It was snowing again.
Outside, the snow drifted and swirled.
The innkeeper of Qingfeng Restaurant was trying hard to stay alert.
Tonight's meal was quite sumptuous, but he didn't know if the guests would pay after finishing.
He had told the waiters to stay and work overtime, worried that they might have to clean up bloodstains later.
The night seemed endless.
......
Upstairs, there were many people, but it wasn't lively at all.
Instead, it was very quiet.
The guests had all taken their seats.
Gong Qichi announced the start of the banquet.
Everyone seemed to have a poor appetite, surely they didn't just come here to eat in the heavy snow?
Of course, some did come specifically to eat.
At first, Jiang Yu was quite nervous.
There were too many people here, more than she had ever seen gathered together.
Even when her cousin Aqiu got married, there weren't this many people.
And these people were dressed so well, each one looking sleek and colorful, like the mushrooms she picked up in the mountains, vivid and vibrant.
However, her attention was soon drawn to the dishes being served one by one.
The trip was worthwhile, worthwhile indeed.
The excited Jiang Yu even started using idioms.
She felt that today was truly different, and she wanted to remember this special day.
Because today was the first time she had come to a restaurant.
She had to remember it.
The twelfth day of the last month.
On this day, Jiang Yu was beaming with joy, her round face glowing, looking exceptionally beautiful.
Zi Ganjiang was initially curious about why Gong Qichi was so excited to welcome someone, was it that important?
Scholars were just full of odd habits.
Making a fuss about nothing, hypocritical.
But when he saw the people Gong Qichi welcomed, it turned out to be a family dressed very plainly.
They didn't even dress as well as the servants seated here.
When Zi Ganjiang saw the young man Gong Qichi was leading by the hand, he was stunned.
This person was good-looking.
His handsome appearance alone made others feel inferior.
No wonder Gong Qichi kept going on about him, someone unforgettable once seen.
Zi Ganjiang thought that if his stepfather saw him, he might even pull him to worship as a son-in-law, as his stepfather was a man of sentiment who made friends without regard for status.
Zi Ganjiang couldn't help but look at the people around him too.
He was so good-looking, yet not arrogant at all like Gong Qichi, and his family seemed ordinary.
That young man seemed about the same age as himself, and when Zi Ganjiang looked at him, he gave him an honest smile.
That girl, that girl smiled so radiantly, not shy or nervous, her round face filled with a bright smile that made one feel at ease upon seeing it.
Zi Ganjiang looked once, then looked again.
He suddenly realized that he liked this kind of round-faced girl, smiling warmly and happily.
But earlier when he saw that noble lady who had disguised her appearance, he somehow thought about getting married, what was that all about? When did he become so arrogant as to want to marry a noble lady?
Why would he want to marry that kind of frail, ambiguous girl whose every smile had three meanings? Had he gone mad?
Zi Ganjiang's mind went blank for a moment, not understanding why he was blanking out, making him appear cold and aloof as if displeased that Gong Qichi had left him to welcome others.
Gong Qichi truly invited Brother Jiang and his family to dine.
After inviting Jiang Changtian to be seated, he said, "Tonight, we shall not leave until we're drunk, or we may light candles and have a night-long chat."
But Jiang Changtian declined, "Not tonight, a young man in my village is getting married, and they called me to help in the early morning. Marriage is a once-in-a-lifetime event, I've already promised, I can't go back on my word."
The crowd was surprised, not expecting this man to outright refuse the rebel leader.
Wasn't he afraid of offending him?
Some even recognized him as the unfilial son expelled from the Jiang Family.
Many had watched the commotion back then.
They thought it was just the usual issue in a major clan, perhaps the second son was born to the late master and a concubine.
Old Lady Jiang seemed rather tough, not one to tolerate such things.
Or maybe that boy really did have issues, making Old Lady Jiang unable to stand him anymore.
Unexpectedly, Gong Qichi didn't get offended, but instead became even happier, feeling that his recognized friend lived up to his virtue of keeping promises.
Had he really broken his prior commitment just because of Gong Qichi's invitation, Gong Qichi would have lost respect for him instead.
"Changtian, you're too straightforward." Gong Qichi smiled.
He was the rebel leader now, after all.
Jiang Changtian also smiled, "No, I'm actually very adaptable, but because it's Brother Yehang, I put it this way, because Brother Yehang is also a man of his word."
Gong Qichi roared with laughter.
He liked his candor even more.
Gong Qichi and Jiang Changtian chatted amiably for a while, appearing like a rebel with an excellent personality.
Jiang Wan, seated next to her grandmother, felt inexplicably flustered watching this scene.
She couldn't help but glance at that rebel's adopted son, Zi Ganjiang, several times, only to see him looking back at her too, but his expression grew increasingly cold and stern, probably very displeased that Little Moustache had taken the liberty of leaving him behind.
Young Lord Zi sat between Gong Qichi and Zi Ganjiang, with a burly man in black standing behind him.
He watched as Gong Qichi and Jiang Changtian, her father, engaged in friendly banter, his face expressionless.
He thought, if Gong Qichi spat and his saliva landed in the roast duck in front of him, he wouldn't eat it.
He would see what Jiang Yu's father could eat, and if he could eat it, he would admire him.
Young Lord Zi's gaze fell on Jiang Yu again.
She was being held by her mother, her eyes blinking as she looked around.
Young Lord Zi noticed something interesting.
Among the people present, there was an old lady and a young woman who seemed afraid of Jiang Yu, their eyes showing a hint of fear whenever they looked at her.
Young Lord Zi had been somewhat unusual since childhood.
At the age of three, he had exposed an assassin who wanted to kill his father.
That assassin was extremely well-disguised, and even in death, he never knew how he had been exposed.
Little did he expect that it was just because he had revealed his true face in front of that three-year-old child.
At the time, everyone thought Young Lord Zi was a mute who couldn't speak.
Zi Lu had also started taking in adopted sons.
But unexpectedly, Young Lord Zi's first words were to his father: "He wants to kill you."
His first utterance led to someone's death.
His second words, a year later, to his father: "There will be an earthquake, move."
Zi Lu trusted his son and quickly relocated with his men.
Of course, there were those who didn't believe him, or didn't execute the orders swiftly enough.
They all died.
From the age of three, Young Lord Zi only spoke one sentence a year, his first sentence killed a man, his second sentence saved hundreds but also killed dozens.
Originally, he rarely spoke or even cried out. Zi Ganjiang didn't dare give his own son a proper name, always calling him by the little nickname "Turtle Boy." He even kept a small tortoise as a pet, hoping his son would live a long and healthy life. It wasn't until he turned three that he started speaking, and Zi Ganjiang finally gave him the name Congheng, meaning "profoundly knowledgeable."
At five years old, Congheng gained a tutor.
The tutor rambled on endlessly, but occasionally Congheng would speak normally.
At this moment, Young Lord Zi glanced again at the old lady, while the maid behind the old lady seemed intent on killing Little Moustache.
The evening banquet was starting to get interesting.
