Princess Shengyang
Perhaps the palace maids were not familiar with Qin Yuyao's face, but Luan Zhengya was well-known to everyone. For a moment, the palace maid who first noticed Luan Zhengya and her companions came in hurriedly bowed her head and saluted.
"Prince Zhen'an and Princess Zhen'an are here!" a young eunuch shouted, and instantly many eyes were focused on him.
The banquet was held in the Imperial Garden of the palace, with all seats separated by vermilion tables. The young emperor Qilian Jingyao sat between two rows of vermilion tables, visible to everyone who entered.
Qin Yuyao could sense that many people's gazes passed by Luan Zhengya beside her and finally landed on her. This was the first time Qin Yuyao had encountered such a formal occasion since her marriage.
But he didn't show any nervousness at all, only looking calmly ahead. His right hand, which was close to Luan Zhengya, was hidden by his sleeve and was now being held tightly by Luan Zhengya.
The weather was not too cold at this time, and the place where her hands were clasped together was slightly warm, which made Qin Yuyao feel more at ease.
On the high platform, Qilian Jingyao smiled when he saw Luan Zhengya and Qin Yuyao appear. His elder brother and master, usually calm and composed, looked rather pleased with himself today.
He thought that the woman beside him was the one he had long admired. If he had not sent several letters to her and the assassins had not come, Luan Zhengya would not have returned to Beijing.
Seeing that the two of them seemed to be surrounded by an aura that could not be disturbed by outsiders, Qilian Jingyao said loudly: "Prince Zhen'an, please take a seat quickly."
As she spoke, a leading palace maid hurried forward to lead the way, bringing Qin Yuyao and Luan Zhengya to the lower right position closest to Qilian Jingyao.
At this moment, she was so close to the youngest emperor in the Sheng Dynasty that no matter how prepared Qin Yuyao was, she was still a little nervous.
"Greetings, Your Majesty. May Your Majesty be well." Qin Yuyao bowed slightly, her gaze fixed on the open space under the dragon throne. She only needed to raise her eyelids slightly to see the other person clearly.
At this time, the three of them were close to each other, and Qilian Jingyao also whispered, "No need to be so polite. Just call me Jingyao like you, my cousin Zhengya, in private."
Qilian Jingyao finished speaking, noticing Qin Yuyao's surprise, and continued, "Prince Zhen'an has helped me a lot. Since you are the woman he likes, you must have something special. I was in the palace on the day of the wedding, so it's not easy for me to leave. Today is a good day to wish you a long and happy marriage."
Seeing Qilian Jingyao smiling, he really didn't look like a fourteen-year-old boy.
Qin Yuyao nodded, and then Luan Zhengya took her arm around the waist and sat her down behind the vermilion table. Noticing that the person above was busy chatting with other ministers, she whispered, "Are you and His Majesty's cousins?"
I have never heard him say that he has a marriage relationship with the current emperor. If that were the case, he should not have called himself a commoner in the past.
Luan Zhengya had the maid beside her remove the wine jug in front of Qin Yuyao and replace it with fragrant tea. Then she replied, "Not cousins, just a distant relationship. The elders have mostly passed away, so if they were truly cousins, they would still qualify as yours. Just treat them normally."
Blinking, Qin Yuyao nodded slightly. How could this be considered normal treatment? Could it be that he really treated His Majesty as a cousin? Of course, that was impossible. Shaking her head secretly, Qin Yuyao's eyes involuntarily fell on Luan Zhengya's twiddling chopsticks.
Then, a piece of white fish with the bones removed landed in the small bowl in front of her. The fragrant fish, along with a hint of sauce, wafted to Qin Yuyao's nose.
Before she could pick up her chopsticks to taste the food, she noticed a gaze. She raised her head and looked back, and happened to see someone behind her left.
Ye Jiajia was winking at him, her face full of mischief. She had obviously seen Luan Zhengya picking up food for her. She had always heard how much Prince Zhen'an loved Qin Yuyao, and she was even more surprised to see it today.
Seeing this, Qin Yuyao blushed at first, and then ate the fish under Luan Zhengya's puzzled gaze.
"What's wrong? Is it not tasty? This fish is the best dish in the palace, and it's been prepared with more than ten years of craftsmanship. I was thinking of coming today so that you can try it." As she said that, Luan Zhengya was about to put the other piece of fish back.
But Qin Yuyao reached out and held his hand: "It's delicious, you can make it even more delicious for me." As she said that, Qin Yuyao smiled and put the fish into her mouth.
Then he raised his head and leaned close to Luan Zhengya's ear and said, "I just saw Ye Jiajia. She was teasing me on purpose."
Hearing this, Luan Zhengya raised her eyebrows slightly. Lately, the eldest daughter of the Zhennan Mansion had dominated most of Qin Yuyao's conversations.
Even when she was with him in private, she would suddenly mention Ye Jiajia. Their relationship was so harmonious that Luan Zhengya often felt jealous, and even wanted to complain to the old Zhennan King several times.
It was just that if he were to complain about his wife himself, he would not tell anyone else. He himself felt a little amused, as if he could not control his wife, or he could not bear to say that his wife was plotting against him from outside.
