Li Zhen stood dazedly at the entrance of the Li Mansion in the Shenteng Mansion district.
He didn’t snap out of it until the two black sedans had slowly vanished at the end of the street.
He lowered his head and looked at the gilt-edged invitation in his hand. The calligraphy on it still gave off the faint scent of fresh ink.
"An invitation to the banquet at the President’s Mansion, specially inviting Mr. Lu Yun to grace us with his presence."
At the bottom was the striking vermilion seal of the President’s Mansion.
But what shocked Li Zhen the most was that the invitation hadn’t been delivered by a common servant or a clerk from the secretariat, but by the President’s eldest son, Yuan Mu Fei, himself!
"This father-in-law of mine... he certainly is a man of great standing," he muttered to himself, an expression of disbelief on his face.
Li Zhen had certainly seen Grandmasters of Huajin before. After all, there were plenty of them here in Yanjing.
But this was the first time he had ever seen one who warranted the Yuan Family’s young master personally delivering an invitation.
At this thought, Li Zhen finally came to his senses. He turned and ran back into the house.
’I have to tell my father-in-law the good news right away!’
「Night fell.」
The President’s Mansion, a sprawling estate, was now lit up inside and out, as bright as day.
Inside the grand banquet hall, several enormous crystal chandeliers bathed the entire space in a magnificent golden glow.
Snow-white tablecloths were spread over rows of dining tables, which were laden with all sorts of exquisite pastries and fine wines.
Waiters in crisp uniforms weaved through the hall, diligently attending to every guest.
The distinguished guests entered the hall in twos and threes. Some wore military uniforms, some wore Western suits, and others wore traditional long gowns.
There were also many blond-haired, blue-eyed Westerners, all dressed in elegant tailcoats, conversing in low voices.
Lu Yun and Li Zhen were among the last to arrive.
Li Zhen stood at the mansion’s entrance, gazing at the bustling scene inside. He glanced at the placid-faced Lu Yun beside him and couldn’t help but ask in a low voice.
"Father-in-law, it seems we’re late."
In truth, he had wanted to come much earlier, but Lu Yun had remained silent, just sitting quietly in his room.
Li Zhen didn’t dare to rush him, so he could only wait alongside him, and that wait had lasted until now.
Lu Yun glanced at him. "Why the hurry, Father-in-law?"
Then, leaning on his Wisteria Spirit Staff, he strode through the open gates.
After a moment’s hesitation, Li Zhen hurried to follow him.
The banquet hall was brilliantly lit and abuzz with conversation.
Guided by Li Zhen, Lu Yun passed through the bustling crowd and arrived at a long table near a corner, which offered a wide, clear view of the hall.
A delicate bronze plaque stood on the table, engraved with the three words "General Affairs Office."
The people seated here were all from the President’s Mansion’s General Affairs Office.
In the seat of honor at the center of the table was a bald, middle-aged man in his fifties. He wore a fine dark suit and the amiable smile typical of a bureaucrat.
Flanking him were several other figures of notable bearing: one in a military uniform, one in a long gown, one in a Western suit, and a young man of about thirty wearing gold-rimmed glasses, who one could tell at a glance was a secretary or some such aide.
Li Zhen quickened his pace, approached the bald man, and introduced with a smile, "Old Zhao, this is my father-in-law."
The department head known as "Old Zhao" immediately looked up, his gaze falling upon Lu Yun.
After sizing him up, a flash of curiosity crossed his eyes. He beamed and said, "So you’re Old Li’s father-in-law! A pleasure, a pleasure! Please, have a seat!"
Old Zhao was polite on the surface, but his mind was racing.
’Li Zhen is such a seasoned old hand. In the General Affairs Office, he usually greets everyone with a faint smile and a lot of perfunctory courtesy, never getting too close to anyone.’
’But today, his attitude toward this "father-in-law"... it’s utterly reverent. This so-called father-in-law must be someone important, right?’
The deputy heads and senior secretaries seated nearby also cast curious glances their way.
They all knew that Li Zhen’s eldest daughter had married someone from Yun Port City, but Li Zhen had never mentioned who, specifically.
’Yun Port City... are there any big shots there? The Military Governor? The City Manager? Or maybe...’
Lu Yun gave a slight nod in response and sat down in the chair Li Zhen had pulled out for him.
Halfway through the banquet, all eyes in the hall began to turn in unison toward the slightly elevated main stage at the front.
A figure emerged from a side door and slowly ascended the stage. It was Yuan Datong!
He was dressed in a crisp, dark blue military uniform, his chest adorned with a multitude of medals.
After Yuan Datong stood on the stage and cleared his throat, the hall instantly fell silent.
Seeing that all eyes were focused on him, Yuan Datong offered a faint smile and began his speech.
It started with thanks.
He thanked the representatives from various regions for their support, the figures from all walks of life for their trust, and the allied nations for their great kindness.
When it came to the Westerners, Yuan Datong paused deliberately. His gaze fell upon the group of blond-haired, blue-eyed representatives from the Western Countries as he spoke with immense gratitude.
"I especially want to thank our distinguished guests from Great Britain, France, the Great United States... as well as the Eastern Wa Country and the nations of the Southern Ocean!"
"The Daxia New Country could not have come this far without all of your help and support!"
Among the Western representatives, some nodded slightly, some offered reserved smiles, while others remained expressionless.
In the next moment, a sparse smattering of applause broke out. Yuan Datong’s smile didn’t waver as he continued.
He went on to thank a great many more people, from the Commanders-in-Chief of the cabinet ministries to the Military Governors of the provinces, from business magnates to academic leaders, speaking eloquently for a full fifteen minutes.
After finishing these meaningless platitudes, Yuan Datong’s tone suddenly shifted, his voice growing impassioned:

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