"These are not edible; they are very sharp. This afternoon, a few little eunuchs didn't believe it and insisted on trying. Now they are hiding in their rooms, each with a bleeding mouth."
It's not good to appear at such a festive palace banquet with injuries on your face. It would offend the nobles, and you could lose your life.
Xiao Xuanzi nodded: "Then I'll leave now. I'll tell the Empress later."
Tell her what?
Of course, that Chief Steward Gao cooperated fully and found the hardest crabs to eat among thousands.
"Lord Jiang..."
Xiao Xuanzi walked into the smoke-filled "battlefield" with a smile, seemingly unaware of Lady Pei's anger, and placed four plates of peeled crab meat in front of Jiang Xinyan, Jiang Junze, Jiang Yunxia, and Jiang Yuncai.
"The Emperor said this year's crab meat is particularly plump and asked me to bring an extra serving for the young masters and mistresses to enjoy."
Jiang Yuncai swallowed and whispered in her sister's ear, "Really? I just ate a few more bites, and the Emperor noticed? The Emperor dotes on Cousin Yue too much!"
The Emperor didn't notice what they liked to eat.
It was clearly because he favored Cousin Yue that he wanted to take care of her family.
No one present... no one would have thought that this crab meat was not a reward from the Emperor but just Jiang Xinyue bluffing.
Would the rewarded person dare to ask the Emperor, "Did you really give me crab meat?"
Lady Pei's face turned pale. She looked at the Xuanwu Emperor at the head of the table, only to see his eyes always glancing at Concubine Zhen. Concubine Zhen's eyes... why were they always staring at her?
She felt a moment of guilt, fearing that Concubine Zhen would cause her trouble.
"Is it just for us, or do others have it too?"
Jiang Yankun, feeling a bit like Lin Daiyu, said sarcastically, "Does Miss Pei not have any?"
A woman in her thirties being called "Miss Pei" so righteously made Lady Pei almost die of shame and anger.
Every "Miss Pei" reminded everyone present of how she immediately divorced Prime Minister Song and returned to the Pei family with her dowry when something happened in the Song family.
Yes, she didn't leave a penny for Prime Minister Song, disregarding his life and death, and directly ran away with the money.
Xiao Xuanzi looked at Lady Pei, the corners of his mouth rising: "How could Miss Pei be left out? The Emperor couldn't attend Minister Pei of the Privy Council's sixtieth birthday and felt regretful, so he asked me to bring two crabs for Miss Pei."
Lady Pei's face lit up with joy, feeling proud: "My father is the Minister of the Privy Council, a close minister to the Emperor. How could the Emperor forget me? You all..."
"Miss Pei, please—"
Xiao Xuanzi lifted the lid of the silver plate, revealing two steamed crabs inside.
When the eunuch said two crabs, he really meant two whole crabs.
Two whole crabs, shells and all.
How could one eat this?
In a wealthy family, who eats crabs like this?
Only those unrefined fishermen would gnaw and spit, which is very inelegant and quite embarrassing.
Lady Pei looked at the plates of the younger generation of the two families. Their plates were filled with peeled crab meat, stacked like little mountains, even thoughtfully drizzled with vinegar, which the little ones quickly devoured.
"Pfft!"
Jiang Yankun laughed unceremoniously: "Sorry, Miss Pei, I usually don't laugh unless I can't help it."
After laughing, he coughed twice: "Miss Pei, please eat! Don't waste the Emperor's kindness. You must appreciate this imperial favor!"
Lady Pei's face turned green and white, her smile uglier than crying: "Eunuch, can I... can I eat it later?"
She wanted her maid to handle it later so she wouldn't be laughed at.
"That won't do."
Xiao Xuanzi's face darkened: "I have to report back to the Emperor. How can I answer if the Emperor asks how the crab meat tasted and if you enjoyed it?"
Not eating would be ungrateful, rejecting the Emperor's kindness, which could cost her head.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Lady Pei had no choice but to pick up a crab. But after looking at it for a long time, she didn't know where to start.
She had only seen crabs turned into a bowl of crab meat after being served, never a whole crab like this.
But the eunuch was clearly impatient, looking at her with displeasure. She could only bite into the hard shell with humiliation, her eyes red.
"Crunch!"
"Ah!"
Who knew what kind of crab this was, with wavy edges on the shell and sharp little spikes on each bump.
Lady Pei's mouth was pricked by the spikes, causing her to cry out in pain, but her voice was drowned out by the music and dance in the hall.
Jiang Xinyue was amused by her ungraceful appearance, laughing with her maids, Magpie and Frost.
The Xuanwu Emperor had been unhappy tonight until he saw this smile.
But now, seeing Concubine Zhen's relaxed and joyful smile infected him, making him unconsciously smile too.
In his eyes, everything lost its color. The area around Concubine Zhen was a blur, only she was clearly imprinted in his eyes, vibrant and beautiful.
The surrounding noise disappeared in an instant, and even Concubine Zhen's every move became slow motion, replaying in his mind over and over.
She was so beautiful, so cute.
Not because of her appearance, but because the Xuanwu Emperor felt she was genuinely beautiful inside, making him want to get closer, indulge her, and give her the best of everything.
He was doomed!
He was falling for Concubine Zhen's smile!
Wasn't it just a piece of clothing?
If she gave it to the Empress, so be it!
Maybe she didn't like the pattern!
He would make her a new one next time.
Empress Zhu, sitting beside him, felt the Emperor's sudden happiness most directly.
She turned to look, and the Xuanwu Emperor withdrew his gaze from Concubine Zhen without a trace, looking puzzled at Empress Zhu: "What's wrong? Does the Empress have something to say?"
Empress Zhu smiled and shook her head: "Your Majesty, I was too impulsive the other day, not considering your dignity. Now that the old year is about to pass, let's leave all the unpleasantness in the old year and move into the new year together, shall we?"
Fenyun was right. Even if not for herself, she had to think more for the Fifth Prince.
The Xuanwu Emperor held her hand: "I'm glad the Empress thinks this way. This is the meaning of the New Year's banquet."
The ministers were also very pleased to see the Emperor and Empress in harmony. It seemed that the rumors of discord between the Emperor and Empress were false.
If they were at odds, how could they wear such matching clothes representing love?
Look at the flowers on the Empress's dress, clinging to the vines on the Emperor's robe, clearly showing great thought.
Jiang Xinyue watched the Emperor and Empress, also smiling.
But her smile was much more meaningful.
Sometimes, the more estranged a couple is, the more they will deliberately show affection in public.
