Old Marquis Xiao's anger had mostly subsided at this time. As long as these people didn't ask his granddaughter to embroider it, he didn't care who the wedding dress belonged to!
"Let's go! Let the embroiderer continue to work on this dress. Grandfather will double the amount that person promised to give you." Old Marquis Xiao no longer wanted to look at the clothes on the couch. He wanted to remove the eyesore as quickly as possible.
"I promised you that I would never embroider wedding dresses for others again, but I have already accepted this one and I can't return it. Although I am a young woman, I still understand the principle of keeping my word. You don't want your granddaughter to be a person who doesn't keep her word, do you?" Xiao Yao thought to herself, she didn't want to be a slave to Yun Yichen! But she had to pay back the favor she owed him! That guy was staring at her! What if he got angry and said something to her parents? Even if she had a lot of mouths, she wouldn't be able to explain herself!
Tong Mingyu wanted to ask who asked her daughter to help embroider the wedding dress, but the housekeeper kept urging her, so she could only go and take care of the birthday banquet and put her daughter's affairs aside.
After everyone left, Xiao Yao's embroidery master solemnly apologized to her apprentice for the trouble she had caused due to her negligence. Xiao Yao finally understood the whole story. She ordered the maid to put the dress away and reassured her master not to worry, saying that it was over, wasn't it?
Knowing that guests were arriving one after another, the two sisters hurried to wash and change clothes. Xiao Yao felt that this morning's busyness was more tiring than cooking a table of meals!
The first people to come to celebrate the birthday today were neither the Li family nor the Yuan family, but the Jingwang Mansion and the Lingnanwang Mansion who came together.
Tong Mingyu: It's difficult for the two royal palaces. In order to marry their sons-in-law and show their sincerity, the two princesses did everything they could.
Xiao Jingkang: This is too attentive! A wedding dress can make the old man so angry that he jumps to his feet. If the Jingwang Mansion makes its intentions clear today, it will be a blessing if he doesn't faint from anger.
"You two showed up later than me, the guest. I'll punish you by making you perform a show later." Yun Ruonan jokingly pulled her two friends, thinking that they would soon be able to become closer! While Ping An hasn't become her sister-in-law yet, she should tease her properly. If she doesn't bully her now, she will have no chance.
The Xiao sisters smiled at each other. "Performance!" They had really prepared something for today. Even if they couldn't definitely amaze the audience, it would at least leave a deep impression on everyone.
Whenever the Xiao family holds a banquet, there are far fewer young ladies coming compared to other families. If it weren't for a few girls from relatives' families helping to make the scene, it might be even more miserable.
The weather in early September was neither too hot nor too cold. The garden was ablaze with lush flowers and fluttering ribbons. A stage was set up on the waterside pavilion, where famous actors, heavily made up and in brightly colored costumes, sang in diverse dialects. Young ladies watched the fish and lotus flowers in the pavilion, playing and laughing, their clear, melodious laughter audible from afar.
The front yard was no less lively than the back one. There were quite a few men in the Xiao family, and each of them had colleagues, relatives, and close friends... The guests attracted by more than a dozen big men filled the yard.
Old Marquis Xiao was wearing a brand new robe, which was made for him by the women in his family. Of course, the person who came up with such a bizarre idea was none other than Xiao Yao.
The simplest part of the hemming was assigned to Princess Xiyue, Li Jiaoying, and Yuan Yutong. The dress was tailored by Tong Mingyu, the pattern chosen by Qin, and the pattern embroidered by the two granddaughters and their wives. Because Xiao Yao didn't have the spare time to complete this task herself, she had to come up with a clever trick, which unexpectedly received unanimous praise from everyone.
Seeing that most people had arrived, Old Marquis Xiao ordered two steady maids to go to the back and get the portrait embroidered for him by his granddaughter.
The Xiao brothers were dazzled by their father's smug smile. They thought, "Can't you be more low-key? Do you think Ping An isn't famous enough in Kyoto? What if someone proposes marriage right there? Just wait and see how you'll end up."
I have to say that the portrait Xiao Yao embroidered for the old marquis is very lifelike. Standing two meters away, you can't tell whether it is embroidery or painting.
"Hey! You better hold on tight, Yun Can is here today too. I heard he and his family are arguing about getting married!" Mu Fengwu nudged Yun Yichen with his elbow. "Hold on tight, okay? If Junior Sister can't be your biological sister-in-law, being your brother's wife is not bad either. Don't let outsiders kidnap her halfway."
As if he wasn't anxious! Was he going to propose marriage on such a happy day? The old man was so angry that he flipped the table. That would completely offend the little girl. Yun Yichen stood on the edge of the crowd, staring at the embroidery. The little girl had given her wedding dress to someone else for this embroidery. Maybe he should find someone to embroider her wedding dress. That way, she would have an easier time.
Was it wrong for me to want her to wear the wedding dress I had made myself? This was the only wedding of a lifetime, so why not make it the perfect one? I even planned to have a hundred musicians perform "Phoenix Seeking the Phoenix" simultaneously! I had to leave myself and everyone with unforgettable memories, so that years from now, they would still remember the unprecedented grand wedding of Prince Jing and the eldest daughter of the Loyal and Brave Marquisate.
