Chapter 779, Truth or Dare (Two chapters in one)
At the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, the royal family and the dignitaries of the court did not see the Jiang family, and they were a little upset. In addition, during the banquet, the emperor did not mention the empress dowager who had been claiming to be ill, so they gradually made up their minds.
What no one expected was that the Queen Mother herself arrived halfway through the banquet.
In response to this, Prince Yong and other sharp-eyed and sharp-eared royal relatives all shook their heads in their hearts.
The empress dowager really lost both her dignity and face this time. Once the emperor took a tough stance, she could only find a way out for herself.
Why bother?
Even if they were biological mother and child, they wouldn't go through so much trouble, let alone the child who was not biological.
Feeling the strange looks directed at her, the empress dowager tried hard to maintain a dignified smile, and she became more and more annoyed with the emperor's ungratefulness.
In order to avoid drawing everyone's attention to herself, the Queen Mother glanced at the eldest princess.
The eldest princess had served the empress dowager for many years. She immediately understood what the empress dowager meant with just one look. Her expression was shocked and she thought to herself that now that the relationship between her grandmother and father was at a stalemate and no one else dared to step forward, it was time for her to show herself.
Thinking of this, the eldest princess sat up straight, looked around, and suddenly said, "Why didn't Uncle Ping come to the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet today?"
The emperor looked at the eldest princess indifferently. As an emperor, especially an emperor with the double pressure of the Jiang family and the Eight Kings on his head, there are too many things he needs to deal with in order to secure his throne.
A person's energy is limited. If you invest too much in some aspects, some aspects will naturally be neglected.
For example, his relationship with his children.
He would pay a little attention to the situations of several princes, but as for the princesses, even Le Kang, the daughter of the queen, he didn't pay too much attention to them.
They hadn't spent much time together, so naturally, there wasn't much affection between them. He was particularly displeased with the eldest princess, who was single-mindedly leaning towards the Queen Mother.
Whenever the Queen Mother has something to do, she, as her vanguard, will actively step forward.
The emperor didn't even need to think to know that his stupid daughter was pushed forward by the empress dowager to divert everyone's attention.
The Second Prince was on good terms with the First Princess and replied with a smile, "Uncle Ping must be busy with something."
The third prince thought of the message sent by Xiao Yechen, hesitated for a moment, but still did not want to miss the opportunity to slander Xiao Yeyang.
Xiao Yechen is on good terms with him and is considered a member of his ship, so he and Xiao Yeyang are bound to be in a hostile relationship. In order to maximize his own interests, he can only help Xiao Yechen win the title of prince.
In this case, it is necessary to destroy Xiao Yeyang's image in his father's mind.
"It's fine if Uncle Ping is busy, but why isn't Ye Yang here? Mid-Autumn Festival is a time for family reunions. As a junior, he should be here to spend the holiday with Grandmother and Father."
The emperor, who was just relieved that Gu Jian had Prince Ping and his son to accompany him to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, immediately became gloomy when he heard this.
He felt full of guilt towards his mother and uncle.
Yes, it was the Jiang family who supported him to the throne, but since he ascended the throne, he has given the Jiang family supreme honor and power, which can be regarded as a repayment to them.
However, he never repaid his mother who gave him life and his uncle who risked his life to save him several times.
After his uncle returned to the capital, he wanted to repay his uncle well, but due to his busy political affairs and his status, he was unable to visit his uncle many times.
Fortunately, Yan was smart and persuaded Xiaojiu to go over, so that her uncle could have the company of his relatives.
Who would have thought that just as he breathed a sigh of relief, his good son and daughter jumped out first.
The eldest princess and the third prince did not notice the change in the emperor's expression and continued speaking.
The eldest princess smiled and said, "Perhaps Ye Yang has something else to do. After all, he is now the commander of Jinling Guards and has always had a lot of tasks on his hands."
The Third Prince laughed a few times and said, "Big Sister, do you really think Ye Yang is on duty?"
The eldest princess said, "Well, if he had no errands, why wouldn't he come to spend the holiday with Grandmother and Father?"
The Third Prince smiled and said, "I heard, I heard that Ye Yang seemed to have gone to Four Seasons Villa."
The eldest princess was surprised. She really didn't know this, but seeing that everyone's attention had indeed been diverted, she continued to ask, "Four Seasons Villa? That seems to be the manor of Shengping County Princess, right? This Mid-Autumn Festival, Ye Yang didn't come to accompany the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, but went to..."
As she spoke, she looked towards the emperor. When she saw the emperor looking at her expressionlessly, the eldest princess's voice suddenly stopped and she felt inexplicably frightened.
At this time, the third prince also noticed that the emperor's expression was not right, and immediately shut up.
However, the emperor did not let him go: "Third brother, who told you that Ye Yang went to Four Seasons Villa?"
When everyone heard the emperor speak, they all fell silent.
The Third Prince quickly stood up and knelt, "Your Highness, your Highness merely heard someone mention it casually."
The Emperor: "You just heard someone say something and you're bringing it up at the palace banquet. What's going on? Are you on bad terms with Ye Yang? Why are you slandering him like this?"
