The moment he received a sharp look from the princess, Prince Rui immediately composed himself and even gave her a fawning smile.
Anke was immune to all of this; it happened every day in the Prince's mansion.
"An'an, your mother trusts your judgment," Princess Rui gently stroked An Ke's face, her voice even softer, "As long as An'an is happy, that's all that matters."
"Mother." Anke hugged her mother with tears in her eyes. The warmth of family that she had lacked before was now all she had in the Qing Dynasty. If she could go back one day, she would probably be conflicted.
Prince Rui stood to the side, watching this heartwarming scene with a feeling of comfort. But then he thought of that brat trying to steal his daughter's thunder, and Prince Rui gritted his teeth in anger. He was determined to find him, even if it meant digging three feet into the ground.
Whoever wants to marry An'an must pass his test first.
The Emperor, estimating the time, felt that they had spent enough time together. After all, there was a state banquet that evening, so he slowly walked in, only to find his younger brother excluded by the mother and daughter.
I almost burst out laughing; my lips twitched violently a few times. I forcibly suppressed my laughter.
Prince Rui was the first to notice the Emperor, and upon looking up, he saw the barely suppressed smile on his elder brother's lips. "Brother."
Princess Consort Rui and An Ke heard the sound and quickly looked back. They saw that the Emperor had already entered the Hall of Mental Cultivation, but they didn't know how long he had been standing there watching.
Anke also lamented that she had been too engrossed in the moment and would have definitely noticed the Emperor's movements much earlier.
"Hahaha, my royal brother, you'll have to stay in the capital for a while from now on." The Emperor stroked his smooth chin, revealing a malicious expression. "After all, if you go out sightseeing again, you might not even have time to attend An'an's wedding."
Upon hearing this, Prince Rui gritted his teeth and tentatively asked, "What do you mean by that, Your Majesty? How can anyone just marry my An'an? Your letter says they are already in love. Who is that man? Which family does he come from? Will he be able to attend the state banquet tonight?"
Prince Rui actually wanted to find out who the person was. After all, only officials of the fifth rank or above could attend the state banquet.
How could the Emperor not see through Prince Rui's thoughts? "Oh, the state banquet tonight? I'm afraid I won't be able to attend."
That one sentence was enough to make Prince Rui think a thousand times, his mind racing.
After Prince Rui pondered for a while, the Emperor continued, "He has already gone to the frontier to march and fight. It's not too late for you to see him again when he returns, Your Highness."
Prince Rui immediately knew that his elder brother had done it on purpose. However, he was glad to know that the young master was going to the battlefield. At least he was not just a pretty face, nor was he a weak and incompetent coward.
"The banquet is about to begin. You should go see the Empress Dowager first, and then join us for the banquet." The Emperor made careful arrangements, after all, his younger brother had been clamoring to see his daughter as soon as he returned to the palace, saying he wanted to give An'an a surprise, and he hadn't had a chance to visit the Empress Dowager at Cining Palace yet.
If the Empress Dowager knew he had returned, she would surely be even happier.
Prince Rui nodded. It was only right and proper for him to visit the Empress Dowager. Seeing that there was nothing more for him to do with his elder brother, he took his wife and daughters to pay their respects to the Empress Dowager.
Throughout the journey, Anke clung tightly to her mother's arm, chatting intimately about what had happened during their inspection tour.
Although Xiao Yanzi was punished in Shufangzhai, Ziwei was not. Ziwei looked at the happy family of three and felt as if her eyes had been stung, and her heart was filled with sourness.
She envied Princess Yong'an's status, she was jealous of Princess Yong'an's happy family of three, and she hated that Princess Yong'an always had that aloof and superior attitude.
But what could she do? She was a servant girl in Princess Huanzhu's story; she was just a palace maid. Her father didn't even know she was his daughter.
Ziwei wanted to avoid it, not wanting to see this scene that made her feel envious and jealous again.
However, walking on the same path, Ziwei had no choice but to bow her head and pay her respects to the family of three.
Because Ziwei's gaze had been too intense, Prince Rui noticed it immediately. However, not wanting to disturb the mood of the mother and daughter, he saw Ziwei lower her head to hide her jealousy.
Prince Rui glanced at her thoughtfully a few more times, and only after confirming that she was completely defenseless did he look away. Seeing this, Ziwei hurried back to Shufangzhai.
*
Upon arriving at Cining Palace, the Empress Dowager received news that Prince Rui had returned to the capital. She sat restlessly in the main hall of Cining Palace, peeking out of the palace every now and then, hoping to catch a glimpse of the person she longed to see.
With Qing'er and Granny Gui persuading him, the Empress Dowager had no choice but to suppress his desires.
As soon as the Empress Dowager saw the family of three, she stepped down from the head of the table and stopped them from bowing and paying their respects.
