C26 Chapter 26

After the lunch, Duan Shihan disappeared again.

As soon as the screen in the middle was removed, Ouyang Lingfeng hurriedly found Jiegeng.

"Jiegeng, where is Shihan?" Ouyang Lingfeng was secretly angry. Ever since Duan Shihan tricked him to wait at the River Gazing Tower, he had never seen Shihan again.

Jiegeng shook her head. Regarding the matter between the two of them, she could only feel pity.

Ouyang Lingfeng was discouraged and left in the blink of an eye.

Looking towards the male guest area, he did not see any trace of Duan Shuang.

There was still some time before the tea gathering began. At this moment, all the noble ladies were secretly making sure that they had prepared their own talents. Jiegeng had some free time so she could go to the garden to enjoy the beautiful scenery that she had not been able to enjoy.

"What a coincidence, meeting Miss Bai again."

Jiegeng turned around and saw Hsiang Xuanfei coming towards her.

"I am here to digest food. Could it be that Young Master is also here?" Jiegeng said with a smile.

"To be honest, I am here to avoid trouble." Hsiang Xuanfei said frankly.

Jiegeng carefully sized Hsiang Xuanfei up. He was a talented person in this life, and he had an extraordinary bearing. A scholarly and scholarly air hit her face. He must be from some Shuxiang family. It was no wonder that he was so popular today.

"Young Master, aren't you afraid that I am also one of the troublesome members?" Jiegeng's heart suddenly became playful.

"That is also because I disturbed you first. I cannot blame Miss." Hsiang Xuanfei was not intimidated by Jiegeng. Jiegeng was the first to observe his eyes when she recognized someone. Her eyes were clear, which showed that this person's heart was also clear.

"Just now, I was thinking about why there was no sign of the Right Minister. It turns out that he came here to meet a beauty." Duan Shuang's voice sounded from behind Jiegeng.

Hsiang Xuanfei saw that it was Zhen'an King and unhurriedly performed the Imperial Court's ceremony. "Your Highness, be careful with your words. Don't ruin Miss Bai's reputation for no reason."

Jiegeng slowly turned around. When she saw that it was really Duan Shuang, her heart immediately leaped with joy.

Duan Shuang also did not expect that the woman who was chatting with the right side was actually Bai Jiegeng.

Seeing this light blue figure from a distance, he even mistakenly thought that it was a girl from some famous family. Why would he think of Jiegeng, who was usually dressed in plain clothes? Furthermore, as a woman, she did not like to put on makeup. This was very different from being a good girl in the capital.

So she looked like this! Duan Shuang praised in his heart.

She disguised herself slightly and restrained her childishness, highlighting her charm.

Looking at her today, she was indeed beautiful and moving.

Jiegeng saw that Duan Shuang kept looking at her and could not help but be overjoyed. "Your Royal Highness, do I look good like this today?"

"Awkward." Duan Shuang was pulled back to his senses by Jiegeng's words and lightly threw out this word.

Jiegeng, who was originally beaming with joy, immediately drooped her small face. "Can't you say something nice?"

Hsiang Xuanfei saw Jiegeng's dejected look and immediately comforted her by the side. "Miss Bai, don't be too calculative with His Royal Highness's words. Everyone in the capital knows that His Royal Highness always speaks like this."

"Oh right, just now His Royal Highness called you the Right Minister? You are that newly promoted Lord Minister!" Jiegeng also knew that she could not be easily swayed by Duan Shuang's words. After all, Duan Shihan had also reminded her before. Thinking back to Duan Shuang's words just now, she then shifted her attention to Hsiang Xuanfei.

"You don't even know who the other party is, yet you dare to casually talk to him? Is it because you have a big heart or is it because you don't have a brain?" Duan Shuang mocked Jiegeng.

Duan Shuang was still uncertain. A few days ago, he had let her go so easily, but today, he was being a little aggressive. Jiegeng silently cursed.

