coobybook Chapter 127 Hongmen Banquet
Chapter 127 Hongmen Banquet
The eldest lady's yard was brightly lit.
At this moment, Meng was pacing back and forth anxiously. When she saw her coming, she showed ecstasy on her face: "Well, did that little bitch believe you?"
Xiao Shi knelt on the ground. When her head dropped, a trace of hatred flashed in her eyes, but she quickly concealed it, saying, "She didn't believe it at first, but I followed your instructions and told you all about my miserable experiences over the past few months. I also told Miss Nine that I was willing to help her to bring you down. Only then did she believe it, and she even promoted me to be her personal maid!"
However, she never mentioned that she was taken to Longxi Courtyard by Feng Jia today, nor did she mention that she had revealed the secret of how Meng had harmed the young master of the third house.
Meng smiled, her slightly old eyes sparkling under the candlelight: "Xiao Shi, you did a great job!"
Immediately someone handed her a gold ingot.
Xiao Shi held it in her hand, and the coldness of the tentacles made her heart sink slightly: "Madam, you know this is not what I want."
Meng's face showed extreme disgust and contempt: "I know. After the matter is accomplished, I will definitely arrange for you to marry Yan'er in a grand manner and become his concubine!"
Xiao Shi was a lowly slave. In Meng's eyes, even letting her be a bed-warmer was a compliment to her! But in order to bring down that bitch Xie Lanzhao, she had no choice but to agree.
Xiao Shi smiled faintly and said, "Madam, I am not my mother. I am not that easy to deceive. My mother told me some secrets about you before she died, and I wrote them down on paper. If you regret it... naturally someone will submit it to the Jingzhao government office!"
"Xiao Shi, you are so brave! How dare you threaten me!" Meng's eyes were filled with poison.
But what does it matter if she can marry in? How many concubines in this mansion have died in her hands? She has plenty of ways to deal with Xiaoshi. Thinking of this, Meng smiled instead of getting angry: "I will do what I promised you! But the premise is that you do your job beautifully!"
Then he winked behind him.
Nanny Zhen placed a small porcelain bottle in Xiaoshi's hand. Meng said, "On the day of the banquet, put this in Xie Lanzhao's wine, and then lead her to the west wing. Do you understand?"
Xiao Shi put away the porcelain bottle and bowed her head at the desk: "Yes."
Early the next morning, the servants in the Xie Mansion became increasingly busy in preparation for tomorrow's wedding banquet.
At this time, the doorman led a middle-aged man from the back door to the courtyard of Meng's house in the main house.
The man was wearing a suit with gold inlays, was short and fat, had a jade ring on his thumb, and looked 90% similar to the first lady, Mrs. Meng.
It was Meng's eldest brother, Meng Yang, the eldest son of the Earl of Yongyi.
After dismissing the servants, the two of them whispered a few words. Meng Yang's face changed, and he stood up and waved his hands: "No, no! If mother knew that I did this again, she would definitely skin me alive! Sister, you should find someone else!"
After saying that, he was about to leave, but after taking two steps, he heard faint, suppressed crying. His heart softened, and he could only stop and sigh: "Sister! It's not that I don't want to help you, but that's... incest!"
Meng wiped her tears and said, "Brother, have you forgotten how Yao'er died? How Yan'er lost his arm? How did I lose the favor of the Prime Minister and be forced to live in a mansion outside the capital? That Xie Lanzhao wanted to force your sister to death! If we don't fight back, I'm sure that the next time you see me, you'll just be a handful of ashes!"
"Bah! What kind of words are you talking about!" Meng Yang paced anxiously: "But if you want to make Xie Lanzhao lose his innocence in public, just find a servant or a stranger, why bother looking for me?"
"As my brother said, Xie Lanzhao has two choices: either marry that stranger and bear the infamy, or commit suicide to apologize for her crime," Meng clenched her fists, "but I want her to have no choice but to die!"
"The Prime Minister values family reputation the most. He will definitely hang Xie Lanzhao with a rope to preserve her reputation after death! Even if she marries you, she will be cursed! Once she arrives at the Meng family, she will not be allowed to turn things around. Her mother's methods... Oh, by then, she will be unable to live or die!" He seemed to be clenching his hands tightly.
