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◎It seemed as if God was playing a huge joke on him.◎
In the adjacent private room, the banquet was about to end.
Lu Jing held the teacup in his hand silently. For a moment, he could understand the girl from the Luo family.
I don't know where the love comes from, but the instantaneous heartbeat comes suddenly and is irresistible.
The mechanism turned, and a secret door closed silently.
Lu Jing stood up and opened the window. Under the sign of Wangyun Tower, Yuan Le and the girl from the Luo family parted ways and went in different directions.
The afterglow of the setting sun fell on Yuan Le, outlining his clear and elegant eyebrows and eyes.
Lu Jing watched his sweetheart leave. Yuan Le didn't like Long Yang, so how could he accept Fentao's love?
Even until now, he still couldn't get over the last hurdle in his heart.
But if you like someone, you like him/her, there is no way to tell whether it is right or wrong.
The only person he liked was Yuan Le, just Yuan Le as a person, nothing else.
Listening to the conversation in the private room just now, Lu Jing actually envied Luo Yun.
At least she could openly express her feelings for Yuan Le.
The sunset glowed brilliantly in the sky, and Lu Jing thought it was as if the heavens were playing a huge joke on him.
But he couldn't convince himself to let go.
The only thing to be thankful for is that Yuan Le has had no thoughts of getting married in the past two or three years.
He still has a chance, so he can take it step by step.
Even he himself still needs some time to accept it.
…
The weather was getting colder day by day, just like the situation in the court.
Yesterday was the second snow of this winter. Even the dullest person in the court could see the conflict between the Eastern Palace and Prince Zhao's Palace.
In the study of Leyouyuan, Gu Ningxi had a closed-door conversation with his cousin.
The Eastern Palace has been trying to recruit my cousin recently. Since the Meng family is related to the Xuanping Marquis Mansion by marriage, it seems natural that they should lean towards the Eastern Palace.
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince does not have enough influence among the military commanders and urgently needs to cultivate his own confidants to compete with Prince Zhao's Palace.
Meng Ting and Gu Ningxi recounted the incident when the steward of the Eastern Palace came to deliver gifts that day, hinting that there were countless famous generals in Prince Zhao's Mansion, and it would be difficult for him to make a name for himself in the court without the help of noble people.
"What do you mean, cousin?"
Meng Ting was still hesitant. He did not want to get involved in the party struggle, but the Meng family had a shallow foundation in Kyoto. If they were suppressed by the Donggong faction, they would probably have a difficult time in the future.
He was also the first generation in his family to enter officialdom, and had no elders to guide him.
Meng Ting asked, "What do you think of the current situation in the court?"
The Eastern Palace and Prince Zhao's Palace competed for supremacy, but ultimately, there was only one throne. The Eastern Palace expanded its military power, while Prince Zhao established a literary academy to recruit talent and make up for the shortcomings of civil administration.
In the royal family, His Royal Highness Prince Huai clearly supports the Crown Prince, and the two palaces are forming a siege on Prince Zhao's Palace.
"It's difficult." Gu Ningxi thought about it and subconsciously stood on the side of Prince Zhao's Mansion.
His Majesty had no intention of changing the heir. The Crown Prince was the heir whom he had carefully cultivated for many years and was the legitimate eldest son. Moreover, the country was newly established, and deposing the eldest son and enthroning the youngest son would easily lead to unrest in the court, and many ministers were opposed to it.
With the support of civil officials outside and the protection of the queen inside, the position of the Eastern Palace was originally as stable as Mount Tai.
But unfortunately, the opponent the prince met was King Zhao.
His Royal Highness King Zhao unified half of the Jin Dynasty, defeated Xue Cheng in the west, pacified Zhou Shichang in the north, and captured two kings in one battle at Sishui Pass, laying the foundation for the establishment of the Jin Dynasty. His military achievements and prestige were unmatched.
Even though it is still unknown who will eventually take the throne, according to Gu Ningxi, if His Royal Highness Prince Zhao wants to become the crown prince legitimately, the possibility is very slim.
That's why the scene in her dream appeared.
Gu Ningxi didn't care about the decisions of other court officials, but her cousin was her closest relative.
"Factional strife is like a whirlpool, dangerous at every step." Gu Ningxi had firsthand experience and gave himself a clear answer. "The odds of succession between the Eastern Palace and Prince Zhao's Mansion are roughly 70:30. The Eastern Palace has no guarantee of victory. Besides, His Royal Highness Prince Zhao is not the type to sit back and wait for death."
He dared to fight against Zhao Jianan's army of 100,000 with only 3,500 cavalrymen, so why couldn't he break into a mere capital city?
Although Your Majesty has long since seized the military power from His Royal Highness Prince Zhao, and Prince Zhao is not allowed to lead troops unless it is a war, his popularity in the army cannot be taken away no matter what.
Meng Ting was clear-headed and hadn't been blinded by the high office and generous salary promised by the Eastern Palace. He had no intention of joining the faction struggle, but Gu Ningxi's words reassured him of his choice.
