Chapter 26: Birthday Banquet

The Emperor’s handling of the Xuan Wang’s mansion shocked the entire court, causing many officials to become more cautious.

For a time, the deterrent power of imperial authority rose unprecedentedly, and people became increasingly fearful of the Emperor!

At the end of September, it was the old Grand Tutor’s birthday banquet. Due to the old Grand Tutor’s reputation of having disciples all over the world, almost half of the civil officials in the court came to offer birthday congratulations. The Emperor also had several imperial princesses temporarily set aside their duties and go to the Grand Tutor’s mansion to offer congratulations together.

Early in the morning, the Grand Tutor’s mansion began to be decorated with lanterns and colorful ribbons. Servants were bustling back and forth in the corridors, creating a lively atmosphere!

The entire mansion was filled with joy, clearly having prepared for this birthday celebration for a long time.

Wei Jing Mo entered the Grand Tutor’s mansion accompanied by Dong Qing and Dong Gua.

As soon as they stepped onto the stairs, a servant came forward to greet them.

“This slave pays respects to the young master!”

“No need for formalities.”

Wei Jing Mo raised his hand to let him rise, and asked casually, “Where is your young master? How come I don’t see any sign of him?”

Every year on the old Grand Tutor’s birthday, Shen Ruo was always the most excited. According to his usual nature, he should have been waiting at the door for him by now.

This year was quite strange, as there was no sign of him.

Upon hearing this, a hint of hesitation flashed across the servant’s face. After hesitating for a long time, he finally spoke, “The young master is still in the Elegant Residence Pavilion and hasn’t come out.”

The Elegant Residence Pavilion was where Shen Ruo lived. Wei Jing Mo found it quite surprising, not expecting him to be so composed this time.

Looking up and seeing something unusual in the servant’s expression, he paused in thought and slowly asked, “Has something happened to your young master?”

Wei Jing Mo couldn’t help but frown slightly, his cold ink-like eyes scrutinizing the servant.

“Yesterday, the old Grand Tutor flew into a rage and confined the young master, not allowing him to step out of the Elegant Residence Pavilion today.”

The servant spoke haltingly, and seeing Wei Jing Mo’s brow furrowing more and more tightly, he lowered his head and fell silent.

After hearing the servant’s words, Wei Jing Mo immediately walked past him towards the back courtyard of the Grand Tutor’s mansion, feeling somewhat worried in his heart.

He wondered what his cousin had done to make his grandmother so angry that she wouldn’t even let him attend her birthday celebration.

He strode quickly towards the Elegant Residence Pavilion, with Dong Qing and Dong Gua jogging behind him.

When the three of them arrived at the Elegant Residence Pavilion, they saw two tall female servants standing guard outside the courtyard gate.

Wei Jing Mo slowed his pace and walked over with a calm expression.

Seeing him, the two female servants immediately stepped forward to block him, saying coldly, “No entry without a mansion order!”

“How dare you!”

Dong Qing and Dong Gua immediately stepped forward to shield Wei Jing Mo behind them, looking at the two female servants and scolding, “Open your eyes wide and take a good look at who our young master is! How dare you block him.”

One of the female servants looked at Wei Jing Mo, seeing him dressed in snow-white clothes, with a jade-like appearance and a cold, otherworldly aura.

Her eyes couldn’t help but flicker slightly. She had obviously guessed his identity.

Wei Jing Mo caught the hint of retreat and hesitation in her eyes and immediately spoke up, “I know this is your duty. But grandmother only ordered you to guard here and not let the person inside come out, she didn’t forbid people from outside to go in.”

Upon hearing this, both of them became somewhat hesitant and no longer firmly blocked Wei Jing Mo.

Seeing this, Wei Jing Mo bowed gratefully to the two of them and walked in with Dong Qing and Dong Gua.

As soon as he entered, Shen Ruo, who had long heard the commotion outside, poked his head out from inside the room.

Seeing it was Wei Jing Mo, his eyes lit up and he immediately ran over.

Behind him, two personal attendants saw his somewhat uncouth movement and hurriedly called out, “Oh my, young master! Please slow down!”

But Shen Ruo turned a deaf ear, hurriedly running to Wei Jing Mo’s side and pulling him towards the room.

Dong Qing and Dong Gua, along with the two attendants, hadn’t even had time to enter the room before Shen Ruo slammed the door shut, blocking them outside.

Wei Jing Mo was pulled into the room by him, his ink-black eyes still showing some bewilderment and confusion, obviously not having reacted yet.

After bolting the door, Shen Ruo turned around and, seeing Wei Jing Mo standing there dumbfounded, he moved closer and waved his hand in front of him.

“Cousin?”

“Hm?”

Wei Jing Mo responded instinctively, finally coming back to his senses.

He frowned slightly, looking at Shen Ruo with a cold expression, “Cousin, what mistake did you make? To make grandmother so angry?”

Hearing this, Shen Ruo’s head immediately drooped. His expression looked somewhat sad.

He sat down on a chair looking dejected and said in a somewhat low voice, “I told father that I wanted to marry the Fifth Imperial Princess, and somehow grandmother found out about it. Then she called me over and scolded me, and even forbade me from attending the birthday banquet.”

The more Shen Ruo spoke, the more aggrieved he felt, with tears welling up in his eyes.

Since his birth, the entire Grand Tutor’s mansion had spoiled him as he grew up. Although the old Grand Tutor was known for being stern and rigid, she doted on this little grandson immensely, never raising her voice at him even once.

Shen Ruo had never imagined that one day he would be scolded like this by the old Grand Tutor, and even forbidden from attending her most important birthday celebration.

