It was time for the Qingfeng Banquet. The bookworm that Gu Ting had found was named Hu Duan.
He was a diligent and studious man who rose step by step from a rural student to a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations).
Gu Ting also adopted a studious and eager-to-learn demeanor, which pleased Hu Duan, who then regarded him as a confidant.
I reminded him a day in advance not to forget to attend the Qingfeng Banquet.
How could Gu Ting forget? He even went to the inn where Hu Duan was staying a day early, and then took a carriage with him to the Earl's Mansion the next day.
The two of them came together. Although they only had one name card, the manager at the door took a look and felt it was not appropriate to stop them in public.
Moreover, they heard other scholars call Gu Ting by his name, addressing him as Gu Tongnian, so they let the two of them go in together.
The banquet was held in Qingfeng Pavilion in the garden, next to a lake with willow trees planted on both sides, a lush green scene that made people feel relaxed and happy.
Across from Li Yuting, Madam Jiang, along with Xu Shaoqing and her daughters, set out some pastries and fruits and played chess together.
Of the dozen or so people Xu Shaohua was hosting, four were favored by the Earl. Xu Shaohua would later lead them through a side door to the other side of the river.
She had taken a long detour specifically to let Madam Jiang see her. Madam Jiang felt sorry for her daughter, so she also brought Xu Shaoqing and the others along.
The surrounding area was covered by a thin gauze curtain, making it difficult to see clearly. But from a distance, you could still make out about five or six parts of it.
Soon, Xu Shaohua brought his men over. They were all well-mannered and polite, their eyes only glancing at the ground. None of them knew that their master still harbored such thoughts.
He assumed it was an unintentional offense to the lady of the house, and didn't even bother to look in that direction or lift his head.
However, Jiang Shi also caught a glimpse of their profiles from afar, and Xu Shaoqing didn't seem to care much about these people.
However, just to appease Jiang, he did glance at it a few times.
Jiang was overjoyed to see that she was willing to interact with other people.
She was thinking that when she returned to the inner courtyard, she would ask the Earl to bring all these booklets so that Xu Shaoqing could choose carefully.
If you find someone you like, try to connect them with their family.
The families that the Earl chose were not of high social standing, but their academic performance, character, and abilities had all been examined.
One of them is even the top student in the second tier; he's sure to have a bright future.
Jiang was increasingly pleased with the idea. Xu Shaoqing said he wanted to walk around the lake and see what was there to see at this time of year. The lotus flowers hadn't bloomed yet.
They assumed she just wanted to find an excuse to go back and check on the people there, and she gave instructions to Guixiang and the others.
"Go ahead and keep a close eye on your young lady."
Gu Ting was also keeping an eye on things. Xu Shaoqing looked over there, but the group of people were in the distance and blurry, so she couldn't see them clearly.
Halfway there, Gui Xiang called out to her, "Miss, it would be impolite to go any further."
Xu Shaoqing was feeling anxious and wanted to scold her, but he didn't care.
They saw another person walking this way seemingly unintentionally, and judging from their figure, it should be Gu Ting.
Gui Xiang saw that someone had arrived and urged her to go back.
Whether it works or not, let's give it a try. Xu Shaoqing no longer hesitated, and pretended to twist her ankle, falling into the lake.
Gui Xiang and the others were quite frightened and jumped in to save her. Gu Ting, seeing this, also jumped into the lake without hesitation.
Unfortunately, he was a step too slow; Gui Xiang and Gui Qin pulled her up from either side.
Xu Shaoqing was just putting on an act; she valued her life, so when Guixiang and the others came to pull her away, she didn't dare to struggle desperately.
The lady of the house felt dizzy and almost fainted. Xu Shaojin and the others quickly helped her walk this way.
When she arrived and saw that she was safe and sound, the lady of the house was finally relieved.
Gu Ting jumped in but couldn't swim across, so the servants from the Earl's mansion went down and pulled him out.
Both out of courtesy and reason, Madam Bo and Xu Shaohua should go and express their gratitude.
