Chapter 247 The Banquet (Part Two)
Chapter 247 The Banquet (Part Two)
"What?" Qian Yin paused, and then smiled. "I see... If she really becomes one of the ladies, things will
be much easier. Right?"
Yun Shang nodded, "yes. This is finally a good news... " Yun Shang returned the parchment to Qian
Yin, "dispose of it."
Qian Yin nodded and took out a brazier from the drawer. She picked up a fire starter and threw it into
the brazier. When she saw the parchment was burned to ashes, she extinguished it with water and took
it out.
After having breakfast and lunch, Yun Shang took a nap and was about to go out for a walk, when a
voice with some tiredness came from outside. "General Qi's wife wants to visit you."
Yun Shang took a seat and nodded to Qian Yin.
Qian Yin lifted up the curtain and went out, followed by a woman. She was in her forties. She had a
normal appearance and was a little plump. But her face was pale, as if she had been ill for a long time.
"Your Highness..." Lady Qi bowed to Yun Shang.
Yun Shang stood up with the help of a astral hand and said gently, "Lady Qi, you are being polite. Now
I am visiting you in your mansion. By rights, I should go to see you, but I was tired after a long journey
the other day, so I took a rest early. I caught a cold today, so I didn't get up early. I'm afraid the illness
will affect you, so I'm late."
"I dare not, I dare not." Lady Qi put on a stiff smile and asked after a while, "Your Highness, do you call
for a physician?"
Yun Shang nodded, "I didn't feel well since I got up early in the morning. I have asked my maid to send
for a doctor. The doctor said I'm fine. But my health is not good in the first place. In addition, I've been
on a rush these days. It's not a big deal. Now I've taken my medicine. But how about Mrs. Qi? Do you
feel better now? Yesterday, the seventh lady went to the front hall to receive me. I didn't know your
health until I asked General Qi. "
A trace of disgust appeared on Lady Qi's face, but Yun Shang noticed it soon. "I'm old and not as
healthy as before. I'm also ill with my old illness. Thank you for your concern, your highness."
"If you need any herbs, just tell me. I've brought many of them, some of which are rare." Yun Shang
smiled and said, "I saw two gentlemen yesterday. They are both good-looking and pretty. I think you
are blessed."
Qian Yin brought the tea and placed it on the table beside them. Yun Shang took up the teacup. The
water temperature was just right. When she lifted the lid, the crumbs of the tea floating on the teacup
were left. When she looked down, her eyelashes trembled slightly. She looked gentle and considerate.
Lady Qi was stunned. She stared at Yun Shang for a while and smiled. "You flatter me, your highness.
They are just two young boys. They are not as handsome as you said." Although she said so, her eyes
were full of pride.
Curved her eyes, Yun Shang took a sip of tea and said gently, "it's said that Mr. Qi was hit 50 times by
General Qi yesterday. How is he now?"
Lady Qi's smile froze on her face. "Thanks for your concern, your highness. I'm sorry for my
carelessness. He deserves the punishment for beating. He's young and strong. There's nothing serious
with him."
"That's good." Yun Shang chuckled.
"Your highness, you have come to the KY City. The general asked me to prepare a welcome banquet
for you yesterday night, but if you are sick, we can postpone it." That was why she came here.
Yun Shang nodded with a smile, "postpone it for a few days. I'm too weak to manage it. When I feel
better, I'll ask someone to tell you so that you can arrange later."
Lady Qi heaved a sigh of relief and chatted with Yun Shang for a while. She left after asking Yun Shang
whether she was used to living here.
Yun Shang leaned back on the couch, and curled her lips. It seemed the General Qi's Mansion was not
a peaceful place.
Qian Yin escorted Lady Qi back to her room and whispered, "Judging from her appearance, she should
not be the apple of the eye. No wonder General Qi didn't even allow her to see a guest. Is she ill or
something? Maybe she doesn't like strangers."
"Well, you have only seen the appearance of the matter, but you can't see the part hidden in the inner."
As Yun Shang spoke, she saw Qian Yin glaring at her with a curious look. Yun Shang continued,
"When Lady Qi married Qi Lang, he was just an ordinary farmer in the countryside. It wasn't easy for
her to grow up with him. Qi Lang had three sons and two of them were born by Lady Qi. Although Lady
Qi was not very beautiful, she must have an undeniable position in General Qi's heart, and she must be
a resourceful person. Despite the seven wives of General Qi, only the fifth lady now had one son, and
nothing else. So, never underestimate this lady... "
Qian Yin opened her eyes wide and nodded repeatedly. "You are so capable, your highness."
