jdhmnovel Chapter 396: The Beauty of the Longevity Banquet
Chapter 396: The Beauty of the Longevity Banquet
"My Lady, the smell of this soil mixed with the deer blood will make you feel hot all over. If your concentration is weak, you will most likely lose your composure."
Wei Lin spoke subtly, but An Lingrong understood immediately.
"Okay, I understand."
An Lingrong called Baoque to her side and whispered a few words to her, then gave her instructions in a low voice.
"The Emperor's birthday banquet is of great importance. Go back and let them know. If you spot anyone suspicious, arrest them and interrogate them."
"The servant understands."
Baoque was well aware of the importance of this banquet, so he hurried out after receiving the order. Xiaolinzi and four young eunuchs also followed him.
At the end of the Si hour, the sun seemed brighter than usual, making the bright yellow glazed tiles of the Baohe Hall particularly dazzling.
Red lanterns are hung high in front of the hall and a red carpet is laid, creating a festive atmosphere.
The air is filled with the fresh and elegant scent of chrysanthemums, which is refreshing.
As the melodious sound of bells and drums rang out, the concubines, princes, princesses and clan members entered the venue one by one and were guided to their seats by the palace servants waiting on the side.
The prince and princess were placed at the desk behind their respective mothers. Prince Guo looked up and glanced at them before turning around to talk to the person beside him.
Ye Lanyi, who had seen Prince Guo's performance clearly, couldn't help but touch her belly and lowered her eyelids.
When she was cleaning the prince's bedroom earlier, she discovered the portrait of Princess Longyue.
The prince loves the prince and princess, so he should also love his own children, right?
In order to avoid being noticed for her upset, Ye Lanyi, whose mind was in a mess, quietly moved the chrysanthemums on the table towards Prince Guo.
An Lingrong, distracted by her little movement, paused and handed a plate of fresh fruit to the three children as if nothing had happened.
"The Emperor has arrived!"
When Su Peisheng's singing chorus sounded, everyone stood up and greeted him.
"Your humble servant... pays respects to His Majesty and wishes him a long life and everlasting blessings."
The emperor walked to the top, raised his hand and spoke loudly.
"Everyone is safe."
The drums and music in the hall had stopped when the singing and shouting began, and the entire hall was so quiet that you could see a pin drop.
The family dinner did not have too many red tapes. Concubine Hua, dressed in a crimson palace dress, slowly stood up, held a glass of wine in both hands, and spoke softly.
"Your Majesty, I respectfully wish you a long life and lasting blessings."
Concubine Hua drank the whole cup of wine without waiting for the emperor to speak.
"Well, thank you, Your Majesty, for hosting the Longevity Banquet. I will reward you with ten pieces of brocade and ten ounces of gold."
The emperor also drank a cup.
The gifts from the concubines were delivered to the Yangxin Palace privately and did not need to be displayed in public.
Concubine Hua thanked her and sat down. An Lingrong then stood up and picked up the wine glass.
"I respectfully wish His Majesty a long life and eternal prosperity. May His Majesty be in good health and may the country prosper."
"I appreciate Concubine Shu's kindness. For your contribution to childbearing, I will reward you with ten pieces of brocade and ten ounces of gold."
......
After the prominent concubine finished her congratulatory speech, Concubine Hua nodded to Concubine Xin.
The gentle and virtuous Princess Shuhe stepped out with a smile and spoke softly.
"I have made a robe for the Emperor, Father. Please accept it."
The clever little Xia Zi took the brocade box from the princess and handed it to Su Peisheng.
He unfolded his robe as the emperor smiled, and the pine and crane embroidery on the robe attracted everyone's attention.
"Shuhe is so thoughtful. I will reward you with two pieces of brocade and ten ounces of silver."
Wen Yi was good friends with Shuhe, and she also gave Shuhe something she had made herself. A pair of deerskin boots with crooked stitching also received praise from the emperor.
Next it was Hongzhan's turn, and he came out respectfully holding a scroll.
"After entering the Shangshufang, I have been taught by a renowned teacher. Today, I present a picture of a hundred years of life to the Emperor. I wish His Majesty a long life, and may His Majesty's grace extend to all the world."
The emperor personally unfolded the centenary longevity picture presented by Hongzhan, said "good" three times, and rewarded him with a Duan inkstone and ten taels of silver.
The seventh prince Hongxia presented a painting to the emperor, who allowed him to study painting at the Imperial Observatory after seeing it.
Princess Longyue stood up with Shen Meizhuang's encouragement and bowed obediently.
"Your Highness wishes you a long life and may your admiration last forever."
As soon as the gold filigree and jade inlaid Ruyi was taken out of the brocade box, it aroused exclamations.
An Lingrong's first reaction when she saw it was that the Shen family was very wealthy, and the gift they gave was indeed extraordinary.
The emperor's smile faded, but he still praised Longyue gently and rewarded her with the same things he had given to the previous two princesses.
Hongyao and Zhaohua are twins, a boy and a girl. After they exchanged greetings, they started practicing boxing without saying a word.
After practicing martial arts, Hongyao became much stronger and could punch with great vigor.
Zhao Hua on the side was no less impressive, his tough yet gentle boxing style drew a lot of cheers from the crowd.
The one who shouted the loudest was Anle, her little hands were almost red from clapping.
This caused the emperor sitting at the top to applaud.
"Hongyao and Zhaohua have inherited the bravery of their ancestors. Su Peisheng, a few days ago, the Beast Garden sent a batch of docile ponies. Send someone to select two docile ones and send them to the two young masters as soon as possible."
"The slave obeys the order."
Hongyao and Zhaohua, brother and sister, quickly smiled and expressed their gratitude.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace."
The sixth brother brought back a pony from the garden, and the two of them were very envious.
The youngest Princess Anle spoke a lot of auspicious words, and the emperor was very happy to hear her childish words.
The emperor waved his hand and asked Su Peisheng to choose a pony for Anle.
Seeing the emperor's completely different reaction, Shen Meizhuang held Longyue's hand with heartache.
The emperor is so biased.
The progress of the banquet will not stop because of Shen Meizhuang's dissatisfaction.
The princes had experienced the emperor's birthday celebrations several times, and they could offer congratulations without hesitation, with their wives joining in the conversation.
About half a minute later, it was Prince Guo's turn.
He smiled and stood up to report, "Brother Emperor, all the brothers, princes, and princesses have presented gifts, and I cannot fall behind."
"Old Seventeen, if you have anything, please bring it up as soon as possible. Don't play dumb."
An old prince sitting next to Prince Guo couldn't help but urge him.
"Uncle, please don't be impatient. Please listen to me and I will explain it slowly."
"Brother Emperor, you rule the world and have seen countless treasures. I have pondered for several days without success. Concubine Ye reminded me of a unique birthday gift."
Prince Guo clapped his hands, and two groups of graceful women walked in from outside the door.
The jade flute in his hand sounded, and the graceful women in the hall began to dance.
The old prince with white beard glanced at him sideways: You are a villain who presented me with beauty at the birthday banquet!