Hearing this, Yun Qianmeng shot a cold glare at the young eunuch, but seeing that his expression remained unchanged, and he didn't panic at all because of the sharpness of her sudden look at him, Yun Qianmeng gradually withdrew her gaze, and a faint smile appeared on the corner of her mouth again. She said to Qu Feiqing, "Cousin, please take good care of An'er. I'll be back soon!"
The three of them, Old Lady Gu, looked at Yun Qianmeng with worried expressions. Concubine Qu pulled Yun Qianmeng over and asked quietly from behind the young eunuch, "What happened? Which palace is this young eunuch from?"
Just now, the jade token was held in the palm of the young eunuch's hand, and he only glanced at it for Yun Qianmeng, so Old Lady Gu and others did not know which palace the master came to invite Yun Qianmeng!
Yun Qianmeng, on the other hand, simply smiled a few times, giving the three worried faces in front of her a reassuring smile. She said calmly, "Don't worry, Grandma. The Queen only invited Meng'er over for a cup of tea and will be back soon! Besides, the palace banquet will begin soon, so it won't take much longer!"
After saying that, Yun Qianmeng walked up to Xiahou An'er, led her to Qu Feiqing, and said gently, "An'er, this is your cousin Qu Feiqing. Please follow your cousin into the palace first. I will be back soon!"
After saying that, Yun Qianmeng patted Xiahou An'er's hand, and then followed the little eunuch into an ordinary palace sedan chair. The little eunuch raised his head slightly and glanced at Gu Lao Taijun and others, then ordered people to lift the sedan chair and walk towards the deep palace!
Yun Qianmeng was sitting in the sedan chair sorting out what might happen next. Usually, Concubine Rong and herself were in the palace, one in the palace and the other outside the palace, and she was not a member of the royal family. If Concubine Rong rashly summoned her into the palace, with the financial resources of the Rong family and the military strength of the Chu family, it would probably cause criticism and speculation, which would definitely bring fatal disaster to both families!
Rong Yunhe is a man after all. Although he and Concubine Rong are biological sisters, there are differences between men and women. In addition, all the concubines in the harem are women. It is not convenient for Rong Yunhe to go in and out of the palace frequently, and he cannot convey what Concubine Rong wants to say to him!
As for the other women in the Rong family, I'm afraid Concubine Rong doesn't want them to know some things, so they are waiting for me to enter the palace during the Lantern Festival!
I have to say that Concubine Rong is really a cautious woman, but only a woman in her position and situation would be so cautious!
Every step she takes affects the entire Rong family. If she is not careful, it may bring disaster to the Rong family!
Just like Concubine Rongxian who has been devoted to worshipping Buddha for many years, because of the excessive fighting in the palace, she would fall into other people's traps if she was not careful. It would be better for her to take the initiative to withdraw from such palace fighting, retreat to advance, and guard her own little world all year round. As a result, she became one of the few concubines who survived in the palace today!
I have to say that this is also a kind of wisdom, but if such a life is repeated on a woman as stunning as Rong Rong, it is really too regrettable!
"Madam, we have arrived at Ronghua Palace!" After a bumpy ride, the sedan chair stopped and the voice of the little eunuch was heard outside!
Yun Qianmeng lifted the curtain of the sedan chair and took a look outside. After confirming that it was Concubine Rong's Ronghua Palace, she walked out of the sedan chair!
"Greetings, Madam Chu!" A palace maid had already been waiting at the palace gate. Seeing that the maid's clothes were slightly different from those of ordinary maids, Yun Qianmeng knew that she must be Concubine Rong's confidant, so she nodded to her and followed her into the magnificently decorated palace!
This was the first time Yun Qianmeng stepped into Ronghua Palace. She felt that the magnificence inside was really inconsistent with Concubine Rong's elegant and extraordinary image. However, it seemed to be showing the world Emperor Yugan's favor for Concubine Rong. Behind the seemingly beautiful scenery, there were countless days and nights of sadness. This arrangement was probably Emperor Yugan's way of reminding Concubine Rong to pay attention to her background at all times!
Shaking her head secretly, Yun Qianmeng followed the little palace maid to the small flower hall in the side hall of Ronghua Palace, and saw Concubine Rong sitting upright on the concubine chair, embroidering the embroidery in her hands with a serious expression!
