Chapter 68: Does This Count as a Reunion of Their Family of Three…?

Chapter 68: Does This Count as a Reunion of Their Family of Three...?

Besides granting Cheng Yian the title of princess, the emperor also generously provided the first batch of promised rewards.

Lu Xusheng naturally handed over all these rewards to Cheng Yian.

After a moment of closeness, Cheng Yian bathed and changed clothes, then got up to review the list of rewards once more.

"There are quite a few paintings, calligraphy pieces, and antiques here. If I'm not mistaken, did His Majesty directly allocate these from his personal treasury to you?"

Lu Xusheng, holding her in his arms while lighting a lamp for her, replied, "It seems so."

These assets had not yet entered the national treasury. Fearing the Ministry of Revenue officials would be stingy, the emperor directly allocated them from his private account. This bypassed the Ministry of Revenue's records, leaving court officials with no grounds for complaint.

"Finished reading? I'm going to turn off the light."

Cheng Yian, exhausted and yawning, tossed the list back onto the dressing table by the bed, pondering,

"Our storage room is too small; I need to dig a cellar."

Among the rewards were some gold ingots, which made her uneasy about where to store them.

Lu Xusheng said, "There is a cellar beneath my study."

Cheng Yian could now sleep peacefully, reflecting on how this man had risked his life, and she had reaped the rewards. She rose from his embrace to kiss him, aiming for his lips but, in the darkness, her kiss landed on his Adam's apple.

The moist touch was fleeting, sending a shiver through his body, and Lu Xusheng stiffened momentarily.

Seeing her lying down, he dragged her out again.

The 22nd of May marked the Emperor's birthday.

In past years, the emperor had championed frugality, avoiding any display of extravagance. This year, with the national treasury substantially improved, officials urged the emperor to celebrate grandly.

Since ascending the throne, the emperor had faced internal and external troubles, with two political factions vying for power, rarely having a good night's sleep. Recently, however, the tide had turned. Following Lu Xusheng's marriage into the Cheng family and the Zheng family's daughter's marriage to Prince Ning, the emperor observed the Empress Dowager's faction faltering while his own gained strength.

Now that Lu Xusheng had also stabilized the south for him, it was not only Lu Xusheng's achievement but also a testament to his own governance. Both court officials and the public praised the emperor for his boldness in employing capable individuals, recognizing him as a decisive ruler. Pleased with the turn of events, the emperor permitted the court officials to celebrate.

The Court of State Ceremonial had dispatched invitations to neighboring nations well in advance, beckoning them to join in the emperor's birthday festivities.

By the 20th, the imperial city was adorned with lanterns and decorations, and foreign envoys could be seen everywhere on the streets.

The court was on a three-day holiday, celebrating with the whole nation.

On the 22nd, the day of the grand celebration, the emperor hosted a lavish banquet at Guanghan Hall on Qionghua Island.

Guanghan Hall was chosen for its cool, water-encircled ambiance, ideal for daytime banquets and enchanting nighttime lantern-lit boat rides amidst the sweltering heat. Consequently, the Office of Ceremonies arranged the banquet there.

Early in the morning, Liu Xi presented the guest list for today's ceremonial banquet to the emperor for review. The emperor perused the list of envoys from various nations, including Northern Qi and other border states, and inquired, "Is the Northern Qi envoy the son of the Prince of Nankang, the Prince of Nan'an?"

Liu Xi confirmed, "This person has always regarded our General Lu as a formidable adversary. His arrival this time might be troublesome."

The Prince of Nan'an had once vowed to kill Lu Xusheng to avenge his father.

"Have the Imperial Guards secretly monitor his every move and report any suspicious activity to me. Also, send a copy of the intelligence to Xusheng."

"As you command."

"By the way, how is the Empress Dowager?"

In the past, the Empress Dowager never participated in the emperor's birthday celebrations, as she did not wish to show him respect, but the emperor's side could not neglect the etiquette.

Liu Xi said, "It's quite strange. When I went to pay respects to the Empress Dowager yesterday, Her Majesty mentioned she would attend Your Majesty's birthday celebration today."

The emperor was taken aback.

The Empress Dowager seldom made appearances on such occasions, and her presence this time might have ulterior motives.

However, having contended with the Empress Dowager for many years, he was ready to tackle any challenge head-on.

Before dawn broke, Cheng Yian arrived at the Yunnan King's palace.

Today marked the emperor's birthday celebration, and her mother was obliged to attend the palace to extend her congratulations; otherwise, it would be a great disrespect to the emperor.

Therefore, Cheng Yian came early to assist her with her grooming and preparations, while also explaining the palace rules and etiquette to her.

Xia Fu, dressed in the grand attire of a consort, wore a deep blue and red robe adorned with golden phoenix motifs, a phoenix crown embellished with kingfisher feathers, and her hair arranged in a lily-shaped bun, all covered by the phoenix crown, revealing only her beautifully oval face, which was radiant even without makeup.

Such an outfit demanded substantial jewelry to complement it. Cheng Yian unlatched her mother's jewelry box and immediately noticed a coral bracelet with a deep, rich hue, resembling her own, with a well-developed patina, indicating it had been worn for many years.

