A long time after the Lantern Festival, Mu Mingtang, with some dark thoughts, paid special attention to the movements next door. But for several days in a row, it was calm.
Naturally, the matter of the spy was firmly suppressed. No matter what the results of the trial were, only the Ministry of War and the Emperor knew. The people were still immersed in the festivities. For five days in a row, the lanterns were bright, and everyone was happy.
Jin Wangfu, which had been in the limelight during the Lantern Festival, was now too quiet. Mu Mingtang didn't see the show, and it would be a lie to say that he wasn't disappointed. But after thinking about it, the Emperor wanted face and couldn't publicly reprimand his son and daughter-in-law. After all, the Lantern Festival was such a glorious event, but the Emperor and his harem were suspicious and hid in a remote palace, so they missed the lantern offering … … If word got out, even if it was instigated by Jin Wangfei, the Emperor's face wouldn't look good.
Therefore, on the surface, the Emperor didn't say anything about Jiang Mingwei. Hsieh Hyun-chen and the Imperial Guards really did catch the spy. Jiang Mingwei said that she eavesdropped on the spies in the palace plotting to set fire, which made sense. As for whether the Emperor believed it or not, it was up to him to decide.
Mu Mingtang didn't see the excitement and was a little regretful, but he wasn't disappointed. One could not just look at what was in front of them. For a king who loved his reputation, what could be more taboo than making him lose face?
Now that the Emperor was biding his time and didn't pursue the matter, it was worse than reprimanding. He wasn't afraid of the Emperor being angry, but he was afraid that the Emperor would have a grudge in his heart. If it was just a punishment, the Empress and Jin Wangfu would lose some face this time and it would be over. If the Emperor remembered it in his heart, and even lowered his evaluation of Jin Wangfu emotionally, then in the future, there would be many small shoes to wear.
Jiang Mingwei probably knew that he was trying to be clever but ended up making a fool of himself. After returning home during the Lantern Festival, he claimed to be sick. It was said that even the housekeeper didn't pay much attention to him. Xie Xuanji was also studying at home and didn't go to banquets like before. Even the Empress was very low-key in the palace.
Mu Mingtang also heard from a young maidservant that Concubine Lianhan, who had been grounded on the first day of the New Year, had been quiet for half a month. But in the past few days, she had jumped up again. Jiang Mingwei had created such a big mess for Xie Xuanji. Now, in front of the Empress and Xie Xuanji, he was very submissive. He didn't have the confidence to control his concubines. Currently, the Jin Wangfu could be said to be filled with eight immortals crossing the sea, each displaying their abilities and was extremely lively.
But no matter how the Imperial Court struggled, no matter how the harem struggled, nothing could stop the footsteps of spring. After the second of February, the last trace of the New Year's atmosphere dissipated. At this time, spring had arrived.
After a spring rain, the old grass sprouted, and all kinds of garden parties appeared in the capital.
Mu Mingtang had set a date with Madame Zhu early on. When the date came, she took a carriage from the Wang fu and met with Madame Zhu's family at the entrance of the garden party.
If it was an ordinary wangye, after accidentally agreeing to give the Emperor the dragon lantern during the Lantern Festival, they would be in a constant state of panic, afraid that they would attract suspicion from the higher-ups. But Hsieh Hyun-chen and Mu Mingtang didn't have these worries. They weren't afraid of attracting suspicion because the Emperor was already suspicious of them.
There was a big difference between zero and ten, but when it came to ninety and one hundred, there wasn't much difference. Mu Mingtang still calmly picked out the invitation and went out for a spring stroll.
Everyone in the Zhu family knew the importance of this gathering. Early in the morning, the daughters of the di and shu families gathered in Madame Zhu's room. Their departure was unprecedentedly punctual and smooth. Madame Zhu didn't dare to let Mu Mingtang wait, so she took her daughters to wait at the entrance of the garden party. After a while, a tall and gorgeous carriage approached. Madame Zhu saw it and hurriedly reminded her daughter: "Quickly stand still, An Wangfei is here."
Mu Mingtang noticed Madame Zhu and the several young misses of the Zhu family in the carriage. The young misses were all dressed up beautifully. Looking at them, they were as eye-catching as the shoots on the willow branches. After the carriage stopped, Mu Mingtang got off and saw Madame Zhu walking towards her with her daughters.
Mu Mingtang smiled and said: "Madame Zhu."
"This concubine pays respects to wangye and wangfei." After Madame Zhu finished speaking, the young misses behind her all bowed to Mu Mingtang, "Wangye and wangfei, long live wangye."