"Your servant pays homage to the Imperial Concubine!" Yun Qianmeng quickly walked to the center of the flower hall, lifted her skirt slightly, and knelt down gracefully towards Imperial Concubine Rong. Her clear and gentle voice did not scare the Imperial Concubine Rong who was concentrating, but it just reminded her of her arrival!
When Concubine Rong heard Yun Qianmeng's voice, she slowly raised her head, revealing her stunning face. She smiled softly with a hint of tenderness, then handed the embroidery in her hand to her personal maid who had returned to her side. She then stood up and whispered, "Madam Chu, please rise!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Hearing the gentle voice of Concubine Rong, Yun Qianmeng stood up politely, but found that the palace banquet was about to begin, but Concubine Rong was still dressed in ordinary clothes!
The Empress and the Imperial Concubine were bound to attend such an occasion today, but with time running out, Imperial Concubine Rong was still wearing a half-worn palace dress, with no makeup on her face and her long hair casually tied behind her head. Although she was ethereal in beauty, she lacked the solemnity of a royal family!
"I wonder what important matter the Queen has called me here for today?" After taking a look at Concubine Rong's attire, Yun Qianmeng lowered her eyes and did not make any comments on the clothes of the person in front of her!
After all, she is now surrounded by various problems, and she has no interest in participating in the palace fight, at least not now. As long as Emperor Yugan does not do anything detrimental to Chu Feiyang, she will naturally not rashly intervene in the palace fight, so as not to get into trouble!
The reason why she reminded Concubine Rong last time was, firstly, because of Rong Yunhe, and secondly, her uncle was able to clear the toxins from his body thanks to the Rong family. Yun Qianmeng would naturally not forget this favor!
"I just had nothing to do, so I asked Madam to come over and sit with me! Madam, you won't blame me for acting on my own, will you?" Imperial Concubine Rong looked relaxed. Only when her personal maid brought the palace dress she would wear for the palace banquet did a hint of helplessness flash in her eyes. Then she nodded with a slightly expressionless face, then walked towards Yun Qianmeng and slowly said, "Thank you Madam for reminding me last time in the side hall of the Imperial Garden! Otherwise, I would have had to walk a lot longer in the future!"
Although Yun Qianmeng half-closed her eyes, she caught a glimpse of the slightly helpless look on Concubine Rong's face when she saw the bright red palace dress. The doubt in her heart now turned into complete certainty. She immediately followed Concubine Rong's words and said, "Your Majesty, it's serious. It's just a small favor! However, asking Your Majesty to pick plum blossoms in such cold weather, I guess the palace servants forgot to tell Your Majesty that there are fragrant winter plums in Ronghua Palace!"
Yun Qianmeng spoke the latter part of this sentence in a very low voice. Although only Concubine Rong and her confidants were in the flower hall at that moment, there were always ears in the palace, so it was always better to be cautious!
After listening to Yun Qianmeng's advice, Concubine Rong's expression became stern. She really had neglected these details!
Her aunt only told her not to get involved in the fight in the palace, but that didn't mean others would let her go if she withdrew from the fight!
If Yun Qianmeng hadn't reminded me in time that day, I'm afraid I would have been caught by others long ago!
Thinking of this, Concubine Rong's heart trembled slightly, and she looked at Yun Qianmeng with a probing look. She felt that the woman in front of her had a sweet smile, and her half-closed eyes were filled with caution and wisdom that few people could match. Although her appearance was not stunning, the confidence she exuded was the most attractive thing. No wonder Yun He was so in love with her!
Yun He's eyes were always sharp, and Concubine Rong couldn't help but feel less defensive towards Yun Qianmeng. She spoke cautiously, "Some time ago, Prime Minister Chu was ordered to escort Princess Heshun to her marriage. Did everything go smoothly along the way?"
Under Yun Qianmeng's influence, Concubine Rong has become more cautious now. She only mentions Hai Tian and never mentions the lives of other people!
