Chapter 159 - The Banquet’s Beginning
Chapter 159 The Banquet’s Beginning
“The son really grew old enough to be independent. Well, I’ll leave you two here. Jinyue, Let’s stop disturbing Mengya, and leave now.”
Concubine De, as Lin Mengya’s mother-in-law, was happy to see her son and her daughter-in-law being harmonious.
Being the case, Concubine De left Lin Mengya’s yard with Jinyue.
“Your Highness, what good idea do you have in mind?”
After Concubine De’s tease, Long Tianhao still looked uncomfortable at the moment.
Lin Mengya considerately turned to a new topic, breaking the awkward atmosphere between them.
“I have no idea.”
Facing Lin Mengya, Long Tianhao did not know what to say, all of a sudden.
Lin Mengya seemed like full of weird ideas.
Even Long Tianhao could never know what the little girl would do the next moment.
Whatever she did would become unfathomable.
“I learned that Your Highness’s birthday would come in a few days?
Long Tianhao with his head lowered, didn’t see clearly Lin Mengya’s facial expression.
He hesitantly nodded. ‘Birthday?’
He seemed to have never celebrated his birthday since he became an adult.
“Okay.”
Lin Mengya thought to herself that, no matter what, Long Tianhao was the one who offered her everything she needed, up to then.
Since it was so, it would be better to find a way to please him.
“Well then, can Your Highness make time for me on his birthday?”
Long Tianhao had been busy recently. Princess Ming Yue had left, and there would be no trouble anymore. But they still had few chances to see each other.
Every time they met, they had to leave after just a few words.
Long Tianyhao thought about it, and found that he might be available on his birthday, though he knew little about what Lin Mengya was going to do.
“I may be available. I will tell you if I’m occupied.”
Lin Mengya felt excited, and raised her smiling face.
“Deal! Let’s make a pinky swear!”
Lin Mengya reached her pinky finger to curl around Long Tianhao’s counterpart.
And she pretended to stamp on his thumb. Long Tianhao didn’t understand Lin Mengya’s behavior. But he had a feeling that she was making a promise.
“Deal.”
Long Tianhao started to look forward to Lin Mengya’s surprise. ‘What surprise will it be?’
Lin Mengya made swift preparations. She designed different themes for male and female guests separately.
The male guest area was set in the Qinwu Courtyard, with a winding canal.
The winding canal with underlaying pebbles might not be long. But Lin Mengya prepared decorated paper boats of various forms.
Then, a special servant would launch boats with riddles on them on the other end of the canal.
Then, Lin Mengya prepared trotting horse lamps with riddles on them for the female guest area.
Lin Mengya ordered servants to pull a piece of colorful string around pillars in the Liuxin Courtyard.
Papers with riddles were also hung on the strings.
Besides, the trotting horse lamps would also work as a light source.
Light after shade would look beautiful.
Guests first enjoyed the beauty of chrysanthemums in the afternoon. When lights were lit at night, they could amuse themselves in the two yards after putting on a mask and getting dressed.
At night, the Liuxin Courtyard was well illuminated by evening lights like a wonderland.
Even her four maids’ interests were aroused to play.
If Lin Mengya had not stopped them, they would have run to guess riddles.
“Little girl! Little girl! I want to go there too!”
Qinghu had never taken part in such an interesting banquet, so he lingered around Lin Mengya early in the morning.
“You? Okay, which yard do you want to choose?”
Lin Mengya, biting a delicious scallion pancake, calmly cleaned her greasy hand on Qinghu’s white clothes.
“I don’t want to see men’s faces. And I think, girls will need a guide when they appreciate chrysanthemums, right?”
Looking at the dirty handprints, Qinghu felt very sorry for his clothes. ‘My new clothes!’
Unfortunately, the Snows began to do the same thing. They also cleaned their dirty paws on Qinghu’s clothes.
Lin Mengya loved them like treasures.
Qinghu resisted his impulse to kick them to death. He had to pretend not to have seen black grey plum blossom prints on the lower hem.
“You dressed up as a woman. But why not be a good woman?”
Speaking of Qinghu’s girl-like look, Lin Mengya became speechless.
Qinghu, with such an exaggerated makeup and coquettish behavior, was exactly like a procuress!
“Women are always untruthful. Common people will not understand my beauty. Oh, Xiaoyu, you will also stay in the Liuxin Courtyard, right? Do you need me to prepare women’s wear for you? What a tender young boy you are. You will look pretty once you wear it!”
Instantly, Lin Zhongyu looked at Qinghu with disgust. But Baisu was the one who made the biggest reaction.
