Xu Hengyi clutched his throat, asking Xie Jiang in a terrified whisper, "Did Lord Hou vomit all these strange worms? There are so many, it's enough to stir-fry two dishes if you add some salt."
Xie Jiang raised an eyebrow. "You still want to eat them?"
"Ugh... Who wants to eat them? I was just describing the quantity. How can Lord Hou have so many worms in his stomach? Ugh..."
He had said it casually and hadn't thought about it at all. Now that Xie Jiang mentioned it, his mind couldn't help but wander.
Braised? Stir-fried and deep-fried? Add some chili...
Ugh... Ugh... Ugh...
I'm going to die!
Xu Hengyi, without leaving a single morsel, vomited everything he had eaten at the banquet onto the flowers and plants in the garden.
"When the four imperial physicians come out later, you can ask them your questions." If she kept answering, she would also vomit.
Xie Jiang planned to stroll around, enjoy the night view, and feel the night breeze, to forget about those clusters of parasitic worms.
If she could be cleansed by some beauty, she could forget them faster and more thoroughly.
Xie Jiang looked back at Yi Meise under the corridor. She originally wanted to lure him away directly, but remembering that she had a position to maintain and would have to go in to visit Lord Hou later, she gave him a look.
She had originally agreed to spend the night at his residence tonight, but the palace banquet had delayed things. She didn't know what time it would end, and she might already be tired. In that case, she might not be bothered to go over tonight.
This way, he wouldn't be sarcastic and blame her for breaking her promise, making him wait in vain until morning.
Yi Yanteng's dark eyes gathered a storm, and he did not respond to Xie Jiang's gaze.
Respond to what?
When he was so focused on looking at Xia Rongyu earlier, why didn't he remember that there was a living person like him standing beside him!
He could just find Xia Rongyu, why was he looking for him!
"There are several imperial physicians guarding here. Let's go back and eat something else. You should have a drink with me too."
After greeting Xia Rongyu and Yi Yanteng, the Duke of Qian pulled Xie Jiang along, preparing to go back for a drink.
The imperial wine, although not as potent as the wine from the Marquis of Nanhai's residence, was still a rare good wine.
In the past, His Majesty often bestowed it, but in recent years, the bestowals had become less frequent.
Since it was a rare occasion to drink it tonight, he might as well have a few more cups.
Xie Jiang's nape was grabbed, and she was forced to follow the Duke of Qian. "You can still eat?"
The Duke of Qian paused for a moment. He couldn't eat anymore, but, "It doesn't affect drinking."
Xie Jiang said, "I can't drink!"
The Duke of Qian scoffed, "Who are you kidding?"
Xie Jiang said, "I really..."
The Duke of Qian narrowed his eyes and looked at her. "What's wrong with you, kid? Every time I ask you to drink, you always refuse..."
Xie Jiang opened her eyes and lied, "I'm still young, and my father doesn't allow me to drink. If I drink, he'll break my legs."
The Duke of Qian burst out laughing. "Your father will break your legs?"
Given the way the father and son interacted, who would break whose legs, was he blind and couldn't see?
The Duke of Qian suddenly thought of something and chuckled. "Kid, you're not a lightweight, are you? Afraid of revealing your weakness and losing face in front of us later?"
Xie Jiang glanced at him and remained silent.
The Duke of Qian then concluded that Xie Jiang had a low tolerance for alcohol!
"Hahahaha..."
The Duke of Qian's laughter was deafening.
This usually arrogant and all-powerful brat also had moments when he was outmatched and couldn't show off.
Xie Jiang was forcibly dragged back to the lotus pond.
As soon as the two appeared at the banquet, they were surrounded by everyone, who bombarded them with questions about Lord Hou's condition. Xie Taihong also feigned concern and offered greetings.
Taking advantage of the Duke of Qian's preoccupation, Xie Jiang slipped away through a gap.
She didn't return to her seat. Who wanted to drink with the Duke of Qian!
She went straight to the Song siblings.
