Border Cook

Chapter 657 New Year's Eve Banquet (Part )

Everyone was talking at once, making a lot of noise, and their purpose and intentions were clearly seen by Madam He and Fan Jinglan.

Madam He waved at Fan Jinglan and said, "Look, do they think I am a glutton?"

"Madam, please don't let your imagination run wild. They don't think that you are a glutton." Fan Jinglan said with a smile.

Everyone: "..."

They certainly didn't think so, but since this was said so clearly, why did it feel like they did think so?

Someone smiled awkwardly, "Old Madam, Madam Fan is joking. I dare not have such an idea."

"Yeah yeah……"

Fan Jinglan curled her lips, "So what you mean is that you originally had this idea, but you just didn't dare to do it?"

Everyone: "..."

Everyone fell silent and said no more.

Fan Jinglan continued, "Today is the New Year's Eve banquet. All the female members of the family have come to the palace to pay their respects to the Queen Mother and the Empress and gather together. It is very common for people to get together and chat, but why are you constantly recommending your cooking skills? What are you trying to do?"

"Oh, I see. You saw that I was close to Madam He and Sister Xia, and you thought it was because of Sister Xia's outstanding cooking skills, so you recommended yourself, hoping to get more favor from Madam He and get close to me, so that you can get more benefits?"

"As for why you are so confident, it is probably because you think that Sister Xia is from the border, and you have been in the capital for a long time, and each of you is from a famous family. The cooking skills you have learned must be better than those of Sister Xia, who comes from the countryside. That's why you are like this?"

Awesome, you guessed it exactly!

And he said it out loud without any reservation!
Everyone was amazed, but when they thought about how Fan Jinglan's straightforward character had been around for a long time, they felt that it was reasonable.

At this moment, everyone looked even more embarrassed. They just laughed awkwardly twice, bowed, and went their separate ways.

Without the noise of these people, the three of them felt a lot quieter and just continued to chat together.

Madam He took Xia Mingyue's hand and smiled softly, "There are all kinds of people in this capital city, and there are many people with many thoughts. Don't pay attention to them."

"Yes, sister, there is no need to be afraid, just open your mouth and fight back." Fan Jinglan also said.

"Yes, I've got that." Xia Mingyue smiled with her eyes curved.

I have to say, it feels so good to be protected unconditionally.

She really met an excellent friend.

Old friends, little friends, everything is available!
Xia Mingyue was happy and had a big smile on her face as she continued chatting with Madam He and Fan Jinglan.

Unlike the female members where there is a chain of contempt and flattery, the situation in the east wing hall is much more harmonious.

Everyone had a happy smile on their face and was complimenting each other, and there was no sign of anything fishy going on.

Even those who were sworn enemies in the past greeted each other with a smile, as if they were old friends.

The Wen family and the Cui family are in this situation now.

Wen Yongze and the head of the Cui family sat together, chatting and laughing, and looked very harmonious.

If you look closely, you can see that there is viciousness beneath the smile.

While accompanying Wen Yongze to the bathroom, Wen Liyan said with a smile, "Looking at this, the Cui family doesn't know about this yet. I'm afraid they are just waiting to see our Wen family make a fool of themselves."

Although they did not receive the news of Xiao Luoan's death as quickly as they did, if we estimate the time, it would have reached the capital by tonight.

At that moment, the Cui family was truly dumbfounded.

Wen Yongze felt very happy when he thought about seeing the astonished expressions of the Cui family.

Looking up at the gradually darkening sky, Wen Yongze chuckled, "The New Year's Eve banquet should be the happiest time, isn't it?"

At least, it was the happiest time for the Wen family.

"Yes, father." Wen Liyan smiled.

The sky was getting darker and darker, and the lights in the palace were lit one after another, illuminating the entire palace as if it were daytime.

Meanwhile, other houses in the capital were also brightly lit and bustling with activity.

The Wen family’s mansion in the capital was no exception at this time.

Although the masters all went to the palace for the banquet, the Wen family was wealthy and powerful, and the servants were also wealthy. At this time, the stewards made their own arrangements. Except for the people who took turns on duty, everyone else sat at the table and had a few glasses of wine.

Someone sneaked in under the cover of night, looked around, and after finding that no one noticed, he slipped into the warehouse.

As the celadon vase moved, the door of the dark room creaked open, and a figure immediately flashed in and disappeared into the darkness.

