Chapter 998: Blocking the Door

Wei Ji and Wei Zi, upon seeing Zhen Mi dressed in her formal attire and the gold token on her wrist, immediately understood that she was now the head of the Zhen family. Although it was somewhat difficult to believe, considering the Zhen family no longer had any male heirs, there was little the Wei families could say about it.

"Zhen family head, Zhen Mi, welcomes the heads of the Hedong Wei family and Chenliu Wei family," Zhen Mi said calmly, bowing slightly. Wei Ji and Wei Zi quickly returned the courtesy, before walking into the hall with somewhat complicated expressions.

"Did you see that?" Wei Ji didn't move his lips, but his voice rang clearly in Wei Zi’s ear.

"I’m curious, is she representing the Zhen family or the Chen family?" Wei Zi replied with a calm expression. He gestured slightly and then chose a seat towards the back of the first row. Among the top families, aside from a few, there was no strict seating arrangement; they didn’t care to sit too far forward.

"Regardless of which family, she's doing well, and no matter which one, she’s still the host here," Wei Ji said, his eyes half-closed as he composed himself, and Wei Zi adopted a similar posture.

"Ah, you’re here at this time?" Zhen Mi’s voice reached Mi Zhen’s ears as the latter entered the doorway, looking around curiously. Zhen Mi quickly warned her, "Stop looking around. Bow to me and then take the first seat on the right. Once seated, don’t speak and just close your eyes and rest. If anyone asks, say you’re here representing Lord Xuande."

Mi Zhen quickly restrained her curiosity and walked over to bow to Zhen Mi. Zhen Mi returned the bow lightly.

"Why should I say I’m representing Lord Xuande?" Mi Zhen asked as she bowed. This method of voice transmission had become almost universal among the prominent families by now.

"You’re late. If you had arrived a hundred breaths earlier, there would have been a place for you. The families arriving now are entirely different from those before. Fortunately, I made preparations," Zhen Mi replied, explaining the situation quickly as she maintained their close relationship.

Mi Zhen realized it wasn’t the time for questions, and knowing Zhen Mi had a better grasp of these matters than even her brother, Mi Zhu, she stopped asking and followed Zhen Mi’s instructions.

Following Zhen Mi's lead, Mi Zhen entered the hall with a calm and measured pace. Once inside, she felt an immediate pressure, causing her normally lively nature to settle into a more solemn demeanor, much like Zhen Mi.

"Who is that?" Though no sound escaped in the hall, whispers quickly spread through private transmissions.

"It looks like Mi Zhen from the Mi family, one of the beauties on the Renowned Daughters List," someone transmitted.

"The Mi family? Do they even have the qualifications to be here?" another voice quickly followed, though Wei Ji and Wei Zi remained unperturbed.

These seemingly silent yet chaotic whispers only ceased when Mi Zhen sat down in the first seat on the right and closed her eyes to rest.

"She’s probably not representing the Mi family, but rather the faction we’re currently with," one of the family heads concluded, noting Mi Zhen’s composed behavior. That position she took, after all, was equivalent to another main seat, just like Zhen Mi’s position on the left. It wasn’t because of their personal status but because they represented the host family.

After Mi Zhen took her seat, Wu Yuan, clad in Shu brocade, entered the hall. She bowed slightly to Zhen Mi and, like her and Mi Zhen, walked with measured steps toward the center of the hall. She then took a seat in the middle of the right side and closed her eyes.

The large hall, built to accommodate hundreds of people, had taken a great deal of effort for the Zhen family to construct. Hosting such a gathering on a mere lawn would be a joke, and the families cared deeply about face.

"The Wu family from Yizhou has arrived, though Wu Ziyuan didn’t come. Instead, it’s his sister," a family head from Yizhou said jokingly.

"The Wu family is quite fond of Liu Xuande. If Wu Ziyuan weren’t preoccupied, he’d likely have already sided with them," another head joked.

"Another beauty arrives. I used to think that Xu Zijian didn’t know much about beauties, but seeing this, I must admit, they’re truly stunning," one of the heads admired as he watched Wu Yuan and Mi Zhen from behind.

"I wonder how the first and second-ranked beauties compare?" someone asked offhandedly. Without much else to do, the conversation naturally turned toward the famed beauties—after all, the idle mind tends toward indulgence.

"Although the Cai family only has one surviving daughter, she should be coming. From her lineage, she’s also in the top rank. And as a joke, remember that she was supposed to be the wife of the head of the Wei family," a family head remarked.

"I’m sure the Wei family regrets that deeply," came another teasing laugh, though the source was unclear.

"We’ve received word—she won’t be coming," another family representative interjected. With seven-tenths of the prominent families present, sharing information meant most things were already known.

"They're talking about that foolish decision your family made," Wei Zi said mockingly, though it was unclear who the target of his scorn was.

"Wasn’t it foolish?" Wei Ji responded without much inflection. "The elders of the Wei family had no sense. The ancient texts from the Cai family would have been enough to elevate any small family to great heights. Yet, they discarded such a treasure over a ridiculous notion like being 'cursed.'"

"I couldn’t agree more," Wei Zi said, his voice dripping with encouragement.

The families took their time, and soon enough, the first row of seats was nearly full. The Chen, Xun, Wang, and Yin families had also arrived.

Upon seeing Zhen Mi, there were some odd glances, but none said anything outright. Only Chen Shang and Chen Guang exchanged a troubled look before proceeding into the hall at Zhen Mi’s gesture to go ahead.

"Now we’re just waiting for Zichuan," Zhen Mi said, her composed expression betraying a hint of a smile. She was determined to meet him this time.

What Zhen Mi didn’t know was that some of the family heads in the front row were already feeling conflicted. An unexpected, uninvited guest had arrived, and with the seats now fully occupied, only the first seat on the left and the main seat remained.

A sudden cracking sound echoed from both sides of the gate—this was the first time someone had contested for a seat.

Chen Xi calmly opened the door of his carriage and stepped down. Across from him, a burly man helped a middle-aged man dismount from their carriage.

"This is the place?" the man asked without even glancing at Chen Xi, his eyes fixed on the plaque above the gate.

"Yes, my lord, this is the place," the yellow-faced man bowed and replied.

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