She didn't know how long it would take to cleanse her eyes with Yi Yanteng's beauty, so it was better to first cultivate her soul with the warmth of the Song siblings.
The Song siblings were in high spirits. Song Xun and three or four girls were gathered together, chatting and laughing.
There were also two people sitting in front of Song Ze, whom Xie Jiang found very familiar. The three of them were happily drinking.
Xie Jiang walked over directly. "It's so lively, count me in."
A palace maid attending nearby nimbly brought over a cushion.
"Marquis Xie."
"Brother Yue, Brother Xu."
The two people in front of Song Ze were Yue Lin, the eldest grandson of the Duke of Qian, and Xu Shuo, the eldest grandson of the Marquis of Yongchang. Xie Jiang had met them before the banquet.
The girls next to Song Xun were also from the Duke of Qian's and Marquis of Yongchang's families. These two families had always been close to the Duke of Dingguo's residence.
Even though the Duke of Dingguo's residence had suffered a disaster and everyone in the capital was trying to avoid them, the interactions between these two families and the Duke of Dingguo's residence had never been interrupted.
Song Ze said, "Did Marquis Xie come from the side hall? How is Lord Hou's condition?"
Xie Jiang sat down. "He's fine now. He'll be better after some rest."
The food at the palace banquet was far more unpalatable than Xie Jiang had imagined.
The imperial kitchen's cooking was not as good as the Duke of Wei's residence's chef.
Xie Jiang couldn't eat a single bite and was already starving by this time.
The small snacks that were served looked passable. Xie Jiang glanced at them and thought of the plate of walnut shortbread in front of Song Ze...
Although Song Ze couldn't see, he seemed to be able to hear her thoughts, as he had already handed over the walnut shortbread.
"The food has gone cold. The imperial kitchen's walnut shortbread is quite good. Would Marquis Xie like to try some?"
Xie Jiang took the walnut shortbread, which was about the size of a finger, and ate two of them.
"Not bad," Xie Jiang said, hugging the plate and nodding as she ate.
"Is Marquis Xie not used to the palace food?" The Duke of Qian's residence was located next to the Lan Yong envoy delegation. Yue Lin had been sitting behind the Duke of Qian earlier, so he naturally knew that Xie Jiang hadn't touched her chopsticks at all tonight.
"Da Yu is good in all aspects, except for the food being unpalatable," Xie Jiang said, her disdain clearly displayed on her face.
"His Majesty has been cultivating his character for a long time and does not pay much attention to food and clothing. The imperial kitchen's cooking has indeed not improved at all in recent years. It must have been difficult for Marquis Xie tonight."
With Xie Jiang's pampered palate disdaining the palace food, Xu Shuo and Yue Lin had also eaten very little tonight.
After all, everyone attending the banquet in the palace was not here for the food.
Yue Lin pushed a plate of red date cake towards her. "This red date cake is quite good. It's sweet but not greasy, perfect for filling your stomach."
The girls who were chatting and laughing nearby found it a little difficult to concentrate after Xie Jiang arrived.
They kept stealing glances at Xie Jiang.
The name of Marquis Nanhai, Xie Jiang, had long been famous, but apart from Song Xun and Xu Shuyao, the other three girls were seeing her in person for the first time.
Sitting with Young Master Song, she was no less impressive. The charm of Marquis Nanhai was even more astonishing than the rumors!
Xie Jiang glanced at the girls. The girls all felt that Xie Jiang was looking at them!
The three girls blushed and whispered to each other.
Only Xu Shuyao gave Xie Jiang a look full of gratitude and appreciation.
Xie Jiang smiled at her.
When the Duke of Qian came looking for her, he happened to see Xie Jiang's mischievous smile.
"Grandfather." Yue Lin stood up.
The Duke of Qian frowned so deeply that a fly could be crushed. He ignored his eldest grandson, grabbed Xie Jiang's arm, and dragged her away.
"Why are you hiding here when I want to have a drink with you..."
"..."
Yue Lin felt that his grandfather hadn't even seen him.