She was still very surprised at the time. The woman was dressed in luxurious clothes, but she had never seen her in the mansion before. She had a photographic memory for all these things.
Yi Ning shook her head. It happened many years ago. Now she was the queen. Naturally, she didn't need to care about the past.
After a while, the emperor came over and told the queen to take all the ladies to the imperial garden for a banquet.
The group then arose. The Empress rode in a phoenix sedan chair, followed by Yining and the others. The Imperial Gardens were filled with rockery made of Taihu Lake stone, willows swayed beside the lake, and lotus flowers flourished. Beyond the white marble railings, a banquet had been laid out in the open space. The ladies of state took their places according to their rank. Yining, not having any rank, sat beside Old Madam Wei.
She glanced around and saw that the banquet in the Imperial Garden was likely only for the nobility; not many civil and military officials were present. Wei Ling sat at the front seat on the left, chatting and laughing with the Marquis of Dingbei next to him. She glanced to the right and saw Cheng Lang also at the table. He noticed her and was a little surprised, while Yi Ning smiled at him.
Cheng Lang then shook his head and raised his glass to her helplessly.
Did he mean to say he was boring?
At this moment, a eunuch shouted "The Emperor has arrived!" and Yi Ning stopped looking. Exquisite banquets were served like flowing water, and for a moment, the wine flowed freely.
Old Madam Wei placed a piece of braised venison in her bowl. Yining took a bite and found it juicy and delicious. She continued to eat more. The Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, a bowl for each person, was even more delicious. As she was sipping her soup, she heard a commotion. She looked up and saw Lu Jiaxue had arrived. His attendants were following him; he must be late.
Lu Jiaxue apologized to the emperor, but the emperor laughed and patted him on the shoulder, saying, "My dear, please take a seat. It's all right!"
Lu Jiaxue then sat in the first seat on the left, and someone immediately helped him serve the food.
Everyone's eyes were focused on Lu Jiaxue. He dared to be late for the royal banquet, and the emperor didn't blame him at all... He was indeed the powerful Governor Lu!
Halfway through the banquet, the emperor wanted to speak. He summoned Wei Ling and offered him some polite words, such as, "Your Excellency, this great achievement is a blessing to our court." Everyone, whether genuinely or not, listened intently. The emperor then rewarded him with a farm, two thousand taels of platinum, and a Feiyu suit. Wei Ling knelt and thanked him.
The Queen looked at Lu Jiaxue, who was drinking silently, and an idea came to her mind. She said to the Emperor, "Your Majesty, I feel that the rewards you have given are all superficial things. The Duke of Ying has made such a great contribution, you should reward him with something else."
The late emperor reigned for a long time, and the emperor ascended the throne at the age of thirty-four. He is still in good health. He said, "I think so, but I can't think of any other reward at the moment."
Wei Ling hurriedly bowed and said politely, "Your Majesty, I will serve you wholeheartedly until my death. This is my duty. The reward is external to me, so Your Majesty is free to use it."
The Queen smiled again and said, "You're welcome, Duke Ying. I just learned that Duke Ying has a daughter. She's only fourteen years old, two years younger than our Third Prince, and she's incredibly pretty. Our Third Prince hasn't married yet, so it's perfect for him to have a concubine now."
The Emperor was indeed intrigued. "The Duke of Ying has another daughter, whom I have never met. But who is she here?"
Wei Ling's face changed slightly when he heard this. Cheng Lang suddenly raised his head, and his hand unconsciously pinched the silk spread on the banquet table.
Could it be that the Empress is seeking to arrange a marriage for Yi Ning? The Third Prince is the child of Concubine Zhuang, and because the Empress had no children, he was adopted into the Empress's care. Perhaps the Empress was drawn to Yi Ning's connections to the Wei and Lu families, and so sought to marry her to the Third Prince, hoping to provide him with support in his future. However, Yi Ning's status was not high enough to qualify her as a principal wife. Being a concubine—that would truly be a reward!
Lu Jiaxue simply raised his eyelids and looked at the queen.
There was a moment of silence in the field. Yining, who was called, thought for a long time, took a deep breath, and slowly stood up.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
