Chapter 1240 The Imperial Family Banquet
Before they knew it, it was June 2nd, the day the imperial edict had ordered Shen Tu Tai and Pei Xing Yuan to set off for Luoyang to take up their posts. However, due to the infighting between the Qianniu Guard and the Xiaowei Army, the two generals were imprisoned and punished respectively. In the end, the emperor had no choice but to rescind the order and let Shen Tu Tai continue to command the Left Yulin Guard. The five thousand troops were also transferred back to his command.
The position of Prefect of Luoyang was not given to Tao He, but was instead handed over to Duke Guan Ao of Shen.
As for Tao He, he claimed illness and took leave, which the emperor graciously granted, and he will not hold any position for the time being.
In this way, the situation in Luoyang was temporarily stabilized, and Shen Tu Tai and Pei Xing Yuan did not need to be transferred to Luoyang, but remained in their positions in the court. The situation in Chang'an was also temporarily stabilized.
On the second day of the sixth lunar month, Yuwen Yuan hosted a family banquet at the Qinqin Building behind the Baifu Palace. The Crown Prince and his wife, the Prince of Qin and his wife, and the young prince were all invited to the banquet, as it was the birthday of Prince Qi, Yuwen Cheng.
It's not accurate to say it's his birthday, because his real birthday is the second day of the seventh lunar month. However, when the official's wife gave birth to him, she almost had a difficult childbirth. Even though she gave birth to him successfully, she was left with a lot of illnesses. Later, she heard from a wise man that the mother and son were in conflict because of the clash between the Seven Killings stars. The only way to break the deadlock was to change his fate. So, Yuwen Cheng's birthday was changed from the second day of the seventh lunar month to the second day of the sixth lunar month.
This was the first time in all these years that someone had celebrated Yuwen Cheng's birthday.
Just after Shenshi (3-5 PM), Shang Ruyi ordered someone to dress Xiao Yuangan in a new set of pale yellow clothes. The satin was bright and the workmanship was exquisite. Wearing it made him look fair and tender, like a bamboo shoot that had just been peeled. Shang Ruyi herself was proud of how she had given birth to such a handsome son, and she couldn't help but pick him up and kiss him several times.
Xiao Yuangan loves it when people are close to him; he laughs happily when they do.
Just then, Yuwen Ye, having changed his clothes, walked in from outside.
He wore a dark blue long robe. Although the somewhat somber color did not match the early summer scenery outside where flowers were in full bloom and bees and butterflies were fluttering, the light and close-fitting clothes accentuated his slender waist and broad back. His figure was elegant yet exuded a dignified and solemn air. Shang Ruyi, holding her son, turned her head and saw him come in. Her eyes lit up immediately, and she was secretly pleased that her husband was so handsome.
When Yuwen Ye looked up, he saw her too.
His eyes flickered slightly, then he lowered his head to adjust the jade belt at his waist, saying, "Are you ready?"
"alright."
"Then let the wet nurse take the child out. The carriage is already prepared outside, and it will be dark soon if we go any later."
"Why."
Shang Ruyi agreed to hand Xiao Yuangan over to the wet nurse and have Tu She'er take him out. She then straightened her clothes and hair in front of the mirror, and after confirming that everything was in order, she prepared to go out with Yuwen Ye.
Just as she was about to walk out, she felt a weight on her wrist; it was Yuwen Ye who reached out and pulled her back.
Shang Ruyi turned to look at him: "What's wrong?"
Turning around, she met Yuwen Ye's bright eyes. His usually cold and sharp gaze was surprisingly gentle. After looking her over from head to toe, a sense of joy welled up inside him. Shang Ruyi couldn't help but blush and her heart raced at his gentle gaze.
Yuwen Ye smiled and said, "It's rare to see you dressed like this."
Hearing him say that was like a needle piercing Shang Ruyi's burning face, which immediately turned bright red. But in Yuwen Ye's eyes, this scene was a different sight—her jet-black hair was styled into a high bun, decorated with various gold hairpins and flowers, and an exceptionally gorgeous hair ornament. She was radiant and exuded nobility.
For this special day, she had specially made new clothes to wear. A light blue gauze dress made her look even more elegant and refined. The skirt was embroidered with delicate lotus patterns, which appeared and disappeared with her movements, like a lotus pond in summer, swaying gently in the wind. Her flushed cheeks were like the pink petals moistened by raindrops, making her look beautiful and charming.
However, with Yuwen Ye staring at her intently, the faint blush on her face turned almost red at the tips of her ears.
Shang Ruyi said in a low voice, "Today is a family banquet, so we don't need to wear the imperial robes. But since it is the birthday of the Prince of Qi, it is not appropriate to dress too casually, so I specially made this dress."
Then, she looked up at Yuwen Ye and asked, "Is it pretty?"
Yuwen Ye smiled, but didn't answer the question. Instead, he leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Wear it for me to see more often from now on."
Shang Ruyi's face flushed red.
She turned her head to look at Yuwen Ye's smiling face. Her flushed cheeks made her eyes shine even brighter, and her whole being seemed to be sparkling. The usually imposing and fearless lady, who never flinched on the battlefield, revealed a shy and girlish side at this moment. However, it did not feel cloying. Instead, a kind of inexplicable sweetness pierced into Yuwen Ye's heart with her clear and bright gaze.
She nodded slightly: "Mm."
