Chapter 347: Chapter 325, Show of Power _1
By the time Daohua had finished washing up and getting dressed, it was already four quarters past the hour of Chen (8:00 AM).
Daohua hastily ate a few bites of food, then pulled Dong Yuanyao and the Li siblings out the door.
“My dear ladies, you’ve finally come out!”
No sooner had Daohua and the others stepped through the gate than Yan Wenkai dismounted from his horse and quickly walked over to Daohua’s side. “What took you so long?”
“Got up late.” Daohua briefly explained and then looked around. She saw that her three brothers and big brother Dong were all there, but Xiao Yeyang was nowhere to be seen.
Dohua’s brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, but she quickly let it go and apologized with an embarrassed smile, “I had no idea you were also coming. I’m so sorry to have kept everyone waiting.”
Dong Yuanxuan walked over leading a horse, smiling, “It’s alright, we’ve only just arrived…”
“Just arrived?”
Yan Wenkai looked incredulously at Dong Yuanxuan. “We’ve been waiting for nearly half an hour, and you say just arrived? Had I known we’d be waiting this long outside, I would’ve gone into the Governor’s Office.”
At this statement, everyone was at a loss for words looking at Yan Wenkai.
Yan Wenkai felt uncomfortable under everyone’s gaze, especially his sister’s, who was glaring at him with puffed cheeks. Realizing belatedly, he stepped back while sheepishly smiling, “Since everyone is out, let’s set off then.”
Dong Yuanyao covered her mouth with one hand and pulled Daohua toward the carriage with the other.
“Hahaha~”
Once on the carriage, Dong Yuanyao couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst out laughing, “Yiyi, I’ve come to realize, your fourth brother truly is a treasure, so hilarious.”
Li Zixuan and Li Zixin were also chuckling softly.
Daohua glanced at Dong Yuanyao. “A treasure? I’ll give him to you, do you want him?”
Dong Yuanyao’s smile disappeared instantly, and she shook her head decisively. “No thanks, I can’t entertain that. You keep him.”
The group headed straight for Wangyangkou.
By the time they arrived, Wangyangkou was already packed with people, and the cheers were ear-splitting.
The Dragon Boat Race had already begun, and the onlookers were enthusiastically cheering on their favorite teams.
“This many people?!”
Looking at the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd, Daohua was a bit hesitant. She liked a lively scene but was not fond of overly crowded places.
After getting out of the carriage, Daohua stood on tiptoe and looked around, seeing nothing but heads everywhere.
“Let’s go!”
Dong Yuanyao pulled Daohua along, and under Dong Yuanxuan’s lead, they headed straight for the sparsely populated stands.
The observation stands were constructed along the riverbank; one every few meters. Each stand was roughly twenty or thirty square meters, topped with tables and chairs. The closer to the competition point, the more in demand the stands were.
The stands were controlled by the Governor’s Office and rented out at high prices to the nobility who came to watch the Dragon Boat Race. Every Dragon Boat Festival, the Governor’s Office would make a handsome profit.
After weaving through the crowd for a bit, Daohua and her party arrived at a relatively forward observation stand.
At that moment, nearly all the stands to their lower left were occupied, but there were still quite a few vacant spots to the upper right.
Seeing Daohua eyeing those empty stands, Dong Yuanyao snickered, “Big shots always have to be the last to arrive.”
Daohua smiled and nodded, “Aren’t my uncle and aunt coming to watch the Dragon Boat Race?”
Dong Yuanyao pursed her lips. “They are coming, of course, and there will be a lot of people following them.”
Daohua nudged Dong Yuanyao with her elbow, “Why are you using that tone?”
Dong Yuanyao tilted her head towards Daohua and whispered, “Counting this year, my father has been the Provincial Governor of Zhongzhou for five years, never showing off in public before.”
“But who would have thought that now we have Advisor Jiang, who, right after arriving, urged my father in front of all the officials to bring everyone to watch the Dragon Boat Race during the Dragon Boat Festival.”
“You have no idea, when my mother found out, she was so angry that she smashed her favorite colored glaze teaset, and my grandmother was so upset that she had porridge for three days straight.”
“My father, the Provincial Governor, has always been cautious over these years, afraid of providing his political enemies any handle to incriminate him before His Majesty and leave a bad impression.”
“After keeping a low profile for four or five years, now it’s all ruined.”
As if to prove Dong Yuanyao’s point, there suddenly was a disturbance in the crowd, Daohua turned around and saw a group of officials in their official robes leisurely walking over, looking very pleased with themselves as they laughed and talked.
Among those walking at the forefront was Dong Yuanyao’s father, Governor Dong.
Behind the officials followed a group of ladies in splendid attire, some holding fans, others waving silk handkerchiefs, all cheerful and moving gracefully.
As soon as these people arrived, the crowded spectators immediately made way for them, creating a spacious path.
The officials took up the foremost viewing platforms according to rank, and the platforms behind them were for the ladies.
Once these people sat down, all the best viewing platforms were occupied.
No, there was still one empty.
The one with the best view and closest to the starting point of the race was still unoccupied.
Without looking further, Daohua quickly withdrew her gaze and said indifferently, “What a grand display.”
When Dong Yuanyao saw Madam Jiang bypass her mother and take the central seat at the fifth platform, she immediately snorted coldly, “If the display isn’t grand, how could it support the dignity of others?”
Her father was the Provincial Governor, the highest-ranking official in the province; her mother, by her husband’s esteemed position, rightfully deserved to sit in the center. Madam Jiang, merely an Advisor’s wife, buoyed by the backing of the Empress Dowager and Empress, dared to be so disrespectful.
Despicable and detestable!
Daohua patted Dong Yuanyao’s hand, “Let’s watch the race below, shall we? Do you know any of the dragon boats? Let’s cheer for it.”
Dong Yuanyao no longer paid attention to her parents’ situation, and had just shifted her focus to the dragon boats on the river below, when suddenly, there was another commotion in the crowd.
“Who is it this time?”
Daohua turned her head curiously and then, her expression froze.
Escorted by bodyguards, Xiao Yeyang, wearing a jade crown and indigo robe, strolled over with a folding fan in hand. His handsome face bore an innate nobility, and his every move exuded the proud and distinguished air of the Imperial Family.
Following him was a beautiful, delicate girl with a tender smile who seemed to sway like a willow in the breeze.
If the girl couldn’t walk fast enough, with just a soft word, Xiao Yeyang would stop and wait for her, and then they would walk side by side again.
“Are you alright?”
Seeing Daohua gazing intently at the Little Prince and Jiang Wanying, Dong Yuanyao waved her hand in front of Daohua’s eyes a few times.
Daohua came to her senses, quickly glanced again at Xiao Yeyang, who was now whispering something to the girl, and withdrew her gaze. She said lightly, “What’s wrong with me? I was just surprised to see Xiao Yeyang making such a high-profile entrance, that’s all.”
After saying this, she paused for a moment, then asked nonchalantly.
“Who’s the girl with Xiao Yeyang?”
Dong Yuanyao replied, “Jiang Wanying, Advisor Jiang’s precious daughter, the Little Prince’s cousin.” She looked at Daohua, pondered for a moment, then added, “She’s been brought up in the Taihou Palace with the Little Prince since they were children.”
Daohua blinked in surprise, “So, they are childhood sweethearts?”