Nan Chaoyīn had been in a foul mood lately. Despite the numerous hidden guards stationed throughout his mansion, they had failed to apprehend the person manipulating events from the shadows. Not even a single clue had been found.
The only conclusion they could draw was that the culprit was within the backyard.
This was because none of the servants on duty in the front courtyard had encountered anything out of the ordinary.
This information, though meager, was better than nothing.
Time flew by, and two days passed. This morning, before dawn, the servants of the Nan Mansion were already stirring from their warm beds.
A busy day was about to begin.
“Qing'er, make sure to keep a close eye on the ingredients in the kitchen.”
“Huan Cai, how is the decoration of the main hall for the banquet coming along? Have the purchasing women prepared the fruits, pastries, and wine? Everything must be ready!”
“You, the one by the door, tell the junior servants receiving guests to ensure guests sign their names on the guest list!”
“And…”
Early in the morning, Lady Liu was as busy as a spinning top, checking everything from the wine that should be paired with each dish to the decoration of the main hall and the dances of the singers and dancers. She meticulously inspected every detail.
After the辰时 (Chén Shí - approximately 7-9 AM), guests began to arrive.
This was a political marriage banquet designated by His Majesty. Even if the young lords resisted, they dared not disobey the imperial decree.
As the servants announced each arrival, the Nan Mansion became bustling. The female guests were welcomed and led to the backyard by Lady Liu and Nan Yuan'er, while the male guests were received by Nan Yu Jin in the front courtyard to drink, admire the scenery, and play games like touhu.
They would only dine together at lunchtime.
“His Royal Highness the Seventh Prince of Da Li and the Eldest Princess have arrived!”
As 巳时 (Sì Shí - approximately 9-11 AM) approached, Yu Cheng Xuan and Princess Hui An, along with a delegation of Da Li envoys, arrived fashionably late.
“Welcome, welcome!”
Nan Chaoyīn personally greeted them and ushered the Da Li party inside. Nan Yuan’er did not make an appearance. Princess Hui An was led to the backyard by Lady Liu. Nan Chaoyīn gestured to Yu Cheng Xuan, “Seventh Prince, this way, please.”
Yu Cheng Xuan turned his head and gazed into the distance, his line of sight falling upon the location of the Nan Mansion’s backyard. He asked Nan Chaoyīn, “Prime Minister Nan, since this is a political marriage banquet between my Imperial Sister and the esteemed young talents of your country, with the purpose of allowing my Imperial Sister to choose a suitable husband, why are men and women seated separately?”
Nan Chaoyīn smiled and explained, “It is not a separate seating arrangement. It is simply that the banquet has not yet begun, and to avoid sitting idly and bored, we have prepared some interesting activities to pass the time. As men and women are different, it is natural that we cannot play together. Thus, we have separated them. It will be fine to be seated together when the banquet officially commences!”
“So that’s how it is!”
Yu Cheng Xuan smiled and nodded, saying no more, and followed Nan Chaoyīn to the front courtyard.
In the pavilion in the front courtyard, a stove was lit. The pavilion was enclosed on all four sides by bamboo roll-up curtains, which not only allowed light to pass through but also emitted a refreshing fragrance under the warm glow of the stove fire.
Long, narrow tables were placed within the pavilion, with soft cushions on one side. Wang Qian Cheng sat at the very edge of the pavilion, leaning against a pillar and drinking, while Qin Mo and Liu Cheng sat opposite him.
Mu Bai Yu was off duty today, granted a holiday by Ji Hong. He fiddled with the jade pendant at his waist, feeling somewhat out of place with the lively atmosphere around him.
The Nan Mansion!
It was here that he had been poisoned!
The arrival of Yu Cheng Xuan and the Da Li envoys disrupted the atmosphere within the pavilion, causing the lively mood to plummet to an ice-cold state. It wasn't that the people of Lin Yuan were unwelcoming, but rather that the young lords from various families, upon thinking that they were here to marry the princess of Da Li today, felt as though they were being reduced to livestock for breeding.
They were all feeling a bit disgruntled!
“Seventh Prince, this way, please!”
Nan Chaoyīn did not pay attention to the brief silence in the pavilion. He smiled and guided Yu Cheng Xuan to his seat.
