When Yang Dexi came in to ask for instructions, when the family banquet started, Concubine Xiao had already arrived at Chonghua Palace with several princesses and their consort.
This family dinner is a bit special, and the faces have also changed. Several familiar people have disappeared from this family banquet, and may never appear again.
In the past, apart from the queen, the most beautiful people sitting next to the emperor were Concubine Gu and Prince Chen and his wife, but now they were Prince Zhan and his wife.
Apart from them, the seventh prince and the eighth prince had a rare opportunity to sit with their father thanks to King Zhan, but they just lowered their heads to eat the whole time and did not dare to say anything.
In addition, Concubine Xiao and Concubine Li seem to be in much better condition than before.
However, Prince Chen and his wife, who had a higher status than the seventh and eighth princes, were sitting at another table with several princesses and consorts. They were treated obviously differently, which made Prince Chen look ugly the whole time.
What makes people even more uneasy is that the relaxed and warm way of speaking at the table of the emperor and empress makes people feel out of place and strange.
It was as if they were a real family and everyone else was an unimportant guest.
"Yun Fei has been living in the palace these days. He has been well protected by the queen and is in good health." Emperor Mu looked at Chu Yun Fei and then at Rong Cang, with a bit of teasing in his eyes, "What are you doing today?" Do you plan to take him back home tonight, or stay in the palace for a few more days?"
"The Emperor knows how to joke." The Queen said angrily, "The young couple finally reunited, how can they continue to live in the palace with me, an old woman?"
"My mother is not old at all." Chu Yunfei raised her lips and smiled.
The queen sneered: "But I am still willing to return to the palace to accompany my husband."
Chu Yunfei pursed her lips and smiled: "My daughter-in-law has been living in the palace these days, which has made my mother worry a lot. My father comes to Shuhuang Palace less often. Every time I come, I only sit for a while. I can't have a good time with my mother." Let’s talk heart-to-heart, my daughter-in-law feels quite guilty.”
"Sure enough, a smart man has a sharp tongue." The queen joked with a smile, her eyes full of joy, "I have ordered people to pack your clothes and jewelry, and I also gave you two extra sets of hair and face, which are for my direct daughter-in-law. A greeting gift. After the child is born, dress up well and make sure you are graceful and luxurious."
Rong Cang and Chu Yunfei were about to stand up to thank them, but the queen had already waved her hand: "Sit down, no need to be formal."
"Thank you, Queen Mother." Rong Cang sat down and begged for rewards, "If there are any beautiful jewelry in the palace in the future, please ask Mother to give more to Yun Fei. My son was dull before and had been married for more than a year. So far, he has only bought more for her. I’m really ashamed to buy jewelry once.”
As soon as he said this, Emperor Mu and the Queen looked at him in unison.
"You mean, you, the queen, need to make up for your negligence as a husband?" Emperor Mu was dissatisfied, "I am ashamed of you."
Chu Yunfei lowered his head to suppress a smile and had no intention of helping Rong Cang out of trouble.
"I am willing." The queen smiled, "But no matter how much reward I give, it is still my wish and has nothing to do with you as a husband. A husband's kindness to his wife and a mother-in-law's kindness to her daughter-in-law are two different things. You can't put Pass your responsibilities to others."
Rong Cang nodded in agreement: "I understand, I will make up for it in the future."
The emperor and empress were enjoying themselves at the table, and the harmony was so harmonious that it made people jealous.
Princess Chen lowered her head and clenched the chopsticks in her hands tightly. She couldn't help but compare the difference between herself and Chu Yunfei in her mind.
From their family background to their ladylike demeanor, from their three obediences and four virtues to their gentle and virtuous temperament, from their husbands’ status and abilities to their attitude towards their wives.
After repeated comparisons, Princess Chen sadly discovered that except for being born higher than Chu Yunfei, she really failed miserably in other aspects.
King Zhan protected Chu Yunfei from front to back. Except for the concubine of the Chu family who made the joke at first, he never had any inappropriate thoughts about other women.
Even the concubine of the Chu family, now that I think about it, she probably didn't come here because she liked her, because Chu Yunjiao has been locked up in the innermost courtyard of the palace since she entered the palace. It is difficult for anyone to see her, and it is even harder for her to see others.
In addition, Rong Cang can lead troops to kill the enemy when mounted, and has made many military exploits. When dismounted, he can protect his wife. He also dares to defend Chu Yunfei in front of the imperial concubine without hesitation, and he does not hesitate to make enemies of everyone.
He didn't have to win over so many ministers, and he didn't have to think about consolidating his position by choosing someone as his concubine. He easily won the queen's favor and even adopted him as his legitimate son.
Chu Yunfei seemed to have become a winner in life without doing anything. Her husband doted on her, the queen liked her, and the emperor also protected her.
And what about yourself?
The slap that King Chen slapped her because he failed to marry Qin Zhilan seemed to be a thorn in her heart. During the period of confinement and recuperation, she was hidden because of fear and uneasiness. She took care of him wholeheartedly, but every time she saw Chu Yunfei living so smoothly, Ruyi, the thorn in her heart pierced deeper and deeper, and the more it pierced, the more painful it became. It hurt so much that she kept recalling everything after her marriage to King Chen.
There were almost no precious and beautiful scenes between their husband and wife. Even though she was of noble birth, she had never been treated sincerely by King Chen.
In her memory, she has been holding back, playing the role of a respectful and gentle lady, the daughter-in-law of the royal family. She cannot have her own thoughts, cannot lose her temper easily, must hold back any dissatisfaction, and endure any grievances...
But by enduring it to the end, what did she gain?
Aren't you just watching helplessly as others enjoy the glory and easily take away the dignity that should belong to her?
Concubine Gu said that Rong Cang was not the emperor's biological son.
King Chen was very happy, and so was she.
But now she couldn't be happy anymore.
She didn't even know where the imperial concubine had the confidence to keep telling them not to worry. Regardless of whether Rong Cang was the emperor's son or not, it was a fact that he had a lot of troops, and it was also a fact that he was about to be established as the prince.
Once he takes the position of prince, he will justifiably train his confidants in the East Palace and cultivate young upstarts. Didn't Qi Jin and Uncle Xie Xiaoguo start to be loyal to him?
Chunwei is about to release the results, and he will definitely select some students who have both talent and virtue to train them carefully.
Most young men have a strong mentality. The war king protects his family and country and is a hero in the hearts of the world. Those students will definitely be willing to loyal to him wholeheartedly.
When the time comes, the military power and the power of the court will be in hand, and the people's will will be what they want, even if they know that he is not of the emperor's blood, so what?
Does the emperor dare to abolish the crown prince?
If Rong Cang directly rebelled, how many people in the court would be unafraid of death and resolutely uphold orthodoxy?
What's more, once Rong Cang's life experience is exposed, Concubine Gu will be implicated to some extent. Does King Chen really think that blaming everything on Po Wen will be foolproof?
Did he underestimate the insight of the king of a country?
When Jiang Ying thought about it for a moment, she realized that the imperial concubine she had always been respectful and obedient to was actually so naive, so naive that she felt desperate.
The husband she has always been proud of is also horribly stupid.
