In the evening.
Outside the gate of the City Lord's Mansion, on the wide avenue, cars and horses flowed like water and horses like dragons.
In order to make the eldest princess' dinner tonight more lively, the city lord Jiang Jinnan invited many nobles from Mo City and people from some big families.
People from the four major families and the meritorious families all sent representatives to attend the banquet, carrying gifts.
On both sides of the door stood two rows of armored and armed soldiers.
Outside the four walls of the palace, there are warrior guards patrolling all the time.
Under the gate steps.
Jiang Jinnan's younger brother Jiang Beiwang, with a smile on his face, held a list and personally welcomed the guests.
Each invited guest can only bring up to five family members to the banquet, and the name of each family member must be reported in advance.
A luxuriously decorated carriage stopped on the road not far away.
Then, Wang Lun, the head of the Wang family, strode over with several brothers and family members, holding gifts in their hands.
then.
Zhang Song, the head of the Zhang family, Luo Yannian, the head of the Luo family in Chengguofu, and Song Fu, the head of the Song family, all came with their families.
Originally, everyone was smiling and talking at the door, but when they saw Song Fu coming with his family, the smiles on their faces faded a little, and their voices became much quieter.
The Song family had just lost their son and daughter, so it was hard to laugh even on a day like this.
Mrs. Song Fu, Sun Qiaoxiang, had an even more wooden face.
Song Fu knew that tonight was not the time to be sad, so when he saw the heads of other families at the door, he immediately smiled and quickened his pace.
Several old friends met, exchanged a few words at the door, and then entered the mansion with their families.
A while later.
The Qin Mansion's carriage slowly turned in from a street not far away and stopped by the roadside.
Qin Wen Zheng got off the carriage first.
Then it was Qin Chuan, the second son of the Qin family, who jumped down lightly and went over to help Song Ruyue down.
The last person to come down was a very delicate and pretty girl in a plain white dress.
The Qin family did not bring anyone else except these people today.
When Jiang Beiwang saw them, he first flipped through the list and took a look, then immediately went up to them, smiling and bowing, saying, "Brother Wen Zheng, you are very busy, so you are a little late today."
Qin Wenzheng bowed and smiled, "There were too many people on the road, so it took some time. Brother Beiwang came out to greet us in person today, which is a bit condescending."
Jiang Beiwang quickly smiled and said, "No, no, today is the eldest princess' banquet. If my brother hadn't needed to accompany him inside to answer questions, it would have been my turn to come here to greet you distinguished guests."
The two exchanged a few more pleasantries.
Jiang Beiwang Fang smiled and glanced at the family members behind him. Seeing that there was no one else, Fang bowed and said, "Brother Wen Zheng, please bear with me. For the safety of the princess, my brother has instructed that I must take a look in advance at the gifts brought by the guests tonight."
Qin Wenzheng smiled and said, "It should be."
As he said that, he stretched out his hand to Qin Chuan and said, "Chuan'er, bring the things over here."
Qin Chuan immediately held a rectangular brocade box in both hands and handed it to him.
Qin Wenzheng opened the brocade box and placed it in front of Jiang Beiwang, explaining, "This jade ruyi was obtained by my mother from somewhere else and has been kept at home. Today, I came to visit the princess and I didn't have any other gifts, so I just took it here to show my appreciation."
Jiang Beiwang took a look, nodded and smiled: "It looks good, it must be a good thing."
Then his eyes turned to the scroll in the hand of the weak girl.
Qin Weimo raised his hand and handed the framed scroll to Qin Chuan, saying softly, "Second brother, these are some poems and paintings by Weimo. Show them to Uncle Jiang."
Qin Chuan quickly took it, held it in both hands, and handed it to Jiang Beiwang.
Jiang Beiwang just glanced at it and said with a smile: "Since it is poetry, calligraphy and painting, there is nothing to check. I can't understand it anyway. Haha, Brother Wen Zheng, your little daughter is obviously a talented girl. Not bad, not bad."
Qin Wen Zheng declined a few words before going up the stairs with his family.
Song Ruyue supported her daughter.
Qin Chuan followed on the other side and kept an eye on everything.
