Feng Yu Jiu Tian - Volume 15 - Chapter 8.3
Sorry for being slow. Because FYJT can be considered as historical theme I got a hard time trying to distinguished some appropriate words. Thank you to Minak Amie for editing. She has done such a wonderful job adjusting the words and my horrible grammar. Thanks for your encouraging comments as well.
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Luo
Yun, at that moment, was checking all the food and drinks being sent
over carefully with Rong Hu. Zi Yan, who was kneeling by Feng Ming’s
side, inconspicuously indicated with his finger and asked, “Is Duke
Ming referring to the young man in black clothing without any
ornaments on his shoulders?”
“Yes.”
It
was easy to determine who Feng Ming was referring to.
Within
the hall, almost everyone was smiling and enjoying the song and
dance. Many people had already begun eating the delicious food in
front of them, and some had even started drinking the wine.
Only
one person was sitting straight with an absent-minded expression of
indifference. He sat coldly as if he was forcefully dragged to the
banquet.
Not only that, his appearance was rather
eye-catching. Even though he did not blend in with the people wearing
gaudy ornaments around him, his simple dress and handsome disposition
still made him stand out.
Zi Yan’s gaze lingered for a
while before he said in a low voice, “Duke Ming, that person is
sitting on a seat reserved for honoured guests. The seats over there
can also be considered the most prominent in this whole banquet.
Therefore, I would guess he is someone from Tong’s royal
family.”
Feng Ming nodded in understanding.
“From
subordinate’s understanding, Tong’s king only has two brothers
now. Qing Ding and Qing Zhang are of noble background, however the
youngest, Wu Lie, was borne from a lowly servant. Wu Lie never
received the king’s favour, and since his mother’s lineage was
not noble, despite being a prince, died early. He left behind a child
called Wu Qian . From rumours, his character is not bad; he is honest
and upright. He has a deep resentment towards Tong’s officials’
who ignore the commoners, play around all day long, and secretly kill
each other.” Zi Yan continued his speculation. “Wu Qian rarely
mixes into courtly matters because he does not have much power. We
did not put much consideration towards him, because of that, there
are no portraits available. However, that man is probably him.”
When
Rong Tian was in reign, the relationship between Xi Lei and Tong
could only be described as hostile. From the intelligence that was
collected, the majority was focused on the king and several
generals.
As for the insignificant court officials, they
had no time to spare on them.
By the time they finished
their quiet speculations, the dazzling performance had already come
to an end. The beautiful dancers still lingered with smiles on their
faces as they courteously bade their farewells. The silk and ribbons
seemed to fly around as they retreated from the platform.
Their
exit left the middle of the hall empty.
The sound of music
had stopped.
The chatter and gossip had immediately
halted.
Just a moment ago, the hall was filled with a
variety of sounds and voices, but it was now surprisingly bathed in
silence.
“Ahem” Qing Zhang made a coughing sound that
attracted everyone’s attention. He wanted to show off his influence
as the Tong Kingdom’s Royal Uncle, so with a noble demeanor, he
made a toast. “Our honoured guests have come from faraway lands.
Tong is overjoyed and has specially set up a banquet to welcome all
the guest to our kingdom. Come, I invite everyone to have a
drink.”
Everyone happily followed his example and drank
a toast.