Chapter 449 — The Adopted Heir
Purple Streets of Chang'an · Page 4 of 4
The carriages and horses at Yuan Heng's hundred-day celebration were like a river, the voices of the crowd like a boiling cauldron. Not only did the families of merit and distinction all come, but every person of any consequence in the Capital Guard could be seen there; even the Crown Prince came and sat for a while.
Music of strings and flutes poured without cease from the Yingzhen Duke's mansion; it could be heard even walking along Shunxue Street.
Gu Yu flitted among the guests like a painted butterfly, and with the addition of that rakehell Feng Ye, and Shen Qing, who went wherever the liveliest crowd was, the banquet was turned into a roar of laughter at every turn, brimming with festive cheer.
Song Han sat in a corner watching coldly, and slipped quietly out of the great hall before the feast broke up.
Wei Fan, for his part, sat there head down, drinking bitterly.
If he had chosen Dou Yan back then, would today's merriment have been his?
He thought of Dou Ming's capricious temper—tender and sweet one moment, fierce and glaring the next—and drank faster and faster, and more and more.
Dou Fan had still not found the longevity lock that Ji Yong had sent.
She asked Ganlu, "Has Master Ji arrived yet?"
At Yuan's full-moon celebration last time, she remembered quite clearly, she had not sent Ji Yong an invitation, yet Ji Yong had sent gifts all the same. This time she had felt too awkward to leave Ji Yong off the guest list, but knowing his temperament, who could say whether he had actually come.
Ganlu went out to ask around, and reported back, "I did not see Lord Ji anywhere."
So it really was his doing.
Dou Yan said, "Never mind him. Tell the maids and serving women in the tea room to keep their wits about them. There are many guests today, and we must be careful we do not run short of hot water."
Ganlu answered and went off.
Dou Yan smoothed his sleeves and stepped out of the inner chamber.
Yet face to face, he saw Jiang Ling.
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Sisters and brothers, here is today's update.
o(n_n)o~