in a very soft and deliberately low voice.
"Pearl."
Qin Mingzhu turned her head and looked over. When she saw the person coming, her eyes instantly curved.
Because this person is one of her few good friends, the young lady of the Liu family, Wen Wanning.
The Liu family has been serving as officials in the capital for generations. Today, the young master of the Liu family is the Shaoqing of the Dali Temple, an important position.
The child from the Liu family she was talking about, who was about the same age as Yan Yunrui and had already gone to the Imperial College to serve as a companion to the prince, was the son of Wen Wanning and Liu Shaoqing.
She has a gentle personality, speaks softly, and looks like a willow swaying in the wind.
"Wan Ning, sit down."
Wen Wanning did not refuse. She looked around with a serious expression.
"I heard a lot about you at the flower show not long ago."
Qin Mingzhu looked at Wu in front of her and asked casually, "What did you say about me?"
Wen Wanning sighed: "What they said about you...it was really unpleasant..."
Her cheeks flushed slightly, and it was obvious that she couldn't help but feel angry when she thought about it.
But she was soft-hearted and couldn't say those words directly.
"It's okay, tell me, I want to hear it too. Wan Ning, just tell me directly."
Wen Wanning bit her lip and said, "They said you were shameless and seduced Governor Yan while your husband was away... and they also said... that the child you gave birth to wasn't your husband's at all, but... Governor Yan's..."
Qin Mingzhu paused while drinking tea.
After all, she should be angry when she heard others say this about her.
But... this is the truth. She found herself speechless and had nothing to say!
There's no way to refute it...
Seeing that she remained silent, Wen Wanning grew even angrier. "You only got together with the governor after your divorce, and it was the emperor who personally granted you a marriage. How dare they slander you behind your back? They're completely speaking ill of the emperor!"
When Qin Mingzhu heard this, she couldn't help but frown.
"Wan Ning is indeed worthy of being the wife of the Junior Minister of the Dali Temple."
"Everyone has said this about you, and you still managed to laugh..."
Even the gentle Wen Wanning could be so angry, which shows that what those people said was definitely even more excessive.
Qin Mingzhu didn't take it seriously. Although it was okay to go to that kind of flower party and tea party circle, everyone was jealous, and there were actually quite a few girls from wealthy families who were eyeing Yan Fengxiao.
Back then, she even heard those young ladies from wealthy families gathering together to figure out who could catch the eye of Governor Yan.
After all, he was young and had made great military achievements. Which girl in the boudoir had not dreamed of marrying such a brave hero?
Seeing that she didn't seem to care much, Wen Wanning sighed slightly, with an expression of disappointment on her face.
"There's one more thing. You should have heard of the princess of Prince Lian's mansion..."
Qin Mingzhu nodded slightly: "I've heard a little bit about it."
"That Princess Yuan has wanted to meet you for a long time. She sent people to the Qin Mansion to look for you several times, but you always avoided her. She seems very angry. And she should be attending the palace banquet today."
Qin Mingzhu raised her eyebrows slightly: "I'm here, so what?"
Seeing this, Wen Wanning raised her slender fingers and tapped her head.
"You have to think carefully about how to get through this. The other party has ill intentions and will definitely cause trouble for you..."
Her voice was very low, intertwined with the sounds of the banquet music, and it was difficult to hear from a distance.
Just as she finished speaking, another group of people came to the gate, with the emperor and an old woman in the front.
The old woman had gray hair on her temples, a graceful look, and was dressed in luxurious clothes. She looked to be around fifty or sixty years old.
Following behind them was a group of beautiful ladies, concubines and princesses dressed in luxurious attire. As soon as they entered the palace, they went straight to the top of the banquet hall.
All the ministers and female relatives who had been waiting here for a long time stood up and saluted respectfully to the group of people.
The Emperor of Southern Yan smiled slightly and waved his hand gently, saying, "My dear ministers, please take your seats."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
The ministers took their seats again, and the empress dowager was sent by the emperor to one of the three most important seats.
The emperor sits in the middle, with the empress on his left and the queen mother on his right.
The other concubines and princesses sat on the empty tables and chairs below according to their ranks. Everything was in order and proper.
However, at this moment, a woman who was supposed to sit near the princesses in the front stood up and walked straight to the back seats.
The girl was about seventeen or eighteen years old, with loose black hair, a peony flower hairpin on her head, and a pearl curtain hanging gently by her ears.
Her face was painted with delicate and elegant makeup, her expression was as cold as snow, and her blue clothes seemed to be covered with frost and snow, making her look even more aloof.
With her chin slightly raised, she exuded a sense of nobility, with a strong sense of superiority that she had always had since she was a child.
Qin Mingzhu had already noticed the woman who looked of noble status walking towards her, and her eyes narrowed slightly.
Wen Wanning quickly stood up and saluted: "Your humble servant greets Princess Yuan."
Qin Mingzhu also followed suit and bowed, but Princess Yuan did not say anything. She just stood in front of Qin Mingzhu, accompanied by her palace maids, and looked at her coldly.
That look seemed as if he was examining something with a condescending attitude.
"I was wondering what kind of beauty had captivated Commander Yan, but I didn't expect it to be someone like you..."
The sarcasm that was evident in his words was no longer concealed. Qin Mingzhu couldn't help but smile with her eyes curved when she heard it.
She answered calmly, "They say beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Hasn't the princess heard of this?"
Princess Yuan was stunned. She obviously didn't expect that someone would be so bold as to contradict her in public.
The palace maid standing behind her was obviously angry and wanted to scold Qin Mingzhu, but Princess Yuan raised her hand to stop her.
She maintained the same condescending attitude as before: "Tell me, how did you seduce Governor Yan?"
Qin Mingzhu's eyes flickered.
"Princess, do you want to know? Then please come closer and I will tell you..."
Princess Yuan frowned.
But then Qin Mingzhu opened her mouth and said, "My husband once said that the princess is too ugly, and it's really unlucky that she still sticks to me."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
