Chapter 57 New Year's Banquet 2

Hearing Yinzhen's reminder, Yinzhen slowly released his grip, turned to look at Yinzhen who was indeed walking towards them, curled his lip in disdain, and said, "What's the panic? Do you really think the Fourth Prince is a mythical beast that can eat you?"

“Ninth Brother, you were the one who suggested the Xie Zhi.”

Yin's blunt words left Yin Tang speechless. He rolled his eyes in annoyance and said, "Shut up!"

Yinhao, in his good temper, stopped talking. He knew Yintang well; Yintang was incredibly sharp-tongued when he met his fourth brother, so he decided to keep quiet and avoid suffering the consequences.

Soon, Yinzhen came to them carrying a small wine cup.

"Ninth Brother, Tenth Brother, what are you doing here?"

"What, you're the only one who can come, but we can't?" Yin Tang said irritably when he saw Yin Zhen appear.

"Of course not. Come, let me toast you." Even though it was the New Year, Yinzhen seemed much gentler and didn't hold it against Yintang.

But when Yinzhen's attitude improved, Yintang became even more displeased. Looking at the wine in Yinzhen's hand, he mocked, "Fourth Prince, are you planning to toast both of us with one cup of wine? Is it because you can't hold your liquor or because you look down on us, Prince Yong?"

"Ninth Brother!" Yin tugged at Yin Tang's sleeve, smiled at Yin Zhen who was about to unleash a cold aura, and explained, "Fourth Brother can't exactly carry two cups around, can he? It's alright, there's still wine here. Let's have one cup first, then another, right, Ninth Brother?"

Yin winked at Yin Tang. Although he was afraid of Yin Tang's sharp tongue, he was also afraid of Yin Zhen's cold demeanor. Just kidding, he, the Tenth Prince Yin, really was that kind of person—timid and hesitant!

"Alright, for the sake of the Tenth Prince, I'll reluctantly have a drink with you." Yinzhen forced himself to restrain himself and drank a cup with Yinzhen, who had a cold face.

Seeing Yinzhen lean closer to pour him wine, Yinzhen lowered his cup and thanked him softly. Yinzhen couldn't help but click his tongue. At Yinzhen's prompting, he reluctantly drank a second cup.

He put down his wine glass and started being sarcastic again: "Hey, tenth brother, after you finish your drink, why don't you move aside? They're here to toast you."

"Oh." Yin obediently stepped aside, and then saw Yinzhen brush past them and go to the thirteenth and fourteenth.

"Fourth Brother, Ninth Brother, and Tenth Brother stole our wine."

As soon as Yinzhen approached, Yinzhen stared at him expectantly and began to complain as if to show weakness.

"You're young, so it's alright if you drink a little. The same goes for Yinxiang. I'll have someone bring up a pot of Qinglu in a bit," Yinzhen said to the two of them with a slightly gentle expression.

"Understood, Fourth Brother." Yinxiang nodded obediently. He was never one to fight or compete, nor did he care where a pot of wine went, but he was very pleased with his Fourth Brother's concern.

"Fourth Brother..." Yinzhen called out to Yinxiang before Yinzhen's attention was drawn to him. But when faced with Yinzhen's gaze, he didn't know what to say for a moment. After stammering for a while, he said, "I've been studying hard lately, and I've also been learning riding and archery... I've learned riding and archery very well."

“Yes, Fourteenth Brother is very skilled in archery and horsemanship,” Yinxiang chimed in from the side.

"Not bad." Yinzhen's simple two-word praise made Yinzhen extremely happy, and his smile was radiant.

Yinzhen took out two purses embroidered with the character "福" (fortune) from his sleeve and handed them to the two men, saying, "One for each of you, a red envelope for the New Year."

As soon as they received it, they knew it contained silver notes. Knowing that Yinzhen was looking for an opportunity to subsidize the two of them, they couldn't help but have their eyes redden slightly.

"Thank you, Fourth Brother..."

