The Hundred Flowers Banquet began, the hall was brightly lit, civil and military officials raised their cups and drank together, exchanging toasts, singing and dancing, a scene of peace and harmony.
The Imperial Censor stepped forward to request an audience.
"Your Majesty, the annual song and dance performances are getting a bit stale. I think it would be better to have the young masters and ladies compose poems and couplets, which would be quite interesting."
Yan Wan instantly snapped out of her daze. Here it comes, here comes the troublemaker! The heroine's moment of glory has arrived.
"Very well, Minister Wu is quite right. In that case, I will make a promise as a reward."
"If Your Majesty says so, then I'll add my own little something extra, how about this jade bracelet?" The Empress took the bracelet off her wrist and placed it on the tray.
The other four concubines also added their own prizes, and the noble ladies below the stage were eager to participate. The emperor's promise carried immense weight; if they wanted to become the crown princess, could they also…?
Yan Wan roughly knew the rest of the plot: the female lead, Jing Xi, challenged all the noble ladies in the capital and won first place. After obtaining the emperor's promise, she immediately broke off her engagement with the Vice Minister of Revenue and said, "I would rather be a poor man's wife than a rich man's concubine" and "One love for life." She then persuaded the emperor to allow her to decide her own marriage.
The power of the plot remains strong. No matter how it changes, major events in the plot are inevitable. No matter how far it goes, it will eventually be brought back on track.
It seems I need to find Ji Mohan quickly and strike first.
"Mother, I'm not feeling well and want to go downstairs to rest for a while," Yan Wan said coquettishly to her mother.
"Wan'er, are you feeling unwell? Are you alright?" Mother Yan asked her daughter with concern.
"Mother, I'm fine. It's just a bit stuffy in the palace. I'd like to go out for some fresh air."
"Okay, then go ahead, but don't go too far, or you'll get lost."
"Okay, Mother." Yan Wan happily slipped away.
With so many people in the main hall, no one would know if I sneaked away. I'm such a clever little devil.
What Yan Wan didn't expect was that when she sneaked out, a little one saw her and followed her out.
After stepping outside the hall, Yan Wan stretched and smiled broadly. "Hey, Hanhan, here I come!"
She had only taken a few steps when a childish voice called out to Yan Wan from behind.
"Hey, you woman, you're really too bold! The banquet isn't over yet, and you've already sneaked out to play."
Yan Wan looked back, but there was no one there. It seemed they weren't calling her. She then lifted her leg to leave.
"Hey, you insolent woman, how dare you ignore me, the prince! I'm down here, look down!" An angry voice came from below.
Yan Wan looked down at a little boy with rosy lips and white teeth, who was looking at her with a furious expression.
He claims to be a prince of this age. There aren't many princes this old in the palace, so he must be either the fifth or sixth prince. The fifth prince is the son of Consort Xian, and he's lively, cheerful, and a bit of a smug little fellow. The sixth prince is the son of Consort Liang, who has a gentle personality, while the sixth prince is somewhat introverted. Therefore, this little guy must be the fifth prince without a doubt.
"This humble woman greets Your Highness the Fifth Prince." Yan Wan curtsied.
"Hmph, you're smart to come out here instead of staying at the banquet."
"What is the Fifth Prince doing out here?"
"I...I followed you out because I saw you sneak in."
"Fifth Prince, you may not know this, but I sneaked out to save Ultraman and fight monsters," Yan Wan secretly told the Fifth Prince.
The Fifth Prince, Ji Moqing, suddenly became interested, grabbed Yan Wan's skirt, looked up at her, and said:
"Then I'll go with you. Let's fight monsters together. What's Ultraman? Is he really that powerful? I want to see him!"
Looking at the child in front of her, Yan Wan felt a headache coming on. Just when she was at a loss, she saw someone coming out looking for the Fifth Prince. Her eyes lit up, and she smiled and said, "Someone is looking for you, Fifth Prince. Why don't you go back to the banquet first, and I'll tell you about it when I get back after I've defeated the monster, okay? I'll take you with me next time!"
When Ji Moqing saw the old woman who had come to find him, he knew that his mother would worry if he disappeared, so he could only nod in agreement with a regretful expression.
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