The Empress Dowager, with tears in her eyes, touched the hands of Prince Rui and his wife, saying, "It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back. We're family, there's no need to care about those formalities."
The Empress Dowager truly missed Prince Rui. Otherwise, given her usual emphasis on rules and etiquette, she would never have dismissed them as mere formalities.
"What are your plans for the future?" As she spoke, the Empress Dowager pulled them to a seat and chatted with her son and daughter-in-law.
"Your Majesty, I plan to stay in the capital from now on and not travel out. My Princess Consort still prefers the customs and culture of the capital. Besides, I have already traveled all over this beautiful land. I have no regrets." Prince Rui didn't tell the whole truth. He couldn't very well say that he was worried about his beloved daughter being taken by a pig, could he?
"Good, good, it's quite nice in the capital." The Empress Dowager couldn't be happier with a house full of children and grandchildren; older people like to have their sons and grandsons around. "So, this time when you're back, will you be staying in the palace or at your own residence?"
"Let's stay at the manor. It's been three years since I've been back. Let's go back and take good care of things." Prince Rui thought about how he had noticed on the way back that the businesses in their shops weren't doing very well, and he planned to call the steward over to take a look at the shop's accounts when he got back.
"Hmm," the Empress Dowager simply nodded without saying anything. In fact, she still hoped that Prince Rui could stay in the palace, since he had been away for many years and she missed him dearly. "Then let An'an stay in the palace. After you've settled in, we'll let An'an decide where to stay."
"The Empress Dowager loves An'an dearly, so it's fine for An'an to live in the palace. Anyway, it's very convenient for her to come and go from the palace. We can just come and see her every day." Princess Rui smoothed things over. She was also a mother, and she couldn't help but shed tears when she saw An'an. How could she not understand the Empress Dowager's thoughts?
"Very well, if you want to come to the palace, then come and see An'an and me." The Empress Dowager was also pleased.
Qing'er and An Ke exchanged a smile.
*
Hall of Supreme Harmony
The palace maids and eunuchs have already decorated the Hall of Supreme Harmony, ensuring that every necessary space is in place.
First, all officials of the fifth rank and above took their seats, some of whom brought their families with them.
Fu Lun originally didn't want his wife to come along, fearing that she might say something inappropriate at the banquet in a moment of passion, such as pleading for that rebellious son.
However, the Fujin repeatedly stated that he would not plead for Erkang, and besides, he always attended events with his wife in the past; if he didn't this year, it might cause some gossip. Thus, Fu Lun softened and brought his Fujin along.
Next, Prince Qiker and Princess Saiya of Mongolia took their seats. As they were guests from afar, they were seated very close to the Emperor.
This was Saiya's first time visiting Beijing with her father, and she was incredibly curious about everything. She looked left and right, her eyes wide open, seemingly fascinated by everything.
After looking around for a while, Saiya felt that all the decorations in the palace were the same, except that the decorations here were more luxurious. Saiya found it extremely boring and lazily settled into her chair.
Ziker and the prince consort chatted on the side. After all, in Beijing, besides the people he brought, the only other Mongolian was this prince consort.
Just as everyone was chatting enthusiastically, Xiao Luzi stood at the entrance of the Hall of Supreme Harmony and announced loudly, "The Emperor has arrived, the Empress Dowager has arrived, the Empress has arrived, Prince Rui has arrived... Princess Qing has arrived."
An Ke thought to herself, "The Emperor really knows how to pick his moments to appear."
Upon seeing this, all the ministers hurriedly knelt down to pay their respects and offer their greetings.
An Ke followed Prince Rui to the head of the table. Looking at the officials bowing and submitting below, he finally understood why so many people wanted the throne. Seeing so many people bowing down to him was incredibly satisfying.
"Rise, all of you," the Emperor said, sitting down before allowing the officials to rise. "Today is a state banquet to welcome Prince Ziker of Mongolia, who has come from afar. Please make yourselves at home and take your seats."
After another round of thanks, everyone finally took their seats.
Since it was a state banquet, the Emperor had all his children make an appearance. Little Swallow was one of them. Although she was punished, it was a private family matter, and he couldn't let the Mongols laugh at him.
However, Xiao Yanzi's expression wasn't very pleasant. It was easy to understand why she was being asked to copy the palace rules 100 times; she must have felt somewhat resentful. Now, seeing everyone smiling and laughing, she had to endure it no matter how uncomfortable she felt.
As a court painter, the Emperor made an exception and allowed Ban and Priest Lang to sit down, and then painted a picture for them.
For a time, the atmosphere was lively, with glasses clinking and toasts exchanged.
