When the Prince of Lin'an was informed of this by his servant, he was displeased. His half-brother's concubine was his mother's personal maid, and the two had been very close since childhood. As a result, he had indulged them in many ways, which led to the couple becoming increasingly outrageous over the years.

It's one thing to be at home, but to come to someone's mansion as a guest today and not know how to behave. I didn't even want to bring them, but his wife said that the children are of marriageable age and she wanted to get out and about.

With her personality, who would dare to propose marriage to her family!

"I understand." Prince Lin'an sighed. Outsiders all thought Xie Liwei was a prince of a different surname who got the throne because of the late empress, but they didn't know that the throne was not given to Xie Liwei, but to the Xie family.

The Xie family was once so glorious. Even though they have no one in the court now, so many great scholars and talents came from Nanshan Academy. Does the Xie family really have no one in the court?

The prince took a big gulp of wine. He was determined to separate the family. If they didn't, he was going to be driven crazy by this couple.

After the farce that had just transpired, the remaining guests refrained from any further misbehavior. Even the group that disliked the dog became well-behaved.

Even so, they still had to say a few words of gossip.

"Didn't we always say that His Highness's health wasn't good? How come he suddenly got twins? I wonder which deity he prayed to and what kind of secret formula for having children he got." The lady spoke in a sarcastic tone, which made people very unhappy.

Unfortunately, Yongle was sitting behind this lady. Yongle suddenly turned around and sneered behind her, making the lady's back go cold. Everyone at the table turned to look at Yongle.

Yongle did not recognize the lady, but her maid whispered a few words in her ear, and Yongle laughed sarcastically upon hearing them.

"Perhaps the Bodhisattva saw that there was a gossipy ghost in your family, which is why he was unwilling to let his son be reborn into your family!"

The lady blushed with shame. Her husband's family had always been a single-lineage family, and now that her son was over thirty and still had no offspring, this had always been a source of heartache for her. So when she saw that Xie Liwei, who was said to be unable to give birth to twins, she was filled with jealousy.

"You, you..."

"If you say less, maybe the Bodhisattva will see that you've been mindful of your words and be willing to give you a child!"

The lady blushed, turned away, and stopped talking.

Apart from these minor squabbles, nothing else unpleasant happened.

Just as the luncheon was about to begin, the Fifth Prince suddenly arrived in the front courtyard.

The male guests in the front courtyard couldn't help but whisper among themselves. The Fifth Prince was currently enjoying great influence in the court. Could it be that his visit to the Xiaoyao Prince's Mansion was an attempt to win over the Xie family?

The fifth prince was not handsome; his long, oval face and prominent white-eyed eyes made him seem unapproachable. However, he was adept at putting on a submissive expression, which made him appear obedient.

He walked into the hall and bowed to Xie Lu.

Xie Lu was holding his beloved grandson and comforting him when he saw the Fifth Prince arrive, so he also stood up and bowed.

"I was unaware of Your Highness's return; I have failed to greet you properly."

"I'm glad you don't mind my intrusion, sir."

Everyone understood the meaning behind the Fifth Prince's words; perhaps he wanted to use this opportunity to build a good relationship with the Xie family?

What's going on? Xie Liwei only became a minor official of the seventh rank, so why do they all think he's already a high-ranking official?

The Fifth Prince not only sent a congratulatory gift, but also dined at the Prince Xiaoyao's residence, which was a clear gesture of goodwill towards the Xie family.

Today's banquet is attended not only by the Fifth Prince, but also by members of the Song family.

The gatekeeper was initially reluctant to let the Song family in because they had no invitation, but the Song family was making a scene at the gate, which would be unsightly, so he had to ask Xie Liwei for permission to let the father and son in.

After Song Chengzhang came in, he kept trying to find an opportunity to get on Xie Liwei's good side, but the people around Xie Liwei kept changing, and no matter who they changed, their status was higher than that of his Song family, so he never got a chance to speak.

At the luncheon, Song Chengzhang was seated at the very back. He was initially angry about the servant's arrangement, but when the servant told him he could leave if he didn't want to sit there, he stopped making a fuss.

He'd better stay first; only by staying can he meet more people. Besides, everyone at this banquet is more capable than him; he can make friends with as many as he can.

With this in mind, Song Chengzhang toasted and drank with others at the table. The banquet was particularly lavish, and Song Chengzhang thoroughly enjoyed the meal.

The Song family was broke, and Lin Shi didn't manage the household anymore. They ate simple meals every day, and he lost a lot of weight. Today, he was enjoying a rare feast, and for a moment, he didn't care about his appearance.

Everyone else was also surprised; this person was actually the father-in-law of the Carefree King?

However, thinking about it, although the reputation of the Carefree Prince wasn't great in the past, the Xie family had always been respectful and would never stand by and do nothing when their father-in-law's family was in such dire straits. Considering the farces the Song family had made over the years, people looked down on them even more.

Song Chengzhang, oblivious to the disdain on their faces, continued chatting and laughing with them. Song Hanzhi, sitting to the side, was so ashamed she wanted to bury her face in her chest.

As soon as the banquet ended, he approached a vice minister of the Ministry of Personnel and asked him to send him out on assignment.

The vice minister, still drunk, spoke without any politeness: "You used to spend money to try and stay in the capital, but now you're thinking of leaving. Let me tell you, there's nowhere good to go now. If you want to leave, you'll inevitably end up in some desolate and barren place."

Song Hanzhi looked troubled. After thinking for a moment, she asked, "Are there any vacancies in Yunzhou?"

Supported by his servant, the Vice Minister, though drunk, was still clear-headed. He pointed at Song Hanzhi from a distance and said, "You, you, alright, I'll help you check it later, but the money will be doubled."

Song Hanzhi's face tightened. "How is this matter any more complicated than staying in the capital? How can you do business like this!"

The vice minister smiled indifferently, "You're about to be transferred out, and who knows when we'll be able to do business with you again, so naturally the prices won't be the same."

Song Hanzhi remained silent, then turned and left.

For the Xie family, today's full moon celebration was a great success.

That evening, the accountant handed Song Yaozhu a list of the gifts and monetary donations received that day. After reading it, Song Yaozhu said to Xie Liwei, "Fifth Prince, this gift is quite substantial; it's an inkstone worth a thousand gold pieces."

Xie Liwei said indifferently, "We'll accept it if you give it to us. As for whether we'll reciprocate, that depends on our mood."

Song Yaozhu chuckled, then got down to business.

"I asked Yongle today, and he said that the gold lock came from the Silver Workshop."

The Silverworks Bureau was a place in the palace that made gold and silver items specifically for the emperor and his concubines. Everything here underwent strict inspection before being presented to the nobles.

How could such a mistake happen in a place like this? It must have been ordered by someone above.

"I originally thought it might be Consort Shu, but now that I think about it, it might be Yuwen Wuji."