The celebratory banquet prepared by Emperor Kangxi for the pacification of the Dzungar Khanate arrived as scheduled, but the main focus of the banquet shifted somewhat uncontrollably.
Fei Yanggu was still bedridden and had taken leave early. Originally, His Highness the Crown Prince was the absolute protagonist today, but someone stole the spotlight from him.
Two beautiful women in palace attire followed behind the Eighth Prince. One of them was a familiar face—his Eighth Princess Consort. The other, with a slightly protruding belly, was being supported by someone, and the Eighth Princess Consort seemed quite pleased.
Those who knew her began to whisper among themselves. It was Lady Nalan, who had been betrothed to the Eighth Prince. She was quite fortunate; she became pregnant not long after entering the household.
At this time, there were quite a few pregnant women in the royal family. In addition to Lady Nalan, there were also Yihua, the Crown Princess, and others. They were all carrying children, but none of them were as shocking as the news that the Eighth Prince's family was finally going to have a new member.
Prince Zhi raised his glass to the Eighth Prince first: "Congratulations, Eighth Prince. You have no idea how worried I was before. I almost took you to the Imperial Hospital for treatment. Now it seems that I was overthinking it."
Despite being implied to be impotent, the Eighth Prince remained unfazed: "Thank you for your concern, elder brother. How is Hongyu? I have been concerned about my nephew's health and can't help but worry about you, elder brother, since you only have Hongyu."
Prince Zhi snorted coldly: "He's perfectly fine, no need for you to worry about him."
The Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince stood in front of the Eighth Prince and said, "Eighth Prince, I am overjoyed. Please drink this cup to the full and toast to your future nephew."
The Eighth Prince accepted all comers' invitations and drank wine like it was water. The younger princes, not yet understanding, joined in the fun just to have a sip of wine.
Before the banquet had even officially begun, the Eighth Prince had already started drinking, drawing frequent glances from those around him.
Because of her pregnancy, Yi Hua could not drink alcohol. In front of her was the honey water that Consort De had given her. She brought it to her lips to moisten her throat. It was sweet and had the taste she liked.
Consort De was exceptionally perceptive; she could make anyone feel comfortable and at ease whenever she wanted.
Oh, apart from Yinzhen, this mother and son always seem to be overdoing it.
Wanyan leaned close to Yihua and said, "Fourth Sister-in-law, look at Eighth Sister-in-law's expression. She's smiling like a bodhisattva in the City God Temple. Her expression is more precise than a ruler can measure."
“You’re so sharp-tongued, be careful Guo Luoluo’s wife doesn’t hear you and tear it apart.” Cheng Junwang’s wife chimed in, her eyes also sweeping over the “family of three”. “Nalan’s wife is really high-profile this time. Even when the Crown Princess was pregnant, she wasn’t this ostentatious.”
Ninth Prince's wife handed Yi Hua a pastry: "Eighth Prince has finally gotten his revenge. The Crown Princess is focused on protecting the pregnancy, so keeping quiet is the smart thing to do."
"Do you think Nalan's child will be born safely?" Wanyan asked abruptly.
No one spoke, mimicking the Tenth Prince's wife by keeping their eyes down and pretending not to hear her question.
Yi Hua glanced at the Eighth Prince. If he wanted to, the child could definitely be born. But could Lady Guo Luo Luo just stand by and watch everything that belonged to her be replaced by someone else?
I hope Nalan will be careful. The adults' struggles always affect innocent children. Perhaps because she is pregnant, Yihua is a little sentimental.
"Fourth Sister-in-law, aren't you eating too much?" Wanyan looked at the two empty plates in front of Yihua with some fear. They were desserts before the main meal, one for each person. Most people didn't touch them because they looked nice on the plate, but they were actually not very tasty.
There were two plates in front of Yihua. One of them was pushed over by Ninth Prince's wife. While waiting for Kangxi, Yihua had already finished two plates of unpalatable snacks and drunk a lot of water.
Wiping her mouth, Yi Hua was already used to the shock people around her felt about her appetite: "It's just pregnancy symptoms, please excuse my poor appetite, sister-in-law."
Wanyan grinned and said, "I still have some. Fourth Sister-in-law, if you're still hungry, have some more."
"No, there's a main meal later, I'll eat that." Yi Hua didn't think the snack was delicious either, but she just couldn't keep her mouth occupied.
Seeing Yi Hua and the others huddled together whispering and laughing, the Crown Princess also tried a bite of the pastry, only to spit it directly onto her handkerchief.
Tong Guining thought to herself, "The Fourth Prince's wife has quite unique tastes."
Finally, Emperor Kangxi arrived, and the banquet officially began.
He made a few concise remarks, expressing his praise for all the soldiers who participated in the Battle of Dzungar, giving high recognition to Fei Yanggu's selfless spirit, and concluding with his recognition and praise for His Highness the Crown Prince.
The banquet attendees shouted "Long live the Emperor!" and then began singing and dancing to entertain the guests.
When Kangxi first arrived, he noticed that everyone was surrounding the Eighth Prince, and naturally he also noticed something fishy: "Eighth Prince, is someone in your household pregnant?"
“Replying to Father Emperor, it is Consort Nalan,” the Eighth Prince stepped forward and replied.
Kangxi thought for a moment and remembered that he had arranged the marriage for this Nalan woman, so he was even more satisfied: "You have been in office for several years and have no children. Now that you have one, I don't have to worry anymore."
"It's my fault, Father Emperor."
After asking about the eighth prince, Kangxi did not forget his eldest son Hongyu, and gave him another round of earnest greetings, even wanting to know exactly how much food his grandson ate in each meal.
After showing concern for Prince Zhi and the Eighth Prince, Kangxi suddenly remembered the Thirteenth Prince.
"Thirteen, the reason why our Great Qing was able to defeat the Dzungars this time was not only because our soldiers fought bravely, but also because your map played a very important role. If we hadn't taken the new route, the reinforcements would have arrived at least half a day later. If that had happened, even if we had won, it would have been a Pyrrhic victory."
"Your merits are not limited to this battle; this is a great event that benefits the people. I have decided to confer upon you the title of Beizi."
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