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Rolling Thunder (1)
T/N: Translated by Jen on Broken Jinsei! Please do not repost my translations! All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
However, the first half of the banquet was still very smooth and steady. Li Consort sat upright in her grand attire, her bearing as she spoke insistently dignified. Her tone when chatting and laughing with the noble madams was even somewhat similar to Empress Wen’s.
The dishes at the banquet also had a lot of effort put into them, both having the usual luxury of past years’ banquets, while also adding quite a bit of exquisiteness on the tableware and refreshments. Even Yu Lingxin, who was completely on guard, also couldn’t help but inwardly praise. When it comes to the ability to handle matters, Li Consort really was stronger than Empress Wen.
Half way through the feast, the song and dance, as well as other performances, promptly began. Li Consort further expressed that the most important for today’s banquet was for the ruler and the subjects to take pleasure together. Whether it’d be the imperial clansmen, or the court officials, all were loyally devoted the country, so everyone all need to bond more, and be harmonious like one family.
This sounded as if more or less the same as past years’ speeches, but it still had a bit more friendliness and intimacy added in, her attitude also a bit lower than Empress Wen’s, who was used to sitting up high in the phoenix seat. It actually very much matched the image of having respect for the wise that Wu Wang has been striving to mold in the past year.
The great majority of the noble madams and young ladies present were also sharp, naturally understanding inside. The current Li Consort was no longer just competing for the emperor’s favor with the empress and other consorts. More precisely, she needed to also give her efforts for the heir apparent debate that has yet to come to a verdict.
And it just so happens, as the banquet reached this point, it was precisely a time where everyone began chatting. The poetry club that Wu Wang and Wei Wang has recently been widely recruiting scholars for, Ming Jinrou giving birth in Qin Wang Manor, as well as the situation between the wives and concubines in the princes’ manors, very naturally became the hot topic between the noble madams and young ladies, very enthusiastically beginning to discuss.
By Yu Lingxin’s side, there were also the Xun family’s long time family friends, her grandfather Old Head Minister Yu’s old friends, as well as the Yan family and Cheng family who have become closer with the Xun family because of her marriage with Xun Che. Although on the inside, she only genuinely paid attention to Xun Ying’s safety, but on the surface, she still appeared as if chatting and laughing with ease.
And as Yu Lingxin chatted, she also continued to take note of the other tables’ activity, as well as other people’s movements, from time to time.
Because according to the information Xun Che received, in Wei Wang’s overall plan, they should’ve already anticipated that she and Xun Ying will be together the whole time. Suppose that Wei Wang really has the intention of reenacting the past life’s events, wanting to have Xun Ying tricked out alone for his schemes, then someone should come over to distract her.
Thinking of this bit, the expression on Yu Lingxin’s face appeared as if relaxing more and more, but on the inside, she was even more nervous.
However, this nervousness of hers didn’t last for too long. Just as the acting troupe played the flutes and pipes as an interlude, soon to perform another play in the garden, someone really walked over just as Xun Che had predicted, voluntarily coming to talk with Yu Lingxin.
It was precisely Wu Wangfei, Qi Pei, who’d just announced the news of being three months pregnant.
Don’t know if it’s because in the recent few months, her father, the Chang’de Count, had indeed obtained results by fully assisting Wu Wang with all his might, or because this pregnancy truly made Qi Pei happy and delighted, the Qi Pei at this time can be said to be the most radiant-looking in the entire past year. Even the day of her wedding wasn’t able to compare with her high-spirits at this time.
And Qi Pei’s so called ‘idle talk’ naturally was also prepared beforehand. As soon as she opened her mouth, she just completely attracted Yu Lingxin’s attention. Her older brother, that is the current Chang’de Count Manor’s heir, who will certainly inherit the noble title, Qi Jue, at the start of the year, had just lost his wife. Although their family was currently observing mourning out of courtesy, but because Qi Jue’s deceased wife didn’t leave behind any children, their family has already began actively looking around for Qi Jue, hoping to quickly settle on the next wife and in-law family, so as to help the Qi family spread the leaves and branches sooner.
Currently, the candidate that the Chang’de Countess has her eyes on was precisely Yu Lingxin’s younger half-sister, Yu Yunxin.
Yu Yunxin was two years younger than Yu Lingxin. At present, she was also around the age to discuss marriage. Qi Jue although was six years older than Yu Yunxin, but this age-gap wasn’t considered too exaggerated. And Qi Jue, as the heir, where his deceased wife didn’t leave behind any children, if setting aside the current opposing relationship in the battle for the throne, just in terms of family status and conditions, he was still very acceptable.
Yu Lingxin couldn’t help but become apprehensive inside. Even though knowing that Qi Pei was merely coming over to stall her, but this conversation topic indeed made her very worried.
