The room is very quiet, perfect for thinking.
Xu Zhihuai didn't have many connections in the palace, and she couldn't count on the eldest princess Zhu Weizhen for help. While thinking about it, she picked up the gift list again and looked at it carefully, and finally seemed to have discovered something.
A red agate bracelet, a solid gold ring bracelet, and a pair of jade pendants. What a gift.
Looking at the name again, Yue Guifei...
Xu Zhihuai called Aunt Nan and asked about the details of Concubine Yue.
Concubine Yue was considered to have a great background. She was originally an orphan of a general, and was later adopted by Wei Youjian, the former Minister of Civil Affairs. She entered the palace and became a concubine at the age of twenty. She gave birth to the fourth son of the emperor, Zhu Mingxin, only when she was over thirty.
Xu Zhihuai understood after listening. Concubine Yue was not very favored. The emperor only gave her all the honors and rewards of her father's generation.
Xu Zhihuai recalled carefully that she had met Concubine Yue twice, but she only greeted her with greetings and did not say much.
She has a very gentle face, slender eyebrows, exquisite makeup, and two shallow dimples when she smiles.
Xu Zhihuai still hesitated after thinking about it.
Why drag one more person into this muddy water? It's not worth it.
Everyone thought that Xu Zhihuai's pregnancy was as stable as Mount Tai.
The Empress even sent Dr. Su to review her once a day. Xu Zhihuai's pulse seemed to be fine and his energy and blood were good, but in fact it was all an illusion created by Aunt Nan secretly using a secret recipe. She also told Xu Zhihuai to rest in bed every day and not move around frequently to avoid miscarriage inadvertently.
In the evening, the imperial kitchen brought various tonics in large pots and small cups. Xu Zhihuai couldn't eat any more after drinking a bowl.
They are all soups that are not salty and very greasy in the mouth.
Zhu Xuxing gently grabbed her wrist and pinched it in his palm, with concern in his eyes: "You are too weak. If you are pregnant for ten months, it will only be more difficult in the future." After saying that, he picked up the bowl again and fed her with small mouthfuls. Drink, like coaxing a child.
Xu Zhihuai was flattered: "Your Highness, is it okay for others to see you?"
"What's the matter? It doesn't matter if others see it. I should pamper you."
Xu Zhihuai felt ashamed and drank half the bowl himself.
Zhu Xuxing smiled contentedly and mentioned something: "I want you to come with me for the family autumn banquet on the 19th of the lunar month."
Xu Zhihuai was startled for a moment and opened his eyes wide: "Is your highness serious? On such an important occasion, the emperor, empress, empress... and the ministers in the court... how can I go?"
"Why can't you go? You are my most beloved woman and the mother of my child. No one is more qualified to sit next to me than you."
Xu Zhihuai pretended to hesitate: "What about the Crown Princess?"
Zhu Xuxing held Xu Zhihuai's restless little hand: "I want you to be by my side. The Crown Princess is a person with general knowledge and will not be ignorant of propriety."
Xu Zhihuai just nodded silently after hearing this.
Family Autumn Banquet, what a nice name, what a grand occasion...just enough for her to accomplish that big thing.
October 19th, good luck.
However, God was not kind to us. From morning to night, gloomy clouds fell heavily, and they remained for a long time, and not a drop of rain fell.
Emperor Zhu Mingqi hosted a banquet in Minghua Palace for hundreds of officials and their families. Everyone had fun and drank together to show the emperor's grace and the peace of the world.
Xu Zhihuai attended the event dressed up, wearing a begonia red palace dress fully embroidered with gold thread. Although she only wore a silver hairpin on her head, it was also inlaid with gold and emeralds. She was full of jewels. She also wore the red agate bracelet given by Concubine Yue. In hand.
Concubine Yue saw it from a distance and suddenly felt her face light up.
Zhu Xuxing and Xu Zhihuai went in and out at the same time, and Xie Wuyou knew what was going on. When they took their seats, she and Xu Zhihuai sat on opposite sides, one on the left and one on the right. There was no discernible difference between them.
