6 important people

"Then let's go with Yuanle," she heard Prince Zhao say. "What do you think, my brother?"

A set of clean official uniforms was hung on the rack, and Yinlan held a copper bowl and ironed them carefully.

A newly-made bra was delivered from Qinlan Courtyard. Gu Ningxi changed it behind the screen and put on a plain white inner garment.

She went to the East Palace for a banquet at noon today, so she didn't have to report to the Ministry of Works. Therefore, she had a relatively leisurely morning.

Mrs. Meng watched her daughter bind her hair, then studied the outline beneath her undergarment. She had always made Xier's bras herself, the material had to be soft and comfortable, the stitching and thread meticulous.

When no one was in the room, Madam Meng patiently gave a few more instructions: "When you're at home, try not to bind your chest as much as possible. Also, in early spring and winter, when you're wearing thick clothes, you can tie it looser. No one else can tell anyway."

Mrs. Meng felt sorry for her daughter. That place was always tied up. It was okay in winter, but it was even more stuffy in summer.

And... there is always some influence, more or less.

After all, the status of Second Young Master of the Gu family couldn't be maintained forever, and Madam Meng always felt it wasn't good for her daughter to be too thin. With a quiet sigh, she could only think of ways to nourish her daughter through her diet. She knew a few recipes that would be perfect for nourishing her daughter's qi.

Gu Ningxi put on his official uniform. The uniform for a sixth-rank civil official was green with a silver belt.

She adjusted her official hat in front of the bronze mirror and looked her up and down, thinking that her daughter was beautiful.

Gu Ningxi winked at her playfully, "Mother loves to brag about herself."

Mrs. Meng was amused by her. Of course, a mother always likes her daughter no matter what.

The carriage was ready. Madam Meng said, "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will be hosting a banquet at noon. If you go early to help, you can leave a good impression on His Highness."

In the past two years, my daughter has been in the court and has been taken care of by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

"I understand, son." Gu Ningxi agreed. She had originally planned to finish the remaining two paintings at home and sell them to save some money. However, her mother's words forced her to slowly put on her badge and leave the house at her mother's urging.

…

The banquet hall in the East Palace was already decorated. Gu Ningxi had arrived early, so sitting there would be boring. After paying her respects to the Crown Prince, she found a nice spot in the garden to sit.

She brought a cup of tea and waited for several colleagues from the Eastern Palace to arrive one after another. Gu Ningxi greeted them and exchanged a few pleasantries.

Originally, the Eastern Palace was filled with capable officials, constantly vying for attention, all hoping to gain a foothold in front of the Crown Prince. Since King Zhao's return to the throne, this undercurrent within the Eastern Palace has subsided considerably, with a sense of shared hatred and solidarity emerging.

After all, if His Royal Highness the Crown Prince cannot ascend the throne smoothly, no matter how much they fight, it will be in vain. In this situation, they still have to unite and face the outside world.

Gu Ningxi seldom participated in these disputes and managed to gain some popularity in the Eastern Palace.

She had been listening to recent news from the court: all the meritorious officials under King Zhao had been appointed to official positions. She had also heard that King Zhao was planning to submit a petition to His Majesty to establish a literary academy in the palace.

Many of the remarks were made briefly, requiring careful consideration. As the number of guests increased, a colleague suggested, "It's getting late. Why don't we all go to the front and wait?"

No one objected, so Gu Ningxi stayed a little longer under the pretext of enjoying the scenery.

Ripples appeared on the surface of the lake. She watched the fish playing freely in the water, feeling contented and at ease alone.

She stood up when she thought the banquet was about to start.

All the ministers were waiting at the steps, and the Prince's Chamberlain respectfully led His Royal Highness Prince Zhao to the banquet hall. His Royal Highness was of high rank and was the elder brother, so of course there was no need for him to personally greet him.

Gu Ningxi saluted behind her colleagues in the Eastern Palace, deliberately hiding half of her figure. She even took an extra half step back when King Zhao entered the hall and the ministers retreated to the sides.

After the Crown Prince and His Royal Highness Prince Zhao took their seats as host and guest, Gu Ningxi and other officials took their seats.

The seating arrangement at the banquet was very particular. The official in charge drafted it three times before getting the approval of the Chancellor.

The officials from Prince Zhao's Mansion who came to the banquet did not sit in a clear separation from the people from the Eastern Palace.

It should be noted that they are all officials of the Great Jin Dynasty and are all subjects of the future emperor.

Gu Ningxi sat quietly in her seat. With only a few guests at the banquet, she had to be more attentive to their every move. Wu'an Marquis Xie Qian sat near the front, and she knew very little about him.

After receiving the order from His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, the steward of the Eastern Palace clapped his hands and signaled the start of the banquet.

Amidst the melody of elegant stringed instruments, delicacies flowed freely onto the table. Today's banquet was filled with the utmost brotherly affection and joy. The Crown Prince and His Royal Highness Prince Zhao discussed their brotherly love and recent state affairs, with the courtiers occasionally offering a few well-timed remarks.

Given Gu Ningxi's status, he naturally had no right to interrupt. The table was filled with delicious food and wine, but unfortunately most people were not interested in the food.

Gu Ningxi lowered her eyes and pretended to concentrate on eating so as not to attract attention.

Unable to refuse her colleague's hospitality, she took a sip of her wine. Prince Huai hadn't attended the banquet at the Eastern Palace today. He was the Empress's youngest son, and among his brothers, he had always shown only a modicum of respect to his fellow Crown Prince. He and Prince Zhao had always had a strained relationship; if they had met at the banquet, there was no telling what would have been. His Highness the Crown Prince had likely chosen not to send a letter to Prince Huai, to avoid further complications.

To the sound of music, the maid brought two new dishes and presented them respectfully to the two princes.