Seeing the emperor being so straightforward, the Third Prince felt a pang of anxiety and quickly defended himself, "I didn't do that."
The Emperor: "Nothing? No conflict with Ye Yang, or no slander against Ye Yang?"
The third prince had cold sweat on his forehead and was extremely frightened. He knew that his father doted on Xiao Yeyang, but he didn't expect that his father would attack him so hard for Xiao Yeyang.
The Emperor looked at the Third Prince calmly and said, "A few days ago, you slandered Yan Yatou and Ye Yang. I warned you once, but it's a pity that you seemed to have ignored my words."
The Third Prince kowtowed quickly: "Your Highness dare not."
The emperor glanced around at the princes and the royal family members present. "I'm not senile yet. I know exactly who is sharing my worries and who is causing me more trouble."
Hearing this, everyone present lowered their heads silently.
The Queen Mother's eyes also flickered.
The emperor looked at the third prince and said, "Third prince, get up."
The Third Prince heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that the Emperor had not punished him. He slowly stood up from the ground and just as he straightened up, he heard the Emperor continue to speak.
"Since you don't accept my teachings, don't hang around me anymore."
As soon as these words were spoken, the Third Prince's face turned pale instantly, especially when he looked up and saw the indifference in the Emperor's eyes, his back felt cold and he thought to himself that it was all over.
Is the emperor tired of him?
The Emperor wasn't looking at the Third Prince, but instead fixed his gaze on the Grand Princess. "From today onwards, without my permission, the Grand Princess is not allowed to enter the palace again!"
After saying this, without even glancing at the dumbstruck princess, he stood up and said something ambiguous, "What a shame! Such a great Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, it's really spoiled the fun."
Looking at the emperor striding away, everyone present felt a little uneasy.
The trouble was caused by the Queen Mother's arrival. So, was the Emperor's last word of spoiling the fun directed at the Queen Mother, or at the eldest princess and the third prince?
The Mid-Autumn Festival banquet in the palace ended in a bad mood, but the atmosphere at Four Seasons Villa was quite good.
In order to encourage Prince Ping to come to Four Seasons Villa more often in the future, Daohua really took great pains to decorate the dining area like an outdoor wedding.
Everything is decorated with flowers, and the meals are also decided by Daohua herself, just to give Prince Ping a different experience and make him like this place.
This kind of outdoor dining experience was fresh and novel to not only Prince Ping, but also Gu Jian and Xiao Yeyang.
"I feel like you care more about my father than me."
After dinner, Xiao Yeyang said this to Daohua in a sour tone.
Daohua rolled her eyes at him and ignored him, smiling as she served mooncakes and osmanthus wine to Prince Gu Jianping.
Gu Jian is not a talkative person. Xiao Yeyang can adjust the atmosphere, but when Prince Ping is around, he becomes a little taciturn. Prince Ping, on the other hand, is proud of his status and is even less likely to liven up the situation.
Daohua watched the three people sitting in silence, feeling awkward for them. Suddenly, an idea struck her, and she said with a smile, "Master, Your Majesty, it seems too boring for us to just sit here. How about we play a game?"
Prince Ping immediately became interested: "What game do you want to play? Reciting poetry or writing couplets?"
Daohua curled her lips and said, "What's so fun about this? I'm going to teach you a game you've never played before."
Gu Jian and Xiao Yeyang looked over at the same time.
Prince Ping laughed and said, "You little girl, you're always talking big. What game have I not played?"
Daohua smiled and said, "Your Majesty, what if you haven't played the game I'm talking about?"
Prince Ping asked with a smile, "What do you want?"
Daohua pretended to be hesitant: "I want to speak, but Your Majesty, please don't say anything about me."
Prince Ping waved his hand and said, "Alright, I won't tell you, so you tell me."
Daohua immediately fought for her rights: "After I marry into the palace, I will not serve tea to Princess Ma. If Princess Ma sets any rules for me, I won't go there."
As soon as these words were spoken, the smile on Prince Ping's face froze.
Xiao Yeyang looked at Daohua with a smile in his eyes. Although he was protecting her, he would not let Daohua suffer from the anger of Ma's mother and son. But if his father could intervene, it would save him a lot of trouble.
Gu Jian poured a glass of osmanthus wine and sipped it slowly without saying anything.
Xiaojiu is no match for his disciple!
Daohua pouted: "Why, Your Majesty doesn't want to?"
Prince Ping hesitated: "Isn't this too against the rules?"
Daohua: "She is not Xiao Yeyang's mother. Every time Princess Ma sees me, she makes things difficult for me. Your Majesty, if you don't agree, I will definitely become a bullied daughter-in-law in the future."
Prince Ping didn't believe this at all, but when he saw his legitimate son beside him and thought about how he and his legitimate son had been getting along peacefully over the past two days, he thought for a moment and nodded, "Okay, I agree. But you also have to promise me not to cause trouble for the princess."
Daohua nodded quickly: "I am a very reasonable person. As long as she doesn't cause me trouble, I will definitely stay away from her. But if she insists on causing trouble for me, then I will..."
