The banquet is about to begin, and there is a festive atmosphere everywhere.
An unacceptable accident occurred in the palace.
Consort Hua had been working hard to prepare for the banquet, but just as it was about to begin, several of the imperial chefs fell ill and collapsed.
Such an incident occurring during the first banquet hosted by Consort Hua was an unacceptable mistake.
Consort Hua has been so smug these past two days, and now she's about to get angry.
Now that Qiao Yuchen has led his men back in triumph, it's too late to salvage the situation. Consort Hua is absolutely unwilling to admit that she is inferior to the deceased Empress.
She would not let the person behind this incident get away with it, nor did she want to lose face in front of so many officials, and she certainly didn't want to disappoint the emperor.
Finally, she had no choice but to seek help from her son, the Third Prince.
The Third Prince was frantic when he heard the news.
Not knowing what to do, I hurriedly found a few people to help, but it was far from enough to handle the banquet arrangements.
Fortunately, at this moment, his strategist, Tao Yifan, arrived.
Tao Yifan, as the deputy general, had all the glory stolen by Qiao Yuchen, which displeased the Third Prince, but he could not lash out at this time.
Later, through Tao Yifan's efforts, a single sentence changed the entire predicament.
All the pastries originally needed for the palace banquet were incorporated into the main course; he was responsible for preparing the pastries.
Upon hearing this news, the Third Prince felt uneasy, but having no better options at the moment, he could only agree.
Preparations at the palace continued until evening, when night fell.
The banquet begins.
Many officials attended with their wives.
The appearance of Qiao Yuchen and Chen Siyuan became the focus of everyone's attention.
The Emperor rewarded Qiao Yuchen with many treasures, which solidified Qiao Yuchen's title as a young general.
I used to think he was an unreliable person who relied on his father, but now everyone is saying nice things to him.
The banquet began successfully. With the surrounding song and dance performances, Chen Siyuan sat next to Qiao Yuchen. She felt relieved and happy.
As she looked at it, she was overjoyed.
Qiao Yuchen returned safely and didn't think the things that happened around him were a big deal.
Eating and watching made me feel great.
When she saw the pastries brought by the palace maid, she felt that they looked familiar. At first, she didn't pay attention to them, but after eating them, she realized that the taste was that of Su Ji Pastries.
She couldn't understand why a banquet in the palace would use outside ingredients.
I felt something was off, but I didn't say anything.
She took a closer look at the pastries; she had never seen them before at Su Ji Pastry Shop, but the taste and texture were unforgettable.
Halfway through the meal, the men toasted each other, and Qiao Yuchen was the main character today, second only to the Emperor.
So many people came to offer their congratulations, and Chen Siyuan kept smiling, though her smile looked a little stiff.
Later, she whispered something in Qiao Yuchen's ear, then got up and left.
Not long after leaving the banquet, the palace maid who had taken her to the restroom during the last banquet arrived again.
Having learned from her previous experience, Chen Siyuan trusted this person a little more, but not entirely.
They followed the palace maid to a small pavilion nearby to rest for a while.
Upon arrival, she discovered that several ladies were already in the courtyard.
They glanced at each other, nodded in acknowledgment, and continued to steal a moment of leisure from their busy schedules.
Later, with the arrival of the Fifth Princess, things changed.
When the Fifth Princess Consort arrived, everyone paid their respects. When the Fifth Princess Consort came directly to Chen Siyuan, everyone's gaze towards Chen Siyuan changed.
"You've lost weight!" the Fifth Princess said directly.
This direct statement caused many people to think in several different ways.
"It's alright, I've been quite busy lately." Chen Siyuan thought of the Fifth Princess visiting her, and how she had pretended to be sick at the time, and felt a little uneasy.
"You're just too easygoing," the Fifth Princess said, glancing at the women beside her, and deliberately addressing Chen Siyuan, "You probably don't know, do you?"
"What's wrong?" Chen Siyuan asked, not knowing what the Fifth Princess Consort wanted to say.
"My concubine and secondary wife are all dead."
Chen Siyuan was taken aback, looking at the Fifth Princess Consort, wondering what she was trying to say.
"It all started with jealousy and rivalry. I didn't pay attention at the time, and it ended up causing a death. Now, I'm just about to sell the remaining concubines."
Chen Siyuan was shocked; how dare the Fifth Princess Consort say such a thing?
He wanted to signal the Fifth Princess to stop talking, lest it ruin her reputation, but unexpectedly, the Fifth Princess once again uttered some startling words.
"I know I am not suited to be the Fifth Prince's consort. I plan to divorce the Fifth Prince. You don't need to call me the Fifth Prince's consort next time we meet."
"Fifth Princess Consort, you..." Chen Siyuan could no longer remain calm.
To say such things openly at a banquet in the palace leaves no way out for oneself.
I dare not say whether it is possible for her to divorce the prince. Even if it is true, if she offends the prince, what good days will she have in the future?
"There's no way around it. After going through all this, I suddenly feel too tired. It's too exhausting to deal with women who might cause trouble at any time. I might as well break up with them. I might be a little more tired living alone, but I think it's better than losing my life."
Chen Siyuan fell silent.
"Don't worry, my hot pot restaurant is doing very well right now. I'm planning to take this opportunity to open a few branches. I'll be busy at several stores in the future, so I don't think I'll be too lonely."
Chen Siyuan agreed with this idea; if the prince divorced her, the hot pot restaurant would not be able to continue operating in the capital.
Wanting to persuade her, the Fifth Princess Consort seemed to intend to vent her frustrations today as well.
“The Fifth Prince’s men might shut down my hot pot restaurant, but I don’t plan to compromise. Anyway, my life is in my own hands, so why make myself miserable?”
"Fifth Princess Consort, please stop talking."
It's good to get it off your chest now, but things won't be so simple afterward.
“I know that too, so I think we should kill all the concubines in the Fifth Prince’s mansion and then divorce the Fifth Prince.”
"Fifth Princess Consort—" Chen Siyuan was about to cry.
If this is said in front of so many people, it will soon reach the Fifth Prince. If a prince gets angry, it could cost you your life.
She wasn't close to the Fifth Princess, and she didn't want to see the Fifth Princess just disappear like that.
The Fifth Princess took the opportunity to lean close to Chen Siyuan's ear and whisper, "Don't worry, the Fifth Prince has taken the initiative to drive those women out. I plan to give him a chance. I'm just here to vent my frustrations."
Chen Siyuan looked at the Fifth Princess, wanting to know if what she said was true or false.
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I just want to nip some people's bad intentions in the bud."
Chen Siyuan then realized that the Fifth Princess had sacrificed her reputation to help her.
She was very grateful and so excited that she couldn't control her emotions and gently hugged the Fifth Princess.
To others, Chen Siyuan seemed to feel sorry for the Fifth Princess's tragic future.
Once the 'obedient' women left, the Fifth Princess took the opportunity to begin her instruction.
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