The banquet in the palace was of great importance, and not only Zhao Nanyu was going to go, but all the people from the first and second branches of the Zhao family who held official positions in the palace also had to go. No one knew who spread the news that the emperor wanted to use his birthday to arrange marriages for several princes who had not yet married, and several princes who were most likely to win the throne of the Eastern Palace were among them.
As soon as the news spread, many unmarried noble ladies in the capital were attracted by the news. The prince was of noble status, and it would be a great thing if their families could marry into the royal family.
The Zhao family only has a daughter in the second branch. She is not in good health and often falls ill. Therefore, she has spent most of her time recuperating outside the manor in recent years. She returned to the capital only in the past two years when her health gradually improved. This younger sister just came of age this year, and the Second Madam finally persuaded the Second Master to take her with him after much persuasion.
The two carriages of the Zhao family were parked in front of the door. Before Song Luan got on the carriage, she saw this sister who almost never showed up. Zhao Min was beautiful and had a gentle temperament. The graceful little girl was a unique sight even when she was standing quietly.
Zhao Minhui also saw her, bowed, saluted her, and said in a distant tone, "Second sister-in-law."
Zhao Min was dressed very festively today. The red dress made her look delicate and lively, with exquisite facial features and delicate skin. On her wrist was a jade pendant of excellent quality.
Song Luan gave her a very friendly smile, "Fifth sister."
Zhao Nanyu didn't seem to care much about his sister. He glanced at her and nodded as a greeting. He gently clasped Song Luan's five fingers and said, "It's getting late. Let's go."
Song Luan followed him into the carriage. The Zhao Mansion was not far from the palace gate, but because there were so many officials and their families entering the palace today, the palace gate was blocked for a while, and the carriages looked like a long dragon.
Song Luan couldn't help her curiosity, so she opened the car window, stuck her head out and took a look. She found that the line was extremely long. She guessed that they would have to wait a long time when it was their turn, so she retracted her face and sat in her seat obediently.
The carriage was actually not big, just enough for the two of them. Song Luan had no one else around her, and she was so bored that she had to talk to Zhao Nanyu. She asked, "Why did Second Uncle bring Sister Minhui into the palace today? Could it be that he also wanted Sister Minhui to show her face in front of the emperor so that she could marry the prince?"
Zhao Nanyu hummed softly, holding her slightly cold hand, and said casually: "Several princes have not yet had a queen, so it is not surprising that Second Uncle wants to fight for the opportunity for Fifth Sister."
He looked at Song Luan deeply and held her hand even more tightly. There were many people in this world who fawned on the powerful and were obsessed with influence, including Song Luan. He remembered that she liked gold, silver, jewelry, power and status, and liked the feeling of being held high.
Song Luan didn't know that this man had remembered her past again. She nodded and said, "People always strive for higher goals. I understand."
Zhao Nanyu sighed softly, "Yes."
He has now come to terms with it. Since she likes those things, he will give them all to her and leave her no chance to escape.
Absolute power means that it cannot be resisted.
Actually, Mr. Zhao had calculated wrongly. Most of the news about the emperor selecting concubines for the princes came from the palace, and nine out of ten times the emperor deliberately spread the news. Since ancient times, the marriage of princes has never been about mutual affection, but a game of forces among various parties. The current emperor is suspicious by nature, so he may have already decided on the candidate long ago to balance the power of all parties.
After waiting for about half an hour, Zhao Nanyu and her carriage finally entered the palace. After getting off the carriage and walking to the main hall, Zhao Nanyu seemed to meet an acquaintance.
The man who came had a handsome figure and an outstanding appearance, with a faint smile on his lips, as gentle as a spring breeze. The man was wearing a dark robe and an exquisitely crafted white jade crown on his head. From a distance, he looked like a handsome young man.
"Ayu, what a coincidence, I met you before I even entered the hall."
Zhao Nanyu bowed and said, "Sixth Prince."
Song Luan suddenly realized that her intuition was right. The smile on his face just now seemed fake. It turned out that she had met the second biggest winner of this book, the Sixth Prince, who was the new emperor who later ascended the throne.
There is a reason why the Sixth Prince has a good relationship with Zhao Nanyu. The two men's ruthless styles are too similar. Zhao Nanyu's methods are better than the Sixth Prince's, and the Sixth Prince's ruthlessness is unmatched.
