The old emperor's words were undoubtedly meant to establish the new crown prince's authority, and his tone was full of warnings.

The princes felt very uncomfortable; what was all this about?

The incident involving Prince Lin a few days ago had already made them somewhat uneasy, and now, just a few days later, the crown prince has been changed, and the decision was made so casually without even consulting the court officials. It's easy to imagine how lively tomorrow's court meeting will be.

Although they know that their current strength is indeed no match for the Crown Prince, they don't deserve to be looked down upon so casually by their father, do they?

It's one thing for the others, but it's another for the former crown prince. This damages more than just his reputation.

Prince Mao's outburst today certainly wasn't because he truly wanted to relinquish the position of Crown Prince, yet the Emperor agreed. It's clear that the Emperor's former affection for Prince Mao is gone.

The group exchanged glances, their feelings a mix of emotions that only they themselves truly understood.

They want to fight back, but they don't have the strength. But if they don't say a few words, it's not the right thing to do, and it makes them seem useless.

So the group looked at each other, trying to signal to one another, but none of them were fools and didn't want to be the first to stick their necks out, so they remained silent for a while.

The happiest people here must be the current Crown Prince and his wife, and Lu Baichuan and his wife, just look at He Jiuniang with her head down, only knowing how to eat.

There was nothing else they could do but grit their teeth in silence, since they could never find another Lu Baichuan or another He Jiuniang.

He Jiuniang was used to eating seriously, especially after shopping all day today, she was indeed a bit hungry. Her eating manners were far from elegant, but she always felt that someone was staring at her, which made her uncomfortable.

"Is it inappropriate for us to attend the Emperor's family banquet?"

After eating until she was half full, He Jiuniang finally had a moment to speak quietly with Lu Baichuan.

Today's banquet is truly a family affair. Apart from members of the royal family, the only outsiders are the two of them. If they weren't so thick-skinned, they would really be too embarrassed to sit here.

"It's alright, His Majesty specifically instructed us to stay."

Lu Baichuan acted completely at ease, as if he were one of the group.

"Alright, it seems like His Majesty's acupuncture treatment is finished. I have another patient to treat, so I'll prescribe another prescription for him tomorrow. Shall we go home tomorrow night?"

She quietly made plans; the New Year was just a few days away, and she couldn't afford to delay any longer.

"good."

Although Lu Baichuan has now become a second-rank Assistant General, he has not yet officially taken office. The old emperor has made an exception and allowed him to take office after the New Year, so he has not even moved into the general's mansion bestowed by the emperor.

The emperor's gifts were naturally of good quality, but He Jiuniang had inspected them and was still not entirely satisfied with some of the furnishings. She hired workers to renovate according to her wishes, and they would be able to move in after the New Year.

Although the princes were somewhat dissatisfied with the Crown Prince, they were still quite amiable towards Lu Baichuan and his wife. Even if they didn't pay much attention to the Crown Prince and his wife, they would still occasionally say a few words to Lu Baichuan. In particular, several princes who were fond of martial arts invited Lu Baichuan to go hunting the next day.

Lu Baichuan initially wanted to refuse, but then he thought that this might be an opportunity to help the Crown Prince strengthen his brotherly bond, so he agreed.

"Your Majesty, with the year drawing to a close, my wife and I will be setting off for Jingzhou tomorrow night."

As the banquet was drawing to a close, Lu Baichuan asked the old emperor for his leave.

"Why the rush? Have things been arranged here?"

The old emperor frowned, suddenly feeling a pang of reluctance.

Many things happened during this period, and he realized for the first time that being an emperor could be so easy and enjoyable. If he had met the couple earlier, he wouldn't have been so confused for so long.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, everything has been arranged. I will take up my post after the New Year and will certainly not disappoint Your Majesty and Your Highness."

"How can that be? You just promised me that we would go hunting tomorrow."

King Yue was immediately unhappy when he first invited Lu Baichuan to go hunting. If they went hunting tomorrow, they would definitely have to have a barbecue and drink some wine together. How could they go?

He Jiuniang spoke up for him, saying, "Your Highness, rest assured, you will only go hunting during the day, while we will set off at 9 PM."

"Wouldn't it be better to leave early the day after tomorrow? Why bother traveling in the middle of the night? This wind and snow are unbearable!"

“We are used to walking at night. There are not many people around at night, and it is convenient to travel. We have been away for many days to raise our child.”

At this point, He Jiuniang smiled somewhat shyly, perfectly conveying a mother's longing for her child.

Now, even if someone wanted to persuade them again, they couldn't say much. They heard that the couple's child was quite young, and it was indeed not good for the child to be separated from his parents for so long.

The old emperor said, "In that case, after the New Year, your whole family can move to the capital. Then you won't need to keep running around here. Since you have a large family, I can have someone expand your residence."

The old emperor was genuinely looking out for them. The princes felt as if they had suffered a heart attack, thinking that their father was being far too good to He Jiu Niang, even more so than to his own daughter.

"No need for that. The house is big enough to accommodate everyone. It's just that we have a business at home, so everyone can't leave. It's fine for them to come and visit occasionally, but it would be difficult for them to stay permanently. At most, we can take our parents and a group of children with us."

Whether or not the children can be taken away is another matter. After all, the children's parents are in Jingzhou. If they are brought to the capital, the children will have fewer opportunities to see their parents. We still need to go back and ask everyone's opinion.

"Alright, I'll invite your whole family to dinner after the New Year!"

The old emperor waved his hand and agreed.

He Jiuniang gave an OK sign: "That's a good idea. The family business will also move here. When I develop new flavors, I'll definitely send them to the palace for you as soon as possible."

"Haha, that's perfect!"

Everyone was dumbfounded. The two of them were chatting like old friends despite their age difference. The emperor, however, did not have the self-awareness of an emperor and even invited the family members of his ministers to dinner.

He Jiuniang didn't speak to the old emperor as respectfully as they did; she said whatever she wanted, and the old emperor never got angry, but was happier than ever.

Now, everyone, from the concubines in the harem to the princes and princesses, was filled with jealousy.

After finishing their meal, the two strolled out of the palace hand in hand, as if they had cut back on food. He Jiuniang sighed, "This matter is finally over. But I didn't expect our family to be in the capital so quickly. What will happen to my clubhouse?"

As she spoke, she sighed. That was a place she had put a lot of effort into, and it wouldn't be completed and open until after the New Year. But by then, she would be coming to the capital and wouldn't be able to take care of it at all.

This is really a headache.

"There's no other way, so we'll have to leave it to Madam Cheng. But we can open one in the capital as well. And those ideas you had before can also be put on the agenda."

Lu Baichuan understands her best. After arriving in the capital, she was able to do whatever she wanted without restraint.

"That's true."

As night deepened, the two rode home in a carriage. Lu Baichuan, with his sharp ears, heard a sound coming from the rooftops not far away.

Immediately afterwards, the coachman's trembling voice rang out: "Master, we...we're surrounded!"