At 11 a.m., the Taiyuan Wang clan finally arrived.
The most notable figure, of course, was the current Grand Secretary, Wang Maohong. He was a mainstay of the court, having weathered numerous political storms without falling from grace. Even the rebellion by his kinsman Wang Chuzhong had not harmed him in the slightest. He was truly a resilient and unwavering pillar of the political scene.
Following him were his children, with the most renowned being his third son, Wang Jinghe, known as "Xinzhi". It was said that he had the potential to reach the esteemed rank of third grade, coupled with a demeanor and ability that were exceptional, making him a prominent figure among the reformist scholars.
Although the other children were well-regarded, none had the potential of Wang Xinzhi and thus were not worth mentioning.
As she listened to the discussions among the aristocrats around her, Xing Yuanzhi's gaze passed over the handsome Wang Xinzhi and landed on the eldest daughter, Wang Wanrou.
Wang Wanrou walked at a steady pace, following her father and brothers, her face adorned with a smile that could be likened to a spring breeze. However, Xing Yuanzhi knew that her mood was likely terrible, having been categorized as "not worth mentioning."
As Wang Maohong was invited into the inner hall by the patriarch of the Cui clan, Cui Congyan, the rest of the gentry quickly followed, forming a line to enter.
The qualification for entering the inner hall was simple: one had to have reached the fifth grade, thus only the patriarchs and elders of each clan were eligible.
As for the promising young talents brought by each clan, despite their potential and gifts, they had not yet reached the corresponding grade and thus remained outside, continuing to enjoy the snow and refreshments. With the elders gone, the conversations among the youths became more relaxed, free from the need to maintain formalities.
Xing Yuanzhi quietly left the open-air venue and arrived at the door of a side room in the annex. This was prepared by the Cui clan for those who wished to avoid the public scene and engage in private discussions.
Of course, "private discussions" were to be taken literally, with no other connotations.
After sitting in the room for a while, Chu Qingqing soon joined her.
"Have you contacted Jinyang?" she immediately asked upon entering.
"No," Xing Yuanzhi replied with a dark expression. "No messages have been returned."
"Same here," Miss Qingqing echoed, her expression changing as she recalled something.
The term "main venue" suddenly popped into her mind.
Cheng Jinyang had arrived early this time, initially thought to be due to the weakness of the Shendu Cheng clan. However, it now seemed that the young lady from the Cui clan had played some trick, secretly manipulating the timing and bringing Cheng Jinyang in early!
"Have you reached out to Jinqi?" she asked with a frown.
"No," Xing Yuanzhi shook her head.
"This pair of dogs and bitches, what tricks are they playing..." Miss Qingqing gnashed her teeth and cursed.
"Why are you so agitated?" Xing Yuanzhi suddenly asked her.
"I..." Miss Qingqing quickly masked her agitation with a smile, "I'm just worried about Jinyang being deceived."
"Really?" Xing Yuanzhi asked doubtfully. "But..."
"No buts!" Chu Qingqing interrupted, "The problem now is that Jinyang isn't here and can't be reached. It seems he's gone somewhere with no signal. What should we do?"
"Wangshu," Xing Yuanzhi gritted her teeth, "Let Wangshu help us investigate!"
"You want her to hack into the Cui family's surveillance?" Miss Qingqing was startled, then lowered her voice, "Are you insane? This is the Cui clan we're talking about!"
"What else can we do?" Xing Yuanzhi frowned. "Should we make a big scene?"
"Wouldn't that just benefit that Cui girl?" Miss Qingqing sneered. "But would Wangshu be willing to take such a risk for you?"
"No need," came a voice from outside.
Both turned sharply to see Princess Luling standing at the door, speaking in a low voice:
"Wait here. My sister has already gone to find him."
"Why is Her Highness looking for him?" Xing Yuanzhi asked warily.
"For the same reason you're here," Princess Luling replied coldly, "to discuss something privately. Once she's done, she'll send Cheng Jinyang back."
Meanwhile, at the back of the Cui family estate, guided by the attendants, Princess Nankang finally found Cheng Jinyang, who was heading toward the meeting hall.
"Oh, Sister Xinnan..." Cheng Jinyang greeted her but was immediately pulled aside and reprimanded:
"What are you doing? Wandering around someone else's estate like this, aren't you afraid of accidentally entering the women's quarters?"
Cheng Jinyang was a bit bewildered. Of course, he couldn't say, "Cui Jinqi brought me here," or "Not only did I mistakenly enter the wrong place, but I was also passionately kissed by this lady." He could only feign embarrassment.
"Apologies, I'll take him away now," said Princess Nankang, turning around again to speak to the Cui family's attendants.
These attendants were ordinary members of the Qinghe Cui clan, temporarily acting as guides. They wouldn't dare offend the princess, so they quickly stepped aside, saying, "We wouldn't dare."
Just as Cheng Jinyang was about to say something, he was pulled away by Princess Nankang, who grabbed his right hand.
The princess's hand was long and soft, with a pleasant temperature, seemingly not a mechanical prosthetic... Huh?
He suddenly keenly noticed something slipping into his palm through the princess's fingers.
This shape... it seemed to be a portable USB drive?
Countless thoughts flashed through his mind like lightning:
First, a USB drive is used to store information, which means Sister Xinnan wants to tell me something.
Second, why can't she tell me directly?
Because there might be surveillance around me...
Why not send it via email or text message?
Because my network might be monitored...
Thinking this, he felt as if his blood was freezing. Still, he smiled and said:
"Sister Xinnan, I haven't seen you lately. Have you been very busy with work?"
"Yes," the Princess Sister replied with a smile, "I've been quite busy lately, mainly because..."
"Your Highness," a middle-aged man suddenly appeared in front of them, "please be cautious with your words."
"Uncle," Princess Nankang said coldly, nodding, "Why are you here too?"
"The Yanling Yu clan is also invited by the Qinghe Cui clan," he replied, his gaze falling on Cheng Jinyang.
"Cheng Jinyang of the Shendu Cheng clan," Cheng Jinyang quickly greeted with a bow, taking the opportunity to slide the USB drive into his sleeve and then pressing it against his body with his elbow.
"Yu Shuyu of the Yanling Yu clan," the other responded coldly, returning the greeting with a fist salute instead of a bow.
In this world, when literati and officials meet for the first time, they often bow with their left hand over their right fist and bend slightly to show humility. Military officers usually just salute with their fists without bowing. Since the other party responded with a fist salute, it meant he had a position in the military?
"Uncle has recently been appointed as the commander of the Jinyiwei," Princess Nankang explained.
"Your Highness, you've been outside long enough. You need to return to the indoor venue quickly," Yu Shuyu frowned slightly, clearly displeased with her explanation, "Your elderest uncle has also arrived."
The "elderest uncle" he mentioned was the Empress Dowager's brother, now the powerful Zhongshu, Yu Yuangui. Cheng Jinyang maintained his composure and nodded to the princess, indicating it was no problem.
"Alright, I'll go back," Princess Nankang said with a displeased look, shaking her hand and walking away.
Yu Shuyu narrowed his eyes slightly, staring at Cheng Jinyang for a few seconds before turning silently to follow the princess.
Cheng Jinyang stood there, watching them leave. Only then did he cross his arms, pretending to be cold, and tightly held the USB drive hidden in his sleeve, shivering as he continued towards the open-air venue.