Chapter 11: Going to the Banquet
Since she was attending a banquet in the palace, and it was a banquet granted by the emperor, according to the rules, she should have worn official uniform. The only problem was that Zhu Yuhuan was a princess and did not have official uniform, and the princess's dress could not be used at such a banquet.
However, Zhu Yuhuan also had her own ideas for dealing with the situation. Previously, Zhu Zhanji gave Zhu Yuhuan three pieces of clothing. She chose a scarlet Qilin round-necked robe, paired it with a grass-green gold-woven horse-faced skirt, and also added a jade leather belt, which made her look more solemn.
As for the bun on his head, he chose a golden round crown. This crown was originally prepared by the Shangfu Bureau when Zhu Yuhuan was a Taoist priest. It was originally intended to be made into a silver crown, but in the end two crowns were made, one gold and one silver. They were imitated from portraits from the Song Dynasty.
Zhu Yuhuan usually wears the silver one, but now the golden one comes in handy.
Han Guilan also gave her two crane-shaped sapphire hairpins to hold down her hair. Combined with Zhu Yuhuan's outfit, it looked even more golden from a distance, so luxurious, and it actually looked a bit like an official uniform.
Zhu Yuhuan stepped on his cloud-climbing shoes, held the jade leather in one hand and walked a few steps. He raised his eyebrows and smiled at Han Guilan and Huai En, saying, "How is it? Do you look like an official?"
Formal dresses are usually worn on important occasions such as receiving an imperial title, assisting in a sacrifice, and attending court meetings. Zhu Yuhuan only wore one once, at the ceremony of conferring a title on a princess. The style she wore at that time was temporarily modified, and it didn't look special. Instead, her mixed outfit today gave her a more honorable feeling.
Zhu Yuhuan's outfit is not only a mix of men's and women's, but he also wears a casual crown. It looks a bit weird at first glance, but after looking at it for a long time, Zhu Yuhuan looks even more elegant and luxurious.
Han Guilan couldn't help but chuckle and nodded, "Yes! Yes! Your Highness must wear it to show the Old Empress and the Consort! When the time comes, the Second Prince will definitely paint your Highness himself, and have the painters in the Renzhi Palace copy your portrait."
Huai En was a little worried and said, "The Imperial Censor Wang will also be there tomorrow. What if he says something..."
After spending several months with Wang Qiang, Huai En didn't know anything else, but he was very clear about Wang Qiang's "fighting ability". Even if he didn't say it to his face, it would be bad for Zhu Yuhuan's reputation if he reported it to the emperor later.
Zhu Yuhuan said with a smile, "That may not be the case. Censor Wang has official uniforms, but I don't. I can't go in casual clothes, can I? For such an important event as the banquet, Master would definitely wear the clothes bestowed by the late Emperor. My Qilin dress was also bestowed by the Emperor, so it fits perfectly. It won't make people think that I'm relying on my status as the eldest princess to be careless."
Han Guilan nodded repeatedly and said, "Although Your Highness has never dressed like this before, after Your Highness, others will naturally follow suit. Huai En forgot that when Your Highness wore the immortal costume before, many people in the capital rushed to imitate him, and even the business of cloth shops and clothing stores improved a lot."
Zhu Yuhuan nodded in agreement and said, "Gui Lan is right. Besides, this outfit is not out of line and is dignified and appropriate. As long as the Empress Dowager and His Majesty don't pursue it, no one else will say anything."
After hearing this, Huai En said, "Your Highness is right."
Zhu Yuhuan entered the palace by carriage. As soon as he arrived at the palace gate, he saw Liu Yongcheng and Wang Qiang, who were obviously waiting for Zhu Yuhuan.
Zhu Yuhuan stepped down from the carriage on a low stool and said to Liu Yongcheng and Wang Qiang with a smile, "It seems I'm late."
The two were stunned when they saw Zhu Yuhuan's attire. It was Liu Yongcheng who spoke first, "Your Highness is not late. It was your servants who were worried about being delayed on the way, so we went to the palace gate to wait for Your Highness in advance."
Wang Qiang hesitated for a moment, but finally said, "Your Highness, this is..."
Wang Qiang couldn't say that this outfit was androgynous, but at first glance it seemed a little strange, but after looking at it for a while, he seemed to think it was dignified and decent...
Zhu Yuhuan smiled slightly and said, "Today's banquet in the palace is not an ordinary family banquet, so of course I have to dress appropriately. The round-collared robe I'm wearing was given by the Emperor. It's extremely noble, so I'm wearing it to the banquet."
Since it was the clothes bestowed by the late emperor, Wang Qiang could not say anything more. After all, the eldest princess did not have an official uniform, and she could not wear a dress that was only used for sacrifices to a banquet.
In addition, Liu Yongcheng next to him was also wearing clothes bestowed by the emperor, so Zhu Yuhuan's clothes were not so eye-catching.
The so-called banquet given by the emperor did not have the emperor at the banquet, only the people who were rewarded were eating while listening to drums and music. Because Zhu Yuhuan was the eldest princess, there was a screen between her and Liu Yongcheng and Wang Qiang.
