Chapter 2686: Staring

Mingda and Changyu were dumbfounded; this wasn’t what they had agreed upon initially.

Is this really possible?

Indeed, it was. They could afford dozens of taels without needing to consult their husbands; the ladies could make decisions on their own.

However, donating incense money to the Guardian of the Nation Temple and holding ceremonies at Xuandu Temple cost at most twenty taels per event.

Many people followed this standard and increased the amount slightly.

Though they donated much less than the State Duchess Zhao and her peers, they had numbers on their side, and the contributions accumulated…

Manbao straightened her posture and leaned forward to see the numbers recorded by the female officials, feeling her heart race.

But it wasn’t over yet.

As time was about right, a palace maid arrived to invite the Crown Princess and everyone to take their seats.

Everyone promptly stood and proceeded towards the main hall.

A space was cleared in the center of the main hall, surrounded by low tables and seats, where pairs sat together, with a secondary seat behind, generally reserved for family members.

As Manbao entered the main hall, she suddenly remembered she’d lost track of her two family members and began to look around.

Mingda said to her, “Just take your seat; they’ll be led over by palace staff when they arrive.”

Manbao thought it made sense and went to find her place.

Being a rank-four compiler, she held mid-upper status and skipped the front rows to look further back. Without needing to search, an attendant stepped forward, bowed, and led her to her seat.

Manbao lifted her official robe and sat cross-legged, breathing out a sigh of relief. She noticed someone sitting on her left side and turned to look.

Minister Liu sat down and, upon seeing Zhou Man, thought for a moment, then simply stood up and moved up one seat. When he saw his wife being led over by a palace maid, he waved and pointed to the seat he had just vacated, saying, “Wife, sit here.”

Minister Liu’s wife smiled at him and, upon seeing Zhou Man, her eyes lit up, and she immediately approached with a smile, “Oh, is it my dear sister-in-law? Couldn’t talk earlier in the main hall; I heard you brought Liru?”

Manbao replied, “Just bumped into Liu Huan earlier, not sure where he went off to play.”

“Children, always a bit naughty,” Minister Liu’s wife laughed.

She sat down next to Minister Liu, conveniently becoming Zhou Man’s neighbor.

Manbao felt strange, wondering why Minister Liu initially sat in a lower seat, but when she looked up, she saw State Duke Su had plopped down on the other side of him.

Manbao quickly averted her gaze, having heard about the bad blood between Minister Liu and State Duke Su. There was once a brawl at court where State Duke Su, while kicking someone, lost his boot which flew off and hit Minister Liu square in the face.

That incident made Minister Liu the butt of jokes for years.

Manbao heard about it because the matter remains a joke even now; whenever debates get heated at grand court meetings, if parliamentary insults involve Minister Liu, he gets implicitly mocked once more.

Not much harm done, yet deeply humiliating.

State Duke Su evidently knew this too; it was no good for him either, so after some thought, he turned away, avoiding eye contact with Minister Liu.

Minister Liu: …

Fuming, yet he had to keep a smile.

Manbao turned her gaze back as Bai Shan and the others entered, so she waved to them.

Bai Shan led people forward, asking her, “We couldn’t find you anywhere, did you go to the garden?”

Manbao nodded, “I was playing with Mingda and the others; why didn’t you go look for me in the garden?”

The garden was full of women, so they didn’t want to go.

Bai Shan scanned the room, pointed to a spot, and said to Yin Huo, “Lord Yin is over there.”

Yin Huo nodded to them and went off to find his father.

Bai Shan greeted his colleagues on either side with a courtesy, then sat at the lower seat next to Zhou Man, while Zhou Liru sat on the seat behind them.

Happy Liu Huan also sat behind his grandparents, leaning over to quietly chat with her, “The palace’s seating arrangement is good this time; I thought we’d be several tables away.”

Minister Liu’s wife gazed cheerfully at them, while Zhou Liru blushed slightly, offering greetings to Minister Liu and his wife before sitting down.

Minister Liu’s wife was especially pleased and spoke with Zhou Liru for a while.

Lord Tang and his wife came forward and sat at the lower seat next to Bai Shan.

Seeing him, Zhou Man and the others were stunned, and turned their heads towards him in unison.

After sitting down, Lord Tang met their gazes, slightly narrowed his eyes, and asked, “What is it?”

Manbao asked, “Senior Brother Tang, why are you sitting here?”

She pointed diagonally across, “Why aren’t you sitting with Old Lord Tang?”

Lord Tang proudly raised his chin and said, “I have my own seat; why should I sit at a secondary seat?”

Indeed, being the vice-prefect of the capital, a rank-four officer, he qualified to attend palace banquets alone and didn’t need to piggyback on his father’s entry.

Except…

Manbao looked at Old Lord Tang, sitting alone occupying half the seat, while the other half was empty, appearing somewhat pitiful.

Lord Tang also glanced diagonally and puzzled, “Strange, usually Lord Yin sits with my father; where is Lord Yin?”

Bai Shan said, “Lord Yin brought his family this year and is seated up front.”

Lord Tang just noticed Yin Huo had surprisingly attended the palace banquet, along with Old Madam Yin, who rarely came to the palace.

Madam Tang raised an eyebrow slightly, and turned to Zhou Man to say, “Speaking of which, Yin Huo’s health indeed has improved a lot. He managed to return safely from such distant Western Regions; this time, with you alongside, eastern expedition shouldn’t be too challenging, right?”

Manbao said, “Yin Huo isn’t going.”

“Yin Huo isn’t going, but Lord Yin is, and this eastern campaign, His Majesty is taking many key officials along; each one of them is highly esteemed.”

Especially Lord Yin, Tang is currently happy under his supervision and isn’t planning to change bosses anytime soon.

Moreover, Yin Li oversees the capital prefecture’s security and politics and the Imperial Guards, and generally, unless a new emperor arrives or he commits an unforgivable mistake, his career is Lifetime Tenure.

Lord Tang told Manbao, “Take good care of Lord Yin for us.”

After all, the battlefield cares not who it harms.

Manbao nodded, “I will.” If there’s an opportunity available.

Before the emperor arrived, officials shared some political views, while the ladies exchanged gossip, thus rumors about “,,” (“propitiate Zhou Man, donate military funds, gain virtuous merits”) spread quickly across this most prestigious palace banquet of Great Jin.

Manbao felt someone watching her continuously, with eyes gathering in focus.

Manbao picked up her teacup, drinking to mask her actions, and asked Keke, “Are people talking bad about me?”

Keke: “…Does Mistress want to spend points to listen in?”

“Can’t it be for free?”

Keke: “No.”

“Oh, then they’re not saying anything too damaging, at least not harmful to me.” If potentially life-threatening, Keke would broadcast without requiring points.

Keke: …

Bai Shan also sensed it and quietly asked her, “Were you arguing or fighting with anyone in the garden earlier?”

Why else would so many ladies subtly keep watching them?