"Feng Yin Wan, you are audacious!"
Ye Ting Lan was furious and berated her, but his pride prevented him from speaking too loudly.
Feng Yin Wan glanced at him indifferently and continued to sip from her wine cup.
Qin Ru Lian felt completely ignored, standing awkwardly, her face burning with embarrassment.
Ye Ting Lan snorted at Feng Yin Wan and then spoke to comfort Qin Ru Lian, "This matter is not your fault, go back and sit."
Having been given permission, Qin Ru Lian bit her lip and returned to her seat.
To ease the atmosphere, the steward, with his keen eye, arranged for singing and dancing. After a few rounds of drinks, everyone had somewhat forgotten the minor incident.
Suddenly, the wife of the Minister of Rites stood up.
"I have a suggestion, I wonder if His Highness would grant it?"
Ye Ting Lan heard this just as Feng Yin Wan had neatly taken the entire roasted chicken in front of him.
To be precise, the woman had even thoughtfully left him a chicken butt.
"I noticed His Highness doesn't seem to favor such greasy things, so I took the liberty of dealing with it for you. You needn't thank me."
With that, she tossed the chicken head back with a clatter. Ye Ting Lan stared at the chicken head on the plate, so enraged that his crown jade was about to jump off.
He had no mind to listen to what the Minister of Rites' wife said, and merely waved his hand perfunctorily, "As the madam suggests."
With that, his face darkened, he picked up the chicken head with his chopsticks, and threw it back heavily at Feng Yin Wan.
Feng Yin Wan was not annoyed. She glanced at it indifferently and continued to devour the roasted chicken with great gusto.
Instantly, the singing and dancing below were removed. A team of servants brought over brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. The Minister of Rites' wife rolled up her sleeves and stepped forward.
She dipped her brush in ink and, with a few bold strokes, a "囍" (double happiness) character full of character appeared on the paper.
"Your Highness, today is Miss Qin's coming-of-age ceremony, and also a banquet to welcome His Highness back from his military exploits. I present this character to His Highness and Miss Qin, wishing you both your desires fulfilled and double happiness."
As she spoke, she handed the paper to a servant, who held it up for everyone to see. Feng Yin Wan then clapped her hands, discarding the chicken bones, and looked up to see such a large "囍" character. She was so surprised that she clapped her hands and clicked her tongue.
"Oh!"
Qin Ru Lian was about to stand up to thank her when she heard this exclamation. She immediately stopped her movement.
She looked over and saw Feng Yin Wan no longer eating roasted chicken, her eyes staring blankly at the character, and a subtle sense of triumph welled up in her heart.
Hmph!
The wife of the Minister of Rites was a close friend of the Empress. Given her own niece-like relationship with the Empress, she would surely help her!
Thinking this, a smug look flashed in her eyes, and she immediately smiled and spoke.
"I heard Consort Wang speak just now, does she have any comments on Madam Xie's calligraphy?"
Feng Yin Wan didn't understand calligraphy, but she understood things clearly in her heart.
The character "囍" was not written in only one way. Why did this madam insist on writing two instead of a single one, and specifically to bless Ye Ting Lan and the "little white lotus"? Wasn't this clearly meant to annoy her?
However, when it came to annoying people, she was naturally adept.
"My sister flatters me. As a coarse and clumsy consort, I don't understand poetry or calligraphy. It's just that the character '囍' traditionally symbolizes auspiciousness and joy. Who would write this on plain white paper? It looks... somewhat like a funeral, doesn't it?"
"Oh my, and writing two of them. Does it perhaps symbolize that misfortune never comes alone, and they are destined to be a pair?"
The black characters on the white paper, starkly contrasted, made the "囍" character appear peculiar after Feng Yin Wan's words.
Ye Ting Lan and Qin Ru Lian's faces had not yet fallen, but the Minister of Rites' wife was already sweating profusely.
"Consort Wang is joking. I merely wished to present my calligraphy to His Highness and Miss Qin and had no disrespectful intentions."
Feng Yin Wan propped up her chin and nodded, looking at her.
"Mmm-hmm, this consort also believes madam had no intention. After all, cursing a prince is a grave offense, punishable by beheading."
She said this with a smile, her face devoid of any malice, but the Minister of Rites' wife felt even more chilled by her gaze.
Qin Ru Lian, listening from the side, felt like spitting blood. Just as she was about to speak in her defense, she accidentally knocked over a bowl and chopsticks as she stood up. Frightened by the commotion, the Minister of Rites' wife immediately knelt down.
"Consort... Consort Wang, please see clearly, I absolutely had no such intention!"