Chapter 527 Recognition of the Son Becomes a Foregone Conclusion
The emperor was silent for a moment. He knew that all the concubines in the palace longed to have a child.
The Crown Prince's current illness is special, and he also needs to consider whether other princes are capable of shouldering the future responsibilities. However, the new crown prince not only needs competition but also needs a sharpening stone.
Well, as long as the prince's illness cannot be cured, sooner or later there will be a day when he will turn his eyes to Concubine Mei.
"In that case, I will adopt the Sixth Prince into your care. But you must teach him well and do not disappoint me."
The emperor finally agreed to Concubine Mei's request.
The Queen spoke hastily.
"Your Majesty, isn't it a bit hasty to decide to entrust the Sixth Prince to Mei Fei's care? If Mei Fei truly wants a child, she could choose a younger princess so she can spend more time with her. After all, the Sixth Prince will be coming of age in a year and will leave the palace to start his own household. He won't be able to be with Mei Fei all the time. Why don't we wait until after New Year's Eve to discuss this matter."
Mei Fei was a little annoyed by the Queen's repeated obstruction, and she also knew that this was a rare opportunity and she must seize it. After all, it would not be so easy to get the Emperor to agree a second time, so she hurriedly spoke.
"I thank Your Majesty for your grace. I will do my best to educate the Sixth Prince and will never cause Your Majesty to worry."
As he said this, he gave the Sixth Prince a look.
The Sixth Prince took the opportunity to stand up, kneel beside Concubine Mei, and speak to the Emperor with gratitude on his face.
"Thank you, my son, for your love, father. Thank you, mother, for your love. With your care, I will no longer be called a wild child without a mother."
Everyone who came to the banquet had different expressions, and they were all exchanging glances with people they were familiar with.
It seems that this little-known Sixth Prince will gradually show himself to the public.
Seeing that the two were so eager to express their gratitude and that the matter was about to be settled, the queen's expression froze.
"I didn't expect that Concubine Mei and the Sixth Prince would have such a tacit understanding."
Ning Shuang also accompanied the Queen Mother to attend the New Year's Eve banquet today. She was sitting next to the Queen Mother at this time. Seeing this situation, she smiled and spoke to the Queen Mother.
"Empress Dowager, it is a good thing for His Highness the Sixth Prince to be loved by Concubine Mei."
The Queen Mother looked at Ning Shuang upon hearing this.
"Why do you say that, Shuang'er?"
Ning Shuang looked at the Sixth Prince after hearing this, with a hint of sympathy in her eyes.
"When Ning Shuang was still a palace maid, you met the Sixth Prince twice. Once, he was alone. The other time, the eunuchs around him looked down on him. Some people also wentssip about the Sixth Prince's mother being of low status and no one looking down on him. Ning Shuang had also experienced those days where everyone could step on you and make sarcastic remarks, so she can understand the Sixth Prince's feelings. Now that he has someone to protect him, at least he won't feel so lonely and invisible anymore."
The Queen Mother nodded when she heard this, and saw that the clothes on the Sixth Prince were indeed thinner than those on the others. No matter how humble his status was, he was still a prince, the son of the Emperor. She then turned her gaze to the Queen. The harem had been taken care of by the Queen over the years, and because of her status as a foster mother, she had never interfered in the Emperor's harem. She didn't expect that such a good prince would be treated so neglectfully by the beneficiary.
“Queen…”
It was rare for the Queen Mother to speak a word, so the Queen quickly responded.
"Mother..."
The Queen Mother then spoke slowly.
"Today is the New Year's Eve banquet, a day when all civil and military officials celebrate with the Emperor. It's simply that a concubine wants to adopt a prince. It just so happens that the Sixth Prince has no biological mother to take care of him. It's well-intentioned for Concubine Mei to be concerned about this. As the Empress, you should encourage the concubines in the harem to love the Emperor's offspring more."
Then he looked at the emperor.
"Your Majesty, since this matter has been decided, then let it be. I find it a bit boring to watch the same old songs and dances every year. With so many ministers and their families attending the New Year's Eve banquet, why not invite the daughters and sons of each family to perform their talents? Who knows, maybe this New Year's Eve banquet can help to create a few happy couples, which would then add a few more happy events to the New Year."
As soon as the Queen Mother finished speaking, the entire banquet hall suddenly became lively. The dull atmosphere caused by the disagreement among the royal family was swept away, and was replaced by laughter and joy.
Su Hanchu also spoke with a smile.
"Your Majesty the Queen Mother is absolutely right. I've long heard that the noble ladies of Tianyuan are multi-talented and elegant. Every one of them is proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. The young men of Tianyuan have also been taught the six arts since childhood. After the New Year, I plan to take A Ye out for a walk and see more scenery, which will help him recover. It would be a great honor for me if all the young talents and noble ladies could show their talents on New Year's Eve."
Upon hearing this, the emperor's eyes flashed with appreciation, and then he nodded in agreement.
"Your Majesty, what you said is absolutely right. I have the same idea. Since City Lord Su is also interested, I will let your children show off their talents today. This will add some fun to this New Year's Eve."
Seeing this, the queen felt unwilling in her heart, but she had to force herself to maintain a dignified smile and agreed.
"My Queen Mother is right. Now, please let all the young ladies show off their talents."
Concubine Mei and the Sixth Prince smiled at each other, their eyes full of anticipation and gratitude for the future, then they stood up to express their gratitude and returned to their seats.
The Sixth Prince secretly vowed that he would work hard to improve his abilities under the guidance of Concubine Mei and live up to the high expectations of his father and mother.
Su Hanchu even spoke with a smile.
"Since I am also interested in such a talent show, and cannot simply be a spectator, I will take the initiative and write a poem as a gift to Emperor Tianyuan."
"The mountains and rivers are as magnificent as a gallery, and the rushing rivers are like a magnificent symphony.
Prosperity shines like the sun and the moon, and the country is peaceful and the people are blessed with long-lasting happiness.
The world is at peace and prosperity, and the nine provinces are celebrating with endless joy.
The magnificent Tianyuan has a grand vision and its reputation will be passed down through the ages."
As soon as Su Hanchu finished speaking.
Emperor Tianyuan spoke with an admiring look on his face.
"Well, well, well, you are indeed worthy of being City Lord Su. You have great literary talent. This is the best gift for me right now."
Jun Moye looked at Su Hanchu with a face full of pride.
When he lowered his head, he saw the Sixth Prince looking at him, so he picked up the wine glass and toasted the Sixth Prince with a smile.
Upon seeing this, the Sixth Prince hurriedly picked up the wine glass on the table with both hands, returned the toast respectfully, and drank the wine.
With Su Hanchu taking the lead, the daughters and sons of various families took turns performing, some reciting poetry and painting, some playing the zither and dancing, each showcasing their talents and drawing rave reviews from the crowd. Among them were some with exceptional talent, drawing the attention of the crowd, and even the Emperor nodded frequently, clearly pleased with this unexpected feast of talent.
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, the New Year’s Eve banquet is coming to an end.
As the night deepened, the banquet ended and the palace returned to its former tranquility.
Since the Sixth Prince's identity had been made public, he followed Concubine Mei back to Fu'an Palace.
"Mother, from now on I can openly call you Mother. I will study hard and will definitely not let you down."
Concubine Mei looked at the Sixth Prince tenderly, her eyes full of love and expectation.
"Well, mother believes in you. In a few days, mother will ask the emperor to take you back to the Duke's Mansion so that you can get acquainted with your uncles."
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