Most of the banquets in the palace are held in Hexiang Palace, and this year is no exception. Hexiang Palace is very spacious, even if it is to entertain civil and military officials from the Manchu Dynasty, it is also very close to the Imperial Garden, and the fragrance of flowers of the four seasons can be heard faintly, which is very elegant.
Today's Hexiang Palace is decorated with lanterns and colorful flowers, and the earth dragons in the palace are burning very warmly, giving it a feeling of spring.
Jun Lixuan led Ling Qiyang in, and the attendants who were waiting at the door rushed out to greet her, and said with a smile, "All blessings, Lord Lin, and concubine Lin."
"En." Jun Lixuan responded, looking around.
"Prince Yi just arrived, and he's already inside. This way, please." The attendant led the way inside. As soon as he entered the main hall, he saw Prince Yi Liyuan sitting on a seat drinking tea.
"Okay, you can go." Jun Lixuan waved his hand, and the attendant withdrew.
"Third Brother." Jun Lixuan walked over with Ling Qiyang, "Did Sixth Brother come with you?"
"Li Che entered the palace a quarter earlier than me, but I didn't see him." Jun Liyuan glanced at the palace, but he didn't find Jun Liche's shadow, and said, "Maybe I went to find the emperor's wife."
As a big man like Jun Liche, he would never get lost, so Jun Lixuan didn't ask any more questions.
Ling Qiyang saluted Jun Liyuan and said, "Third Brother."
"Your brother, you don't need to be too polite. Since I met at the wedding that day, I haven't had time to invite you to sit at the house. Don't blame me, dear." You know, it will also slightly damage Jun Lixuan's reputation, but Jun Liyuan doesn't hate Ling Qiyang, on the contrary, he thinks that this person is sincere enough. Coupled with the incident with the spices this time, Jun Liyuan even developed a good impression of him, and felt that he had not misjudged the person.
"Third brother is polite, busy next year. But Qiyang didn't come to visit Ann, so I ask third brother to forgive me." Although Jun Liyuan and Jun Lixuan are siblings, Ling Qiyang didn't dare to be too casual.
"One of you is my third brother, and the other is my wife and relatives. They are all family members, so don't take it like this." Jun Lixuan is not afraid that the third brother will be awkward, but that Ling Qiyang will be tired.
"That's right." Jun Liyuan nodded with a smile, let the two sit down, and said to Ling Qiyang: "Although the banquet in the palace is good, it's not easy to get full, so let's have some snacks first."
"I was negligent." Jun Lixuan asked the waiter to serve some snacks, and while there were not many people arriving, he first filled his concubine's belly.
"Isn't this my favorite red bean cake?" Jun Liche, who walked in, saw that the waiter brought it up and lit it, so he reached out and took a piece.
"Sixth Brother." Jun Lixuan and Ling Qiyang stood up and said.
"Where did you go to come here?" Jun Liyuan asked.
Jun Liche looked at Jun Lixuan and Ling Qiyang with a smile, "Just now I wanted to go to my mother's harem to find them, and then tease that little Mo Yu'er. But by chance, there was an affectionate scene, and I felt that I was a little bit over there It's an eyesore, so let's go to the imperial dining room to eat something."
When he said this, Ling Qiyang immediately realized what the "affectionate drama" Jun Liche was referring to, and his ears warmed up.
Jun Liyuan also guessed a bit, and smiled without saying a word.
Jun Lixuan shook his head helplessly, it seems that it would be better to do it in his own house in the future.
As the time for the banquet approached, the emperor and queen also joined the table one after another.
The empress sat on the left hand side of Emperor Yanxi, followed by the legitimate son, the concubine, the collateral prince and the eldest son. The next step on the right hand of Emperor Yanxi is the position of the imperial concubine, followed by the concubines and princesses of the palace lords, as well as the concubines of the princes and other princes and concubines. As for those concubines who are not in the main seat, they are not eligible to sit in the Hexiang Palace. The queen opened another side hall for other concubines to drink together.
Ling Qiyang is Qing Zi, although married to Jun Lixuan, she is not a woman after all, so she sits with Jun Lixuan, one is to show Qi Zhengfei's status, and the other is to convey the importance that the emperor and queen attach to him, and the food and drinks are served later After serving the table, the emperor said some words of advice and blessings, and everyone drank with the emperor, and the New Year's Eve banquet officially started. The princes also toasted to the emperor and queen one by one starting from Jun Liyuan.
When it was time for Jun Lixuan, the emperor looked at the amber liquid in his cup and said with a smile: "My Xuan'er is a drinker, why did you drink fruit wine today?"
"Reporting to my father, the fine wines in the palace are all peerless wines, but Qiyang is too strong to drink, so he can only drink fruit wine. My son and him are husband and wife, so we should drink together. In order not to get drunk, Qiyang has to take care of him. Father, Emperor, and Empress must be worried."