Meng Yang hesitated: "But, but..."
"Brother, you are the one who loves me the most in the entire Meng family. Now that I've been bullied like this, I can only ask you for help!" Mrs. Meng's eyes were misty with tears again. "If you don't even help me, then I might as well just kill myself!"
Meng Yang felt as if his heart was being pinched. He felt sour. After weighing his options again and again, he finally gritted his teeth and compromised, "Okay, okay, big brother promises you! Isn't it enough for big brother to promise you!"
Only then did Meng wipe her tears, but there was a ferocious smile in her eyes.
On the day of the enthronement ceremony, the Prime Minister's residence was extremely lively.
Xie Shubai, as the main character today, wore a plain brocade long skirt. It looked ordinary, but actually held a secret. The hem of the skirt was embroidered with blooming plum blossoms in gold and silver threads. A dark purple belt showed off her slender waist, and she wore a lavender gauze dress outside. Under the bright sunlight, it looked like flowing water. Xie Shubai was like a fairy wandering in the center of the lake, and all the flowers in the yard lost their color.
"Your sister is so beautiful!" Gong Xiyin came early, holding Feng Jia's arm affectionately, looking straight at Xie Shubai, half surprised, half puzzled: "She has such a good color, why didn't I notice it before?"
Feng Jia didn't answer, but she had the answer in her heart.
Before, with Yunyao in front, in order to highlight Xie Yunyao's beauty, Xie Shubai, who was suitable for wearing colorful clothes, always wore plain clothes, looking as pure as a chrysanthemum. Now that Xie Yunyao is gone, she has become a county lady, no longer subject to the shackles of the Meng family, and wears the clothes that suit her best, and her facial features naturally look more gorgeous and eye-catching.
"But she is beautiful, but she has no soul," Gong Xiyin rubbed against Feng Jia like a kitten, "I still prefer someone like Zhao! She looks good with light or heavy makeup. She is not only beautiful, but also lively. She is not like the others, who look like dolls being dressed up!"
Feng Jia was rarely dressed brightly today. She wore a lake blue long skirt, a light pink lotus-petal jade silk veil, a snow-white brocade hairpin and pearl belt around her waist, a flowing bun, and pearl tassels inserted diagonally in her hair. She had on delicate light makeup and looked stunningly beautiful.
Gong Xiyin sighed: "I don't know which family in Beijing is so lucky to marry a beauty like you!"
Feng Jia didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She originally thought that Gong Xiyin was no different from other noble ladies. But after a few brief conversations, she discovered that this Miss Gong was different from other noble ladies. Perhaps it was because Shangshu Gong had only one legitimate wife and no concubines. The two of them were very much in love, and there was no complicated struggle in the backyard. This Miss Gong had been influenced by her family and had a rare pure personality.
As he was speaking, he heard a sudden commotion in the front. Feng Jia could not help but look over and saw a group of people escorting two young men in gorgeous clothes in. The two men were of similar age, wearing dragon robes and auspicious crowns on their heads. They were the most favored Ninth Prince and his elder brother, the Third Prince.
The Crown Prince was recently appointed by His Majesty to go to Yangcheng to relieve the disaster, so he did not attend the banquet. In the entire banquet, the Third Prince and the Ninth Prince had the most honorable status. They stood in front of everyone, like the moon surrounded by stars. However, Feng Jia's eyes were involuntarily attracted to another man next to her.
The man was about seventeen or eighteen years old, very tall, wearing a light blue brocade gown. He had a healthy bronze skin and handsome features, but his handsomeness was also a bit tough. The line of his jaw was like a steep mountain peak, and his chin was held high. His whole body revealed an aura of superiority and an edge that could not be approached.
"Who is this person?" Gong Xiyin saw her staring at him for a long time, and couldn't help but cast her eyes on the man. She frowned and asked, "He can actually talk and laugh with several princes. It seems that he is of high status. I wonder which family this nobleman is from?"
Feng Jia smiled and looked away.
"Xie Zisheng, my third brother."