Chapter 407.1: Want to Live or Die?
The Empress let two inner court attendants have Le Cheng Emperor supported away. Based on past experiences, there was still some time until the end of the banquet. Moreover, without Le Cheng Emperor overseeing, the people below actually were able to drink more freely. That’s why, right now, no one would go pay attention to Le Cheng Emperor’s coming or going.
And after Le Cheng Emperor left, the Empress also got up to leave. Having sat for this long, her entire body all felt uncomfortable. If she doesn’t go back to rest, afraid she all won’t be able to hold up later. Although she can not attend, it was still out of the question, because her collapsing from illness has already greatly affected this faction of theirs. If she were to then not show up, letting people know that she was still fine, then afraid this effect will just magnify.
In reality, at this time, regardless whether it was the Empress or the entire faction, they all realized that the Empress held too much importance. This originally was what the Empress wanted, but there was a big premise to this, the Empress needed to be perfectly fine. This time, suddenly falling ill, without a doubt, gave them a huge blow on the head.
The Empress’s age was more or less the same as Le Cheng Emperor’s, just because she’d appropriately maintained her health, she had always been relatively healthy, so simply never thought of this problem, but now……………….
If after painstakingly plotting, one were to just die before achieving one’s goal, that kind of feeling, it was better to not mention. However, at this time, even if the Empress wants to adjust, weakening her own existence, it was already too late. That’s why, she can only hold on.
After the Empress left, Shu Consort Qin also followed out. Even in the past, towards the various titled madams’ all kinds of toast, she was also quite neutral, but because she temporarily wielded the phoenix seal, and with the Empress’s body still not recovering after all this time, her status naturally rose with the tides more and more. Many people wanted to curry favor with her, but unfortunately, Shu Consort Qin simply didn’t budge.
At Jing Wan’s table, it was just her and Li Hong Yuan. Only the princes that haven’t been bestowed a wang title and opened their own manor would be seated together, for the other grown princes, it was just each having their own table, a ten seat table. One wangye, one wangfei, in addition to two side consorts, there were still six seats remaining, and at present, there weren’t any family that had as many as six children. However, from the looks of it, it was still just Jin Qinwang’s table that was the emptiest. The other tables, no matter what, all had more than five people, so no matter how one looked, it was all a bit lonely and naturally also very irksome to the eye in all aspects. However, Jing Wan was now ‘thick-skinned’ and ‘magnanimous’, so it was just ignoring, ignoring, and ignoring. As for Li Hong Yuan, this further didn’t need to be mentioned.
Jing Wan retracted her gaze and looked towards Li Hong Yuan. With merely just a glance, Li Hong Yuan for the most part already knew what she wanted to do.
Li Hong Yuan leisurely extended his chopsticks to pick up a certain kind of vegetable and sent it into his mouth. Another reason why this table of theirs was lonely was because even if someone came over to toast wine, it was just toasting a cup and hurriedly leaving. No one would stop over to chat, one of the reason being that Jin Qinwang didn’t have that worth, and secondly, the living Enma’s infamous reputation was too resounding. Being indefinitely moody wasn’t just said for fun. Perhaps, just one line will end up offending him.
Jing Wan also continued eating along with. Although the time was extended but occasionally eating a bit, there really weren’t anything in the stomach, “This method, did wangye let someone send into the palace?”
“Else what? With everything all being ‘cold dishes’, wangfei will end up starving for the entire day.” Li Hong Yuan boldly stated, not covering up in the slightest that he was precisely doing it for the sake of his wife.
Fortunately, Li Hong Yuan and Jing Wan’s voices weren’t too loud, else Jing Wan would’ve become the target of a multitude of arrows again.
“This prince will go change.” Li Hong Yuan brushed his sleeves and got up, leaving Qian Chen Hall. As the number one attendant, Eunuch Mu naturally followed after.
(T/N: Going to change is also a euphemism for going to the toilet.)
At this time, there were quite a few people coming and going, so Li Hong Yuan openly strutting out also wasn’t anything to marvel at.
Jing Wan this while just quietly ate. The time was still very early, so to not eat a bit of something, one will certainly suffer afterwards.
Luo Old Madam at this time also couldn’t walk away, and the one that had accompanied Luo Old Madam into the palace was Jing Wan’s eldest aunt Wang-shi. If Jing Wan wants to see her own mother Zhang-shi at this kind of palace banquet, then she still needed to wait until that father of hers that was already determined to move forward to climb up the ranks more.
Speaking of which, it wasn’t forbidden to bring along the younger generation, but Luo Old Madam didn’t do that, because it wasn’t necessary. Besides, entering the palace in the middle of winter was truly enduring hardships.
