Chapter 17: Approach - Rebirth of the Noble Daughter
Chapter 17: Approach
"She is the daughter of the Minister of Revenue, who controls the treasury of the world and is in charge of the granary affairs. She is considered a trusted minister in the eyes of His Majesty. Her daughter, I suppose, could even become a queen."
Liang Luo said this casually, but it was Wei Lanxuan who nervously pulled her sleeve, signaling her to be quiet.
Wei Lanxuan's face didn't show any signs of fear. A queen?
The Feng family had such grand ambitions, weren't they afraid of making missteps and falling step by step?
"Humph, dare to randomly speculate even on His Majesty's thoughts. You should go home and learn some manners."
After saying this, Wei Yuwei shook her sleeve fiercely. Wei Lanxuan didn't dare to speak and followed Wei Yuwei away. Meanwhile, Bai Sihan, looking frightened, also followed them, causing quite a stir.
The young ladies from prestigious families around looked in their direction. For a moment, Liang Luo felt a sharp loss of face.
Her beautiful face twisted with anger, her fists clenched.
Wei Lanxuan! How could she, a mere third-rank official's daughter and the insignificant Ministry of Justice's Chief, be compared to the Wei family, which was of the highest rank?
She could only suppress the resentment in her heart and quickly followed them in the direction they left.
In the crowd, Wen Mengsheng happened to see the scene of throwing the pot and was equally impressed by Feng Jinyao's skill.
After all, he himself was knowledgeable in such matters, but he usually didn't show it in public. Now, looking at her, he felt a sense of admiration and sincerity.
Such a beauty was worth his effort to lure her.
After tidying up his attire a bit, he headed towards where Feng Jinyao and the others were.
He was naturally handsome, with features and expressions reminiscent of tall bamboo and pine after the rain, exuding a refined air.
In the previous life, Feng Jinyao was deceived by his demeanor.
"Miss Feng is amazing. I admire you. I wonder how Miss acquired such a skill as threading a needle through the ear?"
He approached her immediately, a sudden presence of a somewhat presumptuous young gentleman.
Both Bai Siruo and Feng Er frowned disapprovingly at him, their eyes full of vigilance.
Wen Mengsheng realized this and quickly introduced himself.
"I am the son of the Minister of Personnel, Wen Mengsheng. Speaking of which, I have the same teacher as Feng Er."
"Oh? Why haven't I seen you before?"
Feng Er didn't buy it and asked provocatively.
Instead, Wen Mengsheng smiled faintly and said reasonably to defend himself.
"Feng Xiong hasn't been to the academy for most of the past half-year. The teacher instructed me that if I meet you, I should remind you. If you fail in next year's imperial examination, it might damage the reputation of the Bai and Feng families. I hope Feng Xiong will consider your family's interests and return to classes early."
His words were logical and persuasive, making Bai Siruo look at Feng Jinlin as if he were a wastrel.
From time to time, she shook her head, looking like a helpless elder sister, which infuriated Feng Jinlin.
Seeing Wen Mengsheng's warm and pretending to be a gentlemanly appearance, Feng Jinyao felt even more disgusted with him compared to the previous life, adding another layer to her aversion.
So, with a frosty gaze, she coldly said, "Mr. Wen, mind your own business. My brother's affairs don't concern you."
Was she trying to distance herself from him?
Wen Mengsheng was puzzled. He thought that by giving her the jade pendant, he could earn her trust. Why couldn't he even see a trace of a good expression from her?
Could it be that something went wrong with his cousin?
Just as he was thinking about how to continue, he saw Feng Jinyao and the others leaving without a trace of warmth.
"Hey... hey..."
Wen Mengsheng stamped his foot in anger, truly unaware of his own limits.
No woman in the capital had ever made him feel so frustrated.
His determination to win her heart became even stronger.
Feeling a sinister gaze behind her, Feng Jinyao's eyes flashed with hostility but it was only for a moment, quickly concealed as she lowered her head.
Now was not the time to tear faces.
While Bai Siruo walked and chattered incessantly to Feng Jinyao, she wasn't listening.
At this moment, her cold eyes only looked at Feng Jinlin, their meaning crystal clear.
Feng Er felt guilty under her gaze and immediately explained, "Don't listen to nonsense from the Wen family's kid. I haven't been absent from the academy for half a year. At most... at most, it's been two months."
Two months?!
He was really audacious!
Yunqi Academy was the most prestigious academy in the capital, where the children of noble families mostly studied. Of course they would occasionally accept some talented commoner scholars.
Entering the academy was not an easy task. Although the gates were open to noble families, there were still rules.
First, only legitimate heirs could enter.
Second, you couldn't enter without passing the exams.
Third, you couldn't leave without achievements.
With these three iron rules, the threshold of Yunqi Academy was raised immeasurably.
Ordinary people couldn't even secure a spot, but Feng Er, this scoundrel dared to skip classes!
"You'll know when you see Fourth Uncle later. With my grandfather, father, and older brother all present today, let's see how you'll end up!"
Hearing this, Feng Jinlin immediately put on a pitiful face. "Ah Yao, save me!"
His constantly changing facial expressions made Xu Mingyue and Bai Siruo laugh secretly.
"Also, I told you to calm down and study properly last time. Didn't I tell you about it? Didn't you remember?"
Feng Jinlin looked embarrassed. He actually didn't remember, but he couldn't show it now. He could only make this pitiful appearance to try to gain her sympathy.
Unfortunately, Feng Jinyao had lived two lives and was no longer that naive little girl. She saw through Feng Er's intentions, but she didn't move.
Seeing this, Xu Mingyue spoke up to help.
"Alright, if you didn't know any better, you'd think it's elder sister lecturing younger brother. The banquet is about to start. Let's go quickly. We might cause trouble if we're late and get scolded by Grand Madam and Fourth Madam later."
"Right! Aunt and Mother are probably looking for us now. Let's go quickly! We don't want to get scolded later!"
Bai Siruo pulled Feng Jinyao to hurry up, leaving Feng Er and Xu Mingyue behind, feeling a bit awkward.
Xu Mingyue had a marriage engagement, so it wasn't appropriate to stand next to a strange man. She bowed and quickly left with quick steps.
Feng Er didn't even have a chance to thank her for helping him. Instead, he looked up and saw Liang Gongzi sneaking away through a nearby alley.
Thinking of the marriage proposal between Liang Gongzi and his cousin and the little favor she just did, Feng Er quietly followed. He wanted to see what Liang Gongzi was up to!
The warm pavilion banquet had begun, with Bai Xiang and the old Madam sitting at the head.
Beside them were Minister Xu, the Seventeenth Prince, the Sixth Prince, and the wives of the Zheng Guo Duke and the General of the Mounted Cavalry.
Others were fine, but the appearance of the Seventeenth Prince, Xiao Tingyi, surprised many.
