Unlimited estates for rural beauty-Chapter 531 Another Bird Flies In At Night (4)
Feng Xuxu slightly raised her dark eyebrows, nodded, and then the two of them sat in silence under the wisteria trellis, admiring the light blue flowers overhead.
Just as Feng Xi had stepped out of ’Lotus Garden’ and reached the front courtyard, he ran into the butler, Mi, who was hurrying over. Before Feng Xi could speak, the butler pulled him aside and hurriedly said while walking, "Young Master, more than ten sedan chairs and over twenty carriages have arrived outside, all piled up together. I took a look from a distance, and it seems that they’re all people of no small importance; otherwise, they wouldn’t be speaking so arrogantly."
Feng Xi was puzzled. He had only invited some local commoners and rich gentlemen from the town, at most his cousin’s family; he hadn’t even invited the County Magistrate of the town. Why would so many carriages come today? Despite his confusion, he rushed outside.
Seeing the carriages and sedan chairs all squeezed together in front and their attendants staring each other down with no one willing to back down, Feng Xi was on the verge of tears. Just as it looked like they were about to start fighting, Feng Xi hurriedly stepped forward, "Everyone, please calm down; I am Feng Xi. Whatever you have to say, let’s talk it over nicely."
"Who do you think you are, get out of the way," one attendant, still not having vented his anger, pushed Feng Xi aside when he approached and cursed with a glare.
Feng Xi stumbled and almost fell to the ground, but fortunately someone was behind him; otherwise, his festive robe would have gotten dirty. He lifted his eyes and looked at the man, feeling displeased at heart, but since today was a joyous occasion for him, he preferred good fortune and luck and managed to suppress his displeasure, saying to the attendant, "I am a person, not a scallion. I am Feng...". Before he could finish, a maid emerged from the carriage, glanced at him sideways, and asked, "Are you Feng Xi?"
Feng Xi looked at the maid on the carriage and nodded, "Yes, that’s me."
"Inside the carriage sits the wife of the County Magistrate of Longgang Town; you better quickly make arrangements for our lady. If you slight our lady, hmph, watch out for your head." With a ’swoosh’, the curtain on the carriage door was closed shut.
The attendant snorted coldly, "As if the wife of a County Magistrate is so great. We are with the Magistrate himself. Feng Xi, you’d better hurry up with the arrangements."
"Do not be impudent." A heavy and authoritative voice came from one of the sedan chairs, and then a middle-aged man in maroon robes stepped out, sweeping the crowd with his keen eyes. Seeing Feng Xi in red, he smiled faintly, "Young Master Feng, I apologize for the offenses my attendants have caused. Please forgive us."
"It’s nothing, please may I ask who you are..." I haven’t invited the Magistrate, let alone this man who clearly is not the Magistrate of Yunzhou.
Lin Hao smiled amicably, introducing himself, "I am the Magistrate of Liuzhou from the neighboring area. Today, I’ve come to congratulate Young Master Feng on his big day and also hope to share in the good fortune. May I trouble you for a cup of wine?"
Upon hearing that it was the Magistrate of Liuzhou, Feng Xi lifted his robes, "Commoner Feng Xi pays his respects to..."
"Hey, what are you doing, get up quickly." Lin Hao grabbed Feng Xi’s arm, stopping him from kneeling. It would be ridiculous to let the Empress’s favored brother kneel to him in front of so many people; if the Empress heard of it, wouldn’t he just be asking for trouble? He estimated that among this crowd there were surely individuals sent by the Empress. With the wedding of her brother, it was impossible that the Empress had not sent people.
The attendants behind the sedan chairs, witnessing this scene, turned and made their way back to their respective masters, reporting through the small windows of the sedan chairs what they had just seen.
As for the people on the carriages, there was no need to mention them. They were as clever as any and had abandoned the carriages. The people inside each vehicle got out, and those Magistrates and County Magistrates inside the sedan chairs, unable to remain there any longer, climbed out and went up to him laughing, "Young Master Feng, we haven’t seen each other for some time. Today, I, Lu Yuan, have also come to enjoy a cup of celebratory wine. I wonder if Young Master Feng might grant me a cup?" 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚
Feng Xi turned his head and saw that the speaker was actually the Magistrate of Yunzhou, Lu Yuan. Before Feng Xi could approach and say anything, several others who had arrived in quick succession prevented him from speaking.
"Young Master Feng, I am Xie Ming, the Magistrate of Zhangzhou. Today I’ve come along with Brother Lin and Brother Lu to mooch some wine; surely your mansion won’t be lacking to accommodate a sip for me?" Xie Ming smiled, his eyes surveying the tall gate in the distance, well aware that the Emperor and Empress were there at that moment. With such a commotion at the door, they might just be watching from some corner.
"Haha, Brother Xie is right; I’ve long heard that the wines from the manor are exceptionally good. Today I’ve come shamelessly hoping for a drink. Young Master Feng won’t be stingy and deny us some wine, will he? Hahaha."
Lu Yuan looked at his colleague, also his brother-in-law Shan Bing, and smiled faintly as he introduced him to Feng Xi, "Young Master Feng, this is Shan Bing, the Magistrate of Huai’an."
Those behind them focused on the several Magistrates, looked toward the sun, and saw Feng Xi being surrounded. There was no need for introductions, and with no regard for their own standing as Magistrates, they all knew to seize the opportunity to secure a position for themselves.
The smile on Feng Xi’s face was becoming strained as he watched them, one after another, spitting words. After the last Magistrate introduced himself, Feng Xi swallowed and with a forced smile said to the crowd, "I am grateful that all the distinguished Magistrates and other honored guests could attend Feng Xi’s wedding banquet today. I now invite you all to proceed to the manor, to chat for a moment."
"Haha, then we shall not stand on ceremony," said Lu Yuan, turning to his colleagues and nodding.
The butler Mi, standing behind Feng Xi, heard the Young Master’s instructions and made a welcoming gesture, "Esteemed gentlemen, this way, please."
With the butler leading the way, a long line of people followed behind him, leaving the sedan bearers to look for shady spots to park their sedan chairs.
Feng Xi watched them leave. They had gone, and the sedan chairs followed, but there were still so many carriages at the back. Looking at the carriage of the wife of Cao, the County Magistrate which had just been pushed aside, Feng Xi felt helpless. The authority of the local officials was indeed less than that of the present ones, and he sighed.
"Young Master Feng, do you still remember me?"
