Gong Wangfei reached out, as if urging to stay one last time.
However, her good son just slanted his mouth and quickly ran towards his father’s horse carriage.
The heart turning to ashes, it was merely an instant!
Gong Qinwang glanced at his extremely cautious son before him, then through the carriage window, looked towards Qin-shi, his eyes a sheet of ice. “Still not coming, waiting for this prince to come invite you?”
Gong Wangfei slowly got up. The servant girls serving her wanted to support her, but got flung aside by her.
Madam Qin learned from the servant girls what happened outside the gates. Closing her eyes, she caressed the buddhist beads on her wrist, quickly twirling. She was very clear, Gong Qinwang was merely doing for her to see, doing for her husband to see. Because her husband was cold towards him, he was telling them in this way that he has already lost his patience.
Madam Qin thought of her daughter. In the end, she was a piece of flesh that had fell from her body, so how could she not heartache. Speaking of which, her original temperament wasn’t bad either, and also considered smart. Just, in the first several years, she had always been cupped in the palm and pampered by Gong Qinwang, really believing that Gong Qinwang was doing so because of her as a person, thus forgetting herself, losing her original heart, and becoming increasingly unsightly.
On the horse carriage, Gong Wangfei let the servant girls apply the makeup for her, covering up the red print on her face. Just, no matter how much the foundation covered, it could only cover up the redness and not the swelling.
Returning to Jin Qinwang Manor, Gong Qinwang took his wife and child to go apologize to the Grand Elder Princess, appearing especially sincere. It couldn’t be helped, compared to Qin-shi, he understood his paternal aunt even more. It was best to not play petty tricks in front of her. Having her angered again and again, one definitely won’t have a good outcome.
And Gong Qinwang’s heir, unknown as to what his old man said to him, when apologizing to Yu Yao, also appeared particularly sincere, as if a completely different person from the arrogant one previously. Quite a few people were amazed inside. Really couldn’t tell, Gong Qinwang has quite the ‘way’ in teaching his son. Just, exactly were they really praising, or just mocking, only each respective person was clear inside.
The Grand Elder Princess, in the end, didn’t continue clinging on this matter and not letting go. After all, from the looks of it, if she doesn’t forgive, then that was preparing to sincerely apologize continuously. When time comes and it spreads out, it’ll just become her fault.
The Grand Elder Princess coldly sneered inside. If she wants to sort out certain people, does she have to go through her own older brother’s hands? Just because she has always lived her days behind shut doors, she just didn’t have any means at all? Heh………..
“Enough, go do what you should be doing, a grown man, standing among a pile of women, how is that appropriate.”
“Yes, yes, yes, paternal aunt is right to lecture, this nephew will take one’s leave.” Having achieved his goal, Gong Qinwang left very straightforwardly.
Gong Wangfei who was left behind became the topic of everyone’s discussion. Just, Gong Wangfei this while was just like a block of wood.
The Grand Elder Princess took it all in. People like Gong Wangfei that act as if the sky was collapsing over the slightest problem, she looked down on the most, appearing even more annoying than her insolent manner previously.
In comparison, Kang Qinwang’s side consort was actually more to her liking. Although Kang Qinwang’s second son was an ‘accomplice’, the Grand Elder Princess didn’t blame Kang Qinwang’s side consort. After all, she wasn’t the di mother, and that child also wasn’t given birth to by her either, so it indeed wasn’t her place to discipline. Moreover, what was rare was that this was a smart person that was able to see clearly.
As time passed, more and more court officials arrived. Afterwards, another wave of people got ‘frightened’ by the living Enma.
When it was about time, they started the banquet feast. In reality, this meal, the great majority of people all expressed their satisfaction. Even for the reserved female guests, on their table, for the most part, there wasn’t a dish that didn’t get touched.
It couldn’t be helped, those were truly both fragrant and appetizing. That smell uncontrollably made its way into the nose, attracting the gluttonous bug in everyone’s stomach. No matter how reserved, their chopsticks still moved several times.
They inwardly sighed, this was what a banquet feast should be like. However, Jin Qinwang Manor’s chefs truly were incredible, and every dish’s ingredients were also the best. Don’t look at how these people belonged to the highest social circle in all of Qi Yuan, to say that some things on the table, even they have never eaten before……….this naturally was just too embarrassing to say out loud.
