After the marriage was bestowed, the banquet continued. At the moment, since the Southern Barbarian Lands and the Qin Kingdom were officially engaged, most people breathed a sigh of relief. So they toasted to the Southern Barbarian Lands’ envoys. The hall suddenly became lively. Crown Prince Xieyue also gave a toast to the princes who were sitting with him.
Seeing that he was in poor health, others didn’t force him to drink.
“Number One Scholar Qin, since Father wishes to bestow marriage upon you today, is there any young lady that you like? I can ask Father to bestow marriage upon you. What do you think?”
Feng Yuran smiled slightly as he turned around to ask Qin Yufeng who sat below him. His pretty eyes shone brightly. What had happened earlier did not affect him at all, so he was in a good mood.
Qin Yufeng did not expect King Xuan to speak to him. He smiled gently and answered, “Many thanks, King Xuan. I am still young and there is not any lady I like.”
“There are so many beauties in the hall, but you don’t like either of them. Number One Scholar Qin, you’re really demanding!” Feng Yuran teased. He intentionally pondered for a moment and pointed at the legitimate daughters of several high-ranking officials sitting near the front. “Mr. Qin, look at these ladies. Not only do they come from good families, but they are also beautiful. Just now, they kept looking at you. It is obvious that they like you.”
Qin Yufeng looked up and glanced at the ladies in the distance. Indeed, when they saw him looking at them, they blushed, and lowered their heads shyly. But his eyes were as calm as water. Qin Yufeng smiled slightly and said, “King Xuan, you must be joking. They are all ladies from n.o.ble families. How would they do something against the rules for girls? I don’t dare to be brusque.”
He turned it down? Feng Yuran’s interest was aroused. He turned to look at Qin Yufeng up and down and praised, “Number One Scholar is so talented and handsome but why are you so pedantic? A gentleman will woo a gentle and graceful young woman he loves. Look at my Third brother. He likes Miss Hu, so he gives her a token directly. This is a matter of love. What’s there to be brusque about?”
At this time, he looked at Qin Yufeng with deep eyes as if he was really praising Feng Yulei. Feng Yulei, who was sitting beside him, was so angry that he almost spat out a mouthful of blood. He looked at his handsome yet ignorant brother with disdain and turned his head to the other side. He did not intend to talk to him.
“King Xuan, you must be joking. How could I be able to be brusque to the ladies.” Qin Yufeng smiled slightly and refused lightly.
“Number One Scholar Qin, is there someone you like?” Feng Yuran’s smile grew even brighter. His deep and beautiful eyes shone, but one could not see what he meant.
“No.” Qin Yufeng shook his head.
Feng Yuran smiled and said, “It turns out that Number One Scholar Qin is totally focused on studying. Even now, you still don’t remember your own marriage. Why don’t I choose a few beautiful ladies for you?”
“Many thanks for your kindness, Your Highness, but I don’t want to get married now. Furthermore, I do not need too many beauties. I only hope that there will be one girl whom I could hold hands with. One wife is enough.” Qin Yufeng smiled lightly. His expression did not change at all. Even though his tone was gentle, his refusal was obvious.
“Eighth brother, if Number One Scholar Qin can’t find someone he likes, then forget it,” Feng Yuxuan interrupted with a smile. Then, he turned to Qin Yufeng and said, “If Number One Scholar Qin likes some lady in the future, I will definitely ask Father to grant marriage to you.”
“Many thanks, Your Highness King Chu.” Qin Yufeng smiled leisurely. He looked calm, neither close nor distant.
Crown Prince Xieyue smiled friendly and did not say anything. Seeing that Qin Yufeng insisted on refusing, Feng Yuran did not ask anymore. He only teased him with this matter, and Qin Yufeng had always been good-tempered and smiled.
Until the banquet was over, the Number One Scholar still did not pick a suitable girl. However, the man in the third place and a young lady hit it off. The man came forward and asked Emperor Zongwen to grant the marriage. Emperor Zongwen grinned and agreed. Finally, the men of the top three would work in the Imperial Academy together, which could be regarded as the most important government office for civil officials.
There was a saying among the civil officials that all the prime ministers came from the Imperial Academy.
Therefore, although the Imperial Academy made no profit, it was highly valued by the Emperor. Those who had shallow knowledge and small talent couldn’t enter this place at all.
Therefore, the officials in the hall congratulated the men in the top three one after another.
When the women saw that there was nothing else to do, they left the hall led by the two imperial n.o.ble consorts. Since they had to wait for the people in the hall, they went to play in the imperial garden in groups. Consort Su, Imperial n.o.ble Consort Wen, and the other imperial consorts returned to their own palaces respectively. So many things had happened in the palace recently, and no one dared to say anything.
Mo Xuetong looked at the time and found that it was a little late for her to go to Anhe Palace. So she brought her maidservants to rest in a pavilion on a rockery.
The rockery was quite high, and sitting in the pavilion, they could see the scene of the palace. There were many gorgeous palaces hidden in the trees. They had a wide view here. Mo Lan laid a cushion for Mo Xuetong, and the latter sat down against the rails, feeling relaxed.
“My Lady, why does Miss Hu have to marry into the Qin Kingdom? Wasn’t it said that she was just sent Princess Caifeng to the Qin Kingdom?” After taking care of everything, Mo Lan stood by Mo Xuetong’s side and tried to hold it in. As she could not hold it anymore, she asked. She wasn’t gossiping. Instead, it was because Hu Qianyue was not like Princess Caifeng. One could tell that she had some tricks up her sleeve at the first sight.
She was still living in King Xuan’s Manor. Who knew when she would plot against others again? Mo Lan had to be clear about Mo Xuetong’s thoughts first so that she could deal with Miss Hu better. The latter did not seem to be an obedient person.
