Chapter 892 – Northern Overlord (Twenty-Nine)
Before the grand banquet at the Hongmen, everything in Chongzhou remained eerily calm.
If one were sensitive enough, they might realize it was merely the calm before the storm.
The noble ladies of every household were preoccupied with their own affairs—some managed the household and served their in-laws, while others educated their children or scolded the concubines. Some indulged in gardening or played with antiques. While the back houses appeared tranquil, currents of intrigue swirled, as everyone plotted for their own gain.
Banquets served as vital channels for the gentry to bond, nearly every day filled with some gathering or another.
Today, one household hosted an Elegant Gathering, tomorrow another held a poetry meeting, and the day after invitations would be sent for yet another flower-viewing event.
The men had gone out for visits, but the women in the backhouses were not to be outdone, frequently attending banquets themselves.
With the moon shining coolly in the sky and shadows dancing below, laughter and chatter filled the air.
Though the Chongzhou gentry faced external criticism as nouveau riche, they possessed a heritage spanning decades or even centuries, far wealthier than the common people. Although the weather had turned chilly, the estate where the banquet was held felt warm and cozy, completely shielded from the cold.
Several close-knit noble ladies chatted and laughed, their dialogue revolving around husbands, husbands’ concubines, in-laws, illegitimate sons and daughters, legitimate sons and daughters, and the latest gossip from various families—mostly trivial domestic matters. Lacking substance, yet when gathered, even the dullest topics became engaging. As their conversations twisted and turned, they brought up the youthful Liu Xi, the county official, and the talk meandered further.
Liu Xi was in the prime of his life, having only a legitimate daughter and an illegitimate son from his first marriage. His subsequent wife had long resided far away.
Ever since Liu Xi arrived in Chongzhou, many had plotted to use beauty as bait, trying to send women into his courtyard, whispering sweet nothings in his ear.
However, he was quite slippery; no matter how people hinted or insinuated, he always had a way of keeping the women sent his way at bay.
The men claimed Liu Xi was being pretentious, yet the noble ladies held him in high regard.
After all, what ancient woman wouldn’t wish for her husband to love only her and exclude others from the back house?
At least before Gu Min’s passing, he indeed had only that one person in his inner quarters.
Just this level of devotion was enough to ignite envy and resentment in them.
Whenever this topic arose, the noble ladies of Chongzhou would express great jealousy towards the late Lady Gu Min, lamenting her untimely death and feigning sorrow with a cliché about the fleeting lives of beauties. After talking about such a wonderful man like Liu Xi, it was natural for them to bemoan their own unfaithful husbands.
Whether a lowly or a noble concubine, each had made her way into their homes.
The main wife had to feign magnanimity while mingling with those flashy lesser women—it was simply nauseating.
“I heard Liu Xi’s legitimate daughter is coming. Today’s banquet is indeed for that lady.”
It was unclear who casually dropped this line, but the reactions from the other women were indifferent, with even a few muffled snickers.
“She’s just a little girl, why should the men be so solemn about her arrival?”
In the eyes of many ladies, Jiang Pengji’s arrival seemed a mere coincidence alongside Liu Xi’s invitation to the influential families.
After all, she was just a girl; no matter how talented, she would ultimately marry, give birth, and spend her life managing her household for the men.
It was already impressive for Liu Xi’s daughter to become Wanzhou’s official, in their views.
They didn’t think Jiang Pengji could achieve any more than that, and in fact, considered her a bit foolish.
She should enjoy the protection of her father as a carefree noble girl, why expose herself and mimic the powerful women of old? In the end? She might not even surpass the men and would waste the most critical years of a woman’s life.
As for the recent rumors circulating about Liu Xi stepping back from power and handing control to Liu Xi, those were nothing but absurd tales.
“Such unrealistic news is laughable,” one lady smirked.
“Indeed—after all, she’s just a sheltered girl, how much ability could she really have?”
“Word has it that the Liu girl is now eighteen, still unbetrothed—if she delays for another couple of years, she’ll be an old maid!”
“Liu Xi seems quite attentive to his legitimate daughter, so he should help her seek a suitable match, right? But a girl who’s always gallivanting—heard she often mingles with those rough commoners… what family would dare take such a daughter-in-law? Even if she is treated with kindness due to Liu Xi’s standing, her father-in-law can’t meddle in his son’s household. And I say, that Liu girl… tsk!”
The topic struck them as quite fresh, and they became increasingly animated in their discussion, unknowingly drifting away from the original subject.
One younger lady chimed in, “Could it be that Liu Xi’s banquet is… for this daughter’s marriage?”
With Liu Xi’s influence in Chongzhou and Hujun, surely, he would choose a son-in-law from within his territory for the sake of his daughter.
Upon such speculation, many considered it rather plausible.
If a wise person heard their chatter, they might burst into laughter.
Should the morals of the Chongzhou gentry’s matriarchs truly be this questionable, it wouldn’t take long before their lineages declined.
Chongzhou bordered the northern frontier, where war raged constantly between two nations.
Due to such circumstances, the shifts in power here occurred rapidly, and the so-called gentry was merely a facade of wealthy upstarts, lacking true heritage.
Take some of the ladies present for instance—many had families that originated from butchers and could barely read, their knowledge undoubtedly shallow.
Of course, it wasn’t just a lack of knowledge; what mattered more was that they simply didn’t care about events outside their bubbles.
Instead of pondering the outside world, why not focus on cosmetics, jewelry, and fine silks?
The noble women laughed as the party atmosphere heated up.
It was at this moment that two exquisitely dressed maidservants burst into the room.
Their sudden appearance drew everyone’s attention, sparking silent inquiries—whose ladies were they, so rude as to interfere?
A certain noblewoman recognized her own maidservant, her heavily painted face instantly falling.
Today, she led the banquet, planning everything perfectly, only to be caught off guard by her maid’s blunder.
Before she could scold, the two maidservants delivered shocking news that dimmed her vision.
“Lady, it’s bad! The master is gone!”
The noblewoman’s heart sank, and she harshly commanded, “Take them away and deal with them! You think the master is a joke for you two little hussies?”
The older maidservant replied earnestly, “But it’s true, madam! There are many soldiers outside; they brought back the master’s body!”
What!
This news struck her like a hammer, darkening her vision as she almost collapsed back to her seat.
Upon hearing the news, the other women lost all interest in jesting, preparing to see what was happening before finding an opportunity to leave.
However, they had no idea that the same tragic news awaited them.
The once bustling courtyard fell silent in an instant.
In the front hall, a chorus of wailing erupted. The noblewoman lifted the white cloth, and there lay the man—her deceased husband!
