Chapter 584: Chapter 572: New in Town, I Need to Learn the Rules
"The private rooms are full, madam may wish to dine in the main hall."
This was the first sentence Shen Hua heard upon entering.
Her face fell immediately.
The next moment, she saw the shopkeeper, who was idly clicking on his abacus, casually glance over and finally, his gaze landed on the jade pendant at the girl’s waist. He promptly went forward to instruct the waiter, "The sixth private room on the second floor is vacant, go, take this guest up there."
Shen Hua was thoroughly pleased.
As the group receded into the distance, the waiter left behind was visibly anxious.
"Shopkeeper, that private room has been reserved by Miss Wei from the Wei Family for half a month. If they come today and find someone else there, I’m afraid it won’t be good."
"Do you think you need to teach me how to do my job?"
Shopkeeper: "What a coincidence that is, Miss Wei doesn’t come back to dine every day."
If it weren’t for the stroke of luck that the room was empty, he had been prepared to ask Seventh Prince Ji Ge to leave from upstairs, thus freeing up a private room!
"No, I will personally see to the hospitality."
Each private room on the second floor is separated from the next.
To the right, around the corner, the sixth room is partitioned by an exquisite screen, accompanied by the gurgling sound of boiling tea, and the fragrant scent of incense wafting in the air.
Shen Hua, under the enthusiastic recommendations of the shopkeeper, ordered a full table of dishes.
She peered out the window with great satisfaction, looking down.
Below, a carriage had stopped.
Wei Yingying lifted the curtain of the carriage: "Waking up to find out from Mama that the power has shifted, leaving me still in a daze after these several months."
It was downright unexpected!
"At first, I thought Mama was spouting nonsense, and I was terrified of being overheard and bringing calamity upon myself."
Those who usually appeared to be ’loyally devoted’ to the late Emperor among the court officials all turned their cloaks.
Wei Yingying stepped out of the carriage, linking arms with the gracefully composed girl trailing behind her.
"Now, Yan Kun has been executed, and the women folk of the Yan Family have all been sentenced to exile thousands of miles away."
When Wei Yingying first heard of this, she was greatly frightened. Fortunately, the silver lining in her misfortune was learning that Yan Mi was not actually a girl from the Yan Family.
Wei Yingying sourly commented.
"I still remember two years ago, Xie Xun went to the Governor Mansion by himself. He brought you back to the Duke Fu’s Mansion to settle in. Nobody from the Yan Family dared to stop him."
Everyone was taken aback by that move.
Later, it was revealed that Yan Mi was not a descendant of the Yan Family. Her birth mother was just an inconspicuous wet nurse by her side.
"At that time, I was thinking that the Xie Family played a harsh card. Not only did they sow discord between Yan Kun and his wife, but they also took away the most famous girl from Shengjing to spite others."
She wasn’t the only one with such thoughts.
Until later on.
"Every time there was a banquet, Duchess of Duke Mansion would always bring you along, and people boldly joked about the Xie Family planning to recognize an adoptive daughter. However, Duchess said something."
Up to now, Wei Yingying still remembers Duchess holding Yan Mi’s hand, unabashedly saying, "That’s also no trouble, a daughter-in-law is half a daughter after all."
"Sister Yan—" Wei Yingying started to speak but quickly covered her mouth.
"I always forget, now you go by your mother’s surname, Zhen."
The two made their appearance and directly ascended the wooden stairs.
Pushing open the door to the private room, Zhen Mi gave her a displeased look: "After two years, you still haven’t changed the way you address me, I’m afraid all your thoughts are on the official’s household."
Speaking of Ji Teng, Wei Yingying felt somewhat uneasy.
Her expression worsened.
"I think I’m doomed."
"You know, the first time I saw Ji Teng, I didn’t know he was a Prince. Seeing him so thin and weak, I couldn’t help but feel pity and loudly called out to the beggar ahead to stop, rewarding him with one ingot of silver."
"Who could have imagined that this guy would ascend the throne!"
