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The delicate strains of zither and flute drifted into the air. Wei Tingyu, already seated, swayed slightly, savoring the refined Tang Dynasty melody. It was indeed exquisitely beautiful! His seat was directly opposite the Liu family's main table, the most honored guest position, surrounded by Dou Zhao and his two other wives. Next to Wei Tingyu lay an empty seat, reserved for another distinguished guest, Princess Jian.
"Lord Chen! Our humble hospitality! A small token of our esteem!" At that moment, Liu Shen entered with Lord Chen. He immediately noticed Wei Tingyu and his three wives already seated and bowed to him. Wei Tingyu, playing the part of a dissolute noble to perfection, merely gave a casual wave of his hand, not even bothering to rise for a return bow. Liu Shen, of course, dared not fault Wei Tingyu and quickly chuckled before leading Lord Chen to a nearby seat.
Immediately after, a flurry of movement at the entrance heralded Princess Jian's arrival. Liu Chang and a retinue of female attendants followed closely behind her.
"Princess, please take the honored seat!" Seeing this, Liu Shen and his wife eagerly rushed forward to greet her, leaving the other guests to their own devices. However, as Princess Jian walked towards the VIP section, her eyes involuntarily drifted to the seat originally prepared for He Weifang at the main family table. She then slowed her pace, stopping directly in front of it. After a few seconds, amidst the bewildered gazes of everyone present, she walked straight to He Weifang's seat and brazenly sat down.
"The Princess has actually taken the Liu family's daughter-in-law's seat? Isn't that an obvious slap in Madam He's face?!"
"The Princess is recently widowed! She went nowhere else! Yet she came specifically to Dongdu…"
"Oh dear! I predict Lord Liu, who is but a petty magistrate today, might soon be transferred to the capital and rise to prominence!"
Witnessing this scene, the initially bewildered guests began to whisper amongst themselves. The murmuring wasn't quiet; even Dou Zhao and the others, seated further away, could hear most of it. At this moment, He Weifang also entered with Yulu, only to be met with this awkward sight. Most importantly, Princess Jian was staring directly at He Weifang, her eyes brimming with provocation.
Is this woman mad? He Weifang paused, then thought awkwardly to herself. I have no intention of fighting her for Liu Chang, so why is she provoking me constantly? It was your father, Prince Ning, who broke you and Liu Chang up, not me. Even if you harbor resentment, you've directed it at the wrong person!
However, everyone present was staring directly at He Weifang, curious to see how she would react. After all, her current status was that of the legitimate daughter-in-law of the Liu family. Of course, the Liu family's in-laws, those two old foxes, would never speak up for He Weifang at this moment. Even her husband, Liu Chang, stood there with a conflicted expression, like a lifeless block of wood. Seeing this, He Weifang grew even more infuriated! As expected, this entire family is utterly useless!
"Zi Shu! It's been so long since we last met, I don't wish to be too far from you!" The Princess looked at Liu Chang and spoke directly, explaining with a pitiful, delicate expression.
This scene also greatly amused Wei Tingyu! Indeed, a first love was always the most captivating! Even a woman as strong as the Princess now played the role of a green tea bitch in front of Liu Chang!
"Young Mistress!" Wei Tingyu's lips curved into a smile. He then spoke to the bewildered He Weifang, "Since the Princess's seat is now vacant, why don't you sit here?"
Wei Tingyu's words caused an uproar among the assembled guests. No one had expected him to propose such a solution. He Weifang was the Liu family's daughter-in-law; what would it look like for her to sit openly with an outside man? This arrangement was a blatant insult to the Liu family! After all, the hosts had an obligation to accompany their guests. He Weifang sitting next to Wei Tingyu was tantamount to the Liu family sending their daughter-in-law to personally entertain him! Understanding this, the guests all turned to Liu Shen, curious to see how the old fox would react! Liu Shen was utterly stunned, and Liu Chang's face twisted in anger. Although he had no feelings for He Weifang, this was equivalent to being publicly slapped in the face!
"Marquis…" Thinking this, Liu Chang immediately wanted to refuse on He Weifang's behalf. After all, she was nominally his wife, and as her husband, he naturally had to speak up.
"The Marquis is right!" However, He Weifang at this moment felt an intense aversion towards Liu Chang. When Wei Tingyu first made the suggestion, she had hesitated. But seeing Liu Chang's face turn ashen, she suddenly felt relieved. She stepped forward, bowed to Wei Tingyu, and said, "Then this humble woman shall presume upon the Marquis's hospitality!" Without regard for the gazes of others, she walked straight to the seat beside Wei Tingyu and slowly sat down. Throughout the entire process, she kept her eyes fixed on Liu Chang, returning all the provocative disdain the Princess had just given her to her scoundrel husband!
