Everyone sat in their seats, waiting for the arrival of the Fourth Prince, Consort Nian, and Consort Xi.
This was the first time the family had gathered like this since the death of Emperor Kangxi and the ascension of the Fourth Prince. There was much less intrigue and backstabbing, and the gathering was treated as a regular family dinner, making everyone feel much more relaxed and happy.
Eighth Master and Ninth Master naturally sat next to each other. In order not to arouse Fourth Master's suspicion, they deliberately reduced their interactions. This time was different. All the brothers were here, so Eighth Master did not have so many concerns and chatted casually with Ninth Master.
The Third Prince, Fifth Prince, and Tenth Prince were chatting and laughing, and the brothers seemed to have a harmonious relationship. There was no sign that they had previously resorted to any means to harm each other in their struggle for the throne. Pengdao Yao was filled with joy and laughter, and everyone was happy and harmonious.
The wives of the princes from various households were also reunited after a long separation. Since it was a rare occasion for them to gather, they naturally had endless things to talk about. They discussed the most fashionable clothing styles in the capital, the latest makeup trends, and which shops had the most beautiful jewelry and fabrics. When they got to the exciting parts, they burst into excited laughter.
Everyone understood that this was a family dinner, and even if there were any lingering resentments, they couldn't show them at this time. Since Fourth Master had hosted a family dinner, everyone should act like it was a family dinner.
The last group consisted of the younger generation, with Hongshi, Hongli, and Hongzhou each seated at a separate table. However, Hongshi was flanked by Xueying and Shuzhen, while Hongli and Hongzhou sat opposite him.
Seeing that his uncles were all chatting and laughing, and he couldn't join in the conversation, Hongzhou, feeling bored, went over to greet Hongshi.
Hongzhou had been unable to forget Xueying. Although he knew that Xueying loved Hongli and was engaged to him, he still greeted her with a smile.
"Brother, it's been a long time! You haven't come to the study to listen to the teacher's lectures either. It's been so difficult to see you..." Hongzhou said to Hongshi half-jokingly, his eyes still drifting towards Xueying, and he nodded slightly as a greeting.
Xueying smiled slightly, not knowing what to say to Hongzhou, so she remained silent.
“You haven’t changed at all, still as mischievous as ever. You need to study hard so you can share Father’s burdens in the future…” Hongshi said to Hongzhou with a smile. Hongzhou pouted nonchalantly, “Leave the matter of sharing Father’s burdens to you, elder brother. I’ll continue to live a carefree life of eating and playing…”
Hongzhou's harmless appearance made him impossible to dislike, which made Shuzhen and Xueying chuckle to themselves.
Seeing Xueying smile, Hongzhou said, "Princess Xueying and sister-in-law, you mustn't laugh at me. I'm just telling the truth..."
After laughing, Xueying secretly glanced at the table opposite her. Hongli remained seated, showing no intention of even looking in her direction. Xueying couldn't help but feel a little frustrated.
Thinking back to when Hongli was poisoned, she risked being scolded by the Empress to go to Changchun Palace to inform him. However, Xueying thought that Hongli would be moved by her actions and come to thank her in person, even if it was just to say a word, but Hongli never came.
If it weren't for the Empress having Hongshi bring her here, she probably wouldn't have even been able to see Hongli.
Xueying grew angrier the more she thought about it, and she even sat down to the side in a huff, refusing to look at Hongli anymore.
Hongli naturally saw Xueying and knew that he had been able to find the source of the poison so quickly thanks to Xueying's information when he was poisoned. However, when Hongli thought of Mingyu, he reminded himself not to hurt her, so even though he wanted to go and say a few words to Xueying, he had to hold back.
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