In the following days, several ladies of General Qi's Mansion had almost visited the mansion, except for
the fifth lady and the seventh lady.
Yun Shang knocked on the table with thoughts in her eyes. She had offended the two ladies. The
seventh lady blamed General Qi for inviting a concubine to serve tea the other day when she entered
the mansion, while the fifth lady might have something to do with Qi Yuzhi.
As Yun Shang gradually got better, Yun Shang sent a message to Lady Qi. Lady Qi messaged back
that she would hold a banquet in the General Qi's Mansion to welcome Yun Shang in two days.
It was the seventh day that Yun Shang had arrived at the KY City. As the attendant had said, the
armies of the State of Xia did nothing but occasionally summon teams to get far away from them,
screaming for help.
What did the Crown Prince of the State of Xia and Liu Yinfeng want? Yun Shang frowned and thought
for a long time, but she still didn't get the answer.
"A letter from Prince Jing, your highness..." Qian Yin rushed in with an envelope in her hand. Belonging to NôvelDrama.Org.
Yun Shang was taken by surprise. She left in such a hurry that the butler must have sent a message to
Prince Jing.
He... He would be angry at her? Yun Shang thought to herself. She had tried to come to the KY City
before, but was rejected by him. She came without discussing with him, so...
Yun Shang took the letter but didn't unfold it for a long time.
"Your Highness? His highness wrote to you! Why don't you open it?" Qian Yin urged Yun Shang, with a
touch of smile in her tone.
Yun Shang shook her head with a smile. She couldn't stop thinking about the letter, which was not like
her at all. So she opened the envelope, and fetched out a piece of paper. She frowned and wondered,
'Why, why is the paper... It looked crumpled?'
Yun Shang was confused, but she still opened the envelope and looked through it.
There was not one word on it! Yun Shang's eyes widened in surprise as she stared at the letter. There
was indeed no word on it.
"What?" Qian Yin noticed Yun Shang's silence. She took the paper from Yun Shang's hand, and
studied it for a long while before she said, "Your Highness, did the prince take it wrong? Why is there
no word on the paper? "
Yun Shang didn't respond. She couldn't figure out what was going on, so she sighed and took the letter
back from Qian Yin. Then she put the letter into an envelope and put it aside.
"I think he gave the wrong letter." Yun Shang murmured. There was a slight sense of loss in her heart.
On the day when the Qi clan held a feast to welcome Yun Shang, Qian Yin dressed Yun Shang up
early. It was almost time for her to go to the place that Lady Qi said.
The banquet was held in the courtyard behind the front hall of the General Qi's Mansion. There were
pavilions around the courtyard, and lights were lit in the corridor. The courtyard looked as if it was
daytime. A stage was set in the south of the courtyard, and many tables were set under the opera
table.
When Yun Shang arrived, the yard was already full of people. Qi Lang and Lady Qi were waiting for her
at the gate. As soon as she arrived, the two men led her to the table in the north and sat down.
As soon as Yun Shang took her seat, she noticed all the people were looking at her. But they didn't
speak a word. They just smiled and talked with Lady Qi.
Except Qi Lang and Lady Qi, all the people sitting at the main table were men and women that Yun
Shang had never seen before. Yun Shang glanced around the hall indifferently, and her eyes fell on the
stage in the distance. On the stage, some eloquent people sat or stood, some played the instrument,
some rang the bell, and some beat the drum.
Qi Lang stood up and said in a deafening voice, "The banquet is to welcome Lady Jing. Lady Jing has
come all the way with his Majesty's blessings and condolence. Today, we, who are in the position of
kinship in the Imperial City, express our gratitude to his Majesty on behalf of thousands of common
people."
Everyone stood up and raised the wine glass. Yun Shang smiled softly, and also stood up to propose a
toast. She raised her head and drank the wine in one gulp.
They all applauded and drank the wine in their glasses.
When everyone was seated, a show began. It was called "orchid of flowers".
The main role was played by a beautiful woman. She was neither heroic nor excellent. As a general,
she was quite gentle and soft in the military exercise.
Yun Shang heard a light snort from below, "She is just a woman who knows nothing about the military.
Does she really think she can be a hero to save her country in distress? A woman should just be raised
in a boudoir and embroider flowers. Does she really want to go to the battlefield to kill the enemy? I'm
afraid that when she is in the real battlefield, she will be too scared to stand on her feet. "