Liu Chang was dumbfounded. He hadn't expected He Weifang, who was usually so gentle and meek, to suddenly become so resolute, even daring! Liu Shen and his wife also looked awkward, but within a few seconds, they recovered.
"Precisely! Precisely!" Liu Shen quickly smiled at Wei Tingyu. "The Marquis's arrangement is indeed most fitting!" Then he turned to He Weifang and, adopting the air of an elder, instructed, "Mudanya! The Marquis is also a distinguished guest of our manor, you must accompany him well!"
What?! Letting a daughter-in-law accompany another man at a public banquet? This… In an instant, the officials and their families in Dongdu understood! This Liu Shen's shamelessness was far worse than they had ever imagined! No one with an ounce of dignity would utter such words! Yet this fellow was still smiling obsequiously, his face thick with flattery? One could only say that a person without shame was invincible, and Liu Shen was the perfect embodiment of that!
"Father, rest assured!" He Weifang had just been thoroughly humiliated at her in-laws' banquet, and her in-laws hadn't defended her. She no longer cared for appearances and simply nodded to Liu Shen.
"This Liu family certainly plays their hand well! Both son and daughter-in-law are on display!"
"The son accompanies the Princess, and the daughter-in-law accompanies the Marquis! This is truly unheard of!"
"Even if everyone in the world desires to rise in officialdom and gain wealth, how many can stoop to this level?"
"Hahaha, one cannot help but be impressed!"
The guests present, witnessing this scene, also began to openly mock. Of course, these humiliating words reached the ears of the Liu family members, making their faces instantly fall. However, it was only for a moment. Aside from Liu Chang, who still looked utterly incensed, Liu Shen and his wife quickly masked their displeasure. Princess Jian also looked bewilderedly at Wei Tingyu. She had originally intended to publicly humble He Weifang, ideally forcing her to leave the Liu family. But to her surprise, Wei Tingyu had helped her out of trouble again at this critical moment?! It seemed his actions in the garden earlier weren't just a whim. Could he be interested in He Weifang, this married woman? If so, perhaps they could even cooperate! Princess Jian thought this, and just then, she saw Wei Tingyu looking at her with a curious gaze, and she couldn't help but roll her eyes.
The banquet was well underway. Although his first love, the Princess, sat beside him, Liu Chang's gaze remained fixed on He Weifang across the table. However, He Weifang's eyes no longer held her husband within them!
"Marquis! Please!" He Weifang slowly raised a cup of clear wine and offered a toast to Wei Tingyu beside her. Of course, one must drink when a beauty offers a toast! Wei Tingyu smiled faintly, then extended his cup and lightly touched it against He Weifang's, producing a crisp sound before he lifted his head and drained the contents.
Naturally, many of the guests present witnessed this scene. The interaction between the Marquis and the Liu family's young mistress was perhaps a little too intimate. Especially seeing Dou Zhao and the two other wives, who were sitting beside Wei Tingyu, chatting and drinking amicably with He Weifang, everyone even had a strange illusion: it felt as if He Weifang were a wife or concubine of the Marquis's household! After all, the scene was simply too harmonious; one could easily believe that these four women and one man were a family, without any sense of incongruity!
Only Liu Chang clenched his fists beneath the table in fury! In the year since their marriage, when had he ever seen such a smile from He Weifang? Never! Liu Shen and his wife, meanwhile, secretly cast furtive glances at He Weifang's side, terrified that their daughter-in-law would make any inappropriate gestures in public! That would truly be a mortifying disgrace for the Liu family! However, seeing the harmony between Wei Tingyu and He Weifang, the two of them appearing almost like a newlywed couple, made them secretly ponder. Could it be that the Marquis truly fancied their daughter-in-law? Otherwise, why would he rescue her repeatedly? He even offended Princess Jian twice in doing so! This left the Liu family, who always prioritized their interests, utterly perplexed.
At that moment, a short burst of drumbeats sounded. The dancing musicians had retreated, replaced by several robust men. Masked and wielding umbrellas, they began a powerful dance in the center of the hall. This rather novel performance immediately captivated the attention of all the guests, and even He Weifang curiously craned her neck to watch the male dancers in the middle. The drumbeats, in particular, were rapid yet powerful, seeming to carry a faint hint of murderous intent.
"Marquis! These dancers are quite unique!" Zhao Zhangru blinked at this moment, commenting on the performers in the center.
"Oh, really?" Wei Tingyu smiled faintly, feeling a sense of satisfaction. Zhao Zhangru's perception had indeed improved significantly, at least she could sense the unusual nature of this performance.
"Yes! I didn't expect Dongdu to have such dancers! They're truly impressive!" Zhao Zhangru immediately nodded. As a legitimate martial artist herself, her perspective on the performance differed from the other women. Dou Zhao, Miao Ansu, and He Weifang, however, had no martial arts background. Hearing the conversation between Zhao Zhangru and Wei Tingyu, their eyes also filled with curiosity.
