On her way back, Yingzhu unfortunately ran into a group of people, led by none other than Lu Zhiyou and Minister Zhang Lin.
Fortunately, Yingzhu was clever enough to take a longer detour. Although they saw her coming from elsewhere, they couldn’t tell exactly where she had returned from.
“Yingzhu,” Lu Zhiyou spoke calmly.
Seeing the young man, Yingzhu lowered her head, a flicker of guilt flashing in her eyes, but her voice remained as composed as ever. “Greetings, Young Master Lu.”
Lu Zhiyou didn’t ask anything else first. Instead, he pointed to Zhang Lin and the others and introduced them. “This is Minister Zhang of the Ministry of Works, and behind him are Lord Liu and Lord Fang from the Twelve Departments.”
The young man’s voice was melodious, and Yingzhu was tactful enough to greet each of them in turn.
“How is Yaoyao today? She must have been quite exhausted from the journey.”
Lu Zhiyou casually asked, his expression showing just the right amount of concern.
Yingzhu replied softly, “Thank you for your concern, Young Master Lu. The young lady is resting in her tent now.”
Since Lu Zhiyou was accompanied by others who were waiting, and their positions were higher than his, it was only natural not to keep them waiting too long.
In the end, the young man didn’t ask Yingzhu where she had actually gone. After a few simple questions and instructions, they parted ways.
The journey back was somewhat eventful. By the time Yingzhu returned, even Baoyu had already arrived at the tent ahead of her.
“Sister Yingzhu, did you also go out to see the scenery?” Baoyu asked upon seeing her return.
Yingzhu smiled. “Yes, since the young lady was fine, I had some free time and took a walk in the other direction.”
Baoyu, being more innocent, didn’t think much of it and nodded. “The night banquet should start in a little over an hour. There are more and more distinguished guests here now. Although I’ve been here a few times before, I can’t help but feel a bit nervous.”
Hearing this, Yingzhu teased her. “You little thing, so clever on ordinary days, but you get timid when it really matters. How shameful!”
Baoyu pretended to be annoyed. “Sister Yingzhu, you’re always making fun of me! If we don’t hurry and find the outfit the young lady needs to change into later, we’ll both be scolded.”
With that, she turned and walked away first, leaving Yingzhu unable to hold back her laughter.
Taking advantage of the moment while Baoyu went to find the clothes, Yingzhu slipped into the tent to report. “Young lady, everything has been arranged.”
Leng Yaoda lay on the couch with her eyes closed, letting out a soft “Mm” before turning over to rest peacefully.
At the end of the Shen hour, the young lady, who had been sleeping for a while, was gently awakened.
“Young lady, it’s almost time for the night banquet. Please wake up and freshen up.”
Baoyu’s voice was soft, careful not to startle her.
The young lady was extremely tired and slightly dizzy, but she felt more refreshed after her nap.
“What time is it?” Leng Yaoda asked lazily, her voice hoarse.
“Young lady, it’s almost the beginning of the You hour.”
Shen Jinxiao’s night banquet was scheduled for the fourth quarter of the You hour. There wasn’t much time left, and people were likely already starting to gather.
Hearing the time, Leng Yaoda was fully awake and immediately got up to sit at the table.
“Hurry and help me with my makeup. We mustn’t be too late.”
Yingzhu quickly entered upon hearing her. “Yes.”
The two maids swiftly helped Leng Yaoda change into her attire, redoing her hair into an exquisite and elaborate updo that revealed her slender, pale neck, so fair it was almost dazzling.
She changed into a lotus-green cloud-patterned brocade dress that cinched at the waist. Her face was lightly adorned with makeup dimples, with vermilion between her brows and vibrant red lips. A hint of crimson on her cupid’s bow made her look utterly adorable.
Perhaps she was too beautiful today. Leng Yaoda couldn’t help but marvel at her own reflection.Yingzhu and Baoyu continued to praise their young lady. Leng Yaoda stood up and said, “Let’s hurry and go.”