But when Jiang arrived and saw the messenger, her expression changed. Who had sent this troublemaker a note?
Gu Ting also kept looking up at Jiang Shiyi with curiosity, trying to figure out her attitude!
Jiang Shiyi looked up at Xu Shaohua, who noticed that her aunt's expression was off and shook her head.
Jiang was so angry that her voice became hoarse, and she only managed to tell Xu Shaohua to take good care of the guests.
When she turned around, her palms felt hot and itchy, and her hands trembled slightly. She glanced at the old woman beside her.
Granny Gui understood and forcefully helped Xu Shaoqing walk away. Naturally, Xu Shaoqing was unwilling and wanted to go see her "benefactor".
But before she could utter a single sound, Granny Gui's eyes turned red. She took a handkerchief, pretending to wipe the water from her mouth, but actually covered it and took her away.
Gui Xiang and Gui Qin quickly blocked the way on either side, and the other maids and servants also reacted and formed a circle. They then hurried back to the courtyard.
Once inside, Jiang felt weak in her limbs, her palms itchy, and her chest tightness made it hard to breathe.
She trembled and asked Xu Shaoqing, "Did you deliberately jump into the lake today?"
The answer is obvious; just by looking at Hsu Shao-ching's behavior, there's no need to ask this question.
Mrs. Bo felt an incessant itch in her palms, but pressing them with her fingers had no effect whatsoever.
Then I used my long, nail-painted fingernails to scratch it again, and the pain from the scratches made my palm feel a little better.
Xu Shaoqing's face was covered in tears, and she was sobbing uncontrollably.
"Mother, I really had no other choice but to resort to this. We truly love each other. Please don't force us like this. You're hurting us!"
Jiang looked at Xu Shaoqing in disbelief, "You think that my careful planning and painstaking efforts to secure a good future for you have harmed you!"
Do you know that Gu Sanlang is a frivolous and unruly person, his stepmother is also cunning and scheming, and his concubine is both stupid and vicious?
Why do you think I'm going to obstruct you like this? Do you think I'd just stand by and watch you jump into a fire pit, letting others tear you apart and suck your marrow?
Why do you think he's trying to persuade you like this? Is it out of genuine affection?
Xu Shaoqing looked at her mother and laughed twice, looking somewhat deranged. "He wants to get into the Hanlin Academy but doesn't have the money to bribe his way in, so he's after your eldest sister's husband's connections!"
Jiang chuckled softly again, her face showing a mixture of sorrow and joy.
"Let me tell you, I can wholeheartedly plan for you, but he wants to harm your eldest sister and take advantage of her family! He's dreaming!"
How could she overlook everything unusual about her daughter? When she first learned about Gu Sanlang, she really did inquire about him carefully.
The results of the investigation were disappointing. The boy had taken a concubine at such a young age, and his stepmother was no pushover; she simply let it go and ignored it.
That's why there were later posts with veiled sarcasm and mockery, and after the incident with the sachet, they dared not relax for a moment.
Who knew that Gu Sanlang was shameless? Later, through Gao Shi's reminder, it was learned that he wanted to enter the Hanlin Academy but had no way to do so.
I finally heard from Granny Gui that Xu Shaoqing ignored him when she saw him at the teahouse last time.
He was overjoyed, thinking his daughter had changed her mind, but who would have thought she would come up with such a despicable method?
Xu Shaoqing choked up, knelt on the ground, held her mother's knees with both hands, and kept shaking her head.
"No, no, he's not that kind of person. No, it must be a misunderstanding."
Jiang was completely exhausted and asked Granny Gui to take her away and keep a close watch on her, forbidding her from leaving the courtyard without orders.
Granny Gui and Gui Xiang, one on each side, helped (or pressed down on) Xu Shaoqing back to the courtyard.
The other servants didn't know what was going on, but Guiqin knew exactly what was happening, and for a moment her hands and feet went weak with fear.
If the two of them hadn't rescued the girl, and that lecherous man had succeeded...
The madam will surely vent her anger on them. What will become of her, Guixiang, and Guilan, those head maids?
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