Chapter 77 Madam Yao had seen Zhou's concubine.
"Madam Yao has arrived!"
Wenxi quietly squeezed her hand.
Yao Shisan snapped out of his daze and looked away.
She not only disguised herself, but also wore a veil.
Chen, who was standing at the door, did not move; only an old woman stepped forward to bow.
"This old servant greets Madam. Please follow me this way."
Wenxi handed the gift box to the steward at the door.
When passing by the Chen family, the Chen family pretended to exchange pleasantries with the official's wife standing nearby, without even glancing at her.
Yao Shisan has no time to worry about anything else right now.
I just want to get in as soon as possible, grab the directions, and leave.
She could feel Zhou Congxian's gaze fixed on her, his eyes seemingly trying to draw her into the depths of his soul.
Her fingertips were cold, and her hands were clenched tightly in her palms.
Approaching step by step, passing by.
Their garments brushed briefly in mid-air before separating.
Like the sun and stars, they will never meet again.
The governor's mansion was not large, and the guests invited were all prominent local families.
Most of these people never went to the capital in their lives.
Furthermore, due to the special nature of Hezhou, it would not become a fiefdom.
Therefore, they were more curious about the concubines of King Cheng that they were about to meet.
The head maid led her to sit in the lower seat.
Several pairs of eyes immediately swept over.
She could even hear young girls talking about her clothes and jewelry.
"Is this the style that's currently popular in the capital? It's really beautiful."
"And that crown, I'm afraid you couldn't buy it even if you had money."
"I wonder what Madam Yao looks like."
Wenxi leaned closer to her and whispered, "After the third-day bath, we'll find an opportunity to get the travel guide."
Yao Shisan's heart was pounding like a drum.
Judging from Chen's appearance at the door just now, the invitation didn't seem to be sent by her at all.
I don't know if I'll be able to get the route map by then.
She had never participated in a banquet when she was in the capital, and now she could only rely on Wenxi's reminder.
When everyone was seated, Zhou Congyu and Zhou Congxian stepped into the hall and took their seats.
As soon as he entered, she felt a suffocating gaze, as well as a probing one.
Without even looking, you can tell they are two people surnamed Zhou.
In this lifetime, she's just incompatible with people surnamed Zhou.
Zhou Congyu glanced at Yao Shisan before taking his seat at the head of the table.
He subtly inquired about it yesterday.
Although his cousin, who had been deep in thought since childhood, denied it, he could hear the hesitation in his words.
Zhou Congxian sat down directly opposite her.
The moment Zhou Congxian sat down, looking down at her, those eyes instantly gave him the illusion that the person opposite him was Jiang Shiyao.
"Today is my son's full moon celebration. I have been in Hezhou for four or five years and have been fortunate to receive your care. We will not have many formalities today."
"There are no officials or commoners, no social status, just neighbors who invited everyone to a simple meal on the occasion of their child's birthday."
Zhou Congyu was an approachable official, and almost everyone in Hezhou praised him.
His words were met with thunderous applause.
Yao Shisan didn't understand Zhou Congyu; he just felt that this person was as unfathomable as looking at flowers through fog.
When they were in Beijing, they would complain that the teacups in the Duke's mansion were not made of thin-walled porcelain from the Quanzhou kiln.
In just a few years, he became a well-regarded and honest official praised by everyone.
This mansion is in such a dilapidated state. The roof tiles have been patched up again and again, and the different degrees of weathering have resulted in inconsistent colors.
Zhou Congyu and Chen were both dressed simply.
On the contrary, only Yao Shisan was adorned with pearls and jade, making it seem as if she were the protagonist of this banquet.
When the chubby baby was brought out, the place instantly became lively.
Everyone praised the young master of the Zhou family, saying he would surely become a pillar of society like his father.
The fair-skinned, round-faced child wore a festive thin shirt, his small, lotus-root-like hands clenched into fists and placed on his chest.
She immediately thought of what Fu'er looked like when she was a child.
That's what makes her so endearing.
She couldn't help but touch her lower abdomen. If this child were to be born safely, it would surely have such a joyful little appearance.
Grandma Xi chanted auspicious words while wiping his little hands and feet with mugwort water.
Then came the celebrations with the guests.
Zhou Congxian got up and placed a longevity lock on the ground.
Yao Shisan placed a jade longevity lock on it.
The moment she put it down, she quickly withdrew her fingers as if they had been burned.
She had a crescent-shaped scar on her index finger.
It was when she was a child that she accidentally burned herself while decocting medicine.
She didn't know if Zhou Congxian had seen it or not. She lowered her eyes, suppressing the panic in her heart, and turned back to her seat.
She accidentally stepped on the hem of her skirt when she sat down. If Wenxi hadn't reacted quickly, she would have been embarrassed.
Then she realized that the gaze that had been fixed on her had disappeared.
Zhou Congxian, sitting opposite him, had his eyes downcast, seemingly lost in thought.
Yao Shisan secretly breathed a sigh of relief; she would leave immediately after receiving the travel guide.
After the baby's third-day celebration, the oldest person in Hezhou City was invited to perform a ritual to ward off misfortune for the child.
After the ceremony, all the guests moved to the banquet tables outside the hall.
After most of the people had left, she called out to Zhou Congyu.
"Lord Zhou, stay."
Her voice was hoarse.
