Chapter 213

The birthday banquet for the principal consort of the Second Prince was certainly not a small affair. It was not beyond Yueqian’s expectations at all.

While many lives were starving, struggling to even get a single meal, the nobility of the Region continued to hold lavish banquets to flaunt their power. The more excess, the better; the more they had that they could waste, the better. So, whether it was food or manor’s decorations, they spared no expense to avoid any embarrassment.

The husband and wife did not immediately follow the two royals after leaving the palace. The birthday banquet was to be held from evening till late at night, as the darkness would make the performances even more beautiful.

Moreover, they wanted to hold the event to ensure that the Second Prince, the consort’s husband, and the Wang, the presiding guest, had convenient time for dining and drinking.

To avoid criticism of neglecting state duties for a woman’s banquet, they avoided daytime festivities unless the Emperor or Empress Dowager graced the event themselves. In that case, the schedule would be adjusted accordingly.

During the day, a small gathering for the consort’s close friends had already taken place, inviting only those who were genuinely close. Tonight’s event would host many guests, making the Second Prince’s manor quite busy before the party began.

Yueqian and Mu Heng returned to their own manor to find a valuable gift for the couple. However, they could no longer buy any precious items in the Bai Region. The lie they told earlier about having no money left—if they still had money to spend on luxury items—wouldn’t that mean they were deceiving the higher-ups?

The rewards promised by the Emperor and others had not yet been given; they said it would be done the following day, but the banquet was happening today. This left Yueqian and Mu Heng to find a gift on their own.

Fortunately, Yueqian was not an ordinary person. She still had many valuable items she could retrieve from her department store dimension. In this era, what could be better than carved jade or beautiful items? Naturally, she couldn’t give another carved jade Guan Yin, as it would raise too much suspicion.

But as the former eldest young miss of the Qin family, wouldn’t it be plausible for her to have a valuable bracelet or two?

The bracelet Yueqian chose as a gift was not overly extravagant because her status was neither royal nor that of a high-ranking noble in Bai Region. Attending the banquet and bringing a gift was merely a matter of courtesy, and the recipient likely did not expect too much.

However, the gift could not be given carelessly, as that might be seen as disrespecting the consort of the Second Prince.

Therefore, Yueqian selected a bracelet made of light green jade with a smooth, polished surface. It could be worn comfortably, without any intricate carvings that were currently in vogue. Instead, it was adorned with small, gold flower-shaped decorations and a diamond pendant that sparkled beautifully, adding a touch of elegance and allure. It wasn’t overly flashy, but it was beautiful and full of subtle charm.

Its price was not less than 10,000 coins in the department store, equivalent to about 500 silver taels in this world. Since she sold gold taels for more than 20,000 coins, it would certainly cost more if she had used money here to buy it. Some might even have to pay 100 gold taels for it.

A 100-gold tael gift was highly respectable for her status. However, the bracelet lacked a clear maker’s mark, so no matter how beautiful it was, it was unlikely to attract much attention. When she showed the gift to Mu Heng, his eyes changed slightly, but he said nothing.

Yueqian did not realize that Mu Heng’s look was one of determination. As her husband, he couldn’t even buy his wife a single piece of jewelry.

Seeing the fine jade bracelet that his wife had brought out, he thought it would suit his wife better. If his wife, with her snow-white skin, wore it, it would certainly make her stand out.

Unfortunately, even the gift intended for someone else had to be procured by his wife, making Mu Heng realize once again how incapable he was.

After selecting the gift, Yueqian changed into a relatively fine outfit she had brought from the Du Region. Fortunately, the fashion styles of the two Regions were not very different. Yueqian considered wearing her usual attire to the event, but many of her existing outfits were too luxurious, making it somewhat difficult to choose an appropriate one.

In her former role as the eldest young miss of the Qin family and the fiancée of Young General, Yueqian’s arrogant and boastful nature led her to always dress in flashy, vibrant colors, adorned with many valuable ornaments. Even her skirts had pearls sewn into the hem to accentuate her movements. If she wore these outfits to the banquet, she would undoubtedly attract considerable envy and hatred.

She knew what would happen because she had experienced it before. As soon as people saw her grandeur, they looked at her with extreme jealousy and easily turned into her enemies.

