Chapter 90

The palace banquet was about to begin, and all the courtiers, ladies, and young ladies ended their conversations consciously, sitting down in groups of two or three.

Qiao Jiaojiao nestled in Mrs. Qiao’s arms, once again nibbling on her little biscuit.

[It’s going to be a feast of gossip later; I need to eat and drink well to have the energy to comment!]

As everyone was whispering, suddenly a long bowing sound came from outside the hall:

“The Emperor has arrived, the Empress Dowager has arrived, and the Crown Prince has arrived!”

Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall stood up and then all knelt down in salute.

Qiao Jiaojiao, a small bundle, lay on the soft cushion, being arranged by Mrs. Qiao into a posture of reverence.

Qiao Jiaojiao: “…”

Originally, at a royal banquet, apart from young princes and princesses, such a young child should not be brought along.

It was the Empress Dowager who specifically ordered Mrs. Qiao to bring Qiao Jiaojiao along.

Qiao Jiaojiao felt fortunate.

[Thanks to winning the favor of the Empress Dowager, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to attend this palace banquet. I might have ended up dying without a clear reason!]

While Qiao Jiaojiao was lost in thought, suddenly a pair of hands scooped her armpits and lifted her up.

Qiao Jiaojiao, dazed, looked up and found herself being delivered into the Empress Dowager’s embrace by a female attendant.

“Please rise.”

The deep voice of the Yong Emperor echoed, and everyone stood up and sat down again. When they raised their heads, they were suddenly startled.

The Qiao family’s youngest daughter had actually managed to win the favor of the Empress Dowager like this?

Sitting openly in the Empress Dowager’s arms at the palace banquet, this must be a great favor indeed!

Qiao Jiaojiao first smiled sweetly at the Empress Dowager.

[Wow, the Empress Dowager’s complexion is getting better and better! She looks much younger than when I first saw her!]

The Empress Dowager couldn’t hear Jiaojiao’s thoughts, but she felt that this child was exceptionally tender and delicate, especially her bright eyes, which became even more captivating.

Seated in the secondary seat, Qiao Jiaojiao looked down and suddenly felt a sense of superiority.

She glanced around at the Western Week: on the left was the Crown Prince, followed by the Second Prince, Third Prince, West Prince, and two princesses.

On the right were three concubines, but Qiao Jiaojiao couldn’t quite match the names to their faces.

But the concubine at the end of the table was indeed beautiful, stunning Qiao Jiaojiao.

She had some guesses about the identity of this concubine.

[No hurry, with so many people appearing at once, let me sort it out properly!]

[Hmm… let’s start with the Third Prince, who’s making his first appearance.]

The Third Prince sat to the right of the Second Prince, looking slightly pale with thin lips, seeming naturally frail.

However, there were no ugly people in the royal family. This Third Prince was slim, with delicate features, especially a gentle complexion; he was quite a handsome man.

The Third Prince Shen Yuanjing and the Second Princess Shen Yuanbi were both born from the Quiet Concubine, an extremely rare pair of dragon and phoenix twins.

Unfortunately, the Third Prince was weak from birth and almost died shortly after being born.

Even though he had grown up well now, he still had some incurable ailments.

It was said that when he got overly excited, he would uncontrollably convulse and foam at the mouth, and he was constantly plagued by minor illnesses.

In contrast, the Second Princess was very healthy, no different from ordinary children.

[This Third Prince doesn’t have many scenes, but it’s undeniable that he stands on the side of the Crown Prince.]

[Perhaps because he’s naturally unfit for the throne, he has a more carefree temperament.]

[After the Crown Prince’s sudden death, the Third Prince appeared in court for the first time, supporting the Emperor’s grandson, who is the Crown Prince’s son, to succeed as the heir apparent.]

【Of course, this proposal was ultimately rejected by the Emperor alone, and after that, the Third Prince had no role to play at all, not even a mention in the ending!】

【Tsk, could it be… he was quietly killed off?】

Qiao Jiaojiao was also guessing blindly. At this moment, seeing the silent and dignified Third Prince, she could only sigh inwardly.

