Chapter 291: Nineteen, Noble Xie Xiao Niangzi and Poor Scholar

Nineteen, Noble Xie Xiao Niangzi and Poor Scholar

Not even a gentleman guards against it. Acting Nineteen, Noble Xie Xiao Niangzi and Poor Scholar "What is the Mingfu looking at?"

While Ouyang Rong was observing the surroundings, Yan Liulang asked in a low voice.

"Where is Xiao Shimei?" Ouyang Rong asked without looking back.

"Don't know." Yan Liulang shook his head:

"Maybe she is accompanying the family. Miss Xie is the birthday star tonight and is the center of attention. Maybe she will appear later."

Ouyang Rong nodded: "This birthday banquet has quite a lot of rules."

Yan Liulang smiled: "As a direct daughter of the Xie clan, her birthday is definitely different from ours. It can't be dismissed with a bowl of longevity noodles."

"Why can't it."

Ouyang Rong looked at the table full of delicious food without anyone using chopsticks, turned his head and smiled:

"Maybe after a night, with all the human relationships, she won't be able to eat a few bites of the delicacies on the banquet. If she is secretly hungry, it's better to go back and eat a bowl of hot longevity noodles."

Yan Liulang thought about it, "That's true."

Ouyang Rong looked around and turned to ask: "Where are Dalang and the others, and Miss Li?"

Yan Liulang shook his head:

"Dalang helped me prepare gifts and clothes, but he and his sister didn't come. No one from the Prince of Xunyang's mansion came.

"I heard him say, it seems to be his sister's meaning. She said that not everyone in the Chen Jun Xie clan is like Mr. Xie and Miss Xie, willing to contact the Prince of Xunyang's mansion.

"Their family had better not take the initiative to contact them."

Ouyang Rong heard this, was quiet for a while, and nodded: "Makes sense."

Yan Liulang looked around just like him and was a bit puzzled:

"Mingfu, what kind of people did Miss Xie invite to this evening banquet? They look like they have extraordinary status, but why don't we know a few of them? We have been in Xunyang City for quite a while."

Ouyang Rong shook his head:

"Don't know. Looking at them, it seems that many are not from Jiangzhou. Maybe they rushed here specially from other places."

Yan Liulang was a bit amazed.

Just at this time, a young man wearing a purple embroidered robe was led by a welcoming maid and sat at the table next to Ouyang Rong and Yan Liulang.

This young man was clean-shaven and dressed like a noble son. He thanked the welcoming maid, looked straight ahead, and sat down reservedly.

Ouyang Rong and Yan Liulang looked at each other tacitly.

"This old brother looks a bit unfamiliar, may I ask where you are from?"

Yan Liulang was not an outsider and took the lead to lean over to greet him.

The purple-robed young man looked at him with curiosity and vigilance. Yan Liulang arched his hands and reported his name seriously:

"I am Yan Xiaoliu, the newly appointed Judicial Commandant of this city. Not talented, I have done some meager efforts, broke a few small cases, and was praised by friends on the Xunyang road, who gave me a nickname, 'Iron-Blooded Blade Little Divine Might'."

Yan Liulang pointed to Ouyang Rong again:

"This is my big brother, elegant and graceful like Pan An, handsome and outstanding like Song Yu, nicknamed 'Jade-Faced Little Flying Dragon,' calling him Jiangzhou Little Pan An is also fine,"

Ouyang Rong arched his hands toward the purple-robed young man.

"..."

Little Divine Might? Little Flying Dragon? Facing this strange combination greeting him enthusiastically in front, the purple-robed young man leaned back slightly, sized them up strangely, and nodded politely: "Long admired, long admired."

"Hey." Yan Liulang waved his hand, his face humble:

"Everyone's praise, just a thin name. I haven't asked for your name yet..."

The purple-robed young man was sparing of words: "Hongzhou, Li Heng."

Ouyang Rong and Yan Liulang exchanged glances.

Ouyang Rong reached out under the table, stopped the eloquent Yan Liulang, and asked a few questions.

It seemed that he noticed that although this young man in white fox fur was dressed a bit shabbily, he spoke extraordinarily.

Plus, guests who could be invited to attend the birthday banquet of the direct daughter of the Chen Jun Xie clan were all rich or noble, so the purple-robed young man's vigilance decreased a bit. After exchanging a few words, he roughly stated his origin.

It turned out that this was a descendant of a noble family, and his great-grandfather was a founding Count.

Besides this, there was another important identity, a collateral descendant of the Li clan of Longxi, one of the five surnames and seven clans, but the bloodline was almost out of the five degrees of mourning, separated quite far.

But when Ouyang Rong and Yan Liulang complimented and praised the Li clan of Longxi, the purple-robed young man's expression became visibly arrogant.

Ouyang Rong laughed lightly in his heart, complimented a few words, and wanted to ask this purple-robed young man named Li Heng about the situation.

