There haven't been any new people in the palace for a while, so the concubines are nothing special. But the sons, daughters-in-law, and daughters are rarely seen together in a year. He has to take a close look, lest he fail to recognize them.

There's nothing you can do about it. Having many children brings its own troubles.

Especially the princesses, he has twenty-six of them, and no matter how good his memory is, he can't cope with them all.

Emperor Jingming looked at the princesses first, and felt dizzy at the first glance.

Apart from those who were already married, there were more than ten unmarried princesses. On such an occasion, they wore the same palace dress, had the same hairstyle, and looked almost the same. It was simply like they were deliberately making things difficult for him!

Emperor Jingming looked at her several more times, then reluctantly looked away.

Fortunately, his daughters usually stay in the deep palace and rarely appear in front of him, so if he can't recognize them, then it's ok. He just needs to recognize his son and daughter-in-law.

Emperor Jingming took a sip of wine to calm himself down and looked down.

First it was the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess, then the eldest prince the Prince of Qin and his wife, the third prince the Prince of Jin and his wife, the fourth prince the Prince of Qi and his wife, the fifth prince the Prince of Lu and his wife, the sixth prince the Prince of Shu, the eighth prince the Prince of Xiang... and so on, it seemed that one was missing.

Emperor Jingming counted them again silently and suddenly realized: the seventh one was missing!

He looked around and found Yu Jin in a corner.

All around there was the laughter of concubines, the whispers of daughters, the casual glances between the princes and princesses, and the loving looks that the concubines who gave birth to the princes gave to their sons. Only the handsome young man with fine eyebrows was alone, sitting in the corner, drinking by himself.

Emperor Jingming looked at it and suddenly felt uncomfortable.

This is also his son. In terms of appearance and behavior, even if he grew up in the countryside, he is no worse than other princes. How can he be so pitiful?

Who is the seventh brother’s mother?

Emperor Jingming thought for a moment and looked at Concubine Xian.

There has never been a shortage of beauties in the palace. Even after giving birth to two princes, Concubine Xian still looks extremely beautiful at her age.

At this time, Princess Qi was whispering something beside Concubine Xian, who was listening with a smile on her face. She then raised her eyes and smiled slightly at Prince Qi who was not far away.

Emperor Jingming couldn't help but frown.

The fourth child already has a wife, why is the mother still acting like this? The seventh child, on the other hand, is now sitting alone in a corner, and the mother doesn't even show any concern for him.

Concubine Xian seemed to realize something and looked at Emperor Jingming.

Emperor Jingming cleared his throat and asked, "What did my beloved concubine and the fourth son's wife talk about? Why are they so happy?"

Concubine Xian did not expect that the Emperor would notice her alone among all the people in the palace. She was delighted and proud at the moment, and said with a smile: "I heard the fourth daughter-in-law talk about Sister Yuan learning needlework. Your Majesty, look, this is a handkerchief embroidered by Sister Yuan. She is only five or six years old, but she has embroidered it very well."

"Really? Let me take a look."

Immediately, a palace maid took a handkerchief from Concubine Xian and presented it to Emperor Jingming.

Emperor Jingming took a glance and saw a cluster of orchids on the handkerchief, and a strange-looking little bird was sitting on a blooming orchid.

"What kind of bird is this?" Emperor Jingming asked casually.

No matter whether the embroidery made by my granddaughter is good or bad, I always have to show some interest in it.

Concubine Xian's expression twisted for a moment, and under Emperor Jingming's questioning gaze, she gritted her teeth and said, "This is a butterfly."

Suddenly laughter broke out.

Emperor Jingming touched his nose, feeling embarrassed, and looked even worse at Concubine Xian: "Compared to Sister Yuan'er's embroidered butterflies, my beloved concubine should worry about the seventh son's life."

When these words were spoken, not only was Concubine Xian stunned, but everyone in the palace could hear a pin drop.

Emperor Jingming became increasingly dissatisfied.

The seventh son is his son, who is already eighteen years old this year. He was drinking alone at the reunion dinner. As his father, he asked him what was wrong?

Yu Jin looked towards Emperor Jingming with eyes full of joy, but his heart was calm.

It was worth it that he pretended to be pitiful for such a long time, because the emperor was quite sharp. Before he could finish his prepared speech, he actually took the initiative to bring up this topic.

Yu Jin's undisguised joy made Emperor Jingming even more emotional: Look how happy the seventh brother is, it's obvious that he has wanted to get married for a long time, but no one has arranged it for him.

This poor child.

Emperor Jingming felt a little sad. He glanced at Concubine Xian and then turned to Concubine Zhuang: "The sixth child is older than the seventh child. Life-long events cannot be delayed."

Except for the Crown Prince, he was not going to interfere in the selection of princesses for his other sons. He would leave it to their mother as usual. Once the princesses were decided, he would review them. As long as there were no major problems, he would nod his head.

Concubine Zhuang was slightly stunned for a moment, then immediately smiled and said, "I was just thinking of taking this opportunity to tell the Emperor that we should hold a plum blossom viewing banquet during the New Year celebrations and invite the ladies from various families to come and view the flowers. If there is a suitable match, we will arrange a marriage for the sixth son..."

Emperor Jingming nodded as he listened: "My beloved concubine is thoughtful."

Concubine Xian almost exploded with anger after hearing this.

What does "the beloved concubine has feelings for me" mean? Is this because she thinks she doesn't care enough about the seventh son?

The seventh brother had just returned to the capital. She had called him several times but he never greeted her. Even if she wanted to, she was powerless!

Concubine Xian did not want to admit that she had neglected Yu Jin.

In her opinion, there was no point in arranging a marriage for a son with an uncertain future so early. It would be more beneficial to wait and get a feel for the emperor's attitude.

She never expected that on such an occasion today, the emperor would actually attack her for the seventh prince.

Thinking of this, Concubine Xian was shocked.

Perhaps the Emperor was not as indifferent to the Seventh Prince as she thought...

Thinking about this in her mind, Concubine Xian hurriedly smiled and said, "I thought so too. It turns out that Concubine Zhuang and I have the same idea. Let's do it together at the beginning of the new year."

Seeing Concubine Xian say this, Emperor Jingming naturally would not lose face and nodded.

Concubine Xian breathed a sigh of relief.

Let's put this matter behind us for now. There is still some time before the New Year, which is a good time for her to think carefully about the suitable candidate for the Princess of Yan.

This candidate should not have a bad background, otherwise he will not be able to help the seventh child, and the seventh child will not be able to use his strength to help the fourth child. You can't have a good family background, and let the fourth son lose face by surpassing his wife.

In terms of temperament, the more obedient the better.

A lazy princess with a tough temper is of no use at all and only causes her unhappiness.

Tell Lao Qi which young lady is good?

Concubine Xian glanced at Yu Jian and began to ponder.

Yu Jin put the wine glass on the table and stood up: "Thank you for your concern for me, my lifelong happiness depends on you."

Emperor Jingming was about to nod, but suddenly stopped.

Wait, what do you mean your lifelong happiness depends on him? He just can't bear the pain and wants to find a wife for the seventh child, but there is no guarantee that the wife he marries will be satisfactory.

Humph, young people are so naive. It’s not easy to be happy. He is not happy yet.

Although he complained in his heart, when he met his son's dark, bright and clear eyes, Emperor Jingming didn't say much and nodded with a stern face.

Yu Jin sat down with a smile.

With his father's nod, he could finally rest assured.