Her gaze shifted slowly and landed on the West Prince.

【This guy is still smiling, unaware that he’s about to meet his end!】

【Don’t go running around later, or even with my golden finger, I won’t be able to save you!】

During the latter part of the palace banquet, when guests were allowed to move freely, the West Prince seemed to have disappeared.

When the Empress Dowager hadn’t seen the West Prince for a long time and remembered to look for him, he had already cooled off in Yuhua Lake.

The Qiao family members were all straining to listen to Qiao Jiaojiao’s thoughts. Fortunately, their seats weren’t too far away, or else in such a spacious hall, they really wouldn’t have been able to hear.

Knowing that today was the anniversary of the West Prince’s death, the nerves of their entire family were on edge.

Qiao Jiaojiao’s gaze continued to shift downward, landing on the Grand Princess.

The Grand Princess Shen Yuanxian was sixteen this year, already of marriageable age but still without a consort.

She was born from the Wanjiao Concubine, with a more mature appearance, but in terms of delicacy, she fell short compared to the thirteen-year-old Second Princess.

【This Grand Princess is quite a character!】

This sigh from Qiao Jiaojiao immediately made the Qiao family members prick up their ears.

【If the Third Prince is on the Crown Prince’s side, then the Grand Princess is firmly in favor of the Second Prince!】

【The Wanjiao Concubine was the only concubine who got along well with the Empress Dowager back then. After learning some past events from the Wanjiao Concubine, the Grand Princess firmly believed that in the Emperor’s heart, the Second Prince carries a heavy weight!】

【So, she has been steadfastly supporting the Second Prince from the beginning and has been particularly caring for him in the palace.】

【Later, when the Second Prince ascended the throne, the Grand Princess was titled as the eldest princess, which could be considered a great honor!】

【Tsk tsk, they say there are no fools in the royal family, but I don’t know how they raised them. Anyway, each one of them is too cunning!】

Generally, only consorts with royal heirs could attend large palace banquets. Looking at it this way, the identities of the three consorts on the right were also becoming clear.

The Wanjiao Concubine had seniority, so she should be the one on the far right. She wasn’t particularly beautiful, but she had dignity.

The one sitting in the middle should be the Concubine Jing, who had given birth to a son and a daughter.

Originally, giving birth to a prince was a joyous occasion, but the Third Prince was born frail, plagued by illness, like a stain on the royal family.

Perhaps for this reason, the Concubine Jing was always melancholy and looked much older.

As for the third one…

Qiao Jiaojiao’s eyes became meaningful.

【Ancient romance novels always revolve around the theme of a stand-in, right? This third consort is incredibly beautiful; she should be the rumored Yuzhao Consort, right?】

【Thinking about this title carefully, Yuzhao—Yi—sounds somewhat alike, doesn’t it?】

【So this Yong Emperor dog, on one hand loves Yuliu, to the point of madness, and on the other hand seeks out a woman who resembles her in the west, claiming it slightly relieves the pain of longing.】

【Disgusting!】

Mrs. Qiao nodded secretly when she heard this.

She had seen the Empress Yuliu a few times back then; indeed, she was exceptionally beautiful and unforgettable.

The eyes, eyebrows, and figure of the current Yuzhao Consort were indeed quite similar to those of the Empress Yuliu.

This matter had long been tacitly understood among the ladies in their circle; everyone pretended to be ignorant.

The Yuzhao Consort could be said to be the most favored woman in the harem today, so she had a place at this palace banquet even without any offspring.

Qiao Jiaojiao scratched her head in distress.

【What was the ending for this Yuzhao Consort again? Let me think… it seems she was executed for arrogance due to her favoritism, by the order of the Emperor!】

【Huh! Wait a minute! I remember the Yuzhao Consort was executed shortly after the Dragon Boat Festival!】