Everyone's attention was diverted and they looked towards the owner of the voice.

He was a handsome man wearing a bright red bullfighting suit. Even in the cold winter of November, he was holding a folding fan in his hand, looking unrestrained and carefree. It was Kang Hongda.

"Your Highness is late. I thought you were not feeling well." Kang Hongda gave the emperor a way out as if nothing had happened and changed the subject. "Your Highness is late. You must drink three cups as punishment."

As he spoke, he poured three glasses of wine into the three white glasses on the dining table with a smile on his face, as if he and Gu Jue were close friends.

The emperor's expression relaxed slightly, feeling that Kang Hongda was considerate of his intentions.

The others continued to watch. After all, no matter which of the emperor, Gu Jue and Kang Hongda stomped his foot, the court would be shaken. They couldn't afford to offend any of them, so it was better to just stand by and watch. Didn't they see that even the prince didn't dare to say much?

Chu Qianchen stared at Kang Hongda secretly without blinking, and Gu Jue could almost see the cat's tail behind her standing on end.

"It's true that I'm not feeling well." Gu Jue smiled faintly.

He clenched his right fist, placed it on his lips, and coughed twice in a serious manner.

“…”

“…”

“…”

No one expected Gu Jue to react like this. They were all stunned and dumbfounded.

The hall fell silent again.

Gu Jue didn't care about the emperor and other people's reactions. He pulled Chu Qianchen and sat down in the seat between Prince Li and Prince Rui.

After sitting down, Gu Jue raised his hand and gently pinched Chu Qianchen's left hand under the food table, once, and again, as if pinching the pad of a cat's paw, to comfort his little girl.

The little girl had already said that he was taking medicine and couldn't drink alcohol.

If he really drinks today, his little wild cat will definitely scratch anyone who dares to persuade him to drink.

Although she looked cute when she was fierce, a man like Kang Hongda was not worthy of his little girl stretching out her claws for him.

Gu Jue's eyelashes flickered and he was in a surprisingly good mood.

Chu Qianchen felt comfortable all of a sudden when Gu Jue stroked his fur, and his eyes turned sweet as he looked at Gu Jue.

The prince is so obedient! Chu Qianchen silently praised him with his eyes and personally peeled an orange for him as a reward.

One petal for him and one petal for her.

The couple didn't care about people's stares and finished the orange in no time.

Some people were looking at Gu Jue and Chu Qianchen, while others were quietly looking at Kang Hongda's face, trying to see if he would get angry and humiliated by being ignored by Gu Jue. However, Kang Hongda would not lose his composure so easily. He drank one glass of wine after another, chatting and laughing calmly.

Gu Nanjin also sat down at the table. He couldn't help but glance at the emperor in the front. The emperor reluctantly went down the stairs because of Kang Hongda's interruption. After he drank a glass of wine by himself, his complexion looked a little better.

The eunuch Ni beside him asked the emperor whether to play music, and the emperor nodded.

Then, a melodious and pleasant sound of stringed instruments was heard, and a row of dancers in pink gauze skirts embroidered with hibiscus flowers walked in to the sound of the music. Each of them had a beautiful face and a slim figure, and even in this cold winter, they were only wearing thin gauze skirts.

As they dance gracefully, their skirts bloom like flowers and their dancing sleeves resemble butterflies, rain and mist, graceful, soft and in perfect unison. The dancers' bodies are all incredibly soft, as if they are walking on the lake, like a poem or a painting.

Everyone's attention was once again drawn to the singing and dancing in front of them, and the palace servants were well-trained in serving the guests sumptuous wine and dishes, moving back and forth in an orderly and efficient manner.

The sky outside was getting darker and darker, and night was falling, while inside the hall there was the sound of toasts, laughter and joy.

Ministers began to toast the emperor one after another, and compliments came one after another. After listening to these words, the emperor finally smiled again. He gave wine and delicious food to the guests, and both the host and the guest were happy.

There were also some generals who toasted to Gu Jue, but Gu Jue always drank tea instead of wine. He had just said that he "was not feeling well", so naturally no one was blind enough to urge Gu Jue to drink.

The atmosphere in the hall became more and more lively, and everyone seemed to have forgotten the invisible confrontation between the emperor and Gu Jue just now.