Yuwen Ye's smile deepened, but upon hearing footsteps outside, he immediately withdrew his smile and stood up straight again. Shang Ruyi, on the other hand, turned her head and pressed her slightly cold palms against her cheeks. Sure enough, she felt a burning sensation. She quickly covered her face with both hands to calm herself down.
It was Changwan who came in to urge them; the carriage was already ready.
Yuwen Ye nodded, then looked down at Shang Ruyi: "Are you done?"
Although his words were meant as a question, for some reason they sounded somewhat mocking to Shang Ruyi. She glared at him, forcing herself to remain calm, before the two of them walked out together.
She rarely dressed so solemnly and beautifully on ordinary days, and she walked very carefully. Yuwen Ye also deliberately slowed down and walked alongside her. But after walking for a while, he looked down at her and suddenly said, "Hmm?"
Shang Ruyi immediately looked up at him: "What's wrong?"
Yuwen Ye stared at her hair and said, "This hair ornament looks familiar."
Shang Ruyi said, "It was left to me by my mother."
"oh……"
"She left me only the best things, especially this hairpin, which is particularly exquisite and valuable. I thought about it all night before deciding to take it out and wear it today."
Compared to her outfit today, this hair ornament is indeed a bit too ornate.
Yuwen Ye asked, "Why are you wearing this today?"
Shang Ruyi said, "Aunt Yun told me once before that she wore this hairpin on the day of my parents' wedding."
"..."
"I think it's good to wear it today."
Her words were brief, but Yuwen Ye, with his keen eyes and sharp mind, naturally understood what she meant—although today's banquet was a family banquet, the imperial family's banquet was more important than the state banquet. Not to mention the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, or how Prince Qi would handle the situation where Shen Tu Tai and Pei Xing Yuan were both left in Chang'an, just the result he and the others had discussed that day, if mentioned, would likely be a heavy blow at the banquet, and might even anger the emperor.
Thinking of this, Yuwen Ye's expression became serious.
Seeing the change in his eyes, Shang Ruyi knew what they might face today. At this moment, if she carried something left behind by Empress Tai Mu, it might at least evoke some pity from the emperor.
Anyway, something is better than nothing.
A short while later, the two left the palace, got into a carriage, and headed to the imperial palace.
On the carriage, listening to the somewhat monotonous clatter of wheels rolling over ruts, Yuwen Ye half-closed his eyes to rest. Little Yuangan, however, who rarely ventured out, was incredibly excited. He pressed his face against the window, curiously observing the outside world. Everything—the rows of shops, the enthusiastic shouts of the vendors—was novel and fascinating to him. He kicked and jumped on the window frame, as if eager to leap out, babbling along, "Sugar cake... sugar! sugar!"
Shang Ruyi couldn't help but laugh and hugged him back into her arms, saying, "Save your energy, go and fawn over your imperial grandfather after we enter the palace."
Xiao Yuan was about to struggle, but quieted down upon hearing the words "Grandpa Emperor," and said, "Grandma Emperor..."
"It's Grandpa."
"Ya Ya!"
Seeing his confident expression and his louder shout, Shang Ruyi smiled helplessly and hugged him, saying, "Anyway, when you go to the palace to see Grandpa the Emperor, you must be good. Don't cry or make a fuss. You must bow to Grandpa the Emperor, as well as your eldest uncle and third uncle..."
Xiao Yuangan still reacted to the words "Grandpa Emperor," but when he heard the rest, his little face scrunched up with worry.
Yuwen Ye, who was standing to the side, opened his eyes and laughed, "How old is he? How could he possibly remember all this if you tell him these things?"
Xiao Yuangan immediately grinned at him.
Yuwen Ye then reached out and tapped his chubby little nose: "But you're not allowed to make a fuss when we go to the palace, or you'll get a spanking."
"Hmm..."
Xiao Yuan pouted.
The couple teased and joked with him, and soon the carriage stopped; they had arrived at the palace gate.
The two of them got out of the carriage with their child and were about to walk into the palace gate when they heard the sound of horses' hooves behind them. When they turned around, they saw a familiar carriage, followed by the Crown Prince's entourage, slowly approaching and eventually stopping at the palace gate.
"babble--"
Xiao Yuangan held onto Shang Ruyi's sleeve with one hand, staring wide-eyed ahead.
Yuwen Ye and Shang Ruyi exchanged a glance, then turned to face the carriage instead of going any further. The carriage door opened, and a graceful figure, as pure as a cloud, descended from the carriage, untouched by the world.
After the clouds and fog cleared, a pair of bluish-gray, almost transparent eyes looked at them.
It was Crown Prince Yuwen Qian.
Yuwen Ye.
He was clearly not surprised to encounter the King and Queen of Qin here, and his expression showed no sign of panic. He even maintained a faint smile until his gaze swept over Shang Ruyi, at which point he paused slightly, and his brow furrowed imperceptibly.
Yuwen Ye, accompanied by Shang Ruyi and Yuan Gan, stepped forward and bowed to him, saying, "Greetings, Crown Prince."
"..."
Yuwen Qian did not speak immediately, but watched them quietly, as if he had forgotten to respond, until a fiery red figure stepped down from the carriage and stood beside him. Instantly, she was surrounded by jewels and fragrance, and this somewhat strong aura also brought him back to his senses.
He said, "Second brother, sister-in-law."
Standing next to Yuwen Qian was Yu Mingyue, who smiled at the two of them and said, "What a coincidence."
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