Although the Empress Dowager was over fifty years old, she had lived a life of luxury for many years, which kept her looking radiant. Her skin was still fair, her hair was still black, and she had very few wrinkles. She was a beauty who had been favored by time.
She was helped in, her steps incredibly graceful, the golden hairpin on her head swaying only slightly.
She walked to the head seat, sat down, and slightly raised her hand, saying, "Rise, all of you."
His voice was soft and steady, exuding authority without anger.
Everyone thanked them and stood up, but no one dared to move an inch.
"Raise your faces so I can have a good look at you all."
The women then raised their heads.
The Empress Dowager swept her gaze over them one by one. Her brown eyes were calm and undisturbed, and although there was still a gentle smile on her lips, it gave people a chilling feeling.
"Not bad." She waved her hand casually and said, "Sit down, all of you. I invited you here today to celebrate the festival and have some fun, so don't be too formal."
"Yes." Everyone then returned to their seats.
Soon, palace maids filed in, bringing out exquisite pastries, seasonal fruits and wine, and small, emerald-green rice dumplings on each table.
The Empress Dowager at the head of the table raised her wine cup, and the noble ladies followed suit, raising their cups in return. After a round of compliments and pleasantries, the Empress Dowager began to eat, and only then did the noble ladies below dare to pick up their chopsticks.
Xie Jiaoying couldn't wait any longer. She picked up a small rice dumpling, peeled off the skin, and was about to eat it in one bite when she suddenly remembered something. So she changed to taking small bites and chewing slowly.
Looking at her awkward behavior, Lu Xingli asked in confusion, "Why are you being so ladylike today?"
Xie Jiaoying said, "My mother specifically told me before I left home to behave politely and not to embarrass the Xie family."
Lu Xingli covered her mouth and burst out laughing.
Qingying across from her looked over and their eyes met. She felt a little embarrassed, stopped smiling, and picked up her wine glass to gesture.
Seeing this, Qingying also picked up her wine cup.
After the two shared a drink, Qingying looked away.
The person sitting closest to Qingying was Princess Anyang, whom she had met once at the poetry gathering.
She was a quiet and gentle woman, with a kind and respectful demeanor, and an aura that kept strangers at bay. She sat idly, sipping her drink, without taking the initiative to communicate with others.
The noble ladies were all talking in hushed tones. Qingying was wondering whether to strike up a conversation with her when she suddenly felt a sharp gaze.
She followed her gaze and their eyes met in mid-air.
She paused for a moment, then quickly lowered her eyelashes.
"You are Liu Yu's daughter?" The Empress Dowager spoke first, her tone still indifferent but carrying an air of authority.
"Yes," Qingying replied softly.
How old are you this year?
"Just turned fourteen."
The Empress Dowager frowned slightly but said nothing more.
Just then, Eunuch Yang came over and whispered a few words in her ear.
The Empress Dowager then said, "Today is the Dragon Boat Festival, so naturally there must be dragon boat races. I have specially ordered several boats to be prepared for a race around the lake to entertain the young ladies."
Soon, people stood on the shore and lined up neatly. They lined up by the color of their clothes, with those of the same color forming one line, and boarded different boats in turn.
One of the girls recognized the leader of one of the groups and exclaimed, "That's... the Fourth Prince? Wait, it looks like His Highness the Crown Prince is also there!"
The girls immediately looked closely and realized that the leader of each team was actually a prince.
There were four teams in total, led by the Fourth Prince, the Seventh Prince, the Eighth Prince, and the Crown Prince.
The eldest prince, the fourth prince, is nineteen years old, and the youngest prince, the eighth prince, is fifteen years old; neither of them is married yet.
Qingying suddenly realized that the Empress Dowager did more than just want to choose a husband for the Crown Prince!
No wonder they found so many girls.
She looked at the four ships lined up not far away, with four different princes standing at the bow directing them.
The Fourth Prince, being older, appeared more composed, with a cold and stern face, quite profound and unapproachable. The Seventh Prince, sixteen, was exquisitely beautiful, like a porcelain doll; even the beauties of the capital would pale in comparison. The Eighth Prince, fifteen, still retained a childlike innocence, and his smile revealed two adorable little tiger teeth. The Crown Prince, on the other hand, was gentle and refined, exuding an air of dignified elegance.
All the noble ladies looked in that direction in unison, craning their necks, twisting handkerchiefs or holding round fans in their hands, their faces full of excitement, eagerly anticipating what was to come.
With a bang, the eunuch by the lake lowered the flag, and the four dragon boats began to paddle. They needed to circle the lake three times, and the first dragon boat to return to its original position would win.
Because the Empress Dowager was present, the noble ladies had to maintain their composure and dared not show too much emotion. They simply watched the team they supported silently and suppressed their inner feelings.
Among them, only a few people were in a relaxed state, such as Xie Jiaoying, whose eyes were only on food, the Princess of Anyang, who seemed not to care about anything, and Liu Qingying, who was content and focused on drinking tea.
Why did Qingying suddenly relax?
Because she realized that she seemed to have figured out the Empress Dowager's intentions. The Empress Dowager organized this banquet ostensibly to select a husband for the prince, but in reality, she wanted to understand the political situation at court.
These girls represent aristocratic families, and their support signifies the support of their families. Marriage is often the strongest and most reliable bond between two families, and the Empress Dowager wanted to use this method to investigate the allegiance of these families.
The current situation between North Korea and China appears peaceful on the surface, but undercurrents are surging beneath.
There may be doubts about the relationship between the Crown Prince and the Emperor, but the relationship between the Crown Prince and the Empress Dowager is obvious—the Empress Dowager does not like the Crown Prince.
The current harem is managed by Consort Yan, who is the birth mother of the Seventh Prince and the Empress Dowager's niece. She has mentioned more than once that the Emperor should establish an Empress, but the Emperor has rejected her every time. How could she not be angry with the Crown Prince?
The late empress's maternal family was the Han family of Jinling, a once prominent family that has gradually declined. The crown prince has no one in the court and is already in a weak position. How could she let this opportunity pass without rising up bravely?
The Empress Dowager seems to be playing a long game.
Qingying picked up her teacup and took a small sip, her eyes glancing at the woman beside her who was also quietly drinking tea.
Oh right, she almost forgot that the Princess of Anyang's surname is Yan.
Her gaze returned to the teacup, and she smiled helplessly.
It seems that even if she doesn't want to, she's already caught up in it.
...
After a period of excitement, the curtain finally fell, and the princes changed their clothes and entered the hall.
The Empress Dowager commended the victorious fourth prince and also offered words of praise to the other princes.
In summary: You are all my grandsons, I treat you all equally and have high hopes for you all.
How ironic! What kind of family affection exists in the royal family?
Before Qingying could hide the mockery in her eyes, she suddenly met another pair of eyes.
Her eyes were a light shade of red, yet they were like the eyes of a fox, containing a pool of cold spring water—cold, alluring, and unfathomable.
She felt as if she had been seen through in an instant, and quickly lowered her eyelashes to cover her vision.
Damn it, I shouldn't have been glancing like that!
She felt annoyed for a while, but then suddenly became calm again.
Anyway, she didn't know the Seventh Prince, so let him think what he wants.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com