Chapter 305 Noble Lady and Poor Scholar
"What is Your Excellency looking at?"
As Ouyang Rong surveyed his surroundings, Yan Liulang asked in a low voice.
"Where is Junior Sister?" Ouyang Rong asked without turning his head.
"I don't know." Yan Liulang shook his head.
"She's probably spending time with her family. Miss Xie is the birthday girl tonight, everyone's watching, so she might not make her appearance until later."
Ouyang Rong nodded: "There are quite a few rules and regulations for this birthday banquet."
Yan Liulang smiled and said, "As the eldest daughter of the Xie family, her birthday celebrations are definitely different from ours. It's not something that can be satisfied with just a bowl of longevity noodles."
"Why not?"
Ouyang Rong looked at the table full of delicious food, but no one touched it. He turned his head and smiled, saying:
"Maybe after a whole night, with all the social obligations, she won't even get to eat a few bites of the delicacies at the banquet. She'll just be secretly going hungry. It's better to go back and have a bowl of hot longevity noodles."
Yan Liulang thought for a moment, "That makes sense."
Ouyang Rong looked around and turned back to ask, "Where are Da Lang and the others? And where is Lady Li?"
Yan Liulang shook his head:
"My eldest brother prepared gifts and clothes for me, but neither he nor his sister came, and no one from the entire Xunyang Prince's Mansion came."
"According to him, it seems to be his younger sister's idea that not all members of the Xie family of Chenjun are like Mr. Xie and Miss Xie, willing to have contact with the Prince of Xunyang's mansion."
"It would be best if they avoided contacting us as much as possible."
Upon hearing this, Ouyang Rong paused for a moment, then nodded: "That makes sense."
Like him, Yan Liulang looked around and asked with some doubt:
"Sir, who are the people Miss Xie invited to this banquet tonight? They seem to be of high status, but why do we not recognize many of them? We've been in Xunyang City for quite a while now."
Ouyang Rong shook his head:
"I don't know. Judging from their appearance, many of them don't seem to be from Jiangzhou. They probably came here from elsewhere on a special occasion."
Yan Liulang was somewhat amazed.
Just then, a young man in a purple embroidered robe was led in by a welcoming maid and sat down next to Ouyang Rong and Yan Liulang.
The young man was fair-skinned and beardless, dressed like a noble young master. He thanked the welcoming maid and sat down with his eyes fixed straight ahead.
Ouyang Rong and Yan Liulang exchanged a knowing glance.
"This gentleman looks unfamiliar. May I ask where you are from?"
Yan Liulang, without any hesitation, was the first to approach and greet him.
The purple-robed youth looked at him with some curiosity and wariness. Yan Liulang cupped his hands and solemnly announced his name:
"My name is Yan Xiaoliu, the newly appointed judicial officer of this city. I am not very talented, but I have done my best to solve a few minor cases. My friends in Xunyang have been very impressed and have given me the nickname 'Little Divine Might of Iron-Blooded Blade'."
Yan Liulang then pointed at Ouyang Rong:
"This is my eldest brother. He's as handsome as Pan An, and even more dashing than Song Yu. People call him the Jade-Faced Little Flying Dragon, or you can call him the Little Pan An of Jiangzhou."
Ouyang Rong bowed to the young man in purple robes.
"..."
Little Shenwei? Little Flying Dragon? Faced with this strange pair of people greeting him so enthusiastically, the purple-robed youth leaned back slightly, gave them a strange look, and nodded politely: "I've heard so much about you."
"Eh." Yan Liulang waved his hand, his expression humble:
"Everyone's praise is too kind; it's just a humble name. You probably haven't heard of me, but that's alright. I haven't even asked your name yet..."
The young man in purple robes spoke sparingly: "Hongzhou, Li Heng."
Ouyang Rong and Yan Liulang exchanged glances.
Ouyang Rong reached under the table and stopped the eloquent Yan Liulang, asking him a few questions.
Seemingly noticing that although the young man in the white fox fur coat was poorly dressed, he spoke with remarkable eloquence,
Furthermore, since the guests invited by the Xie family of Chenjun to attend the eldest daughter's birthday banquet were all wealthy and noble, the young man in the purple robe became less wary. After exchanging a few words, he roughly explained his background.
It turns out that this was the son of a noble family; his great-grandfather was a founding county earl.
In addition, he has another important identity: he is a collateral descendant of the Longxi Li clan, one of the five surnames and seven prominent families, although his bloodline is almost five degrees removed and quite distant.
However, when Ouyang Rong and Yan Liulang flattered and praised the Li family of Longxi, the young man in purple robes became visibly arrogant.
Ouyang Rong chuckled inwardly, offered a few words of praise, and then asked the purple-robed youth named Li Heng for more information.
It was eventually discovered that the guests attending the Xie family's birthday banquet today...
If it weren't for the nobles and officials distributed throughout the various prefectures of Jiangnan Circuit...
If it weren't for the prominent families of the five major clans and seven prominent clans in the south, with the Wang and Xie families being the most numerous...
