HLnovel Chapter 15 I've never seen anyone so eager to be insulted.
Chapter 15 I've never seen anyone so eager to be insulted.
This practice session lasted another fifteen minutes.
After writing the last character, Lin Shiming put down his brush and let Lu Yuxi massage his wrist.
"Shouldn't we set off?" The East Palace is quite a distance from the Hall of Central Harmony, and it's already dark. It will definitely take almost an incense stick's time to get there.
"It's time to set off," Lu Yuxi replied, then stood up and beckoned to the eunuch waiting at the door, "Is the sedan chair ready?"
"Your Highness, it is ready."
Lu Yuxi nodded, turned around and reached out her hand to Lin Shiming, "Let's go."
*
When the two arrived at the Hall of Central Harmony, everyone except the Emperor and Empress, who were to make their final appearance, had already arrived.
"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has arrived——"
The people who were socializing in the hall quickly rose and knelt down in worship.
"Your subject (your subject and his wife) pay their respects to Your Highness the Crown Prince."
Lin Yunyue and his son, along with Zhang Ting and her mother-in-law, were seated on the left and right sides respectively, representing men and women. When the Crown Prince entered, they did not kneel, but instead rose and bowed.
Then their gazes all fell on Lin Shiming behind Lu Yuxi.
Zhang Ting and Ji Tiao: This brat, how dare he steal the gifts others gave to the Crown Prince? He's not even married yet! If this gets reported, it'll be such a mess!
Lin Yunyue and Lin Shihe: Good heavens, now he dares to use the Crown Prince to show off to his father (elder brother). We'll beat him up when we get back!
Lin Shiming looked left and right, only to be stared at by four pairs of eyes. Feeling guilty, he touched his nose and hid behind Lu Yuxi.
"Everyone, please stand up."
"Thank you, Your Highness."
Lu Yuxi was unaware of Lin Shiming's subtle actions. After waking him up, she continued walking inside.
“Your Highness,” Lin Shiming tugged at Lu Yuxi’s sleeve, “I’m going to sit with my father and brother.”
Lu Yuxi frowned and pulled him forward, saying, "No need, I've already made arrangements. You'll be dining with me today."
Hmm? That's not good! How can I watch the pretty girls perform if I'm sitting next to you, right under your nose?
"That's not a good idea..."
Lu Yuxi neither answered him nor let go of his hand.
"Okay, okay, I'll go with you." There were already quite a few people staring at their hands. Lin Shiming liked excitement, but he really didn't want to be the center of attention. "Let go first, so many people are watching."
Lu Yuxi then released him. Thus, the two of them, one calm and composed, the other feeling guilty and embarrassed, walked through the middle of the hall.
As Lin Shiming passed by Lin Yunyue and his son, he was glared at twice.
This kid's an extrovert!
Once Lin Shiming and Lu Yuxi finally sat down in their seats, everyone's attention gradually returned to them.
But I don't have a gossipy heart.
"Look at the way the Crown Prince and Young Master Lin are acting; they really do have feelings for each other!"
"The Lin family is indeed formidable; after all these years, they've managed to seduce another prince. They truly are the nemesis of the royal family!"
"Hey, that's different. Last time, the royal family was seduced, but this time the Lin family is offering themselves up. The difference is huge."
"Even though there's a big difference, they're still in-laws. Besides, look at how the Crown Prince serves tea and water to people; it's not certain who'll be in charge after they get married."
"Last time, didn't that Lady Heyi offend this second young master by directly asking her granddaughter to become the Crown Prince's concubine? As a result, she was imprisoned on the spot by the Crown Prince. Tsk tsk tsk, the Lin family really knows how to train people!"
"Stop staring at these two. I heard that the Sixth Prince is also planning to get married. I wonder who will be chosen this time."
"You don't have any daughters, so what are you worried about? Do you want to send your son there too?"
"Get out! My family has only had one son for three generations!"
…
“Your Highness, is it inappropriate for the Second Young Master to sit here? He’s not married yet; it’s against etiquette.” Lu Yuxi was chatting quietly with Lin Shiming when a sullen voice suddenly came from in front of them.