"My son is really virtuous and filial." Emperor Yanxi laughed loudly, patted Jun Lixuan on the shoulder, and drank with him and Ling Qiyang. Excellent!"
The queen also raised her glass, "Xuan'er used to be steady, but she was a little less meticulous. Now she is more diligent and knows how to think about her parents and wife."
"Yes." Emperor Yanxi smiled heartily.
Jun Lixuan and Ling Qiyang returned to their seats, except for Jun Liyuan and Jun Liche, everyone else had different expressions. Emperor Yanxi praised the queen's son greatly, and the concubines in the harem were somewhat jealous, but the concubine was not angry. However, they didn't dare to show these emotions too much. If Emperor Yanxi noticed it, they wouldn't be able to bear it.
After drinking for three rounds, the imperial concubine, who was already drunk, leaned back on the chair, her silver bell-like chuckle attracted the emperor's attention.
"Why is my concubine smiling so happily?" Emperor Yanxi asked.
"It's nothing. Looking at the joyous atmosphere in this hall, it reminds the concubines of the wedding hall where they worship and get married." The imperial concubine straightened her upper body gracefully, glanced at the queen, and said, "It's this hall that actually The lily is stuck upside down, which is unavoidably vulgar. Besides, the lily is not a rare flower, and it would be a bit self-deprecating to use it in the royal palace banquet. What does the queen say?"
Letting the imperial concubine say this, the atmosphere was a little awkward. Jun Liyuan frowned slightly, with his identity, he really shouldn't be able to argue with women like the imperial concubine. Jun Lixuan pursed his lips slightly, as if he had expected that today's banquet would not be peaceful. Jun Liche pressed the wine glass to his lips, a little disdain flashed in his eyes, no matter how the empress arranges, the empress is the empress.
The queen smiled, but did not respond. Last year, the palace built a new greenhouse with floor heating, which is designed to plant some easy-to-grow flowers in winter, adding some spring scenery, so that the palaces can also enjoy it. In addition to pink and white lilies this year, many orange ones have also been planted. The three colors are matched together, which is quite a sight.
"Lilies are elegant in appearance, sweet in fragrance, noble in meaning, and warm in color, so they are perfect for today's hall." Ling Qiyang said in a timely manner: "Drinking today will inevitably make you drunk. Putting some lilies here will help you to get drunk." Keep your mind and mind calm. So as not to lose your temper after drinking and break the rules."
The respectful rhetoric made the imperial concubine unable to explain why for a while.
Emperor Yanxi nodded in agreement, "Qi Yang is right. This is Qi Yang's first time in the palace to celebrate the New Year. Are you still used to eating?"
"Yes, father. I have never seen these dishes before. I think they are very novel and taste good." Even if it is not good, you have to say yes. If the emperor treats you to a banquet, if you say it is not to your taste, isn't it an embarrassment to the emperor
"That's good, eat more." Emperor Yanxi was obviously in a good mood, and said to Jun Lixuan: "Your wife and relatives will take care of themselves."
"Yes." Jun Lixuan replied.
The imperial concubine glanced at Ling Qiyang sideways, and said coldly with a subdued smile: "After all, he came from a small family, and he is a concubine. He has never seen anything in the world. The food in the palace is better than you usually eat. "
Ling Qiyang chuckled nonchalantly. Compared with the royal family, Uncle Wangyang's mansion is indeed a small family, and although the title of Uncle Wangyang sounds good, it has no real power. His father got this title only because of the blessing of his ancestors.
Although Ling Qiyang didn't take it seriously, but Jun Lixuan was not very comfortable listening to it, holding Ling Qiyang's hand under the table, looking at the imperial concubine with a slightly gloomy expression.
What her son thinks, the queen naturally knows best, and she doesn't like the imperial concubine's criticism of his son's status, so she said: "Xuan'er's marriage was bestowed by the emperor, and the emperor bestowed the marriage, naturally it is a good match. "
Emperor Yanxi listened comfortably to the queen's words, and turned his gaze to the imperial concubine.
The imperial concubine knew that she had made a slip of the tongue, and quickly laughed and said: "The concubine means that the royal family is not comparable to ordinary people. It is normal for Princess Lin to have never seen it. Otherwise, wouldn't it be disrespectful to cross the distance?"
Emperor Yanxi didn't say anything, and brought food for the queen. Seeing the imperial concubine secretly tightening the handkerchief in her hand, she was extremely angry.
"Although I was not in Beijing when the seventh younger brother got married, I also heard about the emperor's younger brother asking to marry Ling Qiyang. After waiting for so many years, my younger brother is finally sincere, and the golden stone is open." The eldest prince sitting next to the two laughed. Dao, from the time he entered the table, he was a bit dissatisfied. He is obviously the eldest son, and although he is not a descendant, he has made a lot of contributions, but he has to sit in the fourth place. If you don't have the heart, will you end up alone if you wait all this time? It doesn't seem worth it if you think about it."
Ling Qiyang looked at Jun Chengrong beside him, and said quietly: "The love goes deep, and it will end from the beginning."
