Ch 148: Meng Mansion Birthday Banquet

Night fell, and the Meng Mansion was ablaze with lights. Guests celebrating Master Meng’s birthday arrived in an endless stream, crowding the meticulously prepared banquet hall to overflowing. More tables and chairs had to be hastily added to accommodate the unexpected influx of people.

By the time the moon hung high above the willow branches, and the hour of Xu had passed, the guests were finally seated, their laughter and cheerful conversation filling the air.

Master Meng, dressed in fine attire, stood at the mansion gate, his gaze sweeping across the bustling crowd, eagerly awaiting the Emperor’s arrival.

However, as time ticked by, not only was there no sign of His Majesty, but not a whisper of rumor reached his ears.

Just as Master Meng grew increasingly anxious and began to speculate, a palanquin slowly approached from a distance. Its construction was exquisite and extraordinary, yet it was unadorned, lacking any identifying insignia, making it impossible to guess the identity of its occupant.

Master Meng quickly took the guest list from an attendant, carefully examining it by the lamplight, confirming that all his court colleagues had attended the banquet as listed.

Therefore, the person in that palanquin was very likely the Emperor.

He guessed that the Emperor wished to avoid drawing too much attention, so he did not arrive in a dragon palanquin.

After the carriage came to a slow stop, he waited a moment, noticing that no one alighted from the carriage, further solidifying his belief that the current Emperor was inside.

He gently lifted his robe, his steps quickening as he descended the stone steps to the carriage, bowing deeply and speaking with utmost respect: “Your humble servant is honored to welcome Your Majesty’s arrival.”

His voice had barely fallen when a casual chuckle came from inside the carriage.

“Master Meng, you are too kind.”

With the familiar, gentle voice, the carriage curtain was lifted, and the person inside slowly stepped out.

Master Meng’s eyes involuntarily rose, settling on the person, a look of disbelief flashing across his face. “Elder Brother-in-Law, why didn’t you send someone to let me know you were coming?”

Seeing that he was still pretending, a hint of irony flickered in Xiao Huaifeng’s eyes. He then turned, extending his arm elegantly and gracefully to support Old Master Xiao as he slowly descended.

“Father-in-Law is also here.” A subtle stiffness crept into Master Meng’s smile, his words slightly stiff.

“Master Meng, I dare not readily accept that title of ‘Father-in-Law’,” Old Master Xiao said coldly, his expression unchanged. “If Tingyue hadn’t mentioned it, I wouldn’t have known that today was actually Master Meng’s birthday.”

Master Meng maintained a strained smile. “It seems the servants were negligent and omitted the invitation. I will certainly punish those who were remiss to serve as a warning to others.”

“Master Meng should punish not the servants, but Jiang Qingrou, who was responsible for the gift list. We didn’t receive invitations. Unless she deliberately prevented us from receiving them, then it means you, Mr. Meng, didn’t want us to come,” Old Master Xiao said, tapping his cane on the ground.

Master Meng’s expression worsened.

A subtle hint of sarcasm was present in Xiao Huaifeng’s gaze as he looked at Master Meng. “We understand that Master Meng does not value material possessions, so we have not prepared any ordinary gifts.”

“Instead, we have prepared a unique and elaborate gift for Master Meng. Unfortunately, it is rather large and still en route, arriving shortly.”

Hearing this, Master Meng’s face stiffened slightly, and he barely managed a nod in response, understanding the sarcasm in their words. He just wanted to quickly usher them inside.

Xiao Huaifeng and Old Master Xiao acted as if they had simply come for the banquet, without lingering. They walked side-by-side into the depths of the mansion. Seeing this, Master Meng finally let out a sigh of relief, his expression relaxing slightly.

In truth, he had not instructed his servants to send invitations to the Xiao Family.

However, he never expected that his eldest daughter would take the initiative to bring the Xiao Family here.

Since the Xiao Family entered Jingdu and rose to the position of Imperial Merchants, Master Meng had never made any attempt to visit them. A strange sense of alienation and disdain remained within him.

In his eyes, how could a merchant of humble origins become the foremost Imperial Merchant of Great Zhou? Moreover, it was the Xiao Family. If the Xiao Family found out what he had done, how could they possibly let him go?

Master Meng covered his rapidly beating right eye, silently praying that the two had not come to cause trouble.

If they had indeed come to cause trouble, then he would not hold back.

With this in mind, he slowly looked around, confirming that there was no more commotion from carriages and horses, and the hope he felt due to the rumor of “His Majesty’s arrival” gradually cooled, turning into a faint disappointment.

However, upon further reflection, this year’s banquet was filled with guests, all coming because of his reputation. This honor and lively atmosphere were enough to fill his heart with joy, adding a glow to his face.

“Look, is my appearance still presentable?” He softly asked the servant beside him, his eyes filled with a touch of self-reflection and anticipation.

The servant, upon hearing this, quickly examined Master Meng’s appearance and flattered him, “Master, rest assured, your appearance is impeccable.”

Master Meng, beaming, entered the reception hall.

Meng Tingyue was seated with Shen Yunheng on one side and Princess Luo Jia on the other.

Opposite them sat Prince Qing.

“Crown Princess,” Princess Luo Jia leaned slightly towards Meng Tingyue, whispering in a voice only she could hear, “Why is the Fifth Imperial Sister-in-Law so late?”

Meng Tingyue shook her head slightly, a hint of confusion in her eyes, softly replying, “I heard she was down with a cold and couldn’t come.”

Although that was the explanation given, doubts lingered in her heart.

Even Prince Qing, with his frail body, managed to attend despite illness. Meng Qingjiao, usually healthy, would miss such an important occasion due to a mere cold?

Summer was almost here, the weather was getting warmer, so how could she catch a cold?

Princess Luo Jia spoke, her voice tinged with confusion and doubt: “The Fifth Imperial Sister-in-Law has always been robust, even her Fifth Imperial Brother is inferior in this respect. How could she suddenly fall ill, and even earlier than her brother? I think this illness isn’t a simple cold, but rather something stirred up by those shop matters.”

Meng Tingyue was already aware of Princess Luo Jia’s dissatisfaction with Meng Qingjiao, so she wasn’t surprised by her words.

After all, in Prince Qing’s Mansion, many shops that originally sold various goods now sell the popular Ningxiang Pills and Ningxiang Paste.

The Ningxiang Pills controversy arose, yet Meng Qingjiao failed to provide a satisfactory explanation. Noble ladies and Madams in Jingdu took the lead, vowing to no longer buy anything from Prince Qing’s Mansion.

Although ordinary people were fond of Ningxiang Pills, their usage is not large, and it’s not a necessity.

Meng Qingjiao must have a lot of unsold goods on hand. If these goods cannot be sold, they will eventually rot. Then, she might really be angered into illness.

Meng Tingyue gently shook her head, trying to dispel these chaotic thoughts from her mind.

She picked up her teacup and took a sip. Suddenly, she felt a gaze on her, causing her to subtly lift her eyes to follow the source of the gaze.