Just by climbing up one step, Qin Weimo's face turned red, and he began to gasp for breath, looking like he was about to fall at any moment.
Song Ruyue not only whispered again, "Mother has already told you, why are you here for such an occasion? When the time comes, mother will help you deliver your precious poems to the princess. Why do you have to come here by yourself? If you faint later, ah..."
Qin Weimo clenched the thing in his hand and said nothing.
Qin Chuan, who was standing by, quickly consoled her: "Mother, it's okay. I'll be watching over Wei Mo. Wei Mo has been staying at home all day and has never come out. It's not a bad thing that he can finally come out for a breath of fresh air this time."
Song Ruyue sighed again and said nothing more.
The servant led them into a spacious hall.
In the hall, members of other families had already been drinking tea and chatting. When they saw Qin Wenzhen come in, they all stood up and greeted him warmly.
The women were taken to a side room.
Song Ruyue quickly found the noble ladies who often played together.
The few of them quickly became friends.
Qin Weimo sat quietly alone on a chair in the corner, tightly holding the scroll filled with poems in his hands.
After Qin Chuan greeted several young men he knew, he came over to accompany her.
Song Ruyue was sitting nearby. Although she was chatting and laughing with those noble ladies, she would glance over here from time to time.
"Wei Mo, did you write all the poems on this scroll yourself?"
Qin Chuan asked softly.
Qin Weimo smiled slightly and said, "Yes, second brother."
Qin Chuan stretched out his hand and said with a smile: "Second brother, can you take a look?"
Qin Weimo shook his head and said softly, "Weimo will give it to the princess later, so you can't touch it casually, brother. If you accidentally break it, it will be terrible."
Qin Chuan smiled and took a few candies from the plate beside him, handed them to her and said, "Look at your precious girl, do you dislike your second brother's dirty hands?"
Qin Weimo smiled and said, "I won't eat. Second brother, how's your martial arts training going recently?"
Qin Chuan peeled the candy and said, "It's okay, just so-so. I tell you, I guess you won't understand."
Qin Weimo pursed his lips slightly and said secretly in his heart: Brother-in-law is also practicing martial arts.
Qin Chuan put the candy in his mouth, stared at her face for a few seconds, and said, "Wei Mo, you seem to be in good spirits these two days, and I didn't see you coughing all the way tonight. It seems that the medicine is effective. You must remember to take it every day and don't stop."
Qin Weimo chuckled and nodded, "Well, Weimo also wants to eat it every day, and Weimo doesn't want to stop."
Qin Chuan was a little surprised and asked, "What's wrong? Are you running out of medicine? I'll go out and buy some tomorrow. If there's no medicine in the city, I'll go out and buy some somewhere else."
Qin Weimo smiled and said, "It's enough for now."
She thought to herself: For the time being, her brother-in-law is still willing to stay with her, but she doesn't know how long he will stay with her.
Qin Chuan glanced at his mother, then suddenly leaned closer to her and asked, "Wei Mo, tell me the truth. That night you were unconscious and woke up the next day. When Qing Zhou came to see you, why did mother suddenly pull Qing Zhou into your room? This... doesn't seem to be against the rules, right? And didn't mother not allow any man to enter your room? My father and I have never been in there before. What's going on?"
Qin Weimo smiled and said softly: "Second brother, you should ask mother about this matter. Weimo is not too sure either."
Qin Chuan heard this and could only shake his head: "Forget it, mother won't tell me such a thing. And this kind of thing seems a bit embarrassing, so I'd better not ask. I'm just a little surprised that Qingzhou looks stupid, but he seems to be very pleasing to mother. It's really strange."
Qin Weimo said softly: "Second brother, actually my brother-in-law is very powerful, you just don't know it."
"oh?"
Qin Chuan was slightly startled and said, "How can that boy be so great? Isn't he just a scholar who can read a few books and write a few poems?"
Qin Weimo smiled and said, "Second brother, don't look down on anyone. You will take the exam for Dragon Tiger College next year, so don't look down on any opponent, or you will definitely suffer."
Qin Chuan nodded and said, "Of course I know this, but I really don't see how powerful Qingzhou is. Second brother can push him down with just one finger, do you believe it?"
