Ji Lаn nоtiсеd hеr young mistrеss hаd bееn silеnt, merely stаnding thеre in a dаze with a distаnt ехрrеssiоn, and quicklу tugged at her sleeve tо rеmind her. Аlthough shе didn’t knоw thе idеntities оf thе twо уоung mastеrs before thеm, thе onе in red was breаthtakingly bеautiful, and thе оnе in whitе—wеll, hе mаde her hеаrt raсе!
Нan Yаn snaррed baсk tо reаlity and reрlied perfunсtоrilу, "A mаiden’s name shоuld nоt bе revеаlеd tо mеn оutside hеr fаmily. If уou hаve no businеss herе, gеntlеmen, рlеаsе allow me tо take my leavе."
"No way..." Нelian Yu blurtеd out withоut thinking. Whаt a jоke—he had been searching for this little girl for so long. No one had ever dared to toy with him like this, and now he had finally run into her. He absolutely had to get an explanation. He was about to say more when the person beside him interrupted: "Hmm."
Han Yan froze, lifting her head in disbelief. Was he actually agreeing to let her go?
Yet under the lantern light, his handsome, aloof face remained expressionless, not even glancing her way. Overjoyed, she didn’t even bother with farewells, grabbing Ji Lan and slipping away as fast as she could.
Watching Han Yan disappear even quicker than a rabbit, Helian Yu took a moment to react. "Yunxi! Why did you let her go? I’ve been looking for her for ages..."
"She was at the palace banquet," the man beside him cut off his rambling. "Muyan."
A figure in black suddenly appeared from behind. "Your subordinate is here!"
"Follow the Crown Prince. Make sure nothing happens to him."
"Yes!" In a flash, the spot was empty again.
"Your shadow guard is quite impressive. When are you going to give me a couple?" Helian Yu teased, eyeing the other black-clad man.
Mufeng couldn’t help but edge away. He had no desire to serve a master more beautiful than a woman, especially one who talked nonstop. Being his shadow guard would surely make his ears callous from all the chatter. Still, his own master spoke too little—it would be ideal if the two could balance each other out.
Recalling the earlier scene, Mufeng couldn’t contain his excitement. His master had actually taken the initiative to ask the girl her surname—something he never did unless it was related to official matters. During the palace banquet, when the Crown Prince had left midway, his master had intended to follow to prevent any mishaps, only to witness something astonishing.
Mufeng smacked his lips. That little girl was truly surprising—not only had she slapped Zhang Wei back, but she had also threatened the Crown Prince. Her actions seemed to incorporate tactics like the beauty trap, psychological warfare, and sowing discord—strategies General Cheng had once discussed with his master. She was no ordinary girl. Mufeng pondered: Could his master be interested in her? After all, he had asked for her surname—was that a sign he intended to propose? The girl was quite pretty, and from what he’d seen, she would undoubtedly grow into a rare beauty in a few years. She was clever too, as evident from her actions—clearly not empty-headed. Loyal and righteous as well, willing to offend the Crown Prince to protect her younger brother. The only drawback... Mufeng frowned. "She’s a bit too young." She looked only eleven or twelve, while his master was already twenty-one.
"What did you say?" Helian Yu asked in surprise.
Only then did Mufeng realize he had accidentally voiced his thoughts aloud. He quickly shook his head, indicating he had said nothing.
Helian Yu gave him a suspicious look before turning to Fu Yunxi. "How did you know she was at the palace banquet?"
Unaware that his subordinate was currently agonizing over his lifelong affairs, Fu Yunxi uttered just two words: "A feeling."
Helian Yu rolled his eyes, while Mufeng nearly burst into tears of emotion.The master says he feels something—he has feelings for that girl! Wonderful, the master finally has someone in his heart! He must share this good news with Muyan, so he can also rejoice for the master!
When Han Yan returned to the banquet with Ji Lan, Zhuang Hanming had already arrived ahead of them. Shu Hong breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing them. Han Yan took her seat beside Deng Chan, who asked with concern, "Why were you gone for so long? I was worried something might have happened."
Just then, Zhuangshan across from them chuckled softly, "The palace is vast, and the scenery is lovely. It’s understandable if my younger sister was too captivated by the sights."
Li Jiaqi sneered, "Who knows if she was off meeting someone in secret."
Han Yan simply smiled and said, "I’ve heard that those who hold Buddha in their hearts see Buddha in everyone."
Li Jiaqi was taken aback for a moment before realizing that Han Yan was implying that she, Li Jiaqi, often engaged in such illicit affairs, which was why she viewed everyone else in the same light.
"Fourth Sister, how could you say such a thing about Miss Li?" Zhuangshan exclaimed, feigning concern upon seeing Li Jiaqi’s displeased expression, though a hint of schadenfreude was unmistakable in her tone.
Deng Chan suddenly spoke up, "Why would you say that, Miss Zhuang? All the sisters at our table witnessed it—Han Yan didn’t say a single negative word about Miss Li. How did you come to think Han Yan was referring to Miss Li?"
Zhuangshan was left speechless, realizing she had been too hasty. Li Jiaqi shot her a glare, clearly directing her anger at her. But since the other party was a daughter of a prestigious family, Zhuangshan had no choice but to endure it silently, forcing a friendly smile.
Han Yan didn’t want to waste any more words on the matter. The rift between her and Li Jiaqi was already set, and nothing was likely to change now. What worried Han Yan was the earlier incident. She had acted impulsively, striking Zhang Wei and threatening the Crown Prince. It wasn’t that she was reckless—it was just that whenever Zhuang Hanming was involved, she lost her composure. Her concern for him clouded her judgment; Zhuang Hanming was her Achilles’ heel.
If the Crown Prince held a grudge against her, Han Yan sighed. Although she didn’t know how the struggle for the heir’s position would unfold in the future, for now, offending the Crown Prince was not a good thing. As for Zhang Wei, there was no need to worry. Since they had already torn off all pretenses with Madam Zhou and her daughter, and Madam Da Zhou was their relative, she naturally fell into Han Yan’s camp of adversaries. However… there were still two others.
Han Yan turned her gaze toward the men’s seating area. Xuan Qing Prince and Helian Yu had already entered and taken their seats. Helian Yu was bold by nature, and Han Yan feared he might do something reckless because of what had happened earlier. Still, she hadn’t expected to encounter him at today’s banquet. Yet, the matter with Helian Yu was merely a coincidence.
Han Yan’s eyes fell upon the man in white beside Helian Yu. He simply lowered his head to take a sip of tea, his gaze clear and sharp. He paid no attention to the people around him, nor did he engage with anyone else. Sitting alone in a cold and detached manner, he nonetheless drew people’s gazes, as if he were an immortal who had descended to the mortal world.Most court officials are entangled in the web of fame and fortune, inevitably tainted by a certain degree of worldliness. Han Yan once admired Wei Rufeng precisely because, compared to other young bureaucrats, he possessed a greater sense of integrity. Yet whether that integrity was genuine remained unknown to anyone. As for the Xuan Qing Prince, he exuded neither righteousness nor worldliness—he seemed utterly devoid of human warmth. Han Yan thought to herself that such a person appeared almost like an immortal, too proud to be moved by anything in the world. It was hard to imagine that someone so refined and noble could be a key minister in the court.
With a slight movement of his hand, the man set down his teacup. Han Yan quickly lowered her head, afraid that he might notice her furtive gaze.
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