Although Chonghua Palace is large, it is only a corner of the palace after all. Therefore, there has been an explicit order in the palace that only those with an official title of fifth rank or above can enter the palace to celebrate the birthday of the Supreme Emperor. Moreover, except for the prince, every official of third rank and above
, you can only bring at most one junior to the banquet.
To the west of Chonghua Palace, a waterside pavilion that is usually inaccessible was already bustling with people.
There are many teenagers and young people gathered here in small groups, chatting, dancing and writing, or playing chess and drinking tea.
There is no doubt that each of these young people, outside, are princes and princes with prominent family backgrounds and great names, and they have many followers everywhere they go. However, here today, every one of them seems so ordinary.
Because among these people, princes and princes alone account for almost half!
It is conceivable that if nothing unexpected happens, the one or two hundred young people around this small waterside pavilion will be the ones who will dominate the empire's voice for the next hundred years.
"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has arrived."
Following the call, the high-spirited prince, dressed in yellow robes, walked up surrounded by people.
It was also at this time that many people who had previously maintained their own identities immediately put down their airs and gathered towards the prince.
The prince said with a smile: "The lonely king is very busy today and has made many mistakes in his care. I hope you will forgive me."
The prince has been ordered by Emperor Ningkang to host today's birthday banquet. He is naturally very proud, because every time he presides over such an important event, he becomes more familiar with state affairs, and his status as prince becomes more stable.
Therefore, although he was busy, he did not dare to slack off at all.
Because all the princes and ministers came to the palace in advance to celebrate their birthdays, in order to reasonably arrange the time before the official start of the birthday banquet, he gathered the juniors of each family here alone. After all, adults are with adults, and young people are with young people.
, have the same interests and are more harmonious.
Looking at the young men from various families who were following him like a shadow because of his movements, the smile on the prince's face became even bigger. Even if he was the prince, if he wanted to gather so many disciples from powerful families together, he would not do it.
easy.
Obviously, this is an important moment for him to build a foundation and select followers and loyalists.
However, after glancing at the middle of the waterside pavilion, where the third prince looked at him with a smile, but did not come to greet him at all, the smile on the prince's face faded a little.
But he saw that before he came, most of the people here were gathered in the waterside pavilion. Even now, there are still many people in the waterside pavilion. Most of them are juniors from civil servant families.
Just as he was about to step into the waterside pavilion, he suddenly heard an important name. He glanced around and a smile appeared on his face. Then, completely ignoring the third prince who had already approached to greet him, he turned around and quickly walked towards the outside.
.
In the fence beside the pond, the fourth prince and a few people who usually played close to him gathered here to fish.
He is the most leisurely prince. Whenever there is a grand gathering, he will not care about anything and just have fun.
Suddenly seeing his companion coming back, he immediately dropped his fishing rod and ran over, but passed his companion and pounced on the person behind him.
"Hey Jia Lian, you are finally here."
Looking at the fourth prince who was full of enthusiasm at all times, Jia Lian took a step back, cupped his hands and said, "I have met His Highness the Fourth Prince."
"You were in the Chongqing Hall just now, right?"
"Back to Your Highness, exactly."
"Hey, there are some old antiques over there, they are really boring. Why don't you come here to fish? Hey, the fish in Grandpa Huang's clear pond can't be eaten at any time!
I have already caught several fish, and I will ask Zhang Bao to secretly take them back later. After the banquet is over, how about you go to my palace and we can bake them together?"
The fourth prince obviously had a plan in mind and looked at Jia Lian expectantly.
He really admired Jia Lian in his heart. He was better at "martial arts" and better at poetry than him. Who knew that he could actually make food that was more fragrant than the cooks in his palace? Damn it, really
It's a genius!
Thinking of the last time I accidentally ate the small crucian carp that Jia Lian pierced with bamboo skewers and grilled, the taste was burnt on the outside, crispy on the inside, numb and spicy, it was... indescribable.
Later, he also asked the chefs in the house to bake them according to Jia Lian's method, but they always felt a little different.
Furthermore, everyone said that the fish raised by the Supreme Emperor of Chonghua Palace were spiritual creatures that gathered the essence of heaven and earth. Eating one of them would bring wealth and treasures and prolong life. Therefore, every prince and minister who was rewarded by the Supreme Emperor would
Treat it like a treasure.
It's a pity that even though he is a prince, he usually doesn't dare to come in and steal. It's because today there are many people and he is bold, and he plans to steal some back early in the morning.
This kind of precious spiritual fish growing out of the dragon's veins, coupled with Jia Lian's miraculous techniques, the final taste... just thinking about it is enjoyable!
Jia Lian couldn't help but smile when he saw the fourth prince's mouth watering as he spoke. Speaking of which, the fourth prince was quite easy to deal with. This silly boy who grew up in fine clothes and had a good life had never eaten spicy grilled fish on the street.
