C12

Central Pine Hall:

Consort De bit her lips and carefully said, "Your majesty, yesterday I asked your little sisters about the Hundred Flowers Festival. My little sisters …"

Bai Yunfan put down the pen in his hand and said, "Hundred Flowers Festival is a grand occasion. My beloved concubine, you can arrange it as you see fit."

Consort De heaved a sigh of relief, feeling as if a stone had been lifted from her heart. She said gently, "Although I feel that this Hundred Flowers Festival is a grand occasion, it's still better to follow the rules after our Great Zhou Dynasty has been established."

Bai Yunfan smiled and continued, "It's fine if you choose your beloved concubine. I still understand her ability and kindness."

Bai Yunfan emphasized the word 'virtuous' when he spoke. Consort De could naturally hear the displeasure in the Emperor's words.

Time seemed to pass by in a trance. The Hundred Flowers Festival would soon arrive on the third day of the eighth month. Although Consort De had caused displeasure to the emperor a few days ago, he still managed to call Chen Shu his mother by the word of 'courtesy'. This mother of his was not one to be agreed to by anyone else. In an ordinary commoner's family, their concubine was their concubine. How could they disobey the order of their matriarch?

Chen Shu was Wen Wen's biological mother, but Wen lived under Consort De's name and was later placed in the palace. Naturally, Consort De was the first wife of the palace, so no matter how the concubines felt, they had to endure it.

Hundred Flowers Festival was a prosperous festival in the Zhou Dynasty. It was also a festival worth celebrating. Rumor had it that on the day of the Hundred Flowers Festival, the Hundred Flowers Fairy and the Twelve Flowers Immortal would descend to the mortal world, so on the day of the Hundred Flowers Festival, people would eat flower cakes and drink flower dew to keep Qi safe and peaceful.

All of the concubines were in a good mood today. This was a rare event of flowers blooming in full bloom. There was a thick scent of makeup floating in the air, and the chirping of birds and birds was quite lively.

Consort De was still dressed in red today, with a noble aura around her head. She arrived early today and sat at the head of the table, leisurely sipping a cup of fragrant tea. On the small table in front of her, there were a few tasty snacks.

Today, Imperial Concubine Su was not ordinary. She was dressed in a magenta embroidered silver dress with a high bun. From a distance, she looked much more beautiful than Consort De. All of the concubines were happy inside.

Imperial Consort Su sat in her seat and looked left and right, but couldn't find the emperor's shadow. She couldn't help but ask, "Big Sister Consort De, why hasn't the emperor arrived yet? Could it be that Big Sis has made the Emperor unhappy again? "

If one spoke softly, it would be Wu Nong's soft words. Once the volume was raised, it would be ear-piercing.

Consort De smiled slightly, secretly cursing in her heart that Imperial Concubine Fu was an ignorant fool. "Little Sister must be joking. The emperor's office is very busy, so it's fine if he comes a bit later."

Upon hearing Consort De's words, she naturally thought that Consort De had once again provoked the emperor. She said contemptuously, "Big Sis ordered someone to discipline Honorable Liang's maid a few days ago. Didn't that scare our little princess?"

Consort De raised an eyebrow and reprimanded, "I was ordered by the emperor to manage the imperial harem, and the princess is actually called a noble mother at such a young age. If we were to ignore her, wouldn't the ancestral system be broken?"

Imperial Concubine Su pouted. It was too embarrassing for Consort De to reprimand her in front of so many people. She said, "Wenwen is still young, so she naturally doesn't understand these things. Elder sister's actions are a bit too heartless …"

Consort De was about to speak when she heard a young eunuch shout from outside, "His Majesty's driving to …"

Bai Yunfan strode into the hall and saw many people kneeling on the floor. He casually said, "Rise and relax today, no need for such formalities …"

Another round of singing and singing …

Zhao Jianning's seat was not far from Chen Shu. It was about two steps away, so it was very convenient to whisper to him.

Zhao Jianning was wearing a light yellow robe today, while Chen Shu was wearing a light purple flowery shirt today. Zhao Jianning was wearing a light yellow robe today, while Chen Shu was wearing a light purple flowery shirt.

Zhao Jianning called out softly, "Sister Wen, what a coincidence. We met you again today."

Chen Shu put down the tangerine in his hand and said with a smile, "Sister, what you said is really strange. Today is a big holiday. If I don't come, won't it be embarrassing for sister Consort De?"

