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Xiao Yao felt somewhat intimidated by He Yu's open confrontation with Ning Consort, but when she glanced around, she noticed that everyone else seemed unfazed. Some were shaking their heads and sighing, while others were stifling laughter; no one appeared surprised. This eased her mind, and she followed He Yu to her seat.
After settling Xiao Yao in, He Yu whispered in her ear, "Don't worry." Hearing this calmed Xiao Yao's heart, as she believed He Yu must have a plan for what was to come.
As she pondered this, a loud voice announced, "The Emperor has arrived."
Everyone who had just sat down quickly stood up and knelt, calling out in unison, "Long live the Emperor!"
Kneeling among the crowd, Xiao Yao discreetly raised her head just enough to see a pair of Ming Yellow boots walk past her. Beyond that, she could see nothing more.
At the command of "Rise" from Qidi, everyone stood up. Just as Xiao Yao got to her feet, she felt a gaze from across the room. She looked up and met Ning Consort's eyes. The arrogance in Ning Consort's gaze was clear to Xiao Yao, causing her heart to skip a beat as she instinctively grabbed He Yu's sleeve.
"What is it?" He Yu asked, startled by Xiao Yao's sudden movement.
"Your Highness..." Xiao Yao said, her eyes still fixed on Ning Consort. He Yu turned to look at Ning Consort and raised an eyebrow in understanding. She gently patted Xiao Yao's hand, signaling her not to worry.
However, this time Xiao Yao couldn't easily calm down; her heart felt suspended in mid-air, and her eyelids twitched incessantly.
Sure enough, after the Emperor finished his speech and indicated that everyone could eat and drink, Ning Consort stood up with a wine cup in hand and smiled charmingly. "Your Majesty, on this Mid-Autumn Festival, a time for reunion, I toast you with this cup."
"Mm." Qidi did not show any obvious reaction but still graciously raised his cup and drank.
After Qidi finished his drink, Ning Consort continued, "Now that Fourth has reached an appropriate age, it is time for him to go out and gain some experience."
Qidi nodded at this remark. "Indeed, Hong Ming is their eldest son but also the first to establish a residence. Now among the princes in the palace, aside from the eldest who has achieved military merit, the others certainly need some experience."
"As for Your Majesty," Ning Consort glanced toward He Yu's direction. Xiao Yao's heart raced as she heard Ning Consort continue, "After all, he is a prince of the palace; gaining more experience is naturally beneficial. However, attending lessons from masters in the palace and understanding ancestral rules is also very necessary."
"That is only natural," Qidi replied in agreement with Ning Consort. "Since the princes hold royal authority, they must set an example for their subjects. If they do not even adhere to national laws, how can they serve as role models for the people?"
"Exactly! Therefore, those who leave the palace early to establish their own residences often have various shortcomings. In my opinion, it would be best for them to read more about regulations and similar texts," Ning Consort said with a slight smile.
Indeed!
Xiao Yao knew that Ning Consort was up to no good. He Yu gently poked Xiao Yao's palm and whispered in her ear, "Don't worry."
Seeing He Yu's calm demeanor, Xiao Yao felt a bit reassured. However, considering that Ning Consort was after all a woman from the Emperor's harem, it was clear who the Emperor trusted. Why was her husband so composed?
Just as Xiao Yao was worrying, the Emperor directly interrupted Ning Consort, frowning as he said, "You are an elder; it is unbecoming to argue over such trivial matters. Do not continue."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yao nearly burst into laughter. She had thought Ning Consort would be able to embarrass He Yu, but instead, Ning Consort's face turned red and pale as she could only bow to the Emperor before sitting down angrily. He Yu turned to Xiao Yao and smiled, which finally put her heart at ease.
Qidi took a sip of wine and glanced over at He Yu, just in time to see the couple smiling at each other. This naturally led him into memories of when he and Zhuang Hui were similarly close. Back then, Zhuang Hui was virtuous and kind, treating the Crown Prince, Eldest Prince, and Third Prince equally. Even though the Third Prince's maternal family was not prominent, Zhuang Hui always said, "No matter how their maternal family is, they are still the Emperor's children; the children are innocent."
Looking at the current chaotic state of the harem and his sons, Qidi suddenly felt a deep sense of helplessness.
As the banquet progressed to its midpoint, movement in the Hall of Preserving Harmony became more frequent.
However, Xiao Yao noticed that there were always people coming over to toast He Yu. It really was just toasting; it seemed those officials did not intend to engage in further conversation with He Yu. They merely exchanged pleasantries and moved on.
He Yu did not feel awkward and did not proactively seek out officials for toasts either. He simply sat in his seat, bored, playing with Xiao Yao's hand. Xiao Yao tried to pull her hand away but found it futile and eventually gave up, allowing He Yu to hold her hand.