Lin Shiming looked up and, sure enough, it was Prince An, that conspicuous figure.
Lu Yuxi picked up her teacup. "Father has no objection." Are you older than Father?
Prince An, feeling rebuffed, turned to Lin Shiming and said, "It is Father Emperor's magnanimity to agree, but shouldn't Young Master Lin know what's going on?"
"Oh."
He lowered his head and examined the jade pendant.
"You...you! Lin Shiming! What's your attitude?"
"Oh."
He played with Lu Yuxi's jade pendant.
Prince An was so choked up he could hardly breathe, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked. "What are you 'oh'ing about! Weren't you quite talkative last time? Why aren't you saying anything today?"
"I've never seen anyone so eager to be scolded." Lin Shiming looked Prince An up and down suspiciously, always wondering if the man had something wrong with his head. But after all, he was Lu Yuxi's elder brother, so Lin Shiming decided to grant him this time for Lu Yuxi's sake. "Are you picking on me because you're jealous that I can come, but your mother can't?"
Prince An was concerned with his reputation, but his maternal clan was powerless, and his birth mother's low rank was his Achilles' heel. Lin Shiming's words hit him where it hurt.
"Lin Shiming! You have insulted me and my mother!" Prince An erupted in fury, his face turning bright red with rage. "You...?"
"Hey, Your Highness, please don't speak carelessly. I was merely stating the facts. How did that become an insult?" Lin Shiming said with an upright expression. "Or is it that Your Highness is dissatisfied with the rank His Majesty bestowed upon your mother?"
He was naturally dissatisfied. When Emperor Longyun first ascended the throne and began to establish his harem, his birth mother was only a Ronghua (a low-ranking concubine), almost the lowest among the former concubines of the prince's residence who had a title. And it was only because she had him as her son that she was given this position.
Later, by leveraging her seniority and marrying Prince An, and in order to give the Minister of Justice a chance, Emperor Longyun, at the Empress's suggestion, granted Lady Liang the title of Consort.
Don't be fooled by the fact that Zhaoyi sounds like a high rank, being the top of the second rank. Among the people who were originally from the Prince's residence, even Yue, who gave birth to a princess, was initially granted the title of Shuyi. Later, after the princess got married, she was promoted to Yuefei.
The fact that his maternal family was not prominent was one reason, but it also shows that Prince An and his mother were not well received by Emperor Longyun.
Therefore, Prince An was truly dissatisfied.
But how could he dare to say it?
Prince An's lips trembled with anger, but he still managed to avoid the dangerous topic with a sliver of reason. "Of course I have no complaints. But Lin Shiming, my mother will be your elder in the future!"
“A concubine cannot be an elder to the legitimate wife of a son,” Lu Yuxi said calmly.
Prince An had almost lost all reason. He was ready to roll up his sleeves and take action.
"Your Highness. Today is the New Year's banquet, and His Majesty will be arriving soon." A woman in fine clothes suddenly appeared and took Prince An's arm. Prince An instantly calmed down considerably.
Lin Shiming narrowed his eyes, and Lu Yuxi whispered in his ear, "This is Princess An."
"Your Highness, I pay my respects."
"You may rise, Your Majesty." Lu Yuxi was generally quite polite to women.
"Your Highness, please forgive me. Today, the concubine in the manor did something wrong and angered Your Highness, which is why Your Highness spoke so bluntly. I will now escort Your Highness back to your seat."
After saying this, Princess An gave a graceful bow and then pulled away Prince An, who was still panting heavily.
“This Princess An is much more composed and intelligent than Prince An. She can find excuses to smooth things over and also take a jab at her rival in love.” Lin Shiming watched as Princess An escorted Prince An back to his seat, and then whispered something to him, “I remember my brother telling me that Prince An and Princess An fell in love at first sight?” He’s only been married for less than two years, how come he already has a concubine?
"In the royal family, it is common practice to take concubines to consolidate power."
"Isn't he afraid that Princess An will be angry and it will affect his relationship with the Minister of Justice?"
