Chapter 168 - The Banquet (6)

As they spoke, they saw someone coming from the other side. The two of them quickly buried their heads in their work and did not dare to speak. They heard the person walk up to them and say in a sharp voice, “Are you new?”

“Yes, Eunuch Gao, they are new,” someone replied.

The young eunuch mustered up his courage and looked up. There were three people standing in front of him. One of them was dressed as the head eunuch, and the other two were dressed as the second-class eunuch. The head eunuch was called Eunuch Gao.

Eunuch Gao glanced at the two of them and asked, “What’s your name?”

“I’m Lizi,” the young eunuch replied respectfully.

“Him.” Eunuch Gao said to the person beside him, “We need someone to serve wine at the banquet. He looks obedient and can probably please the nobles. Let him do it.”

“Yes.”

Lizi was also excited. In that case, wouldn’t he be able to receive a lot of tips as the palace maid had said? If he could catch the eye of some master, he might be able to get out of here.

In the palace, everyone tried their best to climb up. Even the lowest-ranking servant would dream of flying to the top overnight.

… .

In the front hall, many madams and ladies had already arrived. Apart from those who were related to the consorts in the palace, most of the women were sitting outside and chatting.

“Why aren’t Mrs. Shen and General Shen here yet?” A madam with high cheekbones smiled and said, “They’re the protagonists today. Did they come late on purpose?”

“Mr. Shen must be concerned about her daughter.” Another round-faced madam smiled, but her tone was filled with mockery.

2

As a mighty general with outstanding achievements, Shen Xin not only did not take in any concubines, but he was also loyal to Luo Xueyan. All the ladies were jealous of Luo Xueyan, who had an outstanding son and was loved by her husband.

What women loved the most was comparing themselves with each other. The happier Luo Xueyan was, the more envious the other madams would be. They wished that something unfortunate could happen to Luo Xueyan too. Therefore, they used Shen Miao to mock Luo Xueyan. Shen Miao was stupid and talentless. She was not good looking and would even make a fool of herself in the palace. This time of the year was the happiest time for these madams.

“I wonder what Miss Shen will be wearing this year.” A mocking smile appeared on Yi Peilan’s face. “Last year, her dress with gold leaves on it was very beautiful. With her gold jewelry, she looked quite ‘noble’. Could it be silver leaves this year?”

These words immediately caused the surrounding ladies to agree and laugh.

At this moment, a female suddenly said, “Everyone, be careful with what you say. Now Fifth Miss Shen is different. Even Young Master Cai couldn’t compete with her. If you make her unhappy, she’ll challenge you to a duel next time.”

As soon as she said that, the crowd fell silent. Many of the madams and young ladies here were present that day and had witnessed Shen Miao’s ferocity with their own eyes. These words actually made them shiver. If they angered Shen Miao, what if she shot an arrow at them?

The person who said this was Feng Anning. As soon as she said this, she was glared at by Mrs. Feng in disapproval. It was not wise to offend so many madams. Feng Anning rubbed her nose in displeasure. She just couldn’t stand these people talking bad about Shen Miao behind her back. In front of Shen Xin, they probably didn’t dare to say a word.

Before the awkward atmosphere dissipated, they heard a eunuch shouting outside, “The mighty general is here—”

Everyone looked at the door.

Walking at the front were Shen Xin and Shen Qiu. Shen Xin walked like a dragon and a tiger, looking dignified. The iron-blooded aura of a soldier made the women in the hall shudder. Shen Qiu stood tall and straight with a warm smile. His two shallow dimples made him look very amiable. All the girls could not help but blush.

The two of them did not stop in the front hall. They turned around and walked towards the main hall where the men were. Everyone’s gaze naturally landed on people behind them.

Luo Xueyan was wearing a soft armor robe. Her hair was combed into a sharp bun. Unlike those madams with heavy makeup, her outfit was extremely refreshing and simple, but because of the high-quality fabric, it did not look rough.

Immediately after her was a slender figure in purple.