Finally, he discovered that the guests attending the Xie clan noble girl's birthday banquet today,

were either nobles distributed in various states in the Jiang Nan Circuit,

or descendants of the five surnames and seven clans in the south, with the Xie and Wang descendants being the most numerous,

or high monks and famous scholars in the Jiang Nan Circuit, at least those famous in Jiangzhou, who were qualified to be invited to attend the banquet.

There was one last category, which was local people in Jiangzhou who had some connection and friendship with the Chen Jun Xie clan, who would also be invited nearby.

Ouyang Rong thought about it and felt that he and Yan Liulang could be considered this category, no wonder their seats were arranged so far back by default.

People didn't deliberately neglect you, they just invited too many distinguished guests, which was considered a normal sorting for you.

Local official positions like Jiangzhou Commandant and Judicial Commandant didn't add much to the score.

Ouyang Rong was puzzled. He didn't say that he was not familiar with the noble circle of the Jiang Nan Circuit and the scholar circle of the five surnames and seven clans.

Even the circle of famous scholars in Kuanglu, Jiangzhou, which was famous in the Jiang Nan Circuit and led the trend, Ouyang Rong had not been in contact with much these days, so naturally, he didn't have many acquaintances.

Commonly known as, an outsider.

Figuring this out, Ouyang Rong nodded with some satisfaction.

Li Heng asked: "This Little Flying Dragon, what is your surname?"

Ouyang Rong said sincerely: "Ouyang Rong."

Li Heng seemed to try hard to recall this surname, and finally nodded lightly: "Disrespect, disrespect."

It was just that his attitude became visibly perfunctory.

Ouyang Rong didn't care either, and didn't report his more famous courtesy name, Lianghan.

Yan Liulang still asked him about the origins of the guests around him as if he were an old friend.

Li Heng didn't want to save face too much.

Watching the guests walking into the Xunyang Tower, listening to Li Heng's friendly introduction.

Yan Liulang turned his head and sighed to Ouyang Rong: "Mingfu, the banquet of the Chen Jun Xie clan is really grand."

"Hmm."

Ouyang Rong nodded silently. Just at this time, he suddenly raised his head and looked upstairs.

He looked around, found nothing unusual, and then took back his gaze.

It was just that his brows were slightly furrowed and didn't relax for a long time.

What the hell was the feeling of being secretly sized up just now?

Someone looking at him in the dark?

Ouyang Rong didn't have time to be puzzled for long before the guests seemed to have all arrived, and the big door of the Xunyang Tower was closed heavily.

A row of beautiful and pretty maids entered the lobby in an orderly manner, served a pot of fine wine to the guests at each table, and stood by obediently to serve wine.

Hua Xuanji, the proprietor of the Xunyang Tower entered the venue and greeted everyone respectfully.

Following closely, a young lady holding a pipa walked onto the performance stage in the center of the lobby.

It was the world-weary face that Ouyang Rong was familiar with.

Qin Xiaoniangzi went on stage, played the pipa, and stayed on the performance stage like a resident singer.

It was just that tonight, Ouyang Rong found that the world-weary face of Qin Xiaoniangzi did not furrow so much, and her cheeks were flushed.

He also keenly noticed that when she was tuning the strings, she made two mistakes.

It seemed that she was excited.

Ouyang Rong thought about it and understood. The noble families from all over the Jiang Nan Circuit were gathered here tonight. If she got the opportunity to perform a song on stage, her value would rise at least a bit.

Ouyang Rong was about to move his gaze away when he saw Qin Xiaoniangzi on stage looking over, her eyes full of gratitude.

Ouyang Rong was stunned, a bit unclear where this gratitude came from.

He nodded, which was considered a response.

A moment later, in the lobby on the first floor, the birthday banquet tonight officially began.

The maids and servants stepped forward and performed a series of procedures that looked very particular, the cumbersome etiquette of the nobility.

Ouyang Rong and Yan Liulang didn't understand, but this didn't affect eating.

During the process, there was no ugly incident of drinking mouthwash as water. Anyway, they were both very clever people, just follow the actions of the people around them...

Just at this time, Ouyang Rong noticed the gazes of the guests at the surrounding tables, all cast toward a certain staircase on the front right.

He looked sideways.

He saw a noblewoman who still had charm walking down the stairs, wearing an elegant and luxurious black gauze long dress, with a pearl step-shake inserted in her cloud bun.

Accompanied by the noblewoman's elegant gait, the black pearl on the step-shake swayed left and right like a swing, attracting everyone's attention.

The step-shake noblewoman had a dignified face, red lips with a smile, elegant hands, and bowed her knees:

"Gentlemen, you have waited a long time."

Facing the countless gazes cast from the whole venue, she smiled slightly and turned her body sideways.

As if giving up the main seat, she slightly turned her eyes to look at the staircase behind her.

All the guests, including Ouyang Rong, saw a new beautiful shadow appear at the end of the staircase in an instant.

It was a tall young lady wearing a chest-high skirt, with a beautiful face, three thousand strands of love combed into a nine-ring fairy bun, walking down the stairs slowly.

Although her figure was tall, the skirt of this noble formal dress was extremely long, and there were four beautiful maids following behind her, lifting the trailing skirt.