Suddenly feeling a shadow looming over her, Xiao Yao looked up to see who it was and ended up making eye contact with the Crown Prince. She quickly stood up and flusteredly prepared to bow but was stopped by the Crown Prince's smile. "Between brothers, there is no need for such formalities."
Xiao Yao felt a bit embarrassed that He Yu's playful holding of her hand had been noticed.
The Crown Prince showed no sign of discomfort as he patted He Yu's shoulder with a smile. "Now you don't even offer me a drink; you are becoming increasingly arrogant."
He Yu raised the corners of his mouth into a smile. "The Crown Prince has already been served; between brothers, there is no need for such formalities."
The Crown Prince laughed heartily, drawing the attention of everyone present. Qidi also set down his wine cup and looked over. "You two have always had a good relationship; what is so amusing?"
"Replying to Father Emperor," the Crown Prince smiled as he turned around. "I saw Hong Ming and his consort being very affectionate, so I just teased Hong Ming a few times."
"Oh? What are you talking about?" Qidi asked with great interest.
"Now that Hong Ming has a princess, during today's banquet, he is constantly glued to her side, not even drinking a cup with me. Truly, he has forgotten his duty for the sake of beauty," the Crown Prince's voice slowly rose, sounding less like a joke and more like a statement of fact.
Qidi laughed heartily at this and pointed at He Yu, saying, "You, usually so lazy, now with the princess by your side, you are even more lazily brazen."
He Yu was not afraid of such occasions at all; instead, he responded cheerfully to Qidi, "Indeed, I have always been unambitious. Now that I have warm fragrance and soft jade in my embrace, I am naturally even lazier."
Hearing this, the Crown Prince's smile widened a bit more. Xiao Yao felt that Qidi's smile seemed to grow larger as well, and there was a look of satisfaction on his face regarding He Yu's response. Then the Emperor pondered and said, "Now, the Crown Prince should indeed marry Consort. Fourth has already arranged marriages during the New Year; it is time for the Crown Prince to have a Consort."
Upon hearing this, everyone present fell silent.
Only Consort Chen's voice broke the silence. "Has Your Majesty decided which family's daughter to betroth to the Crown Prince? I have long wanted to bring this up with Your Majesty, but I did not want to disturb you while you were busy with state affairs."
"My beloved consort has always cared for the Crown Prince; do you have any good candidates now?" Qidi asked kindly.
"In my opinion, the Legitimate Daughter of the Su Family would be a good choice. She is virtuous and well-educated. She bears some resemblance to Empress Zhuang Hui from back then; truly an excellent match," Consort Chen said with a smile.
Qidi raised an eyebrow, took a sip of wine from his cup, and then said with a smile, "Your choice indeed aligns perfectly with mine."
"Oh?" Consort Chen feigned surprise before smiling again. "Doesn't that mean this girl has won both Your Majesty's and my favor? After all, just like Your Majesty, I am thinking for the Crown Prince's sake."
Hearing this, Qidi felt much more at ease and said, "Very well then; I shall announce the betrothal for the Crown Prince today. The Consort will be the Legitimate Daughter of the Su Family."
Upon hearing this, everyone knelt down. The Crown Prince approached the Emperor's throne and knelt down, bowing his head. "I thank Father Emperor for your grace!"
As soon as the Crown Prince finished speaking, an elderly voice echoed alongside his words. "This old minister thanks Your Majesty for your grace!"
Thus, in just a few exchanges of words, the Crown Prince's marriage was settled. Following that, Qidi issued an edict announcing that the Crown Prince would marry the Legitimate Daughter of the Su Family before the end of the year. He also permitted the Third Prince and Fourth Prince to leave the palace and establish their own residences and allowed them to marry in early next year.
In just a few sentences, everyone's future marital lives were determined.
Xiao Yao was dumbfounded by the scene before her and finally understood what a feudal society meant and what a royal marriage entailed. There was simply no autonomy; it was entirely up to the emperor.
After the emperor finished his announcement, everyone bowed in gratitude, shouting long live the emperor.
Xiao Yao also knelt down in a daze, not fully grasping what was happening. She merely followed everyone else's actions.
As the banquet approached its end, He Yu took Xiao Yao back to the royal residence.
Once in the carriage, Xiao Yao completely let go of her image and leaned against He Yu, feeling drowsy.
He Yu naturally knew that Xiao Yao had been through a lot today. It seemed that aside from the day of their wedding, she hadn't experienced such exhaustion in a while. Feeling sorry for her, he pulled Xiao Yao into his arms and said, "It's still a bit far from the palace. You can take a nap."
As soon as he finished speaking, the response from Xiao Yao was her soft snoring, indicating that she had already fallen asleep.
The speed at which she fell asleep...
He Yu truly found it both amusing and exasperating.
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