20demayo Chapter 377 A Foolish Unlucky Guy
Chapter 377 A Foolish Unlucky Guy
The noble ladies were busy trying to find out Gu Xixi's identity and background.
They didn't even bother to drink the appetizer tea on the table.
Dou Rongshan sat in an inconspicuous corner, biting into a piece of perilla-flavored dried peach, occasionally letting out a soft sneer.
These idiots!
They guessed it was either a county princess from Jiangnan or a princess from the royal family returning from her fiefdom.
When they find out Gu Xixi's true background, they'll be absolutely shocked!
(It seems that Dou Rongshan has forgotten that she was once one of the fools herself.)
He Jinglan glanced around and raised her voice, saying, "Thank you all for gracing our banquet."
"Before we drink together, I'd like to introduce this good friend next to me."
She needed to introduce Gu Xixi openly and honestly, without waiting for others to ask.
The women's section fell silent instantly, everyone staring intently at the table.
Gu Xixi smiled at He Jinglan, "I'll say it myself, it's just a few words."
He Jinglan smiled and said okay.
So Gu Xixi gave a brief self-introduction, explaining where she came from, what her family did, and what she herself did.
She finished speaking in just three sentences.
The hall was dead silent.
It seemed like she needed time to confirm she wasn't joking.
Although it's impossible to know what everyone is thinking, several noble ladies have already made no attempt to hide their disdain.
"A commoner girl? Or a peasant girl from the countryside in Northwest China?"
"Your livelihood is... farming?"
The woman's laughter was particularly jarring.
Someone glanced at Gu Xixi, as if they had seen something dirty, and covered their mouth and nose with a handkerchief.
"Oh dear, Miss He said she's a good friend, are you just joking with us?"
"The female role models that are popular nowadays are those who go to various banquets to make a witty and entertaining impression."
"Miss He must have spent a fortune on this lady; she's quite young and beautiful."
Several noble ladies covered their mouths and chuckled softly.
Of course, apart from them, most people present remained polite.
Dou Rongshan frowned, shook her head and sighed sympathetically.
These people are really something...
Isn’t it good to be alive?
They deliberately provoke people they can't afford to offend, and they take on a whole group at once.
At this moment, the smile on the face of He Jinglan, the hostess of the day, had vanished.
Meanwhile, in the men's section, An Qinghe was half-lowering his head, playing with a dagger, his eyes looking as if he were staring at the carcass of a wolf that had just been killed in the desert.
The newly crowned top scorer had an unhappy look in his eyes and a gloomy expression.
The others were still unaware of what was going on.
Suddenly, the Regent put down his teacup, and the overwhelming aura emanating from him made it impossible to look directly at him.
Let's go back to the screen.
Gu Xixi gently pressed on the back of He Jinglan's hand. They were just a few shallow girls; she could handle them herself.
"Do you all look down on farmers?"
The noble ladies who had started the trouble exchanged glances.
A woman in pink said, "So what if I look down on you?"
"Do you even know what it means to be mismatched in social status? What kind of place is this? Who here doesn't have parents of high social standing? At the very least, they are all from official families."
“Unlike you, your father was just a village landlord.”
"No matter how luxuriously you dress today, a hen wearing phoenix feathers will never become a phoenix!"
He Jinglan whispered in Gu Xixi's ear, "This is Imperial Censor Zhao's daughter."
"Her father was a commoner who passed the imperial examinations. He lived in the capital for several years and really thought he was of noble blood and from a prestigious family."
Gu Xixi smiled and looked at the woman in pink, "It seems that His Majesty still let you eat too much."
The woman in pink frowned. "What did you say? You think you're worthy to mention His Majesty!"
Gu Xixi stared at her, her eyes slightly cold. "His Majesty values agriculture and went so far as to personally visit the city gates to guide the people in eradicating locusts."