Lu Heng smiled and said to his fifth brother, "This cherry biro is your favorite. Although the emperor has sent the imperial chef to accompany you to the army, the food outside is not as good as that in the palace."

The cherry filling is bright red, especially against the translucent thin skin, which makes you salivate.

Lu Jing smiled faintly: "Thank you for your concern, my royal brother."

Only the palace chefs have such skills. Although Gu Ningxi is not very interested in banquets, he always eats a few more times when eating this dish.

She ate a piece of cherry biro. This kind of snack can be salty or sweet, but she remembered that King Zhao clearly preferred the salty one with crab roe.

Lu Heng drank a glass of wine and said, "There have been many changes in the court. You've only just returned to the capital. Are you having trouble adapting?"

Gu Ningxi lowered his eyes. King Zhao held the official position of Shangshu Ling in the court, in charge of the six ministries of Personnel, Revenue, Rites, Military, Punishments, and Works. In name, he was the highest official of the six ministries.

His Royal Highness's tone was filled with concern for his younger brother: "Court affairs are complicated, and there's no need to rush into many things. It won't hurt to familiarize yourself with them."

Gu Ningxi pondered the implication of the prince's words, which was nothing more than that although King Zhao had outstanding military achievements, he still had many shortcomings in the court.

Lu Jing found the underlying message uninteresting and was about to respond with a few words. But his eyes stumbled upon the cherry biluo, and a memory suddenly crossed his mind. There was a banquet at the Prince of Jin's residence, and his mother, the Queen Consort, was in charge. He happened to be present when the kitchen received the menu, and he ordered an extra dish of cherry biluo. He didn't know how the news got around, but it became his favorite dessert, a must-have at every palace banquet.

Lu Jing didn't deny it in the end; after all, there were indeed people who favored him. However, seeing him perform the formal and awkward ceremony in front of the palace just now, he didn't like it.

Lu Jing changed the subject: "Brother, you are right. The emperor has been in the court for many years, and I should ask for your advice more often."

Lu Heng still smiled: "We are brothers, why be so polite."

Lu Jing smiled and said, "It's just that your Majesty is very busy with court affairs, and I don't want to bother you any more. Since I need to be familiar with court affairs, why don't you lend me an official position in the Eastern Palace?"

It seemed like there was a lot of toasting in the hall, but in fact the guests were all paying attention to the movements of the two princes.

The table fell silent. Prince Zhao's response was truly unexpected, leaving even the closest confidants of the Eastern Palace baffled. Gu Ningxi returned the half piece of cherry biro she had been holding to her plate, unsure of Prince Zhao's intentions. Surely he wouldn't be so eager to have the Eastern Palace send someone to Prince Zhao's mansion just to allay the Crown Prince's concerns?

Lu Heng said, "Since you've asked, it's fine. I just don't know who you're interested in."

Gu Ningxi raised his eyes slightly to see the situation above more clearly.

But she was caught off guard and met King Zhao's eyes. Just one glance and Gu Ningxi suddenly felt that something was wrong.

"Then let's go with Yuanle," she heard Prince Zhao say slowly, "What do you think, my royal brother?"

Gu Ningxi's eyebrows twitched, and when he raised his head, there was still a hint of disbelief in his eyes.

The palace became increasingly quiet. I originally thought that it was just polite talk from the two princes, but I didn't expect that His Royal Highness Prince Zhao would actually speak and call for people.

Besides, the one they wanted was Gu Zhongyun, who was the most respected among the young generation of noble families by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

Lu Heng's smile faded slightly. "Why did you choose Yuan Le? He has only been in the court for a short time, so I'm afraid he may not be suitable."

Lu Jing's answer was casual: "It's just that we like each other." He raised an eyebrow, "Is your Majesty going to be reluctant to let me go?"

The drama of brotherly love and respect reached this point, and the Eastern Palace was in a difficult situation.

Lu Heng's expression remained unchanged: "Why don't you ask Yuan Le what he thinks?"

As soon as these words were spoken, Gu Ningxi could even sense a touch of sympathy in the gazes directed at her from all directions. She was caught between the Crown Prince and Prince Zhao; no matter how she answered, it would be wrong. And since she couldn't possibly offend her own lord, she could only offend Prince Zhao.

Xie Qian shook his head. Although he didn't know why His Highness had suddenly asked for someone, it was clear that His Highness the Crown Prince was unwilling to agree. Therefore, it was only logical that Lord Gu would have to refuse, and then the Eastern Palace would have to decline politely.

Gu Ningxi pursed her lips, pondering as she was about to speak, but Lu Jing said, "So, has the emperor agreed? If the emperor agrees, how could Yuan Le have second thoughts?"

The problem was temporarily thrown aside, and Gu Ningxi felt relieved.

Lu Heng tightened his grip on the wine cup, and after a moment he said, "As you wish."

Lu Jing smiled and raised his glass: "Thank you, my Royal Brother?"

The wine cups clinked together and Lu Heng drank all the wine in the cup.

The incident had happened suddenly during the banquet, and just by looking at Yuan Le's expression, he knew that Yuan Le had no prior knowledge of the situation. Furthermore, he knew his fifth brother's personality well: he was used to doing things as he pleased, without any regard for others. Over the years, no one except his father had been able to change his mind.

Lu Heng put down the wine cup. Was today's incident Qi'an trying to provoke the Eastern Palace, or was it just revenge for Yuan Le's refusal to follow him?

Or maybe it's both.

A few words decided whether to stay or go, and Gu Ningxi accepted the order from the Eastern Palace resignedly.

She looked silently at the cherry biro on the plate, and still needed a while to calm down.

【Author’s words】

The goose girl doesn't want to talk.JPG

The next update will be at 9:00 tomorrow night~