His childhood sweetheart who had saved his life and treated him wholeheartedly was also destroyed in an instant.
Before the Sixth Prince ascended the throne, he looked like a very easy-going young man, with a gentle smile and a warm and friendly demeanor. But after he ascended the throne, he changed his face very quickly and implemented drastic reforms, killing many people. It is no exaggeration to say that rivers of blood flowed.
The Sixth Prince's eyes seemed to linger on Song Luan's face for a moment, his smile not diminishing, "Ayu, is this your wife? This is the first time I've seen her."
"Yeah." At the wind vent in front of the palace, Song Luan's fair face was soon blown red by the wind. Zhao Nanyu stood in front of her and blocked a lot of the wind for her.
After a pause, he said, "Your Highness, let's go in and talk."
The Sixth Prince raised his eyebrows. He didn't expect that his best friend would be so concerned about his wife. It was a big deal back then. Everyone knew that the Third Miss of the Song family was not satisfied with this marriage. There have been many disturbances in recent years.
He thought A Yu hated this pretentious wife, so he never mentioned his wife in front of A Yu. Now it seems that it is different from the rumors.
A Yu clearly protects the third young lady of the Song family.
"Okay, let's go in and talk."
The first time Song Luan entered the palace, he was shocked by the scene inside. Even though it was a happy event, the atmosphere was solemn and dignified. The emperor's majesty was no joke.
The only person she knew and was familiar with in the entire palace was Zhao Nanyu, so she had to rely on him. Zhao Nanyu seemed to sense her nervousness and uneasiness, and held her hand tightly without letting go, comforting her: "Don't worry, just follow me."
Of course Song Luan had to follow him. First of all, she didn't want to drink the drugged wine, and secondly, she couldn't let Zhao Nanyu see He Run hugging her.
In fact, at the beginning, Song Luan was also worried about whether he would suffer retribution for changing the plot of the original book without authorization? Gradually, she discovered that the fate of other people was changed and she was not punished, so she gradually let go of her worries.
After everyone has taken their seats, the Holy Chariot will arrive.
The eunuch's shrill voice made Song Luan's ears hurt. Although the current emperor was no longer young and was very weak, and looked old, the emperor's majesty still made people dare not look directly at him.
The emperor sat on the high seat and smiled, "No need to be restrained tonight."
Although he spoke, the ministers sitting below did not dare to take it seriously. The emperor seemed to be in a good mood today. He usually had a stern face, but tonight the smile on his face never faded.
Song Luan only glanced at the emperor cautiously at the beginning, and kept her head down and focused on eating the food in her bowl for the rest of the time. She and Zhao Nanyu sat at the back, and the food on each table was fixed, no more, no less.
The food in the palace tasted better than outside and looked more exquisite. There were a few pieces of pineapple cakes on the plate in front of Song Luan. She tried a bite and it was not sweet or greasy and tasted very good. She couldn't help but eat piece after piece. Soon the plate was empty. Unfortunately, each person only had a small plate, and it would be gone after they finished eating.
Song Luan's mouth felt a little dry after eating too much, but she didn't dare to drink water at all. She was determined not to drink anything tonight.
She was already hungry, and what she had just eaten was not enough to fill her stomach. She licked her lips, but she was still very greedy.
Zhao Nanyu silently pushed the pineapple cake in front of him to her and said, "Eat it."
Song Luan was afraid that he would get thirstier the more he ate, but he couldn't resist the urge to eat, so he ate two more pieces. Zhao Nanyu observed carefully and was afraid that she was thirsty, so he thoughtfully poured her a glass of water and pushed it to her, "Drink some water."
Song Luan was like a frightened bird now, and quickly refused, "No, I'm not thirsty."
She swallowed and her dry throat was relieved.
The emperor on the high throne laughed out loud at something unknown, and looked at the people sitting below with a gentle gaze. The emperor suddenly raised his glass and said slowly: "I will drink a glass with you, my dear ministers."
Everyone stood up, and Song Luan quickly got up. She had no choice but to pick up the wine glass and watched everyone drink the wine. She bit her lips and just put them on the rim of the glass, still not drinking a drop of wine.
