Chapter 004: Banquet Encounter

Chu Mu Lian's brows, which had been furrowed, slightly relaxed upon hearing An Ke Luo's words, and she said: "Just have someone else fetch it, why must you make the trip yourself"

What are you doing here so sneakily

Ankelo felt a tightness in his heart upon hearing this. After a moment of thought, he hurriedly stepped forward and said to Chu Muliang, "There is a spare pair in the small box that was in the carriage when we came. Would it be alright if I go and fetch it?"

The lapel of her short coat was forcefully yanked by someone, and she was abruptly pulled up. Once she steadied herself on her feet, she hurriedly raised her eyes to look ahead.

Father Wei Chi Ling served as the Left Minister of the Ministry of Personnel and concurrently as the Deputy Minister of the Secretariat in the Heavenly Dynasty, while my elder brother Wei Chi Chong held the position of Deputy Minister of Rites. The Wei Chi family not only possesses the merit of pacifying chaos and protecting the nation but also harbors strategies for governing the state within the court. It can be said that the entire family, both up and down, is well-connected and influential, wielding significant power in the Heavenly Dynasty.

Ankeluo was also amused by her words, laughing for a while before saying: "You really came up with that. You must have listened to those storytellers too much on ordinary days, right?" She raised her hand to lift the curtain of the carriage, watching the street scenery shrouded in night slowly recede behind them, and sighed: "Isn't it all thanks to his prominent family background that he managed to attain the position of this great general? I suppose he is just like those young nobles who often visit Tianyin Tower, a delicate young master..."

Not daring to look at the man even once more, An Kelu tightly grasped the box, lifted her skirt, and quickly turned to run away. After running until she was breathless and not hearing any footsteps behind her, she finally stopped, tremblingly glanced back, and then let out a huge sigh of relief

Ankelo touched her chest, her heart still racing uncontrollably. She raised her eyes to look around, yet she did not know where she had actually run to

She raised her eyes, and the angles of the man's face appeared as if they had been chiseled by a knife, with a prominent nose and a pair of dark, deep-set eyes that remained fixed on her.

Suddenly, a light and cheerful sound of footsteps echoed around the corner of the corridor ahead. Ankeluo listened, pondered for a moment, and quickly lifted his feet to chase after it

The Emperor led the officials to welcome the great army at the western outskirts of the capital, personally taking the hand of General Wei Chi Jue, who had returned from the western campaign.

Ankelo chuckled lightly and said, "If it were someone else going, they might not even find where it is placed in the car. If we delay any further, with Qinqin's temperament, who knows what might happen next"

Anke Luo felt an uncontrollable anger rising within her. The more she became agitated, the more anxious she grew, and the more anxious she became, the faster her steps quickened. After circling a few times in the empty corridor, she finally stopped and let out a frustrated sigh

Anke Luo lowered the curtain and said, "The victory is not solely his achievement." She looked at Fan Qinqin and smiled, "Just wait until we see him tonight, then we will know."

Upon hearing this, Chu Mu Lian also smiled and repeatedly said, "That makes sense. You should go quickly and return quickly."

On the way from Tianyin Tower to the Xiang residence, Fan Qinqin shared a carriage with An Keluo

The banquet of the Weichi family was held in the East Road Extension Hall of the Qinci Xiangfu. The black flat stone floor was covered with luxurious wool carpets from the Great Food Nation, and official lanterns hung high from the ceiling, while slightly understated black textured drapes adorned the surrounding walls

Anke Luo opened her mouth to explain, but found her throat dry. She did not dare to look at him and could only lower her head, but she saw his dark, large hand still gripping the lapel of her garment at her chest

Anke Luo suddenly came to her senses, hurriedly lowering her eyelids, and the small box she was holding fell to the ground with a thud

After Ankeluo returned with the nails, he became lost in the labyrinthine residence.

Fan Qinqin lightly furrowed her brow and said: "Sister An, how do you know that General Weichi must have relied on Mr. Weichi to attain his position as a general? If that were the case, how could he have gone to war for four years and returned victorious?"

Ankelo quickly took two steps back, straightened his clothes, feeling both shy and angry, and looked up at the man.

