Chapter 8 Night Banquet at De Xin Residence

  Jin Xiu's classmate finally furrowed his straight eyebrows.

  Staring blankly at me, his eyes gradually turned red, and his nose also turned red. All the ferocity was gone, as if he had returned to being timid and cowardly like when he was a child. He threw himself into my arms and burst out crying: "Muxi, you're the only one who has ever been good to me."

  I admit that at this moment, my heart is filled with warmth, I'm deeply moved and quite confident in myself, but still humbly say: "Little fool, there are many people in this world who treat you well, even Song Er Ge is extremely good to you, isn't he?"

  Jin Xiu was so grief-stricken that she didn't even have time to respond to my words.

  This girl has wiped her snot and tears on me again, but never mind, considering I had a great achievement in educating my dear sister today.

  I suddenly remembered that this dress wasn't what I wore yesterday, where's the thing in the collar of that one?

  "My heart sank: 'Jinxiu, you saw the thing in my clothes yesterday, right? Ah, it's that goose feather pen you always laugh at me for, and those strategies I wrote with Song Mingrui.'"

  She stopped making a sound, lifted her small face with a pear blossom-shaped mouth, and hummed vaguely: "We rushed to rescue you back, the clothes that San Jie and I changed for you, nothing was seen at all?" After finishing speaking, she continued to indulge in the self-emotional feeling of kinship, sobbing violently. This is her characteristic, either not crying or crying until the sky and earth change color.

  But this time, I'm the one who's worried sick. What if that white-masked man finds me with those things? And what about Song Ming Lei's calligraphy on that strategy - it might even implicate him!

  We spent the last few months of the year in anxiety, but Ziyuan didn't seem to care about it at all. Instead, he secretly summoned three thousand brothers-in-arms into the capital, including my newly met sister Hua Jinxiu and Biying's sweetheart Song Minglei. At that time, something more important than my White Robe happened, which not only affected the Yuan family but also shook the entire Eastern Imperial Court, even indirectly changing the fate of all of us.

  In the 17th year of Yuanwu, when Emperor Zhaozong of Tang fell seriously ill, to pray for his early recovery, the era name was changed to Yongkang.

  In the first year of Yongkang, this suspicious emperor dreamed that a group of small people were dancing and thought someone was "gu dao zhu zu", ordering the Grand Justice Temple to thoroughly investigate the matter, thus starting the "Wu Guan disturbance" that shook the entire Eastern Court dynasty.

  After Wen Ruyi's "Wu Guo" incident in the capital, Yingzong became even more convinced of his own judgment and hinted that Wen Ruyi should dig up the palace. Finally, a wooden puppet was dug up in Fengmiao Palace. In a fit of rage, Yingzong executed Queen Lian without distinguishing between right and wrong. That night, Guo Gong, Left Prime Minister Lian Ruohai, was thrown into the Great Temple, where he died under torture. Crown Prince Bo was suspected of being involved in the "Wu Guo" incident and was imprisoned in Fangyong Hall by Yingzong. Queen Lian was actually the elder sister of Empress Dowager Lian.

  On the first day of the twelfth month of winter in the first year of Yongkang, Zhang Shixian, the father of Empress Zhang and arch-nemesis of Lian Ruohai, took advantage of the situation to unite with the anti-Lian forces at court. They jointly submitted a petition to force Emperor Yingzong to depose Crown Prince Piao as a commoner and establish Empress Zhang's son Huai'an Wang Xun as the new crown prince. Emperor Yingzong was enraged and suffered a severe heart attack, falling into a deep coma, with no response to medicine or treatment.

  Zhang Shixian, in order to deceive the public, held an early draft, and the Minister of War, Yuan Qingjiang, remained calm on the surface, helping Zhang Shixian suppress the Lian family. However, secretly, he ordered Yu Fei, the Adjutant of the Northern Camp, to lead a group of soldiers to sneak south under the cover of night, and on December 12th, they infiltrated the escort troops for the imperial concubine selection.

  Entering the Chongming Palace through the Sima Gate, he defeated the Imperial Guards controlled by Zhang Shizong, executed Empress Zhang and released Crown Prince Pu.