In such a large occasion, no one would care whether she drank the wine or not, except the person who drugged her and wanted to harm her.
Sure enough, no one was looking at her. Song Luan breathed a sigh of relief and sat down slowly. Only then did she realize that her sister Song Yu was sitting opposite her.
Song Yu also noticed her gaze and smiled at her.
Song Luan also gave her a fake smile. Song Heqing was sitting next to Song Yu.
There are many girls in the Song family, and this younger sister is very capable. In the end, her brother brought her into the palace instead of her other sisters. She must be one of the many girls who wanted to be a princess.
In this dynasty, the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate women was not so serious. After all, they all had to get married, and their status was not much different.
But even so, it was still difficult for Song Yu, with her status, to marry a prince. The Song family could be considered a noble family, but it was still far inferior to the royal family.
Seeing that the wine in front of her was untouched, Zhao Nanyu said with a smile: "This is a special fruit wine provided by the palace. It tastes great. I remember that you like to drink fruit wine very much. Why don't you drink it?"
She made up an excuse, "I'm afraid of making a fool of myself."
Zhao Nanyu understood that Song Luan loved drinking but his alcohol tolerance was not good and he would get drunk after drinking just a little bit.
"Then don't drink it in the palace. I'll have someone bring some back to the mansion later."
"good."
The emperor was talking to his sons, and the relationship between father and son was very disharmonious.
After the dinner, everyone had to accompany the emperor to the Imperial Garden to watch the fireworks. When they finally finished eating, the emperor threw several imperial edicts in succession.
All of them are imperial decrees granting marriages. Among them is the Sixth Prince.
Most people didn't expect that the emperor had already selected the person in advance, and seemed to be waiting to announce the decree today.
The Sixth Prince's biological mother was of humble status and died early. His power currently seems to be the weakest among these princes, but the Emperor gave him the legitimate daughter of the prominent Duke Xuan's Mansion.
The Duke Xuan's Mansion had been glorious for many years and held military power. Xuan Zhengqing was the most beloved daughter in the Mansion, and the old lady and her parents loved her the most.
After the imperial edict came down, even if Xuan Zhengqing had no interest in the Sixth Prince, he had to kneel down and express his gratitude.
Song Luan looked at the smile in the Sixth Prince's eyes, and couldn't tell for a moment whether he was satisfied with this marriage or not. Logically speaking, the Duke Xuan's Mansion could help him gain power, so there was no reason for him to be dissatisfied.
Song Luan thought of the plot in the original book. The book wrote that after the new emperor ascended the throne, a luxurious palace was built in the harem. Legend has it that a woman was imprisoned in it. For many years, no one had ever seen what the woman looked like. However, everyone guessed that it must be her stunning beauty that made the new emperor build this palace for her.
No matter how she looked at it, she didn't think Xuan Zhengqing was that woman.
The emperor seemed tired and told everyone to go to the Imperial Garden to watch the fireworks when the time came.
After giving the order, the emperor left the main hall.
The invisible pressure on Song Luan's head suddenly lessened, and she felt much more at ease. Song Yu, who was opposite her, suddenly stood up and walked towards her with a pleasant smile on her face, "Sister, the palace is too stuffy, can you accompany me out for some fresh air?"
Song Luan refused without even thinking about it. She absolutely did not want to leave Zhao Nanyu. "I'm fine."
Song Yu was shy, and her face turned red after being rejected. She stuttered and looked so pitiful. If others saw her like this, they would think that her unreasonable sister was bullying her. "Sister, I'm really scared to be alone. Can't we be companions?"
Song Luan shook her head, not giving her any face, "Not so good." She suddenly took Zhao Nanyu's hand, "Ayu is also drunk, I have to accompany him."
Song Yu was rejected twice in a row and did not have the courage to speak for the third time. He gritted his teeth and returned to his seat.
As soon as she left, Song Luan let go of the arm of the man beside her.
Many people in the main hall had already gone out, some to get some fresh air or to wait in the imperial garden in advance.
Zhao Nanyu asked her, "Are you full?"
“I’m full.”
Her biggest problem now is thirst, but she has to hold it in until she leaves the palace before she dares to touch water.
Zhao Nanyu nodded and said, "Let's go. I'll take you around the palace."
"OK."
