Xiao An asked unwillingly, "Master, I'm just worried about you. Don't you want to try? At least take the initiative. Sending some tonics to Hemian Garden would be good too."
At least let His Highness know that you exist.
Xiao An only dared to think these last words in his heart; he dared not say them aloud.
Lu Shiyi understood Xiao An's meaning. Although Xiao An did not say it explicitly, Lu Shiyi knew something about what the servants were talking about.
He had overheard servants discussing the young masters in the mansion, talking about who was the most favored. Naturally, he was the least favored one in their eyes.
Have you ever heard the saying, "The tallest tree in the forest will be felled by the wind"?
Xiao An shook her head.
"This is something His Highness wrote in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. It means that trees that grow too tall and out of the forest will inevitably be broken by strong winds."
“If I were to step forward and try to curry favor at this time, the Lord would surely become estranged from us. Similarly, Your Highness likes the Lord so much, you will be anxious, and so will everyone else. Why do you want to be the one to stick your neck out?”
Xiao An suddenly realized: "So, my lord was waiting for someone to step forward first? My lord said he wanted to befriend the master... This is the best opportunity? I understand."
Lu Shiyi nodded: "Everything has just begun, and nothing is set in stone yet. What will happen in the future depends on human effort. I know what's going on, so don't be anxious."
"Yes, my lord."
…
That morning, Leng Qingning went out with Biluo, Baiyu, and Fuguang. They went to the second floor of a gold shop to pick out some jewelry. As fate would have it, the young men who had said they disliked her last time were also there.
Leng Qingning's forehead throbbed. "No way? What a coincidence?"
I suddenly remembered that the biography of Niohuru Zhenzhen was released before. Will she be criticized again this time? Is she going to be socially discredited again?
They turned to look at Bai Yu and Fu Guang, who clearly recognized the group as well.
Leng Qingning was speechless: "Sigh, I didn't check the almanac before I went out..."
I'm going to get a lecture again today.
Just as Leng Qingning was about to run away, the young men opposite her spoke up.
The young man in red, who was leading the group, asked, "Have you received the invitations to the 'Legend of Zhen Zhen' and the 'Three Kingdoms Appreciation Conference'?"
Another young man in yellow chimed in, "Of course, Miss Xue's literary appreciation event invites young ladies and gentlemen from all prominent families, so of course we are among them."
The others immediately joined the discussion:
"I heard that Miss Xue is holding this literary appreciation event for the young master of the Fu family and His Highness the young king, because the young master of the Fu family is the owner of a painting studio, and His Highness is the author of two famous works."
"One is a man that Miss Xue has been pursuing madly for more than ten years, and the other is Miss Xue's good friend. I heard that she is going to hold this banquet to promote Young Master Fu and His Highness."
"It's strange indeed. Your Highness's paintings are already well-known in Chang Le City, and your two masterpieces have spread throughout the six kingdoms. What other momentum do you need to create?"
"You don't know this, do you? I heard that Young Master Fu wants to expand his painting business and plans to open branches in the other five countries."
"Miss Xue has really gone all out this time. The news spread throughout the six kingdoms right after the New Year. His Highness has exclusively authorized Hua Danqing to sell his work. Merchants all want to get the rights to sell the work, so they have all sent representatives here."
"So, this literary appraisal meeting is just to find partners for Young Master Fu? Then what are we going there for? My family has been in Chang Le City for generations, we can't exactly open a painting shop too."
"Of course not. Miss Xue invited us because this banquet is grand enough that she naturally invited many celebrities."
"Secondly, since the appreciation of writings is the focus of the event, it is natural to invite people to appreciate them."
"Thirdly, Lord Xue, the Duke of Protector of the Nation, also wants to take this opportunity to choose a concubine for Miss Xue, so he has sent out invitations widely."
"Why a concubine?"
"Are you stupid? Miss Xue likes Young Master Fu so much, how could she let him be her concubine?"
The group chatted with great interest.
Leng Qingning's thoughts were entirely on the Xue residence.
Xue Tong made such a big fuss without even informing her? Holding a banquet for her and Fu Wen? And keeping it so well hidden, how come she was the last to find out?
I can't believe I lost to the gossip columnist one day!
What exactly is Xue Tong trying to achieve with this?
I lost all interest in browsing jewelry; all I wanted to do was find Xue Tong and get some answers.
Just then, a few young men started talking about Leng Qingning's book again, and she stopped to listen for a bit.
They're basically saying that *The Legend of Zhen Huan* is a legendary book in the world of palace intrigue, and that none of the other palace intrigue books they've read before have been as exciting as this one.
They also discussed the characters in the following text, mentioning the plot twists that young men love to watch these days, and expressed their hope that she would write more of those in the future.
A chilling silence descends upon me!
I definitely won't write about palace intrigue next time; I don't plan to stick to one thing forever.
Even if it's for making money, you can't fleece the same flock of sheep.
To everyone's relief, this time the group didn't scold her. Instead, they praised her, because although Lü Bu was dead, the character Zhao Yun was created, making him even more lovable, and the men loved him even more.
A thought crossed my mind: the winds are always changing...
Stop eavesdropping, give Biluo and the others a wink, and head towards Xue Tong's house.
Protectorate of the State
When the young king arrived, the entire household, young and old, lined the streets to welcome him.
Leng Qingning sat upright in her high position and chatted with Elder Xue for more than half an hour, adhering to the traditional custom of respecting the elderly and caring for the young.
After Old Master Xue left, Leng Qingning hurriedly grabbed Xue Tong and asked her what she had been doing these past few days. She asked her several questions in a row.
Xue Tong began to explain slowly.
"Your Highness, please don't be impatient. I didn't tell you about this at first because I wanted to give you a surprise."
“Aren’t you short of money to support your husband? I racked my brains to come up with this idea, and Fu Wen also wanted to open a branch, so we hit it off immediately.”
"Later, when my mother found out, she insisted on choosing a concubine for me. They agreed that Fu Wen could do business outside, but now that he is opening a branch store, which is what you call a chain store, Fu Wen will inevitably have to go out to handle things. My mother and the others were a little worried about this, so they decided to use this banquet to choose a concubine for me."
"And you? You were busy coaxing your husband and getting married the other day, and you only got to go out today. It's normal that you haven't heard anything."
Leng Qingning let out a long "oh".
Where are you holding your banquet?
"Of course it's not being held at my Protectorate Mansion. I've booked a hot spring resort for seven days. Seven days is plenty of time to finalize the opening details. The resort is huge and spacious, with a beautiful environment. I've already sent people over to set it up." He gestured with his hands as he spoke.
Leng Qingma laughed and said, "Wow, Tongzi, that's quite a big spender. It must have cost a lot of money."
Xue Tong waved his hand: "Alas, Your Highness, we're like family. I, Xue Tong, said I would go through fire and water for you, and I will definitely do it. Besides, once the bookstores you and Brother Wen have opened in Hidden World are all there, there will be plenty of money to be made."
Leng Qingning gave a thumbs up, thinking, "No wonder you're married to Fu Wen, you're both so good at budgeting."
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