Of course, it's not all idle gossip; there's also talk of love and hate.
As the Xiahe Banquet approaches, the noble sons of Qinhuai have prepared their silver, ready to win Zhihua on that day. Some have even managed to persuade their families to agree to buy her freedom, but to their surprise, a few days before the Xiahe Banquet, someone snatched her away.
If it had been on the day of the Xiahe Banquet, where silver could outshine them, it would have been fine.
Some of the young masters, sour at the thought, grumble that Duke An used his power to force the Flower Fragrance Building to give up Miss Zhihua.
But no matter what, the fact has occurred, and they can only watch helplessly as Chen Mo and Zhihua boarded the Tingxuan Pavilion's tower boat.
The time has not yet reached noon, not yet time for drinking and dining, but the private rooms in the Tingxuan Pavilion are almost all occupied with people drinking tea and bantering.