Thinking of this, he felt both aggrieved and stifled, with mixed emotions jumbled together, causing him to start crying involuntarily.

“What’s wrong with the Fifth Imperial Princess? Mother and father both approve, it’s only grandmother who is so angry. As if I’ve done something terrible.”

He muttered softly, with a hint of resentment rising in his heart.

Wei Jing Mo hadn’t expected it to be because of this matter. Seeing Shen Ruo crying so sadly, he sighed inwardly and slowly sat down beside him.

“Does cousin know why grandmother is so opposed to this? She usually dotes on you so much, yet this time she got so angry.”

Shen Ruo shook his head, looking somewhat dejected.

This was exactly what he couldn’t understand. Grandmother had always doted on him, and in the past, she often told him to choose a wife-master according to his own heart. Why was she so opposed this time?

Wei Jing Mo looked at Shen Ruo’s innocent face, feeling that there were some things he should know by now.

“Cousin should also know that the position of the Zhen Bei Wang’s mansion in Feng Ling City is somewhat delicate. Although Her Majesty values the Wang’s mansion, she is also wary of it. From birth, I was destined to marry into the imperial family. The Grand Tutor’s mansion and the Zhen Bei Wang’s mansion are related by marriage. If you also marry into the imperial family, the two families will inevitably be placed in opposing positions, which is what grandmother least wants to see.”

Seeing Shen Ruo silent, he sighed lightly: “I don’t know how cousin truly feels about the Fifth Imperial Princess, but we were born into noble families, enjoying wealth and power that others can hardly reach, and we must inevitably be burdened by it. I still hope you can sort out this matter properly and think about it seriously.”

Wei Jing Mo didn’t think Shen Ruo truly liked the Fifth Imperial Princess, but rather it seemed more like a kind of admiration. The Fifth Imperial Princess just happened to fit the heroic image that Shen Ruo had always fantasized about!

Privately, he actually hoped that Shen Ruo could marry his second sister.

After all, Shen Ruo was also familiar with the Zhen Bei Wang’s mansion. Although his second sister had a somewhat dull personality, she was sincere towards Shen Ruo. If he married into their family in the future, no one would suppress his temperament. He could always maintain his current proud and innocent nature, living life as he pleased.

Wei Jing Mo’s own life had already been decided, and he sincerely hoped that his cousin Shen Ruo could live without worries.

Although he called Shen Ruo “cousin” verbally, perhaps due to their personalities, he had always privately regarded Shen Ruo as a younger brother.

Shen Ruo hadn’t thought that simply liking someone would involve so many things behind the scenes.

His heart was filled with mixed emotions.

Wei Jing Mo glanced at him, calculated the time, and slowly stood up.

“It’s getting late, I need to head over to the main hall now.”

With that, he no longer disturbed Shen Ruo, leaving him alone to think slowly.

——

As soon as Wei Jing Mo entered the Elegant Residence Pavilion, the old Grand Tutor received the news.

Seeing him come from the direction of the back courtyard, the old Grand Tutor quietly instructed her attendant behind her: “Go and remove the people from in front of the young master’s courtyard gate.”

After all, he was the little grandson she had doted on since childhood. The old Grand Tutor had been too angry yesterday. Now that a night had passed, how could she bear to punish him at this time?

Her deep, weathered black eyes glanced at the Shen couple below, who kept looking in this direction. Thinking of those little thoughts they harbored in private, the figure of the elderly woman past seventy appeared increasingly weathered and hunched.

It was only because she had spoiled Shen Ruo, and his parents were too clueless!

The old Grand Tutor sighed deeply in her heart. She hadn’t expected that after being a teacher for a lifetime, educating so many excellent students, in the end, she couldn’t teach her own child well.

It was truly unworthy of the title of a sage teacher!

After Wei Jing Mo entered, there was still some time before presenting birthday gifts. He quietly walked over and sat down next to Shen Ke.

Seeing him come over, Shen Ke immediately asked in a low voice, “Did you see Ruo’er?”

Hearing this, Wei Jing Mo looked up to see Shen Ke winking at him slightly, obviously knowing about Shen Ruo’s punishment.

He softly responded with a “Mm”, “I think grandmother has already sent someone over. Cousin should be coming over soon.”

Shen Ke didn’t find his words surprising at all, his expression very calm.

Clearly both father and son knew that the old Grand Tutor was all bark and no bite, and wouldn’t really prevent Shen Ruo from coming out.

Just then, the sound of footsteps suddenly came from the doorway.

Everyone looked over at the sound, and saw several imperial princesses enter, led by attendants.

Feng Bai Wei walked at the front, smiling gently at everyone. Feng Bai Ying, Feng Bai Zhi and Feng Bai Kuan followed closely behind. Feng Bai Su trailed at the very back with lazy steps, looking somewhat flippant and casual.

Besides them, the Fourth Imperial Princess Feng Bai Shao had also finally been released from confinement, and came along this time.

She walked alone to one side, with a crowd of palace attendants following behind her, looking arrogant and domineering.

Feng Bai Wei glanced at her with some disgust, then walked past her to the front.

Seeing this, Feng Bai Shao coldly snorted in disdain. As her gaze shifted, she spotted the snow-white clad youth sitting among the crowd. Instantly, her eyes lit up, filled with fervor and infatuation.

Evidently, the previous confinement still hadn’t curbed her temperament, and she remained as incorrigible as ever!

Wei Jing Mo naturally noticed her gaze, and frowned slightly, suppressing the discomfort rising in his heart.

As his eyes lowered slightly, his long, thick eyelashes concealed the disgust that flashed in his eyes.