After the song, the dancers retreated in an orderly manner.

There was warm applause in the hall. Most of the guests only clapped two or three times, but there was one person who clapped seven or eight times, causing the surrounding guests to look at that person with subtle expressions.

"Great! Really great!" The person who was applauding let others watch calmly, or perhaps he was doing it on purpose to attract others' attention.

The Prince of Andaman stood up from his seat, bowed to the emperor on the throne, and praised:

"The songs and dances of Da Qi are very different from those of our Hao Kingdom. Each has its own merits. Thanks to Your Majesty, I have really broadened my horizons today." Andaman laughed loudly, "I toast to Your Majesty."

Andaman held up a glass of wine with both hands, drank it all in one gulp, and then turned the glass upside down to indicate that not a drop of wine was left.

The emperor was very pleased with Andaman's hospitality and flattery. He drank half a glass of wine and said modestly, "Don't be polite, Prince. Enjoy the singing, dancing and drinking."

Andaman responded with a smile, and then looked in the direction of Gu Jue, with a look of scrutiny, suspicion, and speculation in his eyes.

"Your Highness," Andaman also bowed to Gu Jue, his smile deepening. "The last time Your Highness came to Hao Country, my emperor was unable to see him. I feel deeply sorry. This time when I came to the capital, I must say hello to Your Highness and invite you to visit Hao Country again if you have the chance in the future and have a chat with my emperor."

"I was fortunate enough to meet Your Highness once in Hao Country. Today, I am able to meet Your Highness again in Da Qi, thousands of miles away. This is also a rare fate. I offer a toast to Your Highness."

Andaman raised the refilled glass and drank it down again.

Andaman was in high spirits, and looked eager to reminisce about the past with Gu Jue. In comparison, Gu Jue looked indifferent and cold as water.

Gu Jue didn't stand up. He just picked up the teacup in front of him and touched his lips with it as a return gesture.

He behaved elegantly, like a modest gentleman, but at the same time he was extremely arrogant, with a kind of arrogance that looked down on the world, and it was almost as if he did not take Andaman seriously.

Andaman's expression changed slightly. Even the Emperor of Da Qi didn't treat him so disrespectfully.

If he had not just witnessed the confrontation between Gu Jue and the emperor, and knew that Gu Jue did not even give the emperor face, Andaman would probably have asked the emperor to suppress Gu Jue.

Andaman looked at Gu Jue, remembered the instructions of Emperor Hao Uhadula, and suppressed his displeasure.

He laughed again, and said in a joking tone: "This time when I came to the capital, I heard that His Royal Highness Prince Chen has already married a princess. What a pity."

"The fourth princess of our country has loved martial arts since she was young. She knows all about the deeds of His Royal Highness Prince Chen. This time, she even pestered our emperor, saying that she wanted to come to Daqi to meet His Royal Highness Prince Chen. Our emperor originally agreed, but unfortunately before the departure, the queen happened to be unwell, so the fourth princess was unable to come."

At the end, he emphasized and said "what a pity" again, his tone was meaningful.

Anyone who is not extremely stupid can hear that the fourth princess of the Hao Kingdom admires Gu Jue, and Emperor Hao intends to form a relationship with Gu Jue.

The originally lively atmosphere in the hall suddenly became cold, and the expressions of the guests became very stiff.

The emperor subconsciously clenched the wine glass, his fingers tensed so tightly that he almost crushed it.

Eunuch Ni's forehead was covered with cold sweat. He was really afraid that the emperor would smash the wine glass in anger. In recent days, the emperor's temper has been getting worse and worse, and he would lose control at any time.

The emperor's face was as gloomy as water, and his thin lips were pursed into a straight line. He felt that these Hao people were really greedy. On the one hand, they wanted to win over him, the emperor of Da Qi, and let the Hao crown prince Wuhetuna marry their princess. On the other hand, they wanted to marry their Hao princess to Gu Jue.

The Hao people wanted to bet on both sides. They were afraid that if Gu Jue learned from Wuhe Du Luo to rebel, would their Hao Kingdom still be able to be on good terms with Da Qi? ! The emperor gnashed his teeth at Wuhe Du Luo, and was more worried that Gu Jue would agree.