The three of them headed westward and soon arrived at the grandest banquet on Tingyun Mountain. Most people were already seated, chatting and laughing. Seeing that Shen Jinxiao had not yet arrived, the young lady breathed a slight sigh of relief.
She quickened her pace toward the banquet, and as she approached, more and more people noticed her.
Leng Yaoda was quite well-known in the capital, and those who could attend the Hunting Grounds were all nobles within the circle. Many rose to greet her upon noticing her late arrival.
“Sister Daji is here! Come sit next to me!”
Wen Fei was the first to stand up upon seeing the young lady. Those from prestigious families like hers always sat at the front.
Leng Yaoda calmly accepted the praises along the way. After sitting down, others continued to approach her for conversation and flattery.
However, in such a world of fame and fortune, besides those who praised you, there were also those who spoke with sarcasm and slander.
A few seats away, a charming-looking young lady had been coldly observing Leng Yaoda, her eyes brimming with jealousy.
Huang Yuyin was the youngest daughter of General Zhaode. Her father, Huang Yong, was a second-rank general, also from a military family. As the saying goes, “A higher rank can crush those below.” In Huang Yuyin’s eyes, the Huang family had always been overshadowed by the Leng family.
Although the Leng family was the foremost among military officials, they had always coexisted peacefully with other officials. Huang Yong and Leng Yu even had a fairly good relationship.
After all, the Leng family were founding heroes of the dynasty, generations of loyal and brave individuals who had achieved merit through their own efforts. Their children were also well-versed in both literary and martial arts, with each generation making their way through hard work.
“Hmph, I wonder if Sister Daji will cause trouble again this year. I hope General Su won’t humiliate you again when he sees you.”
Huang Yuyin’s spoiled and sharp voice rang out, causing the surroundings to fall silent.
Leng Yaoda turned to look, searching her memory for this person.
So it was the daughter of General Zhaode. As Huang Yong’s daughter born in his later years, she had been overly indulged and spoiled. Compared to her, the original host didn’t seem so willful.
The young lady merely glanced at her calmly and said, “Sister Yuyin should focus on herself. After all, among the noble ladies in the capital who remain unmarried due to a poor reputation, you are the only one, Sister Yuyin.”
Huang Yuyin was too willful, and as the daughter of a military official, she also knew some martial arts. As a result, no one in Shengjing was willing to marry her.
It wasn’t that there had been no suitors initially. Two years ago, when Huang Yuyin was sixteen, the youngest son of the Minister of Works was approaching his coming-of-age ceremony, and they seemed well-matched. The two families discussed and decided to form a marriage alliance.
Unexpectedly, after meeting him once, Huang Yuyin somehow ended up beating the young master. The two families parted on bad terms, and Huang Yuyin’s reputation for being spoiled and willful spread throughout Shengjing.
She didn’t appear in the original work, likely just a minor character.
Huang Yuyin’s face flushed red with shame and anger. She raised her voice and said, “He was the one who spoke rudely to me first! Why couldn’t I take action?!”
Leng Yaoda didn’t want to use a woman’s marriage prospects as a topic of conversation. She ignored Huang Yuyin, simply curling her lips into a smile as she chatted with Wen Fei.
This exchange left Huang Yuyin fuming, but Huang Yong had warned her repeatedly the day before not to cause trouble again.
In the end, she could only grit her teeth and sit down, enduring the anger of being looked down upon by Leng Yaoda.
Because the voices were quite loud, the men on the other side also heard the entire exchange.
Zhou Yingkui couldn’t help but chuckle softly, picking up his wine cup and taking a sip.Lu Zhiyou, seeing that Leng Yaoda had not been bullied and had not been constantly arguing with Huang Yuyin, widened his eyes in surprise.
Lu Shixiu, on the other hand, cast a cold glance at Huang Yuyin before finally composing his expression.
Suddenly, a loud voice rang out from the front of the crowd: “His Majesty has arrived!”