Yan Ning asked Fukang'an, who was pulling her towards the banquet, "Where are you taking me? If the old lady finds out, she'll be angry again!"
Fukang'an released Yan Ning's hand, looking at her with a deep smile, "Knowing that Mother would be angry, why did you still dare to come?"
"I..." Yan Ning lowered her head and stopped speaking. She knew that Fukang'an would not believe what she said, and she also knew that her excuse sounded very far-fetched to others.
Fukang'an reattached Yan Ning's fake mustache and said, "Come with me!" He stopped pulling her along. Yan Ning followed closely behind Fukang'an, not understanding what he was doing.
Fukang'an walked to a banquet table, one hand behind his back, and bowed slightly. "Scholar Ji has just returned to the capital and has come to attend my mother's birthday banquet. The Fucha family is extremely honored!" An ordinary official stood up, clasped his hands, and bowed, saying, "General Fucha, you flatter me! It is an honor for me to receive an invitation from the Fucha family!"
Yan Ning hid behind Fukang'an, peeking out furtively. The Ji Xiaolan before her was just an ordinary middle-aged man, no different from anyone else. He had no pipe, no wit or humor, only the pedantry of a civil official and the sycophancy of a bureaucrat. Yan Ning couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.
Xi Ying, her platform shoes gliding through the banquet, felt her composure and calm vanish like spring water flowing eastward when she saw Fukang'an chatting and laughing with Yan Ning and Ji Xiaolan. "General!"
Upon hearing Xi Ying's voice, Fukang'an turned slightly to the side and asked, "What is it?"
Xi Ying separated Fukang'an and Yan Ning, and said to Fukang'an in a low voice, "I want to see the officials from Xinjiang!"
Fukang'an knew Xi Ying wanted to inquire about her father's recent situation. "I'll keep them here after the birthday banquet!" Xi Ying glanced at Yan Ning before curtsying and retreating. She was glad she had kept her composure. If she had lost her temper, she would not only have angered the old lady but also completely severed Fukang'an's affection for her. Xi Ying had already prepared to attend the old lady's birthday banquet as a concubine, but Yan Ning had unexpectedly given her this opportunity again. Xi Ying blamed herself for turning against E'lan too early, now that E'lan had become a hidden danger for her.
You Yuanzhi disguised himself as an official's servant and sneaked into the Fucha mansion. Taking advantage of the chaos during the serving of dishes, he slipped out of the west courtyard, knocked out a servant of the Fucha mansion, changed his clothes, and hurriedly headed towards Furong Garden. Xiang'er had been engrossed in Buddhist worship since returning from the Fu residence, and while Fukang'an was strengthening the guards in other mansions, he did not send anyone to guard Furong Garden.
Dressed in the uniform of a servant from the Fucha Manor, You Yuanzhi easily evaded the patrolling guards and arrived at Furong Garden without any trouble. Furong Garden didn't have many servants to begin with. After Xiang'er closed the door to worship Buddha, some sharp-eyed servants went to the steward to request transfers elsewhere. The remaining servants also went to the west courtyard to ask for rewards, leaving only Rongxi guarding the main house door. "The general has a message for me to convey to Consort Lian!" You Yuanzhi said to Rongxi, who was guarding the door.
Upon hearing that it was someone sent by the general, Rongxi disregarded the fact that You Yuanzhi was a stranger and quickly opened the door to welcome You Yuanzhi inside.
"Auntie, he was sent by the general! He said he has a message from the general!" Rong Xi reported to Xiang'er, who was lying on the bed embroidering a child's bib, with mixed feelings of joy and worry.
Xiang'er put down her embroidery, her heart filled with the same mixed feelings of joy and worry as Rongxi's. She looked up at You Yuanzhi, and her hand immediately pricked the needle, drawing blood. "Rongxi, you can go now!" Xiang'er said uneasily to Rongxi beside her.
After Rongxi and the others left, You Yuanzhi rushed forward and tried to pull Xiang'er away. Xiang'er shook off You Yuanzhi, turned her face away, and said, "I'm pregnant with Fukang'an's child!"
"Haha..." You Yuanzhi's hand froze, and he looked at the bib in Xiang'er's hand and sneered, "Do you think Fukang'an will let you keep this child?"
"Don't come looking for me again!" Xiang'er said, looking into You Yuanzhi's eyes. "I'm doing very well at the Fucha residence! Fukang'an is also very good to me!"
You Yuanzhi released Xiang'er, his hands clasped behind his back. He looked at Xiang'er, dressed in plain clothes, her once radiant face now gaunt and withered. "Is this how he treats you? The Fucha mansion is filled with joy; apart from your Hibiscus Garden, which place isn't bustling and noisy!"
Xiang'er lifted a corner of the quilt and slightly pulled up her trouser leg, showing You Yuanzhi her injured ankle. "I hurt my leg and can't go to the banquet!"
A pang of heartache flashed in You Yuanzhi's eyes. He sat down beside Xiang'er, his tone softening considerably, "Fukang'an won't let you give birth to this child! Come with me, I will treat this child as my own flesh and blood!"
Xiang'er touched her lower abdomen, not daring to place all her hopes on Yan Ning. If she wanted to save the child, Xiang'er knew she had to leave the Fucha mansion, and You Yuanzhi was the best person to help her escape. "My leg is injured now; if we can't leave the Fucha mansion, we'll be caught! This matter needs careful planning!"
You Yuanzhi's face was filled with undisguised joy. "Since I dared to come to the Fucha residence, I was fully prepared!" He glanced at Xiang'er's ankle; the Mingqi Cult members were waiting in an alley not far from the Fucha residence. Although You Yuanzhi hadn't anticipated Xiang'er's leg injury, he was already prepared to knock her unconscious and take her away.
Xiang'er knew that You Yuanzhi was afraid she would change her mind, so she looked at him and said, "I left the Fucha Mansion for the sake of the child in my womb! Don't worry, Yan Ning is on good terms with me now, she will definitely help me get out!"
"Yan Ning?" You Yuanzhi recalled Yan Ning's innocent and naive eyes. "She's not suited to stay in such a complicated place as the Fucha Mansion." After saying this, he checked Xiang'er's ankle and then left Furong Garden with peace of mind. Xiang'er would definitely leave with him to protect the child in her womb. The servants he had knocked unconscious had already woken up, and You Yuanzhi chose a quiet path to leave.
At the banquet for officials and their wives, a red satin embroidered screen featuring a combination of flowers, birds, and the character for longevity was placed. The embroidery thread used dozens of colors, resulting in bright and natural hues. The twelve dark blue satin embroidered screens took twenty Jiangnan embroiderers a month to complete. The embroiderers used a shading technique to embroider magnolias, crabapples, peonies, camellias, bamboo, daylilies, and rare birds such as cranes, pheasants, and peacocks. The twelve longevity characters were meticulously embroidered with vibrant colors.
E Lan, dressed in a crimson cheongsam, hid behind the screen, blocking Xi Ying's path. "Aunt Ying is so calm, E Lan truly admires her!"
When Xi Ying saw E Lan, she trembled slightly, then immediately beamed with joy. "Sister E Lan should know that our common enemy is Yan Ning!"
E Lan's smile, hidden beneath her crimson cheongsam, was as alluring as the night. She walked to Xi Ying's side and said, "Rather than associating with a scheming concubine, it's better to win over a naive lady! Perhaps Brother Kang will spare some of his favor for her sake."
Xi Ying's back slumped, and in her bright red cheongsam, she lost the pride and dignity of a legitimate wife.
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