Yuan Zhitong fell down, her face pale with fright, and she screamed in dismay.

Miss Lu Ba, who was walking in front of her, turned back subconsciously and saw Yuan Zhitong falling down from above.

Miss Lu Ba subconsciously turned slightly to the side and held the handrail of the stairs tightly with one hand.

Yuan Zhitong let out a shrill scream and rolled down the stairs with a "dong dong dong" sound. Her body rolled over the uppers of Miss Lu Ba's shoes, causing Miss Lu Ba to scream as well.

The screams of the two people almost blew the roof off.

The diners in the restaurant lobby also noticed this scene. Those who were talking, drinking, and eating all stopped and looked towards the stairs, just watching Yuan Zhitong fall to the floor of the lobby.

There was silence in the lobby.

At this moment, time seemed to freeze.

Miss Lu Ba stared blankly at Yuan Zhitong who fell to the ground. She was stunned for a moment before she reacted.

She endured the pain in her instep and walked down the last few steps, calling out, "Sister Tong."

She hurried to Yuan Zhitong's side and tried to help her with concern.

Yuan Zhitong's fall caused her originally exquisite crescent-shaped bun to fall in half, her hairpin to be askew, her bangs and a few strands of hair to hang messily on her forehead and ears. There was a red and swollen bump on the right corner of her forehead, and her eyes were closed tightly, as if she had fainted.

Yuan Zhitong's maid also ran over and shouted in an almost hysterical voice: "Girl...Girl, how are you?"

Amid the noise, no one paid attention to Jingle who was standing motionless on the stairs, and no one cast a suspicious look at her.

Jingle held the handrail of the stairs with one hand, quietly looking down at Yuan Zhitong below, pursing her lips slightly, with a barely visible smile on her lips.

The lobby soon became noisy again, with diners talking at once. Some sighed that the girl who fell down the stairs was too careless, some said that no one would die, and some shouted at the shopkeeper and the waiter. It was chaotic and noisy.

A waiter who was serving guests on the first floor also ran towards Yuan Zhitong and asked Miss Lu Ba incoherently, "How is this girl?"

"Is she okay? Do you want a doctor?"

"Someone, go get the doctor..."

The noisy noise in the lobby was also transmitted intermittently to the private rooms on the second floor. Many of the private rooms had their windows open, and heads popped out from behind the windows, looking towards Yuan Zhitong who was lying on the ground.

Chu Qianchen and Gu Jue, who were in the private room on the second floor, naturally heard something, but ignored it. Only Jiang Yuan, who was kicked out of the private room, looked down the stairs.

Chu Qianchen was happily eating hot red bean and jujube paste pastry, taking a sip of tea and a bite of the pastry. He felt that this red bean and jujube paste pastry was even more delicious than usual and smiled with squinted eyes.

Gu Jue saw the deep joy and happiness in her eyes and eyebrows, and secretly sighed that his little girl was really easy to satisfy.

"Is it delicious?" Gu Jue picked up a handkerchief and wiped the crumbs off her lips gently.

"Delicious!" Chu Qianchen nodded.

She liked his doting tone and actions, and moved her face closer to him.

Her lips were pure red, pink and plump, just like a ripe cherry, as if sweet juice would flow out if you took a bite.

Gu Jue's burning gaze fell on Chu Qianchen's lips.

Chu Qianchen suddenly felt that the surroundings seemed to have quieted down, her heartbeat suddenly accelerated, thump thump thump, like a drum, and she even forgot where she was. Faintly, she seemed to hear someone sighing softly.

A few snowflakes floated in from the half-open window, and one of them landed on her lips. The coolness of the snowflake woke Chu Qianchen from her trance.

Only then did she realize that snowflakes had started floating in the sky outside at some point, and the snowflakes were falling in large flakes like cotton wool.

So cold!

Chu Qianchen felt cold just by looking at her, and subconsciously leaned towards Gu Jue. Gu Jue simply held her on his lap and embraced her with his body temperature.

