Young hero, stay put and don't be reckless.

Chapter 61 Attending the Banquet

As the sun began to set, the two returned to the inn.

Li Che was already sitting under the osmanthus tree in the courtyard, drinking tea.

Seeing them enter, he put down his teacup, his gaze lingered on the two of them for a moment, and he didn't say anything, just nodded.

The three of them went back to their rooms to change their clothes.

Jiang Xun looked at himself in the bronze mirror—the steward had brought him a moon-white long robe, the material was soft, and the cut was just right, much more presentable than the coarse cloth clothes he usually wore.

He was used to wearing short clothes, and always felt that this long gown restricted his movements and made him feel uncomfortable.

Just as she was twisting and turning, Li Tang's voice came from outside: "Are you done yet?"

Jiang Xun pushed open the door and went out.

In the courtyard, Li Che had changed into a blue scholar's robe, his hair was tied up again, and he looked more scholarly.

Standing beside him was Li Tang, dressed in a crimson dress that was even more radiant than the one she wore during the day.

The skirt is embroidered with delicate intertwined floral patterns, which ripple outwards as the wearer moves.

A pale yellow silk flower was pinned in her hair, making her face appear even whiter, and her eyes revealed a rare and charming beauty.

The three of them boarded a carriage and headed to the Meng residence.

Li Che glanced at Li Tang, raising an eyebrow slightly: "Why are you dressed like this?"

Li Tang retorted, "Isn't it pretty?"

"It looks good, but it's not like you." Li Che paused, "but it's not like you."

"None of your business." Li Tang turned her face away, but her ears turned red for a moment.

Li Che's gaze shifted to Jiang Xun.

Jiang Xun smiled but didn't say anything, though there seemed to be something hidden in that smile.

Li Tang seemed to sense something, and deliberately lifted the carriage curtain to look outside, muttering as he changed the subject: "It's almost dark, what's going on at this scripture discussion tonight?"

"Master Mencius was a learned scholar who valued late-night discussions by candlelight," Li Che explained, turning his gaze away from his sister and speaking in his usual tone. "I've heard that he often discussed the classics with his disciples at night, sometimes for an entire night, and sometimes, when the mood struck him, they would continue until dawn."

"All night?" Li Tang clicked her tongue, turning around. "Weren't you sleepy?"

Jiang Xun listened from the side, but his mind was on other things.

Those martial arts figures during the day clearly paid special attention to the Meng family.

What exactly does the Meng family possess? Could the Dragon Crystal truly be hidden in this great scholar's residence? And what is the relationship between this Master Meng and Mirror Lake?

These questions swirled in his mind, but he couldn't come to a conclusion.

The carriage suddenly stopped.

"Your Highness, we've arrived," came the coachman's voice.

Jiang Xun lifted the carriage curtain, and a mansion suddenly came into view. The vermilion gate was gleaming with copper nails, and stone lions guarded the entrance, exuding a quiet scholarly air amidst its majesty.

Above the gate hangs a plaque with two simple, ancient characters: Meng Mansion.

As dusk settled, a dozen large red lanterns hung at the entrance, illuminating half the street.

One carriage after another arrived, some were luxurious carriages inlaid with gold and jade, while others were simple and plain carriages with green canopies.

The passengers who got off the carriage were a diverse group—wealthy merchants dressed in silk and satin, wandering swordsmen with long swords at their waists, scholars in tall hats and wide belts, and a few who looked like officials, walking with an air of superiority.

The servants of the Meng family carried lanterns and moved back and forth, leading the guests in one after another.

Li Che straightened his clothes and got out of the carriage first. Jiang Xun and Li Tang followed behind.

"This scene is even more exciting than the arena competition in Jiangning Prefecture," Jiang Xun muttered as he followed them inside.

Li Tang followed beside him, her eyes darting around, and whispered, "I just saw a carriage, and a woman got out of it wearing a complete set of jewelry. The gemstones on her hairpins were as big as pigeon eggs!"

"You know about this?" Jiang Xun asked casually.

"I don't understand, but I've seen it a lot." Li Tang said, then suddenly lowered her voice, "Look over there—"

Jiang Xun followed her gaze.