Qin Weimo smiled and shook his head: "Weimo doesn't believe it."
She thought to herself: My brother-in-law can kill a person with one punch, so he won’t be pushed down by you.
Qin Chuan smiled and said, "You underestimated my second brother, didn't you? How about we go back tonight and find Qing Zhou, so that you can see how powerful my second brother is, okay?"
Qin Weimo immediately said, "No. Second brother, you are not allowed to bully your brother-in-law."
Qin Chuan laughed and said, "Just kidding, just kidding. Qingzhou is a scholar and my second brother is a warrior, how could they bully him? Even if my second brother wants to bully, he will bully outsiders, not his own brother-in-law."
"Brother-in-law..."
When Qin Weimo heard this word, his heart suddenly rippled.
As the brother and sister were talking, the noisy chatter in the hall outside suddenly stopped.
Then, the voice of the city lord Jiang Jinnan sounded outside: "The princess is here."
In the hall.
Everyone stood up hurriedly, lowered their heads and eyes, and fell silent.
In the side room, the women also hurriedly stopped chatting, stood up from their chairs, stood respectfully with their hands hanging down, and waited quietly.
Not long.
A tall figure in a red dress, surrounded by four maids and some servants, accompanied by Jiang Jinnan, walked into the hall from the courtyard outside.
When everyone in the hall saw the red-dressed girl's gaze, they all felt a chill in their hearts, held their breath, bent their heads, and dared not move.
Even those noble elders who were over fifty years old felt nervous and dared not breathe a word.
This girl took the initiative to join the army when she was thirteen years old, and she showed amazing military talent. In the past five years, she has killed countless enemies and personally beheaded the heads of King Jin and other royal family members. She also killed a total of 100,000 surrendered soldiers from the neighboring Baihua Kingdom. Even the armies of various enemy countries were terrified when they heard about her, not to mention those of them who had never even been on the battlefield.
This girl was intimidating without even getting angry, and she had a terrifying aura all over her body. No one dared to look up at her for even a second.
"Princess, please take a seat."
The Lord of Nanjiang, Jiang Jin, who had absolute power over Mo City, was also cautious at this time, with his body slightly bent, showing extreme respect.
Nangong Huoyue walked up to the main seat, lifted her red skirt, turned around and sat down on the chair. The wide red skirt was like a flame, adding an even more intimidating aura to the girl.
Jiang Jinnan bowed and smiled, "Princess, I have invited many guests today to welcome you and celebrate your victory, to spread the power of Great Yan and to protect the people of Great Yan. Everyone has prepared some small gifts for you as a token of our appreciation. I hope you can take a look."
Nangong Huoyue glanced at the people below indifferently without saying a word.
Jiang Jinnan immediately gave a wink to the people below.
Zhang Song, the head of the Zhang family, immediately stepped out of the crowd and came to the middle. He bowed his head and saluted, saying respectfully, "Zhang Song pays respect to the princess. This time, the princess fought against the enemy at the border and won a great victory. Not only did she promote the power of Great Yan, but she also protected the people of Mocheng. I know that the princess doesn't like extravagance, so I didn't dare to bring anything else here today. I only brought a sword to give to the princess. I hope the princess won't despise it."
As soon as he finished speaking, a man came out from the side, holding a long wooden box in both hands and handed it to him.
Zhang Song took it, bent down, and raised the wooden box in both hands.
Jiang Jinnan immediately came down, took it in his hand, and presented it respectfully to the eldest princess.
A maid walked out from behind Nangong Huoyue, opened the wooden box, took out a sword from it, held it in both hands, and handed it to her.
Nangong Huoyue took a look at it, took it in his hand, grasped the hilt, and pulled out a piece with a "clang" sound.
Suddenly, a cold light flashed, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop suddenly!
“Nice sword!”
Jiang Jinnan praised with a smile on his face: "The sound of this sword is like a clear spring, the blade is cold and shining, and the sword energy is restrained. It is obviously made of high-quality black iron. I'm afraid the master refiner has added some other materials. Even the best iron armor can be shattered with one sword."
