All people turned around after hearing the voice. A charming young lady dressed up beautifully rushed to stand between Shi Qingxue and Mo Junhao.
She elbowed out Shi Qingxue and grabbed Mo Junhao’s arm without shyness, saying in a sweet voice, “Junhao, I miss you. Do you miss me?”
Hearing the bold voice to play the woman, Shi Qingxue had goosebumps. Then she shook her arms and checked carefully before recognizing this girl.
This was Feng Mei, the first legitimate daughter of the Minister of War, Feng Jifeng.
Shi Qingxue always thought that this woman was too affected, so she seldom had contact with her. Unexpectedly, when they saw each other again, the woman surprised her.
Gee, she firmed her determination to stay away from Feng Mei.
However, on second thought, Shi Qingxue was happy to see Feng Mei show up here.
Feng Mei pestered Mo Junhao and didn’t let him go, so he wouldn’t have a chance to harass Shi Qingxue.
Shi Qingxue generously made room for Feng Mei and then led her people to quietly go away from this place where she was apt to get into trouble.
When Mo Junhao turned back to look for her after he finally coped with Feng Mei, Qingxue had left.
Mo Junhao wanted to look for Shi Qingxue, but the people attending the banquet came one after another and surrounded him to greet him, so before he could find a chance to talk with Shi Qingxue, the banquet started.
This time, the servants who arranged for the seats were sensible and made the tables for Duke Shi’s family and King Rui’s family next to each other.
Shi Junhe and Mo Xiangrui walked to their tables almost at the same time and met the other party’s surprised eyes.
After feeling stunned for a while, the two men smiled in unison.
They understood before saying anything, and then each of them left a seat on the side consciously, so there were two seats close to each other between the tables for the two families.
As soon as Mo Xiangbin and Ling Ruiyin came, all people returned to their seats obediently.
Soon after Shi Qingxue sat down, Mo Junyang sat at the table.
The couple sat next to each other and attracted many people’s curious eyes. Shi Qingxue didn’t notice it but talked with Mo Junyang in high spirits.
Mo Junyang naturally wouldn’t care about these but refilled Shi Qingxue’s teacup conveniently. Then he put the food she liked in front of her.
His careful and considerate actions shocked Shi Junhe and Mo Xiangrui.
Seeing that, all people were more curious and some people even looked at them boldly.
However, they shrank their necks at once under Mo Junyang’s glances which seemed unintentional.
Fortunately, the banquet’s theme was to celebrate the eve of the Spring Festival, and many kinds of performances attracted everybody’s attention. After confirming that Shi Qingxue was almost the future wife of King Rui’s heir and was loved by him, all people returned to what they should do.
After eating a piece of biscuit, Shi Qingxue was unwilling to grab any food.
She crossed her ten fingers under her chin and glanced at the singers and dancers in the middle in low spirits, complaining lazily, “Junyang, I am so bored.”
She was never interested in such a banquet, and she would try her best to avoid it. When she couldn’t, she would feel pained as she thought that it was torture.
Mo Junyang leered at the royal family members, to see that they didn’t pay attention to him, so he suggested in a low voice, “How about I go out to have a walk with you?”
Duke Shi’s family and King Rui’s family were the focus of the banquet. If somebody found that the couple sneaked out without asking for permission, it would cause an uproar.
Unfortunately, Mo Junyang always lost his head in front of Shi Qingxue and wouldn’t consider the consequences. As long as he could make her happy, he was glad to do anything.
In some way, Mo Junyang had the potential to be a fatuous and self-indulgent ruler.
As Shi Qingxue heard Mo Junyang’s words, her eyes lit up and she looked overjoyed, but soon, her eyes darkened, as she felt depressed, saying, “I can’t go. Father won’t allow me to.”
“Let’s go sneakily,” Mo Junyang continued to suggest.
As long as Qingxue wanted to, he could deal with everything.
Shi Qingxue hesitated for a while and then said sensibly, “No. It’s just a moment. I will endure it.”
She was clear that most of the time, Mo Junyang could do whatever he wanted and even be reckless.
Mo Junyang had the power.
However, after all, they lived in groups. If they were too unconventional, it would be easy to make people jealous of them.
Qingxue believed that Mo Junyang knew this reason and even kept out of the business most of the time, so she didn’t want him to put himself in danger because of her.
She restrained herself and even smiled at Mo Junyang to comfort him.
Seeing that nobody paid attention to them, she moved closer to Mo Junyang and asked in a soft voice, “Why did His Majesty tell you to go to the study today?”
Mo Junyang happily accepted Qingxue getting close to him and then answered softly, “Nothing. Later…”
Before he finished his words, Mo Xiangbin gestured for all people to quiet down as they would announce an imperial edict.
The sounds of singing and dancing stopped, and Quan took out the imperial edict, reading in front of all people, “The emperor issued the edict. The daughter of the Minister of War Feng is pure-hearted, graceful and broad-minded, so she is going to be the fourth prince’s wife, and they will get married on a lucky day.”
As soon as Quan finished his words, many people congratulated Mo Junhao and the Minister of War, Feng Jifeng endlessly.
