45 Welcome Banquet
◎The dim candlelight makes the surging green of the skirt look particularly lively◎
After the carriage entered the palace gate, Wen Tingluan shouted to the driver to stop.
He stepped off the carriage swiftly, turned sideways and instructed the eunuch who had been waiting on the side. His hand hanging by his side naturally hung in front of Tian Nongxi who was bending over to lift the curtain.
She took his hand and used it to jump off the carriage, and only then could she see the true appearance of a corner of the palace.
The red walls are high and the palace roads are wide.
This was probably the outer edge of the imperial palace. All one could see along the entire path were the black-armored guards patrolling back and forth, and only a few palace servants were standing against the wall, saluting towards this side.
The gaps in the echo make it even more solemn.
Tian Nongxi looked sideways, his eyes full of curiosity.
Wen Tingluan, who had been watching her the whole time, sensed her fearlessness, his eyes curved into crescents, and he said with a smile, "Let's go, our father and mother are waiting for us."
Upon hearing this, Tian Nongxi suddenly became listless, her facial features wrinkled and the flowers embroidered on her brand new light green skirt withered for a moment, but she still nodded and said yes.
After taking a deep breath, Tian Nongxi sternly pulled Wen Tingluan's hand away and gave him an unfathomable look.
She wanted to ask Wen Tingluan how he explained this inexplicable experience, but the distance was too short. Before she had taken two steps, she saw a huge crowd not far away.
The eunuch on the outermost side saw the two first, and the next moment a shrill voice broke through the vermilion palace walls—
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty—Your Highness has returned—"
The crowd knelt down again.
Wen Tingluan raised his hand to avoid greeting, and the crowd dispersed to both sides.
Emperor Renxuan and Empress Lin, who had just arrived, stood in the middle of the palace corridor, and their eyes could not be seen clearly against the backlight.
Wen Tingluan lifted the hem of his python robe and bowed.
On the way here, Tian Nongxi specifically asked Wen Tingluan to teach her how to etiquette. Now she was about to kneel down quite familiarly, and she was still saying auspicious words in a crisp voice.
Empress Lin passed by Wen Tingluan and helped her up, smiling kindly and speaking gently, "No need for such formalities."
Her palms were dry and warm, and Tian Nongxi stood up.
Emperor Renxuan stood with his hands behind his back, looking imposing in his bright yellow dragon robe, and said nothing.
He looks like a very solemn father.
If she hadn't accidentally caught a glimpse of his red eyes.
But Tian Nongxi attributed this to his lack of experience.
Not to mention abnormal families, she has hardly seen many normal families.
It's normal to want to cry when you see your son who has been away from home come home, even if it's just a few days... right?
Queen Lin walked beside her, asking common questions from time to time. Her eyes were filled with tenderness, and her gaze was not embarrassing.
Tian Nongxi's unconsciously clenched fists gradually loosened, and his mood calmed down.
She secretly encouraged herself: The emperor and the empress are nothing big. Even if they can kill and plunder at will, it will be fine as long as she doesn't offend them.
"Xiaoxi? That's what Azhang called you in the letter. You must be tired from the long journey."
Tian Nongxi nodded, then shook his head and smiled faintly, "It's not tiring to ride in a carriage all the way."
As she racked her brains for a suitable reply that wouldn't freeze the atmosphere, Empress Lin spoke again: "The Imperial Astronomical Observatory has recommended several auspicious dates for marriage. I'll send them to you later."
Tian Nongxi slowly turned his head towards the unusually taciturn Wen Tingluan, looking stunned.
Where she couldn't see, Empress Lin and Emperor Renxuan looked at each other, and then they both looked at Wen Tingluan reproachfully.
Wen Tingluan, who was being stared at by the three of them, remained calm. He gave Tian Nongxi a soothing look before turning to Queen Yin and saying, "Mother, the letter has already stated that she is not yet of marriageable age, so there is no rush.
"Not to mention that even though her parents have passed away, the betrothal gifts and letters of engagement should not be small.
"If you rush into marriage without everything being properly prepared, people all over the world will probably think your son is going to die soon."