  Yuanshang Shu, on the same day, issued an edict in the name of the dying Emperor to announce to the world that Zhang Shixian, the Marquis of Chuan and Yong, Wen Fu, the Minister of Justice, and Zhang Yu, the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Guards, had conspired with Empress Zhang to use witchcraft to frame the Empress Dowager, plot to poison the Crown Prince, and commit high treason. They also attempted to have the female attendant physician Chunyu Yue administer poison to kill the Emperor, endangering the imperial family and violating moral principles. All those involved in the witchcraft rebellion were to be executed along with their families, and beheaded in public.

  Zhang Guifei was demoted to a commoner, given three feet of white silk. Huai'an King Xue was demoted to a commoner, given poisonous wine and buried thickly in the Eastern Mausoleum.

  On the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month of the first year of Yongkang, Emperor Xiaowen of Eastern Wei died, and his son, Emperor Xianzu, ascended to the throne at the age of 20. He was posthumously known as Emperor Xiaoyuan, with the temple name Xizong, and changed the era name to Yongye.

  In the first year of Yongye, the new emperor issued an edict to posthumously confer the title of Xianxiao Duanwen Huanghou on Empress Lian. The Minister of War, Qingjiang, was promoted to Left Chancellor and granted the title of Duke of Anguo for his contributions in suppressing the rebellion. His wife, Madame Lian, was also enfeoffed as Duchess of Anguo. The Marquis of Zhongxian, Fei Qing, was appointed as the King of Zhongxian. After a brief mourning period, the new emperor welcomed Empress Yuan's elder sister, Empress Yuan Feiyan, as his empress, and for a time, the Yuan family enjoyed unparalleled honor and prestige.

  In this event known as "The Incident at the Sima Gate" or "The Coup of the Twelfth", my family's Jin Xiu and Song Mingpei rendered great service, for they were among the first to charge into the Sima Gate, staining the imperial palace with the blood of the Yuan clan's soldiers. Jin Xiu captured alive Zhang Guifei who was trying to slip away through a secret passage in the palace, while Song Mingpei timely killed the eunuchs who were trying to poison the Crown Prince Bo, rescuing him from his frightened and stunned state.

  In the same year, the Western Turks in the northwest finally annexed their hundred-year neighbor Loulan. They thought that during the internal chaos of the Eastern Court, they would not have time to take care of the northwestern border and invaded the Eastern Court in October. Unexpectedly, they encountered the most intense resistance in the He Shuo area since the original Qingjiang retreated to the court, with an army of 50,000 defeated by only 20,000 soldiers of the Eastern Court. At that time, the general guarding the city was the youngest Wujue in the history of the Eastern Court, who was only a fifth-ranking flying rider, Fei Yan. He fought without regard for his life, with multiple arrows shot into his body and blood staining his battle robe, still leading his soldiers to charge into the enemy camp, capturing the king of Gaojun, and leading the Eastern Court army to behead over 19,000 enemies, pursuing the Turkic army five hundred miles away, and recovering the fertile He Shuo area with lush water and grass, creating a miracle in military history.

  For a time, the court and the people were in an uproar. The great victory of He Shuo swept away the unrest that had plagued the country since the Wu Xie rebellion, and the name of Yu Feiyan spread among the people. Everyone said that Yu Feiyan was the reincarnation of Guan Gong, loyal and righteous, brave and unparalleled. This elite army led by Yu Feiyan was also known as the "Swallow Army" in the folk, galloping freely on the vast grasslands of the northwest, appearing and disappearing like ghosts, becoming a symbol of resistance against foreign invasion, an undisputed national hero.

  But Yu Feiyan told me in his letter that the reason he defeated the Turks so badly was that he was eager to return and spend the New Year's holiday with us, for fear of spoiling his own celebration.

  The four of us were stunned, but in his letter, he specially thanked me and Song Mingrui for the tactics we suggested to Yu Feiyan regarding the Western Turks' surprise attack. It was a strategy that we two had collaborated on, suggesting that he could emulate the famous Western Han general Huo Qubing, train an elite force, use the enemy to feed his army, and launch a surprise attack deep within the Turkic territories, catching them off guard and emerging victorious.