Hearing this, Yun Qianmeng raised her eyes slightly. Seeing that Concubine Rong looked calm, as if she was just casually expressing her concern, she smiled knowingly and replied cleverly, "Everything is going well! My husband personally escorted Princess Heshun to the border of Northern Qi and separated peacefully with the Northern Qi envoy. I believe that our two countries will surely enjoy eternal peace and prosperity!"
Concubine Rong listened carefully to Yun Qianmeng's answer, and finally let go of the worry that had been weighing on her mind for more than half a month!
"Your Majesty, the time is almost up!" At this time, a palace maid from Ronghua Palace walked in from outside and respectfully reminded Concubine Rong, but her shrewd eyes stared at Yun Qianmeng, and then she quickly lowered her head!
Both Concubine Rong and Yun Qianmeng noticed the maid's little gesture. Concubine Rong smiled and said, "I'm really sorry for wasting your Majesty's time today! If I had known Miss Qu was entering the palace at the same time, I would have asked her to come and ask for advice on embroidery. I've been troubled by the shape of the pistil for a long time and can never get it to look the way I want!"
Yun Qianmeng smiled upon hearing this and said, "Your Majesty's craftsmanship is truly exquisite. I'm sure my cousin will be amazed when she sees it! I'll take my leave first!"
Seeing that Yun Qianmeng understood her meaning, Concubine Rong nodded and then said to the palace maid guarding the entrance of the flower hall, "Send Madam Chu away for me!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!" The palace maid responded humbly, immediately lifted the door curtain, and waited for Yun Qianmeng to step out of the side hall!
"Miss, do you need me to find a reason to send her out of Ronghua Palace?" At this time, Rong Guifei's personal maid came out from the inner room, carefully helped Rong Guifei walk behind the screen in the inner room, changed her into a palace dress, and then helped her sit in front of the dressing table, took off the simple hair accessories on her head, and tied up her complicated and dignified bun!
"No need. Let's observe for a while and see who she belongs to!" Picking out a golden hairpin with spread wings and handing it to the palace maid behind her, Concubine Rong spoke lightly!
She benefited a lot from her conversation with Yun Qianmeng today. Although her heart was as calm as water, she couldn't let herself die in vain!
The main venue of today's Lantern Festival Palace Banquet is in the palace. When Old Lady Gu and others entered the huge palace, many famous ladies and wives of wealthy families had already gathered in the palace. Everyone was chatting and laughing, and it seemed very harmonious!
Xiahou An'er, wearing a dress of the Xiahou clan, immediately attracted everyone's attention. Those young ladies who had put a lot of effort into dressing up saw Xiahou An'er stand out from the crowd easily, and their eyes were full of hostility when they looked at Xiahou An'er!
Qu Feiqing pulled the restless Xiahou An'er, ignoring those jealous looks, and led her to her seat. She smiled and said, "Ignore them. They just can't stand your beauty!"
Although Xiahou An'er was lively and lovely, as a princess of the Xiahou clan, she was no pushover. From the moment she appeared at the entrance of the main hall, she noticed the repulsive looks from everyone, especially the unmarried ladies, who all looked disgusted. This also made Xiahou An'er extremely disgusted with such a boring banquet. If she had known earlier, she would have gotten off the bus midway and strolled the long street on her own. She would have been much happier and more comfortable!
At this time, there was another person who felt as uncomfortable as Xiahou An'er. This person was dressed in a brocade long dress, but his eyes were darting around in the palace. The figure sitting in the corner seemed very out of place. He neither greeted the young lady next to him, nor nodded to others. After hearing the hypocritical questions from the group of young ladies, he rolled his eyes quietly without caring about his status, then supported his arms on the table, his palms supporting his cheeks, his eyes full of sleepiness!
"Two rare guests have come today!" A lady pointed in two different directions and spoke softly to the other young ladies beside her!
"I know that the one wearing strange clothes is Xiahou An'er, the princess of the Xiahou clan, but who is the other one? How come I have never seen her before! Look at her appearance, she is just like a girl from the countryside, so rude and impolite. Who allowed such a person to enter the palace? It really lowers our status!" Several people looked in the direction that the lady pointed, but saw Xiahou An'er sitting in her seat with an indifferent expression, while the other girl was almost asleep on the table!