Only eminent monks and scholars from Jiangnan, those who are famous throughout Jiangzhou, are qualified to be invited to this banquet.
The last category consists of people from Jiangzhou who have some connections with the Xie family of Chenjun, and they will also be invited from nearby areas.
Ouyang Rong thought about it and realized that he and Yan Liulang probably belonged to this category, which explained why their seats were assigned to the back by default.
They didn't intentionally ignore you; they just had too many important guests and were simply giving you the normal order of precedence.
Local official positions such as the Prefect of Jiangzhou or the Judicial Advisor do not add many points.
When Ouyang Rong looked around, he also saw the figure of his superior, Wang Lengran. Even this fourth-rank governor, a high-ranking official of a prefecture, was sitting at a table slightly in the front row.
This is because many of the noble titles held higher official ranks than those of officials like Ouyang Rong and Wang Lengran, even though they held no real power and were only honorary titles and inherited stipends.
No wonder he didn't recognize the guest and looked a bit confused when he walked in.
Ouyang Rong couldn't help but wonder, not to mention the noble circles of Jiangnan Road and the aristocratic circles of the Five Surnames and Seven Clans.
Even in the Jiangzhou Kuanglu circle of famous scholars who were well-known and trendsetting in Jiangnan, Ouyang Rong hadn't been in much contact these days, so naturally he didn't have many acquaintances.
Commonly known as an outsider.
Having figured this out, Ouyang Rong nodded with some satisfaction.
Li Heng asked, "Young Master Flying Dragon, what is your surname?"
Ouyang Rong replied sincerely, "Ouyang Rong."
Li Heng seemed to be trying hard to recall the surname, and finally nodded slightly: "My apologies."
Their attitude, however, became visibly perfunctory.
Ouyang Rong didn't care, but he didn't report it again; his more famous courtesy name was Lianghan.
Yan Liulang, as always, asked him about the origins of the visitors around them, as if they were old friends.
Li Heng was not in a position to refuse.
Watching the guests enter Xunyang Tower one by one, and listening to Li Heng's friendly introduction.
Yan Liulang turned to Ouyang Rong and exclaimed, "My lord, the banquet hosted by the Xie family of Chenjun is truly grand."
"Um."
Ouyang Rong nodded silently. Just then, he suddenly looked up at the building.
After looking around and finding nothing unusual, Ouyang Rong withdrew his gaze.
However, his brows remained slightly furrowed for a long time.
I suddenly had the feeling that someone was secretly watching me. What's going on?
Is someone watching him from the shadows?
Before Ouyang Rong could ponder this for long, it seemed that all the guests had arrived, and the doors of Xunyang Tower were slammed shut.
A line of beautiful and charming maids entered the hall in an orderly fashion, serving each table of guests a pot of fine wine and standing obediently to the side, pouring the wine for them.
Immediately afterwards, the owner of Xunyang Tower entered and greeted everyone respectfully.
Immediately afterwards, a petite young woman carrying a pipa walked onto the stage in the center of the hall.
It was that melancholy, frowning, world-weary face that Ouyang Rong was familiar with.
Qin Xiaoniangzi took to the stage and played a pipa piece, staying on the stage like a resident singer.
However, tonight, Ouyang Rong noticed that Qin Xiaoniangzi's world-weary face was less furrowed, and her cheeks were rosy.
He also noticed that she made two mistakes while tuning the strings.
He seemed to be excited.
Ouyang Rong thought about it and understood. The noble families from all over Jiangnan were gathered together. If she could get the opportunity to perform on stage, her value would rise considerably.
Just as Ouyang Rong was about to look away, he saw Qin Xiaoniangzi on the stage looking at him with gratitude in her eyes.
Ouyang Rong was slightly taken aback, somewhat confused as to where this gratitude came from.
He nodded in response.
A moment later, the birthday banquet officially began in the lobby on the first floor.
The maids and servants stepped forward and went through a series of elaborate procedures, the kind of formalities the nobility followed.
Neither Ouyang Rong nor Yan Liulang understood it, but that didn't affect their participation in the banquet.
During the process, nothing embarrassing happened—they didn't drink the mouthwash like water. They were both shrewd enough to simply follow the instructions of those around them…
Just then, Ouyang Rong noticed that the gazes of the guests at the surrounding tables were all turned toward a staircase to his right.
He glanced to the side.
Then, a still elegant lady gracefully descended the stairs, dressed in a magnificent black gauze dress, with a pearl hairpin tucked into her hair.
As the noblewoman walked gracefully, the black pearls on her hair ornament swayed back and forth like a swing, attracting everyone's attention.
The noblewoman, adorned with a hairpin, possessed a dignified and graceful appearance, her lips curved in a smile. She elegantly raised her hands and curtsied.
"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."
Facing the countless gazes cast upon her from the entire audience, she smiled slightly and turned to the side.
As if stepping aside to take the main seat, she glanced slightly at the staircase above her.
