After being reborn, the empress only wanted to seduce the emperor and seize the empress's posit

Chapter 37 Dragon Boat Festival Banquet (Part 1)

Early in the morning, Lu Jingning changed into his auspicious attire, and Chun'er helped him with his makeup.

Soon I will be preparing to go to the banquet with Consort Shu.

Chun'er stood beside Lu Jingning, holding an exquisite rouge box in her hand. She gently swept it across Lu Jingning's cheek, praising her repeatedly: "Your Highness is truly naturally beautiful. Wearing this auspicious dress, you are even more stunning."

Xiao Linzi chimed in from the side, his eyes wide and his face earnest: "Yes, yes, I've never seen anyone more beautiful than our young mistress!"

Hearing their praise, Lu Jingning's cheeks flushed slightly. She lowered her eyes gently, but a shy smile couldn't help but appear on her lips: "You guys..."

At this moment, Consort Shu's head maid, Dieyi, approached with light steps and a gentle smile on her face: "Noble Lady Lu, are you ready? Her Highness Consort Shu is waiting for you to go to the banquet together."

Lu Jingning stood up, her exquisite wedding attire highlighting her dignified beauty, her hair adorned with sparkling pearls and jade. She nodded gently, "It's ready, thank you for waiting, Consort Shu."

As she spoke, she lifted her skirt and followed Dieyi out of her bedchamber.

The two figures moved slowly forward and arrived at the main hall where Consort Shu resided.

Consort Shu was sitting gracefully in front of the mirror when she saw Lu Jingning enter. She smiled slightly, her eyes full of admiration: "My dear sister, you truly are a beauty today!"

Lu Jingning quickly bowed, her tone humble: "Your Highness, you flatter me. Your Highness is truly graceful and elegant; I am ashamed to say I am not as virtuous as you."

Consort Shu gently touched the pearl flower at her temple, a smile playing on her lips, but her eyes held a hint of indifference: "My sister is truly radiant today; I am no longer young."

After they finished speaking, the two looked at each other and smiled, and the atmosphere became harmonious for a moment.

"Let's go, little sister, to the Qianqing Palace."

After saying this, Consort Shu walked ahead, with Lu Jingning following closely behind, and the two headed towards the Qianqing Palace.

Upon entering the Qianqing Palace, one sees the Imperial Concubine already seated, dressed in a magnificent purple tassel dress and wearing a pearl crown. Her beauty is exquisite, and her aura is imposing.

Lu Jingning and Consort Shu quickly stepped forward, bowed, and greeted her in clear, melodious voices: "Greetings to the Noble Consort!"

"Rise," Consort Liang gently raised her hand, gesturing for them to stand up.

Consort Shu's gaze wandered, and she inadvertently glanced at the eldest princess beside her. The princess was dressed in an exquisite pink palace gown, with a small pearl flower in her hair, and was looking around with curious eyes.

"The eldest princess is getting cuter and cuter, look at that little face." A hint of tenderness flashed in Consort Shu's eyes, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.

Upon hearing this, Lu Jingning turned his gaze gently to the eldest princess and said softly, "The eldest princess is indeed extremely adorable, making one want to get close to her."

Upon hearing this, Consort Liang's eyes flashed with pride, her lips slightly upturned, and she gently stroked the eldest princess's hair, saying with a smile, "My daughter is the apple of my eye; she is clever, quick-witted, and lovable."

As she spoke, she gently patted the back of the eldest princess's hand.

Consort Shu and Lu Jingning exchanged a smile, then gracefully walked towards the seats that had been prepared for them.

The two sat upright, their demeanor elegant, awaiting the arrival of the Empress and the Emperor.

After a while, the hall gradually became noisy. Ministers and their wives took their seats, their elegant clothes and flowing hair creating a lively atmosphere as they whispered among themselves.

The magnificent hall shone even brighter under the candlelight, and the flowers on display began to release their fragrance.

Suddenly, a shrill voice pierced the noise: "The Emperor and the Empress have arrived!"

The crowd fell silent instantly, rising to their feet with a rustling of their robes. They knelt down in perfect unison, performing the grandest of rituals and respectfully shouting in unison, "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Empress!"

A pair of figures slowly entered the main hall. Xiao Jingheng was dressed in a dragon robe, looking majestic and awe-inspiring.

The Empress wore a phoenix robe with twelve imperial symbols, looking dignified and noble.

The two stood side by side, receiving the worship of the crowd. The hall was so quiet that only breathing could be heard. The Emperor and Empress slowly took their seats on the dragon and phoenix chairs on the high platform.

Xiao Jingheng caught a glimpse of Lu Jingning and a gentle smile appeared on his lips.

Lu Jingning felt the Emperor's gaze, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she nodded gently.

The Empress watched from the sidelines, her heart filled with ripples of emotion.

Then he said in a loud voice, "All of you, rise."

Upon hearing the words "Thank you, Your Majesty," everyone in the hall rose and took their seats.

Xiao Jingheng sat upright on the dragon and phoenix chair: "Today is the Dragon Boat Festival. I am hosting a banquet for all my beloved ministers. Please do not be shy. Let the banquet begin!"

"Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty."

At his command, the palace servants from the imperial kitchen filed in, placing one carefully prepared dish after another on the banquet table.

The Empress's gaze fell tenderly on Lu Jingning, and she softly parted her lips: "Consort Lu has been very diligent these days, coming to my palace every morning to study. Look how well she has arranged this banquet."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingheng nodded approvingly, then instructed the eunuch Zhao beside him, "Take this pine nut and lily cake in front of me to Consort Lu; I remember she likes it."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Eunuch Zhao accepted the order, carefully picked up the plate of pastries, and steadily walked towards Lu Jingning.

Lu Jingning stood up, accepted the plate of pastries with both hands, and slightly curtsied, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Consort Liang picked up a bowl of crystal-clear lotus seed soup, gently blew on it to cool it, and tenderly fed it to the eldest princess beside her: "Is it delicious?"

The eldest princess really liked the taste of the lotus seed soup, and kept waving her little hands around.

"Your Majesty, look how adorable the eldest princess is!" the empress said with a smile.

Xiao Jingheng turned his gaze to the eldest princess: "Jingyao is looking more and more like me."

Xiao Jingheng's praise brought a happy smile to Consort Liang's face, and she quickly echoed, "Yes, Your Majesty, the eldest princess not only looks like you, but also inherits your clever and quick-witted nature."

As she spoke, she gently patted the eldest princess's head and fed her a few more mouthfuls of porridge.

Lu Jingning listened quietly to the crowd, his eyes inadvertently searching for his father's figure.

Soon, she saw her father, who was chatting and laughing with several ministers.

However, Lu Jingning noticed that his wife was not sitting next to his father, and a sense of unease welled up in his heart.

She frowned slightly, her eyes continuing to search her surroundings, hoping to find Madam Lu, but to no avail.

Lu Jingning pondered to himself, what was going on? Could it be that there was still a problem with the eldest princess's meals?

Her heart pounded like a drum, sensing that something was amiss. Her eyes kept glancing towards the palace gate, wondering if the Empress had already secretly arrested the person.

Suddenly, Xiao Linzi looked flustered and almost stumbled to her side.

"Your Highness, something terrible has happened! The palace maid from the Imperial Kitchen... we can't find her!"

Xiao Linzi spoke breathlessly, his eyes filled with terror.

"What did you say?" Lu Jingning frowned slightly upon hearing this.

　In some places, I wasn't very good at describing things, so I looked up some information online. Therefore, some parts may look a bit strange. Please forgive me.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)