"After His Majesty's personal order, the Minister of Revenue and other officials of the Ministry of Revenue have been working in the fields for the past half month, working alongside the farmers, all to eradicate the locust plague and preserve the grain harvest in the capital region this summer."
The woman in pink was taken aback. "These are matters of state; how dare a commoner like you discuss them?!"
Gu Xixi sneered; this woman just had to jump out and be the first to stick her neck out.
Then she didn't hesitate to make an example of him.
"A person like you, with an empty head, who only knows how to pretend to be cultured and spends his days eating and doing nothing, of course does not understand the importance of farmers and food to a country."
"But I didn't expect you to be so stupid that you wouldn't even understand my well-intentioned reminder."
The woman in pink blushed and glared angrily. "You! How dare you spout such nonsense! How rude and uncouth!"
Gu Xixi interrupted, saying coldly, "Judging people by their background, you are the ones who are the first to be rude and uncouth!"
She glanced down at them with a half-smile, "The court values farmers these days, yet Miss Zhao seems to dislike us at every turn. It seems she has many grievances with His Majesty and the Ministry of Revenue."
The woman in pink was shocked and speechless. "You! Don't make false accusations!"
"I...I only mentioned you, not anyone else!"
Gu Xixi said calmly, "The censor is an official who speaks out, and should be upright and impartial. The censor is responsible for supervising the country and speaking out for the people. Miss Zhao's thoughts, could they all be derived from your father's teachings?"
The noble ladies who had initially been causing trouble all lowered their heads, avoiding Gu Xixi's gaze.
Having been exposed to this since childhood, even the most foolish person should be able to hear the unspoken meaning by now.
The emperor valued farmers, and this led to a widespread influence among his followers.
Who would openly slander farmers at this time? Wouldn't that be a tacit opposition to the national policy set by His Majesty?
Furthermore, there are rumors that the person who offered the strategy to eradicate the locusts was not someone from the imperial court.
He Jinghui was appointed by the emperor as the new Minister of Revenue.
Agricultural affairs nationwide are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Revenue, and He Jinghui and his colleagues in the Ministry have been busy exterminating locusts recently.
Gu Xixi was able to stay at his house and was treated as an honored guest.
Who knows if it's not related to this matter?
The woman in pink looked around and, finding no one to help her, became furious.
"You think you can slander my father with just a few words!"
"Someone as lowly as you..."
At that moment, the screen in the middle collapsed with a crash.
Everyone was shocked.
There was a bronze incense burner with a flying crane rolling on the ground.
He Jinghui leaned towards Mu Nanzhao and said, "This is a gift from someone else. If you break it, you'll have to pay me back."
Two people stood up at almost the same time.
An Qinghe: "Open your dog eyes and see clearly. You, a good-for-nothing parasite, dare to look down on Gu Xixi?"
Jiang Mingyuan: "He went to the He family's banquet, yet he insulted the distinguished guests. Such a vulgar and stupid person has come from a scholarly family. Censor Zhao is truly well-educated."
After they finished speaking, they looked at each other, both expressing their approval.
After the screen is lowered, the male and female guests can see each other from both sides.
Under everyone's gaze, Miss Zhao's face turned as red as blood.
She was supported by her maid, her body swaying precariously.
The newly crowned top scorer labeled him a "vulgar and stupid fool," which also led to a sarcastic remark about the Zhao family's upbringing.
From this day forward, she will inevitably become the laughingstock of all the noble ladies in the capital, with no way to escape her fate.
As Dou Rongshan ate her red bean pastry roll, she shook her head and sighed, "That unlucky guy really deserves it!"
She was the most energetic one, and Gu Xixi was already being quite restrained by not drugging her.
There's also Gu Xixi's blue-eyed follower, and her cousin who just passed the imperial examination with top honors.
Which one is easier to mess with?!
However, there's one extremely... formidable character who hasn't said a word yet.
Dou Rongshan half-covered her face with her sleeve and stole a glance at the male guests sitting opposite her.