“Miss Hu was supposed to send Princess Caifeng to marry into our country. However, she has no choice but to marry King Yan to be a co-wife now. Given her character, how could she be willing to be below someone? Crown Prince Xieyue was really smart to play this trick!” Mo Xuetong leaned back against the soft cushion and smiled leisurely. There was a hint of a smile in her dark and lively eyes.
Initially, he had wanted to marry Princess Caifeng to Feng Yulei as his legal wife. However, he did not expect You Yuecheng to have been prepared for this. Crown Prince Xieyue had changed his strategy on the spot and pushed Hu Qianyue to the front stage. He had indeed played a good game and had tricked Feng Yulei as well. Hu Qianyue was not Princess Caifeng and she was supposed to be the Third Prince’s wife, but now she was going to be Feng Yulei’s co-wife. It had offended the Third Prince and the Empress of the Southern Barbarian Lands, not to mention the marriage between the two countries.
Now Hu Qianyue could not be a prince’s wife. Besides, according to the Third Prince’s ident.i.ty, it was very likely that he would succeed in taking the throne. Then she would be the Empress of a country. Now she left her country and was going to become the co-wife of a prince of another country. This was not a marriage. It was obviously starting a feud. According to Hu Qianyue’s character, she didn’t seem to be a person to accept it.
“Then is Miss Hu going to move out of King Xuan’s Manor?” Mo Lan only cared about the matters in the manor and frowned. She also heard the meaning in Mo Xuetong’s words.
“Mo Lan, don’t be nervous. His Majesty has arranged a marriage for them now. The two of them can’t live in our manor anymore. I heard that the reception rooms are ready. We don’t have to get involved.” Mo Xuetong’s lips curled up and the smile in her eyes grew even brighter.
It turned out that the Emperor did not intend to let the Southern Barbarian Lands’ envoys stay in King Xuan’s Manor all the time. A few days ago, someone from the palace came to inform them that Crown Prince Xieyue and the others would move there in these days. Now was the best time. When they returned to the manor later, Mo Xuetong would order servants to help them move, so as not to get involved in the matters they created in the future. It seemed that these two marriages would not go smoothly.
“That’s great. When I go back later, I’ll ask Nanny Chen and Aunt Xianglan to help them move. We will definitely send Princess Caifeng and Miss Hu out happily.” Mo Lan relaxed and could not help joking.
Sending Princess Caifeng and Hu Qianyue out happily? Mo Xuetong could not help but think of what Princess Caifeng had said to Hu Qianyue earlier, which indicated that they were doing t.i.t for tat. The corners of her lips curled up. She did not expect Mo Lan to be so mischievous. No matter what they would do, the two of them could not be happy!
Fortunately, one of them had something to do with King Yan’s Manor and the other had something to do with King Ning’s Manor. They both had nothing to do with her.
The big event that had been pressing down on her heart recently had finally disappeared.
In the past life, something must have happened between Princess Caifeng and Feng Yuran. In that life, she did not appear in their lives. However, given Feng Yuran’s character, he would not like Princess Caifeng. Then, maybe Princess Caifeng had continued to pester Feng Yuran and keep an eye on him or try to set up a trap to force him to give in. That person was not someone who would back down from somebody.
Furthermore, at that time, Feng Yuran had discovered that the He family was the murderer of Consort Xian. He did not have the time to pay attention to Caifeng. If she made such a scene like what she and Feng Yulei did, it probably made Feng Yuran want to kill her. If he made a scene, Princess Caifeng would have no choice but to return to the Southern Barbarian Lands and make the marriage between the two countries become a joke.
However, it would not happen in this life. No matter whether it was Princess Caifeng or sinister Hu Qianyue, they had nothing to do with him. No matter what happened in the future, it had nothing to do with Feng Yuran. At this moment, Mo Xuetong’s uneasiness which was caused by Princess Caifeng’s appearance had disappeared. She could not help but feel happy, and could not hide the smile on her lips.
“My Lady, Hu Qianyue is coming,” Mo Ye suddenly reminded her in a low voice.
Their eyes were all drawn to the coming person. There happened to be a high rockery in front of Mo Xuetong, and there was a crack on its side. Looking from this position, she saw Hu Qianyue coming alone. She looked around and immediately walked into the rockery.
Mo Xuetong gave Mo Ye a look. Mo Ye understood what she meant and disappeared in a flash.
Mo Xuetong and Mo Lan remained unmoved as they waited for what would happen next.
Of course, Hu Qianyue would not get rid of Princess Caifeng for no reason and go to the depths of the rockery to have fun.
Her behavior was extremely strange.
After waiting for a while, a nanny dressed in the palace uniform came from far away, with a basket in her hand. She walked around the rockery and looked around as if she really came here by accident. Then she quickly flashed into the depths of the rockery. She also walked into it.
Mo Lan looked at Mo Xuetong in shock. Mo Xuetong pressed a finger against her mouth, signaling for the other woman not to make a sound. The two of them leaned in the pavilion on the rockery motionlessly. However, no matter how they hard they tried, they could not hear a single sound. It was as if there was no one beneath the rockery. If Mo Xuetong had not seen with her own eyes that Hu Qianyue and the nanny had entered the rockery, she would not have believed it.
The smile on her lips faded away, and there was a trace of coldness in her eyes. Hu Qianyue was actually in touch with a nanny in the palace. Judging from her clothes, she was not the nanny of an ordinary person. Although Mo Xuetong didn’t know which palace she was in, she could tell that she was a nanny who had her own servants!
What was the relationship between her and Hu Qianyue? What was she doing here?
Hu Qianyue panicked. She was looking for help. The one who could help her was…
