Somewhat Looking Forward to the Banquet
Huang Quan froze then saw Feng Yu Heng pointing downward. Only then did she calm her breathing to carefully listen.
Just listening was fine, as they only noticed a faint squeaking sound enter their ears. Just below the carriage the two were in, there was an extremely quiet sound. If they did not practice martial arts and have much sharper ears than normal people, they would not have heard it no matter what.
“It’s not a person.” Feng Yu Heng spoke up, “It should be some other sort of living being.” As she said this, she reached down and began feeling under her seat.
Huang Quan quickly stopped her in fear: “Young miss, be careful!”
But she was still a step too slow. Feng Yu Heng’s hand still reached in and pulled out a gourd.
The gourd was quite large. It was even longer than her forearm. Huang Quan was stunned by its size, “What is this? Why is there such a large gourd under our carriage?”
Feng Yu Heng shook her head, “I don’t know either, but there is something in this gourd.” She said this while shaking it. Sure enough, the movement became even larger.
Huang Quan received the gourd and also shook it a little; however, her complexion changed almost immediately: “It’s a snake. Young miss, there is a snake inside.”
“Certain?”
“This servant was once bitten by a snake. Ever since that time, this servant has always been very sensitive to snake. This servant can guarantee that there is a snake inside.” Huang Quan frowned slightly upon saying this. She clearly felt a great deal of dread towards the thing in the gourd.
Feng Yu Heng also felt that the contents of the gourd was something with a soft body, but she was not as quick to resolutely say that there was a snake inside. But she did not fear snakes. It was not that she did not fear snake venom, but she had originally studied medicine, so she was not as traumatized by these things as other people.
“Must we open it up to look?” Huang Quan asked her then said: “The movements of this snake are quite large. I fear that it will slither out once we open up the gourd.”
Feng Yu Heng pondered a little then reached a hand into her sleeve. From within her space, she pulled out an anesthetic needle.
“Then let’s make it so it has no way ability to struggle.” She said this while moving. Poking the needle straight into the opening, she slowly injected the anesthetic. When the entire contents of the needle had been injected, she shook the gourd once again. This time, however, she only heard a thudding against the walls of the gourd. The thing with a soft body no longer made a sound.
Huang Quan’s eyes stared straight at it. Her young miss still carried such a large needle around with her? Where did she put it? Did she not worry about being poked by it?
Feng Yu Heng naturally knew what Huang Quan was thinking, but she did not want to explain at all. With a wave of her hand, she returned the needle to her space, which caused Huang Quan to stare in shock.
“Let’s take a look at what sort of snake it is.” She said this while opening up the gourd. Pouring out its contents, sure enough, a green snake with a triangular head appeared.
The snake was not long, as it was at most the length of Feng Yu Heng’s forearm. Its entire body was green and had a pair of blood-red eyes. Its pupils were vertical, somewhat similar to a cat. The tip of its tail was red, and it had a triangular head with fine scales at the very top of its head.
“Green bamboo snake.” Feng Yu Heng recognized it. When she was with the military, she had performed a vivisection on this type of snake.
Huang Quan was afraid of snakes. When she saw Feng Yu Heng hold the snake in her hands without any feeling, she felt her entire body go numb. But she still felt this matter was too strange “What sort of person could put such a thing in our carriage?” She said this and turned subconsciously to look out the window at the driver.
Feng Yu Heng, however, stopped her: “There’s no need to look. Placing this sort of thing in your own carriage. Would that not be too obvious. It’s not him.”
“Then who else could it be?” Huang Quan was truly unable to figure it out. On the inside, she was extremely angry.
Feng Yu Heng placed the snake back in the gourd and closed it up. She then placed it on her hip, “Take a look. Don’t I look quite cool with this large gourd?”
“Young miss!” Huang Quan felt helpless, “How are you still able to tell jokes at a time like this.”
“What can I do aside from joke? Do we get out of the carriage now to fight with the culprit?” She patted the gourd on her hip, “Huang Quan, think about it. What sort of person could possibly place something in my carriage without anyone knowing about it?”
