Chapter 370 Zhongyuan 2

Mid-Autumn Festival is a day for family reunion and one of the most important festivals in the Zhou Dynasty.

This day is also the time when the moon is the fullest in the year.

According to convention, the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet starts at noon. First there is the banquet, and then there are the necessary banquet programs such as singing and dancing. In the evening, the banquet venue is moved to the garden, while eating delicious moon cakes, while admiring the moon.

The emperor was in a very good mood, and specially allowed Wei Yan, Zhou Taiyi, Yu Daoshi and others to attend the banquet. Yang Wei, the commander of the imperial guards, and Sun Yi, the deputy commander of the guards, also attended. In addition, there were several officials who came with the crown prince and the grandson of the emperor. There were really many people at the banquet.

The concubines were not convenient to sit at the same table with the men, so they sat at two other tables, separated by a screen in the middle.

There was a lively atmosphere with fine wine and delicious food.

Ling Jingshu remembered Wei Yan's advice and took a special detoxification pill before the banquet. The same was true for Concubine Wei Xian. At the banquet, Concubine Wei Xian drank almost no wine and ate very few dishes.

As a female official, Ling Jingshu had to wait until her master finished eating before she could eat. She pretended to move her chopsticks twice and then stopped eating.

"Why do you only eat so little?" Xinyun, who was standing next to her, asked with concern: "Is the food not to your taste?"

Ling Jingshu smiled to cover up: "I probably caught some cold, my stomach is a little uncomfortable, and I really can't eat."

It's not good to hide it like this. However, some secrets are really not suitable for her to know.

Xinyun didn't doubt him, and looked at Ling Jingshu sympathetically: "If it were a normal day, you would just tell Concubine Xian that you would go back and rest first. But today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the banquet will continue until the evening. We all have to serve at any time and can't get away. You just have to be patient for a while."

Ling Jingshu hummed casually, and glanced around calmly.

It's quite tiring to have your nerves so tense all the time.

However, the banquet was unexpectedly calm. Except that everyone was in high spirits and drank a little more, there was no disturbance.

It was like clenching a fist and preparing to hit with all your strength, but there was a blank blank in front of you, with no clue of the target. While secretly rejoicing, you also felt inexplicably depressed and annoyed.

…

After the banquet, everyone followed the emperor to the main hall.

This place had been arranged long ago.

The emperor sat high on the dragon throne, with the crown prince and the king of Yan sitting on his left and right, and the crown prince sitting below the crown prince. Next, it was the seats of the concubines in the palace.

Concubine Wei Xian was the highest-ranking concubine and the most favored by the emperor. She sat at the same table with Princess Anya.

Ling Jingshu stood behind Concubine Wei Xian to serve, and therefore was quite close to the crown prince.

And Wei Yan and Doctor Zhou sat at the last table. They were separated by the enchanting dancers, and they could hardly see each other's faces.

This was not the best time to look at each other and express their feelings.

Ling Jingshu quickly calmed down, lowered her eyes, and served tea to Concubine Wei Xianfei attentively.

The Crown Prince's eyes drifted over indifferently, and seeing Ling Jingshu's lack of reaction, he pulled the corners of his lips with self-mockery in his heart. He quickly looked away again.

"I offer a cup to my father, wishing him a long life and good health." The Prince of Yan raised the wine glass and said in a loud voice.

The emperor was radiant and smiled and replied, "Okay, I and my son will drink this cup together!"

His eyes were so kind and his tone was so gentle.

The prince's heart sank slightly.

Knowing is one thing, and seeing it with your own eyes is another.

The Prince of Yan has worked hard in front of the emperor this year. Not only did the emperor not dislike the Prince of Yan because of the abolition of the queen, but he loved and trusted him more. In the long run, the Prince of Yan might really be able to compete with him with the emperor's preference.

Ah Yao was right! The Prince of Yan, this confidant and a big trouble, can no longer be kept. As long as there is a suitable opportunity, he must be eliminated...

After the emperor and the King of Yan drank, they looked at the thinner Crown Prince and sighed: "I didn't expect that Jiang was so unlucky and died early. Ah Yao, I know you are sad. However, no matter how sad you are, you can't torment your body."

When Jiang Rongyue was mentioned, the Crown Prince trembled slightly and his expression dimmed.

"Lin Ge'er has lost his mother. As a father, you should take extra care of the child in the future." As the emperor spoke, he couldn't help but think of the late Queen Jiang.

The daughters of the Jiang family were born rich, but they were all short-lived.

Queen Jiang at that time, she became the queen at least, and she watched her son being named the prince before she closed her eyes in peace. Jiang Rongyue was even more pitiful. She died after giving birth to a child at the risk of her life.

The Crown Prince responded in a low voice, with a look of sadness.

The King of Yan said hypocritically, "Ayao, you have to cheer up quickly. Otherwise, your father will worry about you every day."

The Crown Prince looked up and looked at the King of Yan: "Thank you, Sixth Uncle, for reminding me. I know the importance of this. I will never miss the important matters of the court because of this. Sixth Uncle should focus more on the Royal Grandfather. With the careful company of the Sixth Uncle, the Royal Grandfather's health is getting better day by day. My father and I can also focus all our attention on the court."

The last two sentences were soft but with thorns.

The King of Yan's eyes flickered slightly, his smile did not diminish, but he snorted in his heart.

At this moment, the melodious and soft music stopped, and the charming dancers quickly retreated. Instead, there was a burst of exciting drums and music, which was refreshing.

Two rows of women holding long swords entered the main hall, and danced with the long swords in their hands with the sound of drums. These women were all young, beautiful, and heroic.

After watching too many enchanting songs and dances, this unique sword dance was a bright spot.

The crown prince narrowed his eyes, secretly cautious and alert, and his right hand pressed on the hilt of the knife at his waist.

Ling Jingshu subconsciously held her breath.

These young women dancing with swords were all unfamiliar faces!

Each of them was agile, and the long swords made a lot of sword flowers, which dazzled the audience. Especially the one leading the dance, her movements were neat and crisp, and she clearly had special skills!

This sword dance was arranged by King Yan!

If there was a top expert among them, who suddenly attacked...

The emperor's eyes flashed with approval, and he smiled and praised: "What a great sword dance! These women seem to be unfamiliar faces, where did the emperor find them?"

The King of Yan glanced at the Crown Prince who was standing in front of him with a cold and serious look, and a meaningful smile appeared on the corner of his mouth: "Reporting to the emperor. This sword dance was specially rehearsed by me and presented to the emperor. These women were carefully found by me, and most of them have some skills. So this sword dance is also very beautiful. I wonder if the emperor likes it?"