Chapter 145 Annual Banquet
New Year’s Eve.
Su Zhenzhen wore the phoenix crown and bridal robe of a first-rank prince's wife, a scarlet feather satin cloak with white fox fur lining, delicate makeup, and a moon-white sachet embroidered by Rong Jinchen tied around her waist.
The little bit of baby fat on the girl's beautiful face disappeared as she grew up, and her facial features became more delicate and three-dimensional. This made Rong Jinchen feel distressed for a while. How could the flesh he had worked so hard to build disappear? If he hadn't been sure that Qingqing had gained some weight and was getting more chubby, he would have suspected that he was abusing her.
She looked at the man wearing a dark gold-woven court robe with a cloud pattern of four dragons. He had a jade crown on his head and a tall and straight figure. His ink-black eyes held a gentle and doting smile, which made Su Zhenzhen's face flush. Damn man, why was he looking at her with such gentle eyes?
Su Zhenzhen lowered her eyelashes shyly. Even though they had known each other for ten months and been married for more than four months, she still couldn't resist the man's doting gaze.
Rong Jinchen smiled, "Qingqing, let's go." He took her hand and placed a copper-based cloisonné enamel crabapple-shaped hand warmer in her other hand. Before they changed clothes, they filled their stomachs with some bird's nest snacks.
The reason why I didn't eat enough was because Su Zhenzhen had enthusiastically suggested when she entered the palace to have dinner with her father. What's the point of eating cold dishes covered in lard? It's better to eat something warm from a pot.
Then Rong Yue was moved, and ordered Concubine Wu and the Crown Princess to replace the dishes with pots for this year's palace banquet, and the ministers and ladies-in-waiting did it themselves.
Because winter was coming, they didn't go to the palace to eat the imperial meals every few days, but only went once or twice a month.
The last time Rong Jinchen caught a cold and had a high fever, he recovered on the same day. The Prince of Yan's Mansion was managed very tightly by Gu Heng, and the news was not spread outside. The person invited was the imperial physician who had been assigned to him by His Majesty in the Prince of Yan's Mansion for many years, so His Majesty Rong Yue did not know about it.
Wuying Palace.
In the rear hall.
The exquisite palace lanterns in the magnificent palace are dazzling, the sound of bells and drums is endless, and the clinking of glasses and toasts shows the royal style.
Concubine Wu and the Crown Princess sat on the left and right of the upper seat, and the rest of the people sat at the lower seat.
Next to Su Zhenzhen are Princess Jin and Princess Duan.
Princess Ma Miaoying of Prince Jin was dressed in her court dress. Her phoenix coronet and bridal robe looked very heavy, unlike the weight that Su Zhenzhen had deliberately reduced. She smiled and picked up a glass of sweet fruit wine, "We finally caught Fourth Brother's wife today. You and Fourth Brother have been married for nearly half a year, and we sisters-in-law haven't met many times." During Qiu Mi, Su Zhenzhen initially formed a team with Fifth Princess Xu Siyu. After the incident in which Prince Jin and the Crown Prince were frightened, no one had any interest in hunting.
Su Zhenzhen just greeted Princess Jin and Princess Duan when she met them, and did not have any in-depth conversation with them. Instead, she talked more with her sister-in-law, Crown Princess Luo Muxue.
Su Yiyi is the concubine of Prince Jin and is now six months pregnant, so she did not attend this palace banquet.
Su Zhenzhen smiled and raised the white jade wine glass in front of her, "Sister-in-law, what you said makes it sound like Qiu Mi and I roasted the venison and pheasant together, which doesn't count. Didn't we even eat the meat?" She took a sip and then put it down.
Looking at the various slices of meat and cut vegetables on the table in front of her, she gracefully put the meat and vegetables into the copper pot of boiling broth.
Princess Xia Xuan of Prince Duan is the sister-in-law of Princess Ma Miaoying of Prince Jin. Concubine Wu gave birth to two sons, the eldest prince Rong Jinyu of Jin and the third prince Rong Jinqi of Prince Duan. However, Prince Duan has no sense of existence and is obsessed with revising books in the Ministry of Rites and having affairs with other women.
The husband is honored and the wife is respected. His Majesty has valued Prince Jin in recent years, so the Princess of Jin is very popular, confident and generous. The Princess of Duan seems to be a little transparent and has little sense of existence.
She doesn't often chat with others when her sisters-in-law are present.
At this time, everyone in the front and back halls were talking in low voices, asking the palace maids or servants to help boil the meat and vegetables. The atmosphere was very lively. How could it be like in previous years when they had to face the cold and solidified white lard dishes and had no idea where to start?
Some officials and ladies who were amused by this saw that His Majesty personally put the sliced meat rolls into the copper pot, took them out after they were cooked, put them into a white porcelain dipping sauce dish, blew on them and put them into their mouths, so they followed His Majesty's example and did it themselves.
I have to say, in such a snowy season, eating from a steaming hot pot is warming. Even if red charcoal is burning in the hall, it is still cold.
The Princess of Yan really knows how to eat, and His Majesty dotes on her. The practice that had not changed for so many years has actually been changed.
Rong Yue: Do you think I really like eating cakes before a banquet?
Su Zhenzhen was picking up a piece of hot pot mutton with chopsticks and was about to put it into her mouth gracefully when she heard Concubine Wu suddenly say, "Princess Yan is so thoughtful. We have attended so many palace banquets, but we have never thought of eating hot pot at a palace banquet." Everyone in the palace looked back and forth between Concubine Wu, whose hair was full of pearls and jade, and Princess Yan, who was wearing the princess's court dress, with sparkling eyes.
The Crown Princess's eyes moved slightly, and she put down her chopsticks. Su Zhenzhen looked at Concubine Wu with a sweet and elegant smile, "Your Highness, I just casually suggested it to your father. It was your father who decided to eat the pot at this palace banquet. If I were to say, your father is compassionate and thoughtful, and he treats people well both internally and externally." It was not her order, and it had nothing to do with her.
Su Zhenzhen added: "Your Majesty the Imperial Concubine looks very good today. She is so radiant that she looks like a young girl in her early twenties. She is so beautiful." Since Imperial Concubine Wu contributed a lot of silver to her Pearl Shop, she decided to praise her. It didn't cost any money anyway.
Concubine Wu was initially suspicious. When had the Princess of Yan been so kind to her? She actually praised her?
The sun rises from the west?
On second thought, she used the liquid foundation and loose powder and lip balm made by Su Zhenzhen's Pearl Shop. No wonder she praised it.
So he wants her to advertise her Pearl Shop?
After realizing what was happening, Concubine Wu felt so angry that her teeth were itching, but she couldn't say anything.
Who had made Su Zhenzhen's Pearl House so popular in the capital in the past six months? She just felt that the cosmetics she used before were not as natural.
Seeing everyone in the hall eating melons, Concubine Wu showed a kind and friendly smile, "The Princess of Yan is also bright and charming today, pretty and lively." Damn, is it really good to be young?
They were a little disappointed when they saw that Princess Yan and Concubine Wu did not fight, but when they thought about it carefully, what kind of occasion was this?
Only those who can fight are warriors.
Aren't we all being sarcastic and innuendo-filled?
The Crown Princess then smiled and said, "My fourth brother's wife's Pearl Shop is very popular in the capital, even I know about it." Everyone started to flatter her again.
After a round, the Princess of Jin suddenly laughed and said, "Fourth brother's wife, your concubine sister, Concubine Su, married into the Jin Palace this spring and is now six months pregnant. You and fourth brother are so in love, you must hurry up and give birth to a little prince or princess."
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