Chapter 139 Birthday Banquet
The next morning, a steady stream of gifts was delivered to Consort Qi's Chuxiu Palace. It was clear to everyone that the Emperor was very pleased with this newly arrived Consort Qi.
In this palace, everyone has to think things through before doing anything, and the emperor's favor is no exception.
However, no matter what the outside world speculated, it had nothing to do with Hongzhao. He was sitting next to his father, looking at the congratulatory memorials from the officials for his birthday.
After glancing at one copy, Yinzhen would casually hand it to Hongzhao, who was standing next to him, occasionally adding a few comments.
"Hmm, this person's handwriting is neat and tidy. Judging from the handwriting, one can tell that he is a person of integrity."
"This is good. The language is fresh and the writing is smooth. It's quite a literary piece."
"Tsk, this is written too simply. Tell him to write another one carefully and submit it to me."
...
Hongzhao could only take the memorial from the side and read it carefully before picking up his imperial brush and writing a neat "read" at the end. He was being congratulated so much on his birthday that one after another filled his brain with messages. He felt that he would never be at a loss for words when congratulating others in the future. Who said that cramming education was useless!
Su Peisheng entered the hall with slow, deliberate steps and saw the father and son working together seamlessly, but the Crown Prince's blatant forced composure made him unable to suppress a smile. He suppressed his smirk and stepped forward to report in a low voice, "Your Majesty, Prince Xun has entered the palace, and the Thirteenth Prince has also arrived. They are currently waiting for your summons outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation."
Upon hearing the sound, Yinzhen finally looked up from the pile of memorials on the table. This was perhaps the first time he had ever been in such a good mood after reading so many memorials. He glanced to the side and met Hongzhao's rather helpless gaze, so he happily patted his head and said in a very good mood, "Let them in."
"Yes, sir." Su Peisheng obeyed and withdrew to deliver the summons.
Before long, two figures walked side by side into the Hall of Mental Cultivation, one in royal blue and the other in crescent white. After entering the hall, they simultaneously flicked their sleeves, knelt down, and bowed – “Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty.”
Yinzhen squinted and looked down. This was not the first time the fourteenth prince had entered the palace since returning from the imperial mausoleum. He had only caught a glimpse of him at the New Year's Eve banquet and hadn't noticed him because he was far away. Moreover, he hadn't stayed in the palace for long because the empress was giving birth, and he hadn't even been able to see the empress dowager.
Upon closer inspection today, I noticed that his arrogance has diminished considerably. I wonder if the three years spent in the imperial mausoleum have tempered his arrogance, or if he has simply learned to feign it with age.
Previously, the thirteenth and fourteenth princes would ride horses and drink and make merry in the Mulan Hunting Grounds. Now, one had ruined his health by raising bees along the road for many years, and the other had lost his arrogance by guarding the imperial tombs. Seeing this, he felt very sorry for them. Considering Prince Yi's leg ailment, Yinzhen still raised his hand and said, "No need for formalities, get up."
The two stood up and, as if by prior arrangement, bowed to Hongzhao, who was standing beside the Emperor, saying, "Greetings, Your Highness."
As soon as the two men were exchanging greetings, Hongzhao silently stood up and stood to the side. Upon seeing this, he also returned the greeting with a cupped hand – “Greetings, Thirteenth Uncle; Greetings, Fourteenth Uncle.”
Yunti had already been quite impressed with this young crown prince, and seeing that the two were clearly sharing a table today, he secretly raised an eyebrow. He knew his fourth brother's temperament very well. Could it be that having a precious son had truly changed his personality?
Yinzhen looked at his thirteenth brother with a kind and gentle gaze, but when he turned to look at the fourteenth brother beside him, he immediately wished he could close his eyes.
His tone was not pleasant as he began, “I have already ordered the Prince’s Mansion to be repaired. You will continue to live in the same place from now on. Do not be as reckless and troublesome as before. The Empress Dowager is not well. The imperial physician said that she should not have too much emotional fluctuation. If you want to visit her in the palace in the future, you should think carefully.”
If it were according to Yunti's previous personality, he would have argued with his fourth brother, who was fearless. But today, being able to return to the capital and enter the palace again was already a great blessing. Regardless of what he thought in his heart, he still lowered his head and agreed.
Seeing him like this, Yinzhen's frustration subsided considerably. "I promised Empress Dowager that I would let you visit her in the palace. You should go now. I am too busy with official duties to go. Thirteenth Brother has also not seen the Empress Dowager for some time. Let's go and pay our respects together."
Yes.
After Yinzhen finished speaking, he picked up the memorial and stopped looking at the two men. The two men, understanding the situation, bowed and left.
