Chapter 160 The Troublemaker Came
Lin Mengya nodded, and kept her polite smile.
“Okay, keep your eyes open.”
“Yes, Master.”
Male guests went to the Qinwu Courtyard with activities appealing to men.
The evening drew on. Lin Mengya did not prepare a common dinner, but a buffet.
She had carefully prepared drinks and food.
Guests served themselves various delicacies, which was well matched with the theme of ‘Guess with your mask on’ that day.
It had just become dark outside. Lin Mengya already told a servant to light the lamps.
Female guests, who avoided scandals with male guests during the daytime, all dressed themselves, and were appreciating chrysanthemums under the light in the Liuxin Courtyard.
“Ya’er, it is really a unique experience to appreciate chrysanthemums under the light.”
Concubine De accompanied by Lin Mengya, having put on a lavender dress.
Unmarried Misses all wore aqua or bright pink clothes.
Married ladies all wore light purple or baby blue dresses.
Servants all wore differently.
They would not be recognized at a glance, but their status could be seen.
“I’m glad you like it, mother. Why not guess lantern riddles with Jinyue? The Prince has told me that mother was the most gifted lady in the Capital City.”
Concubine De was pleased by Lin Mengya.
And some close ladies kept speaking highly of her son and daughter-in-law.
Therefore, Concubine De recovered herself and felt relieved.
“Princess Yu, I’ll stay with Concubine De. You can do your own thing.”
Jinyue held Concubine De, and gave Lin Mengya a reliable look.
As the hostess, Lin Mengya had many things to deal with on such an occasion.
“Okay, thank you.”
Lin Mengya silently left, and walked through the crowd back to her room.
“How is it going?”
Baisu told her that, many people had continuously tried to slip into her room, just after the buffet began.
If she had not prepared guards outside every room, the Liuxin Courtyard might have been broken into.
“Some infiltrators really mean to cause trouble, but some others do not. We cannot tell the difference.”
Qinghu, who wore black and hid in the darkness, was the general director of the guards in the Liuxin Courtyard that night.
His handsome face looked cold. ‘These infiltrators are as annoying as flies.’
Lin Mengya nodded. All of this was even beyond her expectation.
It seemed that, Jiang Ruqin had deliberately suggested the chrysanthemum party to Concubine De for other purposes.
“Okay, I see. Since they want to ruin the meeting, why don’t we invite them?”
Lin Mengya smiled lightly, like a fox’s smirk thrilling others.
It was a wonderland full of laughter in both the Liuxin and the Qinwu Courtyards at the moment.
It became darker then. Everyone, even Concubine De, grew more comfortable. It was if they had returned to their younger days.
Lin Mengya hid herself in the crowd while her maids were in her room.
For one thing, no imposter could appear. Also, some unnecessary troubles could be avoided.
Lin Mengya, hiding in the dark, carefully observed everyone.
Jiang Ruqin did not stay with Concubine De. Lin Mengya had given some special guards clothes and masks with some marks that only she understood.
They seemed to be a.s.signed randomly.
But only she could recognize them.
Everything was going well. Unexpectedly, a sound of hubbub exploded from one side of the Liuxin Courtyard.
People’s attention was slowly drawn to there.
However, Lin Mengya still stood under the eaves, as one with the darkness.
“Sister, should we go and check?”
All of a sudden, Baisu appeared behind Lin Mengya.
Lin Mengya shook her head.
If they went there, someone might grasp the opportunity to mess about with the banquet. It would be worse.
“We’d better wait here. If something really happens, the servant will report to us.”
Just after Lin Mengya uttered her last word, someone really rushed over, shouting.
“Help! Someone died! Help!”
It seemed to be a maid.
Lin Mengya ran in a hurry, and rushed through the crowd.
There was a woman lying down who seemed to be suffering from epilepsy.
She was foaming at her mouth, her limbs moving haphazardly.
A flicker of confusion flashed in Lin Mengya’s eyes, but she still kept calm, and shouted,
“Ah, she’s suffering convulsions. Hurry, carry her to a room.”
Several strong old maids carried her hurriedly to a room at once.
Many guests looked at that woman, and were concerned.
“Please don’t worry. It is just an old trouble. The doctor will see her. Then, excuse me for my absence.”
As the hostess, Lin Mengya had to take care of that woman.
Since she had explained things like that, other guests would not take it seriously.
“I will look after her. Please help yourself.”
Lin Mengya entered the guest room. Then, she sent the old maids out of the room.
