Ninth Imperial Glorious Phoenix Chapter 766

Chapter 766: Is There Guilt?

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Yuwen Chu kept his promise and tried to handle official matters at home as much as possible. This way, Mingzhu could find him immediately when she and the household needed him. Moreover, even if he was busy late into the night and didn't enter the inner courtyard, as long as Mingzhu knew he was at home, not far from her, away from Ji Hui and other women, she could send nourishing soup whenever she wanted, and she felt at ease.

The children wouldn't go days without seeing their father because Yuwen Chu always found time to have dinner with them, play, and talk, which made everyone very happy.

After a few days like this, Mingzhu visited the tomb, arranged for someone to conduct ceremonies for Jing Song and Su Momo, set the date for their burial, and prepared everything for entertaining guests at home before hosting a banquet.

The earliest to arrive were An Xiaogu and Huayang Wangfei. An Xiaogu had already given birth to a three-month-old son, and she looked much plumper than before. Her eyes squinted into slits when she smiled, looking very jubilant. Huayang Wangfei was also pregnant and had gained weight. Seeing the two of them, Mingzhu couldn't help but laugh, "It seems like everyone has gained weight."

An Xiaogu glared at her, "Dare you mock me?"

Mingzhu hadn't seen her good friend for a long time and felt very close to her. She joked, "Just teasing you. What can you do? You look like a steamed bun."

An Xiaogu pounced on her and tickled her, "You heartless person! You've been gone for so long and didn't send me a letter. If I want to know about your situation, I have to ambush the Regent here. It's rare to see him... I was so worried when you had trouble in Yicheng. I couldn't sleep all night. Knowing you were back, I had to consider for you and didn't dare to come see you, afraid of causing you trouble! And now that you see me, you make fun of me for looking like a steamed bun!"

Mingzhu hugged her tightly and playfully rubbed her, "Not only like a steamed bun, but also like a soft and fragrant big white steamed bun. Your husband is really lucky."

An Xiaogu pushed her down on the couch, gritting her teeth, "You think you're good? You look like a gourd!" Then she affirmed, "Yes, a gourd! A white gourd!"

Huayang Wangfei laughed heartily, "Okay, you two. One is a white steamed bun, and the other is a white gourd. They're a perfect match."

Mingzhu and An Xiaogu immediately united against her, teasing in unison, "You're a white-bellied fat grasshopper!"

Huayang Wangfei blinked before pretending to be angry, "Are you teaming up to bully me? I'm angry." Then she turned to see Li Shumei and Lady Qian enter together and went to them for support, "See how they're bullying me."

Lady Qian just smiled gently, while Li Shumei straightforwardly said, "Sorry, Wangfei, I haven't seen it."

An Xiaogu gave Li Shumei a thumbs-up, "This short one is so clear and straightforward."

Huayang Wangfei pouted, "Life is unbearable. This time, I must give birth to a son, so he can marry a daughter-in-law in the future and help us!"

Everyone laughed and chatted for a while, then more guests arrived. Today, only female guests were invited, so there was no need to avoid male guests, making the arrangements much more relaxed. The beauties of the northern garden came out to perform songs and dances, followed by a troupe from outside to perform various plays, and there were also storytelling sessions.

The delicacies and fine wines of the Regent's Mansion were well-known, but this time, Mingzhu didn't plan to make it too luxurious. Firstly, the country was in distress, and making it too extravagant might cause resentment. Secondly, Yuwen Chu's status was sensitive, and with the elders in the family being unwell, it wasn't appropriate to be too extravagant. So, the focus was on lively celebrations, with food and drinks being exquisite but not rare.

After the guests had seen Millet and Zhuang Zhuang, it was almost time. Zhou Nushi, who was in charge of the banquet, came over and quietly informed Mingzhu, "Linan Wangfei hasn't arrived, and she hasn't sent anyone either. Should we wait a little longer?"

The invitations were sent out equally, and the time and place were also specified. Whether to come or not was up to the individual. Mingzhu said, "No need to wait, let's start the banquet."

As the banquet was laid out and the entertainment began, Zhou Nushi came to report again, "Linan Wangfei has arrived. She has recorded a top-quality uncut jade in the gift book but hasn't presented the gift. She just came in like this."

That's not good. Mingzhu remembered the piece of uncut jade Yuwen You had sent when he was in Yicheng and decided to let it go, "Let her be. Treat her according to etiquette, don't be rude, but don't be afraid of causing trouble either."

Zhou Nushi left to attend to it, and not long after, the Wusun Princess, dressed in her best attire, walked in, surrounded by a group of tall and strong Wusun warriors.

Seeing this, the women couldn't help but discuss. Wasn't this just an ordinary banquet? Why did she bring such a strong presence? With so many people coming, there were certainly others with higher status than her who didn't bring guards.

Zhou Nushi considered herself unlucky, "I told her that it's all female guests inside, and it's inconvenient for men to enter, but she insisted on bringing them in. She even said that when she was about to marry here, one of the conditions discussed between the Honglu Temple and Wusun was that she could bring her guards with her wherever she went."

Mingzhu smiled faintly, "Let her be."

As she spoke, The Wusun Princess had already walked up front. There was a hint of disdain on her lips as she nodded slightly to Mingzhu without bowing, lazy and indifferent, "Sixth Sister-in-law is really impolite. I haven't arrived yet, and the banquet has already started. Is this how guests are treated in the mansion?"

She decided that from now on, she wouldn't show any respect to Fu Mingzhu anymore. Although she was considered Mingzhu's little sister-in-law, a lower status and she should still show respect, she was The Wusun Princess, representing another country, so not showing respect was only natural, after all, Fu Mingzhu was just a prince's wife, not an empress or dowager.

Mingzhu could already tell what the Wusun Princess was thinking from her actions and expressions. She just smiled calmly, "Please forgive me, Ninth Sister-in-law. This invitation was sent out widely, but whether to come or not is up to each individual. The time has passed, and although some guests haven't arrived, we can't keep the elders waiting for too long. That would be a real breach of etiquette. Please, have a seat." The implication was that the Wusun Princess wasn't among the main guests of the Regent's Mansion, so she shouldn't take herself too seriously.

The Wusun Princess's expression changed slightly. She tossed her sleeve and took her seat with a smirk, saying with a fake smile, "Sixth Sister-in-law is really hard-hearted. Last time in Changxin Palace, you made me faint from anger, and afterwards, you didn't even send someone to inquire. Is your heart really that cold? Or are you feeling guilty and dare not face me?"

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