The sound crashed against the walls with a chilling coldness, echoing back and forth in the empty corridor, causing her eardrums to tremble.

Most of the servants in the residence have been dispatched to the Yan Hall to attend to the court officials, and at this moment, she cannot find anyone to ask for directions.

In that glance, she collided with a pair of bottomless black eyes, and the cold expression within those eyes sent a shiver down Anke Luo's spine

She had never experienced such a state of panic in her life as she did now, feeling as if those dark eyes were fixed on her. She felt as though her entire body was on fire, trembling slightly, bending down to pick up the small jewelry box with shaking hands

She knew that the Yan Hall was located on the East Road, but as she wandered through the various halls along the East Road, she could not find the way to the Yan Hall

The man, clad in a black robe, had a deep purple belt tightly fastened around his waist, and he approached her with an air of hostility, causing beads of sweat to form densely in the palm of An Keluo's hand

It is a pair of men's eyes. Anke Luo suppressed his wildly beating heart, slightly lowering his gaze.

What is the purpose of making this house so large when there is nothing to do...

Ankelo was startled, her heart tightening in an instant. She suddenly turned around, only to collide with a body as solid as cast iron. The tip of her nose was struck painfully, causing her to let out a soft whimper. She instinctively raised her hand to touch her nose and began to step back, but her foot caught on the trailing hem of her long skirt, causing her to stumble, and she was on the verge of falling backward.

The young women of Tianyin Tower played the zither and sang during the banquet, their smiles blooming like flowers

The man squinted his eyes and looked her up and down carefully, a flicker of flame briefly igniting in his gaze before it quickly dimmed.

So close to him, Anke Luo could smell the strong scent of alcohol emanating from his mouth, and he exuded a heavy masculine aura that enveloped her completely

As she was speaking, a young girl rushed over and said to Chu Mu Lian, "Aunt Chu, Miss Qin Qin's tortoiseshell nail suddenly cracked, and she is unable to play the zither at the moment. She is being teased by several officials over there."

In the carriage, Fan Qinqin's small face was slightly flushed with excitement, her pair of bright black eyes sparkling. She took An Keluo's hand and whispered, "Sister An, what do you think General Weichi will be like? Is he very tall and fierce, with a face full of muscles..." Before she could finish, Fan Qinqin herself burst into laughter, leaning against An Keluo's shoulder, her body shaking with laughter, unable to stop.

The hall is filled with high-ranking nobles and ministers. Amidst the clinking of cups and the intertwining of toasts, conversations and laughter are incessantly heard

Jian Anke looked at him, and the man suddenly curled his lips and said, "Am I good-looking?"

What are you doing here so sneakily?" the man repeated, his tone quite impatient

Ankelo observed this scene and secretly laughed to himself, realizing that his earlier speculation was indeed correct; Wei Chi Jue was nothing more than a frivolous young master who was oblivious to the larger picture

Before he could finish speaking, his body suddenly came to a halt, and the man's hand withdrew, placing it behind his back

Ankelo did not belong to the young ladies of the banquet and could only stay in the side hall with Chu Mu Lian. Through the layers of heavy gauze curtains, she could vaguely see the scene of laughter and joy in the extended hall, but the chair placed right next to Wei Chi Ling's seat, the one that should have been occupied by Wei Chi Jue, remained empty.

Among the guests, some have begun to quietly inquire why General Weichi is absent, while the expression on Weichi Ling's face at the main table has grown increasingly worse. Time and again, he sends his servants away; although his words cannot be heard, one can easily guess that he is ordering someone to find Weichi Jue

At the celebration banquet held ten miles away, Wei Chi Jue was appointed as the Grand General of Huaihua, and all the soldiers under his command were promoted and granted titles based on their military achievements

Her face instantly flushed bright red, and An Kelu stammered, "C-could you please let go of me first?"

While secretly harboring complaints in my heart, a voice suddenly emerged from behind me

As soon as the words left her mouth, she felt a tightness in her chest. She looked up and saw the man's brows furrowed. She quickly began to explain, "I am from Tianyin Tower..."

Wei Chi Ling, with slightly graying whiskers, was dressed in a purple robe and sat high in the seat of honor. From time to time, officials would toast to him, and he would merely smile and not refuse, drinking it all.