Dugu Jingyao is reborn as Li Chu's beloved

Chapter 143: Re-entering the East Palace

When they reached the gate of Zhaoyang Palace, Madam Xu bowed and said, "Please allow me to go in and report."

Li Chu motioned for Aunt Xu to go. Aunt Xu turned and went into the hall.

The Crown Princess in the palace was very anxious. Just as the Crown Prince was trying to offer some comfort, Nanny Xu walked in and bowed, saying, "Your Highness, Crown Princess, His Highness Prince Guangping and several other distinguished guests have arrived."

The Crown Princess couldn't wait any longer, so the Crown Prince said, "What are you waiting for? Go and invite them in!"

The Crown Prince didn't blame the Crown Princess for speaking before him. He just thought it was harmless.

Everyone followed Aunt Xu into the hall, and then the group walked in slowly.

The Crown Prince and Crown Princess sat on their high seats, their gazes fixed upon the crowd. Li Chu took the lead, stepped forward, and respectfully saluted, saying, "Greetings to my father and mother."

The people behind him also saluted in unison and said in unison: "Greetings to the Crown Prince and Crown Princess."

The prince nodded slightly, a kind smile on his face, and said, "No need to be polite, just stand up." The princess smiled and said, "You are here, please sit down." Her voice was gentle and kind, making people feel extremely comfortable.

After expressing their gratitude, Li Chu and others took their seats one by one.

The prince asked first, "Chu'er, have you had lunch yet?"

Li Chu shook his head and said, "I haven't had lunch yet."

Seeing that they arrived late, the Crown Princess thought they had already had lunch, but she didn't expect them to have had lunch yet. So she frowned slightly and said, "Why haven't you had lunch yet at this time?"

Li Chu explained, "It was because I drank too much yesterday that I got up late today. When I arrived at the posthouse, everyone had already packed their luggage."

The Crown Princess heard this and realized that this was the case. She still criticized Li Chu a little: "You should be more careful in the future and drink less alcohol. Otherwise, it may delay things, but it is mainly bad for your health."

The Crown Prince thought he could escape unscathed. After all, he had drunk quite a bit on both occasions, even nearly missing his court session the first time. Unexpectedly, he looked up and met the Crown Princess's gaze. She said, "And your Highness, too. Drink less. It's not good for your health!"

The prince looked at Li Chu, who was sitting below him. The two exchanged glances before he replied, "Yes, Jia Wan (mother), I (your son) will follow your instructions!"

The Crown Princess couldn't help but laugh.

Chu Xinyu also thought the scene looked familiar, so she murmured quietly, "Why does this feel a bit like when my mother scolded my father and brothers?"

Although Chu Xinyu's voice was relatively low, the Crown Prince still heard a little bit of it. So the Crown Princess looked at Chu Xinyu and asked, "Xinyu, do you have anything to say?"

Chu Xinyu was still a little flustered at being called out suddenly. She shook her head like a rattle and said, "Nothing, aunt."

The Crown Princess smiled gently and encouraged Chu Xinyu, "It's okay, Xinyu, just tell us what you have to say so that everyone can hear it."

Chu Xinyu looked at her mother, and Wei Jiayan also gave her an encouraging look. Chu Xinyu had no choice but to say: "It's nothing, I just felt that the scene just now was very familiar, as if..."

The Crown Princess was a little curious: "What does it look like?"

Chu Xinyu said a little embarrassedly: "It's like when my mother scolds my father and brother sometimes..." Her voice became smaller and smaller at the end, but it was still heard completely.

Wei Jiayan blushed at what her daughter said. The prince jokingly said, "Haha, they are indeed sisters. Even their way of scolding people is exactly the same!"

After saying that, Li Neng, Li Ruo, and Liu Jingyue couldn't help laughing out loud, but quickly covered their mouths to stop laughing, for fear of being noticed by the Crown Princess and Wei Jiayan.

Unexpectedly, this action made everyone laugh out loud, and the matter was over.

The prince waved his hand and said, "Since no one has had lunch yet, let's set the table first. We can eat and talk at the same time!"

The rest of the people naturally responded.

Because the Crown Princess knew that they would most likely go to the palace for lunch, she asked the kitchen to prepare it early, and soon many maids came in carrying various dishes.

What greeted the eye were exquisite dishes, presented on exquisite porcelain, like works of art. The dishes were varied, including roast suckling pig, stewed lamb, steamed fish and other meats, as well as various vegetables and fruits such as spinach, cucumbers and grapes.

The roast suckling pig is a highlight. Roasted to a golden crisp, its skin is crispy and delicious, while the meat is tender and juicy inside. The stewed lamb is another delicacy, perfectly cooked, tender, and rich in broth. The steamed fish is also a must-try, perfectly preserving its umami flavor and leaving it with a fresh, smooth texture.

In addition to meat and fish, Tang Dynasty court banquets also featured a variety of vegetables and fruits. Vegetables like spinach and cucumbers were cut into various shapes and arranged beautifully on the plates. Fruits like grapes and watermelon were cut into small pieces and placed on the plates.

In addition, there are also various dim sum and snacks. Dim sum includes a wide variety of cakes, biscuits, candies, etc. Snacks include dumplings, wontons, glutinous rice balls, etc.

The dishes were almost served, so the prince took the lead in eating. The people who had just arrived could not care less. They had just gotten up early in the morning to pack their luggage and tour the palace. They had consumed too much energy and needed to eat something to replenish their energy.

But fortunately, he just didn't have time to talk, and he didn't eat too fast.

This is the first time that during a meal, half of the time I could only hear the sound of people eating, and basically no one was talking. But that’s okay, “Don’t talk while eating and don’t talk while sleeping”!

After the meal, the maids came in and collected the leftovers, and then everyone started chatting.

The Crown Prince asked first, "King of Yunnan, have you settled down in Chu'er's mansion?"

Dugu Xin said respectfully, "Your Highness, everything has been settled."

The prince looked at Dugu Jingyao again and asked, "Have you seen Chu'er's palace? Does Jingyao like the courtyard?"

Dugu Jingyao hadn't expected the Crown Prince to ask this, but she was too familiar with the structure of the Guangping Palace. She believed that the heavens had given her a chance to be reborn, and that they were determined to allow her to change her fate. So, she bowed respectfully to the head of the table and said, "Your Highness, I do have my eye on a courtyard."

Li Chu felt that he had been negligent and had not noticed that Jingyao had a favorite courtyard. Before the prince could ask again, Li Chu asked, "Which one did Jingyao like? If there is anything you would like to modify, please tell me and I will order someone to repair it."

Dugu Jingyao thought it was fine as it was, so she said, "I think the courtyard called 'Wangyuexuan' is very good, and it doesn't need any renovations. I'm afraid it won't be beautiful if it is renovated."

The prince laughed twice after hearing this and said, "Haha, since you have a courtyard that you like, that's great. I guess the imperial decree granting the marriage will be coming soon. You can repair it in no time or change the name if you like."

Li Chu and Dugu Jingyao stood up and saluted to show that they understood.

At this moment, a eunuch came in.