mtl008 Chapter 395: Chrysanthemum with Problems
Chapter 395: Chrysanthemum with Problems
"Bao Que, by the way, have someone remind Ye Lanyi to be careful of Concubine Shu."
The last time she was at Anqi Temple, she observed that Concubine Shu was not very enthusiastic towards Ye Lanyi, to the point of almost ignoring her.
According to ancestral laws, a prince can only have one concubine, and she is usually chosen from among the noble ladies of a large family.
The reason why Prince Guo has not married for many years is probably because the mother and son have other plans.
Ye Lanyi, who was beyond the control and occupied the only position of concubine, naturally did not receive the favor of Concubine Shu.
An Lingrong looked up at the palace in front of her. That was the place that Prince Guo and his mother longed to go.
Ye Lanyi failed to be sent to the emperor and has become a useless chess piece.
Useless pieces in a chess game are easily discarded.
In other words, Ye Lanyi is in a bad situation, and Concubine Shu may take action against her and force her to make room.
The internal strife within the Prince's Mansion would only consume their own strength, and An Lingrong was happy to see it happen.
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye it is the emperor's birthday.
Before daybreak, lights began to light up one after another throughout the palace, and figures of people were visible everywhere.
The palace maids in Yongshou Palace were also busy and happy. Today was the emperor's birthday, and the Sixth Prince, who was studying in the Shangshufang, got a day off.
I sent a message yesterday saying that I would come over to pay my respects to the Empress.
When An Lingrong and the two children learned that Hongzhan was coming, they got up early.
Hongyao asked anxiously, rubbing his eyes.
"Mother, why hasn't Sixth Brother come back yet?"
Zhao Hua responded crisply.
"Eighth brother, Sixth brother still has to study in the morning. He will be able to join us for breakfast after mother comes back from paying her respects."
Zhaohua hasn't seen his sixth brother for more than two months since he moved out of Yongshou Palace.
Without the supervision of the sixth brother, the eighth brother learned to be self-conscious.
He got up early every day to practice martial arts, and never slacked off in studying in the east side hall.
An Lingrong looked at the yawning twins with heartache and persuaded them in a gentle voice.
"Mother has already allowed you to rest today, why don't you two go take a nap?"
Bao Que also nodded and said, "My two young masters, as soon as the Sixth Prince arrives, I will ask you two to leave your bedroom. Is that okay?"
Hongyao and Zhaohua shook their heads firmly and said in unison that they were not sleepy.
An Lingrong was very pleased to see that the two siblings cared so much about Hongzhan.
"Mother has to go to Yikun Palace for something. If you two are hungry, please ask the kitchen to bring some snacks."
She gave careful instructions before leaving and left Baoque to look after the two children.
Hongyao and Zhaohua are not suppressed by Hongzhan, so they occasionally have small conflicts and need someone to keep an eye on them.
Today is the emperor's birthday. As soon as Concubine Hua appeared, she spoke straight to the point.
"The Emperor cares deeply about the people and has stated that this year's Longevity Festival will be kept simple. Today's Longevity Banquet at Baohe Hall will be a family banquet. Everyone, please go back and clean up quickly so as not to miss the time."
"I obey your command."
After everyone agreed, Concubine Hua deliberately glanced at Shen Meizhuang.
"The Emperor loves his descendants. I have arranged a birthday celebration for the prince and princess. How are your preparations going, sisters?"
"Replying to the Imperial Concubine, the Seventh Prince has already prepared the birthday gift."
Concubine Jing smiled and helped Shen Meizhuang out of the predicament.
She helped her one last time because they had lived in the same palace together.
Shen Meizhuang has a grudge against Concubine Hua. She is not vague about big things, but she only picks on small things to annoy her.
Apart from paying respects, she basically did not allow Princess Longyue to attend any activities led by the Imperial Concubine.
This time it is the emperor's birthday banquet, and Concubine Jing hopes that Shen Meizhuang will not be confused.
Shen Meizhuang knew the importance of the matter. After An Lingrong smiled and gave an affirmative reply, she also made it clear that Longyue was already prepared.
