Thrown out of the house, the wet nurse enters the noble household and becomes a person of high statu

The Qionglin Banquet began with His Majesty personally adorning the top three winners with flowers.

Then the newly appointed scholars collectively expressed their gratitude, and His Majesty bestowed wine upon them.

The amber-colored imperial wine was served one by one by palace servants in glass goblets.

Pei Yaojun accepted the cup, raised it to express his gratitude, and drank it all in one gulp.

Then came the music; court musicians played the zither and the sheng, the melodies solemn and graceful.

Finally, His Majesty bestowed a poem, encouraging the newly appointed scholars to be loyal to the emperor, serve the country, and diligently govern for the people.

The poem was read aloud by a Hanlin scholar, its verses resounding and its meaning profound, captivating all the officials in the hall who listened intently.

Liu Wenying stood behind Pei Yaojun, quietly watching everything.

She suddenly understood why scholars throughout history had to study diligently for years and why they were so obsessed with the imperial examinations.

Such a grand moment is indeed something to be proud of.

His Majesty is busy with many affairs of state. After bestowing the poem, he left his seat, and the banquet became even more lively and relaxed than before.

Fine wines and delicacies were served in a flowing stream, and the music turned light and cheerful.

The newly appointed scholars relaxed, toasted each other, congratulated each other, discussed their future careers, and looked forward to a bright future.

Pei Yaojun was also surrounded by his classmates, who toasted him one cup after another.

Fine wines mingled, and music filled the air.

Pei Yaojun, as one of the best among the newly appointed Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) and the eldest son of the Duke of Jingguo, naturally became the object of everyone's attempts to win him over.

In addition to fellow graduates taking turns offering toasts, officials from various departments also stepped forward.

The Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of War, and even several Grand Secretaries sent their protégés to deliver messages.

"Young Master Pei is a promising young man. We will be serving in the same court in the future, and I hope you will look after him!"

"Brother Yaojun, your talent is extraordinary; you will surely become a pillar of the nation in the future. I'll drink this cup in advance as a sign of respect!"

"Third Master Pei, my father asked me to convey his congratulations to you. He will definitely visit your residence another day for a chat..."

Glasses clinked together, and laughter filled the air.

Pei Yaojun was surrounded, but he remained calm and composed, responding appropriately with a smile in his eyes.

Duke Yu, along with his eldest son Pei Dingxuan and second son Pei Zeyu, also came over.

Duke Yu looked at his young son, who was surrounded by people, and could not hide his joy.

He patted Pei Yaojun on the shoulder without saying a word, but the pride in his eyes spoke volumes.

The eldest and second eldest uncles also raised their glasses in succession: "Third brother, congratulations."

"Thank you, elder brother and second brother." Pei Yaojun clinked glasses with them and drank it all in one gulp.

After a few pleasantries between the father, son, and brothers, they were pulled aside by others to talk.

Pei Yaojun was swept back into the crowd, like a bright pearl surrounded by stars, so dazzling that he could not be ignored.

Liu Wenying remained behind him, but as more and more people gathered, she was gradually separated from the crowd.

The noise, music, toasts, and compliments mingled together, like a giant net that kept her out.

She lowered her eyes, looking at her plain blue dress, which seemed out of place among the gorgeous robes around her.

Like a bird that has strayed into a flock of cranes, feeling awkward and uneasy.

Pei Dingxuan was talking to someone not far away, but his gaze kept sweeping towards her.

He saw her sitting there all alone, like a forgotten shadow.

Recalling that day on the snowy mountain, her distant gaze and resistant words when she refused his approach, he ultimately suppressed the impulse in his heart.

That's it.

If she is unwilling, why should he force her?

Just as he was pondering this, a sudden commotion broke out in the crowd.

Several drunken officials walked by, supporting each other. One of them stumbled and bumped into Liu Wenying.

Caught off guard, Liu Wenying lost her balance and fell backward.

She hurriedly reached out to steady herself on the edge of the table, but her sleeve was splashed with wine by the official's cup.

"Are you blind?! Where did this servant come from, daring to block my way!"

The official, his eyes glazed with drunkenness, pointed at her and began to curse.

Liu Wenying stood up, bowed her head, and said, "This servant has been rude. Please forgive me, sir."

The official was quite drunk and wouldn't let it go: "Forgive me? You've soiled my official robes, and you think a simple 'Forgive me' is enough? This is the Qionglin Banquet; who among us isn't a high-ranking official?"

