The forbidden love between a ghost and a villain

There was a lot of traffic and noise in front of Yan Mansion.

Shen Meng stepped down from the carriage gracefully, attracting the astonished gazes of the people around her.

She seemed unaware of it, and just lowered her head slightly, with every gesture showing the demeanor of a lady from a noble family.

At this moment, a clear voice sounded outside the crowd.

"Brother Yan, I'm late, please forgive me!"

Shen Meng looked up when she heard the voice and saw a man in a moon-white robe.

Holding a box wrapped in silk cloth, he walked towards this side through the crowd.

When their eyes met, time seemed to stand still.

Li Chengze recognized the stunning woman in front of him at a glance. It was Shen Meng who left without saying goodbye.

The silk cloth in his hands almost slipped, and his eyes were full of disbelief and surprise.

Yan Wenyue saw Li Chengze coming and hurried forward to greet him:

"Brother Chengze, you're finally here! Come, come, let me introduce you. This is Miss Meng Niang from Jiya Pavilion."

After that, he turned to Shen Meng and introduced:

"Ms. Mengniang, this is my best friend, Li Chengze, Master Li, a man of great learning and talent."

"Mr. Li, I've long heard of your name." Shen Meng nodded slightly, his tone calm, as if it was really just their first meeting.

"Brother Yan, this is a hundred-year-old wild ginseng I dug in the mountains. I'm giving it to Old Madam Yan as a token of my appreciation."

Li Chengze calmly handed the silk-wrapped box in his hand to Yan Wenyue, as if he didn't recognize Shen Meng.

"Brother Chengze is really thoughtful. The old lady will definitely be very happy when she knows about this." Yan Wenyue smiled and patted Li Chengze's shoulder.

"Come on, come on, please come in, the banquet is about to begin."

After saying that, he invited Li Chengze to go into the mansion.

Li Chengze nodded slightly and entered the Yan Mansion under the guidance of the servants of the Yan Mansion, but his eyes couldn't help but drift towards Shen Meng.

Shen Meng always maintained a polite smile and walked to the backyard under the guidance of her maid to prepare for the upcoming performance.

The mansion was decorated with lights and was filled with joy.

Yun Zhiyi was dressed in coarse linen clothes and mingled among the servants of the Yan Mansion, keeping his eyes and ears open.

He seemed to be busy serving tea and water, but in fact his eyes were as sharp as a hawk.

He scanned every corner of the mansion, and no suspicious trace escaped his eyes.

The secret guard of Empress Yun Zhiyi accidentally learned that the members of the assassination organization would meet at the Yan family's birthday banquet.

He went to the Yan family alone to investigate and confirm the truth of the news.

When the auspicious time arrived, the melodious music of chimes resounded throughout the Yan Mansion, announcing the start of the birthday banquet.

The steward of the Yan Mansion, a vigorous old man, sang a congratulatory song with full energy.

"The auspicious time has arrived, and the birthday banquet begins!"

Guests in gorgeous clothes took their seats one after another, and the sound of stringed instruments and orchestras was heard everywhere.

The dancers danced gracefully in the center of the hall.

Exquisite dishes were served on the table like a stream of water, and the delicacies were so dazzling that it was hard to take your eyes off them.

Surrounded by the crowd, Old Madam Yan slowly walked into the birthday hall and sat in the main seat.

The Yan family members came forward one by one, presenting the carefully prepared birthday gifts, gold, silver, jewelry, silk and satin,

There are a dazzling array of rare and precious treasures, all of which demonstrate the wealth and prominence of the Yan family.

When it was Li Chengze's turn, there were a few sneers from the surroundings.

"Look at this poor scholar! The Yan family actually has such a poor relative?"

"That's Mr. Yan's classmate and friend, what kind of relative is that?"

"What kind of decent gift can a person who is not presentable come up with?"

Members of other branches of the Yan family were discussing the matter.

Li Chengze looked calm as he handed over the box wrapped in silk cloth.

