Chapter 657 - 241: The Banquet Ends

Chapter 657: Chapter 241: The Banquet Ends

Whenever mothers talked about their children, they had endless things to say, their eyes filled with immense comfort and pride. The Empress was considered restrained and reserved, but when speaking of the Crown Prince, she became much more talkative. Chen Wanqing was a great conversational partner. As the two exchanged words, the atmosphere grew incredibly harmonious and amicable.

Right before lunch, Mr. Xu returned. However, with a courtyard full of guests in the front, he could not stay long in the West Courtyard. Otherwise, the news of the Emperor being at the Xu family’s home would inevitably spread. Mr. Xu had a couple of cups of wine with the Emperor before leaving again. He left Zhao Jing with the young Emperor to discuss court politics and the situation across the four borders of the Wei Dynasty. The more they talked, the better they got along, even secretly feeling that they had met too late.

The Empress and Chen Wanqing were having a meal in the flower hall on the other side, sitting alone at a round table. They had talked about parenting, and then about jewelry and dressing up. Once they finished with those topics, Chen Wanqing shared some interesting stories from the countryside and her various experiences in Xinghuai Prefecture. Whether it was jewelry and fashion, her journey along the way, or the various happenings in the remote countryside, the Empress was interested in all of it. The two chatted enthusiastically, and the Empress even drank half a bottle of fruit syrup while caught up in the conversation. Since Chen Wanqing was pregnant and could not join her in drinking, she toasted the Empress twice with tea instead of wine.

Thus, when the banquet finally ended, both the Emperor and the Empress returned with smiles on their faces. Before leaving, the Emperor patted Zhao Jing on the shoulder, his high regard evident. The Empress made a pact with Chen Wanqing, insisting that she must follow the old madam into the palace for the Lantern Festival banquet. Even the Young Crown Prince, though terribly sleepy, did not forget to look at Chen Wanqing’s belly and call out for a little brother. He looked as if he was eagerly waiting for his little brother to come out and play with him.

Before the banquet at Xu Mansion completely dispersed, Zhao Jing, Chen Wanqing, and the subsequently arriving Mr. Xu, Uncle Shiniang, and Uncle Shiling, gathered at the back door to see the imperial family off as they boarded their carriage and drove away.

Once the group had gone far and was no longer in sight, the breath Chen Wanqing had been holding in her chest suddenly released. Due to the immense burden and having been tense for too long, she stumbled for a moment.

Seeing this, Zhao Jing quickly supported her. "Careful. What’s wrong, Wanqing? Are you dizzy?"

Mr. Xu and the two uncles all looked over. Uncle Shiling said, "Qing’er must be exhausted, right?" After saying this, he couldn’t help but complain to his own father, "You sure know how to keep a secret. If I wasn’t clever enough to have people keep a close eye on the mansion, I would have been completely fooled by you. Father, when His Majesty and Madam left the palace, you should have at least let us go over and pay our respects."

Mr. Xu called his granddaughter to head back, while not forgetting to snap back at his son. "Do His Majesty and Madam lack your kowtows? They came out of the palace just to relax. There was no need for you to go over and be a nuisance." ℯ𝐥.

"How would I be a nuisance? What have I done to annoy His Majesty?"

Xu Shiling knew exactly what he had done, but right now he was just playing dumb. That animal, Yan Cheng—he had long said he would file a complaint against him in front of His Majesty, ideally having His Majesty dismiss him from office directly. He had indeed done exactly that. On the day he entered the capital to report on his duties, after finishing official business, he hugged His Majesty’s leg and poured out all the hardships their family had endured over the years. ℴ

These words would have actually been more effective if his father had said them, but his father completely disdained doing so. If his father really wanted to deal with Court Chengyi Mansion, he wouldn’t even need to lift a finger; a single look would be enough to take care of them cleanly. But his father had his reservations and was unwilling to cut off his own arm at such a crucial juncture. No matter how useless Court Chengyi Mansion was, they still represented a series of founding nobles. Some of them were corrupt, and some had fallen into decline, but they were ultimately the Royalist Party, loyal defenders and supporters of His Majesty.

His father was particular about how he did things, but he was different—he just started crying directly. His Majesty had a headache and hadn’t expected him to be so shameless. Unable to give an answer in the end, His Majesty could only flee in a panic. If he had known earlier that His Majesty came to the mansion today, he would have pestered and ground away at him until His Majesty stripped Court Chengyi Mansion of its noble title.

The group turned and walked back into the house. As they walked, Xu Shiling continued to fume indignantly.

Xu Shiniang found it outrageous. Frowning, he kicked him. "Shut up. On such a joyous day, don’t say such unlucky things."

Xu Shiling jumped up, stiffened his neck, and argued with Xu Shiniang, "How is it unlucky? If Court Chengyi Mansion is dealt with, wouldn’t that be a great fortune? A double blessing! I’ll have to drink a massive cup of wine to celebrate when that time comes."

"If you want to drink, just drink. You don’t need to find so many excuses."

"Shiniang, you..."

"Cut the nonsense. Jing and Qing’er are still here. Don’t make a fool of yourself in front of the kids."