Listening to the sound of the rice flowers stretching out, Prince Ping suddenly became a little worried about Ma.
This girl was very ruthless. For the sake of the palace's stability, he had to give careful instructions to Ma after returning, and also to Ye Chen and his wife.
Daohua achieved her goal, and then she smiled and said the game she wanted to play: "The game I'm going to teach you today is called Truth or Dare."
As she spoke, Daohua quickly repeated the rules of Truth or Dare.
"Prince, how about it, you have never played this game before?"
Prince Ping: "Is this a game? You're not just making this up to trick me, are you?"
Daohua was eager to try: "Let's play it first and we'll know." As he said that, he stretched out his hand to play rock-paper-scissors.
Gu Jian hesitated for a moment: "I am so old now, so I don't need it anymore, right?"
Daohua: "Master, playing games has nothing to do with age. Let's play together. We have nothing to do anyway."
Gu Jian was forcibly pulled out by Daohua and had no choice but to join the game.
In the first round, Xiao Yeyang lost.
Daohua looked at him with a smile: "Truth or Dare?"
Xiao Yeyang smiled and said, "A real man, of course, will take big risks."
Daohua clapped her hands fiercely: "Okay, then you tell the prince, Father, I love you."
As soon as these words were spoken, Xiao Yeyang and Prince Heping's faces froze, and they stared at each other with wide eyes.
After hearing this, Gu Jian's eyes lit up with a smile. He glanced at Daohua with a smile and cursed in his heart, "What a clever guy!"
Xiao Yeyang turned his head away: "How could I say such a thing?"
Daohua: "Why not? Xiao Yeyang, I'm willing to accept defeat. You don't even dare to say a word. How are you going to stand tall in the future?"
Xiao Yeyang was extremely reluctant. Firstly, he couldn't open his mouth, and secondly, he had a grudge against Prince Ping.
He knew that Daohua wanted to ease the relationship between them, but he was a little overwhelmed by such a big move right at the start.
Although Prince Ping had a stern face, he was a little nervous in his heart.
His feelings towards his legitimate son are also very complicated. He certainly values him, but he is also really distant from him.
However, he was still looking forward to seeing his eldest son being humiliated in front of him.
Xiao Yeyang hesitated for a while, and finally, under Daohua's gaze, he said in a mosquito-like voice: "Father, I love you."
Although Prince Ping didn't hear clearly, he couldn't help but smile when he saw his son speak, and he looked at the rice flowers with satisfaction.
This daughter-in-law is great!
Daohua smiled and said, "Go on, go on!"
In this round, even Gu Jian became active.
In the second round, Prince Ping lost.
Daohua looked at him with a smile: "Prince, truth or dare?"
Prince Ping instinctively wanted to choose truth, but he was worried that they would ask him about his secret, so he gritted his teeth and chose dare.
Daohua immediately said, "Your Majesty, please go up and hug my master."
Prince Ping was shocked again, but compared to saying some embarrassing words, this didn't seem too difficult to accept.
It's just that it feels weird for two men to hug each other.
Prince Ping walked slowly to Gu Jian and hugged him.
Gu Jian's body was a little stiff and his expression was a little awkward, but his eyes were sparkling with excitement and joy.
Prince Ping quickly released his hand and said, "Come again, come again."
In the third round, Prince Ping lost again.
"Truth or Dare?"
Looking at Daohua who was smiling like a fox, Prince Ping swallowed his saliva and said, "What a risk." He didn't believe that Yan Yatou could ask him to do anything excessive.
Daohua immediately smiled and said, "Your Majesty, then tell my master that you will come to Four Seasons Villa to see him every few days in the future."
Prince Ping's cheeks were a little stiff. Was he doing something excessive? It was difficult to do it.
Looking at his eldest son and Gu Jian with burning eyes, Prince Ping didn't feel comfortable playing dirty, so he spoke with gritted teeth.
“Come again!”
Prince Ping looked at the rice flowers angrily.
In the fourth round, Daohua lost as expected.
Prince Ping looked at Daohua with a smile: "Truth or Dare?"
Daohua smiled and said, "The truth." Based on her understanding of the ancients, they would not be able to ask any overly private questions.
Prince Ping actually hesitated and looked at Gu Jian and Xiao Yeyang.
Xiao Yeyang wanted to ask something, but when he thought about the fact that Prince Gu Jian and Prince Heping were both there, he felt embarrassed.
Gu Jian was too embarrassed to ask his apprentice about something too private, so he didn't say anything.
Daohua smiled at the three silent people and said, "If you don't ask, then we'll move on to the next round."
Prince Ping refused to do so: "I'm asking you, do you really like Ye Yang?"
Daohua nodded and said seriously, "Of course. If I didn't like him, why would I agree to marry him?"
Daohua publicly admitted that she liked him. Xiao Yeyang was happy and his eyes were shining.
Looking at Daohua's self-righteous attitude, Prince Ping felt embarrassed and quickly changed the subject: "Come again, come again!"
(End of this chapter)
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