Chapter 42: Family Banquet Part 1

On a cold winter night, the dusk grew thick, and the wind picked up, causing the lanterns lit by the palace servants to sway wildly in all directions, flickering on and off.

Empress Shao Yun deliberately kept the two waiting outside Eternal Joy Palace for a long time before summoning them inside.

Upon entering the hall, Shao Yun was sipping her tea with a leisurely expression. She looked up at the newcomers and smiled. “Yesterday when you entered the palace, This Palace sent someone to invite you to Changle Palace for a visit, but you left too quickly. By the time my people reached Containment Origin Hall, you were already gone.”

This was a rebuke for not paying respects upon entering the palace yesterday. Xun Changqing curtsied and was told to rise. She smiled with a sigh, her clear, bottomless eyes showing no trace of guile as she laughed. “The Rear Palace is no place to enter without an imperial decree. Even if Changqing wanted to visit, she wouldn’t dare. Yesterday, she considered sending in a calling card, but then she encountered an assassination attempt. After returning to the mansion, she spent most of the day in fear and trembling. When Your Majesty’s decree arrived, Changqing didn’t dare delay and came straight away.”

Shao Yun gestured for them to sit at the lower seats and smiled. “This Palace merely made a casual remark, and you offered so many explanations. Outsiders might think This Palace is petty. But it’s good that you’re back. Over these years away, your mother consort must have missed you terribly and mentioned you often. Have you received her recent letters? Knowing you’re back, she’s probably on her way from the Southwest Region as well.”

Xun Changqing pretended to lift her teacup, fiddled with the lid, and lowered her head with a smile. “It’s been a long time since Changqing received a letter from Mother Consort. His Majesty mentioned that she went to the Southwest Region. Since she’s with Father Prince and their affection endures, Changqing has no need to worry. She’ll just wait in the Imperial Capital for Mother Consort’s return.”

With minimal effort, she elegantly deflected the probe. Xun Changqing took a light sip of tea and turned to the Empress with a flower-like smile.

The Empress’s expression shifted slightly. Everyone knew the Princess Consort had gone missing, not traveled to the Southwest Region. She knew it, so how could Xun Changqing not? She was clearly playing dumb, but the Empress couldn’t call her out and could only go along. “That’s true as well. Your father prince and mother consort rarely spend time together, so this could indeed foster their feelings.”

The affection between Mother Consort and Father Prince could now only be described as polite respect. Xun Changqing understood this herself. The two originally hailed from different countries and had come together for the sake of diplomatic friendship. Moreover, Father Prince was rarely at the mansion, so their bond was like a blank sheet of paper—only her own birth had added a touch of color to it.

After exchanging a few polite remarks, the Empress turned her gaze to Wei Lingci, a glint of shrewdness flashing in her eyes. She smiled on the surface. “Miss Wei, This Palace recalls that you’re the same age as Yiran. Have you married yet? If so, This Palace still needs to provide your dowry.”

The words were somewhat abrupt, but with no one else in the hall, Xun Changqing wouldn’t comment. Wei Lingci had to respond. “My grandfather passed away, so out of filial piety, this subject daughter must observe three years of mourning.”

The Previous Emperor Xun Qian had adopted Ning’an County Princess Wei Xiao, and her husband Gu Liang Xin could be considered Wei Xiao’s father. As a junior, Wei Lingci observing mourning for her grandfather was beyond reproach.

However, Gu Liang Xin’s death had been handled with utmost secrecy by the Emperor, so few knew of it. There was no precedent for imperial descendants to observe mourning either. Wei Lingci’s words came across as either perfunctory or deliberately obstructive, leaving the Empress no room to argue.

Facing the Empress’s darkening expression, Xun Changqing lounged lazily and smiled as she asked, “Your Majesty, has a candidate been selected for Second Brother’s principal wife? Aren’t you eager to hold a grandchild?”

The topic shifted to Xun Yiran, and the Empress’s expression eased somewhat. Her gaze flicked toward Wei Lingci. “It’s settled—the daughter from Duke Hengguo’s Residence. She’s quite a match for Yiran. We’ll welcome her into the mansion next first month of the year, settling one of This Palace’s worries.”

Hengguo Duke Cai Kui was the younger brother of Zhaohe County Princess, making him the brother-in-law of Yuan Qingming’s wife. Though not as deeply rooted as the Shao Family, he had gained status in the Imperial Capital over the years thanks to Yuan Qingming’s prestige. Still, the position of Second Imperial Prince’s principal wife seemed an elevation too high.

Xun Changqing and Wei Lingci exchanged a glance. The latter remained silent, so Xun Changqing continued with a smile. “It seems Second Brother must really like that girl to welcome her as principal wife. These years I’ve been away from the Imperial Capital, I nearly missed such good news.”

The words carried a hint of mockery, and since Xun Changqing truly hadn’t been in the Imperial Capital, the Empress found it hard to save face. Just as she was about to speak, a palace servant announced the arrival of the Wise Noble Consort.

The family banquet was set at Zhaoyang Hall, but as the mistress of the Rear Palace, the Empress required Xun Changqing to pay respects upon entering. With the Wise Noble Consort’s arrival, the conversation shifted to palace matters. By the time dusk fell, they headed to Zhaoyang Hall.