Unfortunately, this person's appearance was really a great weapon. Even if Jiegeng had complaints in her heart, they would disappear in a moment.

"I just don't have a brain. Otherwise, why would I save such a strange person?" Jiegeng did not dare to directly go against Duan Shuang. She could only take a roundabout way to get over it.

"Right Prime Minister, let's go somewhere else to talk." Duan Shuang directly ignored Jiegeng's sarcasm.

After Duan Shuang and Hsiang Xuanfei left, Jiegeng immediately started to self-reflect.

Seriously, why did you make him unhappy again? Weren't you usually quite quick-witted? Why did you rush to leave a bad impression on Duan Shuang the moment you arrived?

"I really didn't expect that your means were really amazing. This side is pestering Zhen'an King, and that side is also related to the Right Minister. " An extremely disdainful voice suddenly sounded.

Jiegeng turned her head and looked. It was Lau Yunyan that woman again.

"I really don't understand. I didn't even look for you to denounce me, but you came to find trouble with me non-stop?" Jiegeng's words were indifferent and contained anger.

"The reason?" Lau Yunyan sneered. "The reason is that Zhen'an King is not someone you can imagine. He is just a little girl with yellow hair, a wild sparrow. Even if he wears brocade clothes, he will never become a phoenix."

Jiegeng really did not want to pay more attention to this kind of boring woman.

"How about we have a showdown at the tea party later? Guqin, chess, painting, dancing and poetry. It's up to you to choose." Lau Yunyan spoke proudly. She had been studying these since she was young. She was confident that she would be able to obtain a complete victory if she were to compete with a little girl.

" No. Why should I compete with you in these things? Boring." Jiegeng immediately refused. Not to mention that she was not good at these things, even if she was good at the sect, she would also disdain to compete with such a woman.

"What? You only know how to use seductive means to confuse men?" Lau Yunyan sneered. "Or do you think that by pretending to be stupid every day, Zhen'an King will see you in a different light?" Lau Yunyan pressed on step by step.

"If you like Zhen'an King, you can show it in front of him yourself. What are you trying to do in front of me? Don't tell me that if you win, you will gain his respect? " Jiegeng was helpless. The more furious Lau Yunyan was, the more she did not care about her words. A person who could only flaunt his power behind his back and live in his own fantasy was only lamentable.

"Shouldn't you go and redeem your own reputation now? After all, the entire city knows that you were imprisoned by him. At any rate, I can still get in touch with him afterwards. What about you? " Jiegeng made up her mind. For such a person, it was best to anger her to death. She must not lead him by the nose.

Being stabbed once again, Lau Yunyan was flustered and exasperated. Although this matter was known by everyone in the capital, everyone else would not mention it in front of her due to her identity as her elder sister. Only this stinky girl in front of her kept stirring up old scores.

"Let's see how long you can be proud of yourself." Lau Yunyan angrily left.

After she left, Jiegeng became even more speechless. Could it be that she was here to shoot her mouth off? Were all the noble ladies in the capital so bored?

After seeing that it was almost time, Jiegeng went to the banquet hall.

"Why are you only back now? Where did you go to play?" Rani Yi saw Jiegeng and pulled her to her seat.

Different from the afternoon banquet, tea parties were usually one-way seats. The higher one's position was, the closer one was to the main seat. Hence, with Rani Yi's blessing, Jiegeng was able to sit at the seat second only to the main seat.

"How is it? Did you meet any family's young master this morning? Or is there someone you like? "Rani Yi was patient and did not tie Jiegeng to her side. It was nothing more than letting her choose by herself.

Having been unlucky by Lau Yunyan just now, Jiegeng was currently also not in the mood. Hence, she gave Rani Yi an excuse.

Following Eldest Imperial Princess's entrance, the tea gathering officially began.

When Jiegeng sat in her seat and looked around, she discovered that Duan Shuang was actually opposite her. Jiegeng used one hand to support her body, and looked at Duan Shuang diagonally.

