Chapter 90 Engagement Banquet
Hearing Queen Shen's advice to him to hold a beauty pageant, Xiao Mingyi frowned slightly and fell into deep thought.
During the heyday of his father's youth, he held a beauty pageant every three years, with each woman chosen to enter the palace younger and more beautiful than the last. His mother repeatedly urged him to participate, and though he was reluctant, he never refused. After all, every emperor and crown prince in every dynasty had a harem of three thousand beauties.
But today in the teahouse, what Ali said to him is still fresh in his mind.
A pair for life.
He had lived for more than twenty years and had never thought of this before, but when she said it tonight, he agreed without thinking.
Given that girl's stubborn temper, if he held this talent show, there would be no possibility between them.
"Don't worry about the selection of concubines, mother. I have my own ideas about the choice of the Crown Princess." Xiao Mingyi said slowly.
Queen Shen was slightly surprised. She stared at the prince for a long while before she said, "There is a candidate. Could it be the girl you have been looking for?"
The atmosphere between mother and son was tense. Feng Tong bowed and served tea, then hurried out of the hall, fearing that he would be affected.
No answer is the best answer.
Queen Shen narrowed her eyes, her gaze sharp: "Have you found someone?"
Xiao Mingyi cleared the foam from his cup, his expression unchanged. "Don't ask any more questions about this matter, Mother. When the time is right, I will bring the person to you for your inspection."
I can’t tell you about finding Ali for now. She is still engaged, so I have to cancel the engagement before I can bring her into the palace.
Queen Shen, who was sitting at the head of the table, was completely upset. The prince had never been so rebellious before.
"She is just an orphan with no power or influence. How can she be the Crown Princess? Moreover, she comes from a poor family. I think she has not received much education and has no sense of the overall situation. Can you trust her to coordinate the affairs of the six palaces?" Queen Shen frowned.
There was silence in the hall for a long time.
Queen Shen originally thought that the prince would reflect on himself, but he thought for a moment and said calmly, "She is still young and can learn everything slowly. Besides, there are six female officials in the harem who can assist her."
“…”
Queen Shen’s face was full of disbelief.
The Crown Prince had been a self-disciplined and virtuous person since childhood. During his three years in Danyang County, he had devoted himself to fighting pirates and had never indulged in women. What kind of woman could seduce the Crown Prince to the point of willingly offering him the position of Crown Princess?
Ever since the Crown Prince took over the government, he has become accustomed to being in charge of everything, and his thoughts have become increasingly restrained and difficult to fathom. Queen Shen knows that excessive interference in the Crown Prince's thoughts will only backfire.
Taking a deep breath, she slowly said, "Since the Crown Prince has made his decision, I cannot refuse your opinion. However, the Crown Princess has many things to learn. It would be better to summon her to the palace and let me personally train her."
"No rush."
Xiao Mingyi lowered his eyes and repeated, "When the time is right, I will bring her to the palace to see you."
Queen Shen's expression changed slightly, but she endured it for a moment and said calmly, "Since the Crown Prince has made up his mind, I won't ask any more questions. But there's just one thing: whether this young lady can enter the Eastern Palace as the Crown Princess, I'll have to meet her first before I decide."
This time Xiao Mingyi did not object.
There is still a long way to go. The most important thing right now is to get Ali to cancel the engagement. As for the position of Crown Princess, if there is no selection, who else can it be given to except her?
The atmosphere eased slightly, and the two chatted for a while before Queen Shen returned to the palace.
…
In a blink of an eye, it was the day of the engagement banquet.
At first light, the Pei family was busy. According to Dayuan custom, the engagement banquet was held at the man's home, with relatives and friends invited as witnesses.
The old lady and the Duke and his wife had prepared a lot of things in advance for the engagement banquet, just to show off the Duke's family's financial resources and give Song Lingyi enough dignity. His second uncle and aunt, who lived far away in Lizhou, also sent letters and gifts.
Early in the morning, many maids and old women flocked into Zhilan Garden and forced Song Lingyi to dress up carefully.
The autumn weather is clear and cloudless.
The carriage from the Duke's Mansion rumbled towards the Pei Mansion.
On the carriage, Song Lingyi wore a long silver-red brocade gown with cloud patterns, paired with a moon-white pleated skirt with gold embroidery. She wore a light layer of makeup, her black hair was tied up in a bun, and she was adorned with intricate pearls and jade. Her earlobes, neck, and wrists were adorned with sparkling jewelry.
Such an exaggerated and gorgeous outfit makes Lu Yu next to her look even more plain.
Song Lingyi had never felt so heavy before. She leaned her head against the wall and said boastfully, "No, this pearl hairpin and step-shake are so heavy, my head is almost broken."
Lu Yu disagreed: "That's nothing. When my cousin gets married, the ceremony will definitely be even grander than it is now."
"Ah?" Song Lingyi was surprised, and the pearl hairpin in her hair trembled slightly.
This is nothing. The bracelet on her wrist alone is enough to buy a piece of land in Kyoto. The Duke's Mansion is indeed wealthy.
"There are so many guests today, and we have to let people know who is the protagonist of the engagement banquet. Cousin, please bear with it. After today, you will be Pei Erlang's legitimate fiancée, and all the noble ladies in Kyoto will envy you." Lu Yu said with a smile.
"..." Song Lingyi frowned in frustration.
For some reason, she always felt uneasy and felt that something was going to happen.
But he had made it so clear last time in the teahouse. The prince should not bother her again.
A quarter of an hour later, a carriage with a red tassel and a canopy stopped at the gate of the Chu Mansion.
It was still early, and aside from the Pei family's relatives and friends, the other guests hadn't arrived yet. The Duke and his wife led Song Lingyi into the main hall to formally greet the elders of the Pei family.
The huge hall was filled with people. As soon as Song Lingyi entered, she was stared at by everyone. She was so nervous that she felt awkward even when she walked.
Fortunately, the elders of the two families have known each other for a long time, and the atmosphere in the hall is particularly harmonious.
Perhaps because people are in high spirits when they are happy, the two old ladies saw Pei Zhao and Song Lingyi standing together, a handsome man and a beautiful woman, and they couldn't stop smiling.
By the time of You, the guests arrived one after another, and the elders of the two families went out to greet them, which gave Song Lingyi some time to catch her breath.
She leaned against the porch pillar, pounded her aching shoulders and neck, and asked lazily, "Ayu, where's your brother?"
Lu Yu shook her head: "I haven't seen him since I got off the carriage. Maybe he went to chat with a young man he knew."
"It's really strange. It's rare to see him so calm."
While the two women were talking, a number of female relatives had already arrived. According to the rules, Song Lingyi had to entertain the female relatives. Fortunately, with the help of Lu Yu and Pei Ling, it was not difficult to handle.
There was laughter and a harmonious atmosphere in the side hall.
Suddenly, a sharp and high-pitched announcement came from outside the curtain: "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has arrived~Her Royal Highness the Princess has arrived~"
Song Lingyi's smile froze on her face.
Your Highness the Crown Prince?
Princess Changyang is fine, but why is he here too?
Pei Ling glanced at Song Lingyi's slightly ugly face and asked softly, "Sister, what's wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell?"
"It's okay." Song Lingyi forced a smile and went to the corridor with everyone in the side hall to welcome the prince and princess.
The sunset gradually disappeared over the rooftops.
A group of dignitaries surrounded the figure in crimson brocade robe and walked towards the main hall. It was not known whether it was Song Lingyi's illusion, but when passing by the corridor, Xiao Mingyi seemed to glance at her.
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