Chapter 2, Spring Banquet (1)

Murong Qi : `` ... ... ''

A quarter of an hour later, Murong Qi pretended to encounter the two siblings and prepared to return to the courtyard together. After walking a few steps, Young Master Zhao, who was trying hard to pull his biological sister away from Murong Qi, suddenly changed his expression and called out behind her: "Lord Wei"

Murong Qi entered the royal residence, strolling and admiring the flowers along the way. Initially, it was quite pleasant, but upon reaching the backyard, the situation took a turn for the worse—seven young ladies had already come to strike up a conversation with her! Even more troubling was that most of these young ladies were delicate daughters of noble families. After exchanging a few words, some directly took off their jade pendants and fragrant sachets to stuff them into her arms, while others presented poetry and prose, offered snacks, and invited her to meet... The variety was extensive, with hardly any repetition. Even more troubling was that most of these young ladies were delicate daughters of noble families. After exchanging a few words, some directly took off their jade pendants and fragrant sachets to stuff them into her arms, while others presented poetry and prose, offered snacks, and invited her to meet... The variety was extensive, with hardly any repetition.

Prime Minister of Wenyuan Pavilion, Lord Wei

As he spoke, he extended his hand and gently pinched Murong Qi's back

Wei Nange

She crouched on the tree with great interest, secretly watching, but the man under the cherry blossom tree slowly pushed away the woman in his arms, his voice calm as water: "Zilan, you should not have come. We cannot meet again."

After circling around twice, Murong Qi finally gave up on finding a way out by himself and found a small pavilion to rest and cool off

I see..." He smiled gently, reaching out to brush away a few pink petals from her shoulder, "Perhaps I was mistaken.

Seeing Young Master Zhao leaning on a woman and swaying towards the screen, Murong Qi felt that something was amiss. Just as he was about to stand up, he felt a tightness in his arm. Looking down, he saw a beautiful girl in a peach-red dress with a partially exposed bosom.

Even though "Prince of Xinjun Murong Jiu" has been ill for two days, it would indeed be inconsistent with his usual demeanor if he did not appear at such a lively banquet. In this regard, Ji Che did not stop him; he had intended to accompany her, but unfortunately had to leave the capital due to an urgent matter. Therefore, when it was time for the meal, Murong Qi had no choice but to follow Young Master Zhao and a group of his friends to the banquet.

At that moment, a faint sound of footsteps suddenly echoed in my ears

I am Hong Jiao, does the prince not remember?" The young lady blinked her watery eyes, "Last time, the prince praised my hands for being beautiful, this time, let me serve you well.

Without saying a word, the woman slapped him across the face

Watching the few petals that revealed the secrets of heaven tremble as they fell to the ground, Murong Qi opened his mouth, then closed it again, his heart in a fierce internal struggle. In the end, he still maintained his composure and said: "Lord Wei, you must have seen it wrong."

After narrowly escaping the confession of a certain official's daughter, Murong Qi turned around and discovered that the surrounding green trees concealed the sparse presence of people, and the young masters Zhao and the others had already vanished without a trace

The man still standing under the cherry blossom tree has a fair and handsome appearance, dressed in a slightly thin flowing blue robe, which makes him appear like a gentle jade. This visage was instantly recognized by Murong Qi—he was the first in the list of notable figures from the capital that Ji Che had her memorize, and she had even witnessed his light blue sedan chair passing through the streets amidst the praises of the common people.

As the brother and sister were about to enter the forest, she glanced once more at Wei Nange under the moonlight, contemplated for a moment, and silently made her way towards the place where Young Master Zhao and his sister had appeared.

The VIP seats in the courtyard only accommodate male guests, while ladies and wives are watching the performance in another garden. However, this does not mean that there are no women present; the young women from various brothels and music houses are dressed flamboyantly, flitting about like butterflies. By the time Murong Qi finally managed to catch his breath amidst the toasts from these lively women, he looked around and found that there were hardly any guests left at the table or in the books.

