Huang Shan hooked the corner of his lips sinisterly and suddenly said to Jiang Jinyue,
"Miss Biao, all the dishes on this table are cold. Why don't you start eating?"
His tone was as cold as a venomous snake. Jiang Jinyue shivered. Knowing that no one at this table would speak up for her, she had no choice but to pick up the silver chopsticks nervously and serve Huang Shan some dishes.
Poor girl. Although she was a concubine - born daughter of the Jiang family, she had never done a servant's job in her life. At this moment, she had endured all kinds of insults. She was so frightened that she didn't even have time to feel resentment. She just hoped that this banquet would end soon.
Huang Shan looked at the green broad beans in his bowl and frowned again. "Miss Biao used to be a dexterous person. Why are you so clumsy now?"
Jiang Jinyue stared blankly at Huang Shan.
She really didn't know what this damned eunuch meant.
"I... I've already served the dishes for you, my lord..." Jiang Jinyue was almost in tears. "My lord, is the food not to your taste? Then which dish do you like? I'll serve it for you..."
At this moment, Jiang Jinyue looked so pitiful and panicked. Her former arrogance and reserve had been completely worn away by Huang Shan.
She looked at Song Yinghuai for help, but the latter just smiled warmly and said nothing.
Song Yinghuai had experienced the officialdom and power struggles for a long time. Naturally, he knew exactly what Huang Shan wanted.
Since he had promised to seek justice for Caiyu, and as the Buddha said one should not tell lies, he would surely keep his promise.
This woman had repeatedly challenged his limits. It was time to find a place for her.
Although Fang Kuan and Zhu Xiao disliked Huang Shan for insulting a weak woman like this, they really couldn't feel sorry for Jiang Jinyue either. So the two of them kept silent and feasted on the food beside them.
Sheng Jiangli knocked on the table and "kind - heartedly" reminded, "Miss Biao, it's not enough to just put the dishes in the bowl. Our Lord Huang is here on behalf of the Son of Heaven in the Yan region. Do you know how to serve the Emperor?"
"This..." Jiang Jinyue became even more panicked.
Serve the Emperor?
She had never served the Emperor before!
Could it be that she, a daughter of the Jiang family in Jiaodong, had to kneel to a eunuch?
Seeing that she didn't understand, Sheng Jiangli had to "guide" her again. "Pick up the chopsticks, pick up the food, and feed it into the lord's mouth!"
Jiang Jinyue:!!
She felt extremely insulted and wished she could throw down the chopsticks and leave!
But Song Yinghuai had ordered her to entertain the distinguished guests.
The Jiang family couldn't afford to offend the Prince of Yan, nor could they afford to offend the imperial envoy from the capital who was inspecting on behalf of the Emperor.
Not to mention throwing down the chopsticks and leaving, she didn't even dare to show any displeasure.
Jiang Jinyue trembled as she picked up the silver chopsticks again. She didn't know whether she was panicked or angry. Her chopsticks made a continuous rattling sound when they landed in the bowl.
She picked up a fresh broad bean and trembled as she brought it to Huang Shan's lips. "My... my lord... please... Ah!"
Before she could finish her words, Huang Shan had already grabbed her delicate wrist. The broad bean fell into the wine cup on the table, splashing a drop of wine.
With great force, he pulled her closer. Before Jiang Jinyue could react, Huang Shan's feminine face, which looked like a scorpion spirit, suddenly loomed large.
Jiang Jinyue was shocked and let out a scream.
The next second, she felt a sharp pain on her lips!
A muffled sound involuntarily escaped from her throat and was then completely swallowed by Huang Shan.
Then, Jiang Jinyue was thrown to one side and almost fell off the chair onto the ground.
There were several distinct tooth marks on her lips, and a red blood bead oozed out from the wound.
Huang Shan's sinister voice rang out. "Stupid woman. I just asked you to serve me some food, but you're so coy. Am I that unwelcome to you?"
Jiang Jinyue covered her painful lips and realized belatedly that she had been kissed by a eunuch. Finally, she couldn't help but burst into tears.
"Wuwuwu... Cousin..."
Jiang Jinyue no longer cared about the consequences. She tumbled off the chair and staggered to Song Yinghuai's side and knelt down, with snot and tears streaming down her face.
"Cousin! Save me! I don't want to serve him!"
