Leisurely clouds reflected in the pool? Time flows by, seasons change, stars shift—autumn arrives. Whether it's truly autumn or not, I don't know, but the winter wind is biting and quite chilly.
Time flies, and the year draws to a close. We bid farewell to the old and welcome the new. Today is New Year's Eve, and all officials, both civil and military, gather to celebrate this grand and joyous occasion.
Inside the grand hall, the sounds of string and wind instruments filled the air, and cups clinked in celebration. The officials raised their glasses, their conversation flowing freely, creating a joyous atmosphere. Such a scene of peace and prosperity was actually quite rare during Yu Jingchen's reign.
Aside from necessary banquets, he never arranged any separate feasts, and even banquets in the inner palace were rare. This was partly because Yu Jingchen disliked them, and partly because there was no Empress yet. The Wen family in the past wouldn't have held such events either, as she disliked socializing and didn't enjoy crowds.
The ministers had mostly arrived, and Nan Su's position, as the head of the military officials, was the most prestigious seat among them. The concubines of the harem, and those of the rank of concubine or higher, were also seated there according to their respective positions.
In the middle was the emperor. Since there was no empress, the position next to the emperor's throne was that of the empress dowager, separated by only a short distance. Next were the four consorts. The Noble Consort was closest to Yu Jingchen because she was the head of the four consorts and was also in charge of this banquet.
Almost everyone has arrived, except for Yu Jingchen, the Empress Dowager, and the four consorts. Consort Xian is under house arrest, so naturally she can't come. (That fool who spoke sarcastically to Nan Zhiyun in front of the Empress Dowager earlier.)
Consort De and Consort Gui were the first to arrive, accompanied by the eldest princess. The eldest princess seemed much more docile. Most of the concubines in the harem envied Consort De, after all, she had gained a child out of nowhere. Even if it wasn't a prince, it was still His Majesty's child.
His Majesty has few heirs these days. Since ascending the throne, none of the women in the harem have conceived. And now he favors Consort Shu above all others. If they wanted a child, it would be as difficult as climbing to heaven. So even a princess would be quite nice.
They had heard that the eldest princess had just been severely beaten by Consort De when she went to Consort De's place. They thought His Majesty was going to be angry, but unexpectedly, Consort De still managed to get away with it.
They genuinely couldn't understand why Consort De had the right to be a concubine. If it weren't for Consort Yan, she might have already lost her position as a concubine. With her personality and intellect, could she really rely on herself in this palace? If she did, she probably wouldn't have enough lives to survive. (Consort Yan is the current Consort; her name is Yan Qing. She's called this to distinguish her from the previous Consort Wen.)
Next up was Yu Jingchen.
"His Majesty has arrived!" Xinglai shouted.
Everyone stood up, and when Yu Jingchen appeared, they shouted in unison, "Greetings, Your Majesty!"
After Yu Jingchen walked to the head seat, he looked down and said, "Rise, everyone. It's the New Year's banquet, so please don't be too formal." Of course, this was just a casual remark; who would take it seriously?
Yu Jingchen originally wanted to go with Nan Zhiyun, but the Empress Dowager had summoned them away first, so he had to go alone.
The Empress Dowager and Nan Zhiyun haven't arrived yet, and naturally, no one dares to say anything. However... recently, there's been much speculation about Yu Jingchen's attitude towards the Nan family, and everyone is unsure for the time being.
"The Empress Dowager has arrived! Consort Shu has arrived!" They've finally come.
Today, the Empress Dowager wore a black phoenix robe with patterns sewn with gold thread, exuding elegance and majesty. Beside her, Nan Zhiyun wore a purple palace dress, noble and elegant, specially prepared for her by the Empress Dowager.
"Your Majesty," Nan Zhiyun greeted.
Since Nan Zhiyun left, Nan Su has been looking at his daughter. After returning, he had only seen her once, and he still missed her very much.
Besides him, there was also Luo Yuncheng. Princess Chang Le was punished last time, so she didn't attend today's New Year's Eve banquet.
Nan Zhiyun was pulled to sit next to the Empress Dowager. Her favoritism was always blatant, and no one would dare to offend her.
Throughout the banquet, Yu Jingchen's attention kept drifting towards Nan Zhiyun. He watched her sit obediently beside the Empress Dowager, like a child who had come with an adult, looking bewildered, somewhat restrained and nervous, yet also curious and excited.
She would secretly drink alcohol and eat more of her favorite foods, like a little hamster stealing a bite. After eating, she would glance down, as if afraid of being laughed at by the people below, like a thief.
Upon seeing this, Yu Jingchen couldn't help but smile slightly, then picked up his cup and took a sip of wine to conceal his amusement. However, Yu Jingchen was the emperor, and with so many people watching him, some still noticed.
But... seeing Yu Jingchen smile is like seeing the King of Hell refuse to take people, because... it's wishful thinking, okay? Yu Jingchen smiles? They've only ever seen Yu Jingchen's cold smiles and fake smiles, never this kind of gentle smile.
Nan Zhiyun was still eating, albeit very slowly, when she inadvertently caught Yu Jingchen's gaze while observing her surroundings. For a moment, she stopped chewing, feeling quite embarrassed.
Yu Jingchen raised an eyebrow slightly, and Nan Zhiyun avoided his gaze. Yu Jingchen then called Xing Lai over.
"Send these to Consort Shu; she likes them," Yu Jingchen said.
"Yes," Xinglai had already observed it; he knew it.
Fortunately, what came over was a plate of kumquats and grapes, which were sweet and sour, and Nan Zhiyun really liked the taste.
"Your Highness, this is what His Majesty said you liked, so he sent it to you." Xinglai said, and Nan Zhiyun glanced at Yu Jingchen, but Yu Jingchen was not looking at her now.
"Then I thank Your Majesty," Nan Zhiyun replied. Those below were also incredulous at this sight; was His Majesty now so concerned about Consort Shu?
The Empress Dowager didn't say much, as she had no intention of offending Yu Jingchen at this grand banquet.
After Xinglai left, Nan Zhiyun started eating by herself. Everyone was watching the song and dance performances, so who was paying attention to her? Gradually, she became more unrestrained, peeling kumquats and grapes.
She likes to eat grapes, but she really hates the grape skins, so she struggled with it for a long time.
Luo Yuncheng, who was below, had been watching Nan Zhiyun closely and found it somewhat amusing to see her acting this way. Yu Jingchen noticed Luo Yuncheng's movements, and his expression darkened slightly.
"What did Crown Prince Yuncheng think of these songs and dances?" Yu Jingchen asked without warning. Luo Yuncheng hadn't watched the performance closely, so he casually replied, "The songs and dances in the palace are naturally quite good."
"Is Prince Yuncheng planning to leave again this time?" Yu Jingchen asked him.
"I don't plan to leave this time. Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty." Luo Yuncheng remained calm and composed, his face showing no emotion.
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