  This New Year is a great honor and also a thrilling tension for the royal family, as the new emperor takes office, with endless personnel, economic and international issues waiting to be solved.

  Soon, Yuan Feiyun brought his meritorious sons back to the Imperial City, on one hand to spend the Spring Festival in their hometown, and on the other hand to personally come and pick up Yuan Qingjiang's original wife, An Guo Furen, to enter the capital, to show filial piety. This also fulfilled our rare gathering of the five sworn brothers.

  We finally made it through the Chinese New Year safely, and I let out a long sigh of relief. Song Mingyue, who had gone through the Sima Men's change, gained the favor of the crown prince and was exceptionally promoted to be a fourth-rank imperial guard with sword, becoming more mature and confident. He smiled as if Yu Feiyan's victory was already within his expectations.

  On this New Year's Eve early in the morning, I climbed onto the rooftop to dry chili peppers, and suddenly heard a voice: "Fourth Sister!"

  That thunderous voice, like a galloping horse, shocked me so much that I fell down and immediately fell into a wide and spacious embrace. All I saw was the man who was eight feet tall, with a leopard head and ring eyes, and a face full of hard stubble, it was none other than Yu Feiyan, whom I hadn't seen for a year.

  The desert life in the north made him look a bit haggard, his skin was dry and peeling from the strong wind and scorching sun, his complexion was darker than before, and his physique was even more robust, with broad shoulders and a powerful build. His eyes gleamed as he looked down at me, and I couldn't help but exclaim: "Big Bear! You're finally back!"

  I threw myself into his arms, tugging hard at his stiff beard. He let out a few loud yelps of pain, but didn't get angry. Instead, he hugged me tightly and spun around in circles, throwing back his head and laughing heartily: "Fourth sister is still as mischievous as ever, I thought you'd forgotten about your big brother."

  "Fourth sister, your big brother is now a senior captain and has been granted the title of Guangwei General. If you were to pull out his beard, the entire Northwestern 'Swallow Army' would come looking for you." Song Mingpei said with a soft laugh behind us, next to him was Jinxiu who was beaming with joy. I had just landed when Biying lifted the curtain and came out, seeing a big bearded man who was startled at first, then recognized as Yu Feiyan, also extremely surprised and delighted. The five of us gazed at each other for a long time, laughing, just like we did when we first took our oath.

  On the eve of the Lunar New Year, Biying and I were busy in the house when Song Mingkui, Yu Feiyan, and Jinxiu arrived at our Dezhong Residence after attending a family banquet in Ziyuan. Unexpectedly, Chu Hua also came with Jinxiu. Yu Feiyan brought gifts for us siblings: he gave Jinxiu a high-quality silver-white sea otter cloak, along with a large bundle of satin and silk fabrics.

  Song Minghui obtained a Western Treasure knife, named Autumn Tranquility, with a curved blade emitting a dark, mysterious glow, extremely sharp. He also somehow acquired a Qingzhou Red Silk Inkstone, the most famous inkstone in the world. The inkstone was smooth and delicate to the touch, with natural, intricate patterns. In the inkstone pool, a lingzhi mushroom had formed, its delicate, thread-like decorations radiating an aura of preciousness and spirituality. Song Minghui smiled and thanked him as he accepted it, but despite his eyes shining with love for the gift, he didn't show any particularly surprised expression.

  Fei Yan gave Bi Ying the usual precious medicine, but this time it was a box of rare and expensive pearl powder that was hard to come by, not only strengthening her body but also nourishing her skin and preserving her youth. In addition, there were two pieces of satin, two pairs of jade earrings, a pair of jade hairpins, and a bracelet. He solemnly said that this was what he had specially asked the new emperor for as a reward in the grand hall, saying that now that San Mei's body had recovered, a young girl like Bi Ying should have more new clothes and accessories.

  I looked at Biying's face full of surprise and excitement, my heart moved. Yu Feiyan looks rough but is actually very considerate, compared to Song Minghui giving us a few simple rose-patterned silk fabrics, he has put in more thought. He seems to also pity Biying for being alone and helpless, so he gave her such generous gifts. And that one sentence was clearly hinting that Biying had reached the age of marriage.

