He Youyou was the first to arrive at Fengyi Palace.
The eunuch from the Eastern Palace who brought her here gave instructions to the maids in the Phoenix Palace. Upon hearing that the Crown Prince had personally come to fetch her, the maids naturally dared not neglect her.
He immediately led He Youyou into the banquet hall and arranged for her to be seated.
The seating arrangement was based on status and rank.
The highest-ranking ladies, those of the first rank, sat closest to the Empress.
As they lined up, the other people's positions became increasingly distant.
Even though He Youyou was personally brought here by the Crown Prince, she couldn't just sit anywhere.
She was led to an inconspicuous corner, where she drank tea and waited silently for the banquet to begin.
He Youyou didn't complain about the location; it was perfect for her to have a clear view of everything in the hall.
After waiting for quite a while, the ladies of noble birth who were walking finally arrived one after another.
The older ones walked heavily and were panting heavily.
What's worse, it's already summer, and the ladies had been walking for a while and were all sweating, which inevitably ruined their makeup.
When they entered the hall and were looking for seats, they glanced around—
Hey, the one who came in a sedan chair is looking refreshed and leisurely drinking tea.
However, they were envious but helpless. They were brought in by the Crown Prince and had powerful backing, so they dared not say anything.
The ladies took their seats in order of rank.
He Youyou was surrounded by ladies of the fifth rank.
When the Empress appeared, everyone knelt and bowed deeply.
After exchanging pleasantries, the Empress ordered the banquet to begin.
He Youyou was curious and secretly glanced at the Empress a few times.
The empress was around thirty years old and looked gentle and beautiful.
Yes, Zhao Wenqi's eyes are like the Empress's, large and pure.
However, Zhao Wenqi's personality did not seem to be inherited from the Empress.
One is impulsive and reckless, the other is dignified and composed.
As the dishes for the palace banquet were served one after another, the Empress said some polite words and offered several rounds of drinks.
The first and second-rank ladies present, whose husbands held high positions and wielded great power, were able to speak to the Empress.
Their interactions with the Empress were open and composed, filled with questions and answers.
The other ladies, whose tastes were less refined, could only smile and agree.
He Youyou huddled in the corner, unnoticed by anyone, enjoying herself by herself.
The ingredients for these dishes are excellent, but the flavors are too bland.
She secretly added some chili sauce when no one was looking.
"What did you add?"
Suddenly someone spoke softly beside me.
He Youyou was startled.
Turning her head, she saw Zhao Wenqi squatting next to her table.
Its tiny body was curled up, with only its head showing.
"Why are you here?" He Youyou asked him in a low voice.
“I knew my aunt was coming, so I came.”
How did Zhao Wenqi get here?
It crawled over, close to the ground...
He Youyou looked around, and it seemed that no one had noticed her.
"Then you can play here, but don't run around, don't talk loudly, and don't disturb the guests."
Zhao Wenqi nodded: "Okay, I understand."
He Youyou called over a palace maid who was serving nearby: "Give the child a stool."
The palace maid took one look and exclaimed, "Oh, isn't this the Second Prince?"
Without saying much, he immediately went to get a low stool and a set of bowls and chopsticks.
Zhao Wenqi and He Youyou then sat down together to eat and drink.
While we were eating, there was suddenly some noise outside the hall.
The palace attendant announced, "His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived."
Everyone's eyes immediately turned to the hall entrance.
A figure flashed, and a young boy dressed in brocade robes walked in.
"Mother."
He Youyou glanced at the boy and her eyes flickered.
She looked down and asked Zhao Wenqi, "Is that the Crown Prince?"
Zhao Wenqi nodded.
"Your own brother?"
Zhao Wenqi nodded again.
He Youyou was stunned.
Isn't that...Young Master Huang?
When the Empress saw the Crown Prince arrive, she hurriedly greeted him with a smile: "What brings you here today, Crown Prince? Weren't you with your father, the Emperor, attending to state affairs?"
The Crown Prince replied with a smile, “Those present are all the families of key ministers. I believe that the prosperity of our dynasty today is inseparable from the strong support of all the ministers, and even more so from the support and unwavering loyalty of all the ladies behind the scenes. Therefore, I have come here with the Empress Dowager to attend this banquet and meet all the ladies.”
The Empress was pleased: "It's rare to find someone with such a heart and such insight. It seems the Emperor has been teaching you well lately."
The prince added, "It is also thanks to the excellent teaching of all the teachers."
He Youyou praised: "As expected of the Crown Prince, he is so thorough in his work."
"In that case, please have someone add a seat next to me."
As the empress spoke, she instructed the palace servants to move a table.
The prince's eyes glanced almost imperceptibly towards the corner.
"Your Majesty, I would like to sit down below and have a chat with the ladies."
The Empress was surprised.
Hey, kid, you've even learned how to win people over?
"Alright, where would you like to sit? Go point to a spot and have the maids arrange a seat for you."
"Thank you, Mother Empress."
The Crown Prince thanked the Emperor, turned around and walked back until he reached a corner, where he pointed to the empty seat next to He Youyou.
At this moment, Zhao Wenqi was huddled next to He Youyou, and from the Empress's perspective, she just happened not to see him.
"This will do," the Crown Prince said with a smile. "The Empress Dowager will be in the first position, and I will be in the second."
The Empress thought to herself, "That works too. It shows that the royal family's favor is distributed equally, without regard to kinship or status, and everyone is treated the same."
After saying this, he instructed the palace servants to set a table for the Crown Prince.
The tables and chairs were arranged.
The prince secretly moved the table three inches closer to He Youyou, combining the two tables into one.
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