On the third day of Murong Qi in Liaoyang Jing

Just hesitating whether to impersonate Xiao Jiu and go down to greet and familiarize myself, the familiar voice of Young Master Zhao sounded outside the cherry blossom forest: "Are you sure that Prince Xin is heading in this direction?"

In other words, she is lost!

In this moment of hesitation, the woman had already vanished behind the cherry blossom grove. It was only then that Murong Qi remembered his own business and was about to follow the woman to leave this place when a low sigh reached his ears

Murong Qi's martial prowess has always been her most cherished advantage. The martial arts talent inherited from her mother allows her to master any skill with ease, making swords and staffs in her hands as effortless as poetry and prose in the mouths of talented scholars. Therefore, she has always believed that the phrase "extraordinarily talented" used to describe Princess Yanrong is not only true but also perfectly fitting.

However, the two individuals suddenly stopped, and there was no sound.

By the time she regained her senses, she had already been dragged by Hong Jiao to the entrance of an exquisite chamber. The hands that had once been praised by Xiao Jiu were now unrestrainedly unfastening her belt, as soft words and gentle laughter flowed: "The prince's reputation fills the capital; I have admired you for a long time. I hope you will show me more kindness tonight"

Wei Nange greeted a few acquaintances and then hurriedly left. Murong Qi couldn't help but think of the woman who had embraced him tenderly under the cherry blossom tree but had also slapped him. She wondered if he was rushing off to continue their secret meeting, and couldn't help but glance at him again. To her surprise, he caught her gaze, turned back halfway, and said with a smile that since they hadn't seen each other for months, they should find a time in a couple of days to gather and finish the unfinished game from last time.

Having spoken, he turned and left

Called out by name, Murong Qi had no choice but to brace himself and turn around, raising his posture and forcing a smile as he said: "What a coincidence, Lord Wei"

Murong Qi jumped up as if stung by a bee, mumbling: "No need to serve me, I, I am not drunk, I can walk by myself"

Snap

Under the cherry blossom tree not far away, two figures are tightly embraced together. The man has a tall and slender build, while the woman has hair flowing like a waterfall. As the evening breeze blows, the petals from the tree dance and swirl, falling like snowflakes. The faint moonlight filtering through the branches and leaves casts a hazy glow over their entwined silhouettes

Then, Young Master Zhao immediately said with great sorrow: "Sister, forget about him; I will definitely find you a good family to marry into!"

What pity for you! Murong Qi pushed away the woman in his arms, not even bothering to fasten his clothing properly, and fled in a panic from the rooftop.

Murong Qi waited for a moment while shaking her fan, and had to once again listen intently. The sound of breathing was still faintly present, but there were no footsteps or voices to be heard. Her curiosity was immediately piqued, and she tucked away her fan, lifting the hem of her robe, and like a wisp of smoke, she flew up to a nearby tree. After a few leaps, estimating that she was about in the right place, she carefully parted the branches and leaves to look down.

This crisp and resonant sound instantly stunned Murong Qi, who could not understand how the two individuals, who had just moments ago been tender and affectionate, could so suddenly turn against each other

Murong Qi, despite being oblivious to the affairs of the world, is aware that he has entered the wrong venue today

I have never been there," Murong Qi quickly shook his head

Is this what is known as the legendary scene of flowers before the moon?

The surrounding music has unknowingly changed its tune, filled with soft and melancholic sounds that, when heard, even quicken the heartbeat

Under the intensive study led by Ji Che, she finally grasped a general understanding of the personnel in the imperial capital. Coincidentally, it was the birthday of Prince Tan Hua, the envoy from the Kingdom of Shiya, who was hosting a grand evening banquet. Murong Qi, who had long desired to experience the songs and dances of Shiya, could hardly contain her excitement.

It turns out that speaking nonsense with one's eyes wide open is not difficult; as one continues to speak, such as mentioning www.hetushu.com, one eventually becomes accustomed to it

The woman said no more, gathered her hair, and let out a cold laugh: "Do not forget the promise you made."