"More than just impressive!" Wei Tingyu chuckled. "Their gazes and the way they hold their umbrellas… there's a familiar… martial artist's… murderous intent!"
As Wei Tingyu spoke, a cold sneer formed in his heart. This assassination plot is actually going to play out?! But I'm not that powerful Flower and Bird Envoy who held sway over the court, so these assassins' target isn't me! Instead, these people are intentionally or unintentionally looking towards Princess Jian…
It was clear that this time, their target was her! It wasn't surprising; there was always someone who held immense power and deceived the Emperor, making these righteous jianghu heroes desperate to eliminate them! If it wasn't the Flower and Bird Envoy, then it was Prince Ning! Now that Prince Ning wasn't present, killing his daughter would also appease their hatred! Furthermore, these people had clearly conducted thorough investigations beforehand, as the person currently sitting in Princess Jian's originally assigned seat was He Weifang, yet they hadn't mistaken her. They had directly targeted the Princess sitting in the Liu family's section. This indicated that they were extremely familiar with their assassination target!
"Murderous intent?" Wei Tingyu's words instantly tensed the four women! Especially Zhao Zhangru, whose jade hands clenched into fists! And at that very instant, the three assassins at the front suddenly drew sharp swords from their umbrella handles, simultaneously thrusting towards Wei Tingyu, He Weifang, and Princess Jian.
This time, Wei Tingyu was momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected their plan to involve more than just one assassination! Even he and He Weifang were within the assassins' target range?! However, from their movements and arrangements, it was clear that Princess Jian was their original target; he and He Weifang were likely just temporary additions!
Zhao Zhangru, who was already prepared, directly confronted the assassin attacking He Weifang! Although she carried no weapons at the moment, with just a few swift punches and kicks, she knocked the assassin to the ground and disarmed him of his sword. He Weifang, at this moment, was as if awakening from a dream. Seeing the assassin groaning in pain not far in front of her, her small face turned ghastly pale with fright. As for the assassin attacking Wei Tingyu, he was already sprawled on the ground, foaming at the mouth. He didn't even have a chance to rise. Wei Tingyu simply flicked a silkworm bean from the table, and the force of it knocked the burly man unconscious. After all, fifteen years of internal energy against an ordinary person with none was a complete dimensional strike! In just one breath, two assassins were dealt with!
The last remaining assassin, ignoring everything else, gripped his sword and lunged directly at Princess Jian! The guests in the hall also reacted at this point, screaming and scattering in all directions. As for Princess Jian, she had no guards in front of her. The woman no longer held her previous arrogance; her entire face instantly drained of color! From her perspective, the sharp sword in the assassin's hand shimmered coldly, rushing straight towards her. The sight was truly terrifying!
Liu Chang, seated beside Princess Jian, was naturally the closest to her. If anyone could block that blade for the Princess, it would have to be him.
"Youzhen!" However, at this moment, Liu Chang, despite his shocked roar, made no move to stand up and protect Princess Jian. For this self-righteous fellow was now terrified, his legs trembling. Not having wet his pants on the spot was already an extraordinary display of courage for Liu Chang! Princess Jian sighed inwardly, believing she was about to meet her demise here! Seeing the dagger drawing ever closer, she was even despairingly about to close her eyes!
"Ah!" However, the turn of events was sudden and dramatic! The assassin in front of her cried out in agony, and his weapon clattered to the ground. Princess Jian, in her state of extreme terror, looked up and was astonished to see the assassin kneeling before her with a thud! A chopstick was embedded in his right hand and another in his left leg! Clearly, this was the sole reason the assassin had suddenly stopped his attack!
Who? Who saved me? Princess Jian blinked, then immediately reacted, her eyes instinctively glancing behind the assassin. She saw Wei Tingyu calmly seated in his place, but Princess Jian, with her keen eyesight, noticed a detail: the pair of jade chopsticks on his table were now missing.
It was him! Princess Jian understood the entire sequence of events in an instant! While relief washed over her, a wave of gratitude surged through her heart for Wei Tingyu. Despite this man having thwarted her twice and defended He Weifang, at the crucial moment, he had still stepped forward to protect her!
At this point, the remaining assassins, seeing that their three initial attacks had all failed, were greatly alarmed. They simultaneously drew their swords from their umbrellas and surrounded Princess Jian, attacking her in unison. Indeed, assassinating Wei Tingyu and He Weifang was merely a secondary objective! Princess Jian was the ultimate target! Seeing that the situation was dire and they couldn't deal with everyone, they simply abandoned the other two, intent only on taking Princess Jian's life!