Chapter 349: This is very good!
After the ceremony, it was time for the palace banquet.
At this time, it was time to enter the bridal chamber. Chu Tiankuo felt a little sorry for Xingnong being alone in the bedroom, so he squeezed her little hand and said happily, “Shall we attend the palace banquet together?”
Xingnong was surprised by his sudden happiness: “Is that alright? Isn’t that against the rules?”
Shouldn’t ancient women wait in the bridal chamber for the groom to return after accompanying relatives and friends for the banquet?
Chu Tiankuo nodded: “I’ll just go and tell Father Emperor.”
Xingnong thought that the food at the palace banquet would have cooled down and wouldn’t be tasty. Moreover, it was a banquet, so she would naturally need to be in good spirits to socialize. After thinking about it, she would rather stay in the room and have some peace and quiet. At the moment, she was tired and hungry and really didn’t want to socialize, so she shook her head: “No, I’ll go back to my bedchamber to rest.”
“Alright!”
The two returned to the bridal chamber, surrounded by a crowd of palace attendants.
Chu Tiankuo instructed the palace maids to prepare food and then dismissed the palace attendants who had followed them.
After only the two of them were left in the room, he happily pulled her into his arms, hugged her tightly, and lowered his head to ask, “Are you tired?”
His tone was as gentle as water.
Xingnong leaned against his chest, his clear and refreshing scent enveloping her entire being, making her feel exceptionally at ease.
Xingnong raised her head, the corners of her lips slightly curved, and looked at him, nodding: “Tired, but happy. I’m very happy to marry you!”
Her eyes sparkled with starlight, filled with tenderness.
“I’m also very happy. The happiest day of my life is today.” After saying that, he lowered his head and gently kissed her.
From gentle to passionate, their breaths quickly became erratic.
After an unknown amount of time, a palace maid’s gentle knocking came from outside the door: “Your Highness, Crown Princess, the food is ready.”
Only then did Chu Tiankuo release Xingnong and help her straighten her messy collar: “Wait for me to come back, I’ll be quick!”
After saying that, he lowered his head and pecked her again, reluctant to leave.
Xingnong nodded: “Go quickly!”
If he didn’t appear at the banquet soon, people would start to speculate!
“No rush.” Chu Tiankuo said, then turned his head and raised his voice towards the door: “Come in!”
The palace maids pushed the door open and entered in single file, placing steaming, exquisite dishes one by one on the round table.
Chu Tiankuo pulled Xingnong to sit down: “I’ll accompany you to eat a little.”
Xingnong naturally didn’t refuse.
The Imperial Kitchen had put a lot of effort into preparing the food for the palace banquet, but the distance from the Imperial Kitchen to the main hall was far, and because the quantity to be prepared was truly large, most of the dishes were cold dishes. They were beautiful to look at, but not warm. Now, after nightfall, the weather had already become quite cool, who wouldn’t want to eat something warm?
“There were a few more people among the officials just now, who were they?” Xingnong recalled Chu Tiankuo’s unusual behavior earlier.
Chu Tiankuo paused for a moment, feeling an unprecedented lightness in his heart: “It was my maternal grandfather, Marquis Changping, and his heir apparent.”
Xingnong was slightly surprised: “They weren’t beheaded?”
“What happened back then should have been Father Emperor’s plan, he deceived everyone. As for the details of the matter, I don’t know either.” Chu Tiankuo didn’t know what was going on, but he knew that his maternal grandfather’s family only appeared now, this should be Father Emperor’s wedding gift to him.
Xingnong smiled happily: “No matter what happened in the past, this is very good!”
The Emperor wasn’t a foolish ruler, a generation of loyal and virtuous people shouldn’t have met such an end.
From now on, Chu Tiankuo would have no more emotional baggage towards the Emperor.
Chu Tiankuo nodded, that’s right, this was very good! It couldn’t be any better!
✿✿✿
He was truly very happy today!
Chu Tiankuo hurriedly ate a little food with Xingnong in the room, instructed the palace maids to serve Xingnong well, and not to let anyone disturb her rest before heading to the main hall.
After he left, Xingnong continued to fill her stomach, then went to wash up. After washing up, she lay down on the bed to catch up on sleep.
~
Main Hall
The Emperor, Empress, and Empress Dowager sat at the main seats, while civil and military officials and noblewomen sat on both sides.
Dancing girls gracefully danced in the center, accompanied by the melodious sounds of silk and bamboo music.
Chu Tiankuo returned when the palace banquet had just begun.
At this moment, everyone was in no mood to talk. The women were still alright, in order to maintain their image, they all pretended to be congenial. The officials just focused on eating, not wanting to speak.
Although it wasn’t everyone getting married, they had to accompany them throughout the entire process. When the Crown Prince and Crown Princess had to kneel, they also had to kneel. When the Crown Prince and Crown Princess didn’t have to kneel, they still had to kneel!
It was truly exhausting!
This time, Ren Zilin pulled Xingqing to sit together, Princess Changle could only sit with Shen Ruolan.
Princess Changle stopped eating after a few bites, seeing this, Shen Ruolan also put down her chopsticks.
Shen Ruolan rarely attended palace banquets. In order to avoid making mistakes or embarrassing herself, she learned everything from Princess Changle’s behavior and manners.
Princess Changle smiled when she saw this: “Second Aunt, are you full? Won’t you eat a little more?”
As she spoke, she turned to look at Xingqing beside her. Seeing her just focused on eating, without any regard for her image, a look of disdain flashed in her eyes.
Shen Ruolan nodded, seeing that many people had put down their chopsticks: “I’m full.”
Princess Changle smiled, “Then eat a little more later, there are still many dishes that haven’t been served.”
As she spoke, she looked at Yong’an Heir Apparent across from her. Although she felt a little sorry for her younger brother, she was already tired of Shen Ruolan and didn’t want to see her for another day, so she had to take action.
This Shen Ruolan no longer had any use. She originally wanted to use her to find a troublesome marriage for Shen Xingqing, but she was too useless, she couldn’t even handle her own daughter’s marriage!
She glanced at the wife of the Vice Minister of Personnel again.
The wife of the Vice Minister of Personnel was just as useless, she was scared off by a few words from Shen Xingnong!
However, this wasn’t something she could back out of just because she wanted to.
Princess Changle glanced at Xingqing beside her again.
Xingqing was tired and hungry. She was talking to Ren Zishan while eating, occasionally enjoying the singing and dancing. The two of them had no intention of putting down their chopsticks.
Although Xingqing ate quickly, her eating manners weren’t unsightly. On the contrary, it made people feel their appetite increase.
Ren Zilin sat opposite them. Seeing that among the women present, only she and his younger sister were focused on eating, he smiled.
Unlike other women who put down their chopsticks after a few bites, their feigned elegance and reserved appearance made him lose his appetite!
Having stopped eating, Shen Ruolan turned her gaze to the opposite side and happened to see Ren Zilin smiling and glancing in this direction, looking in Xingqing’s direction.
However, Xingqing and Ren Zishan were sitting together, so Ren Zilin was looking at his younger sister.
Shen Ruolan whispered to Princess Changle: “Princess, the young master in purple clothes over there is the young master of the General’s Residence, isn’t he very handsome?”
She had told Princess Changle about him last night, but she didn’t seem to like him.
But she thought Ren Zilin was very good! So Shen Ruolan felt that Princess Changle hadn’t seen Ren Zilin for too long and didn’t know how handsome and elegant he had become now!
Princess Changle looked over when she heard this, she felt that Ren Zilin’s status was too low and he was not worthy of her.
But she discovered, Ren Zilin seemed to be looking at Shen Xingqing?