Emperor Renxuan coughed twice before speaking his first sentence.
"There's really no rush."
Anyone with a discerning eye could see the two’s attitude towards marriage, and the following topic did not revolve around this.
The palace was dotted with palaces. As soon as everyone entered a palace gate, the eunuchs who had been waiting for a long time lifted up the sedan chair.
Like the coachman who was waiting at the foot of the mountain when Tian Nongxi went hiking, there were two people carrying the sedan chair in the front and back, and each sedan chair could only seat one person.
Walking around the hunched eunuch, Tian Nongxi lifted up her skirt and stepped onto the small ladder. She sat in the not-too-cramped sedan chair and glanced at Wen Tingluan who was closest to her.
He sat upright, expressionless, not even noticing her gaze.
Perhaps it was the first time he was in such a serious place, Tian Nongxi felt inexplicably nervous and could sense something was wrong in everything.
Especially since there was clearly a sedan chair, why did he have to wait until they had walked for a while before getting in it, as if there was something he had to confirm immediately after seeing her.
The road to the Eastern Palace was too long, and the gently swaying sedan chair was not bumpy at all. Tian Nongxi was thinking and felt drowsy until she was woken up by the little palace maid who followed her.
Emperor Renxuan and Empress Lin exchanged a few words and then left.
After holding Wen Tingluan's hand and getting out of the sedan chair, Tian Nongxi bumped into him and said, "I won't accompany you anymore. It will be hard to find a house if you go out later."
Wen Tingluan rubbed his brows and looked down at her with a mist in his eyes. "There will be a welcoming banquet tonight."
"Ah... okay." Tian Nongxi raised his eyebrows, a hint of indulgence in his eyes, "Alright, alright, I'll go, I'll go."
She wanted to find a house first and then come back to attend the banquet, but Wen Tingluan gave up the idea on the grounds that the palace gates had been locked after the welcoming banquet, and followed him into the East Palace.
The East Palace is very large, like an independent palace within the imperial palace, with everything you need.
The two of them entered from Donghua Gate and walked slowly for a while, passing a garden full of peach and plum trees before arriving at the Prince's bedroom in the center of the East Palace.
Tian Nongxi temporarily lived in a palace on the side of the prince's bedroom. The two palaces were adjacent courtyards, separated by a vermilion lacquered gate.
The maid who had been following Tian Nongxi said that this was the Crown Princess's bedroom.
Tian Nongxi laughed timidly.
The two of them kept calling her the Crown Princess, but when Tian Nongxi questioned whether someone had instructed them to do so, they all shook their heads.
Tian Nongxi soon found out that the quieter one was called Fuque and the more lively one was called Puying. Both of them behaved very properly and seemed to have high status, but she didn't know why they kept calling her the Crown Princess.
She pulled the corner of her mouth to see the two of them off, closed the door and lay down for a while, then she heard the sounds of Chickadee and Firefly greeting each other at the door.
Soon, there was a gentle knock on the door. Wen Tingluan, dressed in a crescent-white suit, stood outside. He stood at the doorway against the sunlight, his long, curled eyelashes bathed in a soft, warm glow. He smiled and said, "It matches Xiaoxi's clothes very well."
As if in a hurry, Tian Nongxi went to the welcoming banquet venue.
I thought only Emperor Renxuan and Empress Lin were present, but I didn't expect there was one more person.
The man was sitting two seats below Emperor Renxuan. He looked somewhat similar to Wen Tingluan, and at first glance it seemed that the two were related by blood.
But one could tell the two of them apart without looking too much, especially when he stood up to salute, one could tell that he was shorter than Wen Tingluan, with sharp eyebrows and eyes. Although he was smiling, Tian Nongxi always felt a chill coming from him.
Queen Lin introduced that it was Wen Lang, the only son of Prince Qi.
Although it was a welcoming banquet, Wen Lang seemed more like the protagonist, and he talked so much that Tian Nongxi was annoyed.
She was bored, so she drank the fruit wine in the glass and declined the palace maid's invitation to go out for some fresh air.