Jun Chengrong was stunned for a moment, and then said: "My younger brother is so polite, but elder brother is not good at these things. I wonder if the seventh brother can understand?"
"Naturally." Jun Lixuan looked at Ling Qiyang with a smile, "There are some things that you only know about when you encounter them, and some people only know about them when you encounter them. Others will not understand, and there is no need to understand."
"Hey, although everyone praises Prince Lin for his both civil and military skills, we mostly see him as brave, indifferent, and sometimes eloquent when he doesn't want to. It's not like Chengrong. Be a filial son." The one who spoke was Concubine Ying, Jun Chengrong's biological mother, who was sitting under the imperial concubine's hands. Since she entered the palace, she has been attached to the imperial concubine. But the two seem to be of the same mind, but in fact they have their own plans.
Concubine Ying's obvious praise of her son's military achievements made everyone present feel superficial. In fact, the more such people are, the easier they are to deal with, so there is nothing to be afraid of.
The fifth prince, Jun Chengxi, who was sitting next to Jun Chengrong, laughed mockingly, with a calculating and cunning face, apparently he didn't pay attention to the mother and son. And the fourth prince Jun Chengyan next to him was very indifferent, drinking his own wine from the glass, as if he didn't hear anything, the ruthlessness in the corners of his eyes and brows covered all emotions, but even so, he could still feel that people's disdain.
"Filial piety is a good thing. The emperor's sons are naturally good at civil and martial arts. Concubine Ying's words are too modest. How can I say that Chengrong was also taught by me as a first-rank university scholar. How can I only know martial arts and not literary talents? "The queen was very dissatisfied with Concubine Ying's use of Jun Lixuan to show her military exploits. If it were true, his Yuan'er or Xuan'er could not overwhelm Jun Chengrong to death.
"Speaking of both civil and martial arts..." Concubine Ying covered her mouth with a smile and glanced at the opposite, and said, "The sixth prince seems to only understand literature and history, not martial arts." Isn't the sixth prince the emperor's son
Concubine Ying's thoughtless words made Emperor Yanxi's face darken. Jun Liche's mother concubine, Xian Guifei, was his favorite woman, but it was a pity that she was so beautiful that she left after giving birth to Jun Liche. Every time he thinks about it now, Emperor Yanxi still feels heartache and nostalgia.
"Concubine Ying's words are wrong. What the emperor said about martial arts does not mean that you can lead troops to fight." Jun Liyuan, who had been silent all this time, said, "Father asked us to practice martial arts, originally for the purpose of strengthening our bodies. As for success in learning, it also depends on personal preference and talent. There are many people who practice martial arts in the world, but very few stand out, but this does not affect the enthusiasm of those who practice martial arts. Therefore, the fundamentals of martial arts It's still about keeping fit, and Li Che has a good body, which is a kindness to my father."
"Yuan'er is right." Emperor Yanxi nodded in satisfaction, "A dragon has nine sons, each of which is different. It is not necessary for my sons to all look the same, Che'er is the best."
"Yes, father." Jun Li Che raised his glass to the emperor with a smile, and the father and son drank to each other.
"Concubine Ying, you have been in the palace for a long time, so you should know how to talk too much." The imperial concubine could see that what Concubine Ying said just now displeased the emperor, and said: "Although it is a good thing to have a straightforward personality, it is often a good thing to not use your brain. It's going to be bad too."
It was only then that Concubine Ying realized that what she said just now should not have been said at all, she immediately got up and saluted, "The concubine was outspoken for a while, and had no other intentions, please forgive me, Your Majesty."
Seeing his mother and concubine knelt down to admit his mistake, Jun Chengrong also stood up immediately, bowed and said: "Mother and concubine made an unintentional mistake, please forgive my father."
Emperor Yanxi waved his hand and said: "For the new year, I also hope to be lively and happy, so let's all get up. Since the imperial concubine can give some advice to Concubine Ying, I will teach her more tonight while watching the new year. I will sleep in the elegant hall tonight. Kun Palace, you can watch the year with peace of mind."
"Yes..." The imperial concubine forced a smile on the corner of her mouth, and quietly glared at Concubine Ying.
The queen smiled and told the waiter to go back and prepare, then turned around and continued with the banquet.
The singing and dancing in front of him made Ling Qiyang, who had drunk a lot of fruit wine, a little dizzy, Jun Lixuan leaned over calmly, let him lean on her body, and held his hands with both hands, so that he could feel at ease only if he didn't feel cold. Ling Qiyang was slightly drunk, he could no longer care about being embarrassed, so he followed Jun Lixuan's wishes.
"The emperor should be able to sleep well tonight." Ling Qiyang said in a voice that only the two of them could hear.
Jun Lixuan smiled and whispered in his ear: "You can also sleep well tonight."
Ling Qiyang gave an "um" with red ears, absorbing the temperature from Jun Lixuan's body, feeling extremely at ease.