Gu Ningxi knew a bit about the Eastern Palace's style of doing things: "My cousin has declined once, and I'm afraid the Eastern Palace will send people again and again. They might even ask me to persuade my cousin."
Gu Ningxi and Meng Ting deduced the possible measures that the Eastern Palace might take and came up with ways to deal with them one by one.
Fortunately, my cousin's official position and military achievements were not that eye-catching. The Eastern Palace was busy suppressing the generals of Prince Zhao's palace and probably didn't have much energy to embarrass my cousin.
"What about you?" Meng Ting was worried about Gu Ningxi.
Gu Ningxi smiled wryly. The Xuanping Marquisate was leaning towards the Eastern Palace, using her, the "eldest grandson," as a pawn. Because of her past at Prince Zhao's residence, the Crown Prince didn't hold her in the same regard as before. But if she wanted to leave, it would be incredibly difficult.
Gu Ningxi said, "I will do my best to protect myself. When the construction of Renzhi Palace begins next year, I will see if I can ask for permission to supervise the construction."
"That's fine."
…
The moonlight was bright, and candles lit brightly in Fengyi Palace. Emperor Mingde stayed in Fengyi Palace tonight. Seeing his wife reviewing palace affairs at her desk, he said, "You haven't been feeling well lately. Just leave these trivial matters to Concubine De. Why do you have to do them yourself?"
Empress Yao smiled and said, "Sister Defei has done a thorough job. I was just checking the guest list for the flower viewing banquet the day after tomorrow."
In the twelfth lunar month, plum blossoms bloomed in profusion, their subtle fragrance lingering in the air. With the arrival of fresh snow, it was the perfect time to explore the snow and find plum blossoms. The palace held a banquet in the plum garden, inviting the younger generation of aristocratic families to come and admire the blossoms.
Emperor Mingde shook his wife's hand, feeling a little cold. "The Imperial Hospital has a new prescription. Are you feeling better?"
"I'm fine. I just haven't been sleeping well these past few days. Your Majesty, why make such a fuss? I'll drink some tranquilizing medicine and I'll be better."
Queen Yao lowered her eyes. After all, this was also her own worry.
Since the beginning of winter, she has been having more and more strange dreams.
The dream involved state affairs, but Empress Yao never mentioned it to anyone, including her partner.
It's just nonsense. If it gets out, I don't know how much trouble it will cause.
The Emperor and Empress reviewed the list of noble ladies who would be attending the banquet. Ostensibly to enjoy the flowers, Emperor Mingde had other motives. He had noticed that Qi'an had moved on from her previous relationship and had become more open-minded in recent months. Seizing this opportunity, Emperor Mingde wanted to find a suitable consort for Qi'an before the New Year.
Once Qi'an gets married, he will be able to devote more attention to the palace and won't have to devote himself entirely to government affairs.
A new name had just been added to the list, written by Empress Yao herself, and the emperor did not notice the difference.
The legitimate daughter of Marquis Xuanping, Gu Ningwan.
…
The snow had just stopped and the snow in front of Fengyi Palace had been cleared.
Lu Jing entered Fengyi Palace and greeted them with greetings, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. May your Majesty live forever."
"Get up quickly," Queen Yao said gently, "Is it cold outside?"
"Not bad." Lu Jing replied with a smile.
Empress Yao ordered her maid to bring freshly brewed five-flavor ginger tea. "Although you are young, it's freezing cold. You should wear more clothes when you go out and take good care of yourself. The people in Prince Zhao's palace should also pay more attention to you."
Sun Jing received the Queen's order and bowed in response.
Queen Yao also invited two or three noble ladies to accompany her in the main hall. Lu Jing was only familiar with one of them, Yuan Le's eldest sister.
The noble ladies all paid their respects to His Royal Highness Prince Zhao. Gu Ningwan's seat was closest to His Royal Highness Prince Zhao, and she felt strange about it.
At today's plum blossom viewing banquet, His Majesty and the Empress clearly intended to choose Princess Zhao, which also gave the court's eligible generation the opportunity to meet each other and make more good marriages.
But she had already been engaged to the Prince of Ningguo, and somehow her name was added to the invitation.
Just now, the Queen Mother spoke to her and asked about her marriage.
Gu Ningwan responded appropriately. Apart from her, the other two noble ladies in the palace also came from dukes' and marquises' families and were suitable candidates for princesses.
Gu Ningwan thought to herself that maybe the Queen just wanted to find an irrelevant person to keep her company.
Lu Jing gently moved the teacup, and Queen Yao put the hand warmer aside, taking in the expressions of Qi'an and the young lady from the Marquis of Xuanping's mansion.
It was obvious that the two of them were not familiar with each other; they didn't even exchange glances. Empress Yao could see that the unfamiliarity between them was genuine, without even the slightest hint of concealment.
The Empress smiled and shook her head, feeling somewhat absurd. She had twice heard in her dreams that Qi'an had married the daughter of the Marquis of Xuanping as his concubine, so she took this opportunity to give it a try.
