Chapter 18 Consort Hui's Banquet

In the end, it was only after Granny Sun and the Crown Prince's wet nurse persuaded Baoqing that he gave up the idea of ​​continuing to play ball and sat down with the Crown Prince to eat some snacks.

After resting for a while, a eunuch's high-pitched voice announced from outside the hall: "The Emperor has arrived!"

Granny Sun and the Crown Prince's wet nurse led Baoqing and the Crown Prince to stand in line.

Children form friendships quickly, and in a short time, the Crown Prince became much closer to Baoqing. Unlike when he first met her, when he stood behind the wet nurse, he took the initiative to move closer to Baoqing.

The soft curtain was gently lifted by the eunuch, and Emperor Kangxi, dressed in a bright yellow court robe, walked in with steady steps.

He spotted the ball on the ground and two children standing very close together.

"Greetings to Father Emperor."

The two children obediently bowed.

"Get up," Kangxi stepped closer, touched the Crown Prince's cheek, and then rubbed Baoqing's head, asking softly, "Were Baocheng and Baoqing playing ball together just now?"

Bao Cheng was the crown prince's childhood name.

Baoqing only just learned that the Crown Prince's younger brother wasn't actually called the Crown Prince, but Baocheng.

You can tell from their voices that they are brothers.

When the Crown Prince heard his father call his name, he nodded and smiled sweetly, "Fifth Brother taught me how to roll a ball."

As she spoke, she raised her little hand and imitated a pushing motion.

Baoqing nodded vigorously, "Father, the Crown Prince is very clever. He could only push at first, but after I taught him twice, he learned it right away!"

He spoke with the pride of an older brother.

The Crown Prince's younger brother is clever!

In this scene, the brothers are friendly and respectful, and everyone who comes says that the brothers are in harmonious relationship.

Emperor Kangxi was clearly very satisfied.

There are only three princes in the palace now. The Ninth Prince, Zhaoxiang's son, was born somewhat weak. After falling ill, he needed even more careful care. Zhaoxiang didn't even dare to visit him, for fear of getting too emotionally involved.

Only Baoqing and the Crown Prince, one five years old and the other three years old, could be seen frequently; one was the eldest son and the other the legitimate son.

It's wonderful that the two of them have a good relationship.

After returning to the palace and spending time together, Father was no longer just a symbol in Baoqing's heart, and she became much closer to Emperor Kangxi.

Recalling how Yunrui would occasionally beg his father in his memory, Baoqing hugged Kangxi's leg and looked up at him, "Father, can I still play with my younger brother, the Crown Prince, later?"

Now is the time when Baoqing cherishes this younger brother the most.

A living, well-behaved younger brother who calls him "brother"!

-

In contrast, the atmosphere among the concubines was not so good.

Their seats were arranged by the Empress, according to the order in which they paid their respects.

The dishes at the banquet were just so-so; they looked exquisite, but in reality, only a few cold dishes and some desserts were edible.

Unable to eat in peace, they could only find something to talk about.

Consort Xi happened to be standing right next to Yun Yun.

There were seven concubines in total. The three at the top of the list, Anpin, Jingpin, and Duanpin, were all taciturn and like dignified Buddha statues. Xipin had provoked them once but found it pointless and gradually stopped being so talkative.

It's like trying to poke a toad that won't budge.

Consort Rong and Consort Yi, one a former favored concubine and the other a current favored concubine, are not pushovers. Usually, the two of them and Consort Xi engage in verbal sparring, which is a regular part of the greetings.

However, with the princess consort and ministers' families present today, it's not advisable to cause trouble.

Consort Xi still had to give the Empress this much face.

Yun Yun happened to be sitting next to Consort Xi. The two were neither close nor had any grudges. They usually just nodded and greeted each other when they met. Yun Yun was the best person Consort Xi could talk to at this moment.

So Consort Xi had a long chat with Yun Yun.

From clothing and jewelry to cuff patterns, from gossip about imperial concubines to poetry and literature, they could even say a few words about parenting.

Yunyun maintained a polite smile while thinking to herself.

No wonder Consort Nara and Consort Xi got along so well at first; they were both incredibly talkative, able to chatter on and on without her having to agree with them.

