"Jin’an City’s Wang Family offers ten Ruyi Jades and a pair of night pearls, as birthday gifts for the young princess."
A youngster carefully brings up the tray, and Lady Wang from the Wang Family of Jin’an City stands up laughing and speaks a few courteous words. Xin He smiles and nods in response, prompting Lady Wang to take her seat again.
The next is almost immediate.
"Jinyang City’s Liu Family offers a gift..."
Shulan reads through the lengthy gift list. The atmosphere inside the Linxian Pavilion is really lively because this gift-giving opportunity is also an opportunity to show off the strength of one’s family.
Since it’s the birthday of the young princess of Prince Pingyang’s Mansion, it’s a given that everyone sends their best gifts. Whoever brings the best and rarest items, their family’s power is undoubtedly more outstanding. Everyone, not just Ji Xinhe, is watching the gifts carefully in the pavilion, and everyone is weighing up the competition.
The main star of the scene, Ah Guai, however, is almost falling asleep. If Ji Xinhe hadn’t specifically instructed her not to doze off, she would want to sleep already. Now she can only force herself to stay awake, staring unblinkingly at the steps under her feet.
But since everyone’s attention isn’t on her, no one says anything.
Shulan takes a glance at her little master and can’t help but want to laugh. She clears her throat and announces, "Wen Xi from Lian’an Town, offers a crystal glazed lamp."
Ah Guai suddenly lifts her head, her sleepiness completely gone as she stares intently towards the center of the hall.
Song Xi has always presented himself to outsiders as someone with a terminal illness, so he can stay in Yu State. Three years ago, he moved out of the Song Family, claiming he needed to go to a remote mountain to heal and live longer. Of course, this was an excuse.
Song Xi then changed his surname to Wen and established himself in Lian’an Town. Although he said he was independent, he spent most of his time in Prince Pingyang’s Mansion. The mansion hired a retired scholar from the Hanlin Academy to teach Xiao Bei, Xiao Chaihuo, and Ah Guai. Song Xi found studying alone boring, so he simply joined them. He often mingled with Xiao Bei and Xiao Chaihuo. Ah Guai also liked to stick to him, so Ji Xinhe made arrangements for him to live in the Royal Mansion.
Ji Xinhe sometimes found it amusing. She had clearly only given birth to a single daughter, yet she felt as if she had an array of sons. After all, there are so many boys in Prince Pingyang’s Mansion!
Ah Guai of course realizes this is the birthday gift her brother Song Xi has given her. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎
With delight, Ah Guai watched three boys carry a large crystallized glazed floor lamp into the room and eagerly asked, "What kind of lamp is this? It’s so beautiful!"
One of the boys respectfully replied, "Our young master said, the lamp was made of crystal and glazed. If you light it in the evening it will be brighter and more beautiful. We can try it if you want to see."
Ah Guai looked at Xin He expectantly. Xin He smiled and touched her head, saying, "If you want to see it, go on."
Ah Guai nodded enthusiastically, "Yes, yes, yes! Try it, light it up quickly!"
The rest of the crowd in the hall awaited the lighting eagerly while speculating about Wen Family of Lian’an Town, "Such a big gesture! Who is this Wen family from Lian’an Town? How come I have never heard of them?"
"This crystallized glazed lamp is so valuable, even if you have money, it’s hard to get hold of. Particularly, one as large as this, this is my first time seeing one."
"But I don’t know who this Wen family might be. If they’re really from some unknown family, how could they possibly have been invited to the birthday banquet of the young princess of Prince Pingyang’s Mansion? Too bad the Wen family didn’t bring any women, or we might have been able to find out more."
While everyone was discussing quietly, the boys had already hung up black cloth over the doors and windows darkening the room. They then lit up the crystal glazed lamp using the candle, instantly illuminating the Linxian Pavilion. The crystal glazed material of the lamp was reflecting a splendid light under candlelight, extraordinarily beautiful.
Ah Guai exclaimed with delight, "So beautiful!"
The boy underneath the stage replied with a pleased smile, "As long as the young princess likes it."
Ah Guai’s eyes curved with her smile, "I do like it."
The other nobles in the pavilion were secretly envious, wondering who was so clever at pleasing people. Winning the young princess’s approval with a birthday gift would also naturally earn favor from the princess. Perhaps, they might even be promoted to the Wen Family in the future.
But thinking of this now is useless, the gifts have already been given, they can only wait until next time.
After the banquet ended, Ah Guai joyfully bounced to Song Xi.
"Brother Xi!" Ah Guai cheerfully bounced into him. "I really love the gift you gave me! Where did you find such a beautiful lamp?"
Song Xi, thrown off balance by her, laughed and placed her onto a swing beside them, "Did you like it?"
Ah Guai nodded eagerly, "I liked it a lot!"
"Then that’s good, if later I find other good stuff, I’ll give you.", Song Xi said, while patting her head with a smile.
"Brother Song Xi, you’re really nice!" Ah Guai cheered, happily getting his name right for once.
Song Xi suddenly asked, "By the way, what were you and your uncle doing outside Pingque Terrace this morning? You said something about wrestling?"
Ah Guai wrinkled her face, saying, "Uncle said this was a secret between us and can’t be told."
Song Xi pinched her cheek, "I can’t know too? Did you forget? Just a few days ago, we promised each other there would be no secrets between us. You see how nice I am to you, even going to the trouble of finding this lamp for you, and you can’t even tell me a little secret. Sigh... maybe I shouldn’t be so nice to you in the future."
Song Xi made a disappointed face.
Ah Guai hesitated for a moment then quickly "betrayed" her uncle, "I saw him playing wrestling on the wall outside the Pingque Terrace."
"The wall?" Song Xi was dumbfounded.
Ah Guai nodded, "Uncle was lying on the wall, and then he fell down."
Song Xi burst into laughter, "Hahaha! So that’s what happened! No wonder he looked so strange."
"Brother Song Xi, you can’t tell anyone about this, or else uncle will blame me."
Song Xi gave her an insincere smile, "Don’t worry, I won’t say a word."
----
The banquet didn’t end until late into the night. Ji Xinhe felt more tired than she had in a long time, as handling so many people at once and continuously thinking was quite taxing.
"Tired?" Marquis Mu Houchu asked with a smile.
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