As usual, Emperor Kangxi held a palace banquet in the Imperial Garden on New Year's Eve, naturally entertaining members of the imperial family.

According to their rank, the princes sat in rows to the left and right of Emperor Kangxi. Lanqin and Lady Nian naturally sat behind their husbands. To their left were the Third Prince and his family, and to their right were the Fifth Prince and his family.

Lanqin discovered that the Crown Prince's family had also arrived, but he was no longer sitting in the first seat on the left, but below Prince Zhi, because he was now also a bald prince.

Then look at Prince Zhi, who has already changed into a prince's brocade robe, and his wife has also changed into a prince's wife's court dress. The complete set of ruby ​​and gold headdress makes the wife look very elegant and noble.

Next, let's look at the Third Prince. He was originally favored by Emperor Kangxi, but was confined to his residence for several months because of a pair of stone lions at the gate that violated regulations. It's quite rare for him to be sitting here now. Since this disaster was caused by the Third Prince's wife's relatives, the Third Prince bringing her here today is only out of consideration for their long-standing marriage. Therefore, the Third Prince's wife is dressed extremely dignifiedly and modestly today, not daring to raise her head, and behaving very well, keeping a low profile.

Lanqin turned to look at the Eighth Prince again. The once elegant and refined Eighth Prince, who had so captivated her, was now, like the deposed Crown Prince, forced to wear the court robes of a prince. Although he no longer possessed his former carefree air, the Eighth Prince remained calm, his eyes gentle. He had lost a lot of weight, and a hint of melancholy could be seen in his expression. Behind him, his Eighth Princess Consort, dressed in her court robes, stood tall and spirited, seemingly striving to salvage the last vestige of dignity for the Eighth Prince's household.

There wasn't much else to see, but the Fourteenth Prince looked remarkably energetic, as if he had grown taller; a beard had appeared on his chin, making him look much more mature. It must be said that the battlefield is the best place to temper a man, and the Fourteenth Prince no longer exuded the aura of a rebellious teenager. His wife wore a bright red cheongsam and a lavish gold headdress, so elaborate it was dazzling.

Lanqin silently studied the names of the most popular princes in the struggle for the throne, and finally looked at Kangxi. He seemed to have aged considerably in an instant. Although not yet sixty years old, he appeared somewhat gaunt from his indulgence in women, his cheeks sunken, and his nasolabial folds and frown lines deep. Lanqin also vaguely learned from the Fourth Prince about Kangxi's extensive recruitment of renowned physicians to the palace.

The four consorts, Hui Rong, De Yi, and Yi, sat on either side of Emperor Kangxi, each dressed with elegance and grace.

Consort Hui appeared very happy, naturally because her son was the only one to be promoted to the rank of Prince, and it seemed that the position of Crown Prince was already beckoning to the eldest prince, just one step away. Consort Hui was naturally overjoyed; she was one of the earliest concubines to serve Kangxi, and now, old and faded, her favor had waned, and she was counting on her son's rise to power. Consort Rong remained indifferent. When the Third Prince was favored, she showed little joy; now that he had fallen out of favor, she showed little disappointment, maintaining her composed demeanor, as if she had truly seen through the vanities of the world. Consort De, needless to say, always maintained a dignified and gentle expression on occasions like this, making her very pleasant to behold, no wonder Kangxi always favored her. Consort Yi, however, seemed rather listless. Although neither of her two sons were considered frontrunners in the struggle for the throne, the Eighth Prince's demotion indirectly dealt a blow to her Ninth Prince, especially since the Eighth Prince's wife was her niece.

The palace banquet proceeded smoothly and uneventfully, and the dances were nothing particularly amazing. Just as everyone was wondering what to do, suddenly, a series of dazzling fireworks burst forth in the sky above the Imperial Garden.

"Look, how beautiful!" came the voices of the princesses sitting behind the concubines. Next, the princesses and princes from various places spoke first, followed by the sons and nephews of the imperial relatives who had entered the palace with their fathers and mothers.

Lanqin and the others also looked up slightly to watch the fireworks bursting in the sky like fairies scattering flowers; it was truly beautiful. This celebration was fitting, as the Qing Dynasty had won a decisive victory against Galdan this year.

Having transmigrated to the Qing Dynasty, where streets are filled with people sporting crescent-shaped haircuts and swaying braids, it's already the fifth year. It's truly flown by. She's now a mother of two daughters and the head of the Fourth Prince's household, with the famous "Consort Hua" sitting beside her—the one who uttered the infamous phrase, "A bitch is just pretentious." However, Consort Hua is currently only a secondary consort, and there are still thirteen years until she becomes the arrogant, ruthless, and alluring Consort Hua. In these thirteen years, she will have to outwit and outmaneuver her, while also protecting her offspring and her own position. The task is incredibly long and arduous.

"Consort Niu, come, wishing you a happy new year!" The Fifth Consort, who was sitting at a table away from Lanqin, suddenly turned around and raised her cup to Lanqin.

Lanqin was surprised that she would suddenly drink with her, so she quickly raised her wine cup to the Fifth Princess and said, "Thank you, Fifth Princess! It should be Lanqin toasting the Fifth Princess! I wish the Fifth Princess good fortune, health and happiness in the coming year."

Nowadays, the Fifth Prince rarely appears at royal banquets, and only on occasions like this does he show up. Therefore, his wife is rarely mentioned among the other wives. Lanqin only felt that she was a typical lady from a prominent family. She was indeed exceptionally beautiful, and even her speech and smile were like a painting.

Lanqin felt completely at ease, enjoying a drink and exchanging auspicious words with such a classic beauty. Moreover, since the Fifth Prince's wife was the primary consort, her raising her cup to Lanqin first was a sign of her lowering her status, indicating that the Fourth Prince was quite popular among his brothers.

"Third Princess Consort, I toast you with a cup of wine, wishing you eternal youth and everlasting wealth!" Seeing Lanqin toasting the Fifth Princess Consort, Lady Nian couldn't resist joining in and said to the Third Princess Consort on the other side.

Originally, the Third Prince's wife disdained to speak with other people's concubines, but now that the Third Prince was not as good as before, it was already very rare for someone to take the initiative to speak to her. So she also raised her wine cup appropriately and said to Lady Nian, "Thank you, Concubine Nian. I heard that Concubine Nian has just given birth to a prince for the Fourth Prince. Congratulations."

"Thank you very much, Third Princess Consort," said Madam Nian with a beaming smile.

Immediately, people began toasting each other and exchanging auspicious words. Lanqin secretly observed who was toasting the Fourth Prince. It was clear at a glance that the most people were toasting the Prince of Zhi, indicating that they were optimistic about his future. Next were the Fourth Prince and the Fourteenth Prince, who had the most people present. It was indeed very pragmatic. The deposed Crown Prince and the Eighth Prince were almost deserted.