"Old Marquis, someone has arrived with a birthday gift." Butler Feng trotted into the yard.
"Who sent it? Why are you running? Take your time and tell me." Old Marquis Xiao sat aside, admiring the envious and jealous expressions on everyone's faces when they saw the embroidered portrait. He felt very refreshed. He was very dissatisfied with the sudden appearance of Butler Feng. He had ruined the good atmosphere. The guests had turned their heads to look at him, no longer commenting on or praising the gift given by his granddaughter. How could he continue to be proud?
"It's a hundred hand-copied volumes of the Diamond Sutra sent from Suzhou by Tang Zhuangyuan." Butler Feng admired Tang Hao's perseverance. He had gone to great lengths to impress the old marquis. It was a shame he had such bad luck, losing his great-grandmother at this very moment. Did he expect his young lady to wait for him for three years?
The people around were already whispering and talking to each other. Those who knew the inside story felt sorry for Tang Hao, while those who didn't know the truth were speculating about the reason.
Realizing the situation was getting a little out of control, Xiao Jingkang quickly stepped forward to explain, "Tang Zhuangyuan and my son were classmates and good friends. They were both successful candidates in the same imperial examination, so they sent a gift. It's amazing that he's so thoughtful. He's truly a filial young man."
Xiao Jingkang resisted the urge to wipe the sweat off his face. He must not show any guilt now. He had to hold on, he had to hold on.
The storm finally passed. The men sat together in groups of three or five, chatting or drinking tea. Yun Yichen also gathered with several people around him. They all wanted to remind their friends and brothers to act quickly! Didn’t you see that the guys thousands of miles away had already taken action? What are you waiting for?
"Brother Yun, who's your... ahem, I mean, the twin brother of Miss Xiao's eldest daughter?" Kong Xuzhe wanted to use this banquet to get to know all the Xiao family members. So far, he only knew his own uncle Xiao Rui, Xiao Lang from the second branch, Xiao Yu from the fourth branch, and Xiao Jingyan, whom he met once and was introduced to. He didn't know any of the men from the eldest branch of the Xiao family. Among them, the one he was most concerned about was Xiao Jun. He was particularly curious about how similar the twins looked.
"Curiosity comes at a price." Mu Fengwu was moved. He thought back to when he was just as curious as Kong Xuzhe. But what happened in the end? How much trouble did he suffer from the little junior sister? It was a bloody story that could be told all day and all night long. If he had known that the little junior sister was so cunning, he would never have provoked her.
"What do you mean?" Kong Xuzhe asked, scratching his head.
"Achen, that Tang Hao isn't something to be feared. I'm actually worried Yun Can will take advantage of today to cause some trouble." Yun Yifan ignored the two people beside him who had already strayed off topic. He suppressed his inner pain and helped his cousin analyze the current situation. Because in his eyes, only his cousin was worthy of standing with his junior sister; the others were just wishful thinking.
Even if he hadn't married yet, his only advantage over his cousin was that he was the queen's legitimate son. His cousin was far superior to him in every other aspect. Furthermore, his cousin hadn't yet taken on the important task of assisting the crown prince in ascending the throne, so he could marry whomever he pleased.
Unlike her own courtyard, where there are a lot of women but only one she likes, a group of women only fight for food and clothes and engage in intrigue, so now she feels a headache whenever she thinks of Prince Qi's Mansion and doesn't want to go back at all.
The banquet had just begun, and the men had just raised their wine glasses when Butler Feng came running over again. He felt that he no longer looked like a butler, but more like a waiter.
"What's wrong again?" Did this person take the wrong medicine today? Can he have a peaceful meal? Lord Xiao frowned and asked.
"Your Excellency, another...another person has come to send a birthday gift." Butler Feng shuddered when the old marquis glared at him, but he had to bite the bullet and reply, and he became a stutterer.
Logically speaking, the official start of the banquet means that most of the guests have arrived. Those who come to give birthday gifts are either late due to delays or have deliberately chosen this time to attract the host's attention.
Eight sturdy men with almost identical clothing and height entered the room one after another. Behind them were a dozen agile men, two of whom carried a box and walked into the banquet hall in a dignified manner.
"Excuse me, who are you..." Xiao Jingkang stood up and asked with a bow. These people were not wearing Tianyu costumes, and they all had bright eyes and agile movements. They were obviously martial arts masters.
"My name is Kou Jiang. I am the twelfth prince of Northern Jin. Now I am appointed as the personal bodyguard of the king." The leading man took a step forward and explained.
Anyone who has lived in Kyoto for more than five years has almost heard that the Prince of Northern Jin has fallen in love with the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery.
The prince hadn't made any moves since returning to Northern Jin for four or five years, and everyone thought he had given up! Unexpectedly, he reappeared today without any warning.
Those present who were on good terms with the Xiao family couldn't help but worry about Xiao Yao. They all agreed that as long as Luo Yan spoke to Emperor Tianyu, Xiao Yao would definitely be destined to marry far away.
Those guests who were just acquaintances of the Xiao family were gloating in their hearts. Now there would be something interesting to watch. Let's see how the Xiao family would end up.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
