Mu Jin walked up to Su Yuntian and Shen Qianqian and smiled at them, saying, "I'm sorry to have kept Your Highness and Consort Shen waiting."
Seeing that Su Yuntian remained silent, Shen Qianqian smiled gently: "It's nothing, it's alright."
Then Mu Jin smiled at Su Yuntian and said, "Let's go, Your Highness."
After Mu Jin finished speaking, she got into the carriage with Qing'er's help.
As a concubine, Shen Qianqian was not allowed to ride in the same carriage as the prince and the principal wife according to etiquette.
Su Yuntian turned to look at Shen Qianqian, whose eyes were slightly red. He patted her hand apologetically to comfort her, and then followed Mu Jin into the carriage.
The carriage was spacious. When Su Yuntian entered, Mu Jin was on the cushion, holding a cup of tea under her nose and smelling it. When she saw Su Yuntian enter the carriage, she did not greet him, as if she had seen a stranger. She did not show the same cheerful and playful demeanor that she had when the two met in public.
Seeing Mu Jin like this, Su Yuntian wasn't annoyed. He simply called out to the outside, "Let's set off."
Only after receiving Su Yuntian's command did the carriage slowly begin to move.
Throughout the journey, Mu Jin could feel Su Yuntian staring at her; after all, Su Yuntian's gaze was too intense.
Mu Jin couldn't take it anymore and rolled her eyes at Su Yuntian.
"Why are you staring at me like that? If I remember correctly, you used to not even bother to look at me properly. Aren't your eyes tired from staring at me like that?"
Su Yuntian looked at her, his eyes filled with unfathomable thoughts, and after a long while, he said softly, "Not tired."
When Mu Jin saw his expression, her smile froze. Su Yuntian's reaction seemed to have exceeded her expectations.
Mu Jin couldn't help but think of how Su Yuntian had been aroused in front of her the night before, and her heart tightened. She was somewhat afraid that Su Yuntian would be aroused in front of her in the bathroom like he had been the night before.
Thinking of this, Mu Jin couldn't help but move to the side a couple of times, getting away from Su Yuntian.
Seeing Mu Jin's actions, Su Yuntian felt a little lost and scared. He felt that Mu Jin was not just physically distant from him, but that he was drifting further and further away from her, so far that he could hardly hold on to her anymore.
Until they entered the palace, neither of them spoke another word in the carriage.
Upon arriving at the palace gates, Mu Jin slightly lifted the curtain and saw that many members of the royal family and relatives of officials had arrived at the palace gates.
The carriage from the Prince of Yun's residence stopped in an open space next to the palace gate.
Su Yuntian lifted the curtain and got off the carriage first. When Mu Jin lifted the hem of her skirt and followed him out, Su Yuntian reached out his hand to her.
Mu Jin paused for a moment, then, without being coy, handed her hand to Su Yuntian, who helped her down from the carriage. This scene was witnessed by Shen Qianqian, who was being helped down from the carriage by her maid.
Su Yuntian, dressed in a prince's robe embroidered with gold python patterns, complemented Mu Jin's princess uniform woven with gold peonies. To everyone else, they didn't seem to have the discord rumored by outsiders; instead, they exuded an aura of marital harmony and enduring love.
Seeing that several officials around him were about to step forward to bow to him, Su Yuntian turned around and extended his hand to Mu Jin, gesturing for Mu Jin to place her hand in his.
Mu Jin didn't want to cooperate with Su Yuntian in doing these superficial things. Just as she was about to refuse, she saw Shen Qianqian standing not far away, looking at them pitifully with red eyes.
Seeing this, Mu Jin smiled gently, placed her hand in Su Yuntian's hand, and let Su Yuntian lead her.
Surprisingly, Su Yuntian's demeanor at this moment actually carried a hint of deep affection, which made Shen Qianqian's heart ache even more.
Shen Qianqian had prepared for today's palace banquet for two whole days, hoping to walk together with Su Yuntian in the spotlight. How could she not feel upset in this situation?
The area outside the palace gates was bustling with activity, indicating that the grand and extravagant palace banquet was attended by extraordinary people.
The group entered the palace gates and headed towards the Imperial Garden where the banquet would be held.
Mu Jin had visited the palace before, and upon entering the imperial city again, she was still amazed by the magnificent palaces and buildings.
Those magnificent palaces, exquisitely decorated, exuded power and glory in every detail. Under the dazzling lights, the palaces were splendid and magnificent.
Along the way, they occasionally encountered officials with their wives and relatives who came over to greet Su Yuntian and Mu Jin. Su Yuntian, holding Mu Jin's hand, accepted their greetings one by one.
Shen Qianqian followed behind the two of them, not drawing any attention.
Some officials who knew her knew that she was the niece of Consort De, the cousin of Prince Yun, and also Prince Yun's concubine.
Even strangers could guess a thing or two about Shen Qianqian's identity, since most of those who came tonight were important officials of the court, and they all knew a thing or two about their respective families.
They just couldn't understand why the Prince of Yun would bring a concubine along. If it was because he doted on his concubine, then what about the couple who were so affectionate in front of him?
Regardless of the circumstances, it only provided some amusement and topics of conversation for those attending the palace banquet.
The weather is clear tonight, with a gentle breeze carrying a touch of coolness. The sky is a deep blue, dotted with stars that twinkle with a faint yet enchanting light.
A bright moon hung high in the sky, casting a silvery glow that shrouded the entire palace in mystery.
After Mu Jin entered the Imperial Garden, she couldn't help but marvel at how large the ancient garden was, with its various famous trees, exotic flowers, and rare plants, making it a feast for the eyes.
In the middle of a corner of the garden, a platform was set up where court musicians and dancers were playing with great care; it was simply too luxurious.
Members of the royal family and officials, along with their families, ladies, and young women, gathered at the entrance of the Imperial Garden. When they encountered acquaintances, the ladies chatted and laughed, creating a lively banquet atmosphere.
Of course, some subtle comparisons were inevitable: who bought your hairpins and jewelry, who tailored her skirt? If you said you bought them from Shuyu Tower, they wouldn't forget to offer a few words of flattery. Afterwards, they were all led to their respective seats by palace servants.
Su Yuntian and the other two were seated together by the palace servants. Su Yuntian sat on the left, Mu Jin on the right, and Shen Qianqian, according to etiquette, could only sit to Mu Jin's right.
Mu Jin turned to Shen Qianqian with a smile and said, "The Prince dotes on Consort Shen. You can sit to the Prince's left, and no one will dare to say anything."
Shen Qianqian's heart fluttered, and she looked up at Su Yuntian with anticipation. Just then, a cheerful voice called out, "Ah Jin, you're here!"
The three looked in the direction of the sound and saw two people standing not far away, one of whom was Su Muxue, the source of the sound.
She was dressed in exquisite palace makeup, and on her head, apart from the princess's crown, was an eye-catching butterfly tassel hair ornament, which was the same hair ornament that Mu Jin had bought at Shuyu Tower yesterday to give to Su Muxue.
The hair ornament shone even brighter under the lights as Su Muxue walked happily.
Walking alongside Su Muxue was a man dressed in a moon-white straight-collared robe, with a moon-white auspicious cloud patterned belt around his waist, and an outer robe of luxurious dark purple with gold gilding. He looked lazy and unrestrained. Who else could it be but Su Yi?
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