Chapter 67: New Year’s Eve Palace Banquet

The night was dark and cold, with the wind rustling the leaves. Glancing at the tightly shut palace doors, Xifeng estimated that about an hour had passed. After a moment of hesitation, he knocked on the door.

“It’s time for the princess to take her medicine.”

His voice was neither too loud nor too soft. The people inside could definitely hear him. However, there was no response from within. Xifeng’s expression changed slightly. He had done what he needed to do, so the princess could hardly blame him now.

Before long, the door was slowly opened from the inside. He saw his master stepping out in neat attire, cradling a petite figure in his arms. Not daring to look longer, Xifeng quickly lowered his head.

With a cold glance at the person beside him, Gu Qin directly embraced the soft figure in his arms and walked away.

Feeling utterly embarrassed, Xia Tong stumbled back to her room and drank the medicine while still feeling dazed. As soon as she lay down on the bed, she fell asleep, waking up the next day with a sore waist. Fortunately, the original owner had a dance background. Otherwise her waist would have been broken.

For some reason, she always had a premonition that her delicate body would one day meet its end in bed.

Fortunately, the prince always knew when to stop, leaving her just enough breath to get by. Still, Xia Tong felt drowsy and listless every day.

On the day of the New Year’s Eve palace banquet, there were visiting dignitaries from neighboring countries. Gu Qin had to attend, and Xia Tong could only go along, taking the opportunity to speak with her mother about some matters.

The night was pitch dark, and every household was bright with candlelight, bustling with families enjoying their reunion dinner. The red lanterns and couplets hanging at the door added to the festive atmosphere. The snow on the palace grounds had been cleared quite a bit by the servants, but it remained extremely slippery, requiring everyone to tread carefully.

Many carriages were parked in front of the palace gates, and everyone got down to walk towards Huaqing Palace. Only one large black wooden carriage could drive straight in. The guards at the entrance didn’t dare to stop it, especially when they saw the wooden plaque hanging above. The other guests attending the palace banquet quickly stepped aside, not daring to look too closely.

The road was slippery, and the carriage moved particularly slowly. The palace was aglow with lights, and the various halls were dazzlingly illuminated.

As Xia Tong lifted the curtain to peek outside at the bustling palace servants, she suddenly turned to the man beside her and said, “After the banquet, I want to invite my parents over to celebrate New Year’s Eve together. We can have dinner as a family tomorrow. What do you think?”

Gu Qin was reading a book and merely responded with a soft “Hmm.”

“People say there are lucky red envelopes for New Year’s Eve. Don’t you want to give me something?” Xia Tong blinked, looking at him expectantly.

Gu Qin glanced up, his gaze falling on her delicate and charming face. He didn’t speak but suddenly pulled out a bag of silver from his waist and handed it to her, wanting to make her happy.

“Thank you.”

Xia Tong accepted the heavy bag of coins, smiling sweetly. She hadn’t expected such a big shot to carry money like this. He didn’t go shopping, so what was he doing with so much cash on him?

When the carriage finally stopped in front of Huaqing Palace, Gu Qin stepped out first, and Xia Tong followed, being carefully assisted down. The ground was slick, and she nearly slipped, but the man caught her arm just in time.

Holding onto his sleeve, Xia Tong leaned in and whispered, “I actually embroidered a nightgown for you.”

They walked hand in hand into the palace. The servants at the entrance didn’t dare to raise their heads but were enviously astonished. It was said that the Princess Regent was quite favored, and it turned out to be true.

Hearing her words, Gu Qin turned his head, raising an eyebrow. “You’re so lazy, did you have someone else do it?”

Xia Tong: “…”

“Forget it. I’ll just throw it to a beggar tomorrow!” She snorted coldly, releasing his hand and striding ahead.

The man behind her slightly curled the corner of his lips, revealing a hint of a soft smile on his otherwise stern profile.

Ignoring him, Xia Tong headed straight for the women’s section once they entered the grand hall. She sat near the front, just behind Lin Qin, which was quite ironic.