For some reason, she caught Consort Yi's eye. "Is it that the dishes at the banquet don't suit Consort Xi's taste? Why haven't I seen her touch them yet?"

In the past, it was always Consort Xi who took the initiative to stir up trouble.

Consort Xi did not expect that someone would take the initiative to cause trouble, and this person was Consort Yi, with whom she had always been at odds.

But that makes sense.

Consort Yi and she don't get along, so wouldn't she come up and cause trouble?

Consort Xi gave a forced smile, "How could that be? The dishes were all carefully arranged after Her Majesty the Empress inquired about them. I was just so engrossed in chatting with Consort Hui that I forgot to pick up my chopsticks."

"Oh?" Consort Yi feigned confusion, mimicking Consort Xi's earlier manner. "I didn't know that Consort Xi and Consort Hui were so close. It's not a big deal, but I was just a little curious because I saw Consort Xi talking to herself."

After a long string of words about sisters, Consort Xi was left speechless.

This is a sarcastic remark implying that she's not popular.

She knew that Consort Yi was vengeful.

Consort Xi was furious.

Wasn't it just that he mocked her and Consort Guo Luoluo during their first audience? He's been relentlessly pursuing this.

"Sister Huipin is quiet and doesn't like to talk much, so I've been a little more talkative, just to keep her company and relieve her boredom," Consort Xi said, her teeth practically grinding to powder.

But since the Empress is still sitting there, she can't start a fight with Consort Yi.

Just wait for her.

Consort Xi glared at Consort Yi from afar.

Consort Yi smiled back at her and said slowly, "I see. I was overthinking it. It's a good thing that you have such good intentions, sister."

Yunyun heard Consort Xi snort, as if she was dissatisfied.

I guess he's dissatisfied with Consort Yi.

She took a leisurely sip of tea, completely ignoring Consort Xi's cold snort.

However, Consort Xi was probably angered by Consort Yi, and for the rest of the time she just kept eating.

This at least gave Yunyun some peace and quiet.

-

Finally, a busy day has come to an end.

Although she didn't do anything specific, Yunyun felt very tired.

The palace maid helped her take down her hair and change into simple robes. Only then did Yunyun feel her whole body relax. She asked, "Where is Baoqing?"

Fuling replied, "The Fifth Prince is in the west room. The kitchen has made chicken noodle soup, and the prince is eating it now."

The dishes at the banquet were all the same, and Bao Qing was at the age where he was growing, so he probably didn't eat much.

Yunyun got up and walked towards the west room. Just as she reached the door, she saw Baoqing holding a small bowl and slurping something.

I finished a bowl of shredded chicken noodles without leaving a drop of soup.

It seems they were really starving.

Yun Jun walked over and sat down next to him, casually wiping the soup from his mouth with a handkerchief. "Eat slowly, no one will take it from you."

Baoqing nodded.

Remembering that this was his first time attending a palace banquet alone, Yun Yun couldn't help but feel a little worried. "Did anything special happen to Bao Qing in the palace today?"

Bao Qing pondered, "No, I just greeted Grandma Huang, waited for Father Huang, and then went to climb a hill."

As she spoke, Baoqing seemed to remember something and said happily, "Mother, I played with my little brother, the Crown Prince, today. We played with a ball, and he even called me Fifth Brother!"

Crown Prince?

Yunyun raised an eyebrow.

The Crown Prince was raised in the Qianqing Palace from a young age and was personally cared for by Emperor Kangxi. His residence was far from that of the concubines in the harem, and he rarely had the opportunity to meet them except for major festivals.

Speaking of which, the Crown Prince is already three years old this year, yet she can't even remember what he looks like very clearly.

“The Crown Prince is so handsome,” Baoqing said, gesturing with her little hands as she saw her mother’s interest.

"He wore bright yellow clothes with dragons on them. I taught him to roll a ball, and he learned it in no time. He even said I was amazing!" When he talked about the prince, his tone was full of the pride of an older brother, and his little chest was slightly puffed out.

Yun Jun listened quietly, patted Bao Qing's head, and asked softly, "Is your younger brother, the Crown Prince, treating you well? Has anyone bullied you?"

“No! The Crown Prince is very well-behaved,” Bao Qing shook her head, then remembered something and added, “Father said that he can play with the Crown Prince again later.”

A note from the author:

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