"No matter who she is, sitting in that corner, I guess her family is not powerful! But the princess of the Xiahou clan, her appearance is comparable to that of Concubine Rong! However, the most fortunate one is Miss Qu. With a brother-in-law like Prime Minister Chu, and now a princess cousin, I believe Miss Qu will be able to marry a husband of her dreams this year!" Another rich lady with a slightly mean look spoke slowly, and her mocking eyes instantly turned to Qu Jingqing, with ridicule in her eyes!
The Miss Qu she was referring to was Qu Jingqing. It was a pity that Qu Yan was now attached to Prince Chen. Even if Yun Qianmeng married Chu Feiyang, Qu Yan would not be able to gain any benefit from her. Such an obvious mockery made Qu Jingqing's face darken. Then he sneered and retorted, "At least my last name is Qu. Compared with those who can't eat grapes and say that grapes are sour, I am a hundred times better!"
After saying that, Qu Jingqing no longer looked at the lady and walked straight towards his seat!
But when passing by Qu Feiqing, Qu Jingqing slowed down his pace, stopped in front of the table where Qu Feiqing and Xiahou An'er were sitting, and sneered, "Sister is so popular that she has even hooked up with the princess. I think she will definitely find a good husband this year!"
Hearing Qu Jingqing's words, Qu Feiqing, who was chatting and laughing with Xiahou An'er, raised her head slightly. Seeing the jealousy in the other's eyes, she smiled calmly and said, "Sister, are you jealous of my good luck? It's a pity that I am not your sister. All I think about and calculate in my heart all day is finding my ideal husband among the nobles in Kyoto. Please don't force your own happiness on others!"
"You!" When what she was thinking was pointed out, Qu Jingqing's eyes suddenly showed anger. Although she looked beautiful when she was angry and embarrassed, the viciousness in her eyes distorted her natural beauty, making Qu Jingqing's face extremely hideous, exposing her ugly appearance in front of others!
"Sister Fei, is this the daughter of my cousin's half-brother? How can such a person be qualified to talk to you? Doesn't it make you look downgraded?" Although the Xiahou clan only entered Kyoto twenty-three years ago when Xiahou Ying got married, it did not mean that the Xiahou clan did not care about everything in Kyoto!
As a princess of the Xiahou clan, Xiahou An'er had been taught these things since she was a child. Naturally, she knew the situations of the major families in Kyoto very well. Seeing that a concubine's daughter like Qu Jingqing was so arrogant, she sneered!
"An'er, you don't know, these flies are annoying. They have no status to speak of, so why would they care about their face?" Qu Feiqing picked up the teacup, admired Qu Jingqing's darkening face, and spoke with a faint smile!
"It's really disgusting. There is a delicious dish in front of me, but suddenly a fly flies over. It makes me unable to pick up my chopsticks. It makes me feel sick just looking at it! Sister Fei, I'm going outside to get some fresh air and will come back after the fly flies away!" After saying that, Xiahou An'er quickly stood up, glared at Qu Jingqing, smiled at Qu Feiqing, and quickly walked out of the hall before the other party could stop her!
Compared with the warmth inside the hall, it seems extremely cold outside. However, the hall is filled with the smell of various cosmetics, which makes people feel headache. However, the fresh air outside makes people feel comfortable both physically and mentally!
Xiahou An'er, mindful of Yun Qianmeng's instructions from the carriage, walked within a small area outside the palace. A faint fragrance drifted from the courtyard of the adjacent side hall. Having grown up in the south, Xiahou An'er had seen snowfall several times, but she had never smelled such a delicate fragrance from afar. Curious, she lifted her skirt, stepped on the frozen snow, and quietly walked along the four corners of the side hall towards the courtyard...
"Ouch..." Unexpectedly, she was so focused on the fragrance in her mind that she didn't see anyone coming at the corner. She was knocked back by someone and fell straight backwards. She was about to fall down the stairs into the mud when a strong hand grabbed her wrist in an instant. With a little force, he pulled her up and didn't let go until she stood firm!
Xiahou An'er immediately patted her chest. If she got her clothes dirty, her grandfather would definitely punish her by making her copy scriptures!
However, if the person in front of her had not appeared silently at the corner, how could she have been so alarmed?
