Are you all after the heroine? I married that female devil

An invitation from the palace?

Shen Yian showed a puzzled look on his face. Judging from his grandfather's style of doing things, he would directly send someone to call him when there was something. What did this invitation mean?

Besides, the old man’s birthday is still some time away.

Who could that be? The Queen?

"Hmm? You didn't mention the king?"

Shen Yian was stunned. Mendu had only mentioned "Princess Princess" and didn't mention himself, the prince.

Mendu nodded awkwardly and explained, "Your Highness, the banquet is called the Flower Banquet. The guests invited are all the wives of dukes, daughters of wealthy families, or famous talented women. Only women can attend. It is held every two years."

As the steward of the palace, his daily duties, apart from handling and arranging the chores of the palace, were to collect and organize various events and gossips in Tianwu City. Even if someone had a baby, he had to know clearly whether it was a boy or a girl, so that his highness could be the first to know the situation.

The Fanhua Banquet is a kind of upper-class social gathering or tea party, and all the participants are women.

The content is mainly based on chatting and communication, and there may also be some talent shows or other activities to add fun.

Sometimes, the wives of dukes and marquises would take a fancy to a "daughter-in-law" and would even arrange a marriage for their sons.

"Then why was the invitation sent from the palace?"

Shen Yian frowned, wondering if this flower banquet was hosted by the Queen.

The nobles in Tianwu City love to hold banquets of many types. He had never paid attention to these before, and after traveling for five years, this was the first time he heard of the Fanhua Banquet.

"Your Highness, in previous years the Flower Banquet was hosted by the wife of Duke Wen. This time, for some reason, it became hosted by Concubine An. The venue is at Yunjianlai on the Luo River." Mendu said truthfully.

Concubine An, An Lingyu.

Shen Yian thought it was the queen, but he didn't expect it to be this woman. What was her plan by inviting Li Yan to participate in this flower banquet?

Li Yan used to be a person with both "social phobia" and "homebody". She had rarely been out of the Duke Zhenguo's Mansion, so it was impossible for her to have participated in the Fanhua Banquet.

As the saying goes, when a weasel pays a New Year's visit to a chicken, the other party is definitely not a well-intentioned person.

Under the current circumstances, this woman An Lingyu still dares to commit suicide. Is she dissatisfied with the An family's living conditions?

Compared with the previous dynasty, his Shen family did not have so many red tape, and the palace rules were relatively relaxed, especially regarding concubines.

The time, place and entourage must be specified, and as long as the old man agrees, the concubine can leave the palace once or twice.

If conditions permit, concubines can even return to their parents' home to visit them.

So An Lingyu decided to hold the Flower Banquet in Luo River, which meant that she could leave the palace, and she got the old man's consent.

He had heard from Du Chengzheng that the Yunjianlai was the largest flower boat on the Luo River.

There is actually no need to guess or think about the old man’s attitude.

It complies with the rules, has legitimate reasons, and does not interfere with the old man's business. It only happens once a year, so he will definitely agree.

Instead of trying to guess the old man's attitude, you might as well think more about what this woman An Lingyu wants to do.

Between showing goodwill and looking for trouble, he prefers the latter.

"Husband, are you back?"

While Shen Yian was thinking, the door of the room behind him opened. Ye Liyan rubbed her sleepy eyes and walked out slowly. When she saw her husband coming back, a look of joy appeared on her face.

"Your Highness, I will take my leave first." The doorman was very considerate. The invitation and the matter had already been reported. If he didn't leave, he would be an eyesore.

"Okay, go and do your work."

Shen Yian nodded in response, then turned and walked to Ye Liyan, apologetically saying, "Were you woken up by our talking? Do you want to rest for a while?"

Ye Liyan shook her head gently and said obediently, "No, I just woke up. I just heard my husband and the butler seemed to be talking about something, so I waited for a while."

Hearing this, Shen Yian couldn't help but hear Qingyu's words echoing in his ears, causing his old face to blush, and he wanted to change the topic to the invitation.

Ye Liyan noticed that Shen Yian's ears were slightly red, and asked playfully, "Is my husband thinking about something bad?"

"Huh? No, no, the sun is a bit too hot."

Shen Yian touched his earlobe awkwardly and quickly talked about the invitation.

"A flower banquet?"

Ye Liyan tilted her head and recalled. She had some impression that she had been invited twice before. Her grandfather had asked for her opinion. Since she didn't dare to go to such a crowded place, her grandfather refused on her behalf.

Out of consideration for her grandfather's face, the other party couldn't say anything even though she was rejected repeatedly. Then he never invited her again, and she gradually forgot about it.

Shen Yian handed the invitation to Ye Liyan, giving her the right to choose. If she didn't want to go, she didn't have to go.

Not to mention that it was hosted by An Lingyu, even if it was hosted by the Queen herself, it would be the same.

He never treated the other person well before, let alone now.

When Ye Liyan learned that this flower banquet was hosted by An Lingyu, Concubine An, she began to think about the pros and cons and the situation involved.

Things are different now. She is no longer the little girl who needs to hide behind her grandfather, and her identity has also changed dramatically. Her every word and action represents the Chu Palace.

If she didn't go, it would make her, the Princess of Chu, look arrogant. With so many people present, some comments would definitely be made. After all, she even refused the invitation of the Imperial Concubine. In the end, they would definitely point the finger at her husband...

A finger fell silently on Ye Liyan's head and patted it lightly.

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted, and Ye Liyan said "Huh?" in a cute and silly way, her little mouth instinctively opened slightly, looking extremely adorable.

Shen Yian said with a smile: "Don't let your imagination run wild. If you want to go, go. If you don't want to go, then don't go. No matter what you choose, your husband will fully support you."

As he spoke, Shen Yian couldn't help but put his hand on Ye Liyan's head, and continued seriously: "Don't pay attention to those remarks. Some things can't be influenced by words. There is a saying that goes, 'Misfortune comes from the mouth.'"

Everyone saw the fate of the Wei family, the Fu family, and the sudden silence of the Murong family, which aroused people's imagination.

He could still vividly remember the officials fawning on him when he went to watch the chess tournament. He had never been treated this way before.

Anyone who can make it to the upper echelons of Tianwu City is a wise old man, and everything he says and does is only for himself.

He is now the center of attention, but if he loses power in the future, it will still be these same people who will step on him.

To be honest, he was really curious. Could it be that there really was a fool who would offend him today just to please the An family?

"Husband, but I think I should go."

Ye Liyan's eyes suddenly became firm. A husband and wife are responsible for internal affairs, one is responsible for external affairs. If her husband wants to move to that position in the future, he must not only maintain good relations with the dukes and ministers, but also the wives of the dukes and ministers. Only she can accomplish this.

This flower banquet is a great opportunity to meet many wives of dukes and noble ladies whom I may not normally meet.

At the same time, she also wanted to meet the mysterious Concubine An and see her methods.

【Later】