Zhao Jianning's face turned red. He was annoyed at Sister Wen for being so tactless. He said, "Sister Wen, you're teasing me again. You know I don't mean that."

Chen Shu chuckled and said, "I'm not like the worm in my sister's stomach. How would I know what my sister is thinking?"

The two of them chatted happily. Li Lan'er, who was sitting next to Concubine Su, helplessly looked at the happy Imperial Concubine Su. She extended her small hand and tugged at her sleeve with all her strength, softly reminding her: "Elder sister, don't forget what we should do …"

Imperial Concubine Su froze for a moment as if she suddenly realized something. She picked up the brocade handkerchief and wiped the corner of her mouth before speaking, "Your majesty, today is Hundred Flowers Festival. I want to prepare some flower cakes. Would you like to try some?"

Bai Yunfan put down his wine cup and said in a clear voice, "The skills of a beloved concubine are unspoken in this imperial harem. I'm afraid even Consort De cannot compare up to her!"

Once Imperial Concubine Su heard the Emperor praise her, she was even more pleased. She said, "Big Sister Consort De is someone standing by the Emperor's side. I would never dare to compare with my big sister."

Consort De's face changed drastically as she quickly took over from Imperial Concubine Su's words. "Sister's words are too embarrassing for me. I'm just the one who spread the word and ran errands. Sister's words make me think too highly of myself …"

Upon hearing Consort De's words, Concubine Su didn't know how to continue. Her head was in a rush as she directed the words towards her cousin. "Lan'er, tell me …"

Li Changlan felt a headache coming on. How could this sister be so stupid? She said, "Elder sister, don't joke. I don't dare to speak nonsense in front of the emperor." As he finished speaking, he looked towards Bai Yunfan in embarrassment. When he saw Bai Yunfan's eyes staring at him unblinkingly, he quickly turned his head away.

Consort De looked at the shy beauty who seemed like she wanted to say something. She was dressed in blue, and there were no precious accessories on her head. She only had a few hairpins on her head, but what looked nice was a butterfly peony hairpin.

Consort Xian's expression did not change as he looked coldly at the farce in the hall. Imperial Concubine Su's sister was someone not easy to fool, but she had an imposing manner at the age of sixteen or seventeen. Compared to her powerful sister, she was much more formidable. It was a pity that she snatched the floral branch before she could grow wings …

He stretched out his hand and pinched a white ball. Actually, it was a bit sweet, but it still had an exquisite appearance. If it was a girl who was eating, she would definitely like it. All these thoughts flashed through his mind as he looked in Chen Shu's direction.

"Elder sister, how about you taste this lotus seed?" Zhao Jianning handed Chen Shu a few peeled lotus seeds. They looked exquisite, and were very pleasing to the eyes.

Chen Shu obeyed and put the lotus seed into his mouth. He chewed it carefully, and the fragrance of the lotus seed spread through his mouth. It was just like the seeds he often ate during New Year's. He couldn't help but want to eat them one after another.

Zhao Jianning held his head as he watched Chen Shu finish the lotus seed. He couldn't help but ask, "It's delicious, right?"

Chen Shu turned around and looked at Zhao Jianning with a smile. "Where did you find such a treasure?"

"My mother sent someone to bring me to the palace. When I was young, I got hit by the hot air, so my mother became extremely anxious. Where did my wet nurse get this method from? Since then, I've never broken this lotus seed." Zhao Jianning paused before continuing, "If elder sister likes it, I'll find a little girl to send it to you!"

Bai Yunfan gently waved at Bai Yunfan and gently tugged at his calf before he ran off. He pounced onto Bai Yunfan's embrace and spoke in a crisp voice, "Imperial Father, is there anything you need to call this son of yours?"

Bai Yunfan faked a cough and said, "Do you want to try some of the flower cakes made by your concubine, Madam Shuang?"

Wen Wen blinked. She obediently picked up a flower cake and obediently put it in her mouth. "It's delicious, but it's so sweet. Mother, please don't eat things that are too sweet with such warmth."

Bai Yunfan picked up a silk handkerchief and wiped the dregs of the pastries at the corner of his lips. "How did you know that Imperial Concubine Su's pastries are too sweet? Imperial Father thinks it's just right …"

As expected, upon hearing his father say this, Wen Wen pouted and retorted: "If royal father doesn't believe me, Wen will give your mother a piece of the cake."