Filled with anger, Xiahou An'er immediately raised his head and stared at the person in front of him with his big, watery eyes!
The man in front of her was tall, with a face as white as jade, sword-like eyebrows slanting into his temples, and slightly raised corners of his eyes, as if smiling but not smiling. The look in his eyes was both good and evil, adding to his seductive charm. Xiahou An'er was stunned for a moment, and a hint of surprise appeared in his eyes. She didn't understand why such a handsome man appeared in the palace!
But seeing that he was wearing an amber robe embroidered with green patterns, a smooth, restrained and gentle Hetian white jade pendant on his waist, and sable fur on the lapels and cuffs, it was clear that the man was either rich or noble. However, although Xiahou An'er knew many people in the capital, he had never seen these people before. At this time, he could only guess his approximate identity from various descriptions!
However, before Xiahou An'er revealed the identity of this person, the other party glanced at her and then walked past her without saying a word!
"You..." Seeing that he bumped into someone but was about to leave without apologizing, Xiahou An'er was about to speak but was stopped by Yun Qianmeng who had just stepped into the hall!
"An'er, why are you outside?" Yun Qianmeng walked quickly to Xiahou An'er's side, but her eyes followed the direction Xiahou An'er was staring. Seeing a fluttering piece of clothing at the corner, Yun Qianmeng couldn't help but frown slightly!
"Cousin, there are too many flies in the hall, so I came out to get some fresh air!" After honestly expressing her dissatisfaction with certain people, Xiahou An'er saw Yun Qianmeng looking at her indifferently, so she immediately ran to her side to explain!
Yun Qianmeng patted her hand and said with a smile, "There are many taboos in the palace. Don't run around and make a mistake. No one will be able to protect you! Let's go in!"
Seeing Xiahou An'er frowned when she heard the word "go in", Yun Qianmeng shook her head and chuckled, then took her little hand and pulled her into the hall. However, her eyes scanned the people in the hall and found that several royal men had come to sit in the men's seats, and the owner of the sleeve she had captured was also sitting there!
"What happened?" Seeing Yun Qianmeng coming back, Qu Feiqing immediately pulled her to sit down and asked with concern!
But Yun Qianmeng smiled and shook her head, "No big deal!" She then glanced at the female guests around her, and found that Miss Han, who had troubled Qu Changqing yesterday, was also invited. The little girl was almost asleep on the table, which made people feel extremely cute. Her lively and active personality was no less than Xiahou An'er. She was afraid that she would not be able to bear sitting at the banquet for several hours!
"What are you looking at? I don't know whose lady that is, but she is so indecent. I'm afraid she will be laughed at by those sarcastic ladies in the future!" Following Yun Qianmeng's gaze, Qu Feiqing spoke in a low voice!
Hearing this, Yun Qianmeng pursed her lips and smiled. Then she told Qu Feiqing everything that happened yesterday. Qu Feiqing was really surprised. She turned around and looked at Miss Han a few more times. She turned back to Yun Qianmeng in disbelief and whispered, "Did Miss Han really force Big Brother to change his expression?"
She couldn't believe it. Her calm and reserved elder brother, the elder brother who faced life and death on the battlefield without blinking an eye, was actually forced to change his face by a little girl. This was really hard for Qu Feiqing to believe!
Everyone in the family knew that Qu Changqing had always looked pure and indifferent since he was old enough to understand things, and it was rare to see any fluctuations in his expression. But after listening to Yun Qianmeng's retelling, Qu Feiqing suddenly became curious about Miss Han!
"If you don't believe me, you can test my cousin. If he changes his expression, it means it's true!" Yun Qianmeng smiled and picked up the teacup in front of her, taking a sip with a bit of thirst. However, considering that Han Che was a sixth-rank Hanlin editor, his sister was actually invited to the palace banquet. It seemed that the position of prime minister was not just a trick of Emperor Yu Gan to buy people's hearts. I'm afraid that after the three-year assessment, Han Che's career will be skyrocketed. As for the two first-rank positions of left and right prime ministers, it seems that Emperor Yu Gan really wants to place his own people in them. Otherwise, considering the relationship between the left and right prime ministers, no one would be at ease!