This was a test from the Nanhao people, but also a subtle gesture of goodwill.

If he were Gu Jue, he would certainly agree. This princess of Nanhao, the daughter of Uhadula, is much better than a mere concubine! Most of the other guests in the hall were also looking at Gu Jue, wondering whether Gu Jue would accept the goodwill of Emperor Hao.

Some people also glanced at Chu Qianchen beside Gu Jue, with a hint of pity in their eyes.

After all, it was because Princess Chen's status was too low that the Nanhao envoy dared to say such words so openly.

If the Prince of Chen really intended to divorce his wife and remarry, the Princess of Chen would have no choice but to accept it. Even if she died suddenly, it would be an unclear death. How could a poor family like the Yongding Marquis's Mansion ask the Prince of Chen for justice for a mere concubine's daughter?

Therefore, it is inevitable that marriage should be based on equal status. If the status of the two parties is too different, one of them will be like an ant that can be trampled on by the other and can be discarded at will.

Chu Qianchen seemed unaware of it and lowered his head to slowly peel the orange.

In the eyes of some people, they thought that she was only fit to peel oranges for the Prince of Chen and be a maid.

It became even quieter.

"The fourth princess?" Gu Jue raised his sword-like eyebrows. "As far as I know, Emperor Hao only has one eldest princess. Where did the fourth princess come from?"

“…”

“…”

“…”

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly took a turn for the worse because of this sentence.

Most people don’t know how many princesses there are in the Kingdom of Hao, but a few people, such as officials from the Ministry of Rites, know something. The previous Emperor Hao, who has passed away, had only three sons and one daughter.

Obviously, the Emperor Hao that Gu Jue mentioned was not Uhaduro.

This also means that he does not recognize Uhaduro as the new emperor of Hao Kingdom.

"..." Of course Andaman knew that the person Gu Jue was talking about was the late emperor. His face suddenly turned gloomy, as dark as ink.

Gu Jue had just been to the Kingdom of Hao, so it was impossible for him not to know that the current monarch on the throne was Uhaduluo.

So, Gu Jue said this on purpose.

Gu Jue actually brought shame to their Hao Kingdom again and again!

Andaman stood there like a stone sculpture.

In his heart, Gu Nanjin felt that Gu Jue's response was really refreshing. He glanced in the direction of the emperor inconspicuously, his eyes flickering.

The fact that his father asked his second younger brother Gu Nanzhao to entertain the envoys from Nanhao made his mother very unhappy, but Gu Nanjin actually thought it was a good thing.

There was civil strife in the Hao Kingdom, and Uhaduluo forced the emperor to abdicate and rebel. Even if he ascended the throne now, he could only be considered a fake emperor. Only if he secured the throne of Nanhao could he be recognized by the surrounding countries and be recorded in history as Emperor Hao.

At this juncture, my father actually casually accepted Nan Hao's request for marriage and promised him a legitimate princess.

The emperor thought that Nan Hao was praising him, the emperor of Da Qi, but in fact, Uhaduro had clearly trampled on the reputation of Da Qi, so Andaman dared to show goodwill to Gu Jue in public and bet on both sides.

Looking at it from another angle, not long ago, my father had just hosted a group of Nanhao envoys from Wuhejialou, and now, just a few months later, he readily acknowledged the fake emperor of Nanhao. Doesn't that mean that Wuhedu Luo was right to force the emperor to abdicate? !

To outsiders, it seemed that the Great Qi was like a fence-sitter, having lost the style and demeanor of a great power.

Going a step further, doesn't the emperor think that the winner is the king, and there is nothing wrong with forcing the emperor to abdicate and rebel? ! Gu Nanjin sighed secretly in his heart.

However, now he no longer has the position to oppose the marriage. Both the emperor and the queen think that he supports the marriage between Da Qi and Nan Hao! Gu Nanjin could only suppress his sorrow in his heart and drank several glasses of wine.

Andaman was silent for a long time. His square face with a curly beard turned black, blue, and purple in wonderful changes of colors before finally returning to calm.

The emperor had Kang Hongda to give him a way out, so Andaman could only answer the question himself: "My emperor has six daughters. Your Highness Prince Chen may have remembered it wrongly."

