The atmosphere of the banquet did not become dull because of the departure of the Northern Mongol princess; on the contrary, it became lively again because of the subsequent gift presentation.
Everyone eagerly awaited the next exciting gift presentation.
The gifts presented by the sixth prince were still a string of Buddhist prayer beads and several handwritten scriptures, which had become his annual tradition.
Next, it was the Seventh Prince's turn to present his gift.
All eyes turned to the Seventh Prince, and the Second and Fifth Princes also turned their gazes toward him.
In previous years, the Seventh Prince rarely attended due to poor health, and even when he did attend, the gifts he presented were nothing more than ordinary items.
He is completely different this year compared to previous years.
The Second Prince and the Fifth Prince had long been keeping a close watch on the Seventh Prince's every move, but they still couldn't find out what the Seventh Prince was about to present, which made them very anxious and uneasy.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the Seventh Prince slowly stood up.
He took out a scroll from his bosom and said, “Father, I have discovered an iron mine and had someone draw it. I am presenting this painting to you.”
Upon hearing the Seventh Prince's words, everyone was stunned and speechless, their faces filled with disbelief.
The emperor stood up excitedly and said urgently, "Quickly—bring it up so I can see it!"
The seventh prince presented the scroll, and upon unfolding it, the emperor's face lit up with ecstatic joy. He exclaimed, "Excellent! Excellent! My son has truly put his heart into this!"
"This place was discovered by chance by the Jin family when they were looking for medicinal herbs for me. The greatest credit should go to the Jin family and Jiaojiao."
The Seventh Prince changed the subject, and everyone's gazes toward Jiang Jiaojiao and the Jin family burned like fire.
"Hahaha—good, good, good!"
The emperor looked at the sprawling mines and said, "Rewards—rewards for all! Confer upon Jiaojiao the title of First-Rank Princess! The Jin family has rendered great service, and is hereby granted the title of First-Rank Marquis of Wealth! The mining of this iron mine will be personally managed by the Marquis of Wealth!"
The Jin family has turned a lump of iron into a lump of gold.
A respectable merchant was suddenly promoted to a noble rank—something unheard of and unseen before.
Jiang Jiaojiao led the entire Jin family to kneel down in gratitude and cheer for the Emperor. Tonight's banquet was only possible because the Jin family had secured a seat thanks to the First Rank Lady Jin's status; not many people attended.
Now that he had risen to such heights, the eldest son of the Jin family was instantly moved to the row of kings and nobles, pushing Jiang Qingyun, the Marquis of Yongchang, who was originally at the back, out of the line and into the ranks of court officials, his face extremely ugly.
There was another person on the field whose face looked equally grim.
The King of Northern Mongolia accidentally crushed a wine cup—an iron mine! It was an iron mine!
How many weapons could this produce... and the mysterious metal on that dragon boat... The King of Northern Meng instantly felt a strong threat, and his gaze toward the Seventh Prince carried a hint of apprehension.
The second prince was furious, his hands clenched into fists.
The Fifth Prince's gentle demeanor froze on his face, a chilling glint in his eyes, revealing a hint of apprehension.
I never expected that the seventh brother would come up with such a big deal!
It was delivered to him by the Jin family and Jiang Jiaojiao. At this moment, both the Second Prince and the Fifth Prince felt regret and stared at Jiang Jiaojiao. This... is truly a golden nugget!
The emperor was excited.
With a wave of his hand, the old man came out carrying the imperial edict.
The much-anticipated item for the Dragon Boat Festival midnight banquet has appeared.
The imperial edict was slowly unfurled, captivating everyone's attention.
"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Now that a prince has come of age and is capable of taking charge and sharing the Emperor's burdens, the Second Prince Li Mao is hereby enfeoffed as Prince An, with the fief of Liaodong Commandery; the Third Prince Li Gong is hereby enfeoffed as Prince Wu, with the fief of Saibei Commandery; the Fifth Prince Li Jue is hereby enfeoffed as Prince Jing, with the fief of Qionghai Commandery; the Sixth Prince Li Rui is hereby enfeoffed as Prince Fan, with the fief of Shengfoshan; the Seventh Prince is hereby enfeoffed as Prince Chen, with the fief of Shu Commandery; the remaining princes will be enfeoffed after they reach adulthood."
