Empress, please have some self-respect. I am not your husband.

Lu Xueyi's sudden words startled Qin Xinyi and Chu Hongyan, who were caught off guard.

They didn't understand the meaning behind Lu Xueyi's words at all.

Lu Feng was quite surprised and looked at her: "Xueyi, are you sure?"

Lu Xueyi nodded seriously. Being in the number one city under heaven and known as the number one swordsman in the world, she couldn't be wrong.

The King Ye who had just left carried a chilling sword intent within him.

The opponent is definitely a top-tier swordsman who is hiding his true abilities, and his cultivation level is definitely not low.

They're probably not as good as me, otherwise I wouldn't have seen through them.

The reason I noticed her before was probably more of a natural intuition.

"What are you talking about?" Qin Xinyi frowned slightly. The two of them were speaking in cryptic language, and she couldn't understand anything they were saying.

Lu Feng smiled and said, "It's nothing."

Qin Xinyi frowned even more deeply and immediately asked, "What are you doing here? Did you bring him here, Sister Hongyan?"

She had originally planned to visit Lu Feng tomorrow, because Lord Qin had asked her to inquire where he got the strong liquor.

Chu Hongyan hummed in agreement and said softly, "Although Lu Feng has entered the court as an official, he is not yet familiar with the relatives of officials at all levels, so I brought him along."

This was clearly the way she was introducing her man to outsiders. Qin Xinyi was helpless, but having already accepted the fact, she didn't say anything more and simply said, "Let's go in together then."

Lu Feng looked at Xueyi: "Are you going to stay outside and wait for me?"

He knew in his heart that Lu Xueyi had never liked crowded places, and the reason he was following her around was simply because he was worried about her safety.

Lu Xueyi hesitated for a moment, and Lu Feng smiled gently, "Since he didn't realize that you are the same kind of people, it means he is not as good as you. I can still handle this level."

"Okay then." Hearing him say that, Lu Xueyi nodded in agreement.

Qin Xinyi was full of doubt. What were these two guys up to?

Meanwhile, Ye Wang, who had entered earlier, strolled leisurely, admiring the scenery of the courtyard.

His personal attendant followed half a step behind him.

A feast had been set up in the courtyard, and the invited guests arrived in twos and threes. After greeting King Ye, they tactfully withdrew.

Only a few young ladies watched from afar, their faces bearing shy smiles.

As the late emperor's half-brother, Prince Ye was extremely handsome, not inferior to Lu Feng.

Although he is now over thirty, he has a more mature and charming demeanor.

This kind of old jade tree is most attractive to these young girls who are generally sixteen or seventeen years old and naive to the ways of the world.

My steps finally stopped in front of a clump of arrow bamboo, gazing at the straight, emerald-green bamboo.

Ye Wang reached out and gently stroked the bamboo leaves, then smiled and said, "Could it be that I'm imagining things?"

"Is Lu Feng's sister suspicious?" the bodyguard asked in a low voice, sounding surprised.

Brushing aside the bamboo leaves, Ye Wang said calmly, "Not all martial artists who wield swords are swordsmen, but Lu Feng's sister gives me a similar feeling; she is very likely a swordsman."

Among all martial artists in the world, swordsmen possess the most formidable attack power, and are also the rarest among them; perhaps only one in a hundred martial artists can become a swordsman.

If Lu Xueyi is indeed a swordsman, then Lu Feng is even more worthy of being recruited.

"Does Your Highness wish for me to test the waters?"

Ye Wang glanced at his guards and said, "I have my own plans for Lu Feng. Whether he will ultimately be a friend or foe is still uncertain. Taking rash action will only alert him."

The guard nodded quickly: "Understood."

"Please take your seats."

As King Ye turned to leave, the bamboo leaf he had just touched quietly broke off.

The fallen bamboo leaves had clean, sharp ends, as if they had been slashed by a sword!

On the other side, Wang Mingyuan, the Minister of Revenue, who was receiving distinguished guests, was taken aback after hearing the steward's report.

"What the heck? Lu Feng is here too?"

"Yes sir."

Wang Mingyuan looked at his second wife, the protagonist of the day: "You invited Lu Feng?"

The second wife looked surprised: "No, sir. I only heard you mention this person before, but we've never had any contact. Why would you invite him?"

The butler hurriedly said, "It's like this, sir. Lord Lu was brought by Princess Hongyan, and he was accompanied by Lord Qin's daughter, Miss Qin Xinyi."

Wang Mingyuan couldn't help but mutter, "Could it be that this kid really has something going on with Princess Hongyan? Well, since we're already here, I should personally go and greet him."

Leaving aside Chu Hongyan and Qin Xinyi, Lu Feng himself was a third-rank official in the imperial court, a position high enough for him to personally welcome them.

He quickly arrived at the front yard and put on a professional fake smile: "Your Highness, Miss Xinyi and Lord Lu have arrived. I was too busy earlier and neglected the three of you."

Despite the unpleasantness between Wang Mingyuan and Lu Feng at the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, Lu Feng was there to offer birthday wishes, so Wang Mingyuan was very accommodating.

Moreover, he also wanted to find out about Jinjiu from Lu Feng.

He is getting on in years now, but his second and third wives are not so old; they are in the prime of their lives.

But he's no longer at his peak, and he's finding it increasingly difficult to cope.

"You're too kind, Lord Yang."

After exchanging pleasantries, Lu Feng and his two companions followed Wang Mingyuan into the courtyard, where most of the guests had already arrived.

Most of them were the second wife's former close friends, as well as many young ladies from wealthy families who came with her.

Of course, there are also quite a few rich young men.

Upon seeing the two beauties, Qin Xinyi and Chu Hongyan, his eyes immediately lit up with greed.

Some young ladies couldn't help but look at Lu Feng.

Unexpectedly, a man who was no less beautiful than the Queen of the Palace appeared, and I wonder where he came from.

Red lanterns were lit around the courtyard, creating a festive atmosphere.

Wang Mingyuan's second wife, holding a small wine glass, moved among the guests' seats, accepting congratulations from her old friends.

She slowly walked over to Lu Feng and the others, and Chu Hongyan immediately stood up: "Congratulations, Madam. This is just a small gift."

She presented her gift box, and the second lady looked flattered: "Thank you, Your Highness, it's already very kind of you to come."

"Madam's birthday is a big day, and Hongyan certainly cannot be impolite," Chu Hongyan replied with a smile.

Qin Xinyi then stood up and presented her gift: "Madam, I wish you eternal youth."

"It's Xinyi! We haven't seen each other in so long." Compared to Chu Hongyan, the Second Madam was clearly more familiar with Qin Xinyi.

This is because Chu Hongyan had a bad reputation before.

Qin Xinyi, on the other hand, is not only the dream girl of many young talents in the capital, but also an idol for women in the capital.

Qin Xinyi was personally appointed as a female general by the current emperor.

After exchanging pleasantries, just as the second madam was about to move on to the next table, Lu Feng stood up with his gift box and said, "Madam!"