TN: All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
Nowadays, her father Yu Bocheng was able to see the state of affairs very clearly, but Su-shi may not necessarily understand to that degree, especially given that Su-shi’s own maiden family still walked to Wu Wang and Wei Wang’s side. Even if Yu Bocheng clearly explain with Su-shi that the Yu family is standing together with the Xun family, still can’t be sure of exactly what Su-shi is thinking inside.
For Yu Yunxin herself, if she really has grown up, having an understanding inside, willing to steadily live out her days, then it wasn’t a problem. But, on the contrary, if she just appears to have understood, yet in reality, still want to ‘fight for her glory’, then this idea of the Qi family’s was practically just having the social climbing ladder shoved into her hands.
To put it bluntly, picking a handsome young man that has passed the imperial exam to marry wasn’t considered that difficult, but to want to marry a heir that has a noble title to inherit, that really was having no other opportunity once one passes over this one.
Qi Pei naturally also made out that Yu Lingxin was somewhat worried about this matter, thus immediately continued along, “However, this is also just my mother’s current thought, naturally still need to look at your manor’s opinion. Don’t know what your manor’s second miss’s temperament is like?”
Yu Lingxin originally was just somewhat worried about Su-shi and Yu Yunxin really having a muddled head, so facing Qi Pei coming over to deliberately stall and distract her, she was able to very easily put on a genuine look of having taken the bait, immediately furrowing her pretty brows on the spot, also lowering her voice a little, “Wangfei truly loves too much. My younger sister is currently still small, still very childish……..”
“How is she small?” Qi Pei said with a smile, “Madam Xun afraid must be thinking like an eldest sister, comparable with the parents, thus would continuously feel that one’s younger sister is small. Actually, Madam Xun, didn’t you yourself also get engaged at this age? Last time, our wangye held a poetry gathering at our estate. My older brother just happened to have a chance encounter with your family’s second miss, still able to get along quite well, where is she that childish?”
“Chance encounter?” This, Yu Lingxin really didn’t know. Her look of being completely absorbed in the conversation was increasingly realistic.
And while Qi Pei was smilingly explaining, Xun Xiang and Yongfu Junzhu already came over to talk with Xun Ying. Yu Lingxin swept a glance over, and shortly after, just heard Qi Pei mention the Su family again, as if the Su family really have already persuaded Su-shi and so on, seemingly sounding to be true.
Thus, very naturally, Yu Lingxin, who was very concerned about her maiden family, very scared that her family will take the wrong step, carefully questioned several times, asking again and again, even appearing somewhat anxious, to the extent that a while later, she suddenly noticed that Xun Ying who was previously sitting by her side has disappeared!
Yu Lingxin’s complexion instantly turned pale, the Su family’s and Qi family’s matters all getting tossed aside, “Where’s Ying’er!?”
Qi Pei’s smile was very calm, “Just now, didn’t Yongfu Junzhu say that she wanted to take her to go admire the chrysanthemums? This year’s chrysanthemums offered as tribute are particularly pretty. Her Highness Li Consort had ordered to have a hundred pots displayed in Hanfang Court.”
“This girl, how come didn’t tell me first before going to admire the flowers on her own.” Yu Lingxin’s complexion was increasingly unsightly, getting up as she spoke, saying that she wanted to go look for Xun Ying.
Qi Pei immediately got up too, “It just so happens that I also want to go over there for a walk, how about we walk together? I can also help point out the way for you, the way to Hanfang Court has branching paths.”
Yu Lingxin put on an anxious look, just indifferently nodding her head as she headed outwards, as if completely not noticing the smugness that quickly flashed by in Qi Pei’s eyes.
And at this time, the great majority of the dishes on the table have already been cleared away. For the sake of letting everyone enjoy themselves, Li Consort expressed to the noble madams that they can go watch the plays or go admire the flowers. So, for a time, quite a few people came out from Yanqing Hall to head to Hanfang Court to admire the chrysanthemums. Just, everyone wasn’t like Yu Lingxin, carrying worry on her face.
Qi Pei at this time appeared particularly considerate, actually picking up her pace to walk shoulder to shoulder with Yu Lingxin, on one hand, consoling her and letting her not worry about Xun Ying, while on the other hand, also saying to send someone over first to have a look and also ask around. That’s why, along the way, they even attracted quite a few people’s attention, letting several madams all hear that Xun Ying had gone over to Hanfang Court first with Yongfu Junzhu.
However, right when everyone had just set foot into Hanfang Court, they just saw Yongfu Junzhu and Xun Xiang come out one after another, “Has anyone seen the Xun second miss?”
Xun Xiang also gazed towards Yu Lingxin, “Second sister-in-law, have you seen Ying’er?”
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