"Please rise." Mu Mingtang helped her up, saying, "We came late, sorry for making Madame Zhu wait."
"Not at all, we also just got off the carriage." After Madame Zhu finished speaking, she looked at Hsieh Hyun-chen behind Mu Mingtang. Her tone was a bit uneasy, "His Highness An Wangfei also came. How can this be, my daughter wants to play and actually troubled the two of you. "
"Madame Zhu, what are you saying, I clearly wanted to come out for a walk and troubled Madame Zhu and the other young misses to accompany me." After Mu Mingtang finished speaking, she explained in a low voice, "I originally planned to come out by myself, but he said it was dangerous and insisted on coming with me. It's because of him that I came late. "
There was suddenly an extra person on the itinerary, so she had to explain it to Madame Zhu. Madame Zhu was also someone with a family and children, so she understood when she heard this: "This concubine understands. They are all relying on wangye and wangfei's good fortune today, it's already very fortunate that they can come here to broaden their horizons. It's fine as long as wangfei and wangye have fun, there's no need to worry about us. "
Madame Zhu's expression showed that she understood. Mu Mingtang wanted to explain a few times, but silently gave up. Forget it, this kind of thing couldn't be explained clearly, it would only make things worse, so it was better not to say anything.
Mu Mingtang and Madame Zhu exchanged a few more pleasantries before walking together to the polo field. This polo field was wide and flat, the grass and trees were tall, and there were elegant pavilions. There was a large polo field in the middle, and there were also places to play with marbles, pitchers, and archery. It was specially opened for the high officials and nobles to play.
The host of this spring banquet was an idle Marquise. She was a famous social butterfly in Tokyo. She was keen on socializing and had a wide range of friends. She was very skilled in organizing banquets and the like. Her methods were slick, and she could properly entertain any guests. So as long as she hosted a banquet, the people in Jing would give her some face.
Mu Mingtang saw that the marchioness was an old hand. She wouldn't cause any trouble at the banquet, and she knew many people. She had connections of all levels, so he picked her invitation to attend the banquet. This level of banquet was most suitable for the Zhu Family, who had just come to Jing and didn't have a deep foundation. The marchioness knew many people and it was enough for Madame Zhu to pick a husband for her di daughter and shu daughter. If Mu Mingtang took them to the banquet of the princes, it wouldn't be good.
Mu Mingtang and the Zhu Family's womenfolk entered together. At this time, the people in the garden saw another group of women come in. Their clothes were fluttering, bright and beautiful. They all talked to the people around them: "Which family's womenfolk have arrived? So many young and beautiful womenfolk. Logically speaking, they shouldn't be unknown. How come I've never seen them before? "
"I don't know them either. Madame Li knows all kinds of people. Who knows where she dug them up again. Oh, look at the woman walking on the right. She's so beautiful. How come I didn't know that such a person had come to Jing? "
The young masters who were talking didn't understand. Looking at the maidservants behind her, they didn't look like a famous prostitute or merchant. But if it was the daughter of an official or a noble, such a person definitely wouldn't be unknown.
They were commenting when they suddenly saw the marchioness, Madame Li, hurriedly come down from the viewing platform. She hurriedly saluted the woman they were talking about. After Madame Li saluted, she seemed to notice that another person had also come. She was very shocked and hurriedly saluted the man next to the woman.
The young masters were even more confused by this scene: "Although the Li Family doesn't have any official position, it is still a marquis' household. Even if they see the Duke's wife, they don't need to be so respectful, right? It's not like they're meeting the imperial family. "
As they were talking, one of the young masters stared blankly at the man in the garden. His mind was muddled for a moment. He suddenly reacted and forcefully slapped the back of the head of the person next to him: "You're still looking! It's not like you haven't seen them before. They're Hsieh Hyun-chen's family members! You're still looking, do you want to die? "
"Hsieh Hyun-chen's?" The young masters suddenly became chaotic. Those who should be sitting sat down, those who should be tidying their clothes, and even the female prostitutes sitting next to them didn't dare to hug them. Although they were all children of official families, they weren't the eldest son or grandson of the first wife. They weren't part of the group that the family focused on nurturing. That's why they played and drank all day long. There were several large court banquets, and there was no room for them to attend.
That's why they really didn't recognize the famous An Wang and An Wang Fei. Fortunately, one of the young masters had been warned by his family. Ever since Song Wu Lang's incident, many people in Dongjing were afraid that their children and grandchildren would follow in Song Wu Lang's footsteps. They didn't have Prime Minister Song's face. If their son really provoked that person, they probably wouldn't be able to save him.
