Li Zhanjue looked at the two of them.
Meng Qingluan had already turned around, and Shen Yan glanced at him before turning around as well.
Chen Yan stood beside Meng Qingluan; his height blocked her view.
Meng Qingluan didn't notice Li Zhanjue's gaze, nor did she care.
As they approached the palace, she reached out and removed the hairpin from Chen Yan's hair.
Even after having his hairpin removed, Chen Yan reluctantly turned to look at her and asked.
"Aren't you going to wear it anymore?"
Meng Qingluan choked upon hearing the inexplicable disappointment in his tone.
She glared at him, her eyes saying, "What do you think?"
Shen Yan understood the meaning in her eyes, turned her head, and said "Oh" unhappily.
Meng Qingluan was speechless at his appearance and offered perfunctory words of comfort.
"Go back and wear it, go back and wear it! I'll dress you up beautifully when we get back."
It's a deal.
"...Okay, go in quickly."
Meng Qingluan didn't want to talk to him anymore, so she grabbed his arm and led him into the main hall.
After thinking for a moment, Meng Qingluan suddenly stopped and stood beside Shen Yan.
She raised her chin. "You go first."
She has never been to the palace to attend any victory celebrations. What if she is convicted because she stepped in with her left foot first?
Shen Yan clearly saw through her little scheme, a smile appeared in his eyes, and he obediently stepped into the hall first, then reached out to help her step over the threshold.
The two of them arrived rather late, not early at all.
The two entered the hall and almost instantly attracted the attention of those seated.
Meng Qingluan wasn't afraid of becoming the center of attention; she kept her back straight and walked side by side with Shen Yan.
Feeling the gazes fixed on the two of them, Shen Yan worried that Meng Qingluan was nervous and scared, so he reached out and took her hand.
He then turned to the side, obscuring most of Meng Qingluan's body, and gave her a warning look around, causing most of the people to look away.
Meng Qingluan looked up at Chen Yan, who was blocking her way, and sighed inwardly.
Sigh, the child is still too eager to show off, afraid that I will steal his thunder.
Forget it, it's our own property, so we won't argue about it.
Because it was a victory celebration banquet, there was no distinction between men and women; all attendees were officials of the fourth rank or above.
Each family sat together at the same table with their wives.
When the eunuch saw Shen Yan enter, he led the two to their seats, where they sat down.
Meng Qingluan discovered that Shen Yan, a fourth-rank official, had been promoted to third rank after returning from the northern border, yet he sat in a position below the emperor, even more prominent than the second-rank officials.
Meng Qingluan clicked her tongue.
This emperor truly portrayed the importance he placed on Chen Yan in every aspect.
There was fruit on the table, and Meng Qingluan glanced at it.
Shen Yan had been watching her closely, noticing that she glanced at the fruit but didn't eat it.
He turned his head and asked, "Which one do you want to eat?"
Meng Qingluan shook her head.
Shen Yan was convinced that she was afraid to speak, and after glancing around, he remembered that she usually loved to eat oranges and could eat half a pound of them at a time.
He reached out and picked up an orange, peeled it, and then tore off the white fibrous strands from the flesh, placing it on Meng Qingluan's table as if presenting a treasure.
Meng Qingluan glanced at the orange.
"what?"
Chen Yan pointed at the orange, then at Meng Qingluan.
"I peeled it for you."
Without thinking, Meng Qingluan picked up the oranges and placed them on his table.
"I won't eat it."
Chen Yan looked a little bewildered and asked tentatively.
"Don't you want an orange today? Which one do you want? I'll peel it for you."
Meng Qingluan said directly.
"I don't want to eat any of these, I want to eat at the banquet, I want to eat rice!"
The food prepared by the chefs in the palace must be exceptionally delicious.
Having lived two lives, this was her first time eating at a banquet in the palace. How could she possibly be deterred by mere fruit?
She figured that Shen Yan must have tasted the food in the palace and found it delicious. He was worried that if she ate too much, he wouldn't eat enough, so he was trying to force her to eat a lot of fruit.
Once he's full from eating fruit, he can eat it all by himself.
Meng Qingluan was convinced by her own logical reasoning, and felt as if a light had suddenly broken through the darkness.
Who says men aren't cunning?
She turned to Shen Yan and added another sentence.
"You peeled it, you eat it! Don't waste food, wasting food is shameful."
"……oh."
Shen Yan looked at the fierce, possessive glint in her eyes; it would be a lie to say he wasn't heartbroken.
I swear to God.
When has he ever tried to take food from her?
Despite his thoughts, Chen Yan still peeled the orange and popped it into his mouth segment by segment.
Compared to Meng Qingluan, who sat upright and greeted others with a smile, Shen Yan seemed more like a pampered young husband stepping into the palace for the first time.
Seeing that he was eating with relish, Meng Qingluan also felt a little envious.
"Is it tasty?"
Shen Yan held the last two segments of orange in his hand and shook his head.
"It doesn't taste good, it's very sour."
Meng Qingluan's stomach rumbled even more; the emperor was late in arriving, and the dishes weren't being served either, making her quite hungry.
Upon hearing Shen Yan say that the oranges were sour, Meng Qingluan's first reaction was disbelief.
How could the oranges in the palace be sour?
It's said that emperors eat, wear, and use the best of everything, even the oranges they eat are top-quality fruits.
Meng Qingluan stared intently at the two remaining segments of the orange in Shen Yan's hand, mercilessly exposing his lie.
