Three days later, Queen Ma's birthday banquet was held as scheduled.
Ji Ming, along with many servants, had long prepared things for Song Yinghuai and Caiyu.
Song Yinghuai was dressed in an indigo blue dragon - robe court dress that wrapped his body. He wore a gem - inlaid leather belt around his waist and a three - color and eight - jade cap on his head.
This was the first time Caiyu had seen Song Yinghuai in court dress.
On ordinary days at home, Song Yinghuai always wore a refined and ethereal Zen robe, making him look like an otherworldly and handsome gentleman.
Occasionally when he went out, his clothes had more complicated patterns, but he still looked like a graceful young master.
She had never seen him like this before. As soon as he put on the court dress, his eyebrows exuded heroic spirit. He was majestic and imposing. The whole person was not only handsome but also had an innate nobility that made people feel he was out of reach.
She suddenly remembered what Qingqing had said that day, and felt a bit bitter in her heart.
She wondered what kind of woman would be worthy of being the Princess of Yan.
Song Yinghuai turned his head and saw Caiyu staring blankly at him. His heart skipped a beat.
He reached out and gently patted her fair face, saying softly, "Nervous about entering the palace?"
He thought Caiyu was timid because she hadn't attended such a banquet for many years, so he said,
"Don't be afraid. After entering the palace, just stand in a corner. I'll keep an eye on you all the time."
Caiyu came to her senses. She pouted and took out a pouch.
"My lord, the flowers on this pouch made of rain - silk brocade were embroidered by this maid in two days."
She spread the pouch out in front of Song Yinghuai's eyes and didn't say the rest.
Song Yinghuai lowered his eyes, looking at the pouch that Caiyu had asked the Embroidery Pavilion to make that day, and then at the messy auspicious patterns embroidered on it.
Suddenly he understood, "This pouch... is for me?"
Caiyu nodded. "This maid is not good at needlework. I couldn't make a pouch in two days, so I had to ask the Embroidery Pavilion to make one. The patterns were embroidered by me. It can be regarded as something I made myself. Does my lord think it's not good - looking?"
She spoke shyly, but her appearance was a bit fierce.
It seemed that if Song Yinghuai said it was not good - looking, she would tear him apart.
Song Yinghuai looked at her fierce appearance, a smile glinted in his eyes. He knew exactly what she was up to.
This little girl was worried that Lü Baiwei would have something to do with him at the banquet, so she wanted him to wear this pouch to match her rain - silk brocade dress.
This was to assert her sovereignty over Lü Baiwei!
Miss Lan was really not a soft - hearted person.
Song Yinghuai took the pouch and smiled. "Rarely would you be willing to embroider a pouch for me personally. I'm flattered."
Ji Ming and Han Fen beside him couldn't help but hold their foreheads.
Did the lord still remember that Caiyu was just a maid?
Not to mention how common it was for a maid to embroider a pouch, even the daughters of noble families embroidering pouches was not rare!
Over the years, there had been women who had wanted to give him pouches affectionately.
But the lord had always turned a blind eye.
Song Yinghuai lowered his head and examined the patterns on the pouch calmly.
There was a colorful thing on it, with two pointed beaks showing, looking like a pair of starved wild pheasants on the verge of death.
Caiyu pursed her lips. Seeing Song Yinghuai's seemingly expressionless face, she couldn't help feeling nervous.
She had done her best to embroider it. She herself couldn't bear to look at it, but for the sake of her sovereignty, she had to be embarrassed.
"Does my lord recognize what this maid embroidered?"
Caiyu spoke affectionately, guiding Song Yinghuai to guess in the right direction so as not to make herself more embarrassed.
Song Yinghuai looked at her deliberately blinking big eyes and almost returned to the time when they first met and he was seduced by her.
A smile forced out from his throat, and he answered as expected, "Of course I recognize. This is a pair of mandarin ducks."
"My lord has good eyesight." Caiyu finally cheered up. She tied the pouch around his waist and patted it contentedly.
She just wanted to see if Concubine Lü would turn black - faced when she saw it!
Before Caiyu could be too proud, she was pulled back by Song Yinghuai.