And since there was a precedent of Chu Feiyang becoming the left prime minister at the young age, it would be acceptable to the world that Emperor Yugan arranged Han Che, who was only eighteen years old, to be a scholar!
He is indeed a far-sighted emperor. I'm afraid that when Emperor Yugan appointed Chu Feiyang, he had already thought about the path a few years later. He is so unfathomable and frightening!
Yun Qianmeng put down the teacup in her hand, only to discover that sitting next to Old Lady Gu today was Princess Duan, who seldom attended banquets!
Just like the impression she gave last time, this Princess Duan was dignified but not friendly enough, and she seemed to keep people at a distance. She would only respond when Old Lady Gu asked her a question!
As for the earnest greetings from other noble ladies, she remained silent!
However, due to her noble status, even though those noble ladies saw her cold attitude, they did not show any disrespect on their faces. Instead, they eagerly discussed the interesting things that happened in Kyoto recently beside her!
Yun Qianmeng smiled faintly and withdrew her gaze. However, she caught a glimpse of Xiahou An'er stroking her wrist, so she asked with concern, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Unexpectedly, Yun Qianmeng would suddenly notice her. Xiahou An'er immediately lowered her hands, shook her head, and smiled, "No, I'm fine! I just don't know who those people are sitting across from me. Ever since those men entered the hall, the voices of those young ladies have become much quieter!"
"Those are the princes of the late emperor. Some of them are now princes, and a few have long been conferred the title of princes!" Yun Qianmeng deliberately ignored the fact that someone did not introduce himself and talked about the irrelevant content!
"What about him? Judging from his appearance, he doesn't seem to be from the royal family!" Xiahou An'er was so absorbed in finding out the identity of the person who bumped into someone that he didn't notice the little trap set by Yun Qianmeng at all!
“He! He is…” Seeing the hostility in Xiahou An’er’s eyes as she looked at that man, Yun Qianmeng was about to speak when Eunuch Yu’s voice came from outside the palace, “The Emperor has arrived!”
Everyone immediately returned to their seats, stood up, and knelt down at the entrance of the hall, saying, "Your Highness, long live the Emperor!"
"Everyone stand up!" A bright yellow figure slowly stepped into the hall, and there were bursts of footsteps behind him. When everyone in the hall stood up, Emperor Yugan and others had already sat down in their seats, and the officials following behind him also walked to their seats, and at the signal of Emperor Yugan, they slowly sat down together!
"Today is the Lantern Festival. I originally wanted to invite all of you to return home to celebrate the festival, but Prime Minister Chu, Prince Chen and Prince Hai have just sent off the Northern Qi envoys. To reward them, I have ordered people to set up a palace banquet today! My dear ministers, there is no need to be restrained. Let the monarch and his subjects have fun together!" Emperor Yugan stood up with a wine glass in his hand and said loudly with a smile on his face!
When everyone saw him stand up, they all followed suit with great fear and trepidation, saying in unison, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace!"
After he finished speaking, everyone raised their heads and drank the wine in their cups before sitting down again. Yun Qianmeng put down the cup and looked across. Sure enough, she saw Han Che sitting among the ministers. Although his position was remote, it was close to the entrance of the main hall. However, today's palace banquet was only open to officials of the third rank and above. Considering his sixth rank, it was obvious to him!
However, Yun Qianmeng was puzzled. If Emperor Yugan was so forbearing, why did he reveal his intention to cultivate Han Che? Wasn't he afraid that Han Che, who was now helpless, would be easily killed by those powerful people?
His gaze inevitably turned to Emperor Yugan, who was currently conversing with the Queen Mother and the Empress. Amidst the singing and dancing, he appeared to be in a peaceful mood, a scene of harmony between the monarch and his subjects!
Without Qi Jingyuan and others present at the palace banquet, the atmosphere seemed much more relaxed, but the struggles between the major factions were still going on in this joyful scene!
Hai Tian was accompanying the Northern Qi envoys to marry. The King of the Sea and his wife missed their daughter, so they did not attend the palace banquet tonight and only sent Hai Chenxi. He was seen drinking the wine in the glass slowly and leisurely at this moment. It was a small glass of fine wine, and he took a sip. His playful look made the daughters of the other families excited. Their cheeks flushed but their eyes were fixed on Hai Chenxi!