Jing Wan inadvertently lifted her head, seeing the ‘drunk’ Former Wei Princess Yi Ning, supported by her servant girl, also leave Qian Chen Hall. Jing Wan naturally retracted her gaze. This while, she was pretending to be drunk, but very soon, she will be ‘genuinely drunk’. Jing Wan suddenly looked forward to the good play afterwards. Sure enough, it was those near ink get dyed black.
Li Hong Yuan finally returned after another half hour. En, in half an hour, what can be done and what can’t be done all can be done.
Jing Wan slightly questioned, “Wasn’t it said that the matter this time, I will take care of?”
Li Hong Yuan lifted his brow, “What? Wangfei is blaming this prince for competing with you for favor on imperial father’s side?”
Jing Wan instantly understood. This was having gone to see Le Cheng Emperor. Just, don’t know exactly what kind of purpose he had in going. Was it to push along, or perhaps perfect her plans?
When the banquet was about to end, the snow outside stopped. Not only so, the sky also very quickly cleared up. That’s why, Le Cheng Emperor’s birthday this year was indeed a good day.
Since the sky cleared, they naturally were able to continue with the afternoon recreations. The four great acting troupes of the capital had all entered the palace, even specifically preparing a play for Le Cheng Emperor’s birthday. In addition to the four troupes each having many varying plays, coming together in one hall, the level of spectacle naturally goes without saying. Even if Jing Wan didn’t particularly like, she all somewhat looked forward to.
The stage was set in the imperial garden and was several times bigger than a normal stage. And sure enough, the four most renowned acting troupes of the capital didn’t make one disappointed.
The ones that understood Qi Yuan plays the most naturally was Former Wei, but unexpectedly, quite a few of the other countries’ emissaries also liked it. Although in Jing Wan’s eyes, those people simply didn’t understand what they were watching, completely just hollering on their own. While the people to the side were all quiet, they would just loudly cheer, and that voice was even extraordinarily loud.
While they believed themselves to be real, Qi Yuan naturally just felt that they were vulgar, uncivilized, and rude. With the disparity in background being too great, sure enough, it was just a large chasm.
Two hours after the play started, Le Cheng Emperor appeared. In reality, he wasn’t that terribly drunk. Of course, even if passed out drunk, a man and a woman laying together naked, one can’t be innocent anymore. Moreover, Jing Wan noticed an unusual mark on Le Cheng Emperor’s neck. Clearly the good deed had been done.
However, this while, watching the play, the male and female seats were separate, so she was unable to communicate with her own husband.
Very soon, someone hastily came over, finding the Former Wei first prince and whispering something by his ear. The Former Wei first prince’s completely darkened like ink, nearly overturning the low table for the tea and desserts in front.
He sat for a moment, seemingly weighing the pros and cons, yet seemingly also silently enduring the anger. Afterwards, he suddenly got up, “Qi Yuan Emperor, this matter, shouldn’t you give this prince an explanation?”
Le Cheng Emperor impatiently glanced at him. Having strangely slept with a woman, he was also very irritated, alright?! Especially when he was deeply reminiscing about his true love———-Clearly he’d drank a bit too much, his memories already fragmented, so he didn’t really know what exactly happened either. Reasonably speaking, when drunk, even if not resting in the imperial chambers, there were still people watching over when resting in other places, so it made no sense for someone to suddenly intrude the place he was resting in.
In reality, no one had gone in, just while drunk, he didn’t properly rest, and for some unknown reason, ran out on his own. And never mind running out, he even ended up rolling together with a woman.
As for the specifics of the situation, he’d already let someone go investigate.
If it was just having slept with an ordinary palace maid, or a certain minister’s younger generation, that was all not a problem. The former, one didn’t even need to bother with, and the latter, at worst it was just giving a position based on status, so it all wasn’t considered anything. But this one just had to be an enemy country’s princess.
In his own territory, he naturally can do whatever he wanted, and moreover, he didn’t feel he was at fault. But you, a foreign princess, when drunk, certainly should also have people looking after you, so to be randomly wandering around, what was the meaning of this? Anyone would all feel this was a scheme, let alone an emperor. As such, Le Cheng Emperor darkened his face, “First prince rather doesn’t need to be impatient, once everything is investigated clearly, how it should be, naturally will be how it is. Just, whether it’s this emperor giving you an explanation, or you giving this emperor an explanation, this will be two different sayings.” From Le Cheng Emperor’s appearance right now, anyone was able to tell that his mood was quite bad.
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