"I don't have anything to say, so let's go."
Concubine Hua said something before she stood up.
"Please wait a moment, Concubine Shu. I still have some banquet details to confirm with you."
In the past, Concubine Hua, who cared about the emperor so much, wanted to take over all the banquets ordered by the emperor, but now she is not so stupid.
After discussing with the emperor to hold a family dinner in Baohe Hall, Concubine Hua assigned some trivial matters to An Lingrong, Concubine Jing and Concubine Lan.
An Lingrong was in charge of the flowers and plants. She thought there was something wrong with the flower room, so she spoke directly as soon as she entered the inner room.
"Sister Nian, what's wrong with the flowers and plants at the banquet?"
"Lingrong, don't worry. Last night, someone reported that a young eunuch sneaked into the Baohe Hall. It was just too dark, so they couldn't catch him."
It was very likely that the trouble caused during the Emperor's birthday festival was directed at the Emperor. Concubine Hua originally wanted to pretend that she knew nothing, but she was afraid that someone with bad intentions would tamper with the flowers and plants.
She came to remind An Lingrong because she was afraid that she would be scolded by the emperor.
"Zhou Ninghai personally led a thorough inspection and found nothing amiss. You've always been incredibly meticulous, so please check it out again before the banquet begins."
"Thank you, Sister Nian, for reminding me. Lingrong also has something to say. There will be singing and dancing performances at today's birthday banquet. Please, Sister Imperial Concubine, send someone to keep an eye on it."
Fangyun transferred a group of women from a farm near Qingliangtai to the Prince's Mansion. An Lingrong suspected that Prince Guo, who had a criminal record, would force women on the emperor this time.
Concubine Hua knew that An Lingrong never spoke without purpose, so she nodded repeatedly.
"I'll have Zhou Ninghai keep an eye on that area. He's been with me for many years and is the best at seizing opportunities."
"Then I'll have to trouble you, Sister Nian. I'll go to Baohedian to check after breakfast."
Before An Lingrong stepped into Yongshou Palace, she heard Hongyao's loud laughter coming from inside.
"Master, it must be the Sixth Prince coming."
Baoli smiled and helped An Lingrong into the gate.
Anxious to see her son, An Lingrong couldn't help but quicken her pace.
She hadn't seen Hongzhan for more than two months. She could only hear from Baoge and Baoque, who occasionally brought her snacks, that he had grown taller and thinner, and that the clothes she sent him fit him well.
An Lingrong saw three children running in the garden, but she did not go forward and watched them play with a smile.
It was the alert Hongzhan who noticed something unusual and discovered his mother standing in the corridor.
He trotted forward and saluted respectfully.
"Your son greets you, Mother. Thank you for your concern for me."
When Hongzhan first arrived at the prince's residence, he missed his mother and his younger brothers and sisters so much that he couldn't sleep.
The snacks that Aunt Baoge and Aunt Baoque sent on his orders greatly alleviated his longing for his family.
In order to see his family as soon as possible, Hongzhan insisted on reading in the morning even when his teacher was on vacation. As soon as the palace gate opened, he couldn't wait to rush to Yongshou Palace.
An Lingrong lifted up the person kneeling on the ground and held him in her arms.
"Just come back!"
The family of four finished their breakfast happily. An Lingrong asked the three children to go to the back hall to play, while she took Baoque and Xiaolinzi to Baohe Hall.
An Lingrong was in charge of the flowers and plants, and these were the first things she paid attention to when she entered.
The emperor said that everything should be kept simple at the birthday banquet, but those who were in charge could not do so.
The banquet hall is decorated with chrysanthemums of various colors. Chrysanthemum is known as "longevity guest" and "longevity flower". The most important thing is that the emperor likes chrysanthemum.
An Lingrong carefully checked every pot of chrysanthemums from the door to the inside, and there was no problem.
However, when she approached the desk at the highest position, she suddenly smelled a strange fragrance.
Her heart skipped a beat, realizing that there might be something seriously wrong with these pots of chrysanthemums.