The seductive princess is no longer being pursued; the aloof prime minister is facing a crematorium.

Chapter 19 Arranging the Banquet
One stone caused a thousand waves!

For a moment, the officials who were sitting at the banquet stared wide-eyed, their faces filled with astonishment!
Xia Wenbin was also stunned. He pointed at the kneeling servant and asked loudly, "Explain yourself, which Jiangnan Si family are you from!"

—In this entire Wan Jin, how many Si families from Jiangnan are left?
The servant trembled, his legs shaking, "Reporting to...Reporting to Your Excellency, it's that...the Jiangnan Si family, who was on par with the late Emperor..."

"Bang -" sound!
Upon hearing this, some guests at the banquet collapsed to the ground, their legs giving way.
The remaining guests clearly realized what was happening, hurriedly bowed to Xia Wenbin, and ran out of the Xia residence without daring to say a word!
If the Grand Secretary's visit to the Princess's residence was due to being caught red-handed, then the fact that the Si family from Jiangnan attended the banquet in Yichun could not possibly have been "forced" to do so!

That's the Si family from Jiangnan!
That was the Si family of Jiangnan, whose wealth rivaled that of a nation and whose status was comparable to that of the late emperor!
—The late emperor has gone to the banquet in Yichun, how dare they refuse to go!?
In an instant, the once bustling Xia family garden became deserted and desolate.

At the pavilion, many women had been called away by the officials, and many others, having come on their own, were unaware of what had happened ahead.

"Hongyao, what happened? They were fine just now, how come they're all gone all of a sudden?" Qingshan asked Hongyao, who had just brought the news, feeling puzzled.

Hongyao also looked very frightened, her voice trembling slightly: "Miss, I heard, I heard that the Si family from Jiangnan came to the capital to attend Princess Zhaoming's Yichun Banquet..."

"How is this possible?!" Qing Shan slammed her hand on the table, startling the women around her. "The Si family of Jiangnan is such a prestigious family, how could they possibly associate with Princess Zhaoming!"

“It’s absolutely true. I just heard it from a guard from the Si family in Jiangnan on Chang’an Street. He confirmed it himself.”

Now, the women turned ashen-faced, and they could see panic on the faces of others.

—If Princess Zhaoming is truly acquainted with the Si family of Jiangnan, then it's only a matter of time before she regains her former power!
They've been saying a lot of bad things about Princess Zhaoming these past few days; if she finds out...

The women began to panic...

Xia Yurong's face was pale. She bit her lip slightly and lowered her head, seemingly lost in thought.

"What are you afraid of!" Qing Shan was an impatient person. She immediately took Xia Yu Rong's hand. "What do you mean by the Si family of Jiangnan? They might just be imposters! Yu Rong, let's go take a look together!"

Xia Yurong hesitated for a moment before glancing at Qingshan. Qingshan used some force to lead Xia Yurong out of the Xia residence through the back door and headed towards the princess's residence.

Seeing this, the women exchanged glances and hurriedly followed.
-
The backyard of the princess's residence.

Jiang Jinshuang sat listlessly in the main seat. She yawned lazily and tapped the table rhythmically with one hand, as if waiting for something.

The banquet is about to begin.

But now, apart from this uninvited prime minister, there are no other guests at the table.

Chun Tao hesitated before stepping forward and said softly, "Your Highness, the banquet is about to begin..."

Jiang Jinshuang nodded indifferently. She opened her eyes slightly and saw Pei Du in the guest seat.

She rested her chin on her hand, looking at him with a leisurely air, a half-smile on her face: "Lord Pei, are you always the first one to arrive at banquets?"

The man in the guest seat had indistinct features and an upright posture.

"Your Highness, my master does not usually attend banquets."

Jingmo, who was standing to the side, spoke first and answered on behalf of Pei Du.

Even at banquets hosted by His Majesty, his family members rarely attend.