Xu Zhihuai's face was bright red, he looked at her and smiled, but he looked down and wring his fingers silently as if he was shy. Seeing this, Zhu Xuxing just held her hand under the table and gently rubbed it to comfort her.
Xie Wuyou looked away, feeling sad in her heart, but she had to force a smile. She turned around and exchanged a few words with the Queen, not forgetting to glance at her grandfather Xie Ningchao from the corner of her eye.
He sees everything and understands everything.
Xie Ning, a man of great power, would never express his emotions or sorrows on his face. Seeing his granddaughter Xiao Ran fall out of favor, he became even more calm. He even took the initiative to offer a toast and congratulate the emperor on his great success.
He is obviously over sixty years old, but his voice is still as loud as a bell and full of vitality.
His weather-beaten eyes with hidden smiles stared straight at Xu Zhihuai. Fortunately, she was brave enough, her smile was gentle, her eyes were unhurried, and she had a simple and innocent magnanimity.
Xie Ning looked respectful and sneered in his heart.
Looking horizontally and vertically, she is just a yellow-haired girl. Once the novelty of the prince wears off, even giving birth to a prince will be in vain. The Crown Princess is the legitimate mother, and when the time comes, all favors and favors from the Prince will belong to their Xie family.
Xu Zhihuai was not suitable for drinking, so he held up his glass in a polite manner. Zhu Suxing was in a good mood. After drinking his own cup, he picked up her cup and said: "I will drink this toast, for our children..."
The two men's flirtatious look was noticed by the ministers, which made Xie Wuyou feel even more embarrassed.
She drank to herself with her eyes downcast, her mouth full of bitterness.
During the banquet, there was singing and dancing, and people drank and drank.
The ministers were busy complimenting the emperor and the prince among the laughter and laughter. Wei Li took a seat alone, drinking by himself, looking cool and handsome.
After a few glasses of wine, his cold expression softened slightly.
Wei Li raised his eyes and looked at Xu Zhihuai, who was on the high platform with a red face and a light smile. The two faced each other from a distance. The moment their eyes collided, Xu Zhihuai covered his mouth with a silk handkerchief and made a gesture similar to a secret signal with his bent fingers.
Tonight, everything goes according to plan.
Xu Zhihuai had been holding back for many days, and her lower abdomen had been hurting, and it turned red again yesterday! Looking at the blood stains, it was obvious that there was no trace left.
At this moment, she was sitting here, looking dignified and sweet, but in fact, her belly was twitching every time she breathed.
After looking at Wei Li, Xu Zhihuai took a deep breath and calmed down.
She lowered her head and put down her chopsticks and took a long breath, attracting Zhu Xiuxing's thoughts and concern: "What's wrong? The food is not to your liking, or are you tired?"
Xu Zhihuai blinked timidly: "I'm a little tired."
"I'll take you back right now..."
"Absolutely not."
Xu Zhihuai deliberately leaned into his ear, but said in a voice that Xie Wuyou could hear: "Tonight is a big day, how could Your Highness leave early for my concubine? This is not etiquette, and it also ruins the good fortune of the Emperor and the Queen. interest."
"Then we can't let you go back alone. It's too far from Jianzhang Palace."
"There are so many palace maids accompanying us, at least thirty or forty of them."
"I'll take you to Qianhua Palace to have a rest first. You can ride in my sedan chair. I'll pick you up later..."
Xu Zhihuai shook his head slightly, glanced at Xie Wuyou's thoughtful profile from the corner of his eye, and said coquettishly: "The eldest princess is still here, how can I take the first step?"
Xie Wuyou drank a few glasses of wine and his face turned slightly red. He felt uncomfortable and wanted to find a reason to leave here. Hearing Xu Zhihuai's delicate words made him feel even more depressed. Coincidentally, she met her grandfather's anxious gaze again. She didn't know where the impulse came from. She turned slightly sideways, approached Zhu Xuxing and spoke softly: "It's not good for Your Highness to leave early today, so I'd better let my concubine and Huai Concubine Huai will go back to Jianzhang Palace together first. Concubine Huai is pregnant and can sit in my concubine’s sedan to avoid the hardships on the road."
