"Grandpa, your granddaughter misses you so much," Gu Qianying said, tears welling up.
"Good granddaughter, Grandpa misses you too, hahaha, let Grandpa see, have you grown taller? Have you gotten fatter?"
Old General Gu stroked Gu Qianying's head, wishing he could carry her on his shoulders like when she was a child.
Since his granddaughter had grown up, he had never carried a girl on his shoulders again.
Old General Gu's gesture of stroking her head made Gu Yefeng envious. He felt like he hadn't pinched his sister's cheeks in a long time and his hands were itching.
However, considering the occasion, Gu Yefeng could only gently pinch Gu Qianying's cheek, not rub it.
Hmm, she was still as soft and squishy as before, very comfortable to pinch.
Everyone present watched Old General Gu and the elegant Gu Yefeng dote on Gu Qianying like a child, some with envy, some with jealousy.
Gu Mingyue had already twisted the handkerchief in her hand tightly.
Damn bitch, why did she get Grandpa's favor, why!
If it weren't for Gu Qianying, all of Grandpa's favor would have been hers!
Gu Mingyue firmly believed this, so at this moment, how she wished Gu Qianying would die on the spot, preferably dying with regret and anger!
Gu Yumei quietly approached Gu Mingyue and gently patted her.
"Sister."
Gu Yumei's sudden voice startled Gu Mingyue.
As Gu Mingyue had to maintain a ladylike image outside at all times, she did not immediately lash out at Gu Yumei. She only said impatiently, "What is it?"
Gu Yumei leaned slightly and whispered something into Gu Mingyue's ear.
After listening, Gu Mingyue's expression changed from annoyance to a sinister smile. She casually took off the not-very-valuable bracelet on her wrist and handed it to Gu Yumei.
"This bracelet is light in color and very suitable for you, sister. Please wear it."
Although Gu Yumei appeared flattered on the surface, she inwardly disdained it.
Being a concubine's daughter herself, why would she fancy what Gu Mingyue bestowed upon her?
Gu Ziran, standing nearby, saw Gu Mingyue whispering to Gu Yumei. Out of curiosity, she leaned over to inquire but was casually brushed off by Gu Yumei.
Gu Ziran pouted and returned to her seat, helping herself to the snacks.
Old General Gu had Gu Qianying sit to his right, constantly offering her pastries and fruits, fearing she would go hungry.
At banquets, women would deliberately eat only a little to maintain their image.
But his good granddaughter didn't need to be so pretentious. If anyone dared to speak ill of his granddaughter, he would kill them!
In front of Gu Qianying, the jade plate not only contained the food Old General Gu added for her but also peeled grapes that Gu Yefeng handed her from time to time.
Gu Qianying found it inconvenient to use her hands, so Gu Yefeng personally fed her.
This scene made others around wish they could gouge out their own eyes.
What was this for?
At such a solemn banquet, doing such improper things was too outrageous.
Although everyone disapproved, no one dared to express their opinion.
Old General Gu had a fiery temper and was practically a living ancestor; who would dare to provoke him?
Not far away.
Nangong Mo lightly played with his teacup. His seemingly indifferent eyes, however, were constantly observing the movements around Gu Qianying.
He watched Gu Yefeng occasionally pinch Gu Qianying's face and immediately felt that Gu Yefeng's hands were too much of a nuisance and should be chopped off!
Disliking those hands naturally meant disliking the person who owned them. Yet, Bai Qi began to praise Gu Yefeng at this moment.
"Master, your subordinate heard that Gu family's eldest son, Gu Yefeng, during his campaign, used only a few strategies to toy with the enemy army, causing them to be defeated before the battle even began. He also used the strategy of timing and terrain to annihilate all fifty thousand enemy troops. Your subordinate believes that this eldest son of the Gu family has the demeanor of Master back then."
After speaking, Bai Qi added, "Your subordinate also heard that Gu Yefeng dotes on Miss Gu immensely. Whatever Miss Gu wants, he gives it to her, even if it's the stars in the sky, Gu Yefeng would pluck them down..."
As he spoke, he suddenly felt a chill emanating towards him.
Immediately after, Bai Qi heard Nangong Mo faintly utter four words: "Return to the manor to receive your punishment!"
Bai Qi was bewildered.
Did he... say something wrong?
Before Bai Qi could figure it out, he saw Nangong Mo take out a bottle of digestive pills from his sleeve and hand it to Bai Qi.
Usually, when he often suffered from stomach problems, the servants would prepare digestive pills for him, which could aid digestion and also regulate his system.
"Go, send it to her, and say that this King requires no repayment."
At first, Bai Qi didn't know who "her" referred to. Only when he saw his master glance at Gu Qianying did he become stunned.
Only then did Bai Qi belatedly realize why he was being punished.
Speaking of which.