At exactly 0:00 p.m., everyone entered the main hall of Chongyang Palace and took their seats in order according to their designated seats.

Seats are usually arranged according to rank, but this year Lu Qiyan and Xia Yunji are both new celebrities, so their seats are closer to the emperor than those of ordinary people.

The same goes for the female members of the family. The empress dowager herself ordered Xia Mingyue to sit on the same seat as the princess, along with Fan Jinglan.

After everyone was seated, palace servants brought in tea and snacks.

At the beginning of the Xu hour, the Emperor, the Empress Dowager, and the Empress entered the hall one after another.

Everyone present immediately stood up and kowtowed.

"Long live the Emperor."

"May the Queen Mother be well."

"May the Queen be well and safe."

The three of them sat down one by one, and the emperor raised his hand and said, "Stand up."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, thank you, Your Majesty, thank you, Your Majesty."

Everyone stood up to thank him and sat up straight.

The emperor cleared his throat and said, "Tonight is New Year's Eve, the last day of the year. You are all my loyal subjects. I invite you to the palace for a banquet. First, for rewards, and second, for reunion. I will stay up with you to welcome the New Year!"

"Long live the Emperor!"

The ministers present stood up and saluted again, and the female members of the family followed suit to express their gratitude.

"No need to be polite." The emperor raised his hand and said with a smile on his face, "There is only one New Year's Eve banquet in a year. I will make an exception. You don't have to be so reserved. Pass on my words. There is no monarch or subject here today, only relatives!"

"Yes." Everyone responded and sat down again.

With the emperor's words, the nervous expressions of everyone present eased a little, but they still sat upright, afraid of making the slightest mistake.

The New Year's Eve banquet was the same every year, so the emperor didn't care and just raised his hand to Ding Dahai beside him.

Ding Dahai understood and immediately asked his subordinates to get busy.

The sound of stringed instruments began, and the dancers entered the palace, dancing gracefully and pleasing to the eyes. The emperor raised his glass and drank three cups with everyone, and the New Year's Eve banquet officially began.

People talked in low voices and drank together, and the banquet gradually became lively.

The Queen Mother took a quick look and then looked at the Emperor, "Is An'er not back yet?"

"I sent a letter earlier saying it would be in the next two days, so the latest would be tomorrow," the emperor replied.

"Yes." The Queen Mother nodded, "As long as you can return safely."

"Don't worry, Grandmother, my third brother is blessed by heaven and will definitely return on time." Xiao Luohe said with a smile, "And he will definitely gain a lot."

Xiao Luochen on the side sneered.

Xiao Luochen already knew that Xiao Luoan was no longer alive. Seeing that others knew nothing about this, he suddenly felt a sense of pleasure in playing with others in the palm of his hand.

"Brother, why are you laughing?" Xiao Luohe asked in confusion, "Is there something wrong with what I said, or is there something that you know but I don't?"

"That's not the case." Xiao Luochen narrowed his eyes slightly, "It's just that this is what I wanted to say just now, but my second brother suddenly got ahead of me, which caught me off guard."

"Grandmother." Xiao Luochen bowed to the Queen Mother, "Grandmother, don't worry about my third brother. I think there will be news soon."

information?

Xiao Luohe keenly captured this key information and his face suddenly darkened.

Is the Wen family so bold?

But when Xiao Luoan was returning to Beijing from Meiling, he encountered an assassination attempt on the way and had to change his route temporarily. At this time, no one would know which route he would take to return.

Now Xiao Luochen said this...

Has it been accomplished?
Xiao Luohe decided to wait and see and remained silent for the time being.

The Empress Dowager and the Emperor did not seem to notice this small detail and just nodded.

The Queen Mother especially kept muttering, "I hope so. It would be best if we could rush back tonight. After all, New Year's Eve is a time for family reunion."

"What your Majesty Queen Mother said is very true." The Emperor echoed.

The Queen Mother smiled and said, "Come on, it's almost time. It's almost time for the noble ladies in the capital to compete in their talents. Let's take a look and have some fun together."

"Yes." The emperor and the queen responded and sent someone to pass on the order.

As soon as the dance stopped, the center of the hall immediately became empty.

After receiving the emperor's signal, the queen smiled and said, "There are countless young talents and noble ladies in the capital, and each of them has extraordinary talents. At today's banquet, whoever is interested can show off one or two of their talents to show that the Great Zhou Kingdom has many talented people."