“Yu Jin, go to the mansion entrance to welcome guests!”
Nan Chaoyīn sat down beside Yu Cheng Xuan and sent Nan Yu Jin to receive guests.
“Yes!”
Nan Yu Jin took his leave and turned to go.
Maids served fine wine, fruit wine, which was not high in alcohol content and paired perfectly with fruits.
It was not easy to get drunk, and it helped to regulate the atmosphere appropriately.
“Prime Minister, there is no need to be so polite. Today, the Nan Mansion is hosting a banquet, and there must be many trivial matters. You do not need to accompany me further.” Yu Cheng Xuan smiled warmly, his eyes conveying a sense of spring breeze that nourished all living things, as if flowers were blooming from his brows. However, his true thoughts hidden beneath this gentle facade were only three words: Get lost quickly!
“Your Highness the Seventh Prince has graced my humble abode, how can I, Nan, possibly leave? Besides, although we are hosting a banquet, the children are already mature and capable of handling matters independently. There is no need for me, their father, to worry excessively!” Nan Chaoyīn replied with a smile. When he smiled, he did not appear as stern and cold as usual, and even the crow's feet at the corners of his eyes seemed to be filled with sincerity. However, his true thoughts were only two words: Not a chance!
While they appeared cordial on the surface, their minds had already engaged in a fierce battle of eight hundred rounds.
Wang Qian Cheng tugged at Liu Cheng’s sleeve. Liu Cheng glanced at him, and their eyes met. They both stood up at the same time. Qin Mo, seeing this, also rose.
Taking advantage of the moment when no one was paying attention, the three of them slipped out of the pavilion.
“Hoo~”
“I was almost suffocated!” After running out of the pavilion, Liu Cheng finally let out a long sigh of relief. The atmosphere in the pavilion had been truly oppressive, and he had almost suffocated to death.
“Prime Minister Nan, that old…”
As Liu Cheng was about to launch into a tirade, Qin Mo suddenly covered his mouth. Liu Cheng tried to resist, but then he saw Nan Yu Jin hurrying back and heading towards the pavilion. After Nan Yu Jin had walked away, Qin Mo released Liu Cheng and wiped his hands with Liu Cheng’s clothes with a look of disgust.
“Why did he come back?” Liu Cheng glared at Qin Mo, then blinked his eyes in confusion. Hadn't he just left?
Wang Qian Cheng looked at Liu Cheng, his gaze fixed on Liu Cheng, making Liu Cheng feel rather unnerved.
Liu Cheng crossed his arms and asked with a troubled expression, “What do you want?”
Wang Qian Cheng spat towards him, “Lord Liu, how can you have such an incompetent grandson like you!”
“Hey, what do you mean by that? Are you attacking me personally!”
“How dare you say that to me? Don’t you know what kind of person you are?” Liu Cheng pointed at Wang Qian Cheng’s nose and cursed.
Ever since the Liu family and the Wang family had formed an alliance through marriage, Liu Cheng and Wang Qian Cheng had been hanging out together. They had similar temperaments and were both notorious wastrels in the capital, so they hit it off, and their relationship grew stronger day by day.
Add Qin Mo to the mix, and although they weren't completely unrestrained, they were still considered dissolute individuals who frequented brothels and gambling dens, attracting trouble like cats and dogs.
Wang Qian Cheng was rendered speechless by the question. Damn it, he almost forgot that his public persona was also that of a scoundrel!
Wang Qian Cheng coughed and stubbornly said, “But at least I have a brain, unlike you. Why do you think Nan Yu Jin came back? It must be because someone arrived whom he, in his capacity, could not receive, so he had to invite Prime Minister Nan to personally greet them.”
“Today is a political marriage banquet, and the guests attending are all family members and children from various households. If there is anyone whose arrival requires Nan Chaoyīn to personally greet them, it can only be our Lin Yuan’s Regent!”
“It’s the Prince!”
As Wang Qian Cheng finished speaking, he looked triumphantly at Liu Cheng and Qin Mo, trying to see admiration in their expressions. Liu Cheng and Qin Mo signaled to him so hard that their eyes almost fell out, but the self-proclaimed intelligent genius couldn’t understand!