However, with Zhu Yuhuan present, this banquet was naturally destined to be different.
The three were having dinner when they suddenly heard the eunuch announce that the emperor had arrived, and they all stood up to greet him.
Zhu Qizhen was wearing a royal blue robe with four dragons on it and a winged hat on his head. When he saw the three people standing up to salute, he waved his hand and said, "Everyone, stand up."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Zhu Qizhen first looked at Zhu Yuhuan, took a closer look, and was surprised when he saw her dress.
Fortunately, Zhu Qizhen had not forgotten his purpose and said, "Second sister, I heard that you couldn't return to the palace directly, so I asked you to come and see if you had lost weight. Now it seems that you are in good spirits, so I am relieved."
Zhu Yuhuan stood up and saluted, then said with a smile, "I thank Your Majesty for your consideration. As a woman, I have received the great favor of the Empress Dowager. I have accompanied Your Majesty on your expedition to suppress the rebellion in Zhangde. Now, you have also given me a banquet. I am deeply grateful and will do my best for Your Majesty."
As soon as Zhu Yuhuan said this, Liu Yongcheng and Wang Qiang also echoed him.
Zhu Qizhen saw that the two men, led by Zhu Yuhuan, were extremely respectful to him, not even needing to utter the words of comfort and praise that Empress Dowager Zhang had specifically instructed him to say. He couldn't help but feel a little proud. He raised his hand and said, "Stand up." He glanced at the three of them and said, "After that, Zhang Puxiang and the other bandits will be transferred to the Imperial Prison for trial by the Embroidered Uniform Guard. I have reviewed the memorial submitted by Wang Qiang. The person who previously handled this case was also an Embroidered Uniform Guard, and his name is..."
Wang Qiang saw that Zhu Qizhen was having trouble remembering and hurriedly said, "Xu Gong."
Zhu Qizhen then recalled the name and continued, "That's Xu Gong. I remember that he was promoted by the Emperor to be by the Princess's side, responsible for managing the Princess's personal guards. On weekdays, he has nothing to do and is still investigating cases in the Jinyiwei."
Zhu Yuhuan responded, "Your Majesty is right."
"Liu Mian, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, has mentioned this man to me. He described him as fair, reliable, impartial, and exceptionally capable and loyal." Zhu Qizhen cleared his throat and said, "I have also reviewed Xu Gong's report, which is clear and correct. He will then interrogate Zhang Puxiang and report to me all the people and events related to him."
The three of them said in unison: "Your Majesty is wise."
This was the first time that Zhu Qizhen met with his ministers alone. Without the interference of Empress Dowager Zhang, he looked at the three people who were respectful, and a hint of complacency appeared between his brows.
Zhu Yuhuan had long been unable to finish the buffet prepared by the Guanglu Temple, and took this opportunity to put down his chopsticks. The same was true for Liu Yongcheng and Wang Qiang opposite him. The three of them only drank occasionally and waited to leave after the banquet and music were over.
The food at the Guanglu Temple wasn't terrible, but it certainly wasn't delicious either. Furthermore, with Zhu Qizhen in the hall and a band playing nearby, no one would be able to eat.
After finally waiting for the music to end, they could finally leave. However, Zhu Yuhuan was not as lucky as Liu Yongcheng and Wang Qiang. She had to go back to the palace to reunite with her family, and inevitably had to go with Zhu Qizhen, after all, this man had been staring at her from the side.
As the emperor, Zhu Qizhen was the first to leave. Zhu Yuhuan exchanged pleasantries with Liu Yongcheng and Wang Qiang for a while before leaving. Unexpectedly, Wang Zhen was waiting not far away. Upon seeing Zhu Yuhuan, he immediately came forward and said with a smile, "The emperor has been waiting for Your Highness. Together with Your Highness, we will go to Qingning Palace to pay a visit to Old Lady Hu."
Zhu Yuhuan laughed in silence and asked, "Your Majesty, why don't you just go to Qingning Palace in your imperial chariot? Why wait for me here? If others saw Your Majesty waiting for me here, I wonder what rumors would spread."
But please don't let any strange rumors spread, saying that the emperor has to consider the mood of the eldest princess when he goes to pay his respects to his mother...
Wang Zhen could only smile awkwardly and explain, "The Emperor has not seen Your Highness for a long time and misses him deeply. He also wanted to ask about the situation during the attack on Cizhou."
He did try to persuade Zhu Qizhen a few times, but it was no use. If the news got out and the Empress Dowager and the civil and military officials knew about it, it would be of no benefit to him.
Zhu Yuhuan shook his head helplessly and said, "Your Majesty, please go first. I will be there soon."
Wang Zhen couldn't persuade Zhu Qizhen, and naturally couldn't persuade Zhu Yuhuan either, so he had to go and explain to Zhu Qizhen again. Fortunately, Zhu Qizhen agreed quickly, and he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
When Zhu Yuhuan returned to Qingning Palace, Zhu Youtong had been waiting at the door for a long time. When he saw Zhu Yuhuan coming down from the sedan chair in a red robe, he was stunned for a moment.
Seeing her standing there without saying anything, Zhu Yuhuan couldn't help but feel a little amused. He stretched out his hand to Zhu Youtong and said, "Why, you don't recognize me?"
