So, after his grandson revealed the existence of such a person, he was overjoyed, and asked with a smile every day when he could meet this little girl.
Thus, this "long-planned" banquet naturally came about.
On the day of the banquet, Feng Jinyao did not dress up deliberately, but wore a simple dress and simple jewelry.
Feng Jinlin was riding a horse outside, while she sat in the carriage, swaying towards the Min residence with Yun Xu and He Huan.
It was not far from the small courtyard where she was. After绕过 three or two streets, they arrived.
As she alighted from the carriage, she saw a simple and elegant courtyard gate, which did not exude the ostentatious wealth of merchants.
The Min family was second only to the Chi family in Jinling City.
Coupled with the fact that they had once produced a favored imperial concubine, the Min family's status was no less than that of the Chi family.
However, their family were all low-key individuals, so outsiders often focused their attention on the richest Chi family, and the meddling Cao and Zhu families, rarely mentioning the Min family.
The words "Min Residence" looked quite old, and the calligrapher seemed to possess a vigorous spirit, with strong and fluid brushstrokes, indicating a remarkable individual.
There was no signature, so it was unknown who had written it, but Feng Jinyao liked the handwriting very much, as it seemed to carry a sense of familiarity.
Given the age of the plaque, it was difficult to guess.
"Lord Feng, Miss Feng San has arrived. The Grand Master has been waiting for everyone for a long time."
The person greeting them at the door was clearly the steward. His attire was particularly bright, and his speech was neither humble nor overbearing, indicating that he was accustomed to such occasions.
"Please lead the way, Steward."
Although Feng Jinlin was an official and the Min family were merchants, by rights Feng Jinlin's status should be higher. However, today's occasion was for the recovery of Prince Ding, and in front of him, let alone Feng Jinlin, even Liang Quanbin would have to pay his respects, so he dared not be presumptuous.
Following the steward, they walked for quite some time before entering the main courtyard.
The Min residence appeared small from the outside, but it had many courtyards within. Feng Jinlin estimated that even the Prime Minister's mansion might not be as large, let alone the Feng family.
For a merchant family like the Min family to own such a grand residence, one could imagine the lives of these wealthy merchants in Jinling City.
When the siblings reached the main courtyard, Liang Quanbin and Chi Zimo had already arrived.
Although the banquet had not yet begun, Liang Quanbin was already circulating, being particularly adept at flattery when he set his mind to it.
Thus, he had livened up the atmosphere.
"I must say, the Min family has a prosperous aura, otherwise they wouldn't have produced an imperial concubine and a prince. When the late emperor was alive, he doted on the imperial concubine greatly, making many envious."
Liang Quanbin's praise for the deceased Imperial Concubine Min was essentially praising Grand Master Min, and the entire Min family was beaming with pride.
Only Prince Ding, Xiao Tingyi, sat at the head, his expression calm, his complexion much more ruddy than before, steadily sipping his tea.
Chi Zimo was amused to see the Director Liang playing the host so skillfully, and sometimes wondered if he could smile as brightly if he were in the same situation.
At the banquet, Old Master Min occasionally chimed in with Liang Quanbin, and sometimes Uncle Min would also join in.
The Aunt Min and several younger members of the Min family sitting beside them remained silent, their etiquette no less than that of noble families.
When the Feng siblings entered, they happened to witness this scene.
"Your subordinate, Feng Jinlin, County Magistrate of Jinling, and his younger sister Feng Jinyao, pay their respects to Your Highness, Director Liang, Old Master Min, and all elders."
He then nodded to Chi Zimo, not offering a formal greeting.
Feng Jinyao had anticipated the occasion, but did not expect such a complete gathering of the Min family.
However, etiquette could not be neglected, so she followed her elder brother in paying her respects, then nodded slightly to the ladies of the Min family with a smile.
She displayed neither the ostentatious demeanor of a noble lady nor a lack of grace.
Old Master Min and the members of the Min family all looked upon her with great satisfaction.
Her simple attire only served to accentuate her extraordinary beauty and refined气质.
Old Master Min was the first to speak. He bore a six-tenths resemblance to Xiao Tingyi. Although advanced in years, his youthful handsomeness was still evident, and he now appeared amiable and kind.
Unlike those who had spent years in court, such as Prime Minister Bai and Grand Scholar Xu, Old Master Min possessed a subtle scholarly air.
This seemed somewhat incongruous with his status as a wealthy merchant, but observing Uncle and Aunt Min sitting below, who were also refined and well-mannered, Feng Jinyao understood that the Min family likely originated from scholarly merchants.
"Excellent, excellent! Indeed, a hero emerges from youth. I have long heard of the Feng family's talented scholar, who rides spirited horses and possesses a youthful vigor, bearing some resemblance to Prime Minister Bai."
Feng Jinlin most closely resembled Madam Feng, and thus had more similarities to the Bai family.
"Thank you for your praise, Grand Master. Jinlin is unworthy."
As for Feng Jinyao, she surpassed her predecessors. Imperial Concubine Min was a rare beauty, and compared to her, Feng Jinyao was no less.
Old Master Min then shifted his gaze to Feng Jinyao beside him, smiling slightly, as if an affectionate elder speaking to his granddaughter, his tone softening considerably.
"Miss Feng San, are you accustomed to Jinling City? Although this is a land of rivers and lakes in Jiangnan, it has been raining continuously for days. I fear the humidity might be a bit heavy."
"Thank you for your concern, Grand Master. This humble one is doing well."
She did not wish to be the center of attention at the banquet, so she spoke with great discretion. However, the more reserved she was, the more the Min family liked her.
Many families sought to curry favor with Xiao Tingyi due to his status as Prince Ding. The young ladies either acted overly shy and awkward, or harbored ulterior motives, drawn by his status.
Her composed and unpretentious demeanor, showing no eagerness to impress, made the Min family deem her a good match.
Xiao Tingyi's gaze towards her held a hint of indulgence, but he restrained himself from showing excessive affection in front of outsiders.
"Please take a seat. Today, all are guests. Little Seventeen has been ill since his injury ten years ago. If Director Liang had not sought the Candle Dragon Pill, he might not have survived this time. Fortunately, heaven has blessed him, allowing him to overcome this ordeal and have a smooth life ahead. Thinking of this, I can finally account for myself to his mother."
He said this while looking at Xiao Tingyi with relief.
Little Seventeen, this was the first time Feng Jinyao had heard this appellation.
It seemed incongruous for a decisive, cunning, and ruthless person to be called by such a childish name.
However, no one present would dare to comment, so everyone was content to listen.