Huang Quan pondered a little then guessed: “Someone at your side?”
Feng Yu Heng shook her head, “Think in a different direction. If this gourd were ours and was placed in the carriage. How would someone be able to take it away?”
This time, Huang Quan understood, “Young miss means to say… a thief? Qing Shuang? It was done by Qing Shuang?”
“The deity with miraculous hands, only someone like her could do this so cleanly.” When she said this, her eyes squinted into thin lines. Since Qing Shuang had come out to work, it meant that Xuan Tian Ye had let her out. Her plan to frame the other side did not achieve its desired outcome. This was not a good sign.
“In the past five years, word around Jiang Hu has always said that the deity with miraculous hands was the best thief in the world. As long as she went to work, there was nothing that she could not steal. But I did not think that this sort of person would be taken in by his Highness the third prince. Nor did I think she would manage to enter Tong Sheng pavilion.” Huang Quan lamented. Thinking a little more, she happily said: “Isn’t there that saying that goes, it takes constant vigilance to ward off evil. For such a powerful person to have tried their hand with young miss, does this not mean that young miss is the most powerful.”
Feng Yu Heng smiled wryly. How could she be considered powerful. She had personally experienced Qing Shuang’s abilities. If she did not have the space on her left arm, there was no way for her to defend herself. Perhaps the phoenix hairpin would have been taken away by her over a hundred times.
“How does young miss plan to proceed from here?” Huang Quan glanced at the gourd on her hip, “Will you wear this large gourd into the Yuan Palace?”
She raised an eyebrow: “Is there any reason I can not? Have you heard the saying, the more venomous the snake, the better it is for medicine. Since his Highness the third prince has provided us the main ingredient, this county princess would be too impolite not to invite him to drink the medical wine made from the green bamboo snake?” She curled her lips into a smile, “I truly am beginning to look forward to this banquet!”
Finally, the four carriages stopped before the entrance to the Yuan Palace. When she lifted the curtain and exited the carriage, she saw the eldest prince, Xuan Tian Qi, walk towards another carriage. With excellent manners, he stopped three paces from the carriage then cupped his hands, saying: “This prince has revered eldest young miss Feng many times. I hope eldest young miss Feng will honor me by coming with me.”
Huang Quan leaned close to Feng Yu Heng and said quietly: “His Highness the eldest prince really makes it look authentic.”
Looking in the direction of Xuan Tian Qi, the curtain of Chen Yu’s carriage had only just been lifted, but he took the initiative to extend his arm forward. Chen Yu, who was about to step out of the carriage, froze for a moment, but she still accepted his help to exit the carriage. This action caused the madams and young misses at the entrance to inhale a breath of cold air.
When had the Feng family’s eldest young miss developed such a relationship with his Highness the eldest prince?
Without looking in that direction, Feng Yu Heng led Huang Quan to the palace’s gates first. She only heard Fen Dai, who had exited her carriage, begin to shout: “Would eldest sister please show some decency.”
Xuan Tian Qi then responded: “This Prince was openly and honorably extending an invitation, and eldest young miss obliged. How is this related to decency? Young miss, would you kindly remember. Although this prince has a good temperament, it does not mean people will be permitted to make irresponsible remarks.”
Fen Dai then fell silent, and Huang Quan laughed, saying: “The Feng family’s fourth young miss truly does not know the heights of the heavens.”
At this time, one of the Yuan Palace’s servants had come to lead them in. Like this, the two walked along and managed to attract quite a few gazes, and most of the gazes landed on the large gourd hanging from Feng Yu Heng’s hip.
“Deity big sister!” A childish voice suddenly shouted out, and Feng Yu Heng saw a round meatball rush over along the road then dove into her. “Deity big sister, how come you just arrived? Fei Yu missed you to death!”
She reached out to pinch Xuan Fei Yu’s cheeks, “You became even chubbier!”