Gu Qianying was eating well when suddenly she saw Bai Qi walking towards her. Under everyone's watchful eyes, he handed her the jade bottle in his hand and said, "Miss Gu, these are digestive pills. My Lord specifically instructed this subordinate to find them outside. My Lord said that while snacks are delicious, one should not eat too many, as it can lead to indigestion. Please take these and eat one or two. Oh, and my Lord also said that you do not need to thank him or repay him, as he does not require it."
Hmm.
Bai Qi, in order to help his master, added a bit of his own flair in front of Gu Qianying.
Upon learning his master's true intentions, Bai Qi, adhering to the principle of helping without delay, tried to gain favor with Gu Qianying on behalf of his master.
However... these words gave Gu Qianying a different interpretation.
Gu Qianying's cheeks flushed, and her lips twitched.
She and Nangong Mo were not very close. Why would Nangong Mo give her digestive pills?
Was he mocking her for eating too much? Or was he deliberately setting her up to be laughed at by others?
Gu Qianying thought it was likely the latter.
While others envied her for receiving a gift from the Ninth Prince of the current dynasty, they were also whispering and mocking her for her "manly" appetite and for eating so much!
Gu Qianying looked at Nangong Mo and took a deep breath.
Fine! You just wait for me!
In front of everyone, Gu Qianying did not embarrass Bai Qi. She stood up, said a word of thanks, and accepted the digestive pills from Bai Qi.
Bai Qi's mission accomplished, he turned and left with a smile.
After he left, Old General Gu and Gu Yefeng both leaned in.
"Good granddaughter, since when did you become so familiar with that boy Nangong Mo?"
"Sister, Nangong Mo is quite cunning and it's not advisable to interact with him too much. Let's just ignore him, okay?"
Gu Qianying opened her mouth, not knowing what to say, unable to explain.
Finally, she only said, "Mm. We're not very familiar. It's just that I borrowed someone from him and paid eight taels of silver. He gave me medicine, perhaps he's short of money."
This reason was something Gu Qianying casually made up. Little did she know that one day, Old General Gu would bring his grandson Gu Yefeng to the Ninth Prince's manor with two chests of silver, demanding to continue borrowing his granddaughter's services.
Well, that was just a story for later.
At the celebration banquet, the Emperor mostly spoke with Old General Gu.
He inquired about the battlefield, the condition of the wounded soldiers, and the generals stationed at the border.
After much drinking and feasting, the Empress organized a musical and dance performance to entertain the guests. She also asked the young ladies from various households to prepare their own talents. While it was said to be for entertainment, it was actually for the princes to choose their preferred ladies.
Once the Empress expressed her intention, the young ladies from various households became eager, all hoping to showcase their best talents to be noticed by the princes.
The first performer was the daughter of the Minister of War, Wu Ling'er. She prepared a cloud dance. With the accompaniment of the musicians, her movements were light and her posture ethereal, leaving a good impression among the princes and the unmarried sons of officials.
Next, the second performer was the legitimate daughter of the Wu family, Wu Yu'nan. She was tall and had loved calligraphy and painting since childhood. At the banquet, she painted a hundred flowers, which greatly pleased the Empress.
The third performer was the turn of the young ladies from the Gu family.
Gu Ziran came on stage carrying the drum and red silk she used for her drum dance practice.
Gu Ziran's mother, the Third Madam, had won the heart of Master Gu with her "drum dance," and she had passed all her skills to Gu Ziran.
Gu Ziran, dressed in blue, danced with the red silk in her hand, accompanied by the waist drum. Her delicate body spun, faster and faster, like a celestial being dancing on waves. Afterward, the hall was filled with exclamations of admiration.
Watching Gu Ziran's graceful dance, Gu Yumei fiercely pinched the handkerchief with her jade fingers from her seat.
Envy and jealousy flashed in her eyes.
Gu Mingyue, seeing how well Gu Ziran danced, cursed Gu Ziran in her heart. Then, she glanced at Gu Yumei, her eyes full of warning.
Gu Yumei trembled slightly and returned a gentle smile, signaling that she understood.
Seeing Gu Yumei's obedience, Gu Mingyue's mood improved slightly.
However, she suddenly remembered that Gu Qianying was also scheduled to perform soon, and her mood changed again.
She looked at Gu Qianying, who was sitting upright in her seat with an unreadable expression. Gu Mingyue felt a sense of urgency.
Before entering the palace, she had learned that Gu Qianying would play the zither at the palace banquet, and coincidentally, she had also prepared a zither.
Gu Qianying's zither skills were superior to hers, and she was very afraid of losing to Gu Qianying. However, no matter how she tried to probe, she couldn't find out what piece Gu Qianying was going to play.
She had originally planned to damage Gu Qianying's Ice Jade Zither to prevent her from performing, but Gu Qianying had hidden it so well that her people couldn't find it.
No! She had to stop Gu Qianying from performing.
With this thought.
Gu Mingyue looked at the First Madam and said, "First Madam, today I saw Elder Sister take out her Ice Jade Zither. It seems she is going to play the zither. I wonder what piece she will play later?"