ebookland Chapter 97 Birthday Banquet (1)
Chapter 97 Birthday Banquet (1)
After listening to Qin Zejun recount his experiences after going to the battlefield with his parents, Qin Yaoyao blinked her big eyes and asked curiously, "Xiaojun, you went to the battlefield with your parents later. Did you still keep in touch?" Qin Zejun was slightly taken aback, then replied with a somewhat somber expression, "No..."
Qin Yaoyao looked surprised and asked, "Why didn't you contact us?" Her older brother, Qin Yunxu, who had been sitting silently to the side, then spoke up and explained, "Little sister, you don't know this. At that time, the war was fierce over there, and there was constant fighting. Apart from the regular battle reports, it was impossible to send any other letters home. It wasn't until the situation on the border gradually stabilized in recent years that we started writing letters home again."
Qin Zefei turned to look at Qin Zejun, and said incredulously, "Second brother, so you two haven't been in contact for eight whole years!" Qin Zejun nodded silently, a hint of melancholy flashing in his eyes.
Qin Yaoyao frowned slightly, her mind filled with doubt as she continued to press, "Perhaps the lack of contact at first was due to the urgency of the war, but why did you still stop contacting me after the situation eased?" Qin Zejun shook his head with a wry smile and said softly, "So much time has passed, she's probably long forgotten me..." Upon hearing this, Qin Zeyi couldn't help but sigh, remarking, "Indeed, in recent years, quite a few scions of noble families have been eager to become imperial consorts!"
Qin Zefei suddenly turned his gaze to Qin Zeyu and asked anxiously, "Zeyu, you and the Third Princess have always had a good relationship. She should also know about the Second Princess's engagement to our cousin, right? Has she mentioned this to you?" Qin Zeyu gently shook his head, indicating that he had not heard any related news from the Third Princess.
Qin Yaoyao's lips curled up slightly as she parted her lips and said, "It's actually not difficult to find out if she still remembers you!" Qin Zefei, who had been somewhat listless, perked up instantly upon hearing that there was a solution and eagerly stepped forward to ask, "Auntie, tell me quickly, what's the solution?"
Qin Yaoyao smiled, a sly glint in her eyes, and said softly, "That's naturally my birthday!" She then added, "And this year my birthday celebration will be held in two parts!"
Qin Zejun looked at Qin Yaoyao with a puzzled expression and asked, "Celebrate twice? Why is that?" Qin Zefei chimed in, "Yes, Auntie, why did you suddenly decide to celebrate my birthday twice?"
At this point, Qin Yaoyao patiently explained, "At noon, I plan to invite my friends to come and have some fun; and in the evening, I will celebrate with my family."
Qin Zeyu nodded in sudden understanding, then said thoughtfully, "I see. So, Aunt, you're planning to invite the Second Princess over on your birthday?"
Qin Yaoyao smiled smugly and replied, "That's exactly what I meant! As long as we can invite the Second Princess, Xiao Jun can have a good chat with her."
However, Qin Zefei was still somewhat uncertain, and asked with a frown, "But will the Second Princess really come? Aunt, you don't seem to have much contact with the Second Princess, do you?"
Faced with her nephew's doubts, Qin Yaoyao appeared confident, patting her chest and assuring him, "Don't worry, Mingxuan will definitely attend my birthday banquet. I'll ask her to find a way to bring the Second Princess along as well. Given our relationship, she'll definitely be happy to help, and that way, the Second Princess will surely appear at my birthday banquet." She then winked at Qin Zejun, as if everything was under her control.
The eldest sister-in-law said with a delighted expression, "That's wonderful." The second sister-in-law, Zhang Ying, though the eldest daughter of the general's family, possessed a remarkably gentle and refined character, more like a daughter of a scholar-official. She spoke softly, "Little sister, you've invited the second and third princesses, shouldn't you also invite the eldest princess? Otherwise, it might be inappropriate!"
After hearing this, Qin Zeyi thought for a moment and then nodded in agreement: "Yes, Aunt is absolutely right. If we don't invite the eldest princess, she might mistakenly think that my aunt is intentionally unwilling to invite her, and that would be bad."
At this moment, Qin Yaoyao looked troubled and said with concern, "But all the people I invited are in pairs. If I only invite the eldest princess, wouldn't that leave her all alone and feeling lonely? In that case, the eldest princess will definitely feel extremely embarrassed."
Yang Yanrong asked curiously, "Judging from Yaoyao's words, this isn't just a simple birthday celebration. Could there be some deeper meaning?" Qin Yaoyao smiled and replied, "Sister-in-law, you've just returned, so of course you don't know. The Fifth Prince and Sister Ying have already been betrothed by the Emperor. Moreover, Zefei and Zeyu both have people secretly eyeing them. Even Zejun and the Second Princess are already engaged. Just imagine, everyone will be gathering together in pairs, chatting and laughing. What will happen to the Eldest Princess? Who can I find to keep her company and relieve her boredom? I can't just leave her out in the cold; that would be too impolite."