This was He Jiuniang and Lu Baichuan's first time attending a palace banquet, so they naturally had to prepare well.
He Jiuniang had already prepared the clothes for the two of them, and even gave Lu Baichuan a vest that she had previously given to Prince Jing.
"And what about you?"
Lu Baichuan saw that she had prepared all these things for herself, all for self-defense, while she herself was dressed like a fairy and didn't wear any of these self-defense items.
"I don't need it. Don't I still have you? With you here, how could I get hurt?"
Lu Baichuan thought this was true; he would risk his life to ensure his wife's safety.
"No, that won't happen."
"That's settled then. How can you wear these dresses and jewelry if you're wearing those things? Women are only responsible for looking beautiful."
He Jiuniang spoke very eloquently, but in reality, she didn't need these things at all, and basically no one could hurt her.
Lu Baichuan nodded, feeling a tightness in his chest as he looked at his wife, who looked so beautiful even with just a casual outfit.
He knew his wife was the center of attention wherever she went, and with her dressed so beautifully tonight, he wondered how many people would be eyeing her.
But his wife was free, and it was a woman's nature to love beauty. He couldn't selfishly hide her away; he could only do his best to protect her.
He Jiuniang looked stunning tonight. Her pale green dress made her look incredibly youthful and radiant. Despite being the mother of a four-year-old, she still appeared like an unmarried young girl. Most importantly, she possessed a unique charm that young girls lacked, truly the epitome of pure allure.
Lu Baichuan watched her twirl in front of him, then asked with a smile, "Do I look good tonight?"
You look beautiful all the time, but you look especially beautiful tonight!
Lu Baichuan pulled her into his arms and lowered his head to kiss her, but He Jiuniang stopped him with her hand.
"Not bad, not bad, you've improved. I like hearing that. But we've put so much effort into our makeup, we can't just kiss each other randomly. Come on, it's time to go out."
He Jiuniang pushed Lu Baichuan away, lifted her skirt and ran out. She was joking, she thought, if she didn't run now she wouldn't be able to escape, and she didn't want to be late for her first palace banquet.
She skipped lunch to prepare for the palace banquet, waiting on an empty stomach.
Lu Baichuan couldn't help but laugh when he saw his playful and cute appearance.
Having frequently visited the palace recently, He Jiuniang was already quite familiar with it. However, tonight there were too many people entering the palace, so the carriage couldn't go in. The servants had to wait outside the palace gate, and then everyone got out of the carriage and walked into the palace.
Lu Baichuan told his servants to go back first and come back to pick them up after midnight, so they wouldn't have to shiver in the cold wind.
The servant was filled with gratitude and went home amidst the envious glances of the servants in other households.
As for the other servants, they didn't even dare to dream of leaving, because they weren't sure when their master would leave. If their master came out and didn't see them, they would be doomed.
Moreover, their master was not as understanding as Lu Baichuan, and did not think there was anything wrong with them waiting in the cold wind.
While Lu Baichuan was talking to his servants, He Jiuniang had already started chatting with the guards at the palace gate.
"Have Prince Chen and Princess Consort arrived yet?"
"His Highness Prince Chen and His Highness the Empress entered the palace this morning. His Highness had to attend to state affairs, and His Highness had to go to the inner palace to accompany the Empress Dowager and the Empress."
"Hehe, you guys are really well-informed. Here, keep these things safe, they can save your lives. Share some with the brothers."
As He Jiuniang spoke, she took out several small porcelain bottles from her bosom and handed them over.
The guards were puzzled. Why were they being given poison for no reason? They were just guarding the gate and weren't in any danger.
"Take it, take it. It'll come in handy, just in case!"
He Jiuniang waved to them without giving them a chance to refuse, then took Lu Baichuan's arm and entered the palace.
Accompanying them were many officials and their families. When they saw them, their eyes flashed with confusion. Some did not recognize them, while others thought that since they were foreign officials from Jingzhou, they should not have attended the palace banquet. Why were they here?
However, having heard some of what happened to the Fifth Princess, they felt that the Emperor truly regarded the couple differently, so it was normal for him to make an exception and allow them to attend the palace banquet.
A few people would come over to chat with Lu Baichuan, hoping to take the opportunity to build a good relationship. Some officials were on Prince Chen's side and wanted to take care of Lu Baichuan, so they also took the initiative to greet him.
When the officials came, their families naturally followed, as everyone was trying to make friends. The families all smiled and talked to He Jiuniang. Even those who looked down on them in their hearts still behaved very well on the surface.
Especially after getting closer and seeing that the couple were handsome and beautiful, with a refined demeanor and, most importantly, dressed in extraordinary clothes, she quickly broke into a genuine smile.
He Jiuniang observed all of this and made a silent note of it. On the surface, she continued to talk intimately with others, but in reality, she was already planning to ask the princess and the others about their background later.
"Lord Lu is truly a young hero! To have accomplished so much at such a young age, his future is very promising!"
"With a talent like Lord Lu assisting His Highness Prince Chen, it's no wonder the Emperor favors him so much!"
"If Lord Lu is to be promoted in the future, we would like to ask him to give us a promotion!"
...
Tonight's banquet has a wide reach, with all officials of the fifth rank and above in the capital invited. Therefore, some of the guests are not as high-ranking as Lu Baichuan, and they inevitably try to flatter him in their speech.
Lu Baichuan handled the situation with ease, while holding He Jiuniang tightly with one hand to prevent her from leaving his sight, which made others extremely envious.
Upon entering the main hall, one would display their official credentials, and a special eunuch would announce their name, ensuring that officials who were unfamiliar with each other would be aware of their identity and avoid offending those they should not.
"Commander-in-Chief Lu of the Fire Cloud Division, accompanied by his wife, Madam He, has arrived."
Upon hearing the announcement, everyone in the hall turned to look at them.
Although the two were already used to such scrutinizing gazes, Lu Baichuan still subconsciously tightened his grip on his wife's hand, wishing he could just gouge out these people's eyes.
He gave a cold glance at some of the malicious stares, and only then did everyone snap out of their daze.
I had long heard that Lu Baichuan had a beautiful wife who was breathtakingly beautiful, so even after he became successful, he never took a concubine and only had one child.
If this gets out, people will inevitably laugh at it. What kind of beauty isn't there in this world? And what man doesn't have three wives and four concubines when he becomes successful?
But the moment they saw He Jiuniang, everyone fell silent. If they had such a beautiful wife at home, they would also be willing to clear out their backyard for her.
Ignoring those gazes, He Jiuniang transformed into a docile little wife, and was led by Lu Baichuan to their seats.
As soon as she sat down, someone nudged her shoulder and whispered, "Are you the doctor who always treats the emperor?"
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