in2ebook Chapter 137 Palace Banquet
Chapter 137 Palace Banquet
"Lolo, don't be angry, it's my fault. This is just a cliché. There are no outsiders, only our parents." Situ Jin held Xia Luo's little hand. He looked like a big boy who had made a mistake.
"Alright, alright. As if I'm being hypocritical. Hurry up and get ready to eat. Don't keep everyone waiting."
It takes half an hour to drive from their farm to the palace.
Charlotte settled Ding Dafu's family down.
Seeing that the foster mother couldn't move around much, I didn't let her go with me.
Zimo and Xuanxuan were too young to show up often. Besides, this kind of palace banquet was not suitable for children to attend.
She took her parents and Situ Jin, and the four of them rode in a car to the palace.
In addition to Tiandong driving the carriage, several other guards were following behind.
When they arrived at the palace gate, they got out of the car and saw Xia Yunyuan coming over.
And I also invited my second sister to come.
After all, she is the daughter of Concubine Xi and Situ Jin's biological sister.
Although the prince is still in Western Xinjiang, the princess still has to attend the family dinner.
"Good luck, second sister!" Charlotte first greeted Princess Renhuan.
"My sister-in-law is getting more and more beautiful." Princess Renhuan herself is cheerful, lively and lovely.
"Second sister, after treating the prince, is his body responding? Sit down for a while, and I'll take your pulse."
"You've gained weight recently and have become very sleepy. I don't know if it's a reaction?" Princess Renhuan had indeed gained some weight.
Charlotte subconsciously grabbed Princess Renhuan's wrist.
"Congratulations, second sister. You are already more than three months pregnant. This means that you were pregnant before the prince went to Western Xinjiang."
"Congratulations, cousin." Xia Yunyuan was listening nearby and congratulated quietly.
"This is the palace gate. Let's go in and find a place to sit."
Charlotte saw ministers coming over one after another.
Charlotte didn't have time to introduce her parents.
"Let's go to the side hall." When Situ Jin heard that his second sister was pregnant, he was very happy. He was going to be an uncle again.
They came to the side hall, and Charlotte introduced her parents to Princess Renhuan.
"It is a blessing for you two elders to have given birth to this little elf Luo Luo. It is also a blessing for our master and disciple's family. My father and mother care about her more than they care about me." Princess Renhuan smiled like a flower.
"Cousin, the prince has made a vow in Xijiang. You will be amazed when he comes back. He has changed a lot." Xia Yunyuan reassured Princess Renhuan. The prince has become more and more manly.
"I want to learn from Luo Luo and hang out with you guys more often in the future. Look how good you are and how you've been to so many places. I can't wait to envy you."
"My second sister is pregnant now. After you give birth, you and Naga will open a girls' school. I have planned it all for you."
"Lolo really understands me. I won't be afraid of having nothing to do even if I give birth to a girl."
When Charlotte's parents arrived at the palace, they were like robots, just nodding and bowing.
Charlotte didn't care about them and just let them do whatever they wanted.
Situ Jin entered the hall first. He was the crown prince, so he must have served tea to the emperor and Concubine Xi first.
They arrived early and the palace banquet had not yet begun.
They were fighting each other in the side hall.
In the afternoon, the emperor handed Zhao Xian, Wang Sheng and Zhang Xun over to the Censorate for examination.
The Censorate wrote down everything that happened on paper and asked Xiao Dezi to bring it to the Emperor to read.
The emperor was so angry that he smashed the teacup.
He felt sorry for his son and daughter-in-law. The two children used their strategies and wisdom to eliminate the pirates. However, in the hall, in front of the ministers, he could not say that it was their credit.
His son repeatedly emphasized that it was Lord Cao Wenshan's deployment that eliminated the pirates.
He knew that this was Charlotte's strategy of employing people.
This kid is so generous.
For the sake of their Situ family's territory, from south to north and from east to west, they managed it in good order.
The emperor felt that anything he gave Charlotte was too light.
Since her parents are here, then let's reward them. This is also a kind of return.
