Chapter 186 Family Dinner
Whether it is a cat or something else, this little pet is a rare and precious thing.
The Queen Mother has lived for so many years, and she has never seen a small animal other than a parrot that can speak. Moreover, this little pet is petty and delicate, just like a pet that can be played with in the palm of your hand, and its voice is soft and sticky, which is really very cute.
"I like this birthday gift very much." The Queen Mother's tone became better, "You are thoughtful."
It is the same sentence "You are thoughtful", but the meaning of the two words before and after is completely different.
Chu Qinghuang said nothing, turned around and found a chair to sit down, just next to Princess Ling.
"Seventh sister." Princess Ling took the initiative to greet, with a gentle attitude, "Where did you get this little pet? It looks very rare."
Chu Qinghuang said lightly: "Someone gave it to me."
Princess Ling was silent.
Chu Qinghuang's straightforward personality really does not change wherever she goes. The sentence "someone gave it to me" instantly greatly reduces the weight of the gift.
Others put a lot of thought into the empress dowager's birthday gifts, but she didn't seem to care at all.
After a while of greetings, someone outside shouted: "The emperor has arrived!"
The queen led the concubines to stand up and salute, and then the emperor walked in from outside, followed by three adult princes and a twelve-year-old boy.
Chu Tianling, Chu Tiankuo, and Chu Tianyin saluted the empress dowager in turn, followed by the youngest prince Chu Tianmu, who presented his carefully prepared birthday gifts and said a few auspicious words.
The fifth prince Chu Tianzheng was still recovering from his injuries and could not come for the time being - this was obviously the reason why Concubine Duan was in a bad mood.
"What is this?" The emperor's eyes fell on the queen mother's palm, his eyes brightened slightly, "When did the queen mother raise such a cute little thing?"
The queen mother said calmly: "This is the gift that Qinghuang just presented to me."
After the voice fell, a soft and tender voice like a baby sounded: "Long live the emperor! Long live the emperor!"
The emperor was slightly surprised: "Is it talking?"
"Yes, it's amazing, right?" The queen mother smiled, "It's the first time I have seen such a magical little guy."
It's really magical.
The emperor thought to himself, and couldn't help but look at Chu Qinghuang.
Chu Qinghuang looked calm, without any joy or other abnormalities.
"Yesterday I said Qinghuang is my close-fitting little cotton jacket, and today the little cotton jacket has warmed the queen mother." The emperor was very happy, as if the last unhappy scene in Renshou Palace had long been forgotten, "Today the queen mother is the birthday star, the queen and all the concubines must coax the queen mother well and make her happy."
The queen and all the concubines responded in unison.
As for whether it can be done in the future, we will talk about it when the time comes. Anyway, the emperor knows very well that the only ones who can really make the queen mother happy are Feng Zhaoyi and her daughter.
Unless the emperor can restore the status of Concubine Feng and let them move out of Qingyin Hall, even if the queen mother can be happy for a while, it will not last long.
The family banquet has been prepared. The emperor respectfully invites the queen mother to take a seat. The queen mother looks at the little pet that has fallen asleep in the palm of her hand, and hands it to the most caring nanny to take care of it, and carefully instructs: "Make it soft and comfortable."
The nanny smiled and said: "Don't worry, queen mother."
The queen mother and the emperor took their seats, and the queen, Duan Fei, Xian Fei and others sat next to each other.
Princess Ling, Princess Xuan and Chu Qinghuang were allowed to sit together by the emperor, and several princes opened another table and sat next to the main table.
The nine concubines sat in the side hall.
There are not many people, just enough for three tables.
Last year, at the Queen Mother's birthday party, the Empress sat next to the Emperor, and the Imperial Concubine sat next to the Queen Mother. This year, things have changed, and many faces have disappeared from the family banquet. The Queen Mother's mood can be imagined.
"The national treasury has not been rich for years, and the Queen Mother's birthday party cannot be held in a grand manner. My son feels deeply sorry." The emperor smiled bitterly, "I can only wrong the Queen Mother."
The Queen Mother said in a light tone: "I don't feel wronged. As long as the Emperor is diligent in his work and loves the people, the harem is peaceful and harmonious, and he doesn't make trouble every now and then, I will be satisfied."
The Queen spoke at the right time: "Don't worry, Mother. The previous dynasty was governed by the Emperor, and he will be able to maintain the stability of the country and make Xiqi more and more powerful and prosperous. I am the master of the Central Palace, and I dare not ask about political affairs. I can only take care of the harem for the Emperor, so that the Emperor has no worries and doesn't worry about trivial matters in the palace all day long."
The Queen Mother nodded lightly.
Don't worry?
The more virtuous and capable the queen was, the more annoyed she was. The position of the head of the harem should have belonged to her daughter, but now not only did she fail to become the queen, but she was banished to the cold palace in disguise...
"I haven't seen Yiling for a long time." The queen mother suddenly spoke, "How is her health recently? Has the emperor sent someone to see her?"
Chu Tianyin's heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously turned to look at the emperor.
"My son often summons the imperial doctors to ask questions. They said that Yiling's condition has begun to improve, but she still needs to rest for the time being. She cannot be stimulated by anything, and she cannot be disturbed at will, otherwise all the previous efforts will be wasted." The emperor said calmly, "Don't worry, mother. Yiling is my daughter after all, and I will not treat her harshly."
As soon as these words came out, everyone at the table had different expressions.
Daughter?
The emperor said it in a high-sounding manner, but as an emperor, with so many sons and daughters, can he care for them all?
In short, it is impossible to treat them all equally.
Chu Qinghuang lowered her head to eat, not showing any interest in small talk. In the end, it was nothing more than testing people's minds through small talk. Royal family banquets were full of interests and conflicts after all. How could there be so much warmth and family affection?
As for the thoughts of the concubines and princes at the banquet, she was too lazy to listen. Even if she heard a few discordant words occasionally, her ears would automatically block them out.
Just treat it as fulfilling the promise she made to the emperor yesterday, trying her best to follow the queen mother and not make others unhappy. Anyway, there will be many opportunities in the future.
One day is not a big deal.
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