Zhou Congyu and Zhou Congxian both turned around at the same time.
Zhou Congyu, "Madam Yao's voice..."
Wen Xi, true to her manner from yesterday, said sarcastically, "It's all because the guesthouse is leaking. Right now, the coughing sounds in the guesthouse are like the drums and gongs in a theater."
"Wenxi," Yao Shisan said, feigning to stop her.
She then looked apologetically at Zhou Congyu, "I was afraid that the illness might affect the young master, so I only sent a servant to deliver the congratulatory gift."
"It's just that Lord Zhou is really busy, and we can only meet on days like this. So we took the route out of the city together at the banquet."
Zhou Congyu smiled and said, "The travel document has already been sent to fetch it. Madam, please don't worry, it will be delivered after the banquet."
As soon as he finished speaking, a soldier called him out.
"There's an urgent matter at the yamen, I need to go there first, please excuse me."
In an instant, only Yao Shisan and Zhou Congxian remained in the hall.
Her heart skipped a beat.
His eyes drooped unnaturally.
"Wenxi, let's go."
She had just taken a step.
A tall figure blocked the way.
Zhou Congxian looked at her fingers hidden in her sleeve, his voice full of restraint, "I would like to ask Madam about someone."
Yao Shisan's path was blocked, and he abruptly stopped.
She quietly clenched her fists, and her somewhat hoarse voice tightened.
“Sir, you have asked the wrong person. I am not from Hezhou.”
Zhou Congxian remained motionless. "The person I'm looking for isn't from Hezhou, but he does bear a resemblance to Madam."
Her eyelashes fluttered, and she almost thought that Zhou Congxian had seen through her disguise.
Before she could speak, he continued.
She said that when she was a child, she accidentally burned her finger while preparing medicine for her father, so she has a small crescent-shaped burn scar on her right hand.
She also said that because her mother's jade pendant was tied to her wrist, there was a white mark on her wrist.
As Zhou Congxian spoke, he took a step closer.
His voice grew colder, "Her surname is Jiang, and she is Zhou's concubine. May I ask if Madam Yao has seen her?"
Yao Shisan was forced to take a step back, and each question almost made her breathless.
Her fingertips were ice-cold.
A hint of surprise flashed in Wen Xi's eyes, and then she secretly helped Yao Shisan up.
"The person that Prince Zhou is asking about, is it Lady Jiang? But isn't Lady Jiang already dead?"
"Why are you questioning my wife, a deceased person, here now?"
Zhou Congxian's eyes grew cold. "Dead? Whether he's really dead or just pretending, we'll have to ask Madam Yao."
Yao Shisan steadied herself and bit her tongue, forcing herself to look him directly in the eye.
“I know neither this gentleman nor his concubine.”
"If that Lady Jiang has already passed away, I regret that I do not know what touched you, sir."
Zhou Congxian took another step closer, "Why don't you dare to show your true face?"
"Do you know how much your eyes have already betrayed you!"
He pressed on, gritting his teeth, his voice as cold as a biting wind.
"You went through all that trouble to fly away from me, and this is the result you wanted?!"
Yao Shisan almost believed that Zhou Congxian had truly seen through her disguise.
Her voice trembled, "I don't know what you're talking about!"
Wen Xi had just made a move when Zhou Congxian knocked her back several steps with a single blow!
Just as he raised his hand to touch the veil, a faint voice came from the doorway.
"But my concubine has angered Prince Zhou."
Zhou Congxian's fingertips trembled slightly, and then he withdrew his fingers.
He turned and bowed to Xiao Shu, saying, "This humble official, Zhou Congxian, greets Your Highness Prince Cheng."
Xiao Shu bypassed Zhou Congxian and stood directly in front of Yao Shisan.
"Yao'er, have you forgotten what I said so quickly?"
Yao Shisan looked into Xiao Shu's eyes, which were almost unfathomable.
Her lips twitched as she bowed and confessed.
Someone grabbed her arm and held it.
Xiao Shu's voice was indifferent, "No one can offend my Yao'er."
He glanced at Zhou Congxian almost imperceptibly, "This king is not so weak that he can't even protect his own woman."
Yao Shisan instinctively flinched, but couldn't move, only feeling that his fingers in the crook of his arm were a little hot.
Zhou Congxian knew that King Cheng was mocking him.
But all he wanted to know now was whether this woman, who resembled Jiang Shiyao in every way, was actually her.
His gaze met that of Prince Cheng. "This humble official seems to have never heard of a Lady Yao in Prince Cheng's residence."
Xiao Shu's eyes grew cold. "So it turns out that I have to report to Prince Zhou before taking concubines or wives."
"It's not enough for Prince Zhou to confiscate Prince Cheng's mansion; he also needs to capture some women and talents."
Zhou Congxian clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Your Highness, please forgive me. I had no such intention."
Xiao Shu's lips curled into a smile as he ran his finger across Yao Shisan's cheek.
"Look at you, why are you wearing a veil? You've stirred up Prince Zhou's longing for you."
Even through her veil, Yao Shisan felt a chill on her cheek!
Xiao Shu is a madman!
She clearly saw the mockery in his eyes.
Fortunately, she was disguised today. If her veil had been removed in public, she wouldn't have been able to defend herself even with ten mouths.
No two people in the world are exactly alike!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