Chu Qianchen was already accustomed to sitting on him like this, nestling leisurely in his arms, leaning his back against his chest, reveling in the warmth of the moment.

Chu Qianchen looked at the snowflakes flying all over the sky with satisfaction and muttered, "I wonder if it will snow tomorrow."

"The snow should stop tonight." Gu Jue kissed her temple and said softly, but his voice was blown away by the cold wind outside the window in the blink of an eye.

Just as Gu Jue said, the weather did clear up early the next morning.

Chu Qianchen got up yawning at dawn, dressed herself up, put on the makeup of a prince's princess, and entered the palace in a red-wheeled carriage.

Today is the Third Princess' coming-of-age ceremony, which is also a big day. The Queen attaches great importance to it and has been preparing for several months. All the ladies of the royal family and nobles in the capital have received invitations.

As Chu Qianchen walked along, he saw that every corner of the palace was newly decorated. There was a long brocade carpet laying on the ground all the way from the palace gate to Fengluan Palace, and lanterns and ribbons were hung all around.

Chu Qianchen arrived at Fengluan Palace neither too early nor too late. Quite a few people had already arrived at the main hall of Fengluan Palace. Princesses of royal family such as Princess Li and Princess Shun, Princesses Jingle, Ningde, Yunhe and some princesses of counties and towns sat on both sides of the palace, all of them dressed in gorgeous clothes and covered in jewels.

The queen sitting on the Phoenix Throne was also in a good mood and looked radiant. She treated Chu Qianchen very gently and exchanged a few extra words of greeting.

Most of the female relatives present also remembered the empress's embarrassment towards Chu Qianchen on the day after Gu Jue and Chu Qianchen's wedding. This was completely different from the empress's kind attitude now, which made everyone realize the difference between the two times.

Chu Qianchen was graceful, elegant and charming, like the bright moon in the sky. Her every move revealed an elegant, noble and free and easy demeanor, like the sound of flowing water in the mountains. She seemed not to care about the Queen's attitude at all.

Jingle was sitting opposite Chu Qianchen, smiling at her with a gentle and elegant expression.

Chu Qianchen smiled back at Jingle.

Led by the eunuch, she sat down in her seat. The Prince of Chen had a noble status, and Chu Qianchen's position was also very high, so she sat next to the Princess of Li and her mother-in-law.

Over the past ten days or so, Princess Li had invited Chu Qianchen to her home from time to time, and she, the Crown Prince's wife and the mother-in-law had become quite familiar with Chu Qianchen.

When Princess Li saw Chu Qianchen, she smiled amiably and said in a low voice, "Qianchen, your ointment is really useful. My old man's cold legs are now completely healed."

"He is now happy to eat an extra bowl of rice at every meal, and he drags the prince and others to practice martial arts in the morning and evening..."

Princess Li was extremely happy when she talked about her old man. She looked at Chu Qianchen with a very warm gaze, and her words and actions revealed a sense of familiarity and intimacy.

The high Phoenix Throne in front provides an excellent view. The queen sitting on it can take in the expressions and actions of everyone in the hall.

The Queen couldn't hear what Chu Qianchen and Princess Li were saying at all. She stared at them talking and laughing, with a hint of doubt in her eyes.

Princess Li is not only a princess of a prince, but her family is also distinguished. She was born in the Mansion of Duke Xin and enjoys great prestige among the wives of royal family members and nobles. There are countless wives who want to curry favor with her.

With Chu Qianchen's background, how could the Princess of Li be so friendly to her?

The answer is obvious. It must be that Chu Qianchen secretly flattered the Princess of Li.

The Queen picked up the enamel teacup, with a look of ambiguous sarcasm on her face.

Below, the wife of Prince Rui and several princesses including Ningde, Yunhe and others also took the initiative to greet Chu Qianchen, all chatting and laughing calmly.

"..." The queen paused as she raised the teacup to her chest, and the doubt in her eyes intensified.