Originally, he would have been fine with just being vague, but he was unwilling to give in. Before sitting down, he couldn't help but blurt out another question: "What does Your Highness think?"

"Oh?" Gu Jue chuckled.

In the silent temple at this moment, the low laugh was so frivolous and harsh, like a sharp arrow that pierced Andaman's heart.

Gu Jue was smiling, and his smile was as light as the bright moon in the night sky or the night wind outside the palace, making people feel difficult to approach him.

In this quiet and eerie atmosphere, Chu Qianchen, who had originally lowered his head, raised his head and fed a petal of orange into Gu Jue's mouth in front of everyone's gaze. His fingertips accidentally touched his soft lips.

Her eyelashes trembled, and she immediately withdrew her hand, casually pointing at the plate of rouge goose breast in front of Gu Jue, meaning that she wanted to eat it.

He no longer paid attention to Andaman, picked up a pair of ivory chopsticks at hand, picked up a piece of rouge goose breast and put it into Chu Qianchen's bowl.

Chu Qianchen took a bite of the rouge goose breast and was not very satisfied.

Rouge goose breast is too sweet when it is cold.

This kind of palace banquet is boring. There are too many people, toasts are made all the time, and the food is just cold dishes.

Gu Jue also noticed that she was not satisfied, so he took the initiative to give her a piece of pickled duck tongue.

This pickled duck is served cold and tastes good.

The two of them ate back and forth, and no one looked at Andaman again, as if Andaman didn't exist at all.

For Andaman, this was even more embarrassing than before, and the emperor also wanted to teach Andaman a lesson and had no intention of helping to smooth things over.

The emperor glanced at the wine jug, and Eunuch Ni, who was good at reading the emperor's expression, quickly added wine to the emperor's glass, even though the glass was still half full.

The emperor felt much more relieved. He raised his glass and started drinking again, and his guard against Gu Jue deepened.

Logically speaking, Wuhaduluo intended to marry the fourth princess to Gu Jue, which would be beneficial to Gu Jue. Why did Gu Jue slap the face of Nanhao's envoy in public?

What exactly is Gu Jue planning? He always does things with a purpose.

The emperor was preoccupied, and no matter how good the singing and dancing that followed, he had no intention of appreciating them. His eyes kept glancing towards Gu Jue from time to time.

The atmosphere at the following banquet became a little awkward.

The guests could see that the emperor was in a bad mood, so no one came to toast him. They all had no appetite and most of them didn't even touch their chopsticks.

After another half an hour, the banquet ended abruptly.

It was completely dark outside. The night sky above was as dark as ink, with bright stars and a silver moon. In the palace below, dim lanterns were hung, like countless dancing fireflies.

The guests dispersed in all directions and returned to their own courtyards.

Chu Qianchen and Gu Jue did not ride in the sedan chair. They planned to take a walk back to Zichen Palace to digest their food.

Chu Qianchen held Gu Jue's hand with one hand and held an octagonal palace lantern with the other. In the cold night wind, the candle in the lantern was shaking, as if it would go out at any time.

Amber and Jiang Yuan were very tactful and fell behind by five or six feet.

Chu Qianchen shook the lantern in his hand and boasted: "Your Majesty, my hands are very skillful. Can I make a lantern for you during the Lantern Festival?"

"My hands are also very skillful." Gu Jue held her left hand tighter. She always said that his hands were cold, but it was clear that her own hands were even colder, and she didn't know how to take good care of herself.

A doctor cannot treat himself, so Gu Jue thought that when he returned to Beijing, he could ask a gynecologist who was good at gynecology to treat her.

Chu Qianchen said with a smile: "Then Your Majesty, make one for me too!"

Chu Qianchen was happy and couldn't help but start counting the days until the Lantern Festival.

"Your Highness..." Chu Qianchen wanted to ask her to make him a rabbit lantern, but before he could finish the rest of the words, a cry of surprise suddenly came from the front.

"Awan!"

The strange woman's shouting sounded a little sharp in the quiet night.

Chu Qianchen looked up and saw a woman in a dark red cloak staggering in front of him. Another woman in a purple cloak beside her supported her.

Chu Qianchen stuffed the lantern into Gu Jue's hand, then held up her skirt and trotted over in two steps.