"It's Miss Xie." Yan Liulang couldn't help but blurt out, whispering in surprise.

Ouyang Rong nodded.

He naturally recognized Xiao Shimei. To say something inconvenient, just by looking at the scenery that accommodates all rivers at a certain place, he could recognize that it was Xiao Shimei who was enduring "humiliation" and carrying a heavy burden.

Such identification, there is no other family in the world.

It's just that Xiao Shimei seems a bit different today, dressed up exceptionally solemnly.

Hey, the sad thick barrier is getting deeper and deeper.

The step-shake noblewoman stood at the bottom of the stairs, smiling and looking back, waiting for the beautiful young lady.

Xie Lingjiang held the hem of her dress with both hands and walked down the stairs gracefully. Facing the gazes from all directions, she lowered her head slightly, and her plain hands grabbed the hem of her half-sleeve shirt unconsciously.

"Why are you shy? Didn't you look big and bold when you saw me not long ago? Seventeen, come down quickly, and say hello to the guests. Everyone has been waiting for a long time."

The step-shake noblewoman smiled.

"Aunt, stop talking..."

Being exposed, Xie Lingjiang glared at the step-shake noblewoman.

Hua Xuanji, she restrained her expression, looking a bit stiff and cold, as if she walked down angrily.

Ouyang Rong also felt that Xiao Shimei was still suitable for this kind of stiff and serious expression.

As for the kind of shyness just now, it made him a bit unaccustomed.

During the process of going downstairs, the beautiful young lady's eyes swept across the lobby quickly, not knowing what she was looking at, her face looking as usual.

The two beauties, one big and one small, held hands and left the staircase, walked gracefully into the lobby, and sat down elegantly at a main table in the front of the lobby.

Everyone's eyes fell on them involuntarily.

The aunt and niece, every move, every smile, were the focus of the whole venue.

"Today is the eighteenth birthday of my beloved niece. Thank you all for coming, taking time to attend the banquet..."

Xie Xuee held a soft hand of Xie Lingjiang and stood up together.

This step-shake noblewoman behaved generously, said some polite words, and everyone applauded and cheered, sending birthday wishes one after another...

Ouyang Rong didn't listen much, his attention was only on two things.

One was the delicious food on the table that no one used chopsticks on, and the other was Xie Lingjiang, who was the focus of everyone's attention as the little birthday star tonight.

He looked at the latter from time to time, while the chopsticks in his hand kept picking up food.

Like Yan Liulang, his mouth was not idle.

But I don't know if it was because the aunt was there, or because there were too many people, Xie Lingjiang looked straight ahead and didn't look at the direction where Ouyang Rong was throughout the whole process.

Well, could it be that in the past few days, he didn't take the initiative to find her, so Xiao Shimei and he were temporarily friends?

Ouyang Rong reached out, wanting to touch the skirt knife at his waist, but when he reached halfway, his hand paused and he took it back.

There were too many people, so it's better not to make trouble for the time being.

"Brother Li, who is this madam?"

Hearing Yan Liulang's puzzled tone, Li Heng didn't look back and said:

"She is the aunt of Miss Xie. Like the current Miss Xie, this madam was also the apple of the eye and the high-mountain flower of the Jin Ling branch of the Xie clan. According to my father, this madam's means are very powerful, and to some extent, she can represent the Chen Jun Xie clan..."

Ouyang Rong listened while picking up food.

Since things have come to this, let's eat first.

If you are not even active in eating, then your attitude toward life is just like that.

Amidst the pipa sound, the people in the lobby toasted each other.

I don't know how long it took, the evening banquet was almost over, Xie Xuee suddenly stood up, holding Xie Lingjiang, walked through the tables from front to back, and drank birthday wine one by one.

The Xie aunt and niece, as the only focus of the whole venue, walked slowly toward the back.

It was just that when they came to the last few tables, the smile on Xie Xuee's face faded slightly, but she was still polite and courteous. She was eloquent and witty, making everyone laugh.

The aunt's performance, compared with the beautiful niece who was sparing of words and cold and serious beside her, formed a sharp contrast for a time.

Finally, the Xie aunt and niece took eight beautiful maids carrying wine, left a table, turned around, and approached the table where Ouyang Rong was.

Xie Lingjiang followed her aunt obediently and quietly, walking over without looking sideways.

Ouyang Rong picked up his wine glass, stood up with Yan Liulang, Li Heng, and others at the table, preparing to toast the little birthday star tonight.

I have been moving suitcases for the past two days, looking for a house in Hangzhou, renting a house to settle down, so tired, slightly stuck, sorry brothers. ===== CHAPTER 292 =====

Xie Lingjiang followed obediently and quietly at her aunt's side, walking forward without casting a glance to either side.

Ouyang Rong raised his wine cup and, along with Yan Liulang, Li Heng, and the others at the table, stood up, preparing to toast the little birthday girl of the night.

I've been busy moving boxes and looking for a place to rent in Hangzhou for the past two days; it's so tiring, and I'm a bit stuck, sorry brothers.