Obviously, when Chu Qianchen was in the Xiyuan Palace last month, the ladies of the royal family and the princesses of the royal family were all very unfamiliar with each other. How come they became so familiar with each other in just over half a month?! Could it be that -

Is Gu Jue secretly colluding with the royal family?! The queen's pupils shrank slightly, and her heart also shrank suddenly.

If it were in the past when the prince's position was stable, the queen would only be uneasy because of this speculation and would immediately tell the emperor about it, but things are different now.

Now that Gu Jue's power is growing, the queen is becoming more and more determined to win him over. Yes, in this huge Qi Dynasty, Gu Jue is the only one who can support the prince to fight against the emperor.

She must not push Gu Jue to the side of Concubine Chu and the Second Prince!

Thinking of how the Second Prince accompanied the Prince of Andaman to Baiyun Temple yesterday, the Queen's face darkened slightly and she slowly raised the teacup to hide the strange look on her face.

The corner of his eye swept over Chu Qianchen who was beside Princess Li.

It just so happens that Princess Chu Qianchen of Prince Chen’s surname is Chu, and she is the niece of Imperial Concubine Chu. This is a marriage bestowed by the emperor.

The queen's eyelashes drooped, and her dark eyes were bottomless.

The Fengluan Palace was filled with laughter, and ladies of honor who came to attend the banquet arrived from time to time.

The queen perked up and greeted the female relatives, and the atmosphere was harmonious.

The auspicious time for today's ceremony had been calculated in advance by the Imperial Astronomical Observatory. When Eunuch Li saw that the auspicious time was approaching, he came to remind the Queen.

Then, a group of female relatives surrounded the queen and moved to Baohe Hall.

There are more than a hundred female guests attending today, and the atmosphere in the hall is particularly solemn and dignified.

As the eunuch announced, "The Empress Dowager has arrived," everyone hurriedly stood up to welcome the Empress Dowager Yin.

Finally everyone was there, and a pleasant sound of sheng music began, and the coming-of-age ceremony officially began.

Today, the Third Princess' coming-of-age ceremony was presided over by the Queen, with the Princess of Li as the main guest, the Crown Princess as the sponsor, and Miss Lu as the host.

"My daughter has grown up. Today, my third princess is having her coming-of-age ceremony..."

With the Queen's solemn speech, the coming-of-age ceremony officially began, and all the female guests watching the ceremony were in awe.

After the Queen's speech, the sound of the sheng music once again filled the hall.

Anle's dresses became more gorgeous and eye-catching each time. In the end, she changed into a gorgeous and elegant crimson dress with wide sleeves. On her head, she wore a luxurious and exquisite crown of nine pheasants and four phoenixes. The hairpin crown made of pure gold was inlaid with countless gems and pearls, which sparkled brightly.

Fifteen-year-old Anle was petite and pretty. After she put on a crown and clothes, she seemed to have grown up a lot. When she was not smiling, she looked dignified. Under the guidance of the female officials, she slowly approached the queen in front of her step by step.

The queen looked at her daughter without blinking, and her eyes became slightly moist as she thought about her daughter's upcoming marriage to Nan Hao. Even the joy of her daughter's adulthood was somewhat diluted.

Queen Mother Yin also looked at Anle in her bright red dress, but she thought of Chu Qianchen. She sighed softly to Chu Qianchen who was accompanying her, "Next August, Qianchen, you will also be a virgin..."

Queen Mother Yin was thinking in her heart that she had to find an opportunity to give her son some advice, lest the boy carelessly forget about his daughter-in-law's coming-of-age ceremony.

A girl's coming-of-age ceremony is like her wedding, a major event that happens only once in a lifetime, and requires careful preparation at least half a year in advance.

Thinking of this, Queen Mother Yin frowned slightly, feeling somewhat worried.

Under Gu Jue's control, Prince Chen's Mansion is as airtight as an iron barrel, but its shortcomings are also obvious. Except for Madam Cai, there is no elderly person in the inner courtyard of the palace, and no one knows how his daughter-in-law's coming-of-age ceremony will be held next year.