Zhu Youtong threw herself into her arms and muttered, "Sister, you are dressed so beautifully, that's why I didn't come to my senses..." She put her arms around her sister's waist. She seemed to be no different from before they left, with no obvious weight loss. Only then did she feel relieved.
It seems that although my sister went to the battlefield with the army, she didn't suffer too much...
Zhu Yuhuan rubbed her head and said with a smile: "Our Tongtong is really good at appreciating things. I also think she looks good dressed like this."
Zhu Youtong nodded repeatedly and said seriously, "Sister, wear this outfit to the Renzhi Hall and have Mr. Shang and the others draw it. It will definitely look great!"
Zhu Yuhuan pinched her nose, carried her sister inside, and asked, "Why are you at the door?"
Zhu Youtong took his sister's arm and said coquettishly: "His Majesty is sitting inside. Xiaoyu is accompanying mother, so I ran to the palace gate to wait for my sister."
When the two sisters reached the main hall entrance, Zhu Yuhuan raised his hand to signal that there was no need to announce anything. Hu Shanxiang was talking to Zhu Qizhen and Zhu Qiyu, two brothers, with a scroll beside them. They were probably discussing reading. Wu Miaosu, however, kept glancing at the door and was the first to spot Zhu Yuhuan. She hurriedly said to Hu Shanxiang, "The eldest princess is back!"
Hu Shanxiang quickly stood up and said, "Come here."
Zhu Yuhuan stepped forward obediently, turned around, tilted his head and smiled, saying, "Mom, are you relieved now? Everything is fine."
Hearing the teasing in her daughter's words, Hu Shanxiang scolded her, "You, I really don't know what to say to you."
Zhu Yuhuan patted his chest, looking very proud, and said, "Don't worry, mother. Wang Zhi asked for a talisman for me. I have been wearing it and it is very useful."
Wu Miaosu smiled and joked, "Don't worry, Empress Dowager. The guards around the eldest princess are all elite soldiers selected by the late emperor. Now that Your Majesty values the eldest princess so much, how dare they neglect their duties?"
Zhu Qizhen straightened up proudly and said, "That's right! I also want to promote the Jinyiwei who is beside my sister, Xu Gong! If he does his job well, I will promote him again in the future!"
After he said this, the hall fell silent for a while. Zhu Qizhen was a little confused when Zhu Yuhuan reminded him, "Your Majesty, the promotion of officials is a political matter. The harem is not allowed to discuss it casually."
Zhu Qizhen uttered a dry "oh" and glanced at Zhu Qiyu beside him, emphasizing righteously, "I am speaking to the Prince of Qing."
Zhu Qiyu blinked, finally understanding what was happening. He nodded seriously and said, "Brother, I understand."
Zhu Qizhen found a suitable excuse, and now he felt more justified. He said, "If I lead an expedition in person like my sister in the future, I will leave Prince Qin as regent..."
Zhu Youtong felt that this was getting weirder and weirder. He immediately picked up the dessert plate on the table and pushed it towards Zhu Qizhen, saying, "Your Majesty, please eat more. Your Majesty works hard on state affairs day and night. It's too hard!"
He's not even as tall as her, but he's already thinking about leading the army himself. Even his deceased father only fought in the battlefield a few times. Does he really think he's the Emperor Taizong? Even her sister wouldn't fight in person, let alone the ruler of a country!
Seeing this, Zhu Yuhuan also said, "I haven't thanked Your Majesty for the land yet, but I'm just wondering why Your Majesty gave me the land in Changping?"
If she had not ensured that only a few people knew about Yang Ji's affairs, Zhu Yuhuan would have suspected that Zhu Qizhen knew something and that was why he had given her the land on purpose to hint at her.
Zhu Qizhen chuckled and said, "Mr. Wang has shown me the account books for the farmland. My sister manages it very well. I happen to have a royal farm in the Changping area, so naturally I want to buy some farmland for you. There's also a hot spring palace built by the Northern Yuan Dynasty over there. Have it renovated so I can go there to relax in the future."
Zhu Yuhuan was not in the capital, so naturally she did not know about the affairs of the imperial farm. Now she finally understood that Zhu Qizhen had demarcated a new territory and asked her to manage it. She took one look at Wang Zhen and knew that he was deliberately giving Zhu Qizhen the account book and speaking well of Zhu Yuhuan. He must have been trying to curry favor with Zhu Yuhuan in exchange for something else.
Zhu Yuhuan only smiled and said, "Then your majesty will have to wait. The managers and tenants of the farmland need to be carefully cultivated. It's difficult to manage Fengrun Farmland alone, let alone Changping."
Zhu Qizhen waved his hand nonchalantly and said, "There's no need to rush this matter. Just do as my sister tells you."
Zhu Yuhuan raised his glass and jokingly said, "Then I will have tea instead of wine to thank Your Majesty for your grace. When I am free next year, I will personally take the stewards to Changping and have them take good care of the imperial farm."
Zhu Qizhen brought it to his door himself, so Zhu Yuhuan would feel embarrassed not to accept it.
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