Hongzhao watched from the side and felt a pang of sadness in his heart. Was the memorial at hand really that important? In fact, it wasn't at all. Hongzhao just knew that when the Empress Dowager saw her youngest son, she would naturally shower him with warmth and affection, and might even weep with joy.
Hongzhao himself understood this principle, so how could the Emperor not understand it?
He had witnessed this scene countless times before, standing by like a guest, watching his own mother and younger brother being affectionate and clingy, without exception, from childhood to adulthood. Now, even as the emperor, all he could do was find an excuse not to watch at this moment.
Hongzhao watched his father intently reading a commemorative document, and couldn't help but reach out and wrap his arm around his, snuggling close to him. He mumbled, "Father, let's have hot pot for lunch. Let's invite my sister too, so she won't complain to you every day that her son eats good food without her."
As Yinzhen felt the sudden warmth from the source of the heat, the gloom that had lingered in his heart for a moment slowly dissipated with Hongzhao's very casual words. A picture actually appeared in his mind: the two clingy and sweet-talking children, who were exactly alike, were lively on his left and right sides. Just thinking about it made him feel very warm.
The chill that had accumulated throughout their bodies seemed to loosen at this moment, and a warm current gradually flowed through their hearts along with Hongzhao's affectionate words—"Alright, it's cold, and I'm afraid you won't be able to enjoy the food at the banquet. So let's eat more at noon and go to Yongshou Palace for hot pot."
...
When Lü Jiaying saw the two of them arrive, accompanied by a large group of imperial chefs and ingredients, and they immediately began working in the small kitchen, she couldn't quite figure out what they were up to. However, seeing the expectant expressions on the father and son's faces, and knowing that nothing serious seemed amiss, she felt somewhat relieved.
Needless to say, Hongjin ran towards his father as soon as he saw him. His two sons, Hongzhou and Hongyan, also ran towards the door one after the other. Because of their mother, they could see each other often, so the two children were not afraid of being strangers to their emperor.
The lunch was even more lively and heartwarming than Yinzhen had imagined, and his satisfied smile was reflected in the rising steam.
——
Because it was close to the end of the year, the birthday banquet was not too extravagant. It was just a gathering of people to show off the Crown Prince's nobility and to create a festive atmosphere.
The most anticipated program was undoubtedly the long-awaited glimpse of the mysterious Lady Ye! After more than a month, we finally got to see her true face!
"It's a rare occasion for us all to gather here today, so you should pay your respects to the Empress formally." After a few rounds of drinks, Yinzhen looked at the woman in green at the end of the table with a smile and a hint of drunkenness in his eyes.
Ye Lanyi rolled her eyes inwardly, impatiently walked out of her seat and came forward, her tone flat and devoid of any emotion—"This concubine greets Her Majesty the Empress and all the elder sisters."
Lu Jiaying was also in a good mood today, and everyone seemed much more pleasing to the eye. When she saw Lu Jiaying bow, she smiled and gestured for her to stand up. "Get up quickly. This is the first time I have seen you. You are truly a unique little sister. No wonder the Emperor likes you."
Ye Lanyi stood patiently in place, disliking everything in the palace. She disliked the utterly fake banquets and the scrutinizing gazes from all directions. Only because the Empress had given her a mimosa tree transplanted from Ninghui Hall did she patiently listen to her say a few more words.
Unexpectedly, Consort Qi, who had only been in the palace for a few days, suddenly spoke up: "The Emperor likes you, but the Empress is the head of the six palaces. How can you delay in coming to pay your respects?"
Lu Jiaying was taken aback when she heard the voice. She didn't know when she had developed such a relationship with Consort Qi, who was now speaking up for her.
Hongzhao and Hongjin exchanged a silent glance, each holding a piece of fruit and watching the show while eating.
“If you truly respect someone, you don’t necessarily need to visit them every day.” Ye Lanyi raised an eyebrow. She now had the determination and courage to “live and die as they please,” so naturally she wasn’t afraid of anyone.
Lu Jiaying looked at the Emperor beside her, who was still in a good mood and showed no intention of mediating. His gaze was like that of someone watching their newly bought long-haired kitten scratching at their pet tabby cat that they had been pampering for more than a month. He was naturally more interested in watching the show.
"It's rare to find such a pure and kind-hearted person as Consort Ye. It's important that His Majesty likes her. I naturally won't force you. Consort Ye has been standing for quite a while now, so go back and rest." She's become quite adept at smoothing things over these days. "The grapes here are quite good. Consort Qi is young and probably likes sweet things, so let her try this plate."
"This concubine thanks Your Majesty the Empress!" Consort Qi stood up happily to express her gratitude, and her appearance inexplicably reminded Lü Jiaying of an old friend.
The Emperor's title was truly ingenious; for a moment, Lü Jiaying almost thought that the person who stood up was the former Consort Qi.
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