Chapter 17          Equal Wife (2/2)

Jiang Mu and Ji Nanfeng went out of the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion. On the carriage back, Jiang Mu asked Ji Nanfeng, “Is she really only seventeen?”

Ji Nanfeng’s eyes darkened, and he didn’t answer.

Except for the rumbling sounds of the carriages and horses, there was silence in the carriage. Both of them were lost in their thoughts.

Qin Yan always told them not to carry too much, but in these years, Qin Yan was the one who really carried the burden.

This young girl took them through a lot of roads, including smooth ones and bumpy ones.

Many times, even they had ignored the woman standing in front of them, who was just a girl in her blooming youth.

Qin Yan was the master that Ji Nanfeng was willing to follow, and the only person Jiang Mu could trust in the enemy camp.

——

Prime Minister Qin Mansion invited guests with great fanfare, entertained relatives and friends, and held a wedding banquet for his wife Song Mei, his son Qin Ming, and his daughter Qin Nian. Although the wedding ceremony was omitted, the grandeur was comparable to marrying a legitimate wife.

The invitation was sent to the Duke of Zhenguo Shen Changshan a few days in advance, and of course, Qin Yan, who was still in the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion, was indispensable.

Shen Changshan was furious, not many noble families had an equal wife to avoid conflict with the first wife’s family. He, Qin Wenzheng, was really good, and was he not afraid that he would provoke the Duke of Zhenguo by putting on such a big battle?

Shen Shiyan and Fang Su were also annoyed and outraged, and they also felt worthless to Shen Shiying. Song Mei was already acting as the honorable mistress in the Qin Mansion. Qin Wenzheng didn’t even care about the last decency of the two families and insisted on tearing the cover. This was a blatant insult to the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion.

Shen Ci just happened to come back from the Northwest. He stopped his furious grandfather, father, and mother. Shen Ci said to them, “These beam-jumping clowns in Prime Minister Qin Mansion are not worthy of you to come forward to deal with this matter. Us, the younger generation, should do it.”

Shen Ci found Qin Yan, and Feng Yuyao also wrote to ask about the matter. It happened that Ji Nanfeng reported to Qin Yan some things he had found recently about Song Mei. When the three of them came together, they discussed a bad move just like they were playing tricks and pranks together when they were young.

——

A few days later, when the weather was bright and clear, Prime Minister Qin held a banquet in the mansion and invited famous actors in the capital to sing. It was so lively.

Song Mei’s clothes today were not as plain as they used to be. They were made of luxurious materials and exquisite embroidery, as they were made by a famous seamstress. The jewelry on her body was also very expansive, and the complexion on her face was also more rosy than usual, perhaps because of the happy occasion.

Qin Nian was dressed in a butterfly and flower smoke phoenix tail dress with a delicate gold inlaid beads hairpin. She was surrounded by a group of officials’ young ladies, and also with a happy expression on her face.

Qin Ming’s injuries were almost healed, only the corners of his eyes were slightly bruised. He was accompanied by his classmates who came as guests in the front hall.

Concubine Shu in the palace also attended the banquet, which really gave Song Mei great support.

Someone who didn’t know the situation asked Song Mei, who was now Madam Qin, “Why is Xi Garden walled up? Aren’t all the banquets held in Xi Garden in the past?”

“…” Song Mei was speechless.

“Madam Li, you don’t know. It was Qin Yan, the Princess of Zhaoren, who has people walled it up. She was extremely arrogant.” One of the official’s wives spoke on behalf of Song Mei.

“Madam Qin, with such an ignorant young lady in the house, it’s not easy for you to be the stepmother!” That madam seemed to be worried about Song Mei.

While talking, sad music suddenly played in Xi Garden, and the volume of it overwhelmed the music on the Qin Mansion’s stage.

All the guests looked at each other in confusion. Everyone in the capital knew that Prime Minister Qin held a wedding banquet today, who was so bold? This was causing a ruckus!

The Xi Garden had opened another main entrance on another street. Prime Minister Qin sent someone to make inquiries. The news came back that Miss Shen Ying over there said that she suddenly missed her madam today, so she invited a musician to play music in the garden to express her sorrow.

Shen Ying, wasn’t that the maid next to Qin Yan? That was why Qin Yan intentionally caused the ruckus.

Prime Minister Qin sent another person to try to stop it again, but his people could not enter the gate of Xi Garden, and there were guards from the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion guarding outside the gate.

Concubine Shu also sent someone to Xi Garden, but the other party said that they would not buy anyone’s account. It was their master’s garden, and they did what they liked.

A wedding banquet but was surrounded by sad music from the beginning to the end.

On the side of Prime Minister Qin Mansion, a group of officials’ wives comforted Song Mei who looked embarrassed.

“It has nothing to do with Shen Shiying. Madam Qin, you have given birth to a son to Prime Minister Qin, and it’s reasonable to raise you as his equal wife. What’s more, if it wasn’t for the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion’s insistence that Shen Shiying was just missing, Madam Qin, you should have been the second wife, but you’re just an equal wife. This Princess of Zhaoren is too ignorant.”

“Yanyan’s mother left early. It was because we didn’t teach her well, which made all the madams laugh.” Song Mei expressed her grief.

——

The rotten idea of playing sad music in Xi Garden today was Shen Ying’s initiative, and Qin Yan really didn’t know about it.

But the bad things Qin Yan did were not much better.

When everyone was thinking about it, the receiving servant led three young manservants with brocade boxes and entered the banquet hall, saying that their masters had told them to present the congratulatory gift to Prime Minister Qin personally.

Under the curious eyes of everyone, the first young manservant opened the brocade box, which contained a pair of shoes carved with jadeite jade. The young manservant said loudly, “Princess of Jingyi, send a pair of emerald carved dragon pattern boots.”

The second young manservant opened the brocade box, and inside was a brocade robe embroidered with a picture of a Kylin sending a child on a green background.

“General of Zhaowu of the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion, send a green Suzhou embroidery with ice silkworms brocade robe.”

The third young manservant opened the brocade box, and inside was a jade crown with exquisite carvings.

“Princess of Zhaoren, send a jade-carved crown.”

When everyone was confused, they didn’t know who it was that said recklessly, “Oh! It’s all green!”

At this point, how could everyone not understand that the three were sent here to hinder Prime Minister Qin?

The three young manservants who present the gifts didn’t wait for everyone to react. They left the gift boxes and slipped away quickly as if afraid they would be beaten if they were one step slower.

Some people couldn’t help laughing out loud, but they still had profound knowledge. They forcibly held back their facial expressions and comforted Prime Minister Qin, whose face was blackened as charcoal.

“That’s because the younger generation is ignorant. Prime Minister Qin, don’t take it to heart.”

Qin Wenzheng kept telling himself that today was a day of great joy and he couldn’t get angry.

Song Mei clenched the brocade handkerchief in her hand, what did Qin Yan mean, and what did she mind about?

——

Song Mei said the same thing again at the banquet, ” Yanyan’s mother left early. It was because we didn’t teach her well.” These words were eventually passed on to Qin Yan’s ears by those who watched the fun and didn’t take it too seriously.

Qin Yan raised her eyebrows slightly when she heard these words, did Song Mei really think she ascended the sky in one leap?

That was to add some weight to Song Mei.

At the same time, Qin Yan also received an oral order from the Emperor of Hui that she would enter the palace during the Dragon Boat Festival.



She had to enter the palace again.