"Although the Minister of Justice has considerable power, he has no money. His concubine is a merchant's daughter, who is of low status and easy to manipulate. She is also wealthy, and any children she has will inevitably be inferior to the legitimate sons born to the principal wife. Of course, Princess An has no objection. It is best for her that someone of such low social standing occupies the position of concubine."
"It seems that Princess An has become smarter since her marriage."
"Most men in the world are fickle, especially in the royal family where interests are intertwined. It seems that Princess An has seen through Prince An's true colors and understands that power and status are the most important things."
Lin Shiming raised an eyebrow. "And what about you? Are you heartless?"
Lu Yuxi remained completely calm this time. "I am naturally one of the few."
Lin Shiming beamed, "Where did you learn and improve?"
“My mother taught me that.” Lu Yuxi reached out and tucked a strand of Lin Shiming’s hair behind her shoulder. “What I just mentioned about Princess An’s teachings is also true.”
He even learned to explain in advance; what a gifted student! Lin Shiming couldn't hide his smile and took a sip of tea.
"Your Majesty has arrived——"
"The Queen has arrived——"
The officials rose and said, "We (your wives) pay our respects to Your Majesty and Your Majesty the Empress."
"Everyone is safe."
"Thank you, Your Majesty. Thank you, Your Majesty."
The group then stood up and sat down in unison.
"Today is New Year's Eve, a time to bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new. I know everyone is eagerly waiting, so I won't say any more. Let the banquet begin."
As soon as he finished speaking, a group of eunuchs and palace maids quickly entered the hall from both sides in an orderly manner, bringing out the dishes and drinks prepared by the imperial kitchen.
Lin Shiming looked curiously at the imperial banquet dishes in front of him. They were indeed more beautiful than those at home or outside, but he wondered how they would taste.
"I heard that the dishes at these banquets are prepared in advance and steamed before being served. They look good, but the taste is just average. Is that true?"
Lu Yuxi looked at Lin Shiming, who was whispering to him, and couldn't help but smile. He also moved closer to Lin Shiming, "It's true, but those are other people. The food here is freshly made for Father, Mother, and me. Pick what you like and eat more."
Lin Shiming's eyes lit up, and his hand under the table began to twitch.
"Your Highness, what are you saying to Shi Ming?"
Suddenly, the voice of Emperor Longyun came from the head of the table.
Lu Yuxi quickly stood up and said, "Your Majesty, I told Young Master Lin that the dishes looked delicious today and asked him to eat more."
"Hahahaha..." Emperor Longyun laughed heartily, waving his hand to signal Lu Yuxi to sit down. "Today I chatted with the Duke of Zhenguo and the Heir Apparent. They said that Shiming is the most unserious person. I think that's not right. Shouldn't he be sincere and straightforward?"
Lin Shiming, caught red-handed in his gluttony, stomped hard on Lu Yuxi's foot under the table, but smiled awkwardly, saying, "Your Majesty flatters me. I am indeed a bit careless about details."
"Not being bothered by trifles is true character." Emperor Longyun still smiled broadly, pointing to Lu Yuxi and Lin Shiming, "Zitong, look how harmoniously they get along. Isn't my bestowed marriage quite good?"
Bai Qiongzhu smiled gently, "Your Majesty has excellent taste, and I also like Shiming very much."
Emperor Longyun nodded repeatedly, "Another year has passed. Our children are about to get married, and we're all getting old!"
“Father, please don’t say that. Father is in the prime of his life, how can you say you’re old?” Prince Ping, who was sitting to Lin Shiming’s left, suddenly stood up. “Your children are at the age when you need your guidance and care. Father, you should worry more about us!”
Emperor Longyun felt quite comfortable hearing these words. "You all, no matter how old you get, your parents will always have endless worries about you."
King Ping was all smiles and was about to continue flattering him and expressing his admiration when King An, who was below him, picked up his wine cup and stood up.
"What my second brother says is very true. Today, I would like to take this cup of wine to express my gratitude to Father and Mother for their loving care!"
After speaking, Prince An downed the wine in his cup in one gulp.