When Saiya saw Anke, she told the Emperor and Qiker. The Emperor naturally wouldn't object to the Mongolian princess interacting with his niece; in his view, it was actually a sign of harmony between the Manchus and Mongols. Qiker already doted on his precious daughter. Whatever she asked for, Qiker would grant it if he could.
Besides, contact with this Qing princess would be a good thing for the Mongols. Saiya, oblivious to their intricacies, warmly went upstairs and sat down with Qing'er and Anke.
Although the three have different personalities and temperaments, they get along quite well. Anke is naturally lively and outgoing, but she appears very dignified in front of others. Qing'er is very gentle, humble, and easy to talk to, with a soft and gentle demeanor. Saiya has a fiery temper, like a little firecracker, easily ignited, but she can be reasoned with if you talk to her.
Qing'er was initially a little reserved, but under An Ke's guidance, she gradually opened up. The three of them began to chat freely, and a peaceful atmosphere filled the air, with laughter and cheerful conversation.
"Ah, so you're younger than me." Saiya only now realized that Anke was actually a year younger than her, but Anke's folding fan that day had left a deep impression on Saiya.
After receiving the folding fan from Anke, Saiya had her attendants practice with her, but she couldn't use the fan as nimbly as Anke to block the whip.
If she used even a little too much force, the fan would easily break apart from its ribs. Saiya gradually became discouraged, but then she thought that losing to Anke wasn't shameful, as long as she didn't lose to that annoying Princess Huanzhu. With that thought, Saiya stopped worrying about why her fan couldn't stop the whip.
"Then what should I call you from now on?" Saiya scratched her head, finding the question somewhat tricky, and frowned slightly.
"That's easy. From now on, you can just call me An'an along with Qing'er." An Ke stuffed a grape into her mouth and mumbled indistinctly.
"Hehe, okay." Saiya picked up her wine glass and clinked it with Anke's. "From now on, I'll call you An'an, and you can call me Saiya."
Anke also lightly touched her lips, but Anke knew that she couldn't hold her liquor, so she only took a small sip.
"Speaking of which, why is that little swallow staring at us?" Saiya looked down from time to time and saw the little swallow staring straight into their eyes.
An Ke glanced at it briefly, completely unconcerned. "It's just that she lost the whip to you and is unwilling to accept it. She's very obsessed with martial arts."
"Losing to An'an isn't shameful, but if I lost to that Little Swallow, I really wouldn't be able to show my face in public," Saiya said proudly, pouting.
Anke and Qing'er looked at Saiya with amusement.
Looking at the dance below that was exactly the same year after year, Saiya was the first to lose her composure. "Your performances in the Qing Dynasty are really boring. They're all the same no matter how many times you watch them."
Anke was initially surprised, but then she realized that the Emperor had already held a banquet on the very day they entered the palace. There were probably dancers performing during the banquet, which was why Saiya felt bored.
“This dance has a meaning,” Anke patiently explained. “It’s about the friendship between the Manchus and the Mongols.”
Saiya nodded knowingly. "I think it's not as good as our Mongolian dance. An'an, wait for me, I'll dance for you."
Immediately afterwards, Saiya proposed in front of everyone that it would be impolite not to reciprocate, and that she should also present a Mongolian dance to the Emperor.
What could the emperor say? They'd already brought up the principle of reciprocity. Naturally, he agreed.
Saiya and Anke and Qing'er, who were on stage together, blinked at each other and went down to change their clothes.
Immediately afterwards, they took to the stage and began their enthusiastic Mongolian dance. Little Swallow watched as Saiya, who had immediately attracted everyone's attention, entered the stage. Little Swallow's competitive spirit was reignited, and she ran backstage to change into the outfit she had worn during the harvest celebration in Plum Blossom Town.
After Saiya finished her performance, the Emperor was the first to applaud and bestowed some treasures upon her.
Just as everyone was still enthusiastically discussing Princess Saiya's Mongolian dance, a sudden sound of gongs and drums came from the doorway.
Hearing the commotion, An Ke immediately turned to look at the seat where Xiao Yanzi was. Sure enough, the seat was empty.
Everyone looked at each other, wondering where the sound of gongs and drums came from.
Suddenly, a girl in a floral dress appeared from the doorway. Everyone looked closely and realized it was Princess Huanzhu.
The ministers immediately lowered their heads, unsure whether they should look.
The Emperor's face turned ashen, but Ziker didn't seem to notice anything amiss and cheerfully said to the Emperor, "Your Majesty didn't expect your daughter to be so talented."
Although Ziker's words were unintentional, the Emperor still found them extremely offensive. Unable to direct his anger at the Mongol prince, he could only glare angrily at Xiao Yanzi, hoping she would back down and leave immediately.
But if Xiao Yanzi could read facial expressions, she wouldn't be Xiao Yanzi.
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