This is a part of every New Year's Eve banquet. Everyone is used to it and knows its purpose. They just say a few words and then look forward to seeing who will be performing the talent show.

As for those families who have daughters waiting to get married or men of marriageable age, their parents, brothers and sisters-in-law all straightened their backs and waited and watched.

Fan Jinglan took the lead and was the first to appear. She bowed to the Queen Mother, the Emperor, and the Queen in turn, and said, "Since that is the case, I will present my humble service."

"Okay." The emperor was scolded by the empress dowager for "bullying" Fan Jinglan last time. At this time, he smiled ingratiatingly and asked knowingly, "It's just that the clothes Lan'er is wearing are a little special. Could it be that you want to show that you are different from ordinary people?"

"Not only is it unique, but it's also my specialty." Fan Jinglan said with a smile, "It's just that it's a bit monotonous if I'm the only one doing it. I've already chosen someone to compete with. I hope the emperor will approve it so that everyone can watch the fun."

"Since you said so, I will naturally allow it." The emperor smiled, "But I don't know who Lan'er wants to compete with?"

Fan Jinglan chuckled and winked at Xia Yunji.

Xia Yunji stood up and stepped out of the line, standing next to Fan Jinglan, "Empress Dowager, Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I am humbled to present my humble service."

"This one is a female hero, and the other is a divine tiger general. Today I will open my eyes."

As soon as the emperor finished speaking, he raised his hand to signal him to start.

Fan Jinglan and Xia Yunji greeted each other, made a "please" gesture together, then clenched their fists and began to spar.

One is a gifted daughter of heaven, and the other is a rising star, and they have always been the focus of everyone's attention. Now, the two of them are punching and kicking with the wind, and their moves are ever-changing, making it impossible to take their eyes off them.

When it came to the exciting parts, many people cheered and praised continuously.

But this praise, from initially talking about the two people's moves, gradually turned into praising individuals.

There was no need to praise Fan Jinglan excessively. After all, she was a shining pearl whose brilliance could not be concealed anywhere. But this Xia Yunji...

He has a baby face, looks honest and simple, and is very likable. At this time, he is quite skilled, and looks like a free and easy young man in fine clothes riding a horse.

Moreover, he is a new noble in the court, without any strong backing and no parents-in-law. If the daughter marries him, not only can she help stabilize the family relationship, but she will also not have to deal with many rules such as family parents-in-law, and will not live a miserable life.

Excellent marriage!
Some people are ready to try and are considering getting close to Xia Mingyue, chatting her up, and seeing if they can get married.

There were also some people who were very calm, smiling without saying anything, and even whispered to those who had good relationships and had girls of marriageable age at home not to act rashly.

"Why is this? Could it be that the Xia family does not intend to help General Shenhu get married?"

"I thought that Cheng Jia was thinking about starting a family, but have you noticed that General Shen Hu already has a woman he likes?"

Does Xia Yunji have a crush on a woman?

"I haven't heard of this before, but how did you know about it? Could it be that you have some kind of connection?"

"No need for any tricks, anyone can see it with eyes." The person who spoke pursed his lips, signaling his friend to take a closer look at the two people who were sparring enthusiastically at the moment.

Upon hearing this, everyone stared at it intently.

Xia Yunji and Fan Jinglan, who were sparring with each other, were both very good at boxing and kicking. The fighting was very lively, but if you looked closely, you could see that although their punches seemed fierce, each of their moves actually hit the other's hands firmly, as if they were in tune with each other's minds.

After the two noticed this, they smiled at each other, and the tenderness in their eyes seemed to be overflowing.

If you look at it for a while longer, you'll even feel as if pink bubbles are appearing all around you.

Tsk, got it!

Fan Jinglan's sparring opponent was truly carefully selected.

And her purpose was not to show off her talents, but to take the opportunity to show Xia Yunji to the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, the Empress, and the entire Fan family, so that they could see whether this future son-in-law was good or not.

Some people understood this and smiled in a veiled manner, no longer thinking of marrying into the Xia family.

But there were also some who didn't see through it and had already approached Xia Mingyue to chat.

Xia Mingyue understood what the other party meant and responded politely with a smile, but she did not give a clear response to matters that were not clearly stated.

At this point, the people who came to talk to him already understood the general idea and gave up on the polite conversation.

At this time, the Queen Mother, the Emperor, the Queen and everyone in the Fan family stared at Xia Yunji for a long time.

The Queen Mother smiled and asked, "What do you think?"