All the concubines in the room looked at the carefully dressed Miss Chen Er with mixed feelings.
If you say that it was the empress dowager who asked her to bring a gift, it would be within the rules, but the empress dowager said that she was not feeling well and could not move around, so she asked the second girl to attend the eldest prince's first birthday banquet on her behalf.
What is your identity that brought you here
Even if I say that I came here as your cousin, it would be more reasonable.
"Why are you troubling the Second Young Lady to come here? The Queen Mother really values you. Usually, servants would take care of this kind of thing."
Concubine Wende spoke with a forced smile.
I am disgusted by the Queen Mother's behavior.
Who the hell is Chen Suzhi? She is just the concubine daughter of the Duke of Yingguo. How dare she have the audacity to come to her Chuxiu Palace’s banquet, and it’s the eldest prince’s first birthday banquet. Is she worthy
This time, it was because the eldest prince had just recovered from an illness, and they were afraid that inviting too many strangers would disturb the child, so only the concubines in the harem gathered together.
Under normal circumstances, such birthday banquets and full-month banquets would have invited royal relatives and nobles to the palace to celebrate, and Chen Suzhi was not qualified to enter the palace at all.
Chen Suzhi understood the hidden meaning behind Concubine Wende's comparison of her to a slave, and her face immediately turned red.
After all, she is just a fourteen-year-old girl. No matter how talented she is, she is still thin-skinned and cannot compare to those who have been fighting in the harem for many years.
"I am a humble servant, but it is a great blessing for me to work for the Queen Mother. This is a gift from the Queen Mother to the Crown Prince and the Queen Mother. Please take a look at it."
Chen Suzhi stiffened her neck and hurriedly changed the subject.
"No need to look at it. What the Queen Mother sent is certainly a very good thing. Baishuang, ask someone to put it away." Concubine Wende waved her hand.
Concubine Zhao suddenly said, "We have not had the pleasure of seeing the things of the Empress Dowager. I wonder what the Second Young Lady has prepared. Can you let us take a look? I guess it is something from outside the palace. I have been in the palace for a long time and have seen a lot of things made inside. I am a little envious of things made outside."
Normally, everyone thought that Zhao was noisy and loved to argue, but today everyone was very satisfied with what she said.
They all looked at Chen Suzhi.
Anyway, no matter how the second daughter of the Chen family responds, it will be a dead end.
If you say that good things have been prepared, Concubine Wende has been favored for many years, so what good things doesn't she have
If you say that what you prepared is something that shows your heart, then if it is not valuable enough, is it worthy of being taken out
"Oh, I think the second young lady forgot to prepare it?"
Concubine Shu took a sip of tea and looked at Chen Suzhi with contempt behind her.
The two boxes of the Queen Mother's things were moved away, but nothing was left.
Zhang Cairen curled her lips, "After all, she is just a concubine of the Duke's Mansion. I think the monthly interest is not enough to prepare anything. I am afraid that Concubine Zhao will be disappointed."
For a moment, Chen Suzhi's face turned pale and red, and the handkerchief in her hand was almost torn.
His eyes frantically scanned the concubines, finally landing on Concubine Chen, full of pleading.
Lady Chen narrowed her eyes and sighed inwardly.
But after all, they are all members of the Chen family. If Chen Suzhi is bullied severely, it will be a shame for the Chen family.
So she spoke up to save the situation, "Excuse me, Madam Defei and all the sisters. My sister has always been careless. I think she prepared it but didn't bring it. After all, the Empress Dowager is there to remind her. Of course she would not be unprepared."
Finally, he turned to the stupidly standing girl and said, "Why don't you go back and get it?"
"Yes, I'll go back to the Cining Palace to get it!" Chen Suzhi nodded hurriedly.
"It's cold and the roads are slippery outside. Why should the second young lady make another trip? Just ask the servants to do it." Ye Jun suddenly said.
Everyone was attacking her in a group, and if she could sit still for too long she would seem too special.