Once finished, the little girl made a face at Imperial Concubine Fu. Picking up the pastries from the table, she ran to Chen Shu's side. She said, feeling wronged, "Mother, do you think it's too sweet?"

He had been chatting with Zhao Jianning for quite some time, and now that he heard the question, he picked up the pastry and tasted it, saying, "This pastry is indeed a little sweet. You can't eat too much at a warm temperature, otherwise you'll be like an old granny with no teeth!"

Consort De said indifferently, "Little Sister Shou heard. Although Little Sister's cooking skills are good, it's not good if it's too sweet. It's easy for people to get tired of you, no?"

Consort Fu's face turned red from Consort De's bland words and she almost wanted to flip the table and leave. Li Lan'er sneered in her heart as she wrote on the table, "Your highness's words are against Your Majesty."

Confused, Concubine Fu paused for a moment before saying, "Lan, what do you mean?"

Li Lan'er picked up some flower cakes and placed them on Imperial Concubine Fu's plate, saying, "The emperor said Big Sister's flower cakes were delicious, while Honorable Master Leng actually said they were sweet. Isn't he singing a different tune with the emperor?"

Imperial Concubine Fu smiled before continuing in an aggressive manner, "Honorable people are really straightforward. Although my pastries can't compare to the culinary arts of the imperial kitchens' master, they are still praised by the emperor. However, with such words from a noble person, it seems like the emperor is lying!"

Consort De smiled as she looked at Li Lan'er. She was a good teacher, so she said to Hua Xi, "Later on, remember to deliver the promise to Yongye Palace. Tell them it's my big sister's gift!"

When Chen Shu heard Imperial Concubine Fu's reprimand, he was shocked and gave Bai Yunfan a rebuking look. The other side was currently looking at him with a look as if he did not care about the big matter. On the other hand, the little guy was looking at Chen Shu nervously.

"Big Sister Sufei was wrong about your concubine. Your concubine was merely speaking according to the princess' wishes. If you've offended the empress in any way, I hope that the empress can punish you!" After saying that, Chen Shu lowered his head, looking like he was obediently admitting his mistake.

Wen Wen wasn't too far away from Chen Shu, and this lowly one didn't understand what had happened. Now that he saw his mother admitting her wrongs and looking wronged, he naturally rushed up to her like he was protecting his mother. In a few moments, he arrived in front of Bai Yunfan and questioned him, "Imperial Father, why aren't you helping my mother?"

Bai Yunfan's face turned red. When this daughter of his tried to cheat her father, she was merciless. However, if one thought about it carefully, it was true that he had cheated his daughter first.

"I also had Sir Zhang invite Mister Li Ting out of the palace, but it seems that I don't want to hear Mister Li Ting's zither music anymore..."

Consort De took advantage of the situation and said, "I've let the Emperor see this as a joke today. My younger sisters are truly strange and strange. It's actually this old man, Chenqie, who can't stand it!"

The rest of the ladies tightly gripped the brocade handkerchief in their hands. They were talking about weird things, but it was all because of your rotten idea. If you can't handle it, don't just sit there …

The tense atmosphere was easily resolved with a few words from Bai Yunfan. Chen Shu sat back down on his chair with a headache. If it wasn't for the warmth, how would he have entered the palace to wade through this muddy water?

Li Ting was a person who had risen to fame in An City in the recent years. He was a person who had risen to fame in An City. Li Ting was a person who had risen to fame in An City.

The palace hall resounded with waves of ethereal music, the sound of the lotus pond quietly listening on the seven strings. Swimming fish play tail, ding-dong drop sound. Li Ting quietly fiddled with the zither strings, but a pair of seductive eyes never left Chen Shu.

Jadeite was originally standing beside Chen Shu like a wooden stake waiting for him. When he raised his eyes to see Zhang Zhang leading the way into the hall, Jadeite saw that Zhang Zhang had blushed and followed behind Chen Shu for eight years. From a young girl who had just left her hair, she had grown into a twenty year old girl.

Jadeite lowered her head and whispered to Chen Shu, "Miss, do you know who the person in the hall is?"

Chen Shu looked at the people in the hall, and a smile appeared on his face. He whispered, "Brother Li Ting, it's been a long time since I've heard anything about him …"