"Why are you throwing out lucky money!"
Song Ziyu was stunned, then roared.
He confirmed with the servant three times before accepting the news that Song Yu had won first place, his face as dark as the bottom of a pot.
How is that possible?
He had seen Song Yu perform sword dance and knew that he was quite skilled in martial arts, but that was the Great Yong Martial Arts Examination, which gathered many outstanding military officials' sons and martial arts masters.
How could Song Yu possibly get the top spot!
Unless… he has been hiding his true strength all along, and his abilities are far more profound than he has shown.
The thought of this possibility only made Song Ziyu more agitated.
He is the master of the General's Mansion; it's not Song Yu's place to make the decisions!
The more glamorous things are, the more he wants to pour cold water on them.
Song Ziyu angrily shouted, "What's all this noise about! Men, get rid of all those onlookers..."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a loud firecracker went off in the courtyard.
The servants, carrying copper coins and candies, rushed towards the door and scattered them among the officials and commoners who were watching the spectacle.
Even the servants of Luhetang ran out.
The matriarch's nanny went to call for her, but was dragged to the door by someone.
"The maids at Xingzhi Courtyard said that everyone who helps Young Master Yu celebrate today will receive a string of copper coins! Come with me to the entrance quickly and hang up this red silk..."
Most of the servants in the mansion were mobilized, working busily and methodically, creating a lively and bustling scene.
When the local officials heard the commotion, they all came to offer their congratulations.
Having no other choice, Song Ziyu went to the door himself and greeted people with a forced smile.
The people were even more excited to receive the reward money and rushed to congratulate them.
When Song Yu rode his tall horse back to the mansion, this was the scene he saw.
And then there's Jiang Wan, standing in the crowd, with bright eyes and a gentle smile.
He was deeply moved and, unusually, lost his composure. Like a child, he leaped off his horse, his cheeks flushed, and trotted to Jiang Wan.
"Mother, your child has returned!"
He walked right past Song Ziyu, as if he were invisible.
Jiang Wan smiled and patted his head: "Well done."
Upon seeing this, the onlookers praised her, saying, "Madam Jiang is a good mother, worthy of respect and admiration!" The crowd rushed forward, pushing Song Ziyu aside, which made Song Ziyu grit his teeth in anger.
After exchanging pleasantries for a while, the mother and son walked together toward the inner courtyard.
Upon reaching the entrance of Xingzhi Temple, Song Ziyu, who had been following them all the way, finally couldn't help but cough lightly with a dark face.
Song Yucai noticed his presence: "When did Father arrive?"
Jiang Wan spoke first.
"General, Yu'er has won first place. We should prepare a celebratory banquet in the manor. Yuquan Courtyard is the most spacious, so why don't we hold the banquet there?"
Song Ziyu was preoccupied with the matter of military power and wanted to speak again, but Jiang Wan interrupted him.
"Many distinguished guests will be visiting at that time. General, please think about who you should invite to the banquet in the next couple of days."
Song Ziyu's mind raced.
Indeed, while Song Yu's victory in the martial arts competition was unpleasant, the occasion for the celebratory banquet should not be wasted.
Ever since he was stripped of his military power, he had been eager to find an opportunity to leverage his connections.
He had recently received a large sum of money, and he wanted to make good use of it to get what he wanted at the celebration banquet!
Each member of the Song family had their own thoughts and began preparing for the banquet.
Jiang Wan sent out the wedding invitations she had prepared one by one.
In the Eastern Palace, Pei Tang, holding an invitation, ran excitedly to Pei Xuan's study: "Sister Jiang is hosting a banquet, will you come with me, brother?"
"Wow! What a beautiful inkstone! Did Sister Jiang give it to you?"
She looked at the gift box on Pei Xuan's table and asked in confusion, "Is this all? Didn't you receive an invitation, brother?"
Pei Xuan closed the letter in his hand. It was written by Jiang Wan herself, and it was basically a thank you for his help, but she didn't mention inviting him to the banquet.
He picked up the crystal-clear jade-like inkstone and examined it for a while, his eyes flashing with an ambiguous meaning.
"You think you can just give me a piece of paper to get rid of me?"
He was exceptionally intelligent and naturally understood that Jiang Wan hadn't invited him to avoid suspicion.
But the lingering emotion in my heart wouldn't dissipate.
Counting the days, the two had not seen each other since the silkworm-rearing ceremony.
Pei Xuan lowered his eyes, his fingers stroking the inkstone, and said in a deep voice, "Prepare the carriage, I'm going to see my mother."
If the Empress Dowager knew that Song Yu was holding a celebratory banquet, she would definitely prepare a gift.
As the crown prince, it was inconvenient for him to visit in person, but it would be perfectly reasonable for him to deliver congratulatory gifts on behalf of the empress.
After all, everyone in the capital knew that the Empress Dowager treated Jiang Wan very kindly.
Before we knew it, the day for the banquet at the General's Mansion arrived.
The Yuquan Temple was bustling with guests, the candlelight flickering, creating a lively atmosphere.
According to custom, the matriarch of the family, accompanied by Jiang Wan, entertained the female guests in the hall, while Song Ziyu, accompanied by Song Yu, greeted the male guests in the front courtyard.
With Song Yu by her side, Jiang Wan felt confident that nothing would go wrong, so she relaxed and drank tea and chatted.
Before long, Biluo rushed in and reported, "Madam, Commandant Li has arrived."
Jiang Wan had heard about Song Ziyu sending a letter to Commander Li the day before yesterday. She got up, went to a secluded spot, and asked, "Is there something wrong?"
"I heard that Mr. Yun Que happened to be a guest at the Li residence today, so Commander Li invited him to come along."
Biluo said urgently.
"Now that the carriage has arrived at the gate of the mansion, the general has personally gone to greet it."
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