This young master's father had warned him early on. It was also because of this that he was able to recognize Hsieh Hyun-chen. After he said Hsieh Hyun-chen, everyone felt a chill run down their backs. Just now, they felt as if they were floating while looking at the beauty, but now, their backs were as cold as ice.
Heaven bless, Hsieh Hyun-chen mustn't discover that they were looking at An Wang Fei. If possible, Hsieh Hyun-chen shouldn't pay attention to them at all.
Song Wu Lang's example was vivid in their minds. They heard that even now, Song Wu Lang's hair didn't grow out. If they provoked Hsieh Hyun-chen, they didn't have a Prime Minister father to bail them out.
As soon as Lady Li saw Mu Mingtang, she was especially attentive. Lady Li was indeed someone who was used to socializing. She was very experienced in dealing with things. Her attitude was warm but not overly warm, making people feel awkward. It was very pleasant to talk to this kind of person. Mu Mingtang also laughed at Lady Li's few words. Lady Li personally led him to the banquet.
In the center of this garden was the horse field and other activities grounds. There was a circle of grandstands around it. Some of the grandstands were open to the sky, some were covered by eaves, some were filled with several people, and some were only single rooms. There were different levels of nobility.
Mu Mingtang and Hsieh Hyun-chen naturally sat in the highest position, the best view, and the most luxurious seat. It was only second to the host's seat. After Lady Li led them to their seats, she excused herself and went to entertain other guests. Mu Mingtang understood very well. Lady Li was today's host. Of course, she couldn't just take care of their family.
When Mu Mingtang received the invitation, he had already told Lady Li that Madam Zhu and the Zhu family's daughters would also be coming. Lady Li was very tactful. Of course, she also arranged another seat for the Zhu family. At this moment, Madam Zhu and Mu Mingtang thanked each other and returned to their seats with their daughters.
In the blink of an eye, everyone had left. Hsieh Hyun-chen was still the only one by her side. At this moment, the banquet was very lively. The madams warmly greeted each other when they met, and the young masters and young ladies of each family were playing and calling their friends. From time to time, there were familiar young men and young women who greeted each other in surprise. Mu Mingtang looked at this scene and sighed sincerely. "They're all young people after all. It's so lively."
After Mu Mingtang finished speaking, he consciously added to Hsieh Hyun-chen, "You're also a young person."
Hsieh Hyun-chen didn't want to say anything at first, but when he heard her words, he faintly glanced at her. "You're just showing that you're hiding something. I didn't say anything."
"This is called preparing for a rainy day. I don't want you to pick on my words again."
"Who's the one picking on words?"
"Then what are you doing now?"
Hsieh Hyun-chen didn't say anything. When the maids saw that the Prince was deflated, they quietly lowered their heads and covered their mouths to laugh.
The maids who came out of the Imperial Residence were clearly used to this kind of scene. On the contrary, it was the servant that Madam Li left behind to entertain the guests. At this moment, she was a little stunned.
The female servant was frightened. She looked at Hsieh Hyun-chen again and again. When she saw that Prince An didn't seem to have any intention of getting angry, and the people beside him seemed to be used to it, she suspiciously suppressed her doubts. She smiled at Mu Mingtang and said, "Princess An, you're a rare guest. My Madam wanted to invite you to a banquet many times, but never had the chance. Today, you're finally here."
Mu Mingtang also nodded and smiled. "I was too lazy before the New Year. I was too lazy to go out. If I knew that my Madam's banquet would be so exciting, I would have come early in the morning. "
The female servant didn't think that Prince An, who was famous for being difficult to get along with, would have a Princess that was easy to talk to. The female servant was a little flattered. "Princess An, you're too kind. It's an honor to have you here. My Madam was happy for a few days."
Mu Mingtang smiled faintly. When the female servant saw that Mu Mingtang was friendly and easy to get along with, she gradually became bolder and introduced Mu Mingtang to the various things on the banquet.
"Chuiwan and polo are outside. My Madam invited a professional performance team. In a while, there will be a women's polo match. Princess, look at the shed over there. There are many Langjuns around now. They're throwing pots. I heard that the Langjuns are betting. When my Madam heard about it, she also joined in the fun. "
Mu Mingtang knew that this game had a long history. It was a part of the etiquette, and most aristocratic men knew how to play it. In theory, throwing pots only required the token to be thrown into a fine-mouthed pot. However, in order to show off their skills, the men developed many other games. For example, leaning. Not only did the arrow have to hit the target, but the arrow also had to lean to the left and right like a wolf's tail. Another example was Wolf Pot. After the arrow entered the pot, it had to circle around the mouth of the pot.
