Chapter 56: Chatting At The Banquet
Qin Ying’s invitation said Dengyun Tower’s private room, unlike Yang Luo’s previous celebration that was only in the lobby; after all, she was the daughter of the Grand Master of the Temple of the Grand Herald.
During the previous exam, for fairness, no one reported their identity; after the exam, there was no need to avoid it, and Qin Ying’s invitation even wrote her family father’s position.
“Yo, I heard this position manages ceremonies for kings, marquises, foreign officials’ court audiences, and such; must be someone very smooth and worldly.”
The hunter youth said after looking.
Actually, Yang Luo didn’t even know what position this was, but the hunter youth knew quite a lot.
“As the coachman picking up and dropping off young ladies, I’m not idle every day either.” The hunter youth raised his eyebrow and said.
That made sense; the companion readers all had coachmen, servant women, and maidservants; while waiting for the young ladies from their families, gathering together to inquire about news was very easy, so Yang Luo felt relieved.
In that case, Qin Ying was also a case of a tiger father without dog children, very smooth and worldly; during the examination, she had straightforwardly said it was to befriend people, and though she didn’t pass, she could still associate with the companion readers.
Since the hunter youth said the Qin Family was smooth and worldly, and plus Qin Ying had previously reminded her not to provoke Yang Hui, Yang Luo decided to attend the banquet.
Perhaps she could inquire from Qin Ying’s mouth about some old matters between Duke Ding’an’s Family and the Emperor.
Yang Luo arrived at the room Qin Ying had booked, lost in random thoughts; at the doorway, maidservants, servant women, and shop staff stood waiting; they took the invitation, asked her name, and while pulling open the door, loudly announced, “Miss Liu from the National Academy has arrived.”
As the door opened, Yang Luo heard the laughter inside suddenly stop; she walked in, and the gazes facing her were surprised; clearly, they hadn’t expected her to really come.
“See, I told you so.” Qin Ying reacted first and shouted loudly, “Miss Liu would definitely come.”
Though she said that, her face also showed incredulous delight.
Yang Luo smiled at her: “When I first arrived, thank you, Miss Qin, for taking the initiative to talk to me and resolving my nervousness.”
Qin Ying’s round eyes laughed into slits; being friendly to people always has its rewards, and a smile or a few enthusiastic words costs no effort; she held Yang Luo’s hand and invited her to sit.
She deliberately avoided Yang Hui.
Clearly, Qin Ying knew the two had a tense relationship.
But Yang Hui wouldn’t let Yang Luo off and sneered, “So, Miss Liu, it’s because we didn’t take the initiative to talk to you that you ignored us?”
Yang Luo looked at her with a half-smile: “Miss Yang, I haven’t ignored you; your enrollment qualifications are improper, yet you insist on being relentless toward me.”
Yang Hui’s face flushed red with anger; she didn’t know where this country girl got the nerve, always picking on her to bully.
“Alright, alright, today I invited everyone to taste tea, not to talk about your academy matters.” Qin Ying hurriedly mediated, then sighed, “You all either have good knowledge or good luck; only I have nothing, couldn’t enter the National Academy, have no qualification to stay by the princesses’ sides; I’m truly both envious and heartbroken.”
Qin Ying always had good relationships with people; the others immediately chimed in to support and agree; Yang Hui, because of Qin Ying’s words about good luck, had her anger somewhat soothed; she glared at Yang Luo but no longer paid her attention, and this time she held back, didn’t shout out that she had already gone to teach her family a lesson, only muttering to the person beside her, “No family discipline, don’t know how her family taught her.”
Yang Luo didn’t argue further and sat down beside Qin Ying.
“Sorry, it’s because I’m on bad terms with her that I made you lose face.” She took the initiative to apologize.
Qin Ying smiled and shook her head: “I knew you two were on bad terms and still invited you both, so I was mentally prepared; don’t mind it.” Then she said softly, “Ignore her more in the future.”
Yang Luo looked at her and said softly: “You previously reminded me not to provoke her, but her behavior is truly arrogant; there are many kings, marquises, and dukes in the capital city; are all their family children of this temperament?”
Qin Ying smiled and said: “Of course not.”
Yang Luo said softly: “Did she really reveal at the National Academy that she has the Empress’s support behind her, or is it fake?”
“This Yang Hui really has no sense of propriety in her speech.” Qin Ying muttered.
Yang Luo looked at Qin Ying: “Please teach me, Miss Qin; I’ve come to the capital city with great difficulty; originally I thought relying on knowledge I could stand firm, but now it seems I was naive.”
Indeed naive; what is knowledge anyway, Qin Ying thought.
This Miss Liu from the countryside was indeed a bit reckless; such a person shouldn’t be befriended, should be kept at a distance.
But for some reason, from the first glance at her, Qin Ying felt this woman was not ordinary.