Although I have remembered quite a few people over the past two days, the information about the young ladies in the boudoir is scarce, and most of them appear to be delicate and shy. Murong Qifen cannot distinguish who is who, and is unaware of which young lady Xiao Jiu had a past affection for. While nervously managing the situation, he internally scolds Murong Jiu, who is far away, a hundred times.

A little girl replied with a pout: "Brother, why don't you believe me? Before he turned in here, I even gave him a hand-embroidered handkerchief that I made myself, it can't be wrong."

"Who are you...?" As soon as she spoke, she realized that her enunciation was somewhat unclear, indicating that she had likely consumed too much of the royal brew from Shaya.

She left in the direction of Murong Qi, her long hair flowing gracefully, her features like a painting, a rare beauty. That cold and elegant demeanor made Murong Qi feel a sense of familiarity, yet he could not recall where he had seen her before

"What is the young master saying?" Hong Jiao covered her lips and chuckled, "Who doesn't know this rule among the esteemed guests at the Tan Hua Wangfu? The back rooms are all empty, when did the prince become shy? Come with me, don't waste this beautiful time and scenery..."

Murong Qiqi's skills in chess were utterly poor, fearing to reveal any flaws. He wanted to refuse, yet deep down he felt an inexplicable reluctance. In his hesitation, he was pulled over to play a game of rock-paper-scissors, and by the time he turned back, Wei Nange had long since vanished without a trace

Though light, it bears weight; though seemingly shallow, it runs deep, prompting her to turn her head and look.

The young man in the blue attire stood alone under the moonlight, surrounded by a sea of moonbeams and drifting flowers that seemed to serve merely as a backdrop, as if he had just emerged from a dream, still enveloped in the ethereal glow of illusions.

She hurriedly put away the mirror, stood up to adjust her collar, and opened the lacquered golden bamboo fan, elegantly leaning against the wooden pillar, waiting for Passerby A and Passerby B to walk by

Although Murong Qi bore the identity of a widow without reason, she had never even experienced a wedding night. At this moment, she could only feel that the girl’s gaze was filled with a fierce determination to devour life whole, and it was certain that the so-called rules were not anything good

Prince Tan Hua, whose full name is Bei Gong Tan Hua, is the legitimate eldest grandson of the Bei Gong family, one of the four prominent families in the Shiya Kingdom, holding a high status. He has been sent by the Empress of Shiya to celebrate the ascension of the new king and has been residing in Liaoyang for more than half a month, becoming well acquainted with a group of noble youths. Therefore, the birthday banquet is being held with great festivity

She blinked her eyes and instantly decided not to leave

She wanted to push her away, but her hands felt somewhat powerless, and she suddenly came to her senses— as a martial artist, she had been reduced to such a state of near collapse by just a few cups of fine wine, there must be something amiss in this situation

Wei Nange was just walking out of the forest, his smile elegant and faint like the moonlight. Murong Qi couldn't help but be somewhat entranced, and in his daze, he only heard him lightly laugh and say: "It isn't exactly a coincidence; the prince just visited the cherry blossom forest as well. Why didn't we run into each other?"

When a group of people arrived at the VIP seats in the atrium, the banquet was already halfway through. Beeswax candles, as thick as an arm, were burning in the hall, and a fragrant aroma permeated every corner. Under the lights, one admired the beauty, while in a state of intoxication, one listened to the qin and zheng. It was a scene of luxurious indulgence, with both hosts and guests enjoying themselves to the fullest

At this moment, even though the individuals were still a hundred steps away, she could already discern that there was one man and one woman, both quite young and unskilled in martial arts

Previously, when I went out with Ji Che, we clearly did not encounter so many troubles. It seems that the expressionless face of the young master Ji and the gang-like aura he exudes, which conveys "I am not a good person," are indeed essential tools for avoiding romantic entanglements during home stays and travels.

"Second Young Master Song." A calm and gentle voice slowly emerged, followed by a turn and an inquiry, "Isn't this Prince Xin? Has the prince returned to the capital?"