In the next month, Shen Xingwan was recuperating in Fucheng. Fu Jingchao was very busy except for visiting her every two days and nights.
With a huge shortfall of six hundred thousand in military pay, even the Zhennan Prince's Mansion would be struggling.
Fu Jingchao felt disgusted and angry, but he had to think of a way quickly. The needed food and military uniforms had to be sent to the border as soon as possible.
Autumn is about to begin, and the weather in the border areas is cold, and it will be extremely cold in winter. If there is not enough food, grass and cotton clothes, the soldiers will have to endure hardships.
After the three days of quarreling in the court, almost nothing happened, and everyone quickly acquiesced to this outcome.
When Qin Xuejian came to see Shen Xingwan, Shen Xingwan was reading the news in the palace.
The twins of the Jiang family have been in the limelight in the palace recently, Jiang You is white and cold, and Jiang Zhenzhen is innocent.
A pair of sisters were named nobles together and given residence in Peach Blossom Pavilion. There were even rumors in the palace that the two sisters would serve together when the emperor went up.
Even the imperial concubine who was once the most favored has been suppressed in the limelight recently.
Shen Xingwan showed Qin Xuejian the news in the palace and said with a smile, "The people you brought back personally are indeed extraordinary."
Qin Xuejian said, "These two mothers who trained them are talented people. Four of the top ten courtesans in the south of the Yangtze River were trained by her."
If Qin Xuejian hadn't been on good terms with her and had thrown a lot of banknotes at her, that mother wouldn't have let him go.
Jiang Youbai was a secret weapon that she had raised in a boudoir since she was a child, trained her carefully, and was ready to release her when the time came, and win the first prize in one fell swoop and become famous all over the world.
"Miss Jiang personally talked to her for an hour before my mother relented and let her go." Qin Xuejian said, "Speaking of it, Jiang Youbai is also a person with a background. She is not an ordinary woman."
Even though she has a cold, distant and scholarly aroma as a lady, she grew up in such a place, and her methods in the boudoir are not comparable to those of concubines in the palace.
It was completely expected that he would be favored by the emperor.
"I heard that the emperor ordered that this year's Mid-Autumn Festival banquet be held grandly." Qin Xuejian said.
Shen Xingwan snorted coldly. He couldn't get the military pay, but he had money to celebrate the festival with great fanfare.
"It has nothing to do with me. I can't enter the palace anyway."
——————————————
In the blink of an eye, the Mid-Autumn Festival arrived, and Shen Xingwan did not have to enter the palace this time due to injury, while Fu Jingchao was still ostensibly under lockdown.
Both of them were absent from this Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, but it did not affect the excitement of the banquet at all.
The old lady of the Shen Mansion still took Shen Qingran to the palace for the banquet.
In the royal palace of the imperial concubine, Lu Wanwan was wearing a colorful and exquisite dance dress. The pregnant imperial concubine drew a flower between her eyebrows with her own hands.
Lu Wanwan smiled at her innocently, "Auntie, do I look good tonight?"
Concubine Lu looked at her face that was so tender that it could squeeze water and chuckled, "Our Wanwan is the prettiest."
Lu Wanwan has been said to look like Concubine Lu since she was a child, so Concubine Lu loves this niece the most.
Concubine Lu patted her on the shoulder and said, "Wanwan must perform well this time and give her aunt some credit."
Lu Wanwan nodded vigorously, "Don't worry, aunt, Wanwan has worked hard to learn everything the master taught her."
A month ago, it was reported that the Queen was going to hold a talent competition at the Mid-Autumn Festival Banquet.
Rumor has it that this event is to identify potential concubines for several princes of the right age.
The famous ladies in Shengjing took action upon hearing the news.
The imperial concubine directly brought Lu Wanwan into the palace and asked the best dancer in the palace to teach her in person, which would surely make her a sensation on the Mid-Autumn Festival night.
"Well, aunt believes that Wanwan will not let me down." Concubine Lu said with a smile.
After Lu Wanwan left, the smile on Concubine Lu's face immediately disappeared, and she asked with a cold expression, "Isn't the Emperor here yet?"
The deacon and eunuch knelt down with a bang, "Your Majesty, he went to Peach Blossom Pavilion..."
Concubine Lu was so angry that she threw the cup in her hand to the ground. Everyone in the palace knelt down and did not dare to speak.
"My Lady, don't be angry, it's just a toy. Once the novelty wears off, the Emperor will naturally forget it." Concubine Lu's nanny advised her while waving her hand for the others to go down.
Concubine Lu was still in a bad mood and said, "Mommy, this time is different."
She could feel it with her sixth sense, and she took the opportunity to treat Jiang Youbai a few days ago.
If this kind of thing had happened before, the emperor would have just laughed it off.
Although the emperor didn't say anything on the surface this time, he turned around and promoted the two sisters' positions and rewarded her with many things. Wasn't this a clear slap in her face?
What alarmed her even more was that she felt the emperor's occasional impatience with her.
When she looked in the mirror, she couldn't help but admit that she was old. She no longer looked as showy and bright as she did when she was seventeen or eighteen years old.
There are fine lines at the corners of her eyes, and this pregnancy has made her whole body bloated.
Everything made Concubine Lu feel uneasy.
For example, in the past, the emperor would personally come to pick her up for such banquets.
This time, she was still pregnant, but the emperor went to Peach Blossom Pavilion.
Concubine Lu said mockingly, "Sure enough, no one in the palace can be favored all the time."
The most important thing is that she is no longer young. Compared with girls of seventeen or eighteen, she no longer has an advantage.
Concubine Lu quickly regained her composure and said, "Nanny Wanwan, you have to keep an eye on her personally so that nothing can go wrong."
The entire Mid-Autumn Festival banquet went very smoothly. Not only was the palace bustling, but the streets of Shengjing were also very lively.
When it came to the talent competition, Lu Wanwan performed a stunning dance in the finale, which amazed everyone.
The colorful feathers shimmered under the light, Lu Wanwan's figure jumped and spun lightly, and the whole dance was smooth and flowing.
The most important thing is that she is a girl who has been raised in love. Her whole body exudes an innocent and innocent atmosphere from the inside out. Her whole person is bright and delicate, making people unable to take their eyes away.
No one thought that the usually coquettish girl would be so touching when dancing.
After the song ended, the emperor, who was sitting at the top, took the lead in applauding, "It's a bit like your aunt's style back then."
Lu Wanwan's visit to the palace was no different from her own yard since she was a child. She was not afraid of the emperor. She raised her head when she heard this and said innocently, "I am my aunt's little cotton-padded jacket. Of course I look like her, but my aunt is still the prettiest. I am the most beautiful."
Second most beautiful.”
The emperor was so pleased with her teasing that he laughed, "I have been sweet-mouthed since I was a child, and this has not changed."
Of course, the final result was that Lu Wanwan won, and the emperor even personally rewarded her with something.
Jiang Zhenzhen whispered, "What does Lu Guifei mean? You want to marry her to the prince?"
Jiang Youbai raised his head and looked at the emperor above him for a while, then lowered his head and drank a glass of wine and said softly, "It's interesting, the imperial concubine seems to be more cruel than I thought."
Jiang Zhenzhen didn't understand what she meant, so she blinked and didn't ask any more questions.
When the moon was completely high in the sky, fireworks were set off from four different directions throughout Shengjing.
Shen Xingwan stood in front of the window and watched for a while. The whole sky was lit up.
The name Lu Wanwan, with her Jinghong Dance, became famous in Shengjing from tonight and became extremely bright.