Nangong Huoyue put away the sword, with no other expression on her face, and nodded, "It is indeed a good sword. Sir Zhang is thoughtful."
Zhang Song's ancestors were officials in the imperial court, and he still holds a nominal position. The eldest princess has come to Mo City several times, so naturally she knows him.
Hearing the praise from the princess herself, Zhang Song was flattered. He quickly bowed his head and saluted deeply, but he didn't dare to say anything more. He immediately stepped aside and made room for others.
Luo Yannian of Chengguo Mansion stepped forward, bowed his head and said, "Your humble servant Luo Yannian pays homage to the eldest princess. I heard that the eldest princess would come to Mocheng, so I asked someone to prepare a fierce horse for her and keep it in the stable. Tomorrow, when the eldest princess has time, I will send it to her for her to tame personally. Today, my wife also prepared a moonlight pearl for the eldest princess. If she wants to read at night, she can put it in the tent. It is many times brighter than the oil lamp."
As soon as she finished speaking, Wang, the eldest lady of Chengguo Mansion, immediately bowed her head, held a brocade box in her hands, and walked out carefully from the side. Then she bent her knees and knelt on the ground respectfully, holding the brocade box above her head with both hands, her eyes always lowered to the ground.
The maid behind the eldest princess came down immediately, took the brocade box, opened it and took a look at it, then walked up and handed it to the eldest princess.
Nangong Huoyue took a look and did not comment. Instead, she looked down and said, "Lord Luo, I heard that your eldest son is now in the Imperial Guards of Kyoto, and he is doing well and his cultivation is improving rapidly, is that right?"
Luo Yannian hurriedly said respectfully: "I am the eldest son of the lower official, Changtian, and I am indeed serving in the Imperial Guards. As for his performance and cultivation, they are not worthy of praise from the eldest princess."
Nangong Huoyue suddenly said, "I remember that there will be several places for Dragon Tiger College in Mocheng for the entrance exam next year. Your eldest son was admitted to Dragon Tiger College with the first place in Mocheng, right? Will you have a son to participate next year?"
Luo Yannian lowered his head and said, "I have another son who will indeed take the entrance exam for Dragon Tiger College next year."
Nangong Huoyue nodded and said, "If every meritorious family was like Lord Luo's family, studying hard, serving the country, and relying on their own strength to become an official, why would I propose to His Majesty to abolish the three-generation title and so on."
After hearing this, Luo Yannian bowed his head and did not dare to answer.
Nangong Huoyue looked at him and said, "I remember that your title of Chengguo Mansion has been inherited for three generations, right?"
Luo Yannian's face changed slightly, and he bowed his head and said respectfully: "Including me, there are indeed three generations."
Nangong Huoyue nodded slightly and said nothing more.
Luo Yannian's back was covered in cold sweat. He waited for a moment, then quickly pulled Wang, who was still kneeling beside him, and bowed and retreated.
Then, the Wang family, the Song family and other families all presented gifts.
After Song Fu, the head of the Song family, presented a pair of strong bows, he also presented a scroll and said respectfully: "The poems on this scroll were all written by my nephew Zhengming, specially for the princess."
Nangong Huoyue opened the book and casually read two works, then nodded and said, "Nice writing, good poems and lyrics."
As Song Fu lowered his head and retreated, he glanced at Qin Wen Zheng beside him calmly.
When it was Qin Wen Zheng's turn.
Nangong Huoyue looked at him and said, "Sir Qin, your family has had the title of nobility for three generations, as far as I can remember?"
Qin Wenzheng bowed his head and said, "Indeed, there is."
Nangong Huoyue said calmly, "If I remember correctly, your eldest son is still studying at Kyoto Dragon and Tiger College, right?"
Qin Wenzheng said: "My son has indeed been studying at Dragon Academy for more than two years."
Nangong Huoyue nodded and said nothing more.
Jiang Jinnan, who was standing by, quickly reminded him, "Brother Wen Zheng, what gift are you going to give to the princess today?"
at this time.
Song Ruyue supported a weak girl in a plain white dress and slowly walked out of the next room.
The girl held a thick scroll in her hand.