  Yu Fei Yan said she didn't expect to meet Chu Hua's sister, and hadn't had time to prepare a gift, so she took off the agate bracelet on her hand and gave it to Chu Hua. Chu Hua was originally standing alone in the corner without making a sound, but now she felt very embarrassed, and couldn't decline, so she blushed and accepted it, thanking Yu Fei Yan.

  "It's my turn now," I asked excitedly: "Big Bear, what New Year's gift are you giving me?"

  Fei Yan smiled mysteriously, without silk or jade ornaments, nor any precious jewelry on her hands. She carefully took out a delicate and intricately carved long wooden box from her bosom, smiling as she handed it to me.

  I opened it and saw a dagger lying inside the box, with intricate carvings on the hilt and scabbard, inlaid with red and green precious stones. In the candlelight, our eyes were dazzled by its brilliance. When I drew out the knife, its blade shone brightly, and at a glance, it was clear that it was a rare treasure capable of cutting through iron like mud.

  I was taken aback: "Such a precious gift, how can I bear to accept it?" Yu Feiyan didn't think much of it: "Big brother, apart from you four, there's no one else left in the family. When we became sworn brothers, we said that we would share honor and shame, wealth and nobility together. If not for Fourth Sister and Second Brother's clever plan, how could Yu Feiyan have caught the eye of the Emperor and the Duke?"

  He doted on me: "Big brother knows you don't like flowers and powder, this is Gao Yunwang's personal treasure, called 'Chou Qing', Marquis Hou gave it to me, the other day I heard that you were ambushed in Xilin, you've always been brave, but you should also know how to protect yourself."

  I was touched and accepted it. Song Mingwei's face suddenly turned dark, I think he must be blaming himself for not sending me back that day. I gave him a sweet smile, stretched out two V-shaped fingers, meaning don't take it to heart, he also smiled warmly at me, nodding gently.

  Everyone sat on the big kang surrounded by tables and packages of dumplings, chattering about their experiences over the past few years. Even Song Mingrui, who didn't usually talk much, said a few more words than usual, and the atmosphere was warm and harmonious.

  When the dumplings were served, we welcomed another unexpected guest, who turned out to be Yuan Fei. As soon as he entered, everyone was stunned. He wore a purple gold crown with a bun of hair, a crimson robe with golden embroidery and a hundred butterflies, a five-colored silk sash with a long tassel, and an outer cloak with eight embroidered bats and a jade green lining. The cloak had been torn by branches and the like, and his dark blue boots were stained with snow and mud.

  Obviously, he got lost again for a while, but he still sniffed the air with great spirit and said: "So fragrant, so fragrant, Wooden Head, I want to eat your dumplings."

  Then he jumped onto the kang with a swagger, and all of us scrambled down like ducks into water, leaving only him sitting on top shouting my name to eat, I suspected that everyone had heard the declaration about me being his person sooner or later, because they were all looking at me with extreme ambiguity.

  Yu Feiyan, although a meritorious official in the imperial court, was after all the young master's son and did not dare to be presumptuous. At first, he shouted: "Fourth Master Jue, shouldn't you be listening to opera in the Zi Garden?"

  Yu Fei glanced in her direction and said disdainfully: "A few men learning from women, chattering and chattering, what's good to listen to?"

  I thought to myself, it's actually that you can't see the beautiful makeup of the actors and don't understand the subtlety of the Kunqu opera, that's why you say there's nothing good to listen to!

  I smiled and said: "Fourth Master Jue, you can eat my dumplings if you want to, but I only have beef and radish filling here, and it's absolutely more radish than beef. Can you eat it?"

  "As long as it's something you've made, I'll love eating everything," he said with a pleased expression, looking at me: "I'm really hungry."

  "Today is New Year's Eve, in my humble abode, there are only brothers and sisters, no masters, so we don't have to be formal." I said with a smile, but unexpectedly he burst out laughing: "What does that matter? Let's get on the kang together, this young master isn't afraid of you five being unjust."

  She jumped onto the kang first, staring at Yuan Fei like a little sparrow: "Fourth Master Yu, you mustn't tell Guo Er or the mistress, otherwise, we won't be able to bear the sin of mistreating our master." Yuan Fei hummed in response.

