Chapter 57: Gan Qiongying Reviews Male Leads One Through Five
“Husband,” Gan Qiongying said, her eyes glistening with emotion, “we must take our separate seats now. When the banquet ends, I will wait for you right here.”
“Alright,” Lihua replied, too flustered to meet her gaze again.
Supported by Manyue, Gan Qiongying made her way to her assigned seat. She was witnessing firsthand what royal grandeur truly meant.
There were… so many people.
As she marveled at the undeniable importance of the Grand Princess, she spotted Wen Xueling, dressed like a blooming pink peony.
Wen Xueling wore a stern expression, clearly signaling she wanted no company.
Ignoring her, Gan Qiongying lazily propped herself up on the table. The pastries arranged before her were exquisitely crafted, tempting enough to make one’s mouth water.
She sampled one piece from each plate, savoring them slowly. Wen Xueling and all the other noble ladies present assumed Gan Qiongying was being deliberately aloof, unwilling to engage in conversation.
Little did they know, Gan Qiongying was actually recalling the plot of this birthday banquet.
In the story, this banquet was quite eventful.
It was full of twists and turns. The gist was that Princess Duanrong acted like a rabid dog, relentlessly targeting Wen Xueling with biting, scornful remarks.
To provoke Wen Xueling, Duanrong deliberately chose the most hurtful words and repeatedly tried to keep her from getting close to Zhongli Zhengzhen.
Later, during the summer hunt, Duanrong insisted on competing with Wen Xueling. But her true intention wasn’t the competition itself; she wanted to injure Wen Xueling during an archery contest.
When that plan failed, she devised another. Even as the banquet drew to a close, she refused to give up. She planned to startle Wen Xueling by pretending to push her off the edge of the mountain stone platform as she passed by.
Naturally, none of her schemes succeeded. Moreover, her meddling resulted in an injury to a young master from the Ministry of Revenue—a man Princess Hui’an had originally been considering as a potential match for her granddaughter.
Duanrong’s initial aim was merely to intimidate Wen Xueling, to threaten her into not competing for Zhongli Zhengzhen’s attention.
She didn’t dare actually kill the daughter of Jingxi Wang. However, the female lead naturally had protectors. The young master from the Ministry of Revenue, witnessing the scene, mistakenly believed Princess Duanrong had gone mad and intended murder. He rushed over to help Wen Xueling but accidentally twisted his foot at the platform’s edge and tumbled down the mountainside.
This incident firmly cemented Duanrong’s reputation for viciousness.
In the plot, Princess Hui’an immediately summoned the Imperial Physician. After much commotion, the young man was bandaged up like a mummy. With broken bones and multiple fractures, he would be bedridden for three to four months. The Imperial Physician warned he might be left with permanent disabilities, effectively ending the young master’s official career in one fell swoop.
Duanrong had no defense. This young master from the Ministry of Revenue was quite renowned for his talent in Yindu and was a disciple of a great Confucian scholar from the previous dynasty, holding significant prestige among scholars—which was precisely why he was one of the male leads.
By ruining his career, Duanrong provoked public outrage. She attracted a swarm of fearless scholars and censors who wrote poems condemning her and submitted frequent memorials of impeachment, berating her so severely she didn’t dare leave her residence for half a year.
After this incident, Duanrong thoroughly offended the family of that Ministry of Revenue official. Even though it wasn’t intentional, this grudge was fiercely repaid later on.
Secrets cannot stay buried forever. When Duanrong’s various misdeeds were later exposed, and she fled during the collapse of Nánzhào, her whereabouts were repeatedly leaked. Ultimately, when she was dragged to death behind a horse, the family of that Ministry of Revenue official played a pivotal role.
Having sorted out this subplot, Gan Qiongying’s gaze toward Wen Xueling grew peculiar. She had almost forgotten this was an NP tragic romance novel—perhaps this could be put to good use…
The birthday banquet scene could be considered the first major confrontation in the original story, as nearly all the “male leads” were present, making it an epic, iconic moment in the book.
While recalling the plot, Gan Qiongying shifted her gaze toward the opposite seating area.
On the right diagonal sat the Regent, dressed in deep crimson robes strikingly similar to the Emperor’s. His sharp eyes swept the surroundings as if observing everyone present, his entire demeanor exuding an air of disdain—the classic domineering CEO archetype from novels, with sharply trimmed sideburns, sword-like brows, and starry eyes.
To his left was Prince Kangguang, Gan Li, clad in dark green brocade robes. He appeared carefree, savoring the wine, and with each sip, a delighted smile would spread across his face, revealing a row of teeth that seemed blissfully ignorant.
At his age, he was usually hounded to study diligently and had little chance to indulge in wine. Being able to feast and enjoy fine liquor at this banquet delighted him even more than Princess Hui’an herself.
Behind the Regent sat the son of the Minister of Revenue.
As the “cliff-falling” protagonist of the evening, Gan Qiongying gave him a few extra glances.
Dressed in moon-white robes, elegant and luxurious, the attire complemented his refined, jade-like demeanor. His brows were like distant mountains, truly the image of a gentleman as pure as jade.
No wonder Princess Hui’an looked pleased—after all, he was chosen as a potential match for her granddaughter. His temperament seemed genuinely good… But who could have guessed? In this book, this jade-like gentleman from the Minister of Revenue’s family would later rise to power due to the female lead’s “guilt” after becoming disabled, turning into a genuine yandere.
Beside the Regent sat Jinchuan Zhizi, Zhongli Zhengzhen.
He had long since changed out of the clothes he arrived in. His dark attire, though not eye-catching, was subtly embroidered with gold thread. With the slightest movement under the lamplight, it shimmered with golden brilliance, exuding extraordinary luxury.
Yet his demeanor firmly subdued the flamboyance of the crimson hues. It had to be said that among the male leads, he was the most handsome, with exquisitely delicate features and an air of rebelliousness that could captivate young girls.
He glanced back seemingly unintentionally, but in reality, he was looking at Lihua, who sat to the right and behind the Regent.
Compared to these male leads, Lihua, wearing a mask, appeared gentle and ordinary, blending into the crowd. Yet, seeing him lower his head, ignoring Zhongli Zhengzhen’s gaze, made Gan Qiongying want to laugh.
She had already noticed that Lihua was simply annoyed by Zhongli Zhengzhen.
Otherwise, why would he have hurriedly pulled her back into the carriage that morning to rush on their way?
Failing to get a response from Lihua, Zhongli Zhengzhen reluctantly turned back. Gan Qiongying’s gaze, however, passed over him and Lihua, settling on the attendants behind them.
There was another male lead there.
It was Zhongli Zhengzhen’s guard, Song Ci, whose martial arts were exceptional and movements mysterious.
He stood at the entrance of the banquet, vigilant of his surroundings. Though his features weren’t particularly outstanding, he had a dedicated following of readers who adored his character—the loyal, self-sacrificing savior who walked in darkness for the female lead, with unparalleled martial skills.
The female lead, Wen Xueling, must have inadvertently saved his life at some point. From then on, he would become obsessed with her, willing to crash through walls for her.
The kind who would give his life with reddened eyes—commonly known as “life-giving literature.”
A slender, long blade hung at his waist, his demeanor cold as frost, sending an inexplicable chill down one’s spine.
Gan Qiongying looked over male leads one through five, clicking her tongue in her mind.
She had always loved this scene when reading the novel—who doesn’t love a showdown?