After a while of idle chatter, the old lady, referring to her son's receiving an imperial gift from the Emperor, burst into joyous laughter again!
I don't know if it was to make Li Xuan closer to Jia Baoyu.
This time, although they were still seated at separate tables, Li Xuan was arranged to be with the female relatives.
Li Xuan: "???"
Even if you want me to get along with your Phoenix Egg, shouldn't the Phoenix Egg be at the men's table?
The rites and music have collapsed…
Even sitting at a different table, the voices from the men's table could be faintly heard.
Jia Zheng, frowning, once again started his patronizing lecture.
"Xuan Ge'er, at such a young age, you received a Flying Fish Robe, this will label you as seeking advancement through favor, you will not be accepted by the upright, and your future path will be even more difficult."
"Lian Ge'er, Rong Ge'er, you two remember, a gentleman should speak directly and act uprightly, not use flattery to gain wealth, not bend his principles for position."
Jia She also furrowed his brow.
Second brother, I feel like you are trying to pick on me?
Who doesn't know that I, Jia She, have the courtesy name En Hou, given by the Saint himself? Back then, I beat up all the powerful figures in the capital, except the Saint and the Crown Prince…
Thinking of this, Jia She's eyes dimmed, he gulped down three cups in a row.
He glanced toward the screen, thinking of the so-called Flying Fish Robe.
Back then, what was a Flying Fish Robe!
Overwhelmed by worry, Jia She stopped thinking about anything else, and focused on drinking his sorrows.
"Master is right."
"But our Rong Guo Mansion is all wealthy families, we don't do that kind of fawning thing."
Jia Lian bowed in agreement, no one noticed the hesitation in his eyes.
Only Jia Rong, still had a face full of disdain.
He seemed respectful, but deep down, he was full of contempt.
He snorted: "What's the point of talking about Li Xuan, that little brat who hasn't even grown a beard, why not talk about Lian Er Shu's marriage."
"I heard that the Wang family's eldest daughter dumped Jia Gui, and then she set her sights on Lian Er Shu, it seems that Er Shu's charm is truly unmatched!"
…
Listening to the chaotic babble from over there.
Li Xuan actually had some guesses about Prince Teng's intentions.
The Wang family's daughters don't read, so they are ignorant and don't know the rules, even after they get married, they are easily controlled by their family.
Externally, Prince Teng controls Lady Wang and Aunt Xue, allowing the Wang family to absorb the military strength of the Jia family and the wealth of the Xue family, thus he keeps rising in power.
Internally, his second branch holds the power over his married third and fourth sisters, controls the first branch's equally unlearned Wang Xi Feng, and incapacitates the first branch's Wang Ren, leaving only Prince Teng's second branch of the Wang family.
Lady Wang marrying into the second branch of Rong Guo Mansion, Wang Xi Feng betrothed to the first branch of Rong Guo Mansion, this is a plan to devour the entire Rong Guo Mansion.
As for Wang Shi's changing her betrothal from Jia Gui to Jia Lian, it's simply a matter of changes in power between the two families.
Even Yuan Chun entering the palace, might be Prince Teng's doing.
Right, later there's also Xue Baochai being selected for the palace, perhaps it's also to easily control Xue Pan and Aunt Xue, and then through them control Xue Baochai who's already entered the palace.
"Fourth Brother, what are you thinking about? Do you want to eat a bean curd bun, it's really delicious!"
Seeing that the elders like Lady Jia and the rest went to watch the play and chat in front, leaving space for Li Xuan and Baoyu, Tan Chun's head poked out from the side.
She grabbed a bun from in front of Li Xuan and put it in the mouth of the eagerly looking but silent Xi Chun.
Xi Chun: A bun from heaven?
"Thank you, Third Sister~"
Although this little girl will be cold and heartless later, she is still a naive and cute little sister now, and her little voice is so crisp and sweet, it is still quite endearing.
So Li Xuan also picked one up for her.
But seeing that the little girl's mouth was already stuffed, he placed it in the small bowl in front of her.
It made the little girl look at Li Xuan gratefully.
Then, she looked at the Flying Fish Robe on him and praised softly: "Fourth Brother, this looks good!"
Tan Chun, standing behind Li Xuan, nodded frantically: "Fourth Brother is very mighty!"
Instead of describing his appearance, she talked about his aura, clearly she knew the depths of the Flying Fish Robe.
Ying Chun didn't say anything, she just stared blankly at this side.
She seemed to be looking at Li Xuan, but also seemed to be lost in thought.
Jia Baoyu laughed: "I don't know if Second Sister is looking at Xuan Ge'er or the Flying Fish Robe, she's even staring with her eyes wide open."
Lin Daiyu snorted and picked a fight:
"Everyone can see clearly, you are the only one who lacks discernment."
"All the sisters in the family know Second Sister's temperament, only you would say such things that are easy to lead to misunderstandings, are you really trying to shame her?"
Since Lin Meimei entered the mansion, the Phoenix Egg has been like a fly that has seen something, harassing her every day.
Lin Meimei is not someone who endures, naturally she unleashed all her fire, scolding Jia Baoyu until he doubted his own life, he even subconsciously avoided her a bit.
Now hearing Lin Meimei come again, especially in front of Li Xuan, this handsome Ge'er wearing the beautiful Flying Fish Robe, he didn't plan to endure anymore.
Before, he was scolded in private.
Now that Lady Jia and the rest are right in front, wouldn't he have to lash out?
He immediately stood up, acting like he was having a fit and shouted:
"My sister won't even let me speak, what's the use of this lousy jade, I might as well smash it!"
He took off the jade around his neck and threw it out.
Lin Daiyu's eyebrows furrowed fiercely.
She grabbed the silver ear and lotus seed soup in the big bowl on the table and threw it out with a flick of her wrist.
The bowl, carrying the full contents, flew out faster than the magical jade, landing on the ground first.
Amazingly, the bowl just spun around and slid on the ground.
It didn't break, not even the silver ear and lotus seed soup inside spilled.
Then the magical jade landed in the bowl with a plop.
It went forward with the bowl, with the continuous obstruction of the soup, silver ears, and lotus seeds, it didn't even break, even the bowl's rim didn't touch anything.
At the same time, Li Xuan also stood up.
Seeing Lin Meimei "rescued" the magical jade, he took a step forward, rushed to the Phoenix Egg's side, and pressed him back down onto the chair as he was about to go crazy and shout.
At this moment, the people watching the play in front and the people eating and drinking nearby finally reacted.
Lady Jia rushed over and hugged the Phoenix Egg: "You little demon, you can talk all you want, but why would you smash your own precious thing for no reason?"
Lady Wang's face turned green, she rushed over and fished out the magical jade.
Jia Zheng was so angry he stomped his feet: "You demon! You demon!"
"You unfilial son, you don't study, you don't practice martial arts, you spend all day with women, I, Jia Zheng, have always been upright and honorable, yet I gave birth to such an unmanageable son?"
"A family's misfortune, truly a family's misfortune!"
"Get out of the way, let me beat this demon to death, so he won't cause any more trouble later!"
Lady Jia glared at him and scolded:
"Who are you going to beat to death?"
"Are you trying to gouge out my heart and eyes, is it because I, the old lady, am in your way?"
"Hit me, hit me, you might as well just beat me to death!"
"Mother! Oh!" Jia Zheng threw away the wooden stick he didn't know where he got.
He stomped his foot, angrily turned his face to the side.
Li Xuan curiously looked at the wooden stick.
What kind of rule-based weapon is this? He didn't even see Jia Zheng pull out the stick, it's also strange.