"It is an honor for the Hu family to have Lord Qin here. How could it be considered presumptuous? Please come in, Kou'er!"
Hu Feifan's father had already heard some things about Qin Kou'er, so he didn't like her very much, and his smile was forced and cold.
Qin Kou'er didn't care at all. She smiled slightly and followed Hu Feifan inside.
As Qin Kou'er walked, she said softly, "I heard the Fifth Prince is ill? I wonder how he is now? Today is the Prime Minister's birthday, is he present?"
Hu Feifan gave a wry smile: "I'm afraid he can't come today! After all, Consort Hu is his birth mother. Even if others can disregard this matter, he still has to observe mourning! He's physically fine, but I'm afraid he's feeling very depressed!"
Qin Kou'er lowered her head and smiled slightly, not intending to continue on this topic.
At this moment, Lan Linxue had already been invited to the main hall by Hu Tianyong and was sitting in the main seat. The two of them were talking with smiles on their faces, and the atmosphere was extremely harmonious.
Those below immediately joined in with smiles and conversation, creating an extremely festive atmosphere.
Qin Kou'er sat silently in the distance, watching the scene at the Hu family's house today.
If the claim that Hu Tianyong was deeply entrenched and powerful was merely theoretical, Qin Kou'er witnessed it firsthand upon entering the palace.
The high-ranking officials and dignitaries flocked to the Hu family like a tide, and many people, because they were not of high enough rank or influence, could not even get close to Hu Tianyong.
Even though Hu Tianyong repeatedly demonstrated his impartiality, there were still many areas where he couldn't provide adequate care due to the large number of people.
Surprisingly, none of these people seemed to find it strange. They each found their own place, sat down, and chatted idly, as if simply stepping through the gates of the Hu family was already a great honor!
Fortunately, the Hu family was no longer surprised by the situation and handled any number of people with ease, demonstrating the status and demeanor of a prime minister.
Seeing so many people arrive, Qin Kou'er gave a wink to the Qu sisters behind her. The two nodded and quietly slipped out without alerting anyone.
Just as things were getting lively here, a loud voice suddenly rang out from outside: "The Seventh Prince and Princess have arrived! Lord Xu has arrived!"
Immediately, everyone, including Lan Linxue, stood up and walked towards the door together.
Lan Qingtian was also happy today, smiling as she helped Shu Lingxi walk in from outside, while Xu Ming, who followed behind, still had that gloomy look on his face.
Upon seeing Lan Qingtian, Lan Linxue quickly bowed and greeted him, saying, "Nephew greets Imperial Uncle!"
Lan Qingtian waved his hand with a smile: "You're here early, kid!"
Lan Linxue straightened up and said with a smile, "I just came early to knock on the Hu family's door for my royal uncle, so that he wouldn't have to stand outside and wait when he arrives!"
Upon hearing this, everyone around immediately burst into laughter.
Hu Tianyong quickly led his men to pay their respects to Lan Qingtian and his wife. After exchanging pleasantries, they all went to the main hall and sat down.
When Hu Tianyong saw Xu Ming, he clasped his hands in greeting and said, "It is truly an honor that Lord Xu has come today, despite our setbacks!"
Xu Ming gave a cold laugh and casually returned the greeting: "Lord Hu has so many disciples, it's truly enviable. It's just a pity that the Fifth Prince didn't come today. That's true, after all, his own mother has passed away, and he comes to this prosperous and bustling place in the blink of an eye, it's really too unfilial! However, I must also ask the Prime Minister to open his eyes wide, don't just grow old without gaining knowledge. In the end, Consort Hu's matter is her own fault for not thinking things through, don't drag others into suffering because of it!"
After saying that, he didn't even glance at Hu Tianyong, and walked straight past him into the room, leaving Hu Tianyong standing there in an awkward position.
Everyone witnessed this scene.
Lan Linxue's smile deepened, while Qin Kou'er's gaze became even more enigmatic.
These two have already formed a grudge; it's just a matter of degree.
Hu Tianyong, being the composed and prudent man he was, despite being ridiculed by Xu Ming, turned around and followed him inside as if nothing had happened, saying with a faint smile, "With the Emperor here, no one can be wrongly accused!"
Upon hearing this, Xu Ming immediately turned around and glared fiercely at Hu Tianyong, but said nothing more.
Shu Lingxi seemed unconcerned about the open and covert attacks from the people in front of her. However, upon seeing Qin Kou'er, she immediately smiled and waved to her.
Qin Kou'er walked over with a smile and slowly bowed, saying, "Kou'er greets Your Highness!"
Shu Lingxi actually stood up, walked to Qin Kou'er's side, took her hand, and said with a smile, "I originally wanted the Prince to call you to come together this morning, but who would have thought you would come so early?"
Qin Kou'er smiled gracefully and said, "It's the Prime Minister's birthday, and I dared not be negligent. So I came this morning. However, I didn't expect that the Princess Consort would still remember me and want to come looking for me!"
"What are you saying? I not only think about you, I miss you! Later, when you come with me to the Prince's Mansion, I plan to bring you two of the fur coats I just acquired from the north. You're from the south, and the weather in the north gets colder and colder after autumn; you might not even be able to withstand it!"
Qin Kou'er quickly smiled and said, "Then I really have to thank Your Highness! I'll accept this gift in advance!"
One sentence made Shu Lingxi laugh, and everyone around her laughed along with her.
Shu Lingxi glanced at it before pulling Qin Kou'er to Hu Tianyong's side: "Lord Hu hasn't actually met the head of Qin Tian Pavilion yet, has he? What can we do? He's already presented Kou'er's name card to the Emperor as a candidate for the imperial concubine without even meeting her. It must be that the Prime Minister greatly appreciates Kou'er! Kou'er, why don't you quickly thank the Prime Minister?"
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