Chapter 348: Gifts at the Banquet
Chapter 348: Gifts at the Banquet
Suise relied on her mother, Princess Qii, and snuggled close to her.
The soft little face felt so delicate and pleasant to the touch. Princess Qii couldn't help but feel reluctant to let go.
Feng Xuanrui and the others didn't have classes today, and they were all dressed up like little peacocks ready for a beauty pageant.
Feng Xuanrui, full of tricks, had chosen a sky-blue robe, aiming to resemble her sister more and more.
Ideally, they would look so alike that people would know they were siblings at first glance!
Upon seeing Feng Xuanrui's scheming, Feng Xuanbo secretly cursed under his breath.
However, he wasn't far behind either.
He had chosen a pale green outfit, but the jade pendant at his waist was green and resembled his sister's quite a bit.
After a simple breakfast, the family members of the mansion got busy.
Concubine Ren and Concubine Meng were both needed to help out today.
Ren Shuhan and the others had returned to the mansion yesterday to prepare for today's banquet.
Doctor Liu and the others were afraid that Suise would be alone, so they came early in the morning and brought their granddaughters along.
With Shen Huatang and Liu Hemeng by her side, Suise felt much less anxious seeing so many people around.
Children tend to forget about pressure when they play.
So, Liu Hemeng took Suise to play in the outer room for a while.
When there were more people, she brought Suise back.
Today was Suise's identity unveiling banquet, and she needed to stay by Princess Qii's side.
Among the royal relatives, there were naturally some who looked down on Suise.
Some of them even harbored the idea that if Prince Qi failed to betroth a daughter, they still had a chance to send an insignificant girl from their mansion to gain a share of his love and glory.
Unfortunately, Suise's arrival shattered their fantasy.
They wouldn't consider the possibility that Prince Qi would have chosen a girl from the extended family if he had really wanted to.
Instead, they felt that Suise's arrival had robbed them of their opportunity.
However, most of these people were destitute relatives with little influence or status.
They didn't dare to target Suise directly and could only whisper malicious words behind her back.
They even maliciously thought that if Suise were alone, they would teach this child a good lesson.
Even the greatest wealth and honor require the good fortune to receive them.
That child looked so frail and sickly; it would be a waste for her to stay in Prince Qi's mansion. It would be better if she died early and made room for others.
Some people thought viciously, but they had no opportunity to act on their malicious intentions.
Princess Qii doted on Suise as if she were the apple of her eye, and if not for her physical limitations, she would have wanted to hold her in her arms the entire time.
However, that was not feasible.
Aside from her lacking the physical strength, Suise had recently gained some weight, making her a bit cumbersome to hold.
Nevertheless, even if Princess Qii couldn't hold her, she could still hold her hand.
In any case, the child would not leave her side.
This fact left several onlooking relatives disappointed and gritting their teeth.
The banquet had not officially started yet, as they were still waiting for all the guests to arrive.
However, one wave of astonishment after another had already occurred.
First, His Majesty had sent people to deliver gifts in person, including a particularly large box containing unknown treasures.
Soon after the Emperor's gift arrived, the Empress sent her presents separately.
Compared to the Emperor, the Empress's gifts were even more extravagant.
The palace maid delivering the gifts recited the list of gifts in a loud and clear voice.
From ornaments to fabrics, from jewelry to farmland, the list seemed endless.
By the end, many people had become numb to the sheer magnitude of the gifts.
She had even been bestowed real estate!
Even a house on Changning Street, one of the busiest streets in the capital!
Each property was incredibly valuable, yet the Empress had directly bestowed two of them!
Several envious and jealous relatives, their faces already distorted with resentment, were now red with anger, screaming in their hearts: "Why? Why does she deserve this?"
The Empress had sent so many gifts that it took the palace maid almost an entire hour just to recite the list of presents.
The guests couldn't help but wonder to themselves as they heard about all the valuable gifts: "Why? Why is the Empress Dowager showing such favor to this little county princess?"
"Could it be... that child is truly Prince Qi's illegitimate daughter?"
Looking at her eyes, she did bear a striking resemblance to him.
Perhaps it was indeed the case.
If she were truly his flesh and blood, then no amount of pampering would be excessive.
With this thought, the envious onlookers, who had been seething with jealousy, now let go of their resentment.
If she were his own daughter, there was no way they could compete.
So be it, they would just give up.
After the gifts from the Emperor and Empress Dowager were presented, the Queen from the palace also sent her gifts.
Following the Queen was Honorous Consort He!
The gifts from Consort He were no less extravagant than those from the Queen.
Many people even secretly thought that if it weren't for considering the Queen's face, Consort He would probably send even more lavish gifts.
The guests did not associate the previous incident of saving He Dai with Suise.
They merely assumed that Consort He was engaging in a power play with the Queen, deliberately sending more gifts to make the Queen feel uncomfortable.
After all, the two royal consorts had been vying for power for many years, and their tactics were ever-changing.
This was not the first time the guests had witnessed such a situation.
So, they were content to simply watch the show.
If they truly got involved, these women were the Emperor's wives and consorts, and the Emperor would be pleased to see them fight fiercely for his attention. But if they, the outsiders, got involved, it would be a different story!
After the Queen and the Honorous Consort, it was the turn of Consort Shu, who presented gifts that were appropriately moderate, causing the guests to nod in approval, thinking that this was what normal should look like.
Then, when it came to Consort Jing, the gifts seemed to become more valuable again.
Why were these gifts so expensive? Wasn't there any news of Consort Jing having a close relationship with the Prince Qi's mansion?
Consort Jing was known to be the least interested in vying for power among the Emperor's consorts, and many even believed that...
In Consort Jing's eyes, the Emperor Himself was not as important as the medicinal herbs she cultivated.
However, these were just thoughts that they could only keep to themselves; they dared not speak them aloud, or they might lose their heads.
After Consort Jing, Consort Li presented gifts that were also within the acceptable range.
There was nothing amiss with the gifts from Consort Zhuang either; they were all in line with the proper etiquette.
The gifts from the other concubines, such as the imperial consorts, beauties, and so on, were more or less similar in value.
It was normal for some concubines not to send any gifts, as those with lower ranks and less favor naturally had less disposable income, and at this time, they wouldn't want to waste money just to make their presence known.
Then, the gifts from Prince Qing's mansion arrived.
Prince Qing himself also came in person, exuding a murderous aura that frightened the scheming royal relatives, making them want to shrink into the ground and hide from his gaze.
Prince Qing's gifts were plentiful, not surpassing those of the Emperor and Empress Dowager but coming close.
Given the close relationship between Prince Qi and Prince Qing, it was understandable that Prince Qing would show such generosity, and the guests could accept this.
Next, the Grand Princess's mansion sent luxurious gifts.
After hearing this, the guests became even more confused.
So?
Was this little county princess just born lucky, destined to be favored by so many important people?
Why?
How?
The intimidated royal relatives, who had been shrinking their necks to avoid attention, were now filled with questions, whispering and wondering in bewilderment.
After the Grand Princess, gifts also arrived from the mansions of the Assistant Minister of Public Works, the Duke of Chengguo, the Song family, and the Meng family, all of which had some marital connection with the Prince Qi's mansion.
It was understandable for them to send heavy gifts to maintain the relationship between the two mansions and give each other face.
But!!!
Why did the He family from the Ministry of Hospitality bring such heavy gifts?
What was your relationship with the Prince Qi's mansion?
Sending such heavy gifts was like blatantly bribing the Prince!
If the impeachment ministers found out, they would be in big trouble!
(End of Chapter)
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