Besides, a favored concubine should always show some of the aura of a favored concubine. Wouldn't it be inappropriate not to be a little ruthless to a woman like this who is obviously coming for the emperor
Concubine Wende glanced at Ye Jun and smiled, "Yes, just ask the servants to go. I guess the emperor will be here soon, so let's take our seats first."
After he finished speaking, he ordered his servants to spread out the weapons without further ado.
Chen Suzhi's heart slowed for a beat, not knowing what to do. Finally, she was helped by the palace maid to sit down in the seat for the last criminals in a daze.
Worried that she would bring shame to the Chen family, Lady Chen asked Qiao Yu, who was by her side, to serve her.
"Don't worry, young lady. The Queen Mother will make all arrangements for you." Qiao Yu comforted her.
"Okay, okay, please ask Sister Qiaoyu to thank my eldest sister on my behalf." Chen Suzhi finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Qiao Yu saw it and felt full of contempt.
It seems that Aunt Su's brains were all taken over by the Second Young Master, and this Second Young Lady only inherited a good-looking appearance.
Not long after sitting down, the queen's reward arrived.
It was a pomegranate tree made of red agate and a necklace made of warm jade.
Pomegranates are a symbol of abundance and good fortune, while warm jade is even rarer and very valuable.
"The Empress is still taking care of her pregnancy. The imperial physician said she cannot be moved at will, so she cannot come to the banquet in person. Please forgive me, Empress Defei."
The one who came to deliver the gifts was Su'e, and she was respectful in her words.
Concubine Wende naturally had no objection, so she gave him a reward and sent him away.
"The Queen is really careful." Concubine Jing lowered her eyes and spoke in a faint voice.
Sitting next to her was Lin Xiurong, who snorted coldly, "Even if you are careful, you can still capsize sometimes."
"Sister, don't say that!" Concubine Jing hurriedly stopped her and lowered her voice, "What happened in the past is in the past. Why do you have to be so persistent? After all... the child is innocent."
A trace of pain flashed across Lin Xiurong's eyes. He clenched the wine glass and stopped talking.
The child is innocent, the queen's child is innocent, then what about her child
Soon, the sound of singing and cheering for the emperor's arrival could be heard outside.
Concubine Wende hurriedly stood up and led the concubines out to greet them.
Among a group of kneeling women, Ning Chen walked straight to Concubine Wende and helped her up personally.
"Today is the eldest prince's birthday. You have worked hard."
"I am not suffering. As long as the child and the emperor are well, it will be worth it no matter what I do."
The woman's eyes were full of tenderness as she looked at the man in front of her, with a myriad of emotions in her mind.
Ning Chen patted her hands to comfort her, and then led the way into the hall.
Chen Suzhi, who was following at the end of the crowd, was not noticed, but her eyes staring straight at Ning Chen were clearly seen by others.
To be honest, one glance can ruin your life.
Ever since she met Ning Chen, she had forgotten everything her aunt and brother said.
Such a handsome man, who is also the ruler of the world, really made her tempted.
After we sat down again, the meal began in earnest.
Concubine Wende ordered people to bring the eldest prince out for everyone to see.
After all, the child was born prematurely and was extremely thin. His skin was so white that it seemed transparent. There were red bloodshot on his cheeks and faint blue veins near his temples. He did not look like an easy child to raise.
Even though she was so small, her clothes were stained with a faint smell of medicine, which showed how much medicine she had taken on a daily basis.
Ning Chen held the baby for a while and then gave it to the wet nurse, who asked him to be taken away, his brows slightly frowned.
This is his eldest son, but he is so weak that it is really hard to make people happy.
Below, Zhang Cairen was sitting opposite Concubine Shu and she winked at her without making any expression.
Shu Fei understood and said, "I see that the eldest prince is much more energetic than before. I think when it gets warmer next year, he will be able to walk after taking off his heavy clothes. The eldest princess also didn't know how to walk until she was over a year old."