At the Eight Immortals Pavilion, Murong Renjing stood on the steps, hands clasped behind his back, his expression as unpredictable as the weather as he watched Ye Longlin.
One had to admit, the young man’s appearance was quite pleasing. He was handsome, but likely the type to be all show and no substance.
Initially, Murong Renjing had held a sliver of expectation for Ye Longlin. He wished to see what kind of person his granddaughter liked. It was with this in mind that he had agreed to Murong Hongjun’s request to host Ye Longlin at the Eight Immortals Pavilion.
However, upon seeing him now, Murong Renjing found him utterly unimpressive, the sort who only spoke big words.
“Your Highness.”
The butler said with a strained expression, his gaze betraying a hint of anxiety.
Murong Renjing waved his hand, “I know, you may go now.”
The butler turned and left.
Only then did Ye Longlin turn his attention to Murong Renjing, the legendary figure of Jinling.
This legendary figure of Jinling was now old, having passed his eightieth birthday, yet the spirit and vigor he possessed were beyond that of ordinary elders.
Murong Hongjun asked with a troubled expression, “Father, that…”
Murong Renjing let out a powerful snort, “You’ve spent too long in the capital, what do you know? Do you think they wouldn’t stir up trouble that year? When have you ever resolved it? Don’t I know better than you?
For so many years, they’ve done this every year, but such a large-scale operation is a first in recent times. While it’s a bit troublesome, it’s not a significant issue for our Murong family, so there’s no need to worry about it.”
The old Prince was unperturbed. The conflict with the Hongmen had spanned decades, so he was not flustered. Years of experience had long since forged a serene and self-possessed disposition in him.
Yet, Murong Hongjun still said with quiet helplessness, “Father, if it’s really not possible…”
Before his words could even finish, Murong Renjing directly stated, “Since everyone is here, let’s begin the meal.”
Ye Longlin’s gaze fell upon Mu Hanqi standing behind him, a smile playing on his lips, his eyes conveying a clear message.
I said I would come.
Mu Hanqi’s eyes also held a smile, her gaze filled with contentment and happiness.
Kong Bailu looked at Ye Longlin with a complex expression, sighing softly. She didn’t know if this path was right or wrong, but no matter what, none of them could stop him.
Kong Bailu would never forget that sacrificial ritual robe, that imperial python robe that stretched from bottom to top, that never-before-publicized sacrificial ritual robe!
At the table were the few closest relatives of Mu Hanqi, along with several elders and family members with whom they had no significant ties.
Murong Renjing, Murong Hongjun, Kong Bailu, and the First, Second, and Third Elders of the Murong family in Jinling—a total of eight people.
Ye Longlin and Mu Hanqi sat almost directly opposite each other. The Murong family had given them no hope, intending to make Ye Longlin realize the disparity between them.
“Ye Longlin, I believe you have seen it. The land our Murong family occupies cannot be measured in square meters, but in kilometers. Do you believe you have the strength to marry Murong Yuhan?
As a merchant like you, you will never reach the heights we have achieved in your lifetime. Even with two hundred years, you wouldn’t be able to reach our current standing.
Murong Yuhan is the only existence in the past fifty years in Jinling whose beauty has shocked the city. Do you think someone like you can even aspire to her?”
For them, before knowing Ye Longlin’s true identity, it was indeed an aspiration. But for Murong Hongjun and Kong Bailu, it was Ye Longlin who had the higher standing, because they knew Ye Longlin’s identity very well!
Tonight, even Murong Yuze was not qualified to attend, which was a testament to the importance of this dinner.
“Third Elder speaks wisely. My Murong family seeks to enhance its influence and speaking power. Even if you were to marry her, you would bring no benefit to our Murong royal lineage. What right do you have to expect our Murong family to choose you over the Song family?”
The Second Elder continued, his tone and implied meaning filled with disdain for Ye Longlin!
For them, these matters were never their primary concern. What they always considered were the family’s influence and interests. With these two as the top priorities, Ye Longlin’s presence was certainly not within their considerations.
“You few, say less!”
Murong Hongjun felt utterly vexed. To this day, he still didn’t understand Ye Longlin’s thoughts or intentions, but at least the fact that Ye Longlin hadn’t revealed his identity proved that he didn’t believe the time was right for it.
His current fear was that Ye Longlin would flip the table, which would then be truly troublesome.
“Alright, let’s eat!”
Murong Renjing said nothing about it, and remained silent on the matter between the two.
This was the mark of high emotional intelligence.
The old Prince was indeed the old Prince. After letting the elders offer a bit of mockery and make a decision regarding Ye Longlin, stating he was unworthy, he stepped in to smooth things over, not discussing the matter to preserve a shred of Ye Longlin’s dignity.
The Murong royal lineage did not fear a merchant’s mad counterattack, but there was no need to make an enemy without cause.
What he wanted was for Ye Longlin to retreat on his own, not to be forced by them.
After all, they still had to consider Mu Hanqi’s feelings.
The meal was eaten quite peacefully, even more so than Murong Hongjun had imagined, because he hadn’t expected the meal to be this calm!
After the meal, Old Master Murong finally asked Ye Longlin, “Young man, where do you work?”
This was clearly a question asked with full knowledge. They had thoroughly investigated Ye Longlin’s background, and asking this was rather interesting.
“Unemployed,” Ye Longlin replied with a smile.
As for Qinglong, he had been guarding outside the pavilion the entire time.
Murong Renjing glanced at Qinglong, a half-smile on his face, “An ordinary person wouldn’t have such a formidable bodyguard, nor would they be able to access such a level.”
The implication was that Ye Longlin was not telling the truth, and he would not readily believe the findings of their investigation. There were plenty of powerful people in this world.
“Then, Your Highness, what level of person do you think I should be? Or rather, what kind of person do you hope I am?”
Ye Longlin countered, also with a half-smile.
After the servants cleared the dishes, the eight-immortals table’s mechanism was activated, transforming it into a square table. The servants then brought out the Black Gold Stone tea set, and the Old Master began to prepare tea with practiced ease.
“Rascal! My old Prince was asking you, not for you to question him back! Answer when the Prince asks you something!”