  I was wrapping dumplings in the back, Jinxiu came over to help me, she nudged me with her elbow and asked: "Hey! I heard Biying say that he has a crush on you, is it true? Really?"

  I raised my eyes, and the lively initial painting was urging the boys to play a game of arm-wrestling, with the loser being forced to drink wine. The wine was Fengxiang sent by Song Mingrui, so Yuan Fei's playful heart rose greatly, and when he heard that the leader of the Yanzi Army who broke through the Western Turks, Yu Feiyan, was also there, he called out his name and wanted to play with him. I shouted: "Big brother, be careful not to hurt Fourth Master."

  Fei Yan didn't even turn her head and responded with a single word, rolled up her sleeves and focused on playing, while Yuan Fei Jue glared at me with an unpleasant expression.

  I turned back to Jinxiu and said: "Don't talk nonsense, Jue Siye is just a lonely and pitiful child, he regards me as a friend because I'm willing to lift him up."

  "You pity everyone, but not yourself," Jin Xiu scolded me with a glance, her expression serious. "Don't follow him, he's the well-known fool from Purple Mountain Manor, I wouldn't want you to marry a fool." Just as I was about to retort, she suddenly remembered something important and grabbed my arm, lowering her voice to say seriously: "And don't follow Song Mingyuan either, he'll definitely spoil Biying and make you his concubine. He'll also force you to write articles every day so he can plagiarize them." As she spoke, she shuddered herself.

  I burst out laughing, this girl really hates writing articles. I teased her: "So who's your Mr. Right? Won't be Yu Gege, will it?"

  Her face turned red and she punched me: "Who would look up to him!"

  I was even more delighted, and curiously asked: "You really have a mind to deceive people, you naughty girl, did you secretly agree to marry someone without telling me? Quickly tell me, quickly tell me, who is that person?"

  Her face flushed as she said in a low voice: "He's a very special person, others who see me for the first time either stare at me like flies or scold me as a demon child, but he always smiles warmly at me."

  She smiled sweetly and said, "Ah, yeah! Indeed, a girl is not allowed to stay out late!"

  I was about to ask her, when a cheer erupted from the room. It turned out that Yu Feiyan had won, which was unexpected. Yuan Gong, on the other hand, showed great Olympic spirit and didn't throw any tantrums. He simply raised his head, downed a cup of Fengxiang in one gulp, then switched arms and placed it on the table.

  Song Mingkui was standing in the corner, watching Yuan Fei and Yu Feiyan play another round while chatting with Biying, who had a shy expression on her face. She noticed my gaze and looked over at me, and to my surprise, there was a hint of melancholy in her eyes, which left me stunned for a moment.

  The dumplings were done, and we ate them with gusto. Yuan Fei's face was almost buried in his bowl as he repeatedly exclaimed how delicious they were, saying that they were even better than the dumpling feast he had just attended at the Zi Garden. We were all amused by him.

  Outside, it's snowing heavily with big flakes, a silver blanket covering everything. Inside, the atmosphere is warm and lively, bustling with noise. I couldn't help but think that if I could watch CCTV's Spring Festival Gala right now, it would be even better.

  After eating dumplings, they played a game of wrist wrestling. Yuan Fei was still winning less and losing more, but he didn't rush and instead became more enthusiastic. Song Mingpei suggested that since there were many girls at the banquet, it would be better to let the boys play games like "drawing lots" together. Yu Feiyan loudly shouted things like "A great man must not indulge in frivolous games!" and was pulled by me and Jin Xiu a few times, so she had no choice but to sit down quietly, looking at me with a wronged expression, completely losing her general's demeanor. Yuan Fei also wanted to strongly object, but seeing me sitting next to him with a stern face and Yu Feiyan's outcome, he could only pout and reluctantly agree.

  Biying took out a bamboo carved sign tube, inside which were ivory name cards that Jinxiu had given her as a New Year's gift the year before. She shook it and placed it in the middle. Then she took out the dice, put them in a box, shook it, and opened it to take a look. Inside was five points, counting towards Jinxiu. Jinxiu then smiled and said: "Everyone, brothers and sisters, I've overstepped."

