[Wow! This is so grand!]
Xia Miaoyuan lifted the car curtain and looked at the scene in Shanglin Garden, and was already shocked in her heart.
Xia Zhengqi advocated frugality and opposed extravagance, so palace banquets in the past were simpler than this.
[It seems that Daddy is really excited this time, and is willing to spend so much money.]
【Tsk tsk tsk, what a generous move! 】
The emperor and empress got off the car first and walked into Shanglin Garden side by side.
Ke Zun followed closely behind with the two little girls.
When the guests saw the emperor and empress coming, those who were chatting and drinking tea all stopped talking, stood upright facing the emperor and empress, held their breath, and saluted respectfully.
"Today is a palace banquet, not a court banquet, so there's no need to be too formal!" Xia Zhengqi smiled and waved to everyone.
Seeing that Xia Zhengqi was very happy and in a harmonious mood, the guests relaxed a lot and the scene immediately returned to a cheerful atmosphere.
"Great victory in the Northern Frontier, congratulations to the Emperor!"
"God bless the emperor, God bless Daxia!"
Immediately afterwards, several clever guests took the initiative to say auspicious words to Xia Zhengqi.
Xia Zhengqi was so happy that the corners of his mouth stretched from ear to ear.
The emperor and empress walked through the crowd and took their seats.
Debao led Kezun to the seat next to the queen.
This seat was usually occupied by the Empress Dowager.
Ke Zun hesitated a little: "I'm afraid it's not appropriate for me to sit here?"
"Just sit here with peace of mind. This is arranged by His Majesty, how could it be wrong?" Debao carefully helped Kezun to sit down with a smile on his face.
Xia Miaoyuan and Xiao Wanyin sat on Kezun's drooping hands.
Seeing that the nobles were all seated, the guests below suddenly looked surprised and began to whisper to each other with their sleeves covering their mouths.
"How strange! How did Ke Zun end up sitting in the Empress Dowager's position?"
"That's right."
"By the way, where is the Empress Dowager?"
The ones who reacted most strongly were the Jiang family, the Feng family, as well as Yao Jinse and Liang Chaozong's family.
Yao Jinse quickly scanned the entire room but couldn't find the Empress Dowager. A subtle panic flashed across her face.
She approached Liang Chaozong and whispered, "How strange! The Queen Mother didn't even come to such an important palace banquet!"
Liang Chaozong suppressed his emotions and said in a deep voice, "Calm down and observe for a while."
The Jiang and Feng families also became panicked.
The Jiang family had been severely punished by Emperor Mingxi three years ago, and their vitality had been severely damaged. Grand Tutor Jiang had been staying indoors for three years.
This time, they analyzed that the Queen and the Xiao family were going downhill, and Grand Tutor Jiang regained some confidence in reviving the Jiang family.
So, he came to the palace banquet with a shameless attitude.
It turned out that the Queen Mother was absent.
The Feng family, the Duke of Protector of the Country, also held similar ideas.
The Duke of Huguo's only son, Feng Shulai, was a complete loser. Not only was he unable to support the Duke's Mansion, he also made a huge fool of himself at the palace banquet, bringing shame to the Duke's Mansion.
If the Duke of Huguo's Mansion doesn't think of a solution, it will be on the verge of collapse.
They hoped that the Queen and the Xiao family would fall and the Queen Mother would return to the throne so that they could help their Feng family.
The Feng family was distraught when they discovered that the Empress Dowager was absent.
Amid the guests' chatter, the singing and dancing began.
The sound of drums and music is melodious and pleasant, and the dancers, dressed in gorgeous flowing gauze skirts, dance gracefully.
Each of them is as graceful as a willow swaying in the wind, light and elegant, like a fairy descending to earth.
However, the guests' attention was not at all on the singing and dancing performance.
"Huh? That's not right! Concubine Li wasn't present either!"
Finally, a sharp-eyed guest noticed that Concubine Li was absent.
Although there were quite a few concubines in Xia Zhengqi's harem, there were only a few who held the titles of concubine or imperial concubine, and they could be counted on one hand.
In addition, Concubine Li was a person who loved to show off, and she had to dress herself up beautifully every time she attended a palace banquet.
Therefore, Concubine Li's absence was still very conspicuous.
"Could it be that he is sick?"
“Not really.”
"Could it be that the Empress Dowager is ill and can't come, and Concubine Li is also ill and can't come?"
Xia Miaoyuan looked down at the guests who were whispering to each other.
[Really? You guys are such a bummer. Even such wonderful singing and dancing can't stop your gossiping.]
[Even such delicious snacks can't stop you from eating. ]
Xia Miaoyuan couldn't help but roll his eyes.
In the center of the main hall, one dance ended and the next began. However, the discussions below continued and even became louder and louder, surpassing the sound of the drums and music.
Xia Zhengqi curled his lips in exasperation, winked at Debao, and gestured to stop.
Debao stood up straight and shouted to the audience, "Stop the drums and music! The Emperor has something to say!"
The guests were startled and looked at Xia Zhengqi's cold expression from afar, and were all frightened into silence.
Xia Zhengqi stood up and asked loudly, "Everyone, do you have any questions?"
When the guests below saw Emperor Mingxi stand up, they were frightened and hurriedly stood up as well.
Grand Tutor Jiang took the opportunity to deliberately stand behind the Duke of Protectorate, pushed him, and signaled him to ask the emperor. The Duke of Protectorate was unwilling to be the first to speak out, and pulled the sleeve of Prince Jin beside him.
Now, Prince Jin is a favorite of Emperor Mingxi, so it is most appropriate for him to ask.
Even if Emperor Mingxi was unhappy, he would not blame Prince Jin.
"Your Highness Prince Jin, please ask the Emperor why the Empress Dowager and Concubine Li are absent?" The Duke of Protectorate whispered to Prince Jin.
Prince Jin reluctantly pulled his sleeves away from the Duke of Protectorate's hands.
What does the Empress Dowager and Concubine Li have to do with him? Why should he ask on their behalf?
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