Chu Qianchen naturally had no idea what Queen Mother Yin was thinking. To her, the coming-of-age ceremony was just a ritual and was unimportant.

She leaned over with a smile and whispered to Queen Mother Yin, "Mother, the prince has agreed to give me a name."

6◇9◇Book◇Bar

She smiled with her eyes curved and sparkling with anticipation.

Girls are given a name when they get married.

If the coming-of-age ceremony is held before marriage, the bride’s elders will usually choose the name. If the ceremony is held after marriage, the husband will usually choose the name.

This is reasonable and logical, but when Empress Dowager Yin and Nanny He heard it, they could only sigh.

Hey! Isn’t the main point of the coming-of-age ceremony to be about choosing a name?!

Queen Mother Yin was even more worried. As a mother-in-law, she should have presided over the coming-of-age ceremony for her son and daughter-in-law. However, she was trapped in the deep palace. Not only could she not help, but she was also a burden to her son and daughter-in-law, and only dragged them down...

"The Emperor has arrived!"

At this moment, the shrill and high-pitched voice of a eunuch was heard from outside the hall.

The emperor in a bright yellow dragon robe strode towards this side, and with him was the envoy of the Hao Kingdom, the Prince of Andaman.

There was a commotion in the hall, and all the women bowed to the emperor.

The emperor sat on the high throne, and then the officials from the Ministry of Rites continued to announce the next step of the coming-of-age ceremony. As a father, the emperor gave some earnest instructions to his daughter who was kneeling below.

Anle replied, "Although I am not smart, I will never refuse your advice." So far, the most important parts of the coming-of-age ceremony were over.

The official from the Ministry of Rites secretly breathed a sigh of relief. His task was basically completed. The next step was...

The official from the Ministry of Rites looked at Prince Andaman who was watching the ceremony on the side, and saw Andaman walking to the center of the main hall with his head held high and looking energetic amidst the burning gazes.

Everyone knew that the highlight of the day was coming next, and there was a hint of sadness and sympathy in their eyes when they looked at Anle.

The princess is born noble, but at the same time she has no control over her own destiny.

The queen pursed her lips, her eyes became more sore and slightly dazed as she looked at her daughter Anle.

"Your Majesty, the Emperor of Daqi," Andaman bowed to the emperor with a smile on his face, performed the etiquette of the Hao Kingdom, and said loudly, "On behalf of the crown prince of my country, I formally ask Your Majesty to marry the third princess of your country, and our two countries will be friends forever."

According to etiquette, the emperor would agree to the marriage in public, and then the emperor and Andaman would sign the marriage certificate on behalf of the two countries respectively, and the marriage would be settled.

However, after Andaman's voice fell, the hall was silent.

All the female members of the family felt a jolt in their hearts and vaguely guessed something.

The emperor stared at Andaman quietly, rubbing two fingers of his right hand unconsciously repeatedly until his fingertips turned red.

Andaman frowned, looked up and met the emperor's gaze. Just as he was about to speak again, he heard the emperor sigh lightly: "The New Year is coming soon. In my opinion, it is better to postpone this marriage until after the New Year."

“…”

“…”

“…”

The whole room was silent. The temperature seemed to drop suddenly and the air seemed to be freezing.

Not only Andaman, but everyone else in the palace heard it and couldn't help but look at the queen beside the emperor.

The queen was also stunned and her eyes widened. She had never heard the emperor talk about this before.

Everyone in the hall had different expressions, and they were all shocked.

Andaman felt a surge of anger rising to his head and he almost exploded, but he held it back in the end.

He clenched his teeth and tried to calm himself.

"Your Majesty, what do you mean?" Andaman asked with a stiff voice, "Does Your Majesty want to break off the engagement?"

Every word in his voice became colder than the last, as if ice chips might fall out of it, as he stabbed the emperor.

