"The man in the khaki robe next to him is Gao Shiqi's grandson. It is said that he inherited his grandfather's talent and is already working as a registrar in the Hanlin Academy," Yartan continued.
"Is he Miss Gao's brother?" Bechuk asked Miss Gao, who was sitting next to him.
"It is indeed my elder brother." Miss Gao could not ride a horse, so she did not participate.
"I've heard that your elder brother is a child prodigy. He could compose poetry from a young age and won first place in the children's examination at the age of ten," Yartan said with a smile.
“My brother is not talented enough to be called a ‘child prodigy,’ but he could compose poems at the age of six, write essays at the age of eight, and indeed won first place in the children’s examination at the age of ten. Now my brother is sixteen years old and still unmarried,” Miss Gao said with a smile.
"Haha, Miss Gao, are you recommending my brother to our Fifth Princess?" Yartan said with a smile, looking at Bechuk.
Seeing that Miss Gao and Yartan were smiling at him, and that everyone else was also showing expressions of admiration, Bechuk blushed and said, "Bechuk is not yet of marriageable age."
“Naturally, it’s better to arrange a marriage for our Fifth Princess after the Fourth Princess is engaged first.” Yartan smiled and patted Bechuk’s hand.
"Hongli and Hongzhou are not engaged yet, are they? I wonder what my uncle's plans are?" Yartan then asked.
Since Biechuk had never heard Lanqin or the Fourth Prince mention the marriage between Hongli and Hongzhou, he dared not speak carelessly. He said, "I have never heard Mother mention it. They are both only thirteen years old, which is a bit too early."
When Yartan heard Biechuk say this, she understood what was going on. She turned her head to look at the people in the room and found that her sister-in-law was standing next to Hongli, as well as several other young masters.
Bechuk also saw it, and upon closer inspection, he saw that Hongzhou was next to Miss Xueying from the Ulanara family. After circling around several times, their positions had not changed, clearly indicating that he had been following her closely. After observing for a while longer, Yartan's lips curled into a smile.
Meanwhile, Fucha Mingyu had also noticed the people following her, who seemed to have remained the same since the beginning. She naturally recognized Hongli, and seeing him always by her side, clearly intending to pursue her, she couldn't help but feel a sense of pride.
Meanwhile, Xueying on the other side had also spotted Hongzhou. She naturally recognized both Hongli and Hongzhou, and seeing that Hongzhou was the same person she had seen at the door that day, she understood everything.
When Ushiha saw that the people around him were always the same few, he understood what was going on and decided not to run anymore, so he ran out of the horse farm first.
When she returned to Bechuk's side, before she could even sit down, she saw Bechuk and her cousin Yartan smiling and looking at her.
"What are you laughing at?" Ushiha looked at their smiles and felt a chill run down his spine.
"Why don't you run around more, sister?" Bechuk asked.
"See? I wanted to stick close to you today, but you chased me away," Ushiha teased, without answering that he had come down because he didn't like being surrounded by those people.
"Ushiha, come here, come to your cousin." Yartan had also heard some things about Ushiha and knew her personality, so she thought that if she could find a suitable marriage for Ushiha, Mingyu's marriage might be easier to arrange.
When Ushiha sat down next to Yartan, she took her hand and asked if she had seen the people from earlier. Upon hearing this, Ushiha immediately shook her head and said that she hadn't noticed anyone around her.
Seeing Ushiha's reaction, Bechuk hurriedly said, "The one wearing the blue robe just now was the young master of the Wei family, and the one in the khaki robe is Miss Gao's brother."
Ushiha continued to feign ignorance, saying, "Really? They're following me?"
Yartan, being an experienced person, was not as anxious as Bechuk. She saw that Ushiha had no interest in the two people, so she stopped asking.
The horse farm does not entertain guests, and Yartan has never hosted meals here before. However, because she had a special purpose this time, she made an exception and invited the young men and women who came to dine.
The meal was held in a semi-enclosed courtyard behind the horse farm. To allow the men and women further opportunities to interact, Yartan deliberately separated their respective dining areas with only a wooden screen.
This time, a total of sixteen men came, filling two tables; twelve women, excluding Yartan and Fucha Mingyu, also came, making up one large table.
After everyone was seated in their assigned places, the maids and servants began serving the dishes. Yartan arranged for Hongli and Hongzhou to sit at the same table as Young Master Gao and Young Master Wei. The imperial relatives, led by Tai'an, were seated at another table, so as not to disturb each other.
On the women's side, Yartan made a point of having Ushiha and Bechuk sit next to her, while her sister-in-law, Fucha Mingyu, was asked to entertain several young ladies from prominent families, including the Ulanara, Gao, Zhang, Xu, Shi, and Liu families. The female relatives of the clan, led by Chunfang, sat together.
To enhance the entertainment, Yartan also invited singers and musicians to perform, and they all showcased their best skills.
The sound of a skilled pipa player drew everyone's attention. Her hands moved swiftly and gracefully across the strings, dazzling the audience and making it impossible to discern exactly how she played. Only ethereal music flowed from her hands, captivating all who listened, unwilling to interrupt.
Ushiha listened intently to the pipa player's music, seemingly understanding its meaning, like a young girl waiting for her lover, hoping for his return.
After the pipa player finished playing, Ushiha couldn't help but personally give her a jade ring from his hand as a reward for her wonderful performance.
"Thank you, Miss!" The pipa player had never received such a precious reward before, and she thanked her repeatedly.
"No need to thank me! Judging from your attire, you don't seem to be from the Central Plains?" Wuxiha asked curiously when he saw the pipa player dressed in foreign clothes.
"I am from Dayuan. I came to the Central Plains when I was young, and the pipa is an instrument that all women in our area know how to play. I never thought I could make a living with it in the Qing Dynasty," the woman said.
Ushiha felt a strange pang in her heart. She looked at the woman's attire and thought, "So this is what Dayuan is like. Women dress like this."
After Ushiha returned to his seat, the pipa player withdrew.
Yartan intended to invite another singer up, but unexpectedly, Tai'an suddenly walked over from behind the screen carrying a wine cup.
The women all lowered their heads, somewhat resistant to Tai'an's intrusion.
"Princess Dorogee, I, Tai'an, am truly delighted today. I'd like to come and offer you a toast." Tai'an was clearly a bit tipsy, his voice tinged with alcohol.
Yartan frowned, looking at Prince Chun's grandson, who had never been very successful since childhood, with some dissatisfaction, and said, "Tai'an, I don't drink alcohol."
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