In an instant, all the guests, including Ouyang Rong, saw a new beautiful figure appear at the end of the staircase.
She was a tall, petite woman in a high-waisted ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), with an exquisitely beautiful face. Her long hair was styled into a nine-bun fairy bun, and she slowly walked down the stairs.
Although she was tall, the train of her elegant dress was extremely long, and four beautiful maids followed behind her to lift the train.
"It's Miss Xie." Yan Liulang couldn't help but blurt out, his voice filled with surprise and delight.
Ouyang Rong nodded.
Of course, he recognized his junior sister. To say something that was inconvenient to say aloud, just one glance at the scenery of a certain place where the sea embraces all rivers was enough to recognize that it was his junior sister who usually endured "humiliation" and great "disgrace".
Such a method of distinguishing truth from falsehood is unique in the world.
However, my junior sister seems a little different today; she's dressed exceptionally elaborately.
Alas, the thick barrier is getting deeper and deeper.
The noble lady with the hairpin stood at the bottom of the stairs, smiling as she looked back, waiting for the stunning young lady.
Xie Lingjiang held the hem of her dress with both hands and walked down the stairs with graceful steps. Facing the gazes coming from all directions, she lowered her head slightly and unconsciously gripped the hem of her half-sleeved shirt.
"What's there to be shy about? When you saw me not long ago, weren't you quite so carefree? Seventeenth Sister, come down quickly and greet the guests. Everyone has been waiting for a long time."
The noblewoman, adorned with a hairpin, smiled radiantly.
"Auntie, please stop talking..."
When her shortcomings were exposed, Xie Lingjiang glared at the noblewoman with the hair ornament.
She immediately composed herself, her face stiff and cold, and walked down as if in a huff.
Ouyang Rong also felt that his junior sister was more suited to this serious and stern expression.
As for that shyness just now, it made him a little uncomfortable.
As she descended the stairs, the stunning young woman's eyes darted swiftly across the hall, seemingly casually glancing at something, her expression unreadable.
Two beautiful women, one tall and one short, left the stairwell hand in hand and gracefully entered the hall, where they took their elegant seats at the main table at the front of the hall.
Everyone's eyes involuntarily fell on them.
The two girls, aunt and niece, were the focus of attention with every move, every smile.
"Today is my beloved niece's eighteenth birthday. Thank you all for coming and taking the time to attend the banquet..."
Xie Xue'e took Xie Lingjiang's soft hand and they stood up together.
The elegant lady with the hair ornaments was poised and graceful. She exchanged some polite words, and the crowd applauded and cheered, offering their birthday wishes...
Ouyang Rong didn't listen much; his attention was focused on only two things.
One is a delicious dish on the table that no one has touched, and the other is Xie Lingjiang, the birthday girl of the night, who is the center of attention in the distance.
He glanced at the latter from time to time, while his chopsticks kept picking up food.
Like Yan Liulang, he never stopped talking.
But whether it was because her aunt or other elders were there, or because there were many people, Xie Lingjiang kept her eyes straight ahead and never looked in Ouyang Rong's direction.
Hmm, could it be that he hasn't contacted her recently, and their friendship has temporarily ended?
Ouyang Rong reached out to touch the skirt knife at his waist, but stopped halfway and withdrew his hand.
There are too many people, so let's refrain from causing trouble for now.
"Brother Li, who is this lady?"
Hearing Yan Liulang's questioning tone, Li Heng, without turning his head, explained:
"She is Miss Xie's aunt. Like Miss Xie now, this lady was also the apple of the eye of the Xie family's Jinling branch back then, a flower on a high mountain. According to my father, this lady is very shrewd and, to some extent, can represent the Xie family of Chenjun..."
Ouyang Rong listened as he picked up some food.
Since things have come to this, let's eat first.
If you're not even enthusiastic about cooking, then your attitude towards life is just so-so.
Amidst the sound of the pipa, the people in the hall clinked glasses and exchanged toasts.
After an unknown amount of time, the banquet was almost over when Xie Xue'e suddenly stood up, took Xie Lingjiang's hand, and walked from front to back, table by table, drinking the birthday wine from each person.
The two Xie sisters, aunt and niece, were the sole focus of attention as they slowly walked to the back.
However, when they arrived at the last few tables, Xie Xue'e's smile faded slightly, but she remained polite and courteous. Her eloquence and witty remarks drew laughter from everyone.
The aunt's behavior contrasted sharply with her stunningly beautiful niece, who was taciturn, aloof, and serious.
Finally, the Xie family aunt and niece, along with eight beautiful maids serving wine, left one table, turned around, and moved closer to the table where Ouyang Rong was.
Xie Lingjiang followed quietly beside her aunt, walking without looking to the side.
Ouyang Rong raised his wine cup and stood up with Yan Liulang, Li Heng, and the others at the table, preparing to toast the birthday boy for the night.
I've been carrying my suitcase around Hangzhou for the past two days, looking for a place to rent and settle down. It's exhausting and a bit slow, sorry guys.
(End of this chapter)
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