Regarding the marriage between the two countries, they have been discussing it on and off for more than two months. Both sides have made a lot of concessions. Now it has basically been agreed upon, and the only thing left is to sign the marriage certificate. If the emperor goes back on his word at this time, it means he is breaking off the marriage! !

The emperor is the Son of Heaven, and his words are golden. If he suddenly regrets the engagement, he will be criticized and it will be a provocation to the Hao Kingdom.

All the female members of the family held their breath, looking at the queen, then at Andaman, and then at the emperor.

In fact, most people still didn't understand the situation, and they didn't understand why the emperor suddenly wanted to delay the marriage.

The emperor always cared about his reputation, so of course he would not admit his regret in public. He smiled faintly and said perfunctorily: "Prince Andaman, in half a month it will be the most important festival of our Great Qi. Anle is my beloved daughter, and I really can't bear to let her go. I want to keep her for a few more days."

"I asked the Imperial Astronomical Observatory to calculate the date, and there is no suitable auspicious day recently."

Anyone could tell that the emperor's words were obviously excuses.

Andaman's face visibly darkened, revealing even more obvious displeasure.

He stood tensely in the center of the palace, staring at the emperor without blinking, refusing to back down in the slightest.

When their eyes met, fire flashed, and there was a tense and oppressive feeling that quickly spread around.

The emperor looked at Andaman, whose face was as gloomy as water, and his face also became stern. He grasped the armrest of the throne tightly with one hand, almost crushing it.

The Andaman prince actually dared to turn his face to him! The emperor was furious and thought to himself: Those who are not of my race must have different hearts.

These Hao people were two-faced and flattering, they were really too greedy! The emperor thought about it and felt that he could not be so passive, he had to let these Hao people know that his princess was not something they could marry just because they wanted to.

The initiative of this marriage lies in the hands of him, the Emperor of Da Qi. Now that their Hao Kingdom is weaker than Da Qi, it is they who are asking for marriage, rather than Da Qi fawningly begging for marriage with Hao Kingdom.

The emperor made up his mind and his eyes became extremely sharp.

The hall fell into deathly silence again.

Those ladies didn't even dare to breathe, and they all thought something was wrong.

Only Chu Qianchen was calm and composed. While watching the show, he also took the pulse of Queen Mother Yin and smiled with satisfaction. Very good, the Queen Mother's complexion and pulse are much better than six months ago.

When she returns, she will tell the prince the good news.

Andaman suppressed the anger in his chest, looked at the emperor with a heavy gaze, snorted coldly, and asked, "Your Majesty, do you know where the Uhaka Tower is?"

The women present gasped.

They also knew that Wuhejialou was the eldest prince of the previous Emperor Nanhao, who had come to the capital before to celebrate the emperor's birthday. After the Nanhao coup, the former eldest prince seemed to have disappeared.

If there are more, the women in the inner house will not know about it.

The question is, what does the Hao Kingdom envoy mean by questioning the emperor like this? ! The women were terrified and didn't dare to think about it.

"..." The emperor's eyes moved slightly, and a sarcastic sneer appeared on his lips.

He also guessed that these Hao people would not easily surrender and compromise, and sure enough, it turned out to be true.

The emperor knew that Andaman came to the capital on the orders of Emperor Hao Uhadula with two missions. One was to form an alliance with Da Qi, and the other was that Uhadula suspected that Uhadjaro was brought back to the capital by Gu Jue. For this reason, Haoren contacted Gu Jue again and again.

Fortunately, the emperor never really trusted these Hao people and was always on guard against any unusual movements from them. Sure enough, he discovered that Andaman was secretly showing goodwill to Gu Jue.

I am afraid that "Uhaja Tower" is just a cover for Uhadra and Andaman.

Now, Andaman mentioned Uhaja Tower in public, is he threatening himself?

If I don't obey, will Andaman represent Hao Country and side with Gu Jue? !

Thinking of this, the emperor's eyes became even colder, scraping across Andaman's face like an ice knife.

(End of this chapter)