Chapter 94: Déjà Vu
The Rebels’ invitations came quickly.
The time for the banquet was even sooner.
Who sends invitations in the afternoon for dinner that same evening?
Urgent.
Like they’re in a rush to be reincarnated.
Usually, there’s a two or three-day gap between receiving an invitation and the meal.
That way, people have time to pack their bags and run.
Or let the local clothing, jewelry, and cosmetic shops make a little profit.
After all, when young ladies and madams go out as guests, how could they not buy something new?
Every household was scrambling to prepare.
By comparison, the women of the Jiang Mansion were doing much better.
After all, they could be considered people who had weathered great storms.
Old Madam dressed more strictly than usual, choosing a dark-colored robe with lotus vine patterns, looking very solemn.
Jiang Huaisheng did not dress up specially; he wore what he usually wore, a dark satin long robe, adding a cloak before heading out.
Jiang Wan dressed up on purpose, not to look pretty, but to choose clothes even older than her usual ones. Her entire appearance was very low-key; she removed all her jewelry and used dark powder to make her complexion look duller.
At a banquet like this, wanting to stand out is just asking for death.
Jiang Rong hid in his room, worried about being called away; he didn’t even dare to see them off.
Madam Jiang was pregnant and had been frightened, so she was lying in bed to rest and protect the fetus.
Three generations of the Jiang Mansion went out together.
Although they hadn’t dressed up specially, their guards were different from everyone else’s.
If not for the fact that the Jiang Mansion’s guards were dressed differently from the Rebels, one might have mistaken them for Rebels too.
They were very fierce and capable.
When Old Madam Jiang arrived, the County Magistrate personally came out to welcome them.
A dignified County Magistrate was acting like a waiter at Qingfeng Restaurant today, standing at the door, doing the work of greeting guests.
He didn’t dare to complain and had to keep a smile on his face.
Since he couldn’t bring himself to commit suicide, he had to put on a smiling face.
He welcomed the three members of Old Madam Jiang’s family inside and helped them take their seats.
And introduced their identities to the Rebels—oh, no—to Master Gong, Young Commander Zi, and Young Master Zi.
On the county side, Great Marshal Zi’s adopted son, the second-ranked Zi Ganjiang, had also come.
The Jiang Family had an impressive background, with a sister who was the current Seventh Princes Consort. They didn’t understand the factions of the capital, but to the County Magistrate, this was royalty and nobility; they needed to be seated in the seats of honor.
Gong Qichi heard the introduction and curiously took a few extra looks.
“So this is the Old Madam who cast Brother Changtian out of the family?”
“And this Jiang Huaisheng is Brother Jiang’s elder brother?”
“This family doesn’t look very smart.”
“But they live very well; their robes and shoes are quite exquisite. They are a wealthy family with a deep foundation.”
Jiang Wan followed behind her grandmother and looked at the newcomers.
She was a bit surprised and almost lost her composure.
The person sitting upright in front of her with two small mustaches would later become a high-ranking official in the imperial court.
After her uncle-in-law ascended the throne, he was heavily relied upon.
But now, he was actually a Rebel.
And a serious-looking little boy sitting next to the Rebel—Jiang Wan glanced at him and then looked away.
Hearing the County Magistrate’s introduction, the little boy was Great Marshal Zi’s only legitimate son.
Jiang Wan understood a little.
In her dreams, the Rebels rebelled, but the final winner was the current Seventh Prince, her uncle-in-law.
It was said that when the Rebel’s only legitimate son died, the Rebel went mad, killed many of his subordinates, and the Rebels turned on each other and were defeated.
However, another serious-looking man sitting next to the little boy gave Jiang Wan another shock.
This person was actually Great Marshal Zi’s adopted son, but from what she had seen, he was clearly a confidant of the Crown Prince.
That is, a confidant of the Seventh Prince’s eldest son.
Jiang Wan hadn’t expected that just by attending a Rebel’s banquet, she would meet so many people who would be familiar in the future.
She hadn’t even entered the capital yet, but she had already touched a corner of the world’s changing tides.
The prelude to the world’s grand trend was slowly unfolding before her.
In this life, she would walk righteously to his side.
Since Old Madam Jiang had arrived, judging by the order, they were the last ones to come.
However, the Rebels didn’t seem to have any intention of starting the banquet yet; they were still waiting for someone.
She wondered who else in Ming County had a more noble status than them?
Or perhaps another Rebel leader was coming?
The crowd was waiting a bit anxiously.
Jiang Wan sat steadily, occasionally chatting with her grandmother.
When she looked up, she happened to see the Young Commander Zi next to the little boy, and she nervously offered a smile.
The young girl had self-respect, was respectful to elders and polite, sat with a straight posture, had slender wrists, and was quite beautiful.
Great Marshal Zi’s adopted son came from a poor background and was spotted by Great Marshal Zi, who chose him as an adopted son.
Because he was brave in battle, he was given the name Ganjiang.
He looked down on these noble young ladies, thinking they were too weak and their screaming was annoying.
But today, he saw a little girl in the crowd who was exceptionally different; she had a little bit of cunning, deliberately smearing her face dark, and wasn’t dressed flamboyantly, wearing relatively simple clothes.
But after all, she was a young girl; the back of her neck and her wrists were still snow-white.
When he looked over, she was a bit scared, yet she still offered him a smile—timid yet warm.
For some reason, that smile struck his heart.
His heart felt warm, and he suddenly thought of his foster father asking him a few days ago if he wanted to get married.
Seeing his second brother looking around, Zi Congheng said: “Go do your work, don’t mind me, I won’t run around.”
He sat by the window, with the dark guard standing behind the Young Master Zi.
The child was expressionless, looking out the window.
The street was empty and very quiet.
The snow on the ground was trampled, dirty and messy.
Suddenly, a group of people walked by, bustling with noise.
He saw at a glance the little chubby ball held in someone’s arms.
Her face was frozen red, yet she smiled like a flower.
She looked better than his longevity turtle, and her teeth were very symmetrical—she had two of them.
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