About the time it takes to drink a cup of tea later, Kangxi appeared with Ningchuge and Batur, followed by princes such as Yinti and Yinreng, who were dressed in their imperial robes.
The younger princesses and princes had already arrived at the banquet venue, while only the older princes or those about to get married had the opportunity to stay by Kangxi's side and be groomed by him.
Yinzhi looked at Yinti, who was walking at the front of the princes and standing shoulder to shoulder with the crown prince. He shook his head and felt a little envious and jealous. This was the confidence that his birth mother and status gave him. Unlike him, on such a joyous day, he could only hide alone in a corner, feeling lonely and dejected.
His fingers were unconsciously clenched in the opposite direction, and the resentment in Yinzhi's eyes was like a flame, weak yet exceptionally tenacious.
"Eighth brother, it's time to sit down."
Noticing Yinzhi's change, Yinzhen spoke up to remind him. He was among the group that entered after Kangxi, but Yinzhen's status was also quite awkward, only slightly better than Yinzhi's.
Perhaps it's a case of unspoken understanding, but these two princes, who were clearly rivals and looked down on each other in the later stages, are now surprisingly on good terms.
Yinzhen even wrote a calligraphy model for Yinsi to practice because Yinsi's handwriting was not good. Anyway, they got along well. Even though Yinsi was always sensitive, he also had a good feeling about Yinzhen.
Faced with Yinzhen's kind reminder, Yinsi smiled, then turned around and sat down. "Fifth Brother, Father must be very happy that my elder sister and consort are back today."
Yinzhen nodded slightly upon hearing this, "Father Emperor met with my elder sister and consort alone in the Qianqing Palace."
We were all waiting in the side hall, and all we knew was that Father Emperor was in a good mood when he came out.
However, Yinzhen didn't know exactly what they said.
Yinzhi sighed, his tone low, "My younger brother is still young and unable to share the burdens of Father Emperor. It seems that the return of my elder sister and the consort is just in time."
This statement is timely, but different people have different opinions, and even the words they say can have different meanings.
Yinzhen looked at Yinsi, whose situation was not much different from his own, with a complicated expression. He couldn't understand whether the other was simply happy for his father or annoyed by his bad luck, which allowed Consort Jing's faction to gain the upper hand.
Regardless of what they mean, they can only talk about it privately; otherwise, they don't have the confidence to complain further.
"Don't speak yet," Yinzhen reminded Yinsi not to be too presumptuous. He glanced around the hall and then said to Yinsi, "Eldest brother had an argument with the Crown Prince and Second Brother in the Qianqing Palace today."
Although Father Emperor wasn't angry at the time, your elder sister and the prince consort are both there. Be careful when you go back.
Yinti was in the wrong in this dispute, and given his temperament, there was a high possibility that he would take his anger out on others.
Yinzhen was also afraid that Yinsi would be implicated innocently. After all, Yinti's reputation had never been good. He and the Crown Prince were known as the two major scourges of the entire harem. Even Yinyu was nothing compared to them.
Shaking his head, Yinzhen stopped thinking about these things. He had said what needed to be said, and the rest was up to Yinsi to decide.
Yinzhi is not yet mentally abnormal, and he can accept and appreciate the concern shown by Yinzhen.
Although Yinzhi looked down on Yinti, who relied on Consort Hui for his position, he still nodded on the surface. He couldn't afford to fall out with Yinti at the moment. "Fifth Brother, don't worry, I understand."
Yinzhen hummed in agreement and reached for the drink beside him, bringing it to his lips.
Since he was not yet an adult, Yinzhen could not drink alcohol, so only beverages were prepared for the princes at the banquet.
The main ingredient in the drink was fruit juice, which was very sweet. Unfortunately, Yinzhen didn't like it. He frowned, took a sip, and then put it down again.
Not far from Yinzhen, Ning Chuge was having a meal with Kangxi, chatting and laughing.
Because the main guests at this banquet were Ningchuge and Batur, who had come from afar.
Therefore, even Crown Prince Yinreng, the rightful heir to the Qing throne, could only temporarily step down to the second line, with Ning Chuge taking over.
Drinking his wine with resentment, Yinreng stared at the people at the head of the table with a gloomy expression.
Hmph, one day he'll make those who give him the cold shoulder today know the consequences of offending him.
Father Emperor is still too prolific!
His mindset had changed; the crown prince was completely twisted.
The relationship between the Crown Prince and Emperor Kangxi is no longer as close as it was in the past. Both of them have their own unspeakable motives, and their interactions are very awkward.
This situation was known not only to the concubines in the inner palace, but also to the ministers in the imperial court.
For this reason, Songgotu almost went bald from worry, especially after Consort Ping and her son passed away. He then realized what he had been indulging in. The Crown Prince had gone astray, and unfortunately, the Hesheli clan had no other princes. If they wanted to advance further, they could only go down this dark path.
However, this also had its advantages. With no more leverage, Songgotu became more attentive to the Crown Prince.
The faction of Yinti, supported by Mingzhu, has repeatedly suffered setbacks in court affairs, partly due to the efforts of Suo'etu. This is also the reason why the Crown Prince and Yinti are at odds today; the conflict between them is too great to be resolved.
"Your Majesty, you have drunk wine and have not eaten. Please have some soup to warm your stomach."
Xiuning held up the bowl of soup she had filled and gently handed it to Kangxi.
Emperor Kangxi reached out and took it, smiling as he said, "You are very kind, Consort."
Xiuning blushed slightly, "It's what I should do, Your Majesty. How about you try it?"
Kangxi responded with a sound of agreement, casually scooped up a spoonful and put it in his mouth, "Hmm, not bad. Li Dequan, don't forget to send a reward when you get back."
After finishing his sentence, Kangxi casually put down the soup bowl, which was still mostly empty, and turned back to chat happily.
Seeing this, Xiuning lowered her head, thinking to herself that the soup was not good enough and the Emperor was not satisfied.
The person in the upper seat could observe others' words and expressions in an instant; the shrewd person had already seen through them clearly.
Xiuning waved for Chunyu to go to the imperial kitchen to fetch more soup, while she sat in her seat, eating the dishes that had been prepared earlier with a smile on her face.
The dishes were carefully prepared, not only with unique flavors but also to suit everyone's tastes.
Even the most picky person will eat more at a banquet.
Everyone has indeed eaten delicacies from land and sea, and the emperor, in particular, enjoyed them every day.
But the taste will be different every day if you eat it every day.
Today's banquet, the table where Ning Chuge and Kangxi sat was prepared by the small kitchen in cooperation with the imperial kitchen at Xiuning's instruction. It wasn't the kind of communal cooking that they ate, so it was definitely more delicious.
Hmm, compared to those soupy dishes, this is indeed quite good.
Xiu Ning mentally gave herself a good score for the banquet she had prepared.
Although Tong Jiarongyue arranged the banquet, Xiuning was in charge of preparing the food for diners.
Looking at the expressions of everyone in the main hall, Xiu Ning was extremely satisfied.
"My lord, I've brought it here."
As instructed by Xiuning, Chunyu brought back the extra soup prepared by the imperial kitchen.
Upon hearing this, Xiu Ning reached out and took the soup, then turned around and handed it to Kangxi again, saying, "Your Majesty, this is a soup that the Imperial Kitchen has prepared according to your preferences. Please try it."
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