The emperor had another surprise in arranging the palace banquet, which he would announce in front of all civil and military officials and the Situ family.
The prince is going to marry a princess.
Don't worry about others.
Ever since Situ Jin returned to his ancestral home, many mercenary ministers have been talking about the prince's marriage.
They all thought that their daughters were suitable for the crown prince. Several important officials even planned whose daughter the crown princess would be and whose daughters the two concubines would be.
When the topic of the prince's marriage was raised in the hall, the emperor blocked it.
As for the prince's marriage, we should listen to his opinion. We will make the decision after he comes back.
It's just an excuse anyway.
This time the prince came back. The emperor said he would talk about it at the palace banquet.
The ministers have always believed that the emperor is not in a hurry about the prince's marriage.
Seeing the elegant prince walk into the hall, many ministers began to discuss again.
"The prince is past the age of marriage. Men of this age already have children."
"I heard that the prince has a girl in the folk who likes him, but every time I see him, he is alone."
"She is a country girl, how can she be worthy of the prince? Her status is not suitable."
"I see your daughter is about the same age as the prince. Why don't you ask the emperor to grant you a marriage?"
The ministers below were speculating like a boiling pot.
"The Emperor has arrived!"
"The royal concubine is here!"
"The Queen is here!" Xiao Dezi shouted.
Everyone shouted in unison: "Long live the emperor! Long live the emperor! Long, long live the emperor! May the emperor be in good health!" Charlotte also half-knelt on the ground in a proper manner. She was wearing a skirt, so it was not obvious that she was half-kneeling.
The eunuchs arranged the seats according to the ministers' positions.
Charlotte's parents' seats were actually in the front.
Many people don’t understand.
Who are these two couples so noble?
"Please stand up! Come, Princess Huilan, sit over here!" The emperor called Xia Luo to Situ Jin's side.
Charlotte moved over slowly, looking embarrassed.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for the seat." Charlotte sat down under the gazes of everyone.
"Today is a celebration banquet, and also a family banquet. The prince defeated the northern bandits in the northern border, and signed a trade cooperation agreement with them. Then he went to the southern border, and the southern border is now peaceful. Many people believe that the case of Pu in Meizhou, Western Xinjiang, was the result of my connivance. But I have been kept in the dark."
"Now the trade between the Western Regions and Western Xinjiang is unimpeded. I have also sent the prince to restore the economic recovery of Western Xinjiang. Pirates have been robbing along the coast. This has become a bad habit over the years. As a result, merchant ships dare not come to the mainland for trade cooperation."
"After coordination by the Crown Prince and planning by Governor-General Cao Wenshan, the pirates have been eliminated. Today we have to thank Princess Huilan for her wisdom and talent, which has saved our Mobei Kingdom from being bullied by foreign invaders."
"Since this is a celebration banquet, I must also reward the meritorious officials. The prince is my son, and this is no exception."
"Xiao Dezi, announce the decree."
"In compliance with the Will of Heaven, the Emperor proclaims: For the meritorious service of Crown Prince Situ Jin in pacifying the Northern, Southern, and Western Frontiers, he is hereby granted a yellow jacket, 100,000 taels of silver, 100,000 taels of gold, a night-shining pearl, 10 shops in the capital, a farm in the suburbs, and 10 boxes of pearls and agates."
"Give: Princess Huilan a gold-plated carriage. Two hundred thousand ounces of silver. Two hundred thousand ounces of gold. Ten manors."
"Give: Xia Yunyuan 50,000 taels of silver, 50,000 taels of gold. Ten shops in Kyoto. One manor house."
"Give: Tielihua and Luoyi each 500,000 taels of silver. 500,000 taels of gold. A farm in the suburbs."
"Grant: Yu Zhenyu, Ye Xiuxiu, Yu Zhenhang, Xiang Rong, Cao Wenshan each 50,000 taels of silver, 50,000 taels of gold, and promotion of two ranks."
"And the soldiers in the coastal military camps who swore to die and refused to surrender will all be rewarded with 10,000 taels of silver."