I don't know when it started raining outside. From the corridor, I could see the green grass outside the pavilion wet by the rain. The dripping raindrops filled the air with dampness and coldness.
Suddenly feeling cold, Tian Nongxi covered her lips and coughed lightly, then tilted her head to look at her clothes.
The dim candlelight made the flowing green color of the skirt look particularly lively. Tian Nongxi liked this dress very much.
She had been wearing coarse linen clothes since she came in. She had no energy or money to choose clothes she liked. On the day she left Tianjia Village, Wen Tingluan knocked on her door and handed her this dress that was tailored to her perfectly.
I don't know if he chose this outfit by chance or on purpose.
A faint smile was hidden deep in her pupils, and the dense rain reflected countless vivid images of her.
There were slow and steady footsteps coming from the corridor, and before Tian Nongxi could look up, he was wrapped in a warm coat.
She originally thought it was Wen Tingluan, but she was stunned when her eyes caught sight of the color of the clothes she was wearing.
He hurriedly lifted his clothes, draped them over his arm, and handed them to the uninvited guest.
Wen Lang didn't take it. He put his hands behind his back, raised the corners of his lips slightly, and said elegantly, "Miss, don't catch a cold."
He actually stood there without moving, turning sideways to look at the bean-sized raindrops, and sighed half-seriously, half-jokingly: "Sleeping together in a boat, listening to the autumn rain, yet each of us feels cold under our small mat and light quilt."
Tian Nongxi raised an eyebrow, and forced the clothes forward, pursing her lips and smiling: "Thank you, Your Highness, but your noble status requires you to be more cautious."
She blinked and said, "Isn't it autumn now? You and I are in the palace, not on a boat."
Wen Lang glanced at her and laughed muffledly: "Miss, are you teasing me?"
“…” I prefer teasing your brother.
Wen Lang spoke to himself, his tone mocking, "Once you enter the palace, it's like entering a deep sea. If you only care about appearances, you will suffer a lot."
"Thank you for your teachings, Your Highness." Tian Nongxi turned around and prepared to leave, "I've been away for too long. I'll go back first." Wen Lang stopped her.
"This prince will go with you."
He was tall and took big steps, and Tian Nongxi didn't want to show it too obviously, so he walked back into the hall without shaking him off.
From everyone's perspective during the banquet, the two sat down one after the other. For a moment, Emperor Renxuan and Empress Lin both glanced at Wen Tingluan out of the corner of their eyes.
After sitting down, Tian Nongxi glanced at Wen Tingluan beside her and saw that he looked normal and even smiled at her.
She breathed a sigh of relief unconsciously.
He has grown up!
Tian Nongxi took a sip of wine with mixed feelings.
The banquet lasted for more than two hours.
After the banquet, Wen Tingluan sent her to the courtyard.
Through the door, he suddenly asked her what she talked about with Wen Lang before she left the table.
After listening to Tian Nongxi's narration, his expression eased a little.
Tian Nongxi suppressed his laughter and asked, "Are you angry?"
"You were chatting and laughing happily with him." Wen Tingluan turned his head away from Tian Nongxi, and his tone was sour. "If he met you first, would I call you sister-in-law?"
"Don't be angry." Although he didn't understand how he inferred that the two of them were having a good conversation, Tian Nongxi still softened his tone to coax him.
Wen Tingluan frowned and tapped his cheek.
Tian Nongxi laughed out loud, turned his face and kissed him on the lips.
【Author’s words】
"We sleep together in a boat, listening to the autumn rain; our small mats and light quilts keep us both cold." This poem is from Zhu Yizun's "Autumn in the Gui Palace: Reflections on the Past."
I was actually planning to use "Meeting by the south bank of the painted hall, always leaning against people and trembling", but it felt a bit too much. The charger was electrocuted while I was typing this. Li Yu, I'm sorry, that's not what I meant.
There are still a lot of foreshadowing in this chapter. Hehe, I smiled with satisfaction when I saw the foreshadowing I had laid. ＼＼\\( 'ω' ) //／／
The stream must be wearing light green clothes. Just thinking about it makes me feel so cute (*ˇωˇ*人)
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