Eleven families' banquet

  Lunch is a family eating together, with Xiaoyanglan's lively and humorous jokes making everyone laugh and eat happily. In the afternoon, Yang Xu changed into a blue embroidered cloud patterned casual clothes and rested at home for a while.

  Yang Lan then left with her brothers, returned to their own courtyard, entered the guest hall, and arranged four intricately carved chairs. As soon as they entered the house, she immediately asked Biyue and Biyun to serve tea to her brothers. "Biyun, go get the Qianshan silver needle tea that was bestowed by the Empress Dowager earlier, it's not suitable to drink strong tea after just eating."

  "Yes!" Biyue hastily went down to bring up some tea and fruit.

  Yang Lan ran to fetch her own embroidered pouch and a pair of thick insoles, handing them over to the two brothers. "Here, one each. The insoles are for big brother, you're always running around in the army, so I made sure they're extra thick so your feet won't suffer."

  Yang Huan smiled and accepted it, handing it over to his personal attendant Chang Le. He sat down with his sister to drink tea.

  To say that her two brothers are truly extraordinary, the elder brother is slightly older, wearing a dark blue robe with silver thread embroidery, paired with a white jade belt, indigo-colored pants, and black-edged boots, making him look even more majestic.

  The elder brother's appearance resembles his father, with a somewhat elegant and refined taste, always with a faint smile on the edge of his lips, with an air of nobility and elegance, like a rare orchid or jade tree, making people look up to him!

  Second Brother wore a long, straight-collared robe with a subtle gold pattern on a dark blue background. At his waist hung a white jade pendant adorned with a red silk tassel in the shape of a plum blossom. His face bore some resemblance to their mother's, and he was exceptionally handsome. A pair of eyes gleamed with an air of playful disdain, exuding an aura of elegance tinged with a hint of mischief. Just one glance at him seemed enough to make people blush and skip a beat.

  Yang Huan gently skimmed off the foam with a spoon, and said slowly: "Today, sister was reckless. Which one is Father's birth mother?"

  Yang Lan quietly sat on the side, not daring to move. If she had to say who she feared most in this family, it wasn't her father or mother, but rather this older brother. He seemed to be born with a dazzling aura, his smile forever warm and friendly. However, she knew that her brother's depth was extremely profound. Since he was young, while their parents were fighting wars in the south, he alone had mixed into the palace's upper study room to read books, and even gained the pity of the empress dowager. Later, he trained for two years in Fujian, went through battlefields, and now served as a Jin Yiwei in the notorious Zhen Fu Si, often going out to confiscate other people's homes.

  Big brother's eyes would reveal a murderous and bloody aura similar to father's, it's terrifying! Every time he smiles more warmly and intimately, that's when he's most angry, whoever runs into him will die miserably. Fortunately, he was relatively normal today.

  Yang Lan was fidgeting in her seat, rubbing back and forth like she had a nail stuck in her butt. She opened her mouth weakly and said, "I'm just unhappy about it! I only said a few more words, it won't happen again!" After finishing, she pouted with a wronged expression.

  Yang Huan slowly savored his tea, neither saying it was good nor bad, his expression as calm and clear as always.

  Yang Wei, who was sitting on the side, couldn't bear to see her sister become like this and spoke up to plead for mercy: "Sister is also kind-hearted, just wanting to speak more good things for Mother! Just remember next time, okay!" After finishing speaking, she looked at her big brother with a begging expression.

  Yang Huan put down his tea bowl and said, "It's good that you have a kind heart, but don't be too clever for your own good. There are some things that we juniors shouldn't interfere with. Moreover, it's not suitable for someone of your junior status to say such things. It's just because Father spoils you that you're allowed to get away with it, but you can't keep being so reckless! A person can be clever, but they can't be too cunning!"

  Yang Lan nodded gloomily, her face looking a bit off-color and somewhat sorrowful.

  "Alright, alright, actually my sister isn't wrong either. What kind of mother doesn't even know what her own son likes to eat? And yet she's letting my sister give in to that little girl. Where's the logic in that?! It's so obvious, they don't even care about saving face!" Yang Wei let out a disdainful cold snort.

  Yang Huan's mouth slightly hooked up, with a hint of determination in his expression. "Just watch her, if she doesn't stir up trouble, it wouldn't be her. We just need to sit back and enjoy the show. Someone like her doesn't need others to say anything, she can torment herself to death on her own. Why do we need to intervene? It's not worth ruining our own reputation!"

  Yang Lan immediately smiled sweetly, "Still, big brother is the most powerful, second brother is also powerful!" Hurriedly added another sentence, with a somewhat flattering tone.

  He smiled at her with a hint of helplessness in his eyes, doting on her.

  Yang Lan saw her brothers laugh and she also breathed a sigh of relief, as long as they didn't blame her anymore.

  Yang Huan shook his head helplessly, anyway, although not very perfect but kind and filial at heart, from now on the two brothers will take care of her more, who can still bully her!

  The three siblings chatted for a while longer. The eldest brother checked her calligraphy and made some comments before hastily leaving.

  After the two brothers left, Biyue walked in with a frightened face and patted her chest, "Miss's aura is getting stronger and stronger, he glared at me and I was so scared that my heart was racing, fortunately Miss wasn't afraid!"

  Yang Lan burst out laughing, "Big brother is just a bit serious, what's so scary about him? He's my own big brother, he's been doting on me since I was little, what do I have to be afraid of?"

  She leaned on the large kang in the clinic, covered with a red satin quilt with peony flowers and a white peony palace embroidery pillow behind her back, and two green jade pillows were placed beside her.

  Holding a travelogue in his hand, he read with great interest, occasionally popping a few candied cherries and plums into his mouth, looking utterly carefree.

  In the evening, the old lady sent someone to the princess's mansion to convey a message, ordering the whole family to go over and gather together. The princess took Yang Lan there first, and the gentlemen would go there themselves after finishing their official duties, without needing her to bother about it.

  Songhe Hall had set up two red sandalwood cloud-patterned Fu character large round tables, and the whole family sat together, which was quite lively. The girls and old lady princess etc. sat together with their sisters-in-law, while the men sat on the side near the door.

  The little maidservants were bustling about, serving dishes with a joyful flurry. The children were also chattering excitedly and nonstop. At this moment, a boy around nine years old ran in and shouted to the elderly woman: "Grandma, I want to eat with you!"

  "Good, good, good! Put a seat next to me and lean against me!" The old lady nodded happily.

  An old lady suddenly had a nine-year-old boy next to her, who was the eldest son of the third house, ranked sixth among the Yang family boys, and the youngest child. There were also older brothers born out of wedlock above him, ranked fourth; something can be seen from this too.

  At this age, boys shouldn't be with the girls anymore, but who let Sanfang's eldest son be the youngest? And being the one most doted on by the old lady, he naturally has the priority to break the rules.

  The boy wore a big red sleeveless jacket with a hundred butterflies and flowers, his lower body was iron-red trousers, he wore a jade crown on his head, which made him look even more tender and lovely, just like a child, so delicate!

  Yang Lan slightly raised an eyebrow, this table of relatives and children had an extra boy, it's too strange! She glanced at her mother, whose expression didn't change, chatting happily with Auntie Two about cosmetics and fabric patterns, completely ignoring the fact that there was an extra person here. She shrugged and remained silent.

  Hurry up and come late, flower flower went to mail the contract.