In short, the game was dazzling. When the female servant saw that Mu Mingtang was interested, she became more enthusiastic and said, "This time, the Langjuns are competing to throw pots because a few days ago, Jiangling Count's San Lang threw a Jianxiao. Everyone surrounded him and wanted to see him throw it again. "
Mu Mingtang turned his head and asked, "What is a Jianxiao?"
When she had something she didn't know, she naturally asked Hsieh Hyun-chen. Hsieh Hyun-chen also took it for granted and said, "If you throw it but don't hit it, the arrow will bounce back. If you win, it's called a Jianxiao. A Jianxiao is an arrow that bounces back after being thrown into the pot. It hangs on the pot's ear like a hanging sword, so it's called a Jianxiao. "
Mu Mingtang understood and was instantly filled with admiration for the man who had shot Jian Xiao. "It's not easy to hit the target, but he was able to control the arrow to fly out of the pot and hang on the pot's ear. That's amazing."
Hsieh Hyun-chen's eyebrows moved slightly and asked softly, "Is it amazing?"
The waitress saw the opportunity and said, "It's more than that. I heard that a few years ago, someone in the capital had seen Lianxiao. Our mistress has been admiring it for a long time, but unfortunately, she hasn't been able to see it. This time, our mistress also wants to broaden her horizons. Princess, Lianxiao's name sounds fancy, but it's actually very exquisite. Although it's rare, there's an element of speculation. Lianxiao is different. Every time you throw it, the arrow must hang on the pot's ear in the shape of a lotus. Because it has to be shaped, it must be done in order, and each arrow can't touch each other. If it bumps into each other, it doesn't count. "
Mu Mingtang listened and gasped: "It's so difficult. Can someone really throw it? Who was the person who threw the Lianxiao that year? Is he so good? "
The waitress also praised: "I don't know. I heard that it was a few years ago."
Hsieh Hyun-chen sat at the side and tapped his finger on the table. He suddenly said without a word: "If it was a matter of ten years ago, it should be me."
Mu Mingtang and the waitress were both stunned. Mu Mingtang turned to look at him: "It was you?"
Hsieh Hyun-chen nodded innocently and honestly. His expression seemed to say, can't you do it?
Mu Mingtang's teeth ached. Pretending, still pretending, this person is too arrogant! He even pretended to say that if it was a matter of ten years ago, it should be him. Can't he be more sincere?
The waitress didn't expect this development and was stunned. Mu Mingtang asked: "You know how to throw a pot? Why didn't I know? "
"I know a little. I didn't put in much effort, so I didn't tell you." Hsieh Hyun-chen still looked lazy and said, "If you didn't mention it, I would have forgotten."
The waitress was stunned for a while, but she finally reacted and immediately said: "Prince is really talented! Our mistress has been regretting for many years, but I didn't expect that today it would be fulfilled. This servant will go and invite the mistress. This servant will leave now, please wait for a moment. "
After the waitress finished speaking, she hurried to call Mistress Li. At this moment, there were no outsiders in the room. Mu Mingtang asked suspiciously: "Since you know how to throw a pot, why didn't you tell me when you were talking? I didn't know at all. "
"I'm not very famous, so naturally you wouldn't know." Hsieh Hyun-chen sighed and said: "I can only blame my strength and martial arts for being too outstanding. My fame has gradually become a burden. You also know that when a person has too many good points, it will bury other good points. Actually, my literature, throwing a pot, and many other things are very good. "
Mu Mingtang was unable to restrain his anger: "Shut up!"
Hsieh Hyun-chen held back his laughter and kept quiet. Mu Mingtang held back for a long time, then said bitterly: "I didn't know it was you."
She had sincerely sighed for so long, but in the end, the person in question was sitting next to her, making her seem like a flatterer.
"I know." Hsieh Hyun-chen said in a light tone, "It's not your fault, it's their fault for being too useless. It's been so many years, but even Lianhua Xiao can't throw a pot. "
Mistress Li heard the waitress' message and hurried over. The other Langjuns who were throwing pots also heard the news and hurried over. As they approached, they heard this sentence.
It's fine to coax a woman, but why is there a personal attack?
The group of Langjuns felt vaguely implicated.
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