However, there was a stunningly beautiful woman sitting in front of Lin Qin, dressed in exquisite moon-blue and gold brocade, exuding a gentle and graceful aura. She was currently laughing and chatting with Lin Qin. Xia Tong recognized most of the people in the palace, and judging by her position and attire, this must be Princess Changyang, whom Qing’er had mentioned had just returned to the capital.

“Sister Tong.”

Upon seeing Xia Tong, Lin Qin, dressed in formal and luxurious attire, stood up and introduced her to the woman beside her. “This is the Princess Regent that I mentioned, the legitimate daughter of Minister Xia.”

As she finished speaking, the woman turned her gaze to Xia Tong, offering a polite smile and a slight nod.

“Your servant greets Her Highness the Princess.” Xia Tong performed a half-bow and then took her seat.

The woman wore a pale green silk skirt woven with golden threads and was draped in a veil, and her beauty was unparalleled, with her features resembling a painting. Among the countless beautiful women in the hall, she captivated attention at first glance.

Seeing the woman’s beauty, Princess Changyang slightly shifted her gaze and smiled, “I hadn’t returned to the capital in so long, and I didn’t expect to find such a charming person here. The regent is indeed fortunate.”

At this, a hint of jealousy flickered in Lin Qin’s eyes as she smiled and replied, “Indeed, if it weren’t for the regent taking advantage of the situation, Sister Tong might have become the princess’s sister-in-law by now.”

Ordinary people wouldn’t dare to make such jokes. Xia Tong wondered what Lin Qin had gone through that allowed her to say such things. After all, she was the Crown Princess, and her every word and action represented the royal family’s standards. Wouldn’t this embarrass the Crown Prince?

Princess Changyang’s expression shifted slightly as she cast an unusual glance at her sister-in-law. Fortunately, no one was passing by. If this news spread, her brother would surely be angry.

“Your Highness, you truly have a sense of humor. Destiny dictates marriage. The bond between the Crown Princess and the Crown Prince is naturally incomparable to others,” Xia Tong said lightly, taking a sip of the fruit wine she had brought from her household.

She generally didn’t dare eat anything from the palace, which was mostly rich meat dishes that made her stomach uneasy. Thus, she had prepared her own snacks and fruit wine for the long banquet.

“Sister Tong speaks beautifully.” Lin Qin raised her eyebrows slightly, adjusting the hairpin in her hair and calmly adding, “A while ago, there was a great fire at the Xia residence. It truly was a disaster, but I see that you don’t seem distressed. That reassures me somewhat. I was worried you might be too sad and harm your health.”

Not understanding why Lin Qin, already in the position of Crown Princess, was still targeting her, Xia Tong wasn’t polite either. She looked directly at Lin Qin and said, “Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. With the regent’s comfort, I’ve managed to move on quite a bit. However, Your Highness, you should pay more attention to your own health. I’ve heard that Concubine Dong is already pregnant, and I’m sure the Crown Prince hopes for your offspring even more.”

Lin Qin’s grip tightened as she coldly glared at the beautiful woman beside her. The once charming and delicate expression on her face had turned to one of dignified seriousness, losing all traces of femininity and instead giving off a gloomy vibe.

In the hall, the sounds of music and dance filled the air as the dancers swayed gracefully. For those accustomed to such performances, there was nothing novel about it. Taking advantage of the Emperor’s absence, everyone chatted with acquaintances, and the hall was filled with whispers.

Sipping her tea, noticing her sister-in-law’s displeasure, Princess Changyang suddenly looked at Xia Tong with a warm and melodic voice, “Concubine Dong’s child is also my sister-in-law’s child. The princess cares for others, but you should also consider your own well-being. After all, I’ve heard that you’ve been married to the regent for a while now, so you should take care of your health.”

°.✩┈┈∘*┈˃̶୨୧˂̶┈*∘┈┈✩.°

Author’s Note: The love rival appears!