"Are you blaming me for not managing Zhui'er well... I'll hand that girl over to you for disposal! You can beat or kill her as you like... But I really didn't know anything about it! Don't be so heartless to me, wuwuwu..."
After all, Jiang Jinyue still knew that she couldn't admit her guilt.
If she did, not only Song Yinghuai, but even Concubine Yao, who had just woken up, would not spare her if she learned the truth.
Jiang Jinyue cried heart - rendingly, but Song Yinghuai was as hard - hearted as stone.
He coldly averted his eyes. There was no expression on his cold and handsome face. The look in his eyes when he looked at Jiang Jinyue was like looking at the most humble creature at his feet.
"What are you talking about, cousin? When you first came to Yanjing, didn't you say that our Jiang and Song families were relatives? Now you're just helping your cousin entertain the guests. How are you being wronged?"
"However, I never like to force others. I'm sure Lord Huang doesn't like forced things either. If you really don't want to, you can just leave... Don't cry and make a scene when you go out. People might think that you've been bullied by Lord Huang, which would be bad for Lord Huang's reputation."
The man's words seemed reasonable, as if he had given Jiang Jinyue the right to choose freely.
But Jiang Jinyue could hear the veiled threat in them.
Song Yinghuai meant that if she refused to entertain the guests, it would mean that she was going back on her previous claim that the Jiang and Song families were relatives. From then on, he would exclude the Jiang family from the forces in the Yan region, right?
Concubine Yao had already written a letter back to Jiaodong, asking her father not to send her into the palace.
But if she messed up the relationship between the Jiang and Song families, when she returned to Jiaodong, her father would surely beat her to death!
Her step - mother and younger brother might also be implicated!
"Exactly!" Huang Shan pointed his little finger in a ladylike gesture and rolled his eyes. "If you don't want to serve me, I'm a person close to the Emperor. I don't even want to look at you!"
Sheng Jiangli picked up the wine cup on the table and slowly took a sip of wine. The wine rippled in the cup as he let out a sneer.
"Miss Biao, did you hear that? Since you don't want to stay here, then go. Lord Huang is angry."
Cold sweat dripped from Jiang Jinyue's forehead one by one. Her face was as pale as paper, and a tired and tragic smile slowly appeared on it.
One by one, they were all forcing her.
However, she had no way to resist.
At this moment, she somehow thought of Caiyu.
Although she had suffered some minor grievances in the mansion since childhood, she had never experienced the helplessness of the lower - class servants.
Today, she finally understood what power was and what helplessness was.
Jiang Jinyue slowly propped herself up from the ground, lowered her head, and returned to her seat.
Her eyes were red. She trembled as she picked up another broad bean. She opened her white teeth and gently bit into it.
The tender green color of the bean was in sharp contrast to her red lips.
Apart from the people sitting at the main seats in the dining hall, there were also other servants waiting on them.
Everyone witnessed with their own eyes the once - arrogant Miss Biao grit her teeth, close her eyes, and move her lips to Huang Shan's.
It was just a kiss.
Jiang Jinyue thought to herself. It was just a eunuch... What could he do to her...
Zhu Xiao and Fang Kuan sighed silently, thinking that Miss Biao was really reaping what she had sown.
If she hadn't repeatedly tried to harm Caiyu, with the Prince's character, how could he have sacrificed a woman?
Miss Biao thought that she had successfully shifted all the evidence of her evil deeds onto Zhui'er and that with Concubine Yao's protection, everything would be fine.
She didn't know that nothing was truly hidden. There were eyes watching in the void. Good and evil would eventually be rewarded. There was a god watching over all.
If the god didn't act, the Prince would act on behalf of the god.
Huang Shan was overjoyed when his lips were blocked by the beauty's mouth. He burst out laughing.
"I take back what I said just now. The Prince has been practicing Buddhism for seven years. He is wise and insightful. Miss Biao is also a sensible person. I like it."
Song Yinghuai took a sip of tea and smiled faintly. "I'm glad the envoy likes it."
Huang Shan reached out and stroked Jiang Jinyue's palm. As if remembering something, he said,
"As the saying goes, a good turn deserves another. The Prince has entertained me so generously. Naturally, I should also give a gift to the Prince... to repay the Prince's kindness."
He smiled sinisterly and said to the young eunuch accompanying him,
"Go outside the mansion and invite the person in!"