12dz Chapter 131 Palace Banquet Dispute
Chapter 131 Palace Banquet Dispute
Inside the carriage, the crown prince could vaguely sense the impatience of the person beside him.
It's easy to imagine that her nameless anger is going to be directed at Consort Jia. Right now, the eyes of the entire harem are on Consort Jia's belly. If she can give birth to a prince, she might just be made a concubine.
The enemy of the enemy is the friend.
So when He Lingyi arrived, she felt that everyone in the room was her friend, and she instantly switched to a warm and welcoming demeanor, following the Crown Prince straight inside.
"The Crown Prince has arrived, and the Crown Princess has arrived."
The eunuch's long shout of greeting drew the attention of everyone at the palace banquet. Apart from Consort Qin, who had not yet arrived, all the other concubines were present, including Consort Tong, who had just lost her son.
Upon seeing her, He Lingyi felt a pang of pity.
Just a few days ago she was all high and mighty, but now, even dressed up in her finest clothes, she no longer has that same arrogant demeanor.
The old emperor was already seriously ill, and she had no chance of conceiving again.
In the harem, the fate of concubines without children was not good. They were either moved to the palace of the Dowager Consort to seek their own fortune, or sent to a Taoist temple outside the palace to live a life of quiet cultivation. Neither of these was what Consort Tong wanted, so she naturally regretted using the matter of catching a cold to pave the way for herself.
Therefore, when he looked at the Crown Prince and He Lingyi, his eyes were filled with resentment.
As for the other concubines, regardless of their status, they all stood up and bowed when they saw the couple enter. After all, these were the people they would rely on in the future, so it was best not to offend them easily!
The old emperor wasn't particularly lustful; all the concubines in his harem numbered only about twenty.
Most of them were elderly people who had been in the palace since they were young, so after He Lingyi took her seat, she carefully circled around them.
Of the four imperial consorts, aside from the young Consort Tong and the uninterested Consort Liang, there was only one Consort Yi.
She had given birth to princes and princesses, but unfortunately none of them survived. Therefore, she began to live a vegetarian life in her early years. Although she held the rank of concubine, she basically never left the palace except for the Mid-Autumn Festival family banquet and the New Year's Eve banquet.
As for the concubines below the rank of Consort, apart from Consort Wang having a sixth princess and Consort Dong having a fourth princess, the most eye-catching were Consort Jia and the seventh princess beside her.
The Seventh Princess is, in fact, He Lingyi's cousin from a previous life.
Unfortunately, with such a wicked mother, she naturally couldn't raise a good princess. Therefore, when He Lingyi saw her, she was reminded of some unpleasant memories.
Then, when the Seventh Princess cast a friendly glance at her, He Lingyi ignored it.
The Seventh Princess had tasted the bitterness of being ignored since childhood. It was only recently, when her mother became pregnant, that she received more attention. However, this attention was not for her at all, but for the child in her mother's womb. Therefore, she lowered her head, and a hint of sorrow appeared in her eyes.
Consort Jia dressed up carefully today. She may not be the most beautiful in the harem, but she is gentle and understanding, which is why she won the old emperor's favor and gave birth to the seventh princess.
However, her family had a misfortune a few days ago, and in order to protect her family, she pleaded with the old emperor many times. As a result, there were quite a few people in the palace who wanted to laugh at her.
The reason she dressed up for the occasion today was twofold: firstly, to let others know that she was safe and sound and was pregnant with a royal child; and secondly, to see what this newly appointed Crown Princess was capable of. She had learned quite a bit about the family affairs, and it could be said that this Crown Princess had played a significant role in stirring things up.
I've heard that she has a very close relationship with Madam Qiao. If she had been able to marry into the Lü family back then, would all these troubles have been avoided?
Therefore, Jia Meiren showed some apprehension towards He Lingyi.
The two happened to come face to face and saw a spot. He Lingyi's eyes revealed the excitement of hunting, making Jia Meiren feel like she was being watched by a jackal.
This Crown Princess is probably not someone you can easily get along with.
She couldn't help but reach out and touch her already protruding belly, glancing back warily.
Seeing her gaze, He Lingyi was not to be outdone. Feigning curiosity, she launched the first attack, making her the target of everyone's criticism with just one sentence!
"Consort Jia seems to be taking very good care of herself this time. Your Highness and I are both hoping that Consort Jia can give Father a son."
A prince is an extremely rare find in the imperial harem.
Sure enough, as soon as He Lingyi finished speaking, most of the concubines present turned their attention back to Consort Jia's belly. Even Consort Liang, who was usually so serene and composed, saw something else through her belly.
Jia Meiren suddenly felt a surge of pressure, but since she had chosen to attend today's palace banquet, she would not back down because of a few envious glances. Instead, she turned the tables and said...
"Thank you for your kind words, Your Highness. But I really hope it's a princess, so she can keep the Seventh Princess company, grow up together as sisters, and have someone to help her in the future."
“What Jia Meiren says is very true. After all, there are rumors that the Lu family head is very lucky to have such a good sister like Jia Meiren taking care of him. Otherwise, he probably wouldn’t be living such a good life now.”
He Lingyi brought up Lu Zha Di (a derogatory term for a scumbag father), instantly hitting Jia Meiren's weak spot.
With their mother gone, the Lü family now only has this one younger brother to hold the household together. Not only is his career path ruined, but he has also absurdly taken a concubine as his wife. Now he stays at home and refuses to go out, which is truly a great worry for her.
Therefore, upon hearing He Lingyi speak in such a manner, one would know that the other party had ill intentions.
He hesitated to speak, but ultimately chose not to confront her directly, resolving the dispute with a smile.
"What the Crown Princess says is true. We grew up together as brothers and sisters, and we can't ignore the affection we have for each other."
He Lingyi was somewhat annoyed, feeling like he'd punched cotton.
The other concubines, upon hearing this, also harbored resentment towards the Crown Princess, who had lost both her father and mother and had no brothers or sisters.
They had no hope to begin with, and were hoping that their nieces and grandnieces could enter the Eastern Palace and gain some of the Crown Prince's pity, so that their future lives would be better. But the Crown Princess wiped out all such opportunities.
Naturally, the ingratiating look in her eyes when she looked at He Lingyi was gone, replaced by a more complicated expression.
The crown prince remained seated calmly. He wondered if he should speak up in support, but he quickly dismissed the idea.
When he offered to help her take revenge, those around him disagreed, which showed that she was determined to personally stab her enemy in the back. Therefore, he would not intervene until He Lingyi asked him for help.
So that she could finally release her resentment.
"Jia Mei is kind-hearted, no wonder she is favored by the Emperor."
"It's just that I can't let go of a little family affection, but it can't compare to the Crown Princess's complete devotion to His Highness the Crown Prince. We are all hoping that the Crown Princess will have good news soon, so that the royal family can continue its lineage."