At this moment, Qin Yuyao was concentrating on eating the fish in her bowl. Luan Zhengya turned her head slightly and saw Ye Jiajia waving towards her.
After noticing Luan Zhengya's gaze, Ye Jiajia couldn't help but feel her neck tense. Her hair trembled, as if she were being watched by a ferocious beast.
He immediately retracted his hand, no longer daring to move so ostentatiously in Qin Yuyao's direction. In his heart, he secretly criticized Luan Zhengya, who was of such high status, why was he still angry with her?
Ye Jiajia felt that she couldn't figure it out, so she just lowered her head and ate. The highlight of the party had not yet arrived, so she decided to eat her fill first.
Qin Yuyao was naturally unaware of the undercurrents between Luan Zhengya and her good friend Ye Jiajia, and was concentrating on being fed by the people around her.
The others, who were sitting at attention, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the main character at the palace banquet tonight, could not help but observe her, the Princess of Zhen'an, with curiosity out of boredom.
After looking at it carefully for a long time, I couldn't help but admire that the story about the Princess of Zhen'an being so well-loved was not just a random rumor.
"Alas, it is said that the Princess of Zhen'an has no talent. She is not familiar with poetry, books, etiquette, and the Book of Changes, yet she was able to marry into a high-class family." An official's wife, who did not pay much attention to what was happening outside but had heard about it, whispered.
Instantly, someone close to her tugged at her wrist: "What nonsense are you talking about? You and I are at the back. If anyone else hears this, I'm afraid our husbands will suffer tomorrow."
After a pause, the lady lowered her voice even more: "That person is not really ignorant. I heard that he knows poetry and songs, and he is also good at managing the household and the farm."
Zhang Wenhe, who was sitting to the lower left of Qilian Jingyao, also saw it and blew his eyelids expressionlessly. No one else knew what he was thinking.
Qin Ziwen, who was assigned to sit below Zhang Wenhe today, had no time to pay attention to his eldest daughter. His only concern was the humiliation of being assigned below the Left Prime Minister. However, Qilian Jingyao was completely oblivious to his urgent gaze.
I could only sit behind the desk in frustration, unwilling to even touch the food or the drinks.
Mrs. Lin looked at Qin Ziwen's wooden expression, then at Qin Yuyao across from her, who was so happy, as if she were in her own living room. She felt a lump in her throat, but she did find a good marriage for Qin Yuyao.
If he had sent Wen Xin to Prince Zhen'an's Mansion, it would probably be his own daughter who would be treated like this today, and he would have been much more glorious in the Right Prime Minister's Mansion.
Thinking of this, Madam Lin looked at Qin Yuyao with hatred for a long time. Until she was met with a cold gaze, she quietly looked up.
Luan Zhengya, who had noticed her unfriendly gaze, now had a gloomy expression and a fierce look in her eyes. It was obvious that this was just a warning; if there was anything else, she would be killed on the spot.
Mrs. Lin's right hand trembled involuntarily, and the tea in the cup instantly spilled out, soaking her clothes. She immediately cried out in surprise.
The palace maid beside her immediately stepped forward, bent down, and asked Madam Lin to stand up and take her to the place where the palace banquet hall was prepared for the ladies to change their clothes.
Just as Madam Lin left, a small group of people came from the passage outside the palace banquet hall, close to the inner courtyard of the imperial palace.
The two leading palace maids were still servants in the palace, while the ones behind them were all dressed in grassland tribal costumes. Princess Shengyang, who was walking in the middle and covered by a canopy, instantly attracted everyone's attention.
"Princess Shengyang is here!" The young eunuch outside the palace banquet shouted, instantly attracting the attention of some ministers who were still chatting.
They all paid attention to Princess Shengyang, who was dressed in colorful clothes and had her hair braided into many strands. They heard that this princess was the only princess of the grassland tribe leader, and the other three were princes.
Now that the grassland tribes have suffered repeated defeats at the hands of Sheng State and their grasslands are shrinking, they are thinking of sending a princess to negotiate peace. It would be even better if they could get some food and fodder.
After the maids beside her slowly stepped aside, Princess Shengyang stepped forward and bowed gently. She placed her right hand on his left shoulder and whispered, "Greetings to His Majesty the King of Sheng. May His Majesty live long and be in good health."
Qilian Jingyao's gaze fell lightly on Princess Shengyang, but he did not speak immediately. The scene became quiet for a while.
Qin Yuyao couldn't help but look up slightly. She had just heard the voice and was a little curious. But when Luan Zhengya grabbed her hand and wiped the oil off her hand, she finally had time to look towards the center of the banquet.
Princess Shengyang, despite being deliberately ignored by Qilian Jingyao, was not frightened. Instead, she stood up straight and spoke again, "Your Majesty is as youthful and heroic as the legends say. Princess Shengyang has been entrusted by her father to bring us the most precious gift from our grassland."
As they spoke, the two maids at the back came up carrying a table, which was slowly covered with a red square cloth.
It was so mysterious that everyone couldn't help but cast curious eyes on it, and Qilian Jingyao, who was sitting above, smiled slowly at this time.
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