Rani Yi noticed Jiegeng's strange look and followed Jiegeng's gaze and smiled knowingly.

"This right profile is really not bad." Rani Yi patted Jiegeng's head.

Jiegeng looked up at Rani Yi in confusion.

It turned out that Hsiang Xuanfei was beside Duan Shuang. Rani Yi had also heard about Jiegeng accidentally entering the military camp and being imprisoned by Zhen'an King. She naturally thought that Jiegeng's favorable impression was not Zhen'an King.

"Every year, we draw lots to decide the content of your competition. Why don't we change it this year?" Eldest Imperial Princess spoke from a high position.

"What new way?" Rani Yi asked.

"Imperial Aunt, why don't we just pick one? After she performs, we can directly choose the next person. The way she performs will also be decided by her?" Eldest Imperial Princess said to Rani Yi.

"Not bad, interesting." Rani Yi tacitly agreed.

Hence, the maidservants beside Eldest Imperial Princess brought up the names of the young ladies who were attending the banquet today and handed them over to Eldest Imperial Princess to choose from.

"Let her be." Eldest Imperial Princess looked at the register and pointed at one of the names.

"The Lord of the Court of Judicial Review, Lady of the Liu Family, Lau Yunyan." The maid read out the name.

Lau Yunyan walked out gracefully and bowed towards the front.

"What do you want to perform?" Eldest Imperial Princess asked.

"Eldest Imperial Princess, this subject is going to perform the guqin." Lau Yunyan was secretly delighted. This was the first time she had obtained it, and she could also display her best skills. The winner of today's excellent female banquet was none other than her. Furthermore, Zhen'an King was also present today. If his performance was outstanding, maybe he can change his impression of me.

After the guqin was placed, Lau Yunyan sat in front of him and gently tapped with her fingers, starting her performance.

The sound of the guqin entered her ears leisurely and it was filled with the charm of the guqin. Jiegeng was also sighing with emotion. Although this woman's character was not that good, but her zither skills were really first-rate. Jiegeng could not help but look in the direction of Duan Shuang. She only saw him drinking quietly. From his expression, she could not tell whether he had entered the artistic conception of the zither music.

After the song ended, Eldest Imperial Princess was the first to clap. "Not bad. Miss Liu's music is comparable to Madam Hua Lan's from back then." Madam Hua Lan was a talented woman who was renowned throughout the country back then, and her most outstanding performance was her moving zither music. Eldest Imperial Princess's current praise made Lau Yunyan extremely happy.

"Eldest Imperial Princess's praise is too much. How can Yun Yan be half as good as Madam Hua Lan's." Lau Yunyan did not forget her expression when she was happy and immediately expressed her humbleness.

"Alright, now you will choose the next candidate." Eldest Imperial Princess was very satisfied with her bearing.

"Chennu heard that Miss Biao from King Yi's Mansion has come. This can be considered as our new face. Why don't you ask her to dance for us, if she doesn't mind my zither skills. Yun Yan is willing to accompany Miss Bai. " Lau Yunyan looked at Bai Jiegeng, her eyes full of provocation.

Jiegeng knew that this woman would not let her off easily.

Jiegeng pulled Rani Yi's hand and gently shook her head.

Rani Yi naturally knew that Lau Yunyan deliberately called Jiegeng with ill intentions. Furthermore, with her zither music by her side, whatever Jiegeng did would be futile.

"Jie'er, this niece of mine just came to Shengjing and I am afraid that she is still not used to it. Let's forget about this performance. " Rani Yi and Yan faced Eldest Imperial Princess.

"Imperial Aunt, you can't say that. Today's festival is just for fun." Although Eldest Imperial Princess and Rani Yi were of a different generation, her two years of age was not much different. King Yi was the youngest son of the current Emperor's grandfather, while Eldest Imperial Princess was the Emperor's elder sister. Today was the banquet she organized and Rani Yi wanted to use her seniority to suppress others. Eldest Imperial Princess naturally was extremely unwilling in her heart.