Zhen Mi chuckled lightly. She, on the other hand, had learned from Xie Xun that Ji Teng was already drafting the decree to appoint the Empress.
However, since the official himself hasn’t mentioned it, it wasn’t her place to presume and inform Wei Yingying in advance.
"Ease your mind a bit, after all, the official later did come to you repeatedly to ask for money, how could that not be considered a favor."
Wei Yingying became even more desperate.
"Don’t even mention it, I had a conflict with Wei Zhuzhu last time, I was so angry but didn’t vent it out, and just then he came over, I..."
Before she finished speaking, the two had just walked around the screen, only to see Shen Hua, dressed in gaudy and delicate attire, slumped listlessly in a chair.
Wei Yingying’s face turned cold. She stepped forward quickly: "Out! This is my private room!"
Zhen Mi hurriedly followed, grabbing Wei Yingying and smiling shallowly at Shen Hua.
"Miss, you might have entered the wrong private room."
Her tone was gentle, and her voice always soft and delicate.
Shen Hua lifted her eyelids slightly: "You have a really nice voice."
With that, she assessed Wei Yingying.
"Not like her, howling like a wolf."
Wei Yingying: ???
"Who are you anyway!"
Shen Hua spoke hauntingly: "Who I am is not important."
She sat up slightly, her black, glossy, and clear eyes filled with unspoken regret: "If one day the official remembers being humiliated like this by you, he will certainly bear a grudge. I just heard on the street, quite distinctly, that he has executed quite a few people these months, showing his cruelty. Maybe your head will soon no longer reside on your neck."
"Death is actually quite simple. With a close and open of the eyes, a slash of the knife, and quickly you breathe your last. There’s no need for you to take it too seriously."
Wei Yingying became nervous from what was said.
She too thought Ji Teng pretty narrow-minded.
Wei Yingying covered her neck: "Sister Zhen, what should I do? You must have Xie Xun speak well of me in front of the official."
Zhen Mi consoled: "Don’t be anxious, the official won’t target you."
"You don’t understand!"
Wei Yingying continued with her previously interrupted words: "When he came over, I thought it was Wei Zhuzhu again, and turned around to slap him."
Zhen Mi inhaled sharply: "No wonder, on the day of his ascension his face was so swollen it was unrecognizable."
Shen Zhui had not dared to make a sound since the others entered, and at this point, she stopped breathing subconsciously as she was sitting next to Shen Hua.
"Sister."
"Let’s go."
A moment ago, Wei Yingying was still melancholic, and the next, she nods and hustles people away: "Quite aware of your own place, go on, go, get out."
Zhen Mi spoke warmly: "Yingying. I find this lady quite to my liking. Why not dine together?"
Shen Hua found her quite pleasing to the eye too.
She spoke graciously: "Sensible, no wonder you’ll live longer than her."
Zhen Mi was amused by her comment: "Mistress looks unfamiliar, may I know from whence you hail?"
"From Fengzhou, here to accompany my brother for the Imperial Examination."
Wei Yingying understood: "From some small place, I thought you were from some noble’s household, no wonder you’re so unacquainted with etiquette. It’s people like you who end up offending others."
"It’s just me today, but if you encounter someone more troublesome, believe it or not, they’ll make things difficult for your brother’s exam, and you’ll fail."
Shen Hua was serious; she was rarely so open to learning.
"Could I inquire, who in Shengjing City is not to be trifled with?"
Shen Hua, proud, holding a South Sea pearl as big as the palm of her hand: "Being new here, I must learn some manners."
Zhen Mi: ...
You look like you want to challenge the other person.
Wei Yingying: "There are many of them."
"Prince Gong Mansion’s Ji Huo for one, General Jin Zhong for another, and Ji Teng, whom I slapped, is also one."
Soon, she furrowed her brows.
"No, these people, no matter how formidable, seem to have to bow down in front of one person."
"Who?"
"Cui Yun."
Shen Hua was startled, then her tone turned scornful: "That’s it?"