The result is obvious, the dream is indeed irrelevant.
The Marquis of Xuanping only had this one legitimate daughter. Empress Yao had also asked people to inquire about it. Although several other girls in the Marquis of Xuanping's mansion were raised by the wife of the principal wife, they were all recorded as illegitimate children in the family tree.
The young lady from the Gu family was dignified and graceful, and Empress Yao loved her from the bottom of her heart. She prepared a pair of mutton-fat jade pendants as a gift. In the cold winter, she was also reluctant to let the young lady enter the palace to attend the banquet as a guest, just because of her own private confusion.
…
After leaving Fengyi Palace, Sun Jing wanted to ask the prince where he was going.
He was worried that the prince would hide back in Ruihe Palace again, which would be a waste of the emperor's kindness and make him unhappy.
Fortunately, fortunately, His Highness only said: "Go to the Plum Garden."
Sun Jing was overjoyed and hurried to catch up with the prince.
The garden was blanketed in white, and the plum blossoms on the branches were in full bloom. It was a sunny day, and the north wind was not strong, so many guests came to admire the flowers in the garden.
Today's banquet was attended by young nobles and young ladies from aristocratic families. Free from the constraints of their elders, they spoke freely and at ease. The various families were delighted to have arranged several well-matched marriages, expressing their gratitude for the palace's arrangements.
In winter, the plum blossom stands out among all the flowers. However, the girls at the banquet were all very charming and their clothes were bright and colorful.
As soon as Lu Jing entered the plum garden, he immediately saw the particularly eye-catching Gu Yuanle in the crowd.
He stood beneath a plum tree, the branches gleaming with freshly fallen snow, making his already delicate features appear even more ethereal and pure. His azure-colored robes fluttered slightly in the breeze, the snow and ice behind him framing him, and the blossoms beside him shading him, he looked like a banished immortal.
What a pity, it was originally a perfect scene, but there were too many irrelevant people around.
Most of the noble ladies present had learned painting from Master Gu. Gu Ningxi had an excellent memory and remembered their names.
Although not all the girls were attracted to Lord Gu, and many of them already had suitable marriages chosen by their families, it was always worth taking a few more glances at Lord Gu's character and appearance.
Food and sex are human nature.
A noble lady smiled and said, "There is something special about admiring flowers after the snow. It would be a shame if we couldn't paint such a beautiful scene to enjoy it."
Another noble lady chimed in, "How about next time in class, Master Gu lead us in painting plum blossoms after the snow?"
As soon as these words were spoken, several people responded.
"Okay." Gu Ningxi agreed happily and felt it was a good idea.
She asked the girls to pay more attention to the scenery in the garden, and each of them could paint a different picture of winter plum blossoms.
One girl said, "But the scenery that Master Gu saw must not be as good as ours."
"Why?" Gu Ningxi was curious.
Seeing Master Gu answering, the girl smiled and said, "Because I can't see myself in Master Gu's scenery."
It was a harmless joke, and the ladies all laughed. Gu Ningxi also smiled and shook her head.
The wind blew down a few plum blossom petals, and the girls gathered around Master Gu to chat. Master Gu was about their own age, gentle as jade, and talking to him was particularly joyful, like a spring breeze.
"Your Highness Prince Zhao."
"Long live Your Highness."
The ladies hurriedly performed the formal greetings, and Gu Ningxi also bowed. "Your Highness," she said with a smile, "When did Your Highness arrive?"
When she arrived at the garden early in the morning, she had not seen His Royal Highness Prince Zhao.
Lu Jinghua didn't even have time to admire a single flower, his eyes sweeping around her calmly. He said calmly, "Come on, play chess with me."
"Ah? Okay."
Although she was surprised, Gu Ningxi still agreed and nodded goodbye with the other girls.
Many of the noble ladies had come with the intention of choosing Prince Zhao's consort, and now the very image was before them. His Highness Prince Zhao was a descendant of noble lineage, the most distinguished of all the princes. His appearance, inherited from both His Majesty and Empress Yiwen, was completely different from the impression given by Lord Gu, and equally handsome and extraordinary. The noble ladies were tempted, but since His Highness Prince Zhao showed no interest in speaking to them, they dared not speak rashly.
In a moment of distraction, His Highness had already taken Lord Gu away.
"Your Highness is respectfully escorted by your Highness."
In the Jiangxue Pavilion in the Plum Garden, Lu Jing temporarily ordered someone to set up a chess game.
Here, amidst the bustle, lies a tranquil retreat, with only Yuan Le and him. The delicate fragrance of plum blossoms dispels the sweet scent of cosmetics.
After making some arrangements, Lu Jing looked at the colorful flowers in the garden and felt that he should have come earlier.
He ordered his attendants to guard outside the pavilion so that no one would disturb his enjoyment of playing chess.
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Isn't Your Highness not good at chess?" Gu Ningxi took the black piece in the pavilion and couldn't help asking curiously.
【Author’s words】
Xiao Lu: No one is allowed to come over!
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