Sitting in his seat, having watched the whole scene of the brothers' blind date, Yin Tang became increasingly annoyed and couldn't help but complain.

"Fourth brother, you truly repay evil with kindness..."

"Tsk tsk tsk, look at how worthless Fourteen is, so easily moved, why didn't he do something earlier..."

"They even gave him a red envelope. I didn't realize the fourth brother was so rich..."

“Ninth Brother, you seem to be jealous…” Yinzhen, standing to the side, looked at Yinzhen’s resentful face and made a surprising remark.

"What kind of look is that?" Yinzhen couldn't help but jump up and down. If it weren't for the tenth prince saying this, he would definitely have hit him. "I'm just really annoyed. Uya treated the fourth prince so well, but the fourth prince treated the fourteenth prince well. How come when I cut off his pigtail, he cut off my pigtail? Tsk, no wonder I don't like the fourth prince. He's too infuriating."

"Ninth Brother, you really seem jealous..."

"Shut up, just eat yours." Yinzhen said angrily, picking up a chicken leg and stuffing it into Yinzhen's mouth.

"Hmm... now he seems to be angry and embarrassed..." Yin added while biting into a chicken leg.

"Yin!"

"Ah, the chicken leg is good, Ninth Brother, you should have some too..." Only then did the usually oblivious Yin realize that he had probably angered Ninth Brother, and quickly put a chicken leg on his plate.

Fifteen and sixteen, whose seats had been taken over and whose two older brothers had eaten the two chicken legs they had specially saved, huddled together with tears in their eyes, angry but unable to say anything.

Meanwhile, after Yinzhen left, Yixiu socialized among her sisters-in-law. Although she had been promoted from a secondary consort to the primary consort, those who could become princes' consorts were not fools, so naturally she wouldn't show any dissatisfaction.

Everyone chatted idly with gentle and humble smiles, and no one caused any trouble at the New Year's Eve banquet. In any case, Yixiu had a pretty good time.

But sometimes, you can't speak too definitively. Just as Yixiu finished talking with her sisters-in-law and returned to her seat to rest, a palace maid quietly approached her.

"Fourth Princess Consort, this servant is here to deliver a New Year's gift to you." The little palace maid said, taking out a silver-red purse from her sleeve, and then quickly said, "Her Majesty said that there are too many people and too many eyes at the New Year's Eve banquet, so you don't need to go to pay your respects. She only hopes that you can understand her kind heart and bring Princess Rouze to the palace to pay your respects after the New Year."

The young palace maid quietly took her leave after putting down the purse, leaving Yixiu with a stiff expression, barely suppressing her anger, as she opened the purse left on the table.

The silver-red purse had intricate and auspicious patterns, which looked quite festive. But Yixiu remembered it clearly; it was exactly the same as the pattern and even the material of the wedding dress that Lady Uya had specially bestowed upon her when she entered the Prince's mansion as a secondary consort.

This is a reminder that she was promoted from a secondary consort to the primary consort; Uya Clan really knows what to say to hurt her. Yixiu's resentment about her status as a concubine is just like her initial resentment about not being able to wear bright red as a secondary consort.

Opening the purse, inside was an old-fashioned bracelet, which looked like it was made using a manufacturing method popular twenty years ago.

Yixiu couldn't help but clench her fists. This was one of the heirlooms left by her birth mother, which had been held by the Jue Luo clan. No matter how much Yixiu pleaded, she was unable to get it.

Now, what does this mean? Is she being threatened with her mother's belongings?

Uya clan, Gioro clan, or Rouze...

Yixiu's eyes reddened slightly as she tried to compose herself, unwilling to show weakness at the New Year's Eve banquet.

"If you want to see Rouze, then let her see him." Yixiu sneered, watching the Fourteenth Prince conversing with Yinzhen not far away. Since Lady Uya can't stand the bond between mother and son, she probably doesn't care about falling out with the Fourteenth Prince. Since she values ​​Lady Ulanara so much, then it doesn't matter if she has a grudge against Lady Uya…