While he was talking, he glanced at the majestic tiger with golden hair entrenched at the entrance of the palace. Just now he saw Prince Anfeng walking in. The tiger was leading the way to clear the way, and his posture was incredible.
Prince Anfeng looked at Emperor Ming Yuan and said: "After a few years apart, the emperor's nephew also impressed me with admiration. Now under your rule, the Northern Tang Dynasty is prosperous and doing well!"
Prince Anfeng was unsmiling and had a serious attitude when he spoke. Even though there was a hint of gentleness in his eyes, in the eyes of Emperor Ming Yuan, he was still intimidating.
After Prince Anfeng finished speaking, he turned to look at the Supreme Emperor, his expression softening a bit, "It can be seen that you have chosen a very good heir."
The Supreme Emperor also smiled, "Yes, I am very satisfied."
In one sentence, the Supreme Emperor's praise for the Emperor was fully expressed.
Prince Anfeng looked at Yu Wenhao again and nodded slightly to him in greeting.
Yu Wenhao cupped his hands and saluted again.
Over there, Princess Anfeng sat next to Princess An. She and Princess An were from the same family, but Princess An had never gotten along with her before, and she seemed very reserved and cramped.
The Queen Mother looked at Prince Anfeng and was very sad, "I think it's been more than twenty years since I last met the princess. God has been kind to you. You and I are almost the same age, but you look much younger than me."
Princess Anfeng smiled, "I have nothing to worry about, and my life is pleasant, so I naturally look younger. It's not like the Queen Mother who manages a huge harem in the palace and has to worry about everything."
The Queen Mother smiled, "Yes, that's why I say that Princess Anfeng is blessed."
The banquet began, and the palace people filed in with exquisite dishes in hand. This exquisite meal looked very beautiful, but due to the cold weather, it was already cold from the imperial dining room to the Guangming Hall, so it was not delicious at all.
Fortunately, there was a soup at the beginning, and the soup was still steaming hot when it was served. As for the other cold dishes, everyone was used to it. After taking one bite of one dish, they would be asked to take it away and the next dish would be served.
Princess Anfeng was very kind to Princess An. Seeing that she had not taken a few sips of soup, she said: "You are weak, drink more soup. The food is cold, so just take two bites less."
Princess An was immediately flattered and said hurriedly: "Yes!"
"Is your body feeling better?"
Princess Anfeng simply stopped using her chopsticks. Seeing that her teeth were chattering due to her restraint, she said helplessly: "Did I make you nervous by sitting next to you?
Just treat me as an ordinary elder."
"Yes Yes!"
Princess An agreed again, but she was even more nervous than before.
Princess Anfeng said to Rong Yue who was sitting next to Yuan Qingling: "Princess Huai, come here and I will change seats with you."
When Princess An heard this, she immediately said: "I...I'm going over, but I can't let you leave."
After she finished speaking, she felt it was inappropriate. If she went over, wouldn't she ask the Crown Princess to move away?
However, Yuan Qingling didn't mind. Hearing what she said, she got up and came over.
Princess An glanced at Yuan Qingling gratefully, and Yuan Qingling smiled and nodded.
After changing positions, the atmosphere became more lively, because Princess Sun raised the cup and said she wanted to pay tribute to the Queen Mother and Princess Anfeng.
The Queen Mother agreed and raised their glasses. Everyone raised their glasses except Yuan Qingling. Yuan Qingling knew that he was not a good drinker and would make a fool of himself if he drank. However, if he didn't drink, he would not be embarrassed, so he had to raise it too.
Wine glass, took a sip.
Fortunately, the song and dance performance also started, and no one toasted for a while. Everyone was focused on watching the graceful dance of the dancers outside.
The sound of silk and bamboo is heard, and sometimes there is the sound of drums, which makes people feel calm for no reason.
Yuan Qingling hoped in her heart that the banquet would end soon, because her grandma was still waiting for her to reunite with her at the mansion.
I have been here for two years. During the Chinese New Year last year, I still felt very lonely. After my grandma came, I felt that I could take root here, as if my life had come to a place.
And she was looking forward to the banquet ending soon, which was really a shadow, because in the past two years, every banquet held in the palace would always end up with some big or small chaos, making it very unpleasant.
Princess Anfeng later left the table, and she didn't know where she was going. The dishes had already reached the sixteenth course, and she hadn't come back yet.
It wasn't until the banquet was almost over that I saw her coming in from outside, but she seemed to be slightly stunned.
With so many people there, it was not easy for Yuan Qingling to ask, but after seeing her sit down and drink two glasses of wine, she seemed really angry.
Everyone was very surprised when they saw her behavior. What happened to the old princess?
After another song and dance, Prince Anfeng said to her: "The atmosphere is good outside. Please come with me for a walk. You are full."
Yuan Qing Ling couldn't help but said, "Okay!"
The two left the table and went out. The night wind was actually very cold, but the atmosphere was still there. The garden was full of lanterns and colorful lights, and the snow on the ground was covered with firecracker skins, making the ground red.
Yuan Qingling didn't wear fur clothes, so she still felt a little cold even though she wrapped her cloak tightly.
They walked out of the courtyard of Guangming Palace without saying a word, and walked to the Shangxian Yue Pavilion in the Imperial Garden, where Princess An's accident happened.
After the two of them entered, Prince Anfeng lowered the curtain to block the cold wind.
After sitting down, Prince Anfeng looked at her and said, "I came back this time for something."
Yuan Qingling also felt that it was strange that they came back suddenly. Since she was willing to talk, she asked: "What's the matter?"
"For Leng Si's marriage, the mother-in-law sent a letter a few days ago saying that Concubine Xian did not agree with the marriage. She was afraid that she would cause trouble, so she called me back to persuade Concubine Xian."
Yuan Qingling was a little strange. Even the Queen Mother couldn't persuade her, so why did she need Princess Anfeng to persuade her?
Besides, why would Princess Anfeng come back for such a trivial matter?
After all, Concubine Xian is not supposed to cause any trouble, isn't she grounded?
Even if there is no grounding, the Queen Mother and the Emperor have agreed to this matter, and the Xian Concubine can only make a little fuss in the palace, and nothing big will happen.
Princess Anfeng seemed to see her doubts and explained: "The Queen Mother asked me to come back to save Concubine Xian's life. After all, Concubine Xian is from her Su family, but she cannot blindly help Concubine Xian.
This marriage was initiated by the Emperor, and the Queen Mother must respect the Emperor's wishes.
As for the Queen Mother who asked me to come, she asked me to tell Concubine Xian that Leng Si can be entrusted with her for life, so that she can rest assured. The Queen Mother probably also thought that Concubine Xian would betray me because of my reputation, and as long as she didn't make trouble, the Emperor would not kill her.
"
Yuan Qing Ling said: "Then Xian... what else can my mother and concubine do?
You can’t stop this marriage, right?”
Princess Anfeng looked at her and said, "People from the Su family have already said outside that Leng Si is a deceiver and is trying to do evil to the princess. How much damage will this cause to Leng Si's reputation?
He didn't care about Leng Si, but why did the emperor marry Yu Wenling to Leng Si?
The reason is to focus on business and develop the economy, improve the status of businessmen, and make businessmen feel that they can join the upper class, so as to promote development and increase national taxes.
If the imperial court promised a princess to Leng Si but ended up suffering all kinds of infamy, do you think the merchants would trust the imperial court?
Businessmen did not trust the imperial court, but the imperial court had to develop the economy. In the end, everyone found ways to avoid paying taxes. Doesn't this go against the emperor's original intention?"
Yuan Qing was startled. She really didn't expect it to be so far-reaching.