At the wedding banquet, the congratulations continued, and every important court official who attended the banquet was full of joy and smiles. On the other hand, the table of the royal family, where Huo Du and Le Zhi were located, seemed much deserted.
Taking advantage of these few days of recuperation, Le Zhi recognized Daqi's royal family. In addition to the court ladies and noble ladies who met the queen when she asked for peace that day, she also inquired about the deeds of other princes and princesses.
I didn't have time to observe them one by one last time at the palace banquet, but today I have the opportunity to take a closer look.
Apart from Huo Du and Huo Xu, there were also two princes and a princess of the same age. The rest were mostly under ten years old and were not at the same table with them.
Different from the deep affection between Le Zhi and the emperor's brother and sister, the brothers at this table are all taciturn...
However, the fourth princess Huo Qingyu, who was sitting beside Huo Du in a blue robe and skirt, had a playful smile on her face. Le Zhi raised her eyes a few times, and she could see her secretly squinting her eyes.
Finally, Huo Qingyu couldn't hold back—
I saw her tilting her head, stretched out her fingertips and poked Huo Du's arm...
Huo Du's eyes were still in the distance, and his thoughts were interrupted by the little girl beside him. He turned his head impatiently and gave her a cold look.
But Huo Qingyu didn't care, she curved the corners of her lips, her round apricot eyes were shining, she lowered her voice and said to Huo Du: "Hey, brother Huang, how does it feel to be newly married?"
Seeing that Huo Du was ignoring her, her eyes turned to Lezhi again, and she added, "Huo Du is so beautiful!"
Although her voice was not loud, Le Zhi still heard it. Le Zhi raised her eyes, smiled at her, and nodded politely.
Huo Qingyu was immediately overjoyed, and the curvature of the corners of his mouth became wider. I don't know what kind of temperament this imperial sister-in-law has, but now it seems that she has a gentle and gentle temperament, and she is very appetizing! She tentatively pulled Huo Du's sleeve, "Brother Huang, how about we change positions?"
She really wanted to have a few words with this unremarkable-looking royal sister-in-law!
"not good."
Huo Qingyu: ...
She froze instantly, drooping her head, and muttered in a low voice dissatisfied: "What a stingy!"
To say that the Daqi royal family is not in harmony, the brothers are on their own. Although Huo Du is the heir, but because of his eccentric temperament and lack of interest in the affairs of the court, he has not made any achievements in these years.
But the strange thing is that whenever a minister asks Emperor Qi to reconsider the matter of the prince, the minister will surely die soon.
Once or twice, maybe a coincidence. But once the number of times is more, everyone can't help but guess that there is a hidden conspiracy. When these courtiers die, the beneficiary is undoubtedly Huo Du...
But the Dali Temple has been investigated many times, but nothing has been found. Over time, all the ministers even thought that Huo Du was unrighteous and sinister... But no one dared to discuss the matter of the prince again.
Until Huo Xu returned to the court recently, the courtiers seemed to see hope again...
But Huo Qingyu never thought so. For her, Huo Du was definitely not what outsiders said.
Huo Qingyu's biological mother was Mu Guiren, and Mu Guiren's family was weak and had an average status in the harem. And his health has always been bad, so after giving birth to Huo Qingyu, he suffered a great loss of blood and blood, and soon passed away. Concubine Hui took pity on her young daughter and took the initiative to ask Emperor Qi for an decree to keep Huo Qingyu by her side.
Concubine Hui came from the former Shengnuo tribe and was of the same clan as Huo Du's biological mother. She has only one son, named Huo Xiang, who is one year younger than Huo Qingyu. Huo Qingyu's status has improved a lot because he was raised under the lap of Concubine Hui, and Concubine Hui loved her so much.
When Huo Du was eight years old, he suffered an accident and broke his right leg. In the same year, his mother died. Since then, his temperament has become more indifferent and withdrawn. Huo Qingyu had nothing to do with this imperial brother, until one year, she fell from a tree because of playfulness and broke her leg...
Since she sneaked away from the palace staff to play in a remote corner of the palace, no one found her in time after the fall.
Because of the broken leg, Huo Qingyu was in pain and fear, shaking her shoulders and starting to cry. Not long after, she noticed a figure leaning on crutches not far away—
It's the royal brother who didn't say a few words.
For a moment, she seemed to grab a life-saving straw, and she hurriedly shouted: "Brother Emperor! Help me, I broke my leg..."
Then, she saw the figure glanced at her, ignored her and left.
Huo Qing's tone was such that he cursed in his heart: Damn! Anyway, brother and sister, this person is too cold-blooded!
But before she could finish scolding, Huo Du left and returned, still holding two wooden boards. He skillfully tied the planks to the sides of her injured leg, and threw her a cane made of thick wooden branches.
Huo Du didn't say a word the whole time, and left the wooden branch.
But Huo Qingyu remembered it. Since then, whenever there is a palace banquet, she always likes to sit beside Huo Du and have a few words with him. Although he doesn't quite respond to her...
Huo Qingyu's thoughts drifted far away, and suddenly his calf hurt—
Huo Du kicked her hard under the table!
Huo Qingyu frowned in pain, her apricot eyes widened, and she grinned while suppressing her voice: "Why!"
"Sit on the other side of her." Huo Du said leisurely.
Hearing this, Huo Qingyu was instantly happy, and even forgot the pain in his calf.
Yes! How could she forget that the royal brother doesn't change positions with her, she can go to sit on the other side of the royal sister-in-law!
Huo Qingyu raised her skirt with a smile and walked to the edge of Lezhi. She was familiar with the person sitting on the other side of Lezhi—
Huo Xiang.
