Chapter 517 Ancestors’ Blessing

News about the charity banquet hosted by the Queen Mother in the palace had spread throughout Yongjing City over the past three days.

The common people talked about the novelty of the Empress Dowager's move with great relish, and all the famous and wealthy families in Yongjingcheng were anxiously guessing whether they would be selected on the invitation list.

It was not until the day before the palace banquet that the invitation was finally sent out from the palace.

The Shi family is one of them.

Shi Yongfan, the head of the Shi family, looked at the post from the palace in front of him, and he was completely in disbelief.

Although some of his ancestors in the Shi family were officials, there was no educated person in the Bai family by his generation. He was able to become an imperial merchant only by relying on the family business and connections accumulated by his ancestors.

After three generations, a huge family business was established.

When the news of the snow disaster in Sichuan reached Yongjing, Shi Yongfan had already prepared to donate silver. What's more, he even prepared the silver, just waiting for the emperor to speak so that he could hand over the silver.

By then, it would be inevitable that he would have to pay some tribute to the officials in charge of collecting donations, so that his Bai family's name could be written earlier on the statistical list.

However, Shi Yongfan never expected that he would actually receive a post directly from the palace!!!

He is a commoner, how can he have such virtue and ability?

One day, I could even have a chance to attend a banquet in the palace.

This must be the blessing of our ancestors.

Shi Yongfan was so excited that he took the note and went to the ancestral temple to burn three incense sticks.

After coming out, he belatedly instructed the housekeeper, "Go and find out if only my Shi family got this postcard, or if other imperial merchants also got it?"

The butler was in charge of the affairs of the mansion, so it was natural for him to find out the news outside. He quickly told the news he had heard.

"Master, I have heard that in addition to the famous families in the court, many wealthy people in Yongjing City have received this invitation. Not only the imperial merchants, but also the wealthy merchants who have not achieved the title of imperial merchants have received it. The Si family has also received it."

When Shi Yongfan heard about the Si family, he thought of a certain old man who had been outstanding in appearance since he was young, and curled his lips, "His family? It's normal. His daughter is already a queen in the palace, so he is naturally indispensable in such matters."

After a moment, he became serious again, "But the Queen Mother, do you mean to let us sit at the same table with those from noble families?"

He would be happy about it, but those high-minded and superior celebrities would probably not be happy about it.

When the housekeeper heard this, he hurriedly said, "Master, I also found out that the invitations distributed by the Queen Mother this time are divided into two types."

The housekeeper pointed at the green name card that Shi Yongfan had offered to the ancestral hall and said, "I heard that the noble families, officials and celebrities all have ochre name cards, while merchants like us have green name cards."

Shi Yongfan was stunned for a moment when he heard this, but he quickly figured it out.

"Does this mean that we are invited separately? But the invitation clearly states that we are also invited to attend the banquet in the palace..." Shi Yongfan couldn't help but ask, "Could it be that this charity banquet in the palace is divided into two banquets?"

The housekeeper thought it unlikely.

"Usually it takes ten days or half a month to prepare a banquet, but the news of this charity banquet has been leaked and the preparation time is only three days. How can we prepare two banquets?"

Shi Yongfan was very conservative. "How can the banquets in the palace be compared with the banquets in ordinary people's houses? There must be a way in the palace."

Shi Yongfan has never been a person who likes to get entangled. Now that he has received the invitation, he will wait quietly to enter the palace for the banquet tomorrow.

What a pity...

Time was too short and there was no time to prepare new clothes.

Fortunately, he still had some new winter clothes he had made this winter that he had not worn yet.

He will definitely dress elegantly for the banquet tomorrow.

Not to mention suppressing those officials from aristocratic families, at least he should suppress Si Zhongqing!

At the same time, the Si family also received the post.

Although Si Zhongqing was a little surprised, he was not as excited as Shi Yongfan. He just ordered someone to invite Si Jinyu.

"Come with me to the palace tomorrow. Then I'll send someone to the manor to bring the child back overnight. Linglong must want to see him, too."

Si Zhongqing couldn't help but blame us when he said this, "Your sister asked us to take care of the child, but you took the initiative to send him to a farm outside the city. If your sister knew about this, she would definitely blame us for mistreating the child."

Si Jinyu didn't care about his father's reprimand, and his face remained calm. "The child can only stay on the farm for the time being. If the queen asks about her, I will explain it. Dad, don't worry."

Si Zhongqing frowned slightly, obviously still disagreeing.

But he has always trusted this son.

He is not the kind of person who would mistreat children for no reason, nor is he the kind of person who goes back on his word.

"Well, it's up to you."

Si Zhongqing waved his hand, signaling Si Jinyu to arrange things in advance, and then he ignored him.

Si Jinyu came out of Si Zhongqing's study, the solemn expression on his face disappeared. Thinking of the child Linglong entrusted to him, he rubbed his brows with a headache.

I don’t know whether Linglong knows about the child’s situation.

Thinking of little Li Sheng's current appearance, Si Jinyu felt a rare headache.

I just hope that the situation will be better when I go to see her in two days.