Cheng Yian instinctively retrieved the bracelet and offered it to her, "Mother, wear this one. I have one too. Let's wear them together; they'll look great."

Cheng Yian showed her own bracelet to her mother.

Xia Fu smiled and put it on as suggested.

Yunnan, bordering Myanmar, is renowned for its jade, so Xia Fu's jewelry box contained a collection of jade pieces. From a single chest, she extracted ten small brocade boxes, each housing a piece of top-tier jade.

"Mother, why have I never seen you wear these?"

Naturally, Xia Fu refrained from wearing them. These were the jewelry of the "Yunnan King's consort," and since she was not the real consort, she wouldn't use them unless necessary.

But since she had to attend the palace banquet today, it would be deemed improper not to adorn them.

Cheng Yian selected the most vivid green jade for her, but Xia Fu shook her head, "Let's opt for this colorless, glass-like jade bracelet instead."

She preferred to keep a low profile.

Cheng Yian glanced at her wrist; the coral bracelet fit flawlessly and enhanced her complexion.

After finishing her own preparations, Xia Fu turned to look at her daughter. Cheng Yian was attired more colorfully, as befitting a young girl in the prime of her youth, with skin as smooth and delicate as water. She wore a silver-red robe embroidered with crabapple flowers, a horse-face skirt with auspicious knots on the buttons, and her hair styled in a heart-shaped bun, adorned with a gold and pearl phoenix hairpin. Ru Hui did not over-accessorize her, nor did she apply heavy makeup, fearing it would overshadow her natural beauty.

As they departed, she donned the cape emblematic of her princess status, perfecting her ensemble.

The Yunnan King and his son rode ahead on horseback, while Cheng Yian accompanied Xia Fu in the carriage. The carriage entered the palace through the Xi'an Gate and stopped outside the Lingxing Gate. After entering, they walked eastward across a long white jade bridge, the Yuhe Bridge, leading to the Chengguang Hall. From there, they crossed the Taiye Bridge to the north, finally arriving at the Guanghan Hall.

At this time, civil and military officials, along with their wives, were entering the palace. The bridge was bustling with people, some walking together, others stopping to chat, but due to the crowd, no one lingered for long. After entering the Lingxing Gate, Cheng Yian did not walk with the Yunnan King and his consort. She looked too much like her mother, who deliberately kept her distance, asking her to stay a few steps behind.

As Xia Fu and the Yunnan King entered the Chengguang Hall, Cheng Yian headed towards the Yuhe Bridge. Halfway there, she suddenly heard a familiar voice calling from behind.

"An An!"

Wasn't that Princess Minglan?

Cheng Yian was overjoyed and immediately turned around, indeed seeing Princess Minglan approaching, flanked by two female officials.

"Your Highness, when did you return to the capital? Why didn't you send someone to inform me? I would have gone to your residence to welcome you."

Princess Minglan, leaning on the arm of a female official, stood there waiting for her to approach, and softly hummed.

"Now that you have godparents, how could you possibly remember me? Even if I had informed you, I'm afraid you wouldn't have had the heart to come."

Oh no, she's feeling jealous.

In the past, Princess Minglan had wanted to take her as a goddaughter, but she was worried her father wouldn't agree and thus refused. Then, while the princess was away, she ended up being adopted by the Yunnan King's palace.

Cheng Yian felt a sharp pang of guilt and immediately went over to apologize.

"Your Highness, there's a reason for this. Please allow An An to explain."

Princess Minglan walked straight ahead onto the bridge without looking at her, saying indifferently, "There's no need for explanations; I already know. You must say that the emperor wanted to win over the Yunnan King's palace, so he had you get close to the consort, right?"

After saying this, she stopped and, still upset, pinched Cheng Yian's cheek. "Little An An, can you just casually take on godparents? I couldn't bear to make you kowtow to me, and now you're going to kowtow to others? Wait until after the banquet; I'll speak to the emperor and have you renounce this godparent relationship."

Cheng Yian winced and pouted in pain, "Your Highness, please spare me."

But she realized she could no longer conceal the truth, so she took the arm of another female official and, while supporting Princess Minglan towards the Taiye Bridge, confessed the truth.

"Your Highness, I only tell you this, you must not spread it. The Yunnan King's consort is actually my mother, and that's why I accepted the godparent relationship."

Rather than waiting for Princess Minglan to ask the emperor, it was better to come clean herself; this matter couldn't be kept secret.

Princess Minglan was indeed stunned for a long while, "What a coincidence!"

Cheng Yian then told her how the Yunnan King's palace had saved her mother. Princess Minglan was silent for a moment.

"What a tragic figure."

Then she walked forward without mentioning it again.

Cheng Yian was unsure of Princess Minglan's thoughts. Although the princess had firmly stated she had let go of her father, it was unclear how she felt about her father's former woman.

Now that her mother had remarried into the Yunnan King's palace, the princess probably wouldn't make things difficult for her.

