"Hey! Look! The Grand Commander is drinking!"
The son of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice jabbed his father with his elbow.
The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice glared at his unfilial son: "Drinking is drinking, haven’t you seen it before?"
He looked over with a cold face, and then froze.
Was he seeing things? The ever-dignified Grand Commander, who would find even a golden goblet beneath him, was now directly guzzling from the wine jar?
Good heavens, who dared to challenge the Grand Commander to drink?
He looked again—oh, Zhang Feihu!
Zhang Feihu glanced solemnly at Lu Yuan, then grabbed another jar and tilted his head back to drink.
Someone among the guests cheered.
Lu Yuan and Zhang Feihu finished one after another.
It was clear to everyone that Lu Yuan was genuinely drinking, and Zhang Feihu was guzzling earnestly too.
Nie Hanshan stepped forward, holding a wine jar.
Lu Yuan looked at Nie Hanshan, his gaze unwavering: "Bring me the wine."
"This..." Shangguan Ling hesitated.
Qing Shuang handed a jar of Daughter Red to Lu Yuan.
The Grand Commander’s wedding, the Grand Commander making a fool of himself at the ceremony, the Grand Commander being forced to drink—today’s banquet truly opened the guests’ eyes. They would probably relive the experience for years to come.
At first, the guests stayed in their seats to watch Lu Yuan, Zhang Feihu, and others compete in drinking. Gradually, they crowded around, three layers deep. Those who remained seated could no longer see what was happening inside and could only catch the rising waves of cheers: "Good!" "Another one!"
"I, I, I... I want to drink with you too!"
Yu Li pushed through the crowd as if his life depended on it.
But after just one cup, he collapsed.
As Meng Tianlan and Seventh Uncle dragged him away, he was still drunkenly yelling, "My... exam questions... let him... answer them..."
Lu Lingxiao stood up coldly!
Lu Xingzhou rebuked him.
Lu Lingxiao clenched his fists tightly.
Only then did he learn that the person marrying Lu Yuan was Meng Qianqian. His shock was no less than the guests’, and even greater.
Just a few months ago, she had been his wife, calling him husband and residing in Haitang Courtyard of the Lu Family.
Now, she was still a Lu Family lady, but no longer his wife.
He couldn’t quite name his feelings, but he knew they were unpleasant.
Apart from the elderly matriarch and Lu Mother, who were genuinely happy for Meng Qianqian, who among the Lu Family could feel at ease?
Lin Wan’er, having schemed for so long, was waiting for the opportunity to turn Meng Qianqian into a publicly despised mistress at today’s banquet. Yet who would have expected that Meng Qianqian would end up as the legitimate wife whom Lu Yuan defied the Empress’s ordained wedding date to marry?
Lin Wan’er was practically coughing up blood.
When she had no name or title, Meng Qianqian used her status as the legitimate wife to suppress her. Now, when she had finally climbed to the brink of recognition, Meng Qianqian had become an even higher-ranking legitimate wife!
Why... why could she never surpass her?
Meanwhile, Lu Linglong muttered, "I just saw the bridal dowry brought into the Governor Mansion. A hundred and sixty loads—more than when she married into our family."
She felt envy. She desired it. Ever since the Lu Family returned Meng Qianqian’s dowry, she’d gone a long time without buying new clothes!
Lu Mother said outright, "The betrothal gifts the Grand Commander gave to Qianqian are substantial too. What did the Lu Family give back then?"
The Second Madam sneered, "Elder sister-in-law, how can you speak in favor of an outsider? Just because Third Uncle came over to offer you a toast, you see yourself as her maternal kin?"
Meng Tianlan had just come over to toast, ignoring everyone else, and offering it only to the elderly matriarch and Lu Mother, which had made the Second Madam incredibly jealous.
Lu Mother replied, "Second sister-in-law, instead of stirring up trouble here, why don’t you think about what to do about your own daughter’s marriage?"
Last time when Lu Linglong fell into the water, a poor scholar saved her. Naturally, they didn’t want to marry Lu Linglong to him, and offered some silver for his silence. But who would’ve thought that the scholar had such stubborn pride—he refused even a copper coin and walked away.
Somehow, news of this spread, and it became even harder for Lu Linglong to find a suitor.
The Second Madam realized her sister-in-law’s tongue had grown sharper—she used to never respond when spoken to in a passive-aggressive way!
Infuriated, the Second Madam glared at her daughter and said, "You, during the time at the temple, when both you and Meng Qianqian were brought back by the Grand Commander—how did she end up with the Grand Commander while you didn’t? In what way are you inferior to her? You’re the general’s daughter, a proper virgin maiden, unlike her—a withered flower and fallen petals..."
Lu Lingxiao angrily interrupted the Second Madam’s words.
The Second Madam turned to Lu Lingxiao and said, "Why are you snapping at me? Did I say anything wrong? Oh, you’re so capable? Then why couldn’t you even keep your own wife? You brought back some so-called military lineage, yet couldn’t even afford her dowry! Promised an Emperor-ordered wedding but ended up with a simple second marriage! The Lu Family’s current disgrace—it’s all thanks to you!"