  As he spoke, he shook the tube and pulled out one, everyone took a look, only to see that the sign was painted with a peony, with the four characters "Yan Guan Qun Fang" written on it. Below it was a small inscription of a sentence from a Tang poem, which read: "Even if it is unfeeling, it moves people." It also noted: "All the guests at the banquet will toast to this cup, this is the crown of all flowers." Everyone looked and laughed, saying: "This sign is really accurate, Jinxiu was originally born with a unique beauty, precious and unspeakable, and can be paired with peony flowers." As they spoke, everyone toasted to a cup together.

  I gave Jinxiu a wink, and she smiled knowingly: "Why don't Third Sister play a tune to liven things up?" The others also clapped their hands in approval.

  I thought this was a great opportunity for Biying to show off her talent to Song Mingyuan, so I took out the guqin that Song Mingyuan had given me a few years ago and shouted that I wanted to hear "High Mountain Flowing Water Seeking a Kindred Spirit", because this was her most skilled piece, and she could certainly use music to convey her emotions to Song Mingyuan. Everyone else thought this piece was quite fitting for today's gathering, so they all cheered, but Song Mingyuan just smiled and didn't say anything. Biying blushed and said "I'm going to make a fool of myself now", then started playing.

  In recent years, Biying has been bedridden, and whenever she had a bit of energy, she would play this zither to relieve her emotions. The sound was truly like flying pearls splashing on jade, lightly falling onto the silver plate, with lingering notes that swirled around the beams for three days without ceasing. After finishing one piece, everyone was intoxicated, and even Song Mingpei's eyes revealed a look of astonishment.

  Jin Xiu threw nineteen points, but it was Song Ming Lei. In the sympathetic gaze of Yu Fei Yan, he smiled lightly and used his slender fingers to draw out a card with a plum blossom painted on it, inscribed with the four characters "瑶池仙品" (Jade Pool Immortal Goods). I recited the short poem: "Red plum blossoms lean against the clouds at sunset."

  Note: "Apricot is a homophone for 'good fortune', whoever gets this lot will definitely get a noble son-in-law, let's all raise our cups and congratulate!"

  Jin Xiu, initially painted with a smile that couldn't be straightened, stared blankly at Fei Yan and Bi Ying, while Yuan Fei also had an expression of admiration. I suppressed my laughter and, with a seemingly smiling but not quite smiling face, toasted Song Minghui: "Our household has produced a noble steed, soon to have an empress, and this child will again add another noble concubine. Come, come, let's toast the future Noble Concubine Song!" Amidst the crowd's laughter, Song Minghui helplessly shook his head, smiling as he drank.

  Song Mingkui threw a ten-point, and it was Yuan Fei's turn. He picked one out, which had a picture of a begonia flower on it, with the four characters "Xiang Meng Chen Xun" (Fragrant Dream Deep Sleep). The poem on the side read: "Only fear that at night the flowers will fall asleep". Next to it was drawn a small boat sailing far away, with the note: "The person who draws this lot is not suitable for drinking wine, only allowing the upper and lower two families to each drink one cup."

  The one above is Song Mingkui, and the one below happens to be me. This sign is really strange. Everyone says that Yuan Fei is a lucky person, and Xiang Meng doesn't realize it's a dream. Yuan Fei nodded vaguely, looking at me and Song Mingkui clinking glasses together.

  It was Biying's turn next, unexpectedly she drew a twin lotus flower with the theme "Lian Chun Rao Rui". The poem read: "The double-headed flower is in full bloom on the branch of conjugal love." With a note that said: "Congratulations to the drawer for three cups, and everyone will drink one cup together." We naturally drank the wine and repeatedly said she must have a good marriage.

  I whispered in her ear with a smile: "You can rest assured this time!"

  Biying lightly rebuked me with a sip, her bright eyes shining with expectation, her cheeks flushing red, it was unclear whether it was due to the wine or shyness.

  Next was the initial painting, and he took out a branch with his hand, but it was a peach blossom branch, with the four characters "Lanling's farewell scene" written on it. On one side of the old poem, it was written that: The peach blossoms are another year of spring, I laughed and said, "Can't Xiao Chuhua have a peach blossom fortune?"