Huang Quan smiled and said: “Paying respects to your young Highness.” Then, like magic, she pulled something out of her cloak’s sleeve, “This was the gift prepared by your deity big sister for you. Quickly take a look to see if you like it.” Saying this, she handed the item to Xuan Fei Yu. At the same time, she did not forget to add: “The gift prepared by the Feng family has already been given to the manor’s servants to handle.”
The little meatball opened the gift and said with a pout: “The gift prepared by the family, I will not look at. They’re mostly worthless things. I am only interested in the gift prepared by deity big sister.”
Feng Yu Heng’s gift was held in a wooden box. It was wrapped using wrapping paper that she had found inside her space. It looked quite beautiful.
When Xuan Fei Yu finally opened the box, he became dazed by what was inside, “What are these things?”
“Try and taste them.” Feng Yu Heng looked at the young child with a smile, “Taste a little of each of them.”
In reality, she had just opened up all of the snacks in her space and placed them into the box. Like this, the box was filled with a patchwork of snacks.
Xuan Fei Yu had previously only eaten chocolate given by Feng Yu Heng. As for the other things, like chips, cotton candy or beef jerky, he had never seen them before.
The child only tried a bit before acting as though he had found a treasure. Desperately hugging the box, he was no longer willing to continue eating.
“You really are a goddess.” He sighed, “Such delicious things should only exist in the heavens, right?”
“If you say that is the case, then that is the case.” Feng Yu Heng smiled and patted his cheeks, “Let’s go. Bring elder sister to the location of the banquet.”
“Ok.” Xuan Fei Yu held Feng Yu Heng’s hand and walked forward, but he very quickly turned his attention to the large gourd. He could not help but ask curiously: “What is inside there?”
She smiled and replied: “It’s something elder sister prepared to gift to your third uncle.”
“Oh.” In the end, he was still a child, so he was easy to handle. Hearing that it was not for him, he did not inquire any further. Instead, he tightly hugged the box filled with snacks and smiled childishly.
The Yuan Palace held the banquet in Fei Yun Hall. When they arrived, the majority of the guests had already been seated. Feng Yu Heng looked around and saw the third prince, Xuan Tian Ye, the fourth prince, Xuan Tian Yi, and the fifth prince, Xuan Tian Yan, near the main seat. She refused Xuan Fei Yu’s invitation and sat down in an inconspicuous location. She then said to Xuan Fei Yu: “Quickly return to your father prince and imperial consort mother. Today, you are in the leading role. Everyone has come to celebrate your birthday. You need to lead the banquet, so you can not always rely on me and allow people to laugh at you.”
Xuan Fei Yu also understood this, so, like a tiny adult, he advised her: “Then take care of yourself. I will come visit you later.” Only then did he run off.
At this time, the eldest prince, Xuan Tian Qi, and his group had arrived. The person at his side was Feng Chen Yu.
Everyone stood up to greet him, and Xuan Tian Qi repeatedly said: “Today, my nephew is the one with the leading role. There is no need for everyone to be too courteous with this prince.” Saying this, he look to his side at Chen Yu and said: “We have already arrived at the main hall. Eldest young miss Feng, how about removing the bamboo hat.”
Chen Yu bowed to him, “Chen Yu was punished by her Highness the Empress and must apply black blush whenever I leave the manor. I hope that your Highness Prince Jing will not mind.”
“No matter.” Xuan Tian Qi waved his hand, “Eldest young miss Feng’s grace can not be covered so simply with just some blush.”
“Many thanks your Highness.” As she said this, Chen Yu gently raised her hand and slowly removed the bamboo hat from her head.
Once the bamboo hat was removed, the full set of crystal head ornaments was revealed to everyone. Not surprisingly, it caused a scene, and some young misses even screamed.
Chen Yu’s vain heart swelled up to the highest degree possible. All of the humiliation that she had suffered at the hands of Feng Yu Heng over the past half year seemed to have been wiped away. The glory she had felt as the Feng family’s daughter of the first wife once again filled her heart.
What she did not know, however, was that there was a peculiar gaze looking in her direction…