Most people tend to favor those who appear inferior to themselves because, deep down, they want to be the center of attention. As long as they had the power, they would act that way, just like Yueqian did. No matter how much people envied her, they couldn’t do anything about it in the end.

Facing the consort of the Second Prince was not something Yueqian feared. In the Du Region, she had even become enemies with the Emperor’s beloved daughter, the princess. It could be said that she did not need to confront anyone; if she had to be an enemy, she had no intention of being afraid.

However, her goal here was not to create animosity. Previously, she had to ruin her own reputation to prove herself unsuitable for that scoundrel of a man, necessitating a malicious facade.

But in Bai Region, her aim was simply to support her good husband. As long as he respected her, she would uphold his honor to the best of her ability.

Yueqian chose a light blue dress, embroidered with simple cloud patterns. It wasn’t very eye-catching, but it wasn’t cheap-looking either. She wore only a set of five hairpins, yet she still looked beautifully striking. Mu Heng wore the official attire of a Governor that had been bestowed upon him earlier, which suited him perfectly for this formal occasion and honored the hosts as well.

They then proceeded to the Second Prince’s manor. Their arrival did not draw much attention. Yueqian did not wish to stand out today and thus relied on her husband’s presence to shield her. Nonetheless, many recognized them, especially the court officials present today. Everyone remembered Governor Mu and his wife for their great contributions and for benefiting the Second Prince.

Most of the guests at today’s event were supporters of the Second Prince, so their attitudes towards Governor Mu were not hostile. Those who maintained neutrality saw Governor Mu and his wife as genuinely capable individuals with whom they could potentially collaborate.

Many who had previously harbored prejudices against the couple were now beginning to change their minds. This was evident from the fact that a few nobles approached them first to greet them, a genuine sign of respect. Given Mu Heng’s status as merely a Governor of a small city, the guests at the birthday banquet of the consort were of considerably high rank. If it weren’t for a direct invitation from the Second Prince, Mu Heng and Yueqian would not have been invited at all.

The couple exchanged greetings with a few people before proceeding inside. However, just as they crossed the first threshold, they were stopped by the guards at the manor’s door.

"Please stop. May I see your identification and invitation card?" The guard at the manor’s entrance said sternly.

If someone entered without showing an invitation, it had to be someone familiar. Ordinary guests should not be able to enter the Second Prince’s manor so easily; otherwise, what would the security of the Second Prince mean? Even though a few nobles had greeted them, it didn’t matter in this case.

"The Second Prince personally invited me today, so I don’t have the invitation card you’re asking for," Mu Heng said straightforwardly, as he truly did not have an invitation, having received a sudden invitation.

"I’m truly sorry, but according to the security rules, only those with an invitation card can enter the event. Therefore...."

The guard was unaware of the Second Prince’s oversight in not informing them about Governor Mu’s attendance. Therefore, as a subordinate, he could do nothing but prevent their entry.

Mu Heng and Yueqian exchanged glances. The longer they stood at the manor’s entrance, the more attention they drew from onlookers.

Many watched them with amused expressions, and some who didn’t recognize them openly showed disdain. If it weren’t for the Wang expressing a desire to converse with them, Yueqian wouldn’t have cared about being turned away from the party. If she were still the old Qin Yueqian, they would have witnessed a spectacular outburst from her. They were lucky that she no longer indulged in such antics.

In reality, shouldn’t the Second Prince, the owner of the manor who invited her, have arranged this kind of attention? Why had he allowed them to face such difficulties? If it weren’t for the fact that he was the Wang’s nephew, who supported them, Yueqian would have thought the Second Prince was trying to cause trouble.

“What is happening at the entrance to the Second Prince’s palace? Is someone causing a disturbance?” A resonant male voice rang out.

The gate guard was greatly startled upon seeing the newcomer, indicating that this person was not ordinary. However, Yueqian and Mu Heng did not recognize him.

“M-Master Gui Zhong,” the other party’s name was mentioned. The surrounding people quickly made way for him, fearing that getting too close might easily provoke his displeasure.

They did not want to attract any discontent, but seeing Master Gui Zhong standing before Governor Mu, many people began to take interest.

“What’s going on here?” The person asked sternly, looking at Mu Heng and Yueqian with an appraising gaze.

In his mind, these two seemed unfamiliar. Their distinctive appearances did not match those of Bai Region natives. Such striking beauty likely indicated they were from the Du Region.