Truly strange, no reason for it.
Then she’d trust her intuition this once.
Qin Ying sat beside her and said softly: “Did you know Duke Ding’an’s Yang Family were once the Emperor’s countryside neighbors?”
Yang Luo nodded: “I’ve heard, but His Majesty has many countryside neighbors and companions; does that mean they can rely on that?”
Qin Ying coughed lightly, glanced around, and saw the young ladies all talking among themselves.
“There’s one thing few people in the world know.” She said softly, “Duke Ding’an’s Family had an extremely good relationship with His Majesty in his youth; back then they almost became in-laws through marriage.”
In-laws through marriage.
Yang Luo felt her heartbeat stop for a moment.
“Yang Family daughter.” Her voice came out low and hoarse.
But before she could ask which one, Qin Ying interrupted her.
“No, just almost; later there was war and chaos, His Majesty left his homeland to campaign elsewhere, never returned to his hometown, and married into the Chai Clan outside; naturally this matter came to nothing, but even so, it shows their closeness, so Duke Ding’an holds an unusual position in His Majesty’s heart; remember, bickering once or twice is fine, but absolutely don’t truly anger Duke Ding’an’s Mansion.”
Qin Ying’s voice seemed near and far; Yang Luo was a bit dazed, her hands tightly clenched.
Almost?
Really just almost got married?
“Miss Jiang has arrived.”
At this time, a maidservant smiled as she came in from the door to say, but Jiang Rui didn’t follow right after; from the open doorway came lively greeting and courtesy voices.
“.Heir of Duke Yongwu, long time no see.”
“The Heir came today too?”
The laughter inside the room suddenly stopped; the women all surged toward the doorway; Qin Ying couldn’t help standing up too, “Heir of Duke Yongwu,” she said, then pulled Yang Luo, “Don’t you know him too? Quick, go see.”
Yang Luo was pulled by her toward the doorway, passing the young ladies standing at the door edge, and at a glance saw Zhu Yunxiao standing in the corridor.
The young master wore a moon-colored long robe, fastened with a black gold belt, his posture tall and straight, face like white jade, shining like the bright moon; the plainly dressed Jiang Rui standing beside him seemed somewhat dimmed.
Perceiving countless gazes looking over, Zhu Yunxiao nodded to Jiang Rui, “Then I’ll head over.”
Jiang Rui also nodded lightly to him; Zhu Yunxiao turned and went upstairs.
Jiang Rui walked over slowly and was instantly surrounded by the women.
“The Heir escorted you here?”
“The Heir takes such good care of you.”
Everyone teased her chattily, their expressions envious.
Jiang Rui smiled and said, “He happened to have a banquet today too and came along the way.”
“I know, it was my cousin’s banquet.” One young lady said, “Originally the Heir said he had matters and wouldn’t come, but unexpectedly he came today; looks like he came specially to escort Sister Jiang.”
She laughed as she said it.
“My cousin has Miss Jiang to thank.”
The other women all laughed, without any mockery, only envy; which woman doesn’t want a husband who treasures her like this.
“That’s really putting on a show, hypocritical toward others.”
Someone sneered.
These words stunned everyone; Jiang Rui’s expression stiffened slightly, and she instinctively looked toward the voice, seeing Yang Luo.
Jiang Rui’s usually aloof face became even colder.
This Miss Liu looked down on her and wouldn’t befriend her, fine, she didn’t care, but to actually humiliate Zhu Yunxiao… too much!
“Miss Liu, do you know him?” Jiang Rui said coldly.
Yang Luo turned away her gaze: “No.”
“If you don’t know him, how can you speculate about others so casually?” Jiang Rui frowned, “You’re still studying at the National Academy; where did the Sage’s teachings go!”
When saying she didn’t know him, Yang Luo knew Jiang Rui would question her; she had been a bit out of sorts earlier upon seeing Zhu Yunxiao and originally didn’t want to say more, but hearing Jiang Rui’s words, she felt both angry and amused.
She looked at Jiang Rui and said coldly too: “Miss Jiang, your fiancé can put on a show for others, so naturally he’s putting on a show for you too; if you can’t even see that, then you’ve read books for nothing!”
The hall fell into dead silence; everyone stared wide-eyed.
Qin Ying had a face full of doubt, doubting whether her intuition was wrong; was this reckless young lady from the countryside really worth befriending?
“I said so long ago—” Yang Hui shouted, “She’s hostile to all of us—”
And at this moment, a light rebuke came from the doorway.
“Shut up!”
Yang Hui’s voice was cut off; everyone’s gazes once again followed the voice, their expressions becoming even more awkward.
Zhu Yunxiao had returned at some point and was standing at the doorway.
The young master’s face was grim as he looked at this unfamiliar young lady.