"My lord?" Caiyu turned her head and looked at him in confusion.
The man's eyes were as deep as the sea. There was a smile on his lips, and his eyes were like amber of different shades, more attractive than gold, jade, pearls and stones.
Ji Ming and Han Fen glanced at each other, then smartly walked out together and closed the door by the way.
As soon as the door closed, Song Yinghuai took a hard suck on Caiyu's swan - like neck.
"Hiss..."
Caiyu felt that her skin was sucked painfully. She couldn't help pushing him. "My lord, we're going to the palace banquet! Stop sucking."
Her strength was like that of a kitten to Song Yinghuai. She simply couldn't push him.
After a while, Song Yinghuai raised his head from her shoulder socket. He looked contentedly at the red hickey on Caiyu's neck.
He lowered his deep and dark eyes, looking at the girl who was a head shorter than him, and showed a sly smile. "Let's go."
Caiyu wanted to assert her sovereignty in front of Lü Baiwei, and he also wanted to assert his sovereignty in front of Sheng Jiangli.
They were destined to be each other's.
Because the queen was in poor health, Emperor Guangwu didn't choose another venue. The grand banquet was held in the imperial garden of the palace.
As night fell, the Forbidden City was ablaze with lights. The glazed tiles reflected the magnificent palaces.
Maids and eunuchs shuttled back and forth like clouds. The brass instruments played. Civil and military officials in court dresses, wearing jade belts around their waists, politely bowed to each other with smiles on their faces.
It was early summer. The imperial garden was filled with the fragrance of flowers. Large patches of various colorful flowers were vying for beauty. Coupled with the concubines and maids playing and frolicking in the sea of flowers, butterflies were startled and fluttered in the air.
It was truly a breathtaking sight. The officials couldn't help smiling from ear to ear.
Under the sea of flowers and the long corridors, the banquet tables had already been set up.
The crown prince, Song Chengyuan, was sitting prominently below the dragon - and - phoenix throne, looking proud.
As soon as the officials who entered the imperial garden saw this, they understood that the crown prince had been released from his confinement under the pretext of the queen's birthday banquet!
It was not surprising, not surprising at all...
But they still had to flatter him.
Xiao Rencheng also congratulated the crown prince along with the others.
The crown prince looked at Xiao Rencheng, grinding his teeth menacingly and smiling falsely. "Lord Xiao and my fourth brother racked their brains to collect evidence and let your people attack me in the court. Didn't you expect that I would be released from confinement so soon? Are you disappointed?"
Xiao Rencheng said with a gentle smile, "Your subordinate stayed up late reading last night and came across a few sayings. Rome wasn't built in a day. Those who do many unjust deeds will surely bring about their own doom. Where there's a will, there's a way. Even an old fool can move a mountain..."
Seeing Song Chengyuan's distorted expression, he quickly said, "Your Highness, your subordinate wasn't referring to you. I just sighed after reading those sentences last night. Your Highness mustn't take them to heart."
If it hadn't been at the banquet with everyone watching, Song Chengyuan would really have liked to pull out Xiao Rencheng's tongue!
After Xiao Rencheng finished speaking, he didn't care how ugly Song Chengyuan's face was. He just found his seat among the officials and sat down.
Although this banquet was attended by the civil and military officials, concubines and princesses of Daye, everyone actually knew very well that today the crown prince was here, and the Prince of Yan, who hadn't left Yandi for seven years, was also here.
One was the current crown prince, and the other was the most popular Prince of Yan. This birthday banquet was full of suspense.
When Wen Zilong came, his face didn't look good.
As soon as he arrived at the entrance of the imperial garden, he was met by Grand Scholar Gong Qingliang.
Gong Qingliang curiously looked behind him. "Hey? Madam Wen isn't attending the palace banquet?"
Actually, Lan Jinqin had occasionally skipped the palace banquets before.
But this time was different.
This was the first palace banquet after Wen Zilong was promoted to the Minister of War.
As the model of the most loving couple in Daye, Lan Jinqin's absence from the palace banquet seemed a bit strange.
As soon as Gong Qingliang asked, several officials who had just arrived at the entrance of the imperial garden also gathered around to show their concern.