Song Luan also wanted to see what the ancient imperial palace looked like, and whether it was really as magnificent as described in history books.
The palace was lit up by red lanterns, and the Forbidden City was filled with red.
The palace is majestic and the carvings are exquisite.
After crossing two small paths, they arrived at the back hall. Zhao Nanyu met the Sixth Prince again by the lake. This time he was accompanied by a little eunuch. Upon closer inspection, the little eunuch was very handsome and delicate, not like a boy.
Song Luan could tell at first sight that the little eunuch was a girl, who was probably deliberately dressed as a eunuch to follow the Sixth Prince.
There were quite a few people near the pavilion by the lake. The Sixth Prince seemed to be on high alert against her. In front of her and Zhao Nanyu, he openly pinched the little eunuch's face and teased him with a smile.
Song Luan didn't dare to look and didn't want to look. The more he knew, the faster he would die. Zhao Nanyu was his close friend, but she was nothing.
The Sixth Prince and Zhao Nanyu had something to say. He bent his peach blossom eyes and looked at her deeply, "Miss Song, are you free?"
"ah?"
"Ayun is timid. This is her first time in the palace. Can you take her around here?" The Sixth Prince handed the eunuch's hand to her and said to the girl gently, "Follow this sister."
"good."
Song Luan was extremely depressed, she acted as if this was not her first time entering the palace and she was not afraid! ? But there was nothing she could do if the two men wanted to talk alone.
Resigned to his fate, he took the little girl's hand and led her to a place not far away. Song Luan didn't dare to be too far away from them and stood where he could see them as soon as he raised his eyes.
The little girl next to her also stayed quietly. Song Luan cleaned the seat beside her and said, "Shall we sit and watch the fish?"
"good."
The two people stared at the carp in the lake, and soon there was a bustle behind them. It turned out that Song Yu and her good sisters had also come over.
"Sister, you are here too."
Song Luan leaned against the railing, looking at the man still talking to the Sixth Prince in the pavilion. Her uneasy heart was slightly relieved, and she said, "I'm watching the fish."
“Is the fish nice?”
Beautiful, much prettier than you.
Song Luan hated Song Yu by nature, and she couldn't suppress the disgust in her heart. She turned her head impatiently and said, "It's not good, so I'm leaving. If you like it, you can watch it slowly."
Fortunately, the original owner had never been kind to Song Yu, so it was not surprising that she said these words to Song Yu.
Song Luan took a step to leave when she felt a sharp pain in her lower abdomen. Her legs went limp immediately and she almost fell to the ground in pain. Fortunately, Ayun beside her helped her up.
The little girl's voice was very sweet. She asked worriedly, "What's wrong with you?"
The pain this time was different from the pain in her heart last time. Her lower abdomen felt like it had been punched by a heavy fist. Her flesh and blood were churning in her stomach, and her forehead was covered with cold sweat. She opened her mouth, but was not speechless. "My stomach hurts so much..."
This kind of pain did not give her any chance to breathe. Every minute and every second was torture. Her originally rosy lips were now extremely pale. Song Luan pinched Ayun's wrist and clenched her teeth to prevent herself from screaming.
Ayun was obviously frightened and wanted to call for help, but she couldn't let her go. She was so anxious that she was about to cry.
Song Luan's face was pale, but she was still conscious. She was gasping for breath, and her lower lip was bleeding from being bitten.
At this moment, a man suddenly appeared in the crowd. He Run looked anxious. He pushed Ayun away and picked up Song Luan. "What's wrong with you? What happened?"
Song Luan wished she could faint right now. She wanted to break free from He Run, but she was in so much pain that she had no strength to push him away.
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew past my ears.
Zhao Nanyu finally showed up and hurriedly ran over from the pavilion. He stared at He Run coldly, his eyes seemed filled with poison, and he wished he could chop off He Run's hand that was on her.
Zhao Nanyu decisively snatched Song Luan away. The woman in his arms was pale and her hair was soaked with cold sweat. Song Luan relaxed, hugged his waist, buried her face in his chest, and said aggrievedly, "It hurts so much."
It really hurts, and I can clearly feel the pain in my body.
The pain is a hundred times more than during every menstrual period.
She didn't even touch a drop of water, so why did she get infected? ? Why did He Run still show up? !
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