Among the ministers sitting below, the most honorable one at this moment was King Chu, Chu Nanshan. Facing the toasts and flattery from the ministers, Chu Nanshan half-closed his eyes, with a look as deep as the sea, making it impossible to detect what was in his mind. Chu Feiyang easily blocked the ministers who came to toast him. Seeing that King Chu was old, everyone did not dare to be too presumptuous. After greeting him, they returned to their own seats!
Among the three men from the Chu family who attended the event, Chu Pei was sitting in the middle seat. He was having a pleasant conversation with Wen Xie, the Prince's Junior Tutor. There was a hint of gratitude in Wen Xie's eyes. He must be grateful to Chu Feiyang for saving his wife yesterday!
Among the crowd, the quietest was King Chen. His eyes were cold and calm, and his frozen expression discouraged those who wanted to toast him. He only took a sip of the wine on the table when he raised his glass just now, as if he had no appetite for the food in front of him!
Yun Qianmeng glanced at Prince Chen indifferently and retracted her gaze, unaware that the moment she did so, Jiang Muchen's gaze had already been glued to her dazzling profile. Seeing her smile fade away, she handled the palace banquet with ease. Now that she had the identity of Madam Chu, she exuded a mature charm. The touch of cuteness on her eyebrows made her look even more impressive than the boring daughters of officials beside her! Just thinking of Chu Feiyang's deliberate display at the border, Jiang Muchen's brows wrinkled slightly. It seemed that only by getting rid of Chu Feiyang could he win Yun Qianmeng back to his side!
At this moment, amidst the singing and dancing, Eunuch Yu walked quickly in from outside the hall, walked to the center of the hall, knelt down and reported, "Your Majesty, Prince Rui has arrived!"
When everyone heard the name of King Rui, they all stopped what they were doing. At this time, in the hall, apart from the sound of music and the rustling of dancers' slowly dancing feet and clothes, it was so quiet that one could even hear the sound of a silver needle falling to the ground!
Prince Rui was a prince of Western Chu, but he acted impulsively in a battle with Northern Qi and caused a disaster. Not only did he lose a full 30,000 elite soldiers, he was also captured by the enemy. In order to redeem him, Western Chu even gave up a princess for marriage. Now Emperor Yugan has not punished him yet, but he is already entering and leaving the palace. It is really infuriating!
"Let him in!" But for Emperor Yugan, Prince Rui was his younger brother after all. Since he had paid such a high price to get him back, how could he not see him?
"Yes!" Eunuch Yu took the order and left, and everyone in the hall immediately put down their wine glasses, returned to the table and sat upright, waiting for Prince Rui to enter the hall!
Not long after, Eunuch Yu led Prince Rui into the hall. What surprised everyone was that Prince Rui, a dignified prince, was only wearing a white inner garment, with his long hair loose, and walked in carrying a cane on his back, looking like he was asking for forgiveness!
"Your Majesty, I, the guilty minister, pay my respects!" The singing and dancing had already stopped. Prince Rui walked to the center of the hall, knelt down straight in front of Emperor Yugan with a heavy face, and kowtowed deeply to him!
"Fourth brother, what are you doing?" Seeing Prince Rui's appearance, Emperor Yugan frowned slightly and immediately asked in confusion!
"I am guilty of a thousand deaths, please Your Majesty, punish me!" But King Rui was only concerned with asking Emperor Yugan to punish him. His pitiful appearance aroused sympathy from many people!
When Hai Chenxi, who was sitting beside him, saw this scene, a hint of scorn flashed in his eyes. Looking at King Rui's current appearance, all he felt in his heart was a deep disdain!
Chu Feiyang, however, seemed not to notice the embarrassed look of King Rui. His smiling eyes were looking straight at Yun Qianmeng opposite him. Seeing that she looked fine at this moment, he raised his glass slightly towards her, then drank the wine in his hand with a smile!
"Cousin, don't let my cousin drink too much!" How could Xiahou An'er not see his cousin's little actions? Seeing the deep love between the couple, he joked from the side!