The fourth prince’s followers became more powerful these days and were almost well-matched in strength with the crown prince’s followers. Now the emperor granted the marriage of Feng Mei and Mo Junhao, so it would give the fourth prince’s followers a great help inevitably.
Even some people guessed whether Mo Xiangbin would choose Mo Junhao to ascend the throne. Otherwise, why did he consider marrying Mo Junhao to Feng Mei?
Feng Jifeng controlled the Bureau of War, and he had power and soldiers. Even when the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs and the Ministry of Revenue became weaker, the Bureau of War and Ministry of Penalty showed their functions.
Then all people suddenly found that the Minister of Penalty Luo Sen followed the fourth prince.
Then more people rushed to say congratulations.
As a result, the banquet got more lively, and people talked with each other endlessly.
Mo Xiangbin didn’t stop them but sent somebody to the table for King Rui’s family to invite Mo Junyang.
This time, he was more low-key than many times, and even others didn’t notice it.
Shi Qingxue had got the information from Mo Junyang that Mo Xiangbin had known his identity, and she understood that the emperor was close to Mo Junyang, but with such special treatment repeatedly, if Mo Junyang’s birth was exposed someday, it would be difficult to predict what would happen then.
As soon as she started to think, a figure walked over and stood in front of her, blocking her sight.
It was Feng Mei.
Shi Qingxue frowned slightly and looked at Feng Mei in confusion.
She thought that she had no contact with Feng Mei. Why did this girl suddenly come to her?
Feng Mei raised her chin slightly and looked down at her, asking arrogantly, “Are you Shi Qingxue?”
Shi Qingxue was speechless.
Although they had never talked with each other before, they had heard about each other’s name.
Nobody knew if Feng Mei was jealous of her, and she even had the face to come to Shi Qingxue and speak to her in this way.
Shi Qingxue nodded casually, and she was neither humble nor pushy, looking at Feng Mei.
She didn’t flatter Feng Mei as soon as this lady was titled as the fourth prince’s wife or shrink back because she didn’t dare to talk with Feng Mei, although the latter had expected that.
Shi Qingxue still looked lofty like before and seemed to be taller than Feng Mei even though she was seated, which made Feng Mei furious and anxious who was jealous of her to the bone in the past.
Feng Mei cursed in secret, “Why are you so arrogant? Isn’t your father Duke Shi? But my father is a favored official of His Majesty now. Your father has to bow to my father sooner or later, and I am going to marry the fourth prince. The man you think about every day will be my husband soon. Just keep daydreaming.”
At this thought, Feng Mei was more complacent.
However, if she knew that Shi Qingxue had been married to Mo Junhao in the previous life and he said several times that he wanted to marry her yet she refused with disgust in this life, Feng Mei might go mad.
Shi Qingxue didn’t know that Feng Mei thought about so much, but anybody would be unhappy when he was stared.
After a while, she finally couldn’t help saying, “Miss Feng, we are at the banquet. If you have nothing to say, please go back to your seat.”
Feng Mei goggled and seemed to have heard something unbelievable. “Are you driving me away?”
Shi Qingxue stayed silent and thought, “How arrogant Feng Mei is so she doesn’t think that I will feel disgusted with her presence?”
Seeing that Shi Qingxue admitted it in silence, Feng Mei was angrier and asked crossly, “Why do you drive me away?”
Qingxue glanced at the sign aside and what she meant was obvious. This was the table for Duke Shi’s family.
Of course, she qualified to drive Feng Mei away.
Feng Mei was unable to speak.
She was irritated by Shi Qingxue’s straightforward eyes but couldn’t find a word to retort her.
At last, she raised her chin again and said haughtily, “Who said that I had nothing to tell you? I came to ask you to compete with me.”
Shi Qingxue’s eyes twinkled and she asked calmly, “What?”
“All people say that you are good at shooting and nobody in the country can compare with you. I want to compete on shooting with you. Do you dare to?” Feng Mei intentionally irritated Shi Qingxue with scornful words.
Shi Qingxue naturally understood Feng Mei’s intention, so she wasn’t enraged by her easily.
However, when somebody came to provoke her, if she didn’t accept the challenge, wouldn’t it show that she was too weak and cowardly?
Shi Qingxue didn’t have an interest in competing with Feng Mei, but she was not afraid when this woman provoked her in public unexpectedly.
Then she asked in reply at once, “How do you want to compete?”
Feng Mei had thought that Shi Qingxue wouldn’t agree to compete with her, and then she would try her best to scoff at Shi Qingxue and embarrass her in public.
Unexpectedly, Shi Qingxue agreed so soon and was neither haughty nor humble.
It made Feng Mei unable to speak out what she was going to say. Her face stiffened, and she looked at Qingxue awkwardly for quite a while before she could finally regain her momentum.
She continued, “We will shoot ten arrows and see who will shoot more accurately.”
Shi Qingxue nodded calmly and replied, “Okay.”
Feng Mei thought that her shooting skill was peerless, and this time she would embarrass Shi Qingxue in public.
Then she excitedly told the servants to arrange for a competition area.