Chapter 36: His Majesty's Heart is Full of Bitterness
His Majesty was still going to hold a grand ceremony of congratulations during the day, so Chan Zhen stayed in his own palace and ordered the internal affairs to prepare for the palace banquet in the evening. Fortunately, everything went smoothly and there were no omissions.
It was not until the evening, when His Majesty finished the ceremony and came to Fengqi Palace to wait, that she changed into her new palace dress and went with His Majesty to Chengyuan Hall where the banquet was to be held.
By the time they entered the hall, all the guests had arrived. Finally released from the palace after a month of confinement, the concubines present all looked a little duller than before. Their gazes upon His Majesty were no longer as eager as before. They simply rose from their seats politely and bowed respectfully to His Majesty and the Imperial Concubine as they walked hand in hand.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Your Majesty!"
Chen Dingyao calmly ordered everyone to stand up and took Chan Zhen to sit at the top. Seeing this scene, the concubines and court officials present all changed their expressions.
The reason was simple: although the Imperial Concubine was now the head of the harem, she was not officially the empress, and according to protocol, she was not supposed to sit side by side with His Majesty. However, both the imperial concubines and the ministers of the previous dynasty had recently suffered greatly from His Majesty's excessive favor towards the Imperial Concubine, and no one dared to speak up and point out that His Majesty's behavior was against protocol.
The palace was plunged into silence, all of which were expressions of tacit agreement and awe for the Imperial Concubine's supreme favor. The word "rules" was even put aside at this moment.
Chen Dingyao waved his hand, and the banquet officially began with Guo Kai's shrill singing.
The concubines in the harem, led by Concubine Shu, came forward one by one to present congratulations and gifts to His Majesty.
"Your Majesty, I respectfully wish you a happy birthday, longevity and good health." The concubine presented a branch of red coral, which had dense branches and bright colors. It was a rare treasure even in the imperial palace.
Chan Zhen breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this. Fortunately, she had never thought of giving His Majesty rare treasures from the beginning, otherwise it would have been outshined by Concubine Shu's red coral.
"Shufei is thoughtful."
Chen Dingyao only nodded slightly and ordered his men to take the red coral away. After that, except for the calligraphy work presented by Concubine De, which he praised, he never received a single response to the other concubines' gifts.
After the concubines in the harem finished congratulating one by one, it was the turn of the crown prince.
Your Majesty now has only three adult heirs to the throne, headed by the eldest son, Prince Yu.
However, Prince Yu had not had an easy time during this period. The ministers of the previous dynasty had been impeaching him all the time, and his biological mother, Concubine Xian, was demoted to a commoner and imprisoned in Fanghua Palace for framing the Imperial Concubine. The double blow made the eldest prince, who had been full of vigor and vitality before, even more decadent and thin.
"Your son greets His Majesty," he paused briefly, then turned to Chan Zhen, "Your Majesty the Imperial Concubine."
Chan Zhen had only met His Majesty's second son, Prince Jin, before, and this was his first time meeting the eldest prince. Honestly, Prince Yu didn't resemble His Majesty as much as Prince Jin did. Instead, he resembled his biological mother, Consort Xian. He was handsome and heroic, but there was a sullen aura between his brows, making him seem difficult to get along with.
The eldest prince was a few years older than her and was tall and strong. Zen Zhen really couldn't look at him as an elder, so she just pursed her lips and smiled at him slightly.
Prince Yu's eyes fluttered for a moment, but he quickly recovered, his momentary amazement overwhelmed by the hatred that surged in his heart. It was this woman who had bewitched his father and caused his mother's consort to be deposed.
He suppressed the overflowing emotions in his heart and smiled: "I have a surprise for you, Father, today."
Chen Dingyao looked indifferent and didn't seem to have much expectation, but he didn't lose face in front of everyone. He nodded slightly to signal him to present it.
Prince Yu, however, looked at his own princess at the table and said, "Your Majesty, the other day the imperial physician diagnosed my princess as being one month pregnant. I would like to congratulate you on the upcoming birth of your grandson."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone at the table looked in the direction of Princess Yu. Under the gaze of everyone, Princess Yu blushed slightly, but she straightened her back with confidence.
A hint of coldness flashed across Concubine Shu's eyes. How could Prince Yu take the lead again?
Chanzhen looked at Princess Yu's belly curiously. It was very flat and there was no sign that a child was being nurtured inside. As she looked at it, the expression on her face couldn't help but become strange.
According to the hierarchy, would this child still have to call her "grandmother" when he was born? She was only fifteen years old, and she was about to become a grandmother.
Everyone couldn't help but sigh at Prince Yu's good fortune. They originally thought that after Concubine Xian was demoted to a commoner, the eldest prince would be doomed. Unexpectedly, Prince Yu's wife was pregnant at this time. If she gave birth to a boy, it would be another bargaining chip for Prince Yu.
However, His Majesty did not seem as surprised as everyone expected.
"Since you are pregnant, why are you attending the palace banquet instead of staying at the palace to take good care of the baby?"
As soon as His Majesty said this, the smug expressions on Prince Yu and his wife's faces froze.
Prince Yu bowed to him and forced a smile, saying, "I was thinking that since this is your first pregnancy, you don't have much experience. Why don't you go to the palace and discuss things with your mother?"
He was a little nervous. His mother was imprisoned in the palace by his father and no outsiders were allowed to visit. He also wanted to use the princess's pregnancy to plead with his father for mercy.