Several middle-aged men in brocade robes were standing under the porch talking. One of them was burly with a full beard and a jade pendant with a coiled dragon hanging from his waist. He looked like someone you didn't want to mess with.

"That belongs to the Dugu family in the capital," Li Tang said softly.

Jiang Xun's gaze swept over the burly man and landed on a young man in brocade robes behind him.

He had seen that person before—the young master Dugu, the leader of the Chunshui Sect, who wanted to marry his daughter Su Miao to him as a concubine.

He came too.

Jiang Xun looked at him, and Su Miao's face suddenly flashed through his mind. He wondered if that girl had eventually married into the Dugu family and become someone's concubine.

Li Che slowed his pace, his gaze shifting from the front, and said in a low voice, "The Dugu family, the Chen family, and the Wang family are all here. Almost all the major families in the capital have arrived tonight."

Jiang Xun knew nothing about these powerful families and clans. He just looked around, unable to tell which family belonged to the Chen family and which to the Wang family. Seeing his bewildered expression, Li Tang leaned closer and whispered, "The Dugu family supports the Second Prince, and the Wang family is related to the Fourth Prince by marriage."

Jiang Xun sensed the underlying meaning in the words: "The Second Prince and the Fourth Prince don't get along?"

Li Tang rolled her eyes: "They're all vying for the crown prince position, how can things be any better?"

Jiang Xun's heart tightened.

He recalled that Li Che had said that several princes wanted to invite Meng Huaigu to serve in the government.

The gathering of these prominent families at the Meng residence tonight is no coincidence.

As soon as the three stepped through the gate, a servant came forward, bowed, and respectfully led them inside.

The porch was brightly lit, and shadowy figures moved about.

Jiang Xun looked around and asked in a low voice, "Isn't Master Meng a scholar? Why does he live in such a grand house? Is he making a lot of money as the Crown Prince's tutor?"

The servant leading the way stumbled and coughed violently a few times, as if he had choked on his own saliva.

Li Che turned around, suppressing a laugh as he explained, "When Master Meng resigned from his official post, His Majesty, moved by his hard work and great achievements, bestowed this house upon him."

Jiang Xun then realized what was happening and looked up to see the servant constantly turning back to look at him with a strange gaze.

He wisely kept quiet, only subtly straightening his back a little, afraid of appearing intimidated in this grand mansion.

After passing through several doorways, the view suddenly opened up before me.

The main courtyard of the Meng residence was extremely large, capable of holding at least five or six hundred people.

The courtyard was paved with blue bricks, and every few steps a gauze lantern was placed, illuminating the entire courtyard.

A high platform was erected to the due north, with a long table made of rosewood on it and a chair behind it, presumably where Meng Huaigu gave his lectures.

Dozens of desks and tables were set up in the courtyard, with people sitting behind each one.

There were old and young, scholars and warriors, some dressed in fine silks and satins, and others in coarse linen, clearly divided into several groups.

Jiang Xun's gaze swept across the room and he saw several familiar faces.

Among the group of people to the east, several composed middle-aged men were talking quietly around an elderly man with gray hair and beard.

The old man had his eyes lowered, as if he were listening or resting. He was Huang Hu, who called himself the follower of the Sword God.

Looking further into the distance, one can vaguely see several people dressed in blue robes, with long swords hanging at their waists, sitting upright like pine trees.

The people of Baoyue Manor.

One of the young men had a handsome face and was none other than Zhang Tao, the young master of the manor.

He was talking to the person next to him, his eyes and brows carrying a hint of the dignified reserve of someone from a respectable family.

The people from the Yucang Sect sat not far from Baoyue Manor. The two groups occasionally exchanged glances before looking away, making it impossible to tell whether they were friends or foes.

In the western corner, a young man dressed in black sat silently.

There was a clear space around him; even though the courtyard was crowded with people, no one dared to approach him.

That chilling aura was exactly that of the Northern warrior I had seen during the day.

Jiang Xun's gaze continued to sweep across the crowd.

That's all the people he knows.

As for those famous sects like Jinghu and Yinzhai, he couldn't recognize any of them.

I heard that everyone in Mirror Lake is a woman, but there are very few people wearing skirts in this crowded courtyard.

Also, have any of the people from Xingxiuhai come?