What are you talking about?
Not to mention the ladies who came with him, even Zhu Kongshan himself was confused. What do you mean by "since you are here"? Didn't you, Concubine Li, personally send a notice to invite me?
But no matter what she thought in her heart, she couldn't show it on her face. Even if the ladies behind her were not good enough, she, Zhu Kongshan, was an expert in this area. So with a smile on her face, as if she didn't hear the alienation in Concubine Li's words, she stood up and took the initiative to step forward, and said with a smile: "Ever since Kongshan came to pay a visit to the second aunt last time, he has been thinking about the palace banquet here. The ladies who came with Kongshan to the palace today to celebrate the second aunt's restoration are all the ladies who have done good deeds with me in the north of the city. Some of them didn't come together, but they will come later. I hope my aunt won't blame me for not informing her in advance. Pengzhou has the tradition of warming up the new house, and Kongshan also has good intentions. I hope Changning Palace can be lively, and I hope my aunt can live a prosperous and smooth life in the future."
Following Zhu Kongshan's words, the ladies hurriedly stepped forward with smiles on their faces, and presented the gifts they had brought.
Concubine Li knew what Zhu Kongshan meant. She couldn't invite many people to the palace banquet. There were few people in the palace, and even fewer outside the palace. If Zhu Kongshan didn't bring these people, it would be awkward and deserted. In theory, she had hoped that Zhu Kongshan could bring more people in at first, and she also thought that the girl would think of this for her because of her thoroughness. But plans can't change quickly. The situation is completely different now. Feng Yuheng Xuan Tiange came, and brought the daughter of the right prime minister and the daughter of General Pingnan. When these four people stood here, they had already raised the confidence of the palace banquet. She no longer needed these small characters brought by Zhu Kongshan to fill the facade. Therefore, the people who were originally looking forward to coming have now become redundant. Even though Concubine Li knew that she didn't want to hit a smiling person, she couldn't see joy on her face.
Zuo Ren led a group of palace servants to receive the gifts, then saw that Concubine Li seemed to have no interest in talking to these people, so she smiled and took the initiative to say: "Ladies and ladies, today's banquet will be held in the flower hall. I will take you to the flower hall first!"
Everyone answered yes. They really didn't want to stay in the main hall any longer. Concubine Li's expression had made it clear that she was not welcome to them. The most urgent thing was to get away from Concubine Li's presence and find a place to study together what was going on.
The ladies left, but Zhu Kongshan stayed. When she came in just now, she paid attention to the courtyard, and now she has seen the main hall, but she didn't see Yuan Guiren. She knew that Yuan Guiren would come today, but she didn't come so early! Seeing Concubine Li talking to Feng Yuheng enthusiastically, but Feng Yuheng's tone and expression were also indifferent. Most of the time, he just nodded and shook his head, and didn't even respond. It felt like Concubine Li and the people on her side were cold on one side and hot on the other, but when it came to Feng Yuheng, it was all reversed.
Zhu Kongshan was just wondering what Concubine Li meant. Not long after, Zuo'er came back, looked at Zhu Kongshan, and then reminded Concubine Li, "Your Majesty, most people have arrived. Princess Wuyang has also gone to the flower hall. Let's go there early!"
Concubine Li then nodded and said repeatedly: "Yes, yes, we can't keep the princess waiting for too long." After saying that, she was about to hold Feng Yuheng's hand.
Feng Yuheng pulled his hand away calmly and said to Zuo'er, "Help your mother well. It snowed again last night and it's slippery outside!"
Concubine Li was a little embarrassed, but she still had a smile on her face. She passed by Zhu Kongshan while walking, but acted as if she didn't see him. Her attitude was very different from when they met a few days ago.
Zhu Kongshan followed behind, frowning slightly, and really couldn't understand why Concubine Li changed so quickly. And she hadn't entered the palace since that day, so she couldn't say she had offended anyone. If there was a problem here, it was probably that Concubine Yuan did something to make Concubine Li unhappy, right? She sighed in her heart, and felt a little distressed. She didn't know what Concubine Yuan did, but the Eighth Prince asked her to please Concubine Li!
The palace banquet was held in the flower hall of Changning Palace, but when people entered the flower hall, they found that there was no normal palace banquet arrangement. Generally speaking, the host sits at the top, and the guests sit on both sides, leaving an open space in the middle for singing and dancing performances. Then, tables are placed in front of the seats of the host and guests, covered with fruits and wine, so that there is a banquet atmosphere.
But at the moment, the banquet in Changning Palace was just a few tables and chairs, with no fixed order, and no place for singing and dancing in the middle. The people who came earlier sat there in a scattered manner, with no rules at all. There were fruits and drinks on the table, but the fruits were just ordinary apples, and some small, not-so-fresh grapes. There was no wine, only tea, and a plate of melon seeds on each table. It looked both shabby and funny. Even ordinary people's banquets would be better than this, right?
Zhu Kongshan couldn't help but sigh again. She had heard that her second aunt was a loner and didn't know much about the outside world. In the words of Yuan Guiren, she was not presentable. But she didn't expect that she would be so inferior! Looking around, someone who had arrived earlier was wondering, "Shouldn't there be singing and dancing at the palace banquet? Why can't we dance here?"
