Discuss with you

Chapter 579 Impersonation
Zhu Yu was initially worried that it might seem a bit odd that the two of them hadn't even found a carriage and had just walked all the way. However, when they arrived at the gate of the Duke of Yan's mansion, they realized that they had worried for nothing.

Although the street in front of the Duke of Yan's mansion was a very wide street, it was now completely blocked by the carriages of various officials. Those magnificent carriages were stuck in place and could not move, forcing the usually esteemed court officials on board to get off their carriages and walk to the mansion gate.

Zhu Yu certainly believed that with the usual vision and ability of the stewards and servants of the Duke of Yan's mansion, it was impossible for them not to be able to handle a slightly larger scene. Therefore, the only explanation was that the number of guests who came here today had exceeded their original expectations.

As for why it exceeded expectations, it's not hard to guess the answer—recently, the Duke of Yan used his power and position in the court to frequently entrust important positions to his cronies and confidants, and Emperor Jin did not seem to mind at all, letting it go unchecked. This undoubtedly gave those around him a hint—as long as they curry favor with the Duke of Yan, their rise to prominence was just around the corner.

So those who were still hesitant and observing have now become interested. Those who wanted to curry favor but had no opportunity can now, even if they can't get a drink this time, as long as they can present gifts and get registered, they will at least be one step closer to the Duke of Yan.

Lu Qing and Zhu Yu impersonated relatives of the Duke of Yan, but not close relatives who hadn't interacted much for years. It was understandable that they didn't have invitations. Following the rules, they entered through the side gate, registered their names at the entrance, and handed over the birthday gifts they had brought for inspection to check for anything amiss.

The person registering the guests saw that they were distant relatives of the Duke of Yan. It would be inappropriate to turn them away, but they didn't pay much attention to them. They glanced at the two unremarkable people and the insignificant gift they brought. Then they instructed their servants to lead the two to a long table in the corner of the courtyard and to let them sit there.

The people sitting at this table all seemed to be relatives like the Duke of Yan, who were not of high status but were eager to curry favor with him. Because they were scattered in different places, they didn't seem to know each other very well, and they didn't react much when Lu Qing and the others sat down.

Zhu Yu was secretly relieved that there were too many people trying to curry favor with the Duke of Yan at this critical juncture, and that there were also many powerful and influential relatives with connections in a roundabout way; otherwise, this meal would not have been so easy to get through.

In front of the large courtyard, a stage was set up, and the actors on the stage were singing enthusiastically. Many people dressed in fine clothes were walking back and forth in front of them. Few people were actually appreciating the performance on the stage. Most of them were trying to chat with people who were more powerful than themselves.

Think back to the last time General Cao held his birthday banquet, Lu Qing was still the carefree prince. Whether he was happy or not, he had to endure the hypocritical greetings and contemptuous looks from those around him, who regarded him as the most incompetent fool in the capital.

In addition, there are Lu Zhang and Lu Ze to entertain.

In contrast, this time they sat here almost unnoticed, but it was much more relaxing, as they could watch coldly from the sidelines in this unnoticed corner.

Thus, in Zhu Yu's eyes, the entire courtyard seemed to have transformed into a huge stage, with those glamorous and wealthy high-ranking officials coming and going, not much different from the actors on the stage.

After looking around for a while, Zhu Yu noticed something: "Why can't I see General Cao?"

She spoke very softly, but fortunately Lu Qing's hearing was always exceptionally good, so he heard her clearly. He then took the opportunity of bending down to pour tea to say to her, "It seems that after being impeached for allegedly manufacturing weapons last time, the rift between the two of us has become more and more obvious."

Today is a good day to see. If General Cao arrives late, it might mean that the two of them are still a little sullen, but there is no deeper resentment between them.

But if he doesn't come at all, that would be interesting. Finally, General Cao arrived just before the banquet was about to begin.

As soon as he arrived, many people immediately surrounded him to chat. The Duke of Yan, who was being fawned over, was quite warm towards General Cao, and seemed to be secretly relieved.

Until the banquet began, Zhu Yu did not see Zhao Bi's son-in-law, Bai Qihong. He had heard from Lu Qing that Bai Qihong was unwilling to accept his father-in-law's arrangements and asked the emperor to rescind the order. The two men had a big argument, and Zhao Bi was so angry that he almost ripped the roof off the Duke's mansion.

It seems the rumors were true; Bai Qihong was indeed not on the same path as Zhao Bi, because their paths were different, and naturally they could not work together.

Thinking of this, Zhu Yu even felt a little bit of relief.

When they were repairing the canal, Bai Qihong's pragmatism and hard work impressed her. From their conversation, she also realized that he was indeed a good official who wanted to work hard to benefit the people.

She had always felt that it was rather unpleasant that such a good person was on Zhao Bi's side.

As it turns out, not everyone who enters the same family is necessarily on the same page. Bai Qihong's stubbornness actually allowed him to withstand the enormous pressure exerted by his father-in-law.

If Bai Qihong is given enough room to develop in the future, he should be someone who can make great achievements in the Ministry of Works and benefit the people of the world.

Bai Qihong didn't come, but Lu Zhang did. Not only did he come alone, but he also brought Yan Shu with him. The two of them arrived very late, almost just before the banquet started.

When Zhu Yu saw Yan Shu, he was extremely surprised. His mouth opened involuntarily, and he forgot to close it. Lu Qing handed him a cup of tea, which made him come back to his senses. The two exchanged a glance, both feeling very surprised.

There is no doubt that Duke Yan dislikes Yan Shu, as evidenced by his initial instigation and instruction to Lu Zhang on how to treat his betrothed bride.

For so many years, Lu Zhang had always obeyed his maternal grandfather and never dared to disobey him. In the past, he had indeed treated Yan Shu with the same neglect and indifference that pleased Zhao Bi.

This time it was Zhao Bi's wife's birthday celebration, who was also Lu Zhang's maternal grandmother. The birthday banquet was held at the Duke of Yan's mansion. According to Lu Zhang's usual style of doing things, he should have left Yan Shu at the Prince of Yi's mansion and not brought her over to avoid getting in the way.

And yet he actually brought the person over!