Female Supremacy and Rise to Power: Lin Shu's Imperial Examination Adventures

Chapter 139 The Empress Dowager's Birthday Banquet

Feng Han pondered for a long time. If other coastal countries truly existed, it would indeed be disadvantageous for Feng Ming. Finally, she looked at the three people before her and gave the order:

"These two are hiding in the city and are ultimately a hidden danger. I order the three of you to work together and find them within seven days. Can you do it?"

Lin Shu: "Your subject obeys the decree."

Feng Zhao: "Your subject obeys the decree."

Ji Wan: "Your Majesty, this time is too tight..."

Upon hearing the three people's conflicting answers, Feng Han automatically ignored Ji Wan, nodded in satisfaction, and said approvingly:

"Very well! I will await your good news. Today is the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet, and it's almost time. You may proceed!"

Lin Shu and Feng Zhao said goodbye and left, leaving Ji Wan standing there with a resentful look on her face.

Ji Wan: "..." Does nobody care about my opinion?

Feng Han took a few sips of tea, looked up and saw her still standing there dumbfounded, so she looked up and asked in confusion, "General Andong is still here! Does he have any better suggestions?"

"No...no. I'll take my leave." With that, Ji Wan ran off in a flash.

Feng Han shook her head helplessly as she watched Ji Wan's retreating figure. It seemed that Ji Wan's brain had all grown into Ji Heng's.

I actually tried to match her with Xiao Qi back then, but thankfully the Grand Tutor's Mansion doesn't have marriage alliances with the royal family. Looking at it this way, Lin Shu is still more pleasing to the eye!

……

As dusk fell and night deepened, the glass lanterns in the Imperial Garden lit up one by one, illuminating the area as if it were daytime.

The Lady's birthday banquet was held in the Imperial Garden.

His Majesty and the Empress Dowager have not yet arrived.

Given Lin Shu's official rank, her seat was in the middle, neither too high nor too low, which was quite appropriate.

Feng Yu sat next to her, rubbing her tummy while looking longingly at the hawthorn cake in front of Lin Shu. Each table had a small serving of the hawthorn cake, which was meant to whet the appetite.

Helpless, Lin Shu reached out her right hand and gently rubbed the chubby boy's bulging belly from an angle where no one else could see, and whispered, "Are you uncomfortable? You're not allowed to eat today. Have you forgotten the lesson from last time?"

Feng Yu blushed. When he first married Lin Shu, he was unsupervised and, despite being full, he craved more fruit than he should. He ended up vomiting after eating half a piece of fruit and felt unwell for several days. After that, the Lin family kept a close watch on him to prevent him from overeating.

Thinking of this, Feng Yu felt a little guilty and turned her head away, occasionally stealing glances at Lin Shu.

Seeing this, Lin Shu couldn't help but smile. She raised her hand and gently patted his head, saying, "Let me massage it for you. You can eat a piece of hawthorn cake later to help with digestion."

Feng Yu's eyes lit up, and she tightly hugged Lin Shu's right hand that was massaging her stomach: "Lin Shu, you're so good!"

Diagonally opposite Lin Shu, Ji Heng, who should have been sitting next to Grand Tutor Ji, was now sitting next to Ji Wan, glancing at Lin Shu from time to time.

"Little brother, what are you looking at?"

Ji Wan followed her gaze to Lin Shu and the other person, but from her angle, she could only see Lin Shu's hand stretched out in front of the Seventh Prince, moving it back and forth, seemingly doing something, while the Seventh Prince's face was flushed...

She hurriedly covered Ji Heng's eyes and glared at Lin Shu: "Oh dear! Little brother, don't look! It's indecent! Lin Shu, that shameless scoundrel, dares to do such a filthy thing in such a public setting."

Ji Heng pulled down his older sister's hand, which smelled of hawthorn pastry, and looked at Lin Shu rubbing Feng Yu's stomach with a puzzled expression before he suddenly understood why his sister was doing such a thing.

She blushed and glared at Ji Wan, saying, "If you can't speak properly, I'll ask Grandmother to give you more books to read!"

"No, no, no!" Ji Wan immediately shut her mouth, looking at Ji Heng ingratiatingly. What she feared most was her younger brother's anger, her studies, and her grandmother. If all three were present, she would be like a quail.

Lin Shu felt like someone was watching her. She looked around and found it was Ji Wan across from her. She couldn't understand why the two of them, who had been getting along so well at noon, were suddenly glaring at her angrily.

Before she could think further, she heard the imperial aunt's announcement:

"His Majesty has arrived! The Dowager Empress, the Empress Dowager, and Consort Xu have arrived!"

After everyone paid their respects, the birthday gifts were presented. Among them, Ji Heng's painting of gods and Buddhas and the painting of a hundred longevity flowers by the Fifth Prince Feng Xiang, who had just returned to the capital, pleased the Grand Tutor the most.