Chen Dingyao smiled softly, his voice gentle but tolerant of argument. "Commoner Lin has behaved inappropriately, so I ordered her to reflect on her behavior in the palace. If Princess Yu is unwell, why doesn't she seek treatment from the Imperial Physician? Is this vast Imperial Hospital filled with a bunch of idlers?"
Prince Yu's face was stiff, and he said angrily, "I know I was wrong, and I hope your Majesty will forgive me."
But secretly, he clenched his fists. His father was so ruthless that even the fact that the princess was pregnant could not make him revoke his decision and restore his mother's position as concubine.
A dead silence fell over the banquet. Those who had been agitated by the news of Prince Yu's wife's pregnancy now suppressed their excitement, wondering if His Majesty seemed to care little for the Emperor's grandson. Perhaps it was because His Majesty was in his prime, and even his beloved concubine hadn't conceived yet, so how much could he possibly hope for this future grandson, whose son or daughter it was unknown.
Chan Zhen's hand was still held in His Majesty's palm, and she could even feel his fingers stroking her seemingly unintentionally. She turned her head slightly and glanced at him secretly, but happened to meet his gentle gaze.
"Okay, you can go down." He didn't look at his eldest son again. You can say he was ruthless, but in this new life, he only had one obsession in his heart, and other things could no longer arouse any emotional fluctuations in him.
The next person to come on stage was Prince Jin. Compared with Prince Yu, he was much more low-key.
The piece of celadon presented by the King of Jin was a piece of celadon, the glaze of which was as smooth as jade, with a slight hint of blue in the green, and the luster was restrained and deep, showing the beauty of simplicity and elegance.
"Huh?" Zen Zhen looked at the celadon in surprise.
Chen Dingyao asked her gently, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Chan Zhen shook her head and explained, "I just saw that the celadon piece from His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin looked a bit like something from the Yue Kiln."
Her hometown, Yuezhou, was famous for its rich production of celadon. Every year, the official kilns would produce precious pieces and send them to the imperial palace. There were also many celadon decorations in her Fengqi Palace, but the celadon presented by His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin was more exquisite than any she had ever seen.
The smile in Chen Dingyao's eyes immediately faded. Was the porcelain that Yun Yi presented him as a birthday gift or was it a token of his gratitude?
Seeing the joy on the Imperial Concubine's face, Chen Yunyi calmed himself down and didn't let any unusual expression show. He just smiled gently and said, "Your Highness, this porcelain is from the Yue Kiln."
He had been preparing this gift for a long time. After learning that the imperial concubine was from Yuezhou, he sent people to the local official kiln in Yuezhou to find the best craftsmen to carefully craft this porcelain. The Yue kiln presented precious works to the imperial palace every year, so his gift would not be so unusual as to arouse his father's suspicion.
Although she loved the celadon, it was a birthday gift for His Majesty, and she couldn't keep it for herself. Chan Zhen reluctantly withdrew her gaze from the porcelain, thinking that it would be just as good if it were in His Majesty's palace. She would be with His Majesty every day and could admire the porcelain often.
Seeing the love and reluctance in her eyes, Chen Dingyao couldn't help feeling a little jealous. Yun Yi really gave him such a big gift.
He closed his eyes, suppressing the jealousy that threatened to burst forth in his heart. Ultimately, his heartache for Chan Zhen prevailed. Even if this celadon was a gift from Yun Yi, as long as Chan Zhen liked it, it wouldn't matter if he gave it to her. She only liked the porcelain from her hometown, not Yun Yi himself.
When he opened his eyes again, a smile appeared in his eyes again.
"Since the Imperial Concubine likes it, I will give this celadon to her."
Chen Yunyi's eyes lit up, and he almost couldn't control the upward curve of his lips. As expected, this celadon was finally delivered to the Imperial Concubine.
"I will obey your orders."
"Your Majesty, do you really want to give this celadon to me? This is a filial gesture from His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin." Chan Zhen felt something was wrong.
Chen Dingyao felt jealous, but he pretended to be generous. "Since the imperial concubine likes it, I will naturally give it to her without hesitation."
He couldn't believe it was such a coincidence. Of all the official kilns across the country, Yun Yi had chosen the Yue Kiln in Chan Zhen's hometown, and the celadon he presented was so pleasing to Chan Zhen. It was just a brief encounter at Taiye Lake, and yet Yun Yi had already developed feelings for Chan Zhen.
Since Your Majesty has said so, Chan Zhen will no longer refuse.
"I will display it in the palace so that Your Majesty can admire it with me."
Chen Dingyao raised his lips slightly, "The palace maids are clumsy. If it's placed in the palace and accidentally breaks it, the imperial concubine will be distressed. It's better to lock it in the storeroom and have someone take it out when the imperial concubine wants to see it."
Obviously everyone in her palace was smart and clever, so how could they be clumsy? However, Chan Zhen would not offend His Majesty in front of everyone.
"I will obey your majesty."
Chen Yunyi felt a little disappointed upon hearing this. Due to his status, he couldn't often visit the harem. Only on occasions like this could he speak to the Imperial Concubine without being criticized. Although he couldn't see her every day, he hoped that the gift he had chosen would be visible to her every day. Perhaps while admiring the celadon, she would occasionally think of the person who presented it to her.
He felt like he was crazy. He knew clearly that he shouldn't have such dirty thoughts about his father's concubine, but he was looking forward to replacing his father and sitting next to the concubine.
He coveted the imperial concubine, and not only did he not repent, but he became hopelessly insane.
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