The banquet lacked a formal atmosphere, and many officials wanted to take the opportunity to chat with him, build relationships, and form cliques.

—His family doesn't really like it.

Jiang Jinshuang nodded thoughtfully, then asked Jingmo, "Young Master Jingmo, is your master always like this, keeping people at arm's length?"

"Ah? Sir, he—"

"Your Highness," Pei Du said coldly this time, before Jing Mo could say anything more, "it's time to start the banquet."

Jiang Jinshuang smiled and waved her hand: "No rush, my distinguished guest hasn't arrived yet."

"Honored guest, are you referring to me?" A clear and pleasant voice came from afar.

Jiang Jinshuang twitched her ears and looked in the direction of the sound.

In the distance, a man dressed in a jade-colored robe and wearing a moon-white cloak walked towards her with a smile.

The master of ceremonies standing outside the princess's residence announced loudly: "Si Ning, the eldest son of the Jiangnan Si family, brings ten imperial medicine belts, twelve jade pool noodles, eight jade falcon rabbit belts, one hundred bolts of gold-threaded brocade, one hundred bolts of thousand-gold fur coat... and a quantity of gold and silver utensils, pearls and agates, to attend the banquet!"

The official in charge of the ceremony spent a full quarter of an hour reading out the souvenirs!
As they got closer, the man's features became clearer.

The newcomer's face was exquisitely beautiful, with a pair of lovely, spring-like peach blossom eyes, sword-like eyebrows, starry eyes, black hair, and red lips.

What's most captivating is the beauty mark at the corner of his eye, which unexpectedly adds a touch of allure to his otherwise dignified and gentle eyes.

The man walked against the light, his sleeves fluttering, facing the gentle spring breeze. His figure was graceful and refined.

His robes looked thin, but those who knew their stuff could tell at a glance that the material was a rare silk fabric, made only once every ten years!
I heard that this material disappeared a hundred years ago and was bought up by a wealthy family. I never expected to see it here again today!

Jiang Jinshuang's lips finally showed a genuine smile.

She didn't get up, but just smiled reproachfully, "You're late."

Si Ning stopped in front of Jiang Jinshuang and apologized with a smile: "Your Highness, please forgive me. I encountered some things on the way and was delayed."

From his seat as a guest, Pei Du also looked toward the newcomer.

Upon recognizing the person, Pei Du slowly rose and bowed slightly, saying, "Your humble servant Pei Du greets Mr. Si Ning."

Si Ning turned slightly and looked at Pei Du beside her.

He smiled gently and nodded slightly: "I have long heard of Lord Pei's reputation, but seeing him today, he truly has the appearance of an immortal."

Pei Du didn't seem surprised by Si Ning's arrival.

Jiang Jinshuang ignored all of this and simply gestured to Si Ning with her eyes. Si Ning understood and sat down on the other side of the guest seats.

There were only three people at the banquet.

Jiang Jinshuang smiled and said to the servants beside her, "Let the banquet begin."

The servant replied respectfully, "Yes."

"The auspicious time has arrived, open—"

"Xu Zhi, Councilor of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, has come to the banquet with a pair of jade gourd cups and two golden lion-shaped balls!"

"Dong Huiyuan, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, has come to the banquet with a pair of wine bottles and four incense burners!"

"Zhang Xian, the chief steward of the Imperial Stud, has come to the banquet with a 'Pearl and Mountains' fan and two scrolls of calligraphy!"

……

Before the servant could finish speaking, the once quiet Princess's residence was instantly filled with officials and guests who had come to attend the banquet!

Suddenly, the area outside the mansion became lively, with the sound of the master of ceremonies announcing the rites incessantly for a long time.

The noise outside grew louder and closer.

Until a group of officials, led by their attendants, ran all the way to the banquet and kowtowed to Jiang Jinshuang, who was seated at the head of the table!

"We have come to the Princess's residence for a banquet to welcome Her Highness back to the capital!"

(End of this chapter)