  At first, he pretended to be angry and wanted to punish me by making me drink wine. His face couldn't help but turn red, so I drank it in one gulp.

  Just then, he threw the divination block and it landed on Flying Swallow. He calmly shook it out and took a look, laughing: "How interesting! Take a look." It turned out that the slip had a picture of an old plum blossom drawn on it, with the four characters "Frosty Dawn's Chilly Posture" written on it. The old poem read: "Bamboo fence, thatched cottage, contented heart". Note: "Drink a cup by yourself, those who haven't drawn lots yet open one topic."

  There was only me who hadn't drawn a lot on the seat, I thought for a moment and said please ask Brother Yu to sing a song for us. I originally wanted to see Yu Feiyan's silly look, but unexpectedly, in the midst of everyone's laughter, he said boldly: "Good, gentlemen, listen to Feiyan's song."

  We were not ready, and a loud and thunderous Qin Opera aria came, he sang "Zhang Fei's Great Uproar at Changban Slope". The Qin Opera was originally high-pitched and stirring, with a rough and primitive tone. With Feiyan being the Wugou Star descending to the mortal world, his voice was thick and rich, making this play even more moving and full of masculine energy. By the time the song ended, a large amount of dust had fallen from the roof onto our heads, but we were still shaken to the core, completely unaware of anything else.

  Yu Wenhao was the first to applaud loudly. He personally poured a cup and toasted Fei Yan: "What a wonderful performance! You are indeed a true hero, General. Please accept this toast from Yu Wenhao."

  Yu Fei Yan surprisingly even omitted the title of "young master", and the two were drinking together with great enthusiasm, as if they had a deep affection for each other. We came back to our senses, cheering loudly, and the girls took turns offering toasts, praising them without end, but never mentioning "one more time". Yu Fei Yan's face turned red with embarrassment.

  It's finally my turn. I suppressed the excitement in my heart, reached out to that pile of smooth pens, pulled one out and took a look...

  I really didn't expect it, this time I'm the one who's being ridiculed just like Song Mingyue, I loudly shouted that this fortune-telling is definitely not accurate, I won't get married in this life and what's more, I absolutely won't have the good fortune to marry a noble person, everyone disagreed with me, so I had no choice but to be forced to drink a cup.

  I'm a bit dizzy, and I kept saying that the previous one was not right, I had to draw again. Everyone generously let me draw again. I shook it for half a day and drew out another one. Oh my god, it's still the same Yaochi Xianpin!

  How hateful! The whole bunch of people burst out laughing and said it was heaven's will, insisting that I must dance a dance as punishment.

  I must have been drunk, or perhaps it was the jade pendant swinging from the treetop, shining brightly and dazzling me, that I suddenly felt inspired and agreed in one breath.

  I jumped off the kang, grabbed a broken chair and Song Minghui's snow hat, and then danced a Janet Jackson-style chair hip-hop dance; I jumped up and down on the chair, flipping the snow hat in my hand, still singing PUSSY.

  I finished dancing, only to see that everyone's jaws were still agape, even Song Minghui, who was always calm and collected, let out a "clatter" as he dropped his chopsticks on the table. Only Yuan Fei clapped enthusiastically: "Great, Mu Yaotou, do another segment!"

  I was delighted and thought to myself, "Although my hip-hop dance is a bit shocking and unconventional at the moment, it's good that there are still people who appreciate it in this time and space." But then that despicable Yu Nian suddenly added seriously, "However, dance a bit slower and be careful not to strain your waist."

  That night we made a racket until the fifth watch, and later I couldn't remember anything, only vaguely, Biying's cheeks were like they had been painted with rouge, her eyebrows and eyes added more charm, Yu Feiyan and Song Mingkui sang loudly, I was so sleepy that I fell asleep on the edge of the bed, Yuan Feijiao also got drunk and fell asleep beside me, in a daze, I seemed to hear Yuan Feijiao murmuring "Mu Ya Tou" three words repeatedly.

  Note: The drawing of lots for the flower register is taken from Cao Xueqin's "Dream of the Red Chamber" Chapter 63, where Shi Xiangyun hosts a night banquet and dies after taking the Golden Elixir.