"Seventh Prince has rendered meritorious service in presenting this gift; he shall be awarded two more imperial pearls!"
The emperor laughed loudly.
The expressions of the Second Prince and the Fifth Prince changed simultaneously, and even the Empress almost lost her composure.
The character "宸" (Chen) already carries a noble connotation, and with the addition of two imperial pearls, he is considered the most honored among the princes.
What's the difference between this and appointing a crown prince?
There was also the fiefdom of Shu Commandery, which was the largest and most prosperous of all the fiefdoms.
The emperor's heart has completely turned to Qionghai and Liaodong!
Consort Zhang paid no attention to the word "Chen" in her name; she was simply overjoyed by the additional imperial pearl bestowed upon her.
Saibei County is located near the Northwest Fortress, which is her maternal home. In the future... perhaps she will have the opportunity to leave the palace and live with her son in the fiefdom, returning to that place she longs for.
Chen Jin'er was naturally happy for the seventh prince who was granted the title of Prince Chen, but she was even happier that Jiao Jiao and the Jin family had received the honors.
Jiang Xue, standing behind the Fifth Prince Jing, stared wide-eyed with jealousy, her eyes filled with anger and resentment.
Prince Chen! It's actually Prince Chen!
There's also a First-Rank Princess! And a Wealthy Marquis!
"It shouldn't be like this..." Jiang Xue murmured to herself, "This is all different from what's described in the storybooks!"
However, what shocked her even more was the reward that Prince Chen received.
According to the story, when the princes were promoted, the seventh prince was the Prince of Chen, and the fifth prince, the Prince of Jing, was granted two imperial pearls. But now he has become the Prince of Chen!
Things have once again deviated from the predictions in the storybook...
Jiang Xue's face turned deathly pale. She had made a promise to His Highness in exchange for this opportunity to attend...
"Thank you for your great kindness, Father Emperor!"
The princes knelt to express their gratitude for the imperial favor.
All the princes who came of age were granted titles, including the sixth prince who had been sent to a Buddhist temple since childhood.
Back then, the sixth prince's birth mother offended Consort Yun, and both of them suffered difficult childbirths and died after giving birth. Later, the imperial advisor predicted that a calamity star would be born, so the sixth prince, who was still an infant, was sent to a Buddhist temple to pray for the country's well-being, and he has not stepped out of the temple since.
Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!
Three shouts of "Long live the Emperor!"
The enfeoffment of a prince signifies the culmination of the competition for the crown prince position, and a group of court officials and noble families immediately surround him to offer congratulations and flattery.
Those with ulterior motives pondered this in secret.
The victor is king, the loser is villain. A good choice leads to a bright future, a bad choice leads to exile.
Just as Jiang Jiaojiao stood up to express her gratitude, she saw a palace maid approach the King of Beimeng and whisper something to him. The King of Beimeng looked surprised, glanced around the hall, and quietly left amidst the crowd's clamor and congratulations.
The Northern Mongol King left not long ago.
As expected, another palace maid accidentally soiled the Fourth Princess's clothes, and Luo Twelve immediately took the Fourth Princess to change them.
at the same time.
"ah--"
With a soft exclamation, another palace maid spilled wine, wetting the hem of Consort Xi's skirt.
"Useless thing."
Granny Jin immediately protected Consort Xi, saying, "Your Highness, this old servant will help you change your clothes."
"Your Majesty, I take my leave."
Chen Jin'er got up with the help of Granny Jin.
He then said to Jiang Jiaojiao, "Jiaojiao, come with me and keep me company for a chat."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Jiang Jiaojiao obediently agreed.
Amidst envious and jealous glances from everyone, the lively atmosphere continued after Consort Xi left her seat. Consorts and ministers presented gifts and performed arts, filling the hall with the aroma of wine and creating a vibrant atmosphere.
The Empress, with an air of composure, looked down at the wine table of the Second Prince, Prince An, below the stage.
Prince An, unable to hold his liquor, had already passed out. A group of court officials, mostly from aristocratic families, had also gathered around Prince Jing.
Let's look at Prince Chen again...
Although Mr. Li did not attend the banquet, Jiang Lingtian, as Mr. Li's last disciple, was surrounded by a group of scholars from humble backgrounds in the imperial court. Following behind Prince Chen, he gave off the air of a rising star in the court.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com