During the Dragon Boat Festival palace banquet, all the royal relatives entered the palace to celebrate the festival together. Since the emperor had just had a second princess, it gave people a lot of topics to talk about.
It's nothing more than praise, all nice words anyway.
Even the Empress Dowager and the Grand Noble Concubine sat together and talked. If you didn't know, you would think that the two sisters had a very good relationship.
Soon the emperor and the empress came hand in hand, and the couple looked very affectionate.
Although Ning Chen stayed overnight in Chuxiu Palace yesterday, he still went to Fengqi Palace in person to pick up the Queen early this morning, which also showed his respect for the Queen.
No matter how much he favors other concubines, the position of the queen remains unshakable.
When both of them sat down, the eunuch outside suddenly shouted, "Concubine De and the Second Princess are here!"
As the voice fell, a woman in dark blue palace dress walked in with a girl who looked 60% similar to her.
"Greetings to the Empress Dowager and the Imperial Concubine." Imperial Concubine De bowed slightly, holding a string of Buddhist beads in her hand.
Since she was the elder, she didn't have to bow to the emperor and the empress.
"It's rare that you are willing to come out. Please sit down." The Queen Mother smiled and waved her hand.
Concubine Dowager De really didn't talk much. She bowed and sat down with her little daughter.
Ye Jun watched from the side, thinking about the warlike late emperor, the second princess Ning Lin was probably more like her mother, while her elder sister Princess Jiahe was a cheerful person.
"Lin'er is becoming more and more beautiful now. I wonder which son will be so lucky in the future." The Royal Concubine praised with a smile.
The Queen Mother also nodded, "Yes, Lin'er is sixteen now, it's time for marriage. My cousin's second son is eighteen this year, and just won the second place in the spring examination. The family is also arranging it. The marriage of children has always been the most worrying thing for parents."
This statement is very obvious.
Ye Jun glanced at Ning Chen secretly, and seeing that he had no intention of responding, she knew that the Queen Mother's thoughts were in vain.
Sure enough, after the Imperial Concubine Tai deliberately agreed with something, she was interrupted.
"Lin'er is a princess, my biological sister, so naturally we have to be more careful about her marriage. It's better for her to choose a consort who suits her heart."
"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty. I have been worshipping Buddha every day and have never paid attention to what is happening outside. I will trouble the Empress Dowager, the Emperor and the Queen to take care of Lin'er's marriage." Concubine Dowager De also spoke at the right time.
This means agreeing with Ning Chen.
The Queen Mother was a little embarrassed, but she was tactful enough not to mention her parents' home again.
Seeing that the atmosphere was a little cold, the Queen spoke to smooth things over, "Your Majesty, now that Wang Xiuyuan has given birth to the second princess, our second sister can also be called the second princess. This will confuse the two aunts and nieces. The second sister has already reached the age of marriage, so why don't you come up with a title for her?"
"Well, what the Queen said makes sense. Lin'er has a quiet and gentle personality, so let's give her the title Jiarou." Ning Chen thought of one himself to give her face.
Ning Lin immediately stood up and said, "Jia Rou thanks the emperor for the reward."
Ning Chen smiled and waved his hand, then looked at Princess Jiahe beside him. This time, the He family had made great achievements in the Spring Examination, so they should be rewarded.
"I remember Rui'er is eight years old this year. She doesn't look like the eldest sister, but more like the brother-in-law."
He Xinyan hurriedly bowed, "It is said that a daughter resembles her father and a son resembles his mother, but Rui'er and Han'er both look more like me. For this, the princess has bullied me a lot."
“Hahahaha, big sister has always been steady. I never thought you could be so childish sometimes.” Ning Chen laughed, his tone very intimate.
Princess Jiahe felt embarrassed and glared at her husband with a red face.
The queen sat there and watched the intimacy between the couple. She was very envious, and when she thought of her own husband beside her, she felt even more sad.
After a few words, Ning Chen took the opportunity to confer the title of Princess Huiqing on Jiahe's daughter He Rui. As for their son He Yinhan, there was no need to do so and he was only rewarded with a set of four treasures of the study.
Nowadays, men rely on fame and fortune. As a family of scholars like the He family, it is believed that He Yinhan will follow in his father's footsteps in the future.
Everyone present knew why Princess Jiahe and her husband were rewarded this time. This time, the He family got what the Chen family wanted but did not get.
The empress dowager was furious and didn't understand why the emperor would side with outsiders and refuse to give any benefits to his own uncle, so her face looked very bad.
It just so happened that Concubine Wende accidentally choked on her wine and coughed twice, which gave the old lady the opportunity to take advantage of her.
"I see that Concubine Wende's health is getting worse. The eldest prince calls the imperial physician every few days, but he can't even take care of his own body. How can he take good care of the emperor if he can't take care of his child?"
Concubine Wende frowned slightly, knowing that the Queen Mother was taking her out on her, but there was nothing she could do so she had to stand up and apologize.
"I drank too much and choked, so I'm coughing. I'm not sick. The eldest prince is weak, and I love him so much that I often ask the imperial physician to see him. It's not that I don't take good care of him..."
"You still want to quibble after I say a few words to you?" The Queen Mother snorted coldly and interrupted her, "I think the Emperor has spoiled you rotten. Even I can't say anything. Isn't it your fault that the eldest prince is weak?!"
"I know I was wrong. I will take better care of the eldest prince in the future. Please forgive me, Your Majesty the Queen Mother." Concubine Wende felt extremely aggrieved and could only bow her head.
Ning Chen knew where the Queen Mother's anger came from, and he felt annoyed.
But now, in front of so many royal relatives, he couldn't lose face for the empress dowager, so he spoke while suppressing his anger.
"It's a good Duanwu Festival, mother, please don't be angry. After all, this is Concubine Wende's first time giving birth, so it's inevitable that there will be some inconsiderate things."
The Queen Mother glared at Concubine Wende, but she didn't dare to force it, so she stopped finding fault.
The originally harmonious atmosphere was disturbed by the Queen Mother, the troublemaker, and no matter how lively and cheerful the atmosphere was afterwards, it became a bit awkward.
Finally it ended early.
After returning to Yuxiu Pavilion, Ye Jun changed into simple clothes, and the kitchen sent her rice dumplings and eggs.
Thanks to the attentiveness of the kitchen, the rice dumplings were made very delicately, one for each bite. A plate of each flavor was served, filling up a small table.
This is the benefit of being favored. Others can only get the simplest candied date rice dumplings.
Before he had taken a few bites, he heard news from outside that the Emperor had rewarded Concubine Wen with a lot of things, and some palace maids were carrying three or four boxes to Chuxiu Palace.
"Why is the Queen Mother doing this?" Ye Jun was speechless. "A daughter who is married off is like water spilled out. She doesn't care about her own son, but always wants to benefit her parents' family. She might as well go back to her mother's house and be a girl. Why is she being a Queen Mother?"
"Jieyu, be careful with your words. Don't let others hear it." Nan Zhi was so scared that she looked around quickly.
Ye Jun shrugged and didn't say anything else, but he still couldn't help complaining in his heart.
These women entered the palace to bring wealth and glory to a family, but they had to go to their husband's family first and then their own family.
If your husband's family is not good, how can you subsidize your parents' family? If you only know how to gain benefits for your parents' family, you will inevitably become alienated from your husband's family. Few people understand such a simple truth.
It is the current education system that is harmful, as it teaches these girls to never think about living for themselves.