This made Yun Qianmeng feel secretly annoyed. It was Chu Feiyang who wanted to drink, but in the end, the crime of forcing others to drink fell on her. Thinking of this, Yun Qianmeng also picked up the wine glass in front of her and drank it without any inferiority, which made Chu Feiyang anxious, but she was smiling brightly!
Little did she know that the smile she gave to Chu Feiyang actually stung Jiang Muchen's eyes. A cold light suddenly shot towards Chu Feiyang, causing Chu Feiyang to immediately retract the smile in his eyes. His bottomless black eyes met Jiang Muchen's icy cold eyes. Although there was no communication between the two, they had already fought countless rounds!
"Get up, your coming back is a blessing for Xichu!" Emperor Yugan saw that his brother had lost a lot of weight in the past six months, and a look of heartache suddenly appeared on his face. When everyone saw that Emperor Yugan no longer blamed Prince Rui, they immediately wiped away the anger on their faces and looked at the kneeling man with a calm expression!
"Fourth brother, you are not young anymore, but you still lack consideration in handling things! I think you should appoint a Princess Rui as your wife so that you can start a family and establish a career!" Emperor Yugan glanced at the seats of the female relatives on the right, and scanned the appearance of each lady with his shrewd eyes, and spoke lightly!
But when he spoke, he frightened those rich girls. Their noble status and large families made their ambitions different from those of ordinary people!
Although Prince Duan is a prince, who would be willing to marry a prince who was once a captive? Such a shame would not only embarrass them, but would also bring trouble to their families. Moreover, apart from Chu Feiyang who already has a wife, Prince Hai and Prince Chen both have wives, and they almost have promising young talents like Minister Han and Han Hanlin. Why should they ruin their future for the empty position of princess?
Thinking about all this in fear and trepidation, all the ladies lowered their heads, praying in their hearts that Emperor Yugan would not take a fancy to them!
Among the ministers, in the corner near the palace door, Han Che's hands, which were flat on his knees, clenched into fists because of Emperor Yu Gan's words. With nervousness hidden in his eyes, he looked in the direction of Qu Feiqing, then observed Emperor Yu Gan's gaze, trying to guess the emperor's intention!
Fortunately, Han Che's official position was too low and he was not noticed by others. However, Han Yu, who was also sitting in the corner, noticed that her brother was acting strangely. She didn't know what happened, but it made her brother, who was usually calm and composed, become a little anxious!
"Your Majesty, you are joking. How can I, a guilty minister, ruin the lives of these young ladies?" However, Prince Rui saw the expressions of these young ladies, a sneer emerged in his heart, but he spoke calmly!
"Your mother is no longer with us, so I naturally have to think a lot about your life! Besides, if you don't get married, your seventh brother naturally can't marry a wife before you. You are not only delaying yourself, but also your seventh brother!" Retracting his gaze, Emperor Yugan looked at his two younger brothers below with a gentle look, and spoke with great concern!
"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty! I am still young and have not yet considered my lifelong affairs!" But his words made Jiang Muchen stand up and go back immediately!
But it made Chu Feiyang frown and glare coldly!
"Really? But as far as I know, the Concubine Dowager is very anxious about the marriage of Seventh Brother! There are three unfilial acts, and the worst is to have no descendants! Prime Minister Chu is the same age as Seventh Brother, and now he has married a beautiful wife. How can Seventh Brother refuse?" Hearing Jiang Muchen refute his words in public, Emperor Yugan's face turned slightly cold. Although his tone softened, it was a bit colder than his previous concern!
Seeing that Emperor Yugan's expression had changed, everyone fell silent immediately, and sat quietly in their seats, watching their eyes and noses, so as not to become the victims of the accident!
"Your Majesty, I have not yet established my career, so naturally I have no intention of getting married! But Prime Minister Chu has established his career first, so naturally he can get married!" Jiang Muchen had to bring up Chu Feiyang. When he said the word "get married", his heart ached slightly. He raised his eyes and quickly glanced at the calm-looking woman opposite him. Seeing that there was no tension or sadness on her face, he was even more disappointed!
"Your Highness is wrong! Starting a family and establishing a career are inseparable! Your Highness has been promoted from prince to prince, so how can you say you haven't established a career yet? In my opinion, Your Highness can start a family now!"
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