The more they said it, the harsher it got.

Liu Wenying pursed her lips and didn't argue anymore.

In such a situation, any explanation is futile; lowly status is the original sin.

Just as the stalemate was at hand, a steady voice broke in: "Master Zhou."

The drunken official turned around at the sound, and upon seeing the person who came, he instantly sobered up.

"Minister Pei... I have lost my composure and made a fool of myself in your presence."

Pei Dingxuan walked up to Liu Wenying and stood in a protective posture.

"This is someone from my household. If there has been any offense, I, Pei, apologize on her behalf."

Master Zhou waved his hand, "No, no! So you're from the Duke of Yu's residence. It's all a misunderstanding."

After saying that, he offered a few more compliments and then tactfully turned and left.

Liu Wenying lowered her eyes. "This servant thanks you, sir."

Pei Dingxuan turned around and his gaze fell on her face. She had regained her usual respectfulness, her eyes lowered.

"How did you get here?" he suddenly asked.

Liu Wenying didn't hide anything: "It was Third Master who brought me here."

"Nonsense! The palace isn't a place just anyone can enter!"

He paused after speaking, as if realizing something was amiss, and added, "I wasn't talking about you. It's just that palace rules are strict, and the slightest carelessness can lead to trouble. My third brother is being too reckless."

He spoke with restraint, his words carrying a subtle concern.

"I know."

The more overly respectful she was, the clearer his complex emotions became.

She always seemed to be like this, using respectfulness as armor to hide her true self completely.

Taking a deep breath, Pei Dingxuan looked away. "I'll have my servants escort you out of the palace."

Liu Wenying hesitated, "Third Master only has me as his attendant. If I leave, I'm afraid..."

I'm afraid I'll be punished.

Before he finished speaking, Pei Dingxuan understood.

"I told him, you don't need to worry."

Liu Wenying remained silent for a moment.

She wasn't just worried about being punished; although Pei Yaojun was absurd, he was also a man of his word.

She was also worried about the three hundred taels of silver.

Now that she's here and seen the world, it's not her wish to be sent away by the master halfway through. If the third master knows this, shouldn't he give her three hundred taels?

"This servant will follow your instructions, sir."

Pei Dingxuan nodded, summoned his servant Atai, and gave him a few instructions.

Atai bowed and accepted the order, then gestured for Liu Wenying to proceed.

Liu Wenying curtsied again and turned to follow Atai toward the palace gate.

The palace path meanders, bathed in moonlight like water.

Atai led Liu Wenying away from Hanguang Palace. The night breeze swept through the corridor, carrying the dampness of the lake and the faint sound of string and bamboo instruments in the distance.

The two walked one after the other for a while, when Liu Wenying suddenly realized something was wrong.

Atai's steps slowed down, and his breathing became heavier.

She looked over and saw that Atai's face was pale, his forehead was covered in a fine layer of cold sweat, he was clutching his stomach with one hand, and his brows were furrowed.

Are you feeling unwell?

Atai gritted his teeth, trying to hold on, but the cramps in his abdomen came in waves, and he couldn't bear it any longer.

"Nanny Liu, my stomach hurts terribly, I'm afraid I need to go and take care of it."

"Then go ahead, I'll wait for you here."

"This..." Atai hesitated.

"I'll stay here and not wander around. Just go and come back quickly."

Atai couldn't hold on any longer. He nodded, clutched his stomach, and hurriedly ran towards a side path, his back view disheveled.

Liu Wenying stood there, watching his figure disappear before looking around.

This must be one of the many gardens in the palace. Not far away is a lake, its surface shimmering in the moonlight.

A white jade bridge spans the lake, and on the other side of the bridge lies the brightly lit Hanguang Palace. The sounds of banquets and the occasional footsteps of patrolling guards can be faintly heard from beneath the palace walls.

Liu Wenying pulled her clothes tighter; the spring night breeze carried a chill.

Standing on the path wasn't good either, so she walked to a rockery by the lake, found a clean stone step to sit on, and waited quietly.

The moonlight spilled onto the lake, shattering into countless silver scales.

Time passed little by little.

Atai hasn't come back yet.

Liu Wenying felt uneasy and was about to get up to look for him when she suddenly heard footsteps coming from ahead.

…………