If you really like someone, you'd be too busy feeling sorry for them to even let them kneel for so long.
However, a small detail allowed Su Wanyan to see through the essence of the matter.
"Thank you, Your Majesty/Father."
Just as everyone stood up, the eldest princess's sarcastic words rang out: "Princess Consort Gong, it's really not easy for me to invite you here."
“The Prince is unwell and needs someone by his side, as Your Highness the Princess knows.” Su Wanyan ignored the Princess’s fierce gaze and changed the subject: “Of course, it was I who failed to consider Your Highness’s feelings. If Your Highness wishes to punish or scold me, I will have no complaints.”
After saying that, she obediently lowered her head.
The princess clenched her fist in her sleeve. What did she mean by not considering her feelings? Did she mean that the princess was arrogant, domineering, and obsessed with saving face? Was such a small matter really worth making such a big deal out of?
Su Wanyan's attitude left her with no outlet for her anger.
With so many people in this hall, if she were to really pursue this matter with Su Wanyan, it would be a disgrace for her as the eldest princess!
She sneered, "When did I say I would punish you? Princess Consort Gong, don't wrong me and try to smear me."
In the blink of an eye, the focus shifted to Su Wanyan.
Su Wanyan smiled and said, "Your Majesty, I have misunderstood you. Your Majesty has a magnificent aura and exudes the air of a great general. I am far from being able to match such demeanor, so I am a little apprehensive."
After testing the waters, Su Wanyan obediently withdrew her sharp edge. This princess was no pushover, and she couldn't afford to invite trouble.
Su Wanyan's words left the Princess speechless.
She thought Su Wanyan would hurriedly deny it, but she didn't expect Su Wanyan to deflect the criticism so easily and even praise her to the skies, making her feel like she had punched cotton, which was quite satisfying.
Yu Nanqing then spoke with a smile: "This reminds me of when I first met Yan'er. She was so frightened that she couldn't even speak properly. It was truly heartbreaking."
Ugh~
If it weren't for the banquet, Su Wanyan would have vomited on the spot. If she weren't the person involved, she might have actually believed Yu Nanqing's affectionate words.
Yu Nanqing continued with a smile, "I hope that my elder brother and sister will not be too harsh on Yan'er."
"I never expected Prince Gong to be such a sentimental person." The eldest princess laughed sarcastically.
She couldn't believe that anyone would willingly marry a good-for-nothing who needed to be waited on hand and foot, let alone fall deeply in love with him.
It's just a pretense of deep affection right now.
Even Emperor Yuanhe addressed Yu Nanqing as his third brother, but the eldest princess never seemed to intend to acknowledge him as such.
The only sounds in the hall were the open and veiled insults exchanged between the Princess and Su Wanyan. No one dared to speak at this moment, perhaps simply to avoid unnecessary trouble.
The Eldest Princess and Emperor Yuanhe were born of the same mother, and the Eldest Princess also helped Emperor Yuanhe ascend the throne. It can be said that no one present had more power than the Eldest Princess, and even the Empress had to be three points weaker in front of the Eldest Princess.
There was no other reason than that she was related to Emperor Yuanhe by blood and they were of one mind.
Finally, Emperor Yuanhe smiled and smoothed things over: "Alright, today is a family banquet, let's not talk about those unhappy things."
He looked at Yu Nanqing and said, "Third brother, just treat this place as a royal palace and eat and drink to your heart's content."
Yu Nanqing just smiled and didn't respond.
The eldest princess took a deep breath of anger, haughtily lowered her gaze, and then suddenly looked up at Emperor Yuanhe.
Emperor Yuanhe understood immediately and raised his hand with a smile.
Liu, the eunuch serving Emperor Yuanhe, immediately stepped forward and shouted, "Start the banquet!"
The dishes served before the main course were just appetizers; the main course was served now. One dish was Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, a standard imperial delicacy. The others included dishes like Golden Chicken with Sliced Chili, Braised Pork with Ten Thousand Blessings, and a dish with a very grand name called Jade Dragon Brings Auspiciousness.
The exquisite plating left Su Wanyan at a loss for where to begin; however, no matter how she looked at it, the jade dragon resembled a bean sprout.
As the dishes were being served, the atmosphere in the hall eased. Consort Xian suddenly looked at the Empress and asked with a smile, "Where are the Fourth Princess and the Fifth Prince?"
The Fourth Princess and the Fifth Prince were both born to the Empress; they were the legitimate princess and prince of the palace.
The Empress smiled gently: "Jing'an is not well, and the autumn weather is cold, so I let him rest in the palace. Zhixi felt sorry for her younger brother and insisted on staying by his side, so I had no choice but to let her. Besides..."
The Empress looked at Emperor Yuanhe and said, "The two siblings are often together. Bringing them here might cause them to catch their illness, so we let them rest in the palace."
"The Empress's consideration is correct," the Emperor replied.
"Then she really needs to be taken good care of." Consort Xian's tone was laced with sneer.
At this moment, Emperor Yuanhe picked up the wine cup on the table. The Empress and Consort Xian stopped talking at the right time. Emperor Yuanhe raised his cup and said, "Today is the Ksitigarbha Festival. I hope that the land of my Great Jin will be peaceful and prosperous, and that the weather will be favorable. I also hope that everyone present here will be healthy and well."
Everyone raised their glasses: "May the Great Jin Dynasty be prosperous and peaceful, and may His Majesty enjoy good health and happiness as vast as the Eastern Sea."
Even Su Wanyan picked up her wine glass, but she didn't speak. She didn't know why these people could speak in such unison.
Anyway, if she were to say something, I'm afraid I wouldn't even be able to keep up.
Yu Nanqing didn't even raise his wine cup; Emperor Yuanhe didn't mind his paper-thin frame.
Emperor Yuanhe tilted his head back and drank the wine in one gulp. Su Wanyan observed that, apart from the young Third Prince who did not drink, the First Prince and the Second Prince both drank.
Except for the eldest princess, all the women in the palace took a small sip while covering their lips.
Su Wanyan also covered her lips, brought the wine glass to her lips, and pretended to tilt her head back, but actually didn't drink a drop.
It's not that I suspect anything; after all, this is wine from the imperial court, and there are only a few people at this banquet. If someone wanted to poison someone, they wouldn't choose this time.
She just didn't like drinking alcohol. It burned her throat and made her feel uncomfortable. Besides, alcohol made her prone to making mistakes. In modern times, she wouldn't drink alcohol. Things she didn't like were the same no matter where she went.
She put down her glass without touching the wine, and Yu Nanqing noticed, asking curiously, "Don't you like it?"
Su Wanyan covered her mouth and whispered in his ear, "I don't like it."
Her breath touched his ear, and Yu Nanqing's heart skipped a beat. He pursed his lips, but quickly suppressed it.
"Your Majesty." At this moment, Xu Si suddenly stepped forward from behind. Before Su Wanyan could say anything, he had already picked up the chopsticks on the table: "Your Majesty, let this servant serve you the dishes."
Something's fishy going on.
Su Wanyan then realized that everyone else had a personal maidservant, but she didn't.
Even if she didn't have a personal maid, the palace maids should still serve them food.
Xu Si is a man, so even if he's serving food, he should serve it to Yu Nanqing!
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