You won't be addicted to eating it.
But this guy is also brave enough. He even dares to steal the Emperor's fish. I'm afraid he is the only one in the entire Wei Dynasty.
After perfunctoryly speaking to the fourth prince and saying hello to Zhang Su and others, Jia Lian was about to take a look at the fourth prince's fish catch when he suddenly saw the prince coming with a group of people. Jia Lian quickly straightened his appearance and bowed to see him.
"Haha, Marquis Zhenyuan doesn't need to be polite. I didn't consider it carefully. Although Marquis Zhenyuan holds an official title and is my father's most valued confidant, in terms of age, talent and appearance, he is the leading young talent in the Wei Dynasty.
.
It’s all my fault that I forgot to instruct the servants below, they must have led Marquis Zhenyuan to Chongjing Hall just now, right?”
The prince smiled and walked within two steps in front of Jia Lian. His familiar behavior was as if he and Jia Lian were close friends. Such a favor to the prince made many people behind him want to say a few words in front of the prince.
Those who can't help but feel jealous can't help but look on their faces.
But when he thought that even the prince said that Jia Lian was Emperor Ningkang's most valued confidant, some people in the city quickly calmed down their expressions.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is serious. His Royal Highness has taken everything into consideration and arranged the birthday banquet of the Supreme Emperor in an orderly manner. Just now in the Chongjing Hall, the ministers also heard that many elders
I am praising His Highness.
Besides, I am just an ordinary minister. When the palace deacon arranged for me to go to the Chongqing Hall, he followed the rules and made no mistakes. However, I came here without permission, so please forgive me."
"hehe."
As soon as the prince burst out laughing, the fourth prince interrupted displeasedly: "Oh, we are all so familiar and we are not outsiders, so why are you so polite? Besides, I sent someone to call you here, how can you do it without permission?
Do you mean that I shouldn't ask you to come, or that I am not qualified to ask you to come?
Brother, please tell me, am I qualified to call him over?"
The prince did not mean to be angry with the fourth prince at all. Instead, he smiled and said: "The fourth brother is right. We are not outsiders. Why should Marquis Zhenyuan be so polite? As for the fourth brother's question, haha, of course you are qualified to call him over. Brother, I
I also want to thank you for your thoughtful help."
The prince looked easy-going, but when he said "not an outsider", he gave Jia Lian a meaningful look.
"Brother the Great Emperor is right, Marquis Zhenyuan is famous far and wide. When he was at Brother Eldest Emperor's Western Suburbs Courtyard, the Marquis Zhenyuan casually produced a few masterpieces, and even my brothers could only admire them.
Just now, when Cai Chen's younger brother was discussing literature and ink with a group of talented people, he was still sighing, "It would be great if Marquis Zhenyuan was here. If he were here, I would be able to recite poems and compose poems, so that I could show off the elegance of the younger generation of Wei Dynasty. But by chance, he was there."
coming."
The third prince walked in casually. He ignored the prince's sudden frown and nodded in response to Jia Lian's greeting. He continued to smile and said: "I like to dance, write, and do arty things. I have long wanted to invite Marquis Zhenyuan to come.
The palace said that they were worried about the heavy official duties of Marquis Zhenyuan and did not dare to send anyone to invite him easily.
Since there is a grand meeting today, I would like to consult with the Marquis of Zhenyuan for advice."
"His Highness the Third is so affectionate, but I have no tricks and dare not show off in front of His Highness."
The people around him felt very uncomfortable when they saw that all the princes were so affectionate towards Jia Lian. They were also the sons of powerful people, many of them even had a much higher status than Jia Lian, but the treatment they received was very different, which was inevitable.
It makes one not feel jealous.
Especially the group of clan children who were harmed by Jia Lian and the fourth prince and were taken to the Ancestral Temple to eat white flour buns for more than a month looked at Jia Lian and almost got angry. But in the presence of the prince and the third prince,
Just don't dare to have an attack.
How could the prince not know that the third prince was competing with him for someone? He frowned, but he sneered in his heart, "You couldn't compete with me before, but from now on, you will have no chance."
Jia Lian is a smart man, and since he and this prince are about to have a new relationship, he is even less likely to board your pirate ship.
Just as he was about to ridicule the third prince, one of his confidants suddenly whispered into his ear. He turned his eyes and said to Jia Lian and others: "The lonely king has something to deal with. Please feel free to do so."
After saying that, he nodded specially to Jia Lian, the fourth prince and others, and then led the others away.
…
Weiyang Palace is the residence of the Queen Mother and the most majestic and solemn palace in the entire Chonghua Palace besides the main hall.
At this time, most of the internal and external officials and female relatives who came to congratulate the Supreme Emperor on his birthday also gathered here.