"Sour, you finished it?"
"It's really sour."
"I don't believe you. Give me a petal to taste. How will I know if you're telling the truth if I don't try?" Afraid that she would take it for granted and Shen Yan wouldn't agree, Meng Qingluan added, "Thank you, the best husband in the world."
Shen Yan was so charmed by the second half of her sentence that he almost floated away. Holding up the orange in his hand, he asked uncertainly.
"You really want to eat it?"
"Yes, really!"
Meng Qingluan stretched out her hand, and soon a cool, moist orange segment landed in her palm.
The oranges are very large, and the flesh is also very large. The peel is golden and plump, and one segment of orange flesh is equivalent to two segments of an ordinary orange.
Meng Qingluan still remembered her manners, covering her mouth with one hand, putting the orange into her mouth, and taking a gentle bite.
Less than three seconds later, Meng Qingluan's eyes widened, then closed uncontrollably, her eyebrows rising so high they almost disappeared into her bangs.
Her nose twitched, and every muscle in her face seemed to be resisting the sudden sour taste.
"Ugh—it's so sour."
Meng Qingluan suppressed the urge to vomit, swallowed, and said with a bitter face.
Seeing this, Shen Yan couldn't help but laugh gleefully, but fearing that Meng Qingluan would see it, he poured a cup of tea and handed it to her.
"Drink some quickly to wash away the sourness."
Seeing the smile on his lips, Meng Qingluan drank her tea and threatened him fiercely.
"Chen Yan, don't laugh! You..." Why didn't you say so sooner?
Meng Qingluan instinctively wanted to shift the blame.
Shen Yan was already on guard, looking at him innocently, the meaning in her eyes was obvious.
I told you it was sour, but I couldn't stop you from eating it.
Meng Qingluan gritted her teeth, and secretly slipped her hand under the table onto his leg, wanting to scratch him.
The two made small movements, but eyes from all directions subtly observed them, taking in every single one of their actions.
Li Zhanlan and Li Zhanjue were very close, and they were also very close to Shen Yan and Meng Qingluan.
Needless to say, their eyes were all on the two of them.
They saw everything the two did.
The more Li Zhanjue looked, the darker his face became. In the end, he turned his head away, sat down in the chair, and remained silent.
When Li Zhanlan noticed Li Zhanjue's actions and realized that he wasn't the only one feeling down, his frustration was immediately relieved.
"The Imperial Concubine has arrived."
"..."
Everyone stood up and bowed.
Meng Qingluan and Shen Yan stood up as well.
When Li Zhanlan saw the Imperial Concubine gracefully walking in, dressed in magnificent robes, he subconsciously shifted his gaze to Meng Qingluan.
As if he had thought of something, the corners of his lips relaxed, and he also stood up and bowed, abandoning his usual nonchalant demeanor.
hiss.
Let him guess how many rounds the Imperial Concubine can withstand from his Xiangxiang.
Consort Wan entered the hall, greeted everyone with a smile, and when she passed Chen Yan, her gaze lingered on him for a few more seconds.
"His Majesty has arrived!"
As soon as the imperial concubine sat down, a shrill eunuch's voice announced the news, and everyone who had just sat down hurriedly rose and knelt down, shouting in unison.
As soon as Meng Qingluan knelt down, she heard the emperor laugh and say.
"My beloved subjects, rise."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Meng Qingluan was helped up by Chen Yan again.
Seeing that the women were all looking down and not looking directly at the emperor, she followed suit and lowered her head, quickly glancing at the emperor out of the corner of her eye.
The emperor looked to be around sixty years old, with gray hair and wrinkles etched on his face.
However, his complexion was ruddy, his back was straight instead of hunched, his voice was strong, and he took those two steps faster than she did.
Meng Qingluan unconsciously recalled what Shen Yan had said to her.
Overnight, a man on the verge of death became vigorous and energetic...
He also needs a girl to prolong his life.
Did this emperor practice evil magic?
As Meng Qingluan was thinking, she suddenly felt a shadow fall over her head, and she subconsciously looked up.
Suddenly, she met a smiling, aged face, her eyes fixed intently on her.
Meng Qingluan felt a chill run down her spine, as if she were being stared at by a venomous snake, sending shivers down her spine.
Meng Qingluan's heart skipped a beat. She froze on the spot, unsure of what to say, and blurted out unconsciously.
"Hello...
Seeing the emperor's expression, Shen Yan's face also darkened. He cursed inwardly and stepped forward to speak.
"Your Majesty, this is my wife. It is her first time attending a banquet and she is unfamiliar with the etiquette. Please do not blame her."
Upon hearing Shen Yan's words, the emperor reluctantly turned his gaze away, waving his hand with a smile.
"It's alright, it's alright! Lady Shen is young and lovely, how could I bear to punish her?"
Meng Qingluan frowned.
What are you trying to do, you old man?
The emperor then looked at Meng Qingluan and asked with a smile.
What's your name?
Meng Qingluan suppressed her nausea and answered with her head down.
"Meng Qingluan".
The emperor laughed heartily and patted Meng Qingluan on the shoulder.
"A clear cry echoes from a flock of phoenixes and cranes, their feathered robes fluttering amidst the celestial clouds. How wonderful! This name truly suits Lady Shen."
Meng Qingluan awkwardly forced a smile.
"Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty."
Shen Yan reached out and grabbed the emperor's hand, forcefully pulling it off Meng Qingluan's shoulder.
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