Steward Yan took the box, his eyes lit up, and he sang loudly: "A hundred-year-old wild ginseng!"

As soon as this statement came out, the whole audience was in an uproar.

Hundred-year-old wild ginseng is rare in the world and priceless.

Everyone looked at him in surprise, and those who had originally looked down on Li Chengze shut their mouths.

Madam Yan smiled happily, "Okay, okay, my dear grandson, please take a seat."

She knew that Li Chengze was talented and that if he could get into high school, it would be of great benefit to the future development of the Yan family.

Not only did she express her love for Li Chengze, she also made her attitude clear in front of everyone.

Those who originally looked down on Li Chengze were secretly surprised and looked at this poor scholar in a different light.

After the ceremony, Shen Meng walked into the birthday hall in a light blue long dress.

She covered her face with a veil, which added a bit of mystery to her. She attracted everyone's attention as soon as she appeared.

"My humble self, Meng Niang, is here to congratulate the old lady on her birthday. I'm sorry to show my ugliness."

Shen Meng bowed slightly, and her soft voice was as sweet as an oriole.

Her delicate fingers plucked the pipa strings, and the melodious music poured out like flowing water.

Sometimes it is crisp and pleasant, sometimes it is low and melodious, as if bringing everyone into a paradise with birds singing and flowers blooming.

After the song ended, everyone was still immersed in the wonderful music, savoring it for a long time.

"Not bad, good, reward!"

Madam Yan smiled widely, and was obviously very satisfied with Shen Meng's performance.

She turned her head to look at Yan's father who was sitting below her and said lovingly,

"My son is thoughtful. Mengniang is really a kind-hearted child. This song makes me feel relaxed and happy."

Father Yan smiled and nodded in agreement, agreeing:

"As long as mother likes it, I'm glad. Meng Niang's pipa skills are getting better and better. This birthday banquet was so enjoyable thanks to her."

Old Madam Yan nodded slightly, and her gaze fell back on Shen Meng, her eyes full of admiration and love.

"I heard that the Crown Prince is going to choose a concubine this year. What do you think of this Meng Niang?"

Old Madam Yan turned to look at Yan's father with some expectation in her eyes.

Upon hearing this, Yan's father's eyes lit up and he pondered for a moment:

"Mother is absolutely right. Mengniang is a rare and virtuous girl. She is a rare and virtuous girl in appearance, talent and character.

They are all first-rate and outstanding. If they could enter the Eastern Palace, they should be able to compete for that position with their talents and knowledge."

"It's just..." Father Yan looked embarrassed, as if he had some concerns.

Seeing this, Madam Yan asked, "Just what? But what's the difficulty?"

Father Yan sighed and lowered his voice: "It's just that Meng Niang's background is..."

"There's no need to mention such trivial matters as my son."

"What the mother said is true. The child knows what to do."

With the strength of the Yan family, it would be a piece of cake to ask a prostitute to change his name.

The Kingdom of Dayu, a country ruled by a female emperor.

Although women can hold up half the sky in the court, the best candidate for the next emperor is still the crown prince.

In order to win over the hearts of the people and demonstrate the majesty of the royal family, the selection system of the Dayu Kingdom followed the old system of the previous dynasty, and the major families nominated women of appropriate age to enter the palace to participate in the selection.

For aristocratic families, if they can produce a crown princess, or even a future queen,

That would naturally be a good thing to bring honor to the family and increase power.

Therefore, every year when the selection of concubines came, each family would try their best, hoping to send their daughters to the palace and become a phoenix in one day.

Although the Yan family is prosperous, looking around,

Most of them are lively grandsons, and there are no girls of the right age to be selected to participate in the draft.

After much thought, I could only set my sights on Shen Meng.

In the dark, Yun Zhiyi stared at Shen Meng performing on the stage, puzzled.

"Why does this Meng Niang's figure look so familiar? She looks very similar to the person who assassinated the Empress last time."