A Welcome Banquet
Without him having to guess, Zhao Ruyu blurted out, "I often heard the old lady say that Third Uncle was ambitious and cold-hearted, showing no brotherly affection towards Eldest Uncle and Father. Before the family was divided, he almost never interacted with our branch of the family, and he wouldn't say more than a few words to Father in a year. I always felt that he looked down on Father."
Zhao Jingli frowned again.
"So I always felt that my third uncle's enthusiasm in arranging a marriage for my father, especially at a time like this, seemed to have ulterior motives. But I saw that my father was quite Gao Xing, and I didn't want to dampen his spirits. After thinking it over, I had no one to consult, so I came to my two older brothers."
Zhao Jingli's expression softened slightly, and his tone towards Zhao Ruyu became much gentler. "Sixth Sister, you did the right thing. Third Uncle always has an ulterior motive in his words and actions. I wonder what wicked scheme he's plotting this time. In the future, if you encounter anything like this, just come to me and Jing'an. We're in the same boat now, sharing weal and woe, so we must work together."
"Yes, that's what I think too." Zhao Ruyu gave Zhao Jingli a friendly smile.
"Please take good care of my second brother, eldest brother. But eldest brother, please take care of yourself too. If my second brother recovers tomorrow, he will be worried if he sees you like this. Now that his fever has subsided, you should rest early tonight. There are servants to look after you, so you don't need to worry too much." She said with great concern and care.
"Okay, thank you." Zhao Jingli's thanks were now even more sincere.
As Zhao Ruyu left Zhao Jingli's courtyard, she gazed at the moon peeking out from behind the clouds and took a deep breath.
She misses Fu Yunlang terribly right now, so much.
She longed to tell Fu Yunlang everything, to let him share her worries, and to let him help her analyze the situation. She wanted to be the carefree little woman she was in her past life, someone who didn't have to worry about anything, someone who could simply nestle in Fu Yunlang's arms like a little bird, letting him shelter her from the wind and rain.
But she couldn't. If Fu Yunlang knew she wasn't the Zhao Ruyu from before, but a reborn woman, wouldn't he be afraid?
Fu Yunlang, who was favored by Zhao Ruyu, went directly to a residence under the name of the Second Prince Xiao Lingpu to attend a welcoming banquet after parting ways with her.
Some time ago, he went to Jiangnan with the Fifth Prince and only returned to the capital today. Xiao Lingpu a banquet to welcome them back.
The banquet was attended by a group of young men from prominent families who often rode horses and played together. They chatted and laughed, creating a lively atmosphere.
A young gentleman saw Fu Yunlang sitting alone in a corner, drinking and looking sullen, and asked with a smile, "Fu Er, what's wrong?"
"What else could it be? He's just worried about his little beauty," another person joked.
Everyone laughed.
Fu Yunlang grabbed a steamed bun in front of him and threw it over, laughing and cursing, "Get lost."
They were used to joking around, so the other person didn't take it to heart. He took the steamed bun, took a bite, and sat down next to Fu Yunlang.
Seeing that everyone was talking and not paying attention to them, he patted Fu Yunlang on the shoulder, sighed, and said, "I just don't understand, what's so good about Zhao Ruyu that she's so infatuated with you?"
The people of the Great Jin Dynasty were open-minded, much like those of the Tang Dynasty. Lively noble ladies often went out to ride horses and have fun, and they also often played with other noble young men, with some even taking a liking to each other.
Even among the sons of noble families, there were social classes and circles. The top group had their own circles, while the middle and lower-ranking nobles also had their own circles.
This is why marriages between people who are mutually attracted are often between well-matched families, and elders are happy to see them happen.
For this reason, the wealthy and noble families in the capital of the Great Jin Dynasty generally arrange marriages for their children when they are about to reach adulthood, for fear that their children will find someone else they love when they reach the age of marriage. Of course, this is also to prevent their fiancés from dying young, so that their children will be burdened with the reputation of being widowed or widower.
Because of the open-minded social customs, Fu Yunlang and Zhao Ruyu, as the male and female protagonists of a sweet romance novel, are both love-struck. They are deeply in love with each other and do not shy away from letting others know, so Xiao Lingyan vaguely heard his attendants mention this matter.
This man is named Zhang Siyi. He has a younger sister who is close friends with Zhao Ruyu. The group of them often go out to have fun, and both siblings know about Fu Yunlang and Zhao Ruyu's relationship.
Seeing that Fu Yunlang's expression darkened after hearing his words, clearly indicating that he was unwilling to listen, Zhang Siyi felt bored.
"Alright, alright, you can stay here and miss your sweetheart all by yourself. I'll go sit over there." He moved his chair closer to the main table, diverting his attention to the conversation between the two princes and Fu Yunkai and the others.
They were all sons of noble families, and of similar age. They usually played together and made friends based on their interests, without any affiliation. The elders in their families were happy for the younger generation to interact like this in private. In the future, if they encountered difficulties, this friendship from their youth might just save their lives.
Therefore, when Xiao Lingpu hosted a banquet tonight, he only had to say a word, and more than a dozen young men came to attend. The banquet was set up in the main hall of the villa outside Xiao Lingpu's palace, with two tables set up and lanterns lit around the hall, making the whole hall very bright.
Those seated at the main table, apart from the two princes, were all heirs like Fu Yunkai. They were all around fifteen or sixteen years old and had already begun learning to manage household affairs from their fathers, so they talked about local customs and the businesses their families ran.
They chatted animatedly about which businesses were profitable, which fields were good, and which officials had estates to sell after committing crimes. Sometimes, in the midst of the conversation, a deal would be struck.
When a deal is successfully negotiated and the elders are informed, it can sometimes have a significant impact on the family business, bringing considerable benefits. These young people themselves also gain more attention and praise from their elders.
Therefore, more and more sons of noble families in the capital wanted to join the banquet. However, the brothers Xiao Lingpu and Xiao Lingyan were cautious. In order to avoid being reprimanded by their father and impeached by other princes out of jealousy, they limited the number of sons to five or six. Other sons who did not have power at home were also included in this number, otherwise they would be accused of forming cliques.
"... I wonder when Wei Qiu will sell his properties. I heard he has two large estates in Beining, several others in other counties, and quite a few shops and houses in the capital. In the last one or two decades, he has made a fortune."
Sitting to the left of Xiao Lingyan was Cen Song, the young master of the Cen Family. He was a cousin of the two princes, so he always had a seat at banquets and could speak relatively freely.
"I heard that his second son is not good at studying, but he is very good at business," said one of the princes.
Another prince immediately scoffed, "What business acumen? That's just empty talk. Everyone in the court knows Wei Qiu is shrewd and calculating, and he held lucrative positions for several years. His family fortune is no ordinary one."