Taking her into his tent, he incurred the wrath of a powerful and mad minister, from which he could

A woman dressed in a smoky pink fairy dress walked gracefully forward. Her figure was slender and her natural beauty was striking.

Mingyi walked up to Madam Zong and greeted her, "Greetings, Madam. Greetings, Eldest Madam."

As she spoke, her gaze swept lightly over Zong Xian, then she lowered her eyes slightly, her voice gentle and soft: "Greetings, my lord."

Zong Xian's gaze fell on her, his expression slightly unfathomable.

Standing to the side, Madam Liu laughed and said, "We're all family, calling him 'Master' is too formal. He's a generation older than you, so just call him 'Second Uncle'!"

Mingyi then changed her address and called the man "Second Uncle".

Zong Xian did not agree.

Zong Ying, standing to the side, protested, pouting at Ming Yi and saying, "You've greeted everyone, this one and that one, but why did you leave me out? Am I not worthy of greetings?"

Even as she spoke angrily, her eyes curved into crescent moons, making her very lively and endearing.

Mingyi smiled and asked her in return, "Should I call you Miss Zongying, or should I address you as Madam Wang?"

Zong Ying then raised her chin and said with great confidence, "I will not take my husband's surname!"

...

The hall was filled with laughter and conversation. Zong Ying's arrival instantly added a touch of liveliness to the once quiet and solemn Zong residence.

Liu's gaze shifted subtly between Zong Xian and Ming Yi. Ming Yi was talking to Zong Ying the whole time, and didn't even exchange a glance with Zong Xian.

It was difficult for Liu to discern anything from Zong Xian's unfathomable face.

Liu's eyes darted around slightly, and she said to Mingyi, "By the way, you've only just officially met the Second Master today, so you should offer him a cup of tea."

Mingyi was slightly taken aback, but didn't think much of it. She had served tea to the old lady when she entered the mansion earlier, so she immediately responded.

Qinghe then brought over a new teacup.

After Mingyi poured the tea, he walked up to Zongxian in front of everyone, handed him the teacup with both hands, and said, "Second Uncle, please have some tea."

Zong Xian stretched out his hand.

Mingyi lowered her eyes, assuming he had caught it, and naturally let go.

But the cup slid down and crashed to the ground with a bang!

The dark tea even splashed onto Zong Xian's robe.

Mingyi was stunned for a moment, but quickly came to her senses. She hurriedly took out a handkerchief to wipe Zongxian's clothes while apologizing embarrassedly.

Madam Liu smiled and smoothed things over: "The little girl is timid. She was so frightened by the Second Master's imposing presence that she couldn't even hold onto the cup properly."

Zong Ying thought Mingyi was really frightened, so she glared at the man and said, "Second brother, why do you always have such a stern face? You're scaring Mingyi."

He then said to Mingyi, "It's alright, it's alright. My second brother is a man, he's tough and thick-skinned, he's not afraid of the hot tea."

Mingyi was almost driven mad by her own stupidity. She hadn't even seen what had happened, attributing it to her carelessness, and was extremely annoyed.

The maidservant hurriedly squatted down to clean up the mess.

Amidst the chaos, Zong Xian suddenly reached out, took the handkerchief from Ming Yi's hand, and casually wiped his hands. "It's nothing serious, don't blame yourself."

After saying this, he stood up from the chair and said to Madam Zong, "Mother, I'll go downstairs to change my clothes first."

"Go then." Old Madam Zong waved her hand.

Zong Xian nodded, turned and left the hall.

No one noticed that Zong Xian quietly tucked the handkerchief into his sleeve, his fingers slowly tightening.

Laurel stood behind, watching the man's departing figure with a strange expression, biting her lip.

She was standing closest to the girl, and because she was standing, she could see her very clearly.

She clearly saw Zong Xian catch the teacup, but then suddenly let go in an instant!

But it's so strange, why would Second Master do this?

For the next few hours, Yuegui kept getting distracted and pondering this problem, almost to the point of getting stuck on a rut.

Mingyi noticed that the girl was lost in thought, and gently touched her shoulder. "What are you thinking about?"

Yuegui quickly snapped out of her daze, composed herself, and whispered, "It's nothing, I just thought the Zong family banquet was really grand..."

Mingyi's gaze returned to the sumptuous meal, and he remained noncommittal.

It is said that Zong Xian specially invited the imperial chefs from the palace to cook for this family banquet. This is a privilege that even noble families cannot enjoy. They are only here today because of Zong Ying.

When Zong Xian reappeared, he had changed his clothes, and no one mentioned serving tea again.

Of the two concubines from the main wife's family, only one, Madam Yu, came.

Although Yu's background was not as good as the mistress's, she was from the maternal family of the old lady, so she was naturally closer to the old lady. Therefore, in front of Liu, Yu, as a concubine, was not very afraid of the mistress.

However, Madam Yu had no sons, only a young daughter, and Madam Liu didn't take Madam Yu seriously. The two maintained a facade of harmony while talking.

Compared to other prominent families in the capital, the inner quarters of the Zong family were relatively peaceful and harmonious, without so many unsavory incidents.

The main reason is that Zong Xian has not married, so there are few women in the household, plus the old lady is there to keep things in check.

The Zong family did not have the rigid rule of not speaking while eating or sleeping. Zong Ying was the most talkative and could even chat with Madam Yu.

The Zong family was all smiles at the dinner table, and with Zong Ying, the source of joy, the atmosphere was even more lively.

Liu observed Zong Xian discreetly and saw that he remained calm and his gaze did not waver even slightly, as if he did not care much about Mingyi.

Liu lowered her eyes, wondering to herself: Did the Second Master know Mingyi's identity, or did he give up his intentions because of his affection for the Xie family?

That's for the best, then she won't have to break up a loving couple.

Zong Xian left early because he had official business to attend to, and the old lady did not insist that he stay. Only Zong Ying complained quietly.

Mingyi didn't care about Zongxian's departure or stay.

When dinner was over, she subconsciously reached for her handkerchief to wipe her mouth, but couldn't find it. Then she suddenly remembered.

It seems Zong Xian didn't return her handkerchief!

Mingyi's heart skipped a beat, but she quickly calmed down.

She thought to herself that Zong Xian must have taken it casually and forgotten to return it, and it wasn't intentional.

Besides, what would he do with her handkerchief?

Noticing her unusual expression, Yuegui, who was behind her, asked in a low voice, "Miss, what's wrong?"

With other members of the clan present, Mingyi couldn't speak directly, so she gently shook her head, "It's nothing."

Yuegui didn't ask any more questions.

Mingyi was still a little worried, her two delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly.

A handkerchief is a woman's personal item. Losing it is not a big deal, but it could be used by someone to make a big deal out of it.

Although she believed Zong Xian wouldn't be such a despicable person, she knew all too well how easy it was to spread rumors about women in this era.

If he carelessly tossed it somewhere and someone else picked it up, Ji Mingyi would be the one who would suffer.