Of course, there were still those that didn’t extend their chopsticks much, also including Jing Wan. Because that bowl of longevity noodle[1] before the banquet was just too delicious, Jing Wan that while already ate up to eighty percent full. Afterwards, there were also quite a few people toasting her wine.
Jing Wan didn’t drink wine much, so her tolerance was naturally just low. Just halfway through the banquet, she for the most part was already drunk.
Those older noble madams were for the most part relatively considerate, all letting her go rest. Of course, not everyone harbored goodwill. The younger ones would raise the wine cup, smiling like a blossoming flower, saying things such as, ‘how can the birthday star just leave halfway’, or ‘pretending to be drunk isn’t nice’, and so on, while the older ones just nod to the side expressing their agreement.
Have to say, these people were just bullying Jing Wan for being young and thin-skinned, and most likely will forcibly continue enduring. Unfortunately……………
Jin Qinwang appearing on the female guests side truly made quite a few people shocked.
However, Li Hong Yuan’s eyes didn’t waver in the slightest, and even if someone greeted, he also paid no attention, directly walking to Jing Wan’s side, reaching out to stroke her hair, “Drunk?” Regardless whether it was his movements or expression, it all penetrated with a gentle tenderness.
“Wangye……….” Jing Wan got up, yet wasn’t able to stand.
Li Hong Yuan hurriedly reached out to catch her, “I’ll take you to go rest.” Without any explanation, he just had Jing Wan picked up horizontally, slightly exerting his strength to stop Jing Wan from struggling, stopping by Luo Old Madam’s table, “The matters afterwards, will trouble old madam to help look after. When Jing Wan wakes later, will let her come and apologize to everyone.”
Who was the living Enma? Letting his consort come out and apologize? Look at how he was treasuring her right now, if one really were to complain later, expressing one’s dissatisfaction towards Jin Wangfei, it’ll just lead to his discontent, and if he’s discontent, perhaps nothing will happen to the womenfolk present, but their father, husband, or son will probably meet with misfortune. That’s why, these words, one can’t take seriously, each and every one all hurriedly saying that they didn’t dare, letting him quickly take Jing Wan to rest.
And precisely because of this, all the way until the banquet ended, there were still some unmarried young ladies and even already married young madams that were lost in thought.
The living Enma’s infamy, throughout the entire capital, that was known by everyone of all ages. However, those that have truly suffered by his hand actually were just a very small portion of people, for the most part, all concentrated among those brothers of his, and also those court officials that keep wanting to make things difficult for him. For the rest of the people, especially the womenfolk of upper class households, their means of learning about him were just rumors, rumors, and more rumors.
As the saying goes, ‘the mouth of the mass can melt gold, amassed slander can break bones’. After excessively distorting the truth, in addition to Li Hong Yuan’s intentional actions, it was for the most part just hearing that the living Enma was a lustful pervert. Even if in certain settings, coincidentally encountering, one would just avoid from far away, or if one takes fancy to his outer appearance, one would still get heavily dissuaded by others, and afterwards, rationally choose to give up.
However, upon seeing how Jin Qinwang treated Jin Wangfei, how could one still remain unmoved.
Especially those that once thought of Jin Qinwang, but now have already married, yet were not that happy with their life.
Turns out, Jin Qinwang was actually this gentle and considerate. Turns out, Jin Qinwang wasn’t the least bit scary. Turns out, even if Jin Qinwang wasn’t good to others, towards his own wangfei, he was still completely different.
Why, why weren’t they able to become his wangfei? One has to know, Jin Qinwang had started selecting for a consort many years ago. If not for listening to those rumors, how could they have passed by this kind of man? If not for believing those rumors, how could Jin Qinwang have been stolen away by a woman from outside the capital?
They didn’t believe Jin Qinwang was putting on an act, because Jin Qinwang simply didn’t need to put on an act for someone. Moreover, even if putting on an act, no man would go this far.
Their intestines all turned green from regret, in addition to jealousy corroding the heart, many people unconsciously tore apart their handkerchief.
[1] It’s a chinese birthday tradition to eat a bowl of longevity noodles on one’s birthday. Traditionally the noodles are uncut (meaning just one long ass noodle), and also include an egg, because it’s a pun on the word birth.