Upon hearing his words, Baisu pulled out her sword hurriedly towards Qinghu.
“How dare you!”
Qinghu was chased around the yard. Lin Mengya giggled, and took Xiaoyu aside, seeing the fun.
“Sister, do you want me to dress as a woman?”
Lin Zhongyu watched Lin Mengya, waiting for an answer.
Lin Mengya pinched his cheek. It was so flexible. He had grown strong enough to surprise her.
“I’m okay, only if you like. Oh, Xiaoyu, do me a favor. Arrange some secret guards in our yard.”
Lin Zhongyu’s eyes lit up. Recently, too many people revolved around his sister.
He had few chances to help his sister. Sister asked for a favor just then. He would absolutely say yes.
“No problem. I will arrange secret guards to defend your room. No one will have a chance to cause trouble!”
Lin Mengya petted Xiaoyu, yet a flicker of concern flashed in her eyes.
Her Liuxin Courtyard had never been open to others.
But now, guests could visit it casually. She couldn’t help feel worried.
“I’m drained! That bad girl’s kung fu is poor, but has a good flying skill.”
It looked as if Baisu were chasing Qinghu, but in fact, Qinghu was playing with Baisu.
Few people could defeat Qinghu after all.
“Baisu, come on. When you become a kung fu master, beat him to death.”
Everyone burst into laughter. Everyone in the Liuxin Courtyard seemed to be carefree, removed from all troubles.
Finally, the chrysanthemum meeting came, whether you were happy or not.
Guests arrived in succession shortly after lunch time.
Long Tianhao was the Crown Prince’s enemy, but he was young and promising, and had military glory.
That, and had affinity with the Lin family, which had made him more important in the officials’ minds.
Some aristocratic families, who he had been getting well with before, arrived very early.
Among them was the Yue family.
“Greetings, Concubine De, Princess Yu.”
Yue Qi dressed in mourning white, pined away just after a few days.
Her round face became thinner now, which made her look more delicate, but less active.
“I’m glad to see you. I know, you and Mengya are close. Go ahead and relax.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
Concubine De still felt that she owed the Yue family.
But she could only pay them in this manner. Mrs. Yue was the chief culprit in causing Yue Ting’s death after all.
She would only treat Yue Qi in a friendlier way. Yue Qi was sensible enough to not misbehave.
“Qi’er, how are you doing? Are you alright?”
As the hostess, Lin Mengya had to mingle with everyone.
But she took Yue Qi with her. For one thing, it showed her close relationship with the Yue family. For another, it showed others that Yue Qi was under her protection.
Therefore, no one dared to look down upon the Yue family, even after Yue Ting’s death.
“Everything is okay. Sister Lin, father told me that you had something to tell me? What is it?”
Yue Qi had a tough time after Yue Ting’s death.
Father broke up completely with her mother; he even forced Yue Qi to move out of her mother’s house.
They had been always courteous to each other in the past. But at the moment, they were incompatible as fire and water.
The concubine and her children availed themselves of the opportunity to get in.
The Yue family was no longer the harmonic family it had been before.
“Let’s talk about it at night. Promise me, don’t mention it with others. Don’t show anything before your family.”
Yue Qi nodded. Sister Lin was the only one who she could rely on, after her sister’s death.
Yue Qi was currently forced to grow up. But Lin Mengya thought it to be a good thing.
Admiring the beauty of flowers was an elegant thing. So guests today were almost civilian officials.
Military officers preferred the evening banquet.
After everything was well prepared, Lin Mengya returned to the Liuxin Courtyard with her maids.
Upon entering it, Lin Mengya saw that the gifted youth had already started to croon a poem in the pavilion.
Long Tianhao was sitting in a prominent position, but his eyes rested upon Lin Mengya who had just arrived.
“Hey, third sister-in-law? The fairest beauty!”
Only Long Qinghan dared to unscrupulously make fun of Lin Mengya.
Lin Mengya smiled gently, and slightly saluted.
“Your Highness, everything is ready. Officials, you may change your clothes and wear your masks now.”
Everyone knew the rules, but they didn’t know what on earth what they were in for.
“Okay, please.”
Long Tianhao looked forward to it, too.
He had been to all kinds of banquets. But it was the first time to take part in such a celebration.
Officials followed their special servants to the guest rooms in the Qinwu Courtyard, who helped them getting dressed, and wore their masks.
All of a sudden, Baisu popped behind Lin Mengya.
“Master, you were right. There was indeed someone trying to sneak in your room. I stopped him.”