Chapter 5

Thus, I calmly locked eyes with King Zhao

It is a pity that you have chosen the wrong target; I have yet to hear of a successful transition for a crown princess. Do you have such a grand temple that can accommodate this Buddha of mine? Or perhaps it would be better to save your efforts

The elderly lady took my hand and gently asked, "Is your health much better now?"

King Zhao smiled at her reassuringly and reached out to hold her small hand

Suddenly, a voice came from beside: "Third Brother, Fifth Brother, Father Emperor and Mother Empress are about to arrive, let us go out to greet them."

On New Year's Eve, the Emperor had already hosted a state banquet attended by the officials in the Daming Palace. Today's dinner at the Yanchun Pavilion can be considered a family banquet within the palace

Then Qi Sheng led me inside. Everyone in the hall stood up to greet us. While I followed Qi Sheng's lead, I carefully observed the various beauties in the hall, as well as the different expressions on their faces. The Zhao princess, Jiang, still wore a plain white dress, standing gracefully beside the Zhao king.

Fortunately, Qi Sheng has not yet succumbed to dementia; he did not shake off my hand in front of all these princes and grandsons of the emperor, but merely said, "Alright." After saying this, he no longer glanced at Jiang, and was the first to turn and walk towards the palace exit

The old lady smiled again, reached out and patted the hands of Qi Sheng and me with force, finally letting us go, and sat down properly in her designated seat. I let out a long sigh of relief, returned to my seat, and hurriedly took Green Hedge's hand, shaking it back and forth several times, which finally suppressed the strange feeling I had just experienced.

I suppressed the goosebumps on my body and reached out to place my hand on Qi Cheng's hand

The royal banquet is nothing more than eating, drinking, singing, and dancing. As for eating, I dare not indulge too much; drinking is even more to be avoided, as making the same mistake just once is sufficient; singing, I can hardly comprehend the melodies; dancing, I am too heavily dressed and bundled up, unable to see any scenery. Thus, I am left with nothing but to pass the time by observing the myriad beautiful women in this hall.

This is quite serious! Qi Sheng's expression immediately turned three degrees colder. I was overwhelmed by his powerful aura, which gave me a headache. I thought to myself, Qi Sheng is really losing his composure. I mean, you are a prince; is it necessary to lose your dignity in public over a woman? It's just a woman. Once you become emperor, not to mention one woman, all the women in the world will be yours!

I had just stood up with the crowd when I heard the Empress Dowager call for me. I had already met her several times and knew that although she appeared kind, she was a very shrewd and formidable person. Hearing her call for me again, I hurriedly approached with caution.

As he walked away, my hand naturally fell empty, and I could only return it and nonchalantly adjust my cuffs, following Qi Sheng out. Glancing sideways inadvertently, I happened to catch a glimpse of Toilet-kun looking at me with a half-smile, and I was momentarily taken aback, suddenly understanding in my heart

Ha! This fellow is not only calm and composed, but also quite scheming

Qi Shengben had been silent on the side, but at this moment, he cast a cold glance at me

Zhao Wang clearly also noticed the intense eye contact between his wife and his brother, so after glancing at Qi Cheng, he suddenly looked over at me

This scene is quite strange, as Qi Sheng and Jiang are intensely staring at each other, while Zhao Wang and I calmly gaze at one another

The eunuch at the entrance stretched his neck and shouted at the top of his lungs: "His Highness the Prince of Taihe, Her Highness the Crown Princess has arrived—"

Perhaps I was lost in thought, and my gaze towards Jiang was momentarily uncontrolled. Jiang glanced at me, quickly turned away to avoid my gaze, and gently tugged at the sleeve of King Zhao.

Mr. Mao Ce spoke with utmost seriousness, yet I found myself rather speechless. Upon reflection, what he said is not entirely incorrect; after all, the "Eighteen Touches" is indeed a folk ballad

As soon as these words were spoken, I almost lost my composure again. The phrase "cannot give" immediately slipped from my lips, and fortunately, my quick reflexes allowed me to cut off the last word just in time. I hurriedly composed myself and, looking at the toilet, asked: "Cannot give—can give?"

The emperor, empress, and dowager empress, along with other high-ranking officials, have yet to arrive; those present are primarily princes, princesses, and their consorts, as well as some distant relatives such as dukes and duchesses. Nevertheless, the great hall is still filled with a considerable number of people, which clearly demonstrates the royal family's remarkable reproductive capacity

Sigh, how wonderful it would be if she were to call me "brother". I couldn't help but let out a sigh. At this moment, Lvy was not by my side, and I had no idea who this light beauty before me was. However, since she referred to Zhang as "sister-in-law", she must be some kind of princess or the like.

Brother, I understand your gaze. However, that is your wife, not mine, so it shouldn't concern me! What? Manage Qi Sheng who is beside me? He hasn't pursued my wife, so why should I care?

I turned my head, and indeed, Qi Sheng's fiery gaze was fixed on Jiang. Brother, as a man, although I understand you and want to support you, could you also consider the face of your brother Zhao Wang? After all, this is his wife! Even if one were to be cuckolded, it shouldn't be done so openly, right?

Qi Sheng first knelt down to greet, pulling the corner of his robe, and the people behind him in the hall all knelt down in a rush. The Empress Dowager, seeing so many royal descendants, was evidently pleased and quickly instructed everyone to rise.