She raised her hand and supported Shen Wan from the other side, and said softly: "Aunt, there is a stone bench here, please sit for a while."

Chu Qianchen and the woman in the purple cloak helped Shen Wan sit down on the stone bench next to them. The two men walking in front of Shen Wan and the others also turned around. One of them was Prince Jing.

"Awan, are you okay?" Prince Jing looked at Shen Wan worriedly, because Gu Zhiyan was sick a few days ago, and Shen Wan hadn't had a good rest during this period, and now she had to travel again.

"I'm fine." Shen Wan said with all her might, her face slightly pale and her eyes dull, "I just felt a little dizzy just now."

Chu Qianchen took Shen Wan's pulse and immediately withdrew his hand, feeling relieved.

Shen Wan is not seriously ill, she just hasn't had a good rest for a long time recently, so she is a little weak. She will recover after two days of rest.

"Jingle, thank you so much." Shen Wan turned and smiled at the woman in the purple cloak.

Fortunately, Jingle reacted quickly and helped her up, otherwise she would have fallen.

Princess Jingle?! Upon hearing this familiar title, Chu Qianchen's eyebrows moved slightly, and he looked up at the woman in the purple cloak.

She was a woman in her twenties, with an oval face, almond eyes, bright features and a gentle temperament. She was just a little thin, as if she would float away if the wind blew.

At this time, Jingle withdrew his right hand that was supporting Shen Wan.

Chu Qianchen had sharp eyes and just happened to see a whip mark on the other person's wrist that was exposed outside the cloak. The wound had already scabbed over and was extremely glaring on the fair skin.

Chu Qianchen recalled what Queen Mother Yin said last time: "Princess Jingle had some disputes with her husband and was whipped by him. I heard that it was because he wanted to marry his cousin."

Gu Jue also walked over with a lantern in his hand.

The dim candlelight danced in the lantern, creating an unpredictable light and shadow on his face, making him look cold, distant and out of reach.

Jingle had already hidden her hands back into her cloak. She smiled softly and said hello to Gu Jue and Chu Qianchen, "Ninth Brother, Ninth Sister-in-law."

Prince Jing said again: "Awan, let's ask an imperial physician to take a look at you."

"No need." Shen Wan hurriedly shook her head, "I'm really fine."

Although the emperor brought most of the imperial physicians with him on the winter hunt this time, it was not good for her to always call the imperial physicians when she was away from home. After all, Imperial Physician Wang had just come to see her daughter's illness two days ago.

Seeing that Shen Wan was in better spirits and her pulse was fine, Chu Qianchen said goodbye: "Aunt, since you are fine, we will leave first."

A strange light flashed in Shen Wan's eyes. She wanted to say something but stopped herself. In the end, she just nodded.

Chu Qianchen pulled Gu Jue away, Jingle also hurriedly said goodbye, and the surroundings suddenly became deserted.

Shen Wan looked at Chu Qianchen's leaving back, couldn't help but sigh, and whispered to herself: "She also saw it..."

Shen Wan felt that Chu Qianchen must have noticed that their family was deliberately avoiding Prince Chen's Mansion. She hadn't even gone to see her eldest sister in recent days.

She raised her hand and rubbed her eyebrows.

Prince Jing looked at his wife's exhausted appearance, put one hand on her arm, his eyes were complicated, with heartache, regret, self-blame... so strong that it almost overflowed.

If it weren't for him, Qi Niang wouldn't have become like this...

Shen Wan placed her backhand on the back of Prince Jing's hand and held it tightly.

The night deepens and the moonlight becomes cold.

Soon, a maid brought a sedan chair over, and Shen Wan was carried onto the sedan chair by Prince Jing. The couple went to Yunxiangzhai, their family's residence in the temporary palace.

Shen Wan had just rested in the inner room when someone came to report: "Miss Amber from Princess Chen's side is here, saying she is here to greet you on behalf of Princess Chen."

Shen Wan immediately asked someone to invite Amber in. She felt warm in her heart and smiled at Amber, "Amber, go back and tell your princess that I am fine now."

Amber bowed gracefully, holding a wooden box and said, "Princess, this is Rong Yang Pills. You have been feeling weak lately, so you can take one pill a day."