Qinghu and Lin Zhongyu also followed her into the room. They watched the woman on the bed, with varied expressions on their faces.
“They don’t seem to be symptoms of epilepsy, right?”
Qinghu was experienced. Looking at the woman who had calmed down, he asked this.
Lin Mengya nodded, with some chillness in her eyes.
“It is simply a drug allergy. Look at her face. Are there many red dots?”
Qinghu unmasked her. Her face was truly filled with frighteningly red dots, like the symptoms of smallpox.
“Then, will she die?”
Lin Zhongyu thought it mattered more. If the woman died in Lin Mengya’s house, rumors about her would increase.
Lin Mengya shook her head. It was only an allergy. It could cause the patient to faint at most.
A flicker of confusion swept across her heart. ‘She must have accidentally been taken advantage of.’
‘But what is their purpose of such a disturbance?’
“You go out first. I will find someone to look after her.”
Qinghu and Lin Zhongyu exchanged glances, nodded and disappeared.
Lin Mengya managed to make herself calm down, and opened the door.
“Maids, come to take good care of this lady. The royal doctor will come soon.”
Instantly, three or four maids entered the room. Lin Mengya looked at the woman on the bed, as if absorbed in her thoughts.
‘I wish that everything would just be a coincidence.’
Because of that episode, the crowd seemed to be not as joyful as before.
As the hostess, Lin Mengya had a responsibility liven up the atmosphere.
“My dear guests, I am sorry to let that episode disturb you. Since I have promised to reward the winner, then, I will now show the award to all of you.”
After she uttered her last word, someone presented a refined casket.
The moment Lin Mengya approached to open the casket, the soft lights gradually dimmed.
“Isn’t it the legendary luminous pearl given by a foreign country as a tribute? Princess Yu dares to use it as the award. How generous she is!”
Guests gasped in astonishment.
It was said that, the legendary luminous pearl could not only light up at night, but it could also be kept in the dead person’s mouth to keep the corpse from decay for thousands of years.
They were few in number, which made them more precious.
“Concubine De proposed to take it as the award. Everyone is likely to be the winner. I’ve noticed that there are still lots of unsolved riddles. Only when you answer the riddle and take it in your hand, it counts. If you take it with no answer, your mark will be deducted. I hope that every guest may gain what they like here.”
Lin Mengya had prepared many commemorative awards for everyone except the winner.
She even prepared the trotting horse lamp with myths on it for everyone.
Everyone would have an award. That was how the banquet was arranged.
Everyone was surprised at Princess Yu’s generosity, and felt appreciated after learning of Concubine De’s charity.
“Mother, what do you think of it?”
Concubine De nodded. Lin Mengya did well.
She had taken everyone into consideration, and also aroused everyone’s enthusiasm.
Concubine De felt very pleased, even by just sitting aside.
A night full of joys was more valued than a legendary illuminous pearl.
“Little girl, you are more sociable. I have just told your eldest uncle that, you are not simple.”
‘Eldest uncle?’ Lin Mengya thought of Concubine De’s parents’ home. ‘The eldest uncle is possibly Jiang Ruqin’s father.’
“Ah, how could I? How could I forget to let mother gather with her family? Aunt Jinyue, please invite eldest uncle over.”
As Concubine De’s parents’ home, the Jiang family was unable to visit regularly.
Especially Jiang Ruqin’s father—Jiang Feng, as a local official, was not allowed to return to the capital many times.
At the Mid-Autumn Festival, officials far from the Capital City would return to report on their work, so that they could gather together with their families.
“You’ve done well. All the guests feel at home. Besides, your eldest uncle is not good with words. He would enjoy himself better over there.”
Concubine De controlled herself, and observed polite ways, so that she would avoid arousing suspicion from her parents’ home.
Lin Mengya nodded, but she was thinking in her heart that, she must let Concubine De gather together with Jiang Feng secretly.
All of a sudden, a sharp announcement of the eunuch came from outside, before she had an idea.
“The Empress has arrived! The Crown Prince has arrived!”
Lin Mengya frowned tightly. ‘The Empress and the Crown Prince again. Why do they linger on?’
The Empress and Concubine De were sworn enemies. Everyone in the Palace knew that.
Therefore, the Empress seldomly appeared in banquets held by Concubine De.
However, she really made her appearance, even with the Crown Prince. They may be visiting to make a mess.
Lin Mengya clearly saw the disgust in Concubine De’s eyes.
However, she had to welcome them by herself to observe etiquette.
“Greetings, Your Highness. Please forgive me for not knowing of your coming and not welcoming you by myself.”