Someone immediately responded, "What kind of singing and dancing is this? In my opinion, they just sit down and chat, give the gifts, and then leave. Concubine Li has no intention of hosting a banquet. To put it bluntly, she should just be there to receive the gifts, right? I heard that Concubine Li is quite poor."
The voice was not loud, but not small either. Zhu Kongshan could hear it, Feng Yuheng could hear it, and even Concubine Li could hear it. But she didn't care, she just wanted Feng Yuheng to sit with her in the main seat.
But Feng Yuheng shook his head and said, "No, I asked Princess Wuyang to come with me today, so I should sit with her." After that, he ignored Concubine Li's eagerness and turned around to go to Xuan Tiange. Huang Quan followed from behind, but couldn't help but say to Concubine Li, "Princess Yu is just an ordinary visitor today, Your Majesty, don't be too polite."
Huang Quan's words somewhat irritated Concubine Li. Zuo'er, who was supporting her, could clearly feel Concubine Li's body tremble, and her hands clenched into fists in her sleeves. Zuo'er was a little frightened, and hurriedly whispered to comfort her: "My queen, what they said is right, your attitude towards Princess Yu is indeed too warm."
"What? I like someone, but I can't chat with him for a few more minutes?" She said this with a cold face. After that, she glared at Zhu Kongshan and immediately changed the subject: "Why don't you find a place to sit by yourself? Why do you always follow me?"
Zhu Kongshan was really shot in the face even when she was lying down. She leaned over helplessly and sat down next to the sister who came with her. She heard people around her talking about how the place was not decorated like a banquet. She said softly, "We are all girls. It's boring to watch those songs and dances."
As soon as the words came out, someone beside her immediately reminded the young lady who had been complaining about the lack of singing and dancing: "Stop being so picky and remember why we came to the palace!"
"I know!" The young lady had a bad temper and swung her sleeves, saying impatiently, "Isn't it just to give Concubine Li face? But what did you say before you came? Although Concubine Li is a concubine, she has no power and no face to invite more respectable people to the palace banquet. We came to Changning Palace with generous gifts to give Concubine Li face. Even if Concubine Li is not touched, she must remember this kindness in her heart. What's the result? Look, how can they not have face? This face is huge! Not only the legitimate daughter of the right prime minister came, the legitimate daughter of General Pingnan came, even the Princess Yu and Princess Wuyang came! If they can invite these people to a banquet of this scale, won't they invite the Queen soon?"
"Keep your voice down." Someone quickly advised, and pointed at Zhu Kongshan, who had no expression on his face, and then lowered his voice and said, "Since we are here, just put on a good show. It's not our fault anyway."
Feng Yuheng looked coldly at the beautiful women in the room. The few concubines and concubines who came to honor her even came over to greet her and Xuan Tiange, which made her feel embarrassed. To be honest, the banquet held by Concubine Li was really low-class. What kind of banquet was it? It was just like a tea party, just like a tavern or teahouse, with waiters shuttling around to refill the tea from time to time. If the melon seeds were gone, they would be refilled quickly, but on some tables, everyone took one apple at a time, and no one came to refill it. She said to Xuan Tiange helplessly, "Concubine Li is really poor."
Xuan Tiange said with disdain: "She is probably the concubine who brought the most shame to my son! You don't know, before Sixth Brother went to the Northeast Camp, Concubine Li would call Sixth Brother into the palace from time to time. She never walked around on weekdays, but when Sixth Brother came, she would take him everywhere and show off to others that she had a son. Sixth Brother was so angry that once he refuted her a few words because of this matter, she burst into tears and said that Sixth Brother was unfilial."
Ren Xifeng also interrupted and said, "Concubine Li has always valued her son very much. She believes that her son is worthy of any woman, no matter who it is, as long as the Sixth Prince likes him, it is a blessing. Of course, being chosen by the prince is really a blessing for ordinary people, but no one is as self-indulgent as Concubine Li. One year, the Sixth Prince and I just met by chance and talked for a few words. In Concubine Li's opinion, the Sixth Prince looked up to the General Pingnan Mansion and sent someone to the mansion to propose marriage the next day. In front of my father, he said that he would first establish the principal wife and then the concubine in two years, which was considered to give face to the General Pingnan Mansion. My father was so angry that he broke the leg of the nanny who came to propose marriage and drove her out!"
Feng Yuheng didn't expect such a thing to happen. Thinking about Concubine Li's attitude towards him, he finally understood a little. It turned out that Concubine Li's self-indulgent disease was not a recent one. She has had this potential for many years!
As they were talking, they saw another palace servant leading a guest in from the hall. It was a young lady leading a little boy who was over two years old. Feng Tianyu was the first to exclaim, and then he said, "Isn't that the concubine young lady of the Feng family?"
Feng Yuheng also saw clearly at this time that the person who came was Feng Fendai, and the one she was holding in her hand was the child she had taken away from Baicaotang a few days ago.
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