She coughed lightly, took out a bit of the imperial sister's majesty, and said, "Xian'er, you can take the imperial sister's seat."
Unexpectedly, Huo Xiang didn't even lift his eyelids, "No."
"Hey!" Huo Qingyu touched his nose again and said angrily, "I'm the imperial sister, you have to listen to me!"
Huo Xiang glanced at her coolly, not bothering to make trouble with her, got up and walked to her place. Looking at the vindictiveness of the two of them, Le Zhi couldn't help but smile. She just looked at Huo Xiang for a while. Although the fifteen-year-old boy was still childish, he could still see the handsomeness between his brows.
Xu is the biological mother of the two of them from the same clan, and Le Zhi found that Huo Xiang's eyebrows and eyes looked a lot like Huo Du...
"Sister-in-law, I'm Qingyu..."
Le Zhi nodded and talked to this lovely fourth princess with a smile. It was rare to meet a lively and cheerful princess in the Daqi royal family who was the same age as her. The two quickly became acquainted with each other as if they had seen each other late.
The noise of the wedding banquet overwhelmed the conversation between the two. Huo Qingyu was very excited today. After drinking a lot of wine, Le Zhi couldn't stop her at all. Unconsciously, the topic of the two of them went from the interesting stories of the woman's boudoir to the people at the banquet...
Thinking that the two were the same age, Le Zhi asked casually, "Can we discuss kissing?"
Huo Qingyu's cheeks were flushed, and her tone was drunk. She leaned closer to Lezhi's ear and whispered, "I don't want to get married! I don't want to get married!"
Seeing Le Zhi's puzzled expression, Huo Qingyu said again, "Sister-in-law, look across from us, that's the eldest brother."
Le Zhi followed her words and saw that an older, slightly fatter prince was holding a wine glass, constantly asking the palace servants to refill him with wine. The prince concubine, who was sitting beside him, persuaded him several times, but he glared back. Le Zhi saw that there was a cyan color under his eyes, which was the trace of heavy desire.
The eldest prince, Huo Jue, was born to a concubine Li. Li Concubine was originally born as a palace maid, and Emperor Qi was drunk and made a mistake when he was young.
Emperor Qi regarded it as his own stain, and naturally he would not have a good face for Huo Jue's son. Although Huo Jue was the eldest son of the emperor, who would take him seriously? Over time, he began to give up on himself and indulge in sensuality, because he would never have a chance to ascend to the throne.
Huo Jue knew that everyone had a chance, except him.
"I'll tell you." Huo Qingyu leaned on Lezhi's shoulder and said softly, "There are dozens of concubines in the mansion of the first emperor, sometimes he goes outside to listen to music, and after listening, he will sing the song. Ji took it back to the mansion..."
"It's absurd! How beautiful the eldest sister-in-law used to be, you see, she's much older now."
Le Zhi looked at the eldest princess again. Indeed, as whispered, his face was tired and powdery.
"Most of the princes and nobles are like this. That's why I don't want to get married!"
Hearing this, Le Zhi sighed, but couldn't think of any words to comfort her for a while. I had to reach out and rub her head...
Huo Du's eyes were always beside him, and although he couldn't hear what they were saying, he could feel that the two were enjoying their conversation. After calculating the time, An Xuan should have done the work. He leaned on crutches and got up and left the table...
After Huo Du left, Huo Xu found the right time to walk towards Lezhi. He pretended to toast around the wine, and finally walked to Lezhi's side, called "Emperor's Sister-in-law" softly, and then raised the glass to toast her—
There is deep love in his eyes.
Huo Qingyu saw it clearly from the side, and she also knew that the three emperors were childhood sweethearts with the emperor's sister-in-law. But after all, the three emperor brothers destroyed the mother country of the emperor's sister-in-law with their own hands, and still used such a despicable method...
She frowned slightly, pursing her lips.
After all, in the eyes of everyone, Huo Xu didn't dare to show too much publicity. After toasting, he turned his head three times and left.
The wedding banquet was coming to an end, and Huo Xu hurried to the wedding room at the auspicious time... The guests gradually dispersed.
"See the Crown Princess."
A greeting sounded from behind, the voice...
Le Zhi was terrified, and when he looked back, he saw a face with stubble, and the little face suddenly lost its blood.
Huo Qingyu saw the clue and got up and said, "Yang Heng, you really have no rules. You only know how to say hello to the royal sister-in-law, can't you see this princess?"
Hearing this, Yang Heng's original proud smile froze on his face, he bowed and saluted: "Weichen dare not, see the princess."
"Okay, okay, back off."
After Yang Heng left, Huo Du also came back.
"What's the matter?" He asked Huo Qingyu, but Qi Qi was staring at Le Zhi with a lost face.
"I don't know." Huo Qingyu approached him and said softly, "Just now, Yang Heng came over to greet him, and that's what happened to the Queen's Wife."
There were fewer and fewer people in the palace. Huo Xian stood up and bowed to Huo Du and Le Zhi, then said to Huo Qingyu, "Go back."
Huo Qingyu shook Lezhi's hand and said goodbye to Huo Du: "Brother Huang, then let's go..."
After speaking, he reluctantly left with worry.
Huo Du was not in a hurry to leave, he sat down beside Le Zhi. He only left for a while, and Le Zhi became like this, and with what Qing Yu just said, he could probably guess the reason—
Yang Heng, deputy commander of the Daqi Shenyi Army.
He was also one of the heroes who helped Huo Xu to destroy the Li kingdom.