Upon entering Guanghan Hall, all the court officials and ladies, both inside and out, rose to pay their respects, and the eunuchs respectfully led Princess Minglan to her seat.

The main hall of Guanghan Hall was even more expansive than that of the Hall of Supreme Harmony. In the center was a stage with white marble pillars as railings, with civil officials on the left and military officials on the right. Behind each group hung a beaded curtain, where the ladies from various households were seated.

Today, due to the presence of foreign guests, the eastern guest seats were allocated to the envoys from various countries, while the domestic civil and military officials sat on the west side according to their ranks.

The remaining royal relatives were seated in the upper sections.

Flanking the dragon throne were seats reserved for the Empress Dowager and the Empress, with three steps below. The first step was for the seats of the Crown Prince and Prince Ning, followed by Princess Minglan and the Yunnan King's palace, and the last step was for the rest of the royal relatives.

As Cheng Yian stepped into the hall, her eyes immediately sought out the seats of the Yunnan King's palace at the upper end, where she indeed saw the Yunnan King sitting with her mother, with the young master Mu Xun sitting behind them.

Scanning the room, she spotted Lu Xusheng alongside several marshals, as well as the ministers of various departments, but notably absent were the Minister of Rites Kong Yunjie and her father.

Cheng Yian felt an inexplicable wave of nervousness.

On an occasion like this, her father was certain to attend.

After taking a few steps and noticing Cheng Yian wasn't following, Princess Minglan turned to see the young girl heading towards the ladies' seats and called her back.

"An An, you are to sit with me today."

Cheng Yian had already caught sight of the Second Mistress and others seated among the Lu family's ladies and was on the verge of joining them, but at these words, she froze in surprise.

"Your Highness, is this really appropriate?"

Princess Minglan said expressionlessly, "If I say it's appropriate, then it is."

Cheng Yian glanced at the leading scribe from the Office of Ceremonies, who was guiding them. The scribe gave her a wry smile and nodded. Cheng Yian had no choice but to trail behind the princess, who then, in full view of everyone, led Cheng Yian to sit on the high seat on the second tier of steps.

This was not the first time Princess Minglan had taken Cheng Yian in such a manner. Such scenes had become routine for the officials.

Lu Xusheng glanced at Cheng Yian as she passed by, and she blinked at him. Lu Xusheng sipped his tea silently, offering no comment. The princess had promised in Jiangnan not to corrupt Cheng Yian, so he no longer interfered with their interactions.

As Princess Minglan climbed the steps, the Yunnan King and his family rose to their feet.

The Yunnan King bowed slightly to Princess Minglan, "Greetings, Your Royal Highness Princess Minglan."

Princess Minglan, holding Cheng Yian's hand, approached the couple and gave a slight bow to the Yunnan King, "It has been many years, Your Highness. You look as distinguished as ever."

After a few polite words, her gaze turned to Xia Fu.

This time, her gaze lingered a little longer.

The Yunnan King, unaware of the history between Princess Minglan and Cheng Mingyu, was somewhat curious about her close inspection of Xia Fu.

Cheng Yian's palms were clammy with sweat, but she didn't dare move a muscle.

Xia Fu, however, appeared unfazed by Princess Minglan's gaze. Her eyes fixed on the hand Princess Minglan used to grip her daughter, lingering for a moment.

After scrutinizing Xia Fu, Princess Minglan turned back to the Yunnan King, gave a slight nod, and then took her seat.

As Cheng Yian took her seat, she could feel her heart pounding in her chest.

She couldn't shake the feeling that today wasn't a birthday banquet, but more like a battlefield.

Shortly after she sat down, a group of people entered the hall. The leader, clad in a crimson robe, tall and striking, was none other than her father, Cheng Mingyu. He was accompanied by the Minister of Rites, Kong Yunjie, and a tall man dressed in foreign garb.

Undoubtedly, that man was the Prince of Nan'an, son of the Prince of Nankang from Northern Qi.

The three of them strolled towards the eastern guest seats, chatting and laughing.

Cheng Yian couldn't resist glancing at her mother across the hall.

Xia Fu was picking up a piece of radish cake from the table and handing it to young master Mu Xun behind her, utterly oblivious to everything else.

Meanwhile, Princess Minglan was sipping tea from a cup handed to her by a female official, not even sparing a glance at Cheng Yian's father.

A moment later, Cheng Mingyu escorted the Prince of Nan'an to his seat and then withdrew to the first seat on the right, sitting bolt upright, awaiting the emperor's arrival.

Everyone appeared calm and composed, except for Cheng Yian, who was soaked in cold sweat.

Cheng Yian's seat was positioned right beside the white jade railing.

With a glance, she could see Xia Fu across the hall, and by slightly lowering her gaze, she could see Cheng Mingyu, the head of the officials.

Their expressions were nearly identical, both quietly pouring tea and sipping in silence.

This was the first time Cheng Yian had seen her father and mother in the same setting.

Even though they each had their own families.

Cheng Yian suddenly wondered, could this be considered a reunion of their family of three?

She smiled faintly to herself, feeling a small spark of joy in her heart.