eurekapd Chapter 586 Spring Banquet
Chapter 586 Spring Banquet
The fifth day of March is Shangsi Festival.
It is spring again, when flowers bloom and people hold memorial ceremonies, feast and go on spring outings in the suburbs.
King Xian, with his pumpkin-sized head and holding the banner of "General Yaowei", led his army northwards, heading towards northern Vietnam again.
Emperor Lin Feng Xun personally led his ministers to Bei'an Gate, hoping that the problems of the three states in northern Vietnam could be completely solved this time.
After the imperial carriage returned to the palace, Emperor Lin was in a very good mood. He set up a spring banquet in the palace and wished King Xian a successful return.
Prince Yi and Princess Yi were naturally among the invited relatives, so Zhou Chang had no choice but to bring Yuan Yun into the palace.
Because it was a small palace banquet, only royal relatives and important court officials were summoned. A tent was set up in the imperial garden with a curtain in the middle. The external officials and the concubines were separated, and the total number of people was quite large.
As for the foreign officials, needless to say, Prince Duan had already been demoted to Peishui, and Prince Xian had just set out with his troops.
Now only Prince Rong and Prince Yi were left sitting at the top.
As for the imperial family, Concubine Yi, Gu, has already "become a nun and worships Buddha" and can no longer attend such occasions.
The person in charge of the harem was naturally replaced by Prince Rong's biological mother, Concubine Shun Tian.
Zhou Chang could see everything clearly through the curtain. Concubine Shun, Tian, was sitting at the top. She was even fatter, with a pair of kind and gentle eyes that were smiling the whole time. She was wearing a bright red and golden peony dress, which made her stand out among the crowd. However, considering her age, it was really inappropriate for her to wear such a bright color.
Looking back at Prince Rong who was sitting opposite, Prince Rong was wearing a purple and red python robe with a four-clawed golden dragon on it today, making him particularly eye-catching among all the ministers.
It's really not easy for this mother and son.
While Zhou Chang was sighing, Emperor Lin drank two cups and then leisurely leaned back on the throne to enjoy the warm spring sun.
Emperor Lin is in really good condition today. He left the palace early in the morning to see Prince Xian off, and now he is back to attend the Spring Banquet, which is a great improvement. But after all, he was seriously ill before the New Year, and he looks like he has aged a few years.
On the other hand, Concubine Shun, Tian, who lived next to each other in a tent, was only a few years younger than her, but she looked younger and younger as she got older.
Concubine Yi, Gu, finally fell. Now in terms of status and seniority in the harem, Tian is the most respected. She seems to have the same attitude as Concubine Yi, Gu.
Although Prince Rong remained cautious and kept a low profile, everyone in the court was watching the wind direction, and many people took the initiative to move forward.
Only Zhou Chang was still the same as before. No one paid any attention to him even though he sat at the top. Only Feng Shuo stayed by his side, and the two of them watched the fun and had fun.
From time to time, bursts of laughter could be heard from the inner chambers.
As soon as the stringed instruments stopped, He Tao, the Chief Censor, found a topic to talk to the Emperor: "Your Majesty, the position of Empress in the palace has been vacant for a long time. Originally, the highest-ranking Concubine Yi was in charge of the affairs of the harem. Now Concubine Yi is devoted to Buddhism, and there are only three concubines left in the palace. During this period, Concubine Shun has been in charge of the harem in a steady and measured manner, and she also gave birth to your Majesty's eldest son, Prince Rong. She deserves to be promoted."
If a concubine moves up a level, she will either be a noble concubine or a queen.
He Tao is Prince Rong's father-in-law, so he said this without any intention of avoiding suspicion.
Emperor Lin narrowed his eyes and nodded, but did not say anything.
Yuan Chuan, the Imperial Household Officer, followed suit and said, "Your Majesty, if you calculate it, the twelfth prince Feng Suo will be fifteen years old after his birthday this year. It is time for him to be crowned as a king and to build a palace and government office. The Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Household must also start making preparations."
Previously, when the former king fell from power, a large number of officials involved in the incident also fell from power, but Yuan Chuan remained safe and sound.
For this reason, Zhou Chang was somewhat disappointed. He didn't know whether it was because Yuan Chuan was the father-in-law of Prince Yi after all, or because Yuan Chuan himself was not too involved with Prince Duan's party and was not implicated.
And now he is speaking for Feng Suo again. Is he planning to rely on Qin Fei, the "big tree", again?
Emperor Feng Xun still squinted his eyes and looked at Feng Suo, then nodded: "Yes, time flies, I am old, and Suo'er is about to reach adulthood. If we want to confer a title on a king, there must be a title, what word should Suo'er use?"
Emperor Lin seemed to think seriously about the title, but for a long time there was no further comment.
Those present were either clan members or close ministers, and no one was willing to join in this idea.
Zhou Chang shook Feng Suo's hand privately.
Feng Suo smiled back, seemingly not caring much.
On the other hand, Shangshu Ling Ding Mao, as the uncle of King Xian, was not present as King Xian had just led his troops to set out. He could not lose the rear position, so he also interrupted and said, "Your Majesty, I am fortunate to be the same age as Your Majesty, and I still feel strong even with age. Moreover, Your Majesty is in good health and is blessed by God. The illness at the end of last year was due to an unexpected blow. Now that the incident has passed, Your Majesty should not take it to heart. Instead, it is better to appoint a crown prince as soon as possible to stabilize the court and reassure the people of the world."
Emperor Lin nodded again, but still did not say anything else.
The Minister of Personnel Shi Yan also spoke up: "Today, King Xian led my country's 100,000 troops to the north of Yue. I am really excited to see this. Your Highness King Xian is very talented, talented, and has both civil and military skills. He has a long history of military achievements. If he can return victorious this time, he should be made the crown prince to consolidate the rule for thousands of years."
Ok?
Zhou Chang was a surprise. This old guy Shi Yan had always been very close to Prince Duan on the surface, but now it seems that he is actually Prince Xian's man.
As soon as Shi Yan opened his mouth, many people followed suit and expressed their agreement. They all praised King Xian for his great contribution, not only in military affairs, but also in his daily political affairs.
Emperor Lin just listened patiently, and nodded after a while: "Okay..."
As soon as the word "good" was uttered, the banquet suddenly became quiet.
This word is really worth pondering. Doesn’t it show the tendency?
If King Xian can return victorious this time, the position of crown prince will be his.
The hint is obvious, right?
Zhou Chang was unsure, but as he had not yet obtained any evidence that Prince Xian was "privately manufacturing weapons with the intention of rebellion", he could only glance at Prince Rong out of the corner of his eye.
Prince Rong had a gentle smile on his face from beginning to end. He was a modest gentleman, gentle and elegant. He seemed to be listening carefully to the words of Emperor Lin, but also seemed not to have heard the ministers' seconding opinions at all.
Then, Shangshu Ling Ding Mao was the first to react and happily raised his hands and said, "Your Majesty is wise."
Then nearly half of the people started to sing along.
Zhou Chang couldn't express his opinion, so he could only grab an apple and start eating it.
Unintentionally, he made eye contact with Prince Rong again.
Prince Rong raised his glass and smiled without saying much.
Zhou Chang also smiled politely in response.
In such an occasion, all the ministers were recommending a prince who was not present to be the crown prince, so the ones who would naturally be embarrassed would be the princes who were present.
Fortunately, the awkward scene did not last long, and Emperor Lin left the table on the grounds of physical fatigue.