The Japanese officer praised the two men highly before announcing the start of the banquet.

Not long after the banquet began, someone announced that Prince Rui and Ling Wanzhen had come to offer their birthday wishes.

Upon hearing this, Feng Han's smile vanished, and she said with a stern face, "Who let them out? Tell them to go back and stay home."

The young aunt was about to leave when she heard the old lady's voice: "Wait! Bring the person in."

Then, changing the subject, he said to Feng Han, "It was I who sent them out. They're just ignorant children. The punishment is just a token gesture. Why is Han'er taking it so seriously?"

Having said that, seeing that the little aunt was still swaying from side to side, seemingly waiting for Feng Han's response, the Grand Madam felt a surge of anger. Even this lowly servant didn't take her words seriously!

But he didn't react; instead, he stared intently at Feng Han.

Feng Han's face was unpleasant, but since it was the Empress Dowager's birthday and she couldn't refuse the birthday celebrant, she could only nod to her aunt.

Before long, Feng Rui and the others appeared at the banquet. However, in addition to Feng Rui and Ling Wanzhen, there was also a handsome man who was paying his respects to the matriarch in unison.

"May my father/grandfather/great-grandmother enjoy good health and longevity!"

Ignoring Feng Han's expression, the old lady beamed with joy and repeatedly praised, "Good child! Good child! Please sit down!"

As the palace servants arranged the seats, the Dowager frowned as she looked at the seating arrangement and asked, seemingly casually, "Rui'er, the Prince of Dingbei's seat is here. What are you doing sitting in the back?"

Having said that, he glanced subtly at Xue Wen beside Ling Huanan, and angrily shouted, "A lowly servant dares to grace my banquet? Guards, drag him out and flog him..."

"boom……"

Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by the sound of a wine glass being slammed on the table.

Ling Huanan, his face cold and his eyes devoid of warmth, crushed the wine glass that had been turned upside down on the table, stood up, and said in an icy voice:

"Your Excellency, please be careful with your words! Awen is the rightful husband whom His Majesty has bestowed upon me in marriage. Feng Rui is merely a discarded and wicked husband who has been divorced. He is not worthy to sit with me!"

The atmosphere at the scene turned cold after Ling Huanan's completely disrespectful remarks.

"How dare you! You...you..." The Japanese officer was so angry that he couldn't speak.

Ling Huanan showed no respect whatsoever, sitting down as if nothing had happened. He even poured tea for Xue Wen beside him, making Feng Rui green with envy. His tightly clenched palms were pierced and bleeding profusely...

"Alright, it's a wonderful day, please take a seat!" Feng Han didn't say anything more about it.

Even if the Japanese general was furious, what could he do? He couldn't afford to offend Ling Huanan, so he could only give up unwillingly.

After everyone was seated, the Fifth Prince, Feng Xiang, noticed the unfamiliar young man who had come with Feng Rui and couldn't help but ask:

"Uncle, may I ask who this handsome young man is?"

Many families whose daughters were not yet married looked over.

Prince Rui first glanced back at the young man, then smiled and said, "This is my nephew, Chu Jiang."

After saying that, he looked sadly at the old lady and said:

"Father, Jiang'er is also a person with a tragic fate. He had only been married into his wife's family for half a month when his wife passed away due to illness. Now he is all alone and helpless. I beg you, Father, to find a good husband for Jiang'er!"

Upon hearing this, most of the officials' families gave up their ideas. What Prince Rui said sounded nice, but who didn't know that this man was probably a jinx to his wives?

But upon hearing this, the lady pretended to wipe away non-existent tears from the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief and said, "What a pitiful child. Don't worry! I will definitely find you a good marriage."

"Father! Today is your birthday, let's talk about other things another day!" Feng Han watched them sing in unison, a hint of anger rising in his heart.

"Han'er, that's not how it works. Today is my birthday, so everyone should share in the joy." As she spoke, the matriarch swept her gaze across everyone at the banquet.

The officials and their families below quickly lowered their heads, each feeling insecure, as no one wanted to marry a man who had been married before and might even bring misfortune to his wives.

The old lady glanced around and then fixed her gaze on Lin Shu, who was standing next to Feng Yu.

Feng Yu secretly took a small sip of fruit wine, then saw the Empress Dowager's almost tangible gaze. So she raised her left hand and nudged Lin Shu's arm, seemingly whispering:

"Lin Shu, your imperial grandfather is here to see you!"

Lin Shu: "...". I know! But you're so loud, everyone knows now!

Sure enough, as everyone looked over, the Japanese officer's voice followed:

Where is Lin Shu, the newly crowned top scorer?

-

[Sleepy~]