The beauty had not yet finished watching when someone beside me gently tugged at my sleeve. I turned my head and saw that the seat originally occupied by Qi Sheng had been taken by a light beauty. She appeared to be only about fifteen or sixteen years old, the age of youthful exuberance and charm. With a cheerful smile, she tugged at my sleeve and called out, "Sister-in-law"

I turned my head upon hearing a voice and saw a graceful young gentleman standing nearby with a smile. He seemed somewhat familiar, and upon closer inspection, I finally found it difficult to remain calm.

Light Beauty tugged at my sleeve and leaned in close to my ear, pleading, "Good sister-in-law, I've been bored here. Will you accompany me outside to see the lanterns?"

As I was lost in thought, Mr. Toilet glanced over at me and calmly called out, "Third Sister."

However, it is evident that Mr. Toilet has mastered this seemingly smiling yet ambiguous expression quite well

Thus, I regarded the toilet as inconsequential, calmly turned my head, and followed Qi Sheng to greet the Emperor, Empress, and others. Just as we reached the palace gate, the voice of the eunuch resonated appropriately. The Emperor and Empress each supported the Empress Dowager, followed by a large group of brightly dressed concubines, who approached slowly from outside

I felt as if my heart was covered in fur, yet I could not shake off Qi Sheng's hand, so I could only lower my head and pretend to be shy

Qisheng took my hand and led me slowly into the Great Hall of Yanchun Pavilion

Unfortunately, I am not someone to be easily trifled with. I immediately showed a delighted expression and pretended to thank the toilet lord, saying: "Then I must thank you, Ninth Brother."

The Ultimate Skill of Seduction—A Smile That Is Not Quite a Smile: This facial expression is extremely difficult to master, with a very fine line to tread. If the movement is too pronounced, it becomes a silly grin; if it is too subtle, it results in a facial muscle spasm. In summary, very few achieve mastery of this skill, and many end up becoming exemplars of a hollow smile that does not reflect genuine emotion.

The two of us are here, and you thank me politely, but the few people beside us seem to be confused. Qi Sheng, out of concern for appearances, maintains a cold expression and refuses to inquire further, while King Zhao asks Lord Ma: "What song is the Ninth Brother referring to?"

The smile on Mr. Maocai's face grew even wider as he replied, "Of course, I will have someone copy another copy for you another day and send it to Fifth Sister as well"

I still felt somewhat uncertain, and couldn't help but glance at Mr. Toilet a few more times. Indeed, that expression was too familiar; I had practiced it countless times in front of the mirror back in the day. It is the expression that many women, my fellow citizens, adore—a smile that is not quite a smile!

Mr. Toilet finally showed a hint of a smile on his face, glanced at me again, and then replied: "Oh, it’s a few folk songs that Third Sister happened to hear and asked me to help find them."

Jiang nodded gently at Toilet Lord with a soft smile, and suddenly my thoughts became impure. Looking at Jiang's delicate, fair face, I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like if she were to sing the "Eighteen Touches"

I was momentarily taken aback by his words, "San Liu Qu? Where does San Liu Qu come from?" Looking at the calm expression in the eyes of the toilet lord, I suddenly understood, San Liu is eighteen! What he was referring to was the eighteen touches!

The elderly lady smiled, reached out, and took Qi Sheng's hand to place it over mine, saying with a smile, "A married couple should be affectionate and loving towards each other; from now on, you must not let go of each other's hands."

Jiang's gaze briefly turned towards me before shifting away, landing only on Qi Sheng beside me

I cannot help but exclaim: Indeed, if one wishes to be graceful, one must also be willing to reveal one's legs

Outside the Yan Chun Pavilion, Qi Sheng stopped in his tracks, turned around, and slowly extended his hand towards me. Noticing that he only offered one hand this time, I guessed it was not a gesture for changing clothes. After a moment of contemplation, I suddenly realized that he intended to show affection in front of others, and he took my hand as we went inside

You... you. ... you wouldn't be trying to hit on me, would you?

Oh, Toilet Lord, oh, Toilet Lord, I only wish that on that day the light in the toilet is dim, and you, with your drunken eyes, are unable to see my appearance clearly

I noticed that he appeared completely unfazed, which allowed my heart to settle a bit. Before I could even feel relieved that Mr. Toilet indeed had poor eyesight, I heard him elegantly say: "Third Sister-in-law, I have found the Sanliu tune you requested the other day, and I will send it to you on another day."

At this moment, the quietly sorrowful Jiang family beside them suddenly spoke up, gently asking the Toilet Lord: "May I ask what kind of tunes these are? Could you also provide me with a copy, Ninth Brother?"

Alas, the Crown Prince is still too young. We must allow young people to make mistakes; making mistakes is not terrible, as long as they can correct them, they remain good comrades. With the noble goal of healing and saving, I finally gritted my teeth and reached out to Qi Sheng, grasping his sleeve, and gently said in a tone that I found repulsive: "Your Highness, it is time to greet His Majesty and Her Majesty."

After speaking, she slightly turned her head and called out to Jiang Shi, addressing her as "Fifth Sister".

I assumed a quail-like posture, gently nodded, and replied: "Alright, thank you for your concern, Grandmother."

Mr. Toilet politely replied: "Sister-in-law, you are too kind."