Rong Yang Pills were originally a tonic medicine made by the Imperial Hospital of the previous dynasty and have been passed down to the current dynasty. Many concubines in the palace are now taking them. Famous medical clinics and pharmacies outside also sell Rong Yang Pills. However, the Rong Yang Pills that Chu Qianchen sent were naturally not ordinary Rong Yang Pills. She had improved them according to the original recipe.

Shen Wan only thought that Chu Qianchen bought the Rong Yang Pills from an outside clinic, so she told Aunt Rong to accept them, and then said to Hu Bo, "Thank your princess for me."

Amber didn't say much. After bowing, she left.

"Miss Amber, this way."

The head maid personally sent Amber away, leaving only Prince Jing, Shen Wan and Madam Rong in the inner room.

Shen Wan looked at the swaying door curtain in front of her and sighed, "Sister Chen is really very smart."

Chu Qianchen is now the Princess of Chen. She and the Prince of Chen are tied together. If she takes the initiative to visit him today, then the emperor will hear about it in the future. With his suspicious nature, he will inevitably be dissatisfied with the closeness between Prince Jing and the Prince of Chen's Mansion...

Chu Qianchen obviously understood this, so she had been avoiding getting too close to Prince Jing's Mansion and maintaining a proper distance.

Shen Wan felt complicated and looked at the wooden box in Rong Mama's hand.

The medicinal materials used to make Rongyang Pills include precious ones such as ginseng, and they are not easy to make.

Whether it is the Imperial Medical Service or several famous clinics in the capital, the quantity of Rongyang Pills supplied is limited, and has basically been reserved in advance by a few well-known noble families.

If other people want to buy it, they have to make a reservation, but even if they make a reservation, they may not be able to wait for several months.

Sister Chen is a very thoughtful child.

Shen Wan's eyes felt slightly sore and there was a faint gleam of tears in them.

Rong Mama also knew how precious the Rong Yang Pills were, so she carefully took out a small porcelain jar the size of a baby's fist from the wooden box and said, "Princess, I'll get you a glass of water so you can dissolve the Rong Yang Pills and eat them."

After a while, Shen Wan drank the medicinal tea dissolved in the Rongyang Pills. The hot tea flowed down her throat into her stomach, warming her whole body. Her cheeks were also faintly flushed again.

Aunt Rong took the empty teacup and handed Shen Wan a cup of warm water. Shen Wan drank half a cup of water to get rid of the aftertaste in her mouth. She felt much more comfortable and her brows relaxed.

Afterwards, Madam Rong tactfully withdrew, leaving the inner room to the couple.

Prince Jing held Shen Wan in his arms, kissed the top of her head, and said softly with heartache: "Awan, I'm sorry for wronging you."

How could Prince Jing not know that his wife was only thinking about the Prince's Mansion?

Alas, they are members of the royal family, and their prominence depends entirely on the emperor. The emperor's likes and dislikes will inevitably affect the status of the Prince's Mansion. Moreover, although their Jing Prince's Mansion is surnamed Gu, they are already a distant branch of the bloodline.

If it were not for the kindness of the late emperor, even the title of Prince would have been downgraded in his generation.

A word from the emperor can decide the survival of the title. Their family cannot offend the emperor, and cannot get involved in the game between the emperor and Gu Jue.

The royal family can only remain neutral.

He only wanted to keep his ancestral title and could not afford to earn the credit of following the emperor.

Qian Chen’s personality is different from A Yue’s.

She is not a good person in the perfect sense.

Qian Chen studied medicine for the prince.

She made a name for herself by saving lives in Jishitang so that the prince would notice her. She gave Jishitang the recipe for curing convulsions in children so that she could accumulate merit for the prince. She made Jiuxu ointment so that the prince could use it in the army. She gave Wuhejialou the recipe for miasma so that she could exchange medicinal materials for the prince...

Qian Chen does not have A Yue’s heart as a doctor and a parent.

Her character was destined. When she found out that the Prince Jing's Mansion could only avoid the Prince Chen's Mansion because of the emperor and could only distance themselves from her, she would no longer take the initiative to inquire about it, come to their house, or do anything...

Even though Qian Chen is not perfect, I still like her.

(End of this chapter)