Theoretically speaking, on an occasion like today, the most eye-catching people should be the most noble concubines, princesses, and princesses. But this is not the case in the main hall at this time. The most eye-catching person is a dozen or so people.
A pretty young girl.
Because she was brought here by the Queen herself, and the Queen had just introduced her to the Queen Mother in person.
Theoretically, a woman who can receive special care from the queen must have an extraordinary status. However, after people in the palace quietly inquired about her, they discovered that this girl's status was very ordinary.
The daughter of Jiangnan Weaving? It is indeed ordinary, because many young princesses and county owners have quietly asked their elders that Jiangnan Weaving is only of the fourth or fifth grade.
In a small place like Jiangnan, maybe the fourth or fifth rank is not considered small. But in today's situation, it is just the bottom. If there is no queen, she should not even be qualified to enter!
For such a woman whose status is so far behind them, but she has received the attention of many elders, the young ladies feel somewhat aggrieved.
She looks... quite handsome, but she looks so thin. Their family is so poor that they can't take the blame, starving their daughter like this!
Facing everyone's looks, especially those with unfriendly eyes, Zhen Yuhuan, standing next to the queen and mother, was under great pressure.
Although from the morning, her mother and others dressed her up solemnly and gave her many ardent instructions, she knew that today's trip to the palace would not be easy. But she still did not expect that it would be like this.
Previously in Kunning Palace, she had met countless elders under the arrangement of her mother and the queen. Those elders were either princesses or county princesses, with the lowest imperial edicts of the second and third grades, all of which were much higher than her mother's status.
.
Her family is one of the best in the south of the Yangtze River. As the legitimate daughter of the family, she can be said to be a proud daughter of heaven.
But facing those princesses and princesses of the same age, she felt as if she had become a common girl. Although she knew in her heart that this was not the case.
It's even better now. The Queen brought her and her mother to meet the Queen Mother! Is she really the Queen Mother? She looks so young...so beautiful...
besides……
This person doesn't look easy to get along with!
Zhen Yuhuan secretly glanced at the young woman in the gorgeous palace dress opposite. Unexpectedly, the other party was also looking at her. Her indifferent eyes made her heart skip a beat and she quickly averted her eyes.
"Your Majesty, Your Highness the Crown Prince has arrived. Please wait outside."
"Let him in."
Hearing these words, Zhen Yuhuan, who was already feeling uneasy, became even more nervous and hid her small body behind her mother.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! "Quer meets the imperial grandmother and pays homage to the queen mother."
The prince walked into the palace under the guidance of the palace servants. Since there were official orders from various families behind the curtains on both sides, in order to show his courtesy, he did not look sideways and came to the queen mother and empress to greet them respectfully.
"No need to be polite, have you arranged everything outside?"
"Reporting to the emperor's grandmother, the gentlemen of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Rites have been careful. All the external matters have been arranged, and no major mistakes have been made."
"Um."
The Queen Mother nodded casually, then changed her tone and signaled to the wife of the Zhen family below: "This is the wife of the Zhen family in Jiangnan. The Zhen family in Jiangnan was ordered to take charge of the weaving affairs in Jiangnan when your grandfather was in power.
, decades of hard work, great achievements.
The wife of their family was the "Princess of Xiu'an County" given by Taizu Yukou. When the Princess of Xiu'an County was still young, she and the late Empress Xiaowen were close friends. In this way, Mrs. Zhen's family is also yours.
I haven’t met my elders yet.”
As soon as he heard the word "Zhen Family", the prince's heart moved and he subconsciously looked in the direction indicated by the queen mother.
Then his originally calm expression suddenly changed, and he stared blankly at the weak woman standing timidly behind Mrs. Zhen's wife.
Next to him, the young woman who had been staring at him saw this, her eyes became cold, and she immediately glanced at Zhen Yuhuan with a piercingly cold gaze.
This scene was all seen by the Queen Mother, who was sitting upright above.
As someone who has been there, the Queen Mother naturally knows that the future of this little girl from the Zhen family will not be smooth. But this is no wonder to others. From the day she chose to marry into the royal family, she should have expected this situation, and herself
Same as before.
After coughing lightly, the Queen Mother said: "Prince."
Only then did the prince realize that he had lost his composure, and he quickly bent down and bowed to the middle-aged woman in front of him who had already stood up in fear.
At the same time, he couldn't help but smile in his heart. Ever since he grew up, he had never given such a big gift to a fourth-grade imperial concubine!
I don’t know whether the old lady in their family and Empress Xiaowen were close friends. After all, when Empress Xiaowen was young, the imperial grandmother was not even born yet, so it seemed so strange to hear such words coming from her mouth.
A little weird and less believable.
But regardless of whether he is true or not, they are all building a bridge to promote his marriage. He only needs to obey the arrangement. Anyway, he can marry the beautiful girl in front of him, and his worship is not a loss.