A wicked mother swaps her son and sucks his blood? The true legitimate daughter is reborn and goes o

It's Xie Xuanjin!

Xie Xuanjin didn't give Xie Yunli and Song Qingning a chance to speak. "It's cold outside. I'll take you to Yaohua Palace."

Today's New Year's Eve family banquet is being held in Yaohua Palace.

Xie Xuanjin helped Song Qingning up and led her out of the pavilion.

"Yunli..." Song Qingning turned around. Xie Yunli had called her earlier, as if he had something to say.

But Xie Xuanjin had his long arm around her, and when she turned her head, she could only see Xie Xuanjin's profile.

His profile is striking, subtly revealing a sense of seriousness and tension.

Xie Xuanjin was always calm and composed, and everything was under control. This was the first time Song Qingning had ever seen him so tense.

There was a hint of defensiveness mixed in with the tension.

To guard against Xie Yunli?

"Your Highness, what's wrong with Yunli?" Song Qingning asked tentatively.

The moment she saw Xie Yunli today, she sensed that he had something on his mind. The prince must have noticed it too. What happened between the two of them in the viewing pavilion just now?

"He..." Xie Xuanjin ultimately harbored selfish motives.

With her eyelashes slightly lowered, she looked at Song Qingning and for the first time, the thought of hiding her away arose in her mind.

Xie Xuanjin forced a smile but did not answer.

Behind him, in the pavilion, Xie Yunli watched the two figures disappear. His usually bright eyes were now etched with a thick layer of sorrow. After a long while, he took a deep breath, and the sorrow was replaced by peace of mind.

"Fourth Sister-in-law..."

Xie Rouan was focused on her painting, but there was one technique she couldn't quite master, so she asked Song Qingning for advice.

When he turned around, Song Qingning was nowhere to be seen.

Only Xie Yunli remained in the pavilion.

Xie Rouan was stunned for a moment, but soon her mind was only on her painting. Having just received a rare painting from Song Qingning, Xie Rouan was eager to show it off.

"Brother, look, this is a gift from Fourth Sister-in-law. Even the painters in the palace don't have such a complete range of colors. Fourth Sister-in-law is so good to me."

"My fourth sister-in-law said I have a talent for painting. Brother, I know what I want to do in the future."

"I'm so bored staying cooped up in the inner quarters all day, going to one banquet after another. I dream of one day traveling through the mountains and rivers of Dajing and painting everything I see. Just thinking about it makes me excited."

Xie Rouan's eyes gleamed.

That purity was dazzlingly beautiful.

This purity is what Xie Yunli wants to protect.

In a moment, the expectation in Xie Rou'an's eyes turned to sadness. "But Father intends to marry me off. I'm still so young! I don't know what Father is in such a hurry for."

Xie Yunli frowned.

He naturally knew what his father was in a hurry for.

The king had a lot of ulterior motives in choosing several husbands for Rou'an.

He intends to use Rouan as a pawn in your game, placing her in a crucial position.

Xie Rouan complained once more, then focused on the still unfinished painting.

After a while, she vaguely heard her brother's voice: "You will surely be able to travel the world and fulfill your wish."

"???"

"Brother, what did you say?"

Xie Rouan was too focused to hear clearly.

She turned to look at her older brother and met his doting eyes.

"I said, the family dinner is about to begin."

……

Yaohua Palace.

Today's family banquet had fewer guests than in previous years; Xie Yuzhen and Consort Hui were absent, but Song Qingning, Liang Shuyi, and Xie Xuanjin were present.

Everyone took their seats, and only three seats remained empty.

Empress Dowager Xue, Empress Meng, and Princess Consort Yu had not yet arrived, but Emperor Yuan had arrived early.

Even Xie Rouan was surprised.

In the past, Emperor Yuan was always the last to arrive, because before the family banquet, he would first go to Consort Shen's palace to express his love for her before coming to the banquet.

Consort Shen's palace was burned to the ground, along with all her usual habits and rules.

Emperor Yuan sat in the main seat, glancing at the door from time to time, as if waiting for someone.

After a while, Empress Xue arrived.

Emperor Yuan looked towards the door more and more frequently.

Finally, Emperor Yuan could no longer contain himself. "Eunuch Gao, go and convey the Empress's decree: as Empress, she cannot be absent from today's family banquet!"

After the anniversary of Consort Shen's death, Emperor Yuan never saw Empress Meng again.

It wasn't that Emperor Yuan didn't want to see him, but that he dared not.

I dare not, yet I long for it; it's agonizing.

Today's family reunion dinner and New Year's Eve celebration is an excellent opportunity, and there are compelling reasons to attend.

"Yes." Eunuch Gao accepted the order and left.

Before they even left Yaohua Palace, Empress Meng and Princess Consort Yu had already arrived at the entrance.

Empress Meng also heard Emperor Yuan's order.

"No need for Eunuch Gao to convey the decree." Empress Meng entered the main hall.

Her attire today was not elaborate; she wore a light blue palace dress, yet her bearing remained undiminished. Together with the Princess Consort of Yu, she greeted the Empress Dowager and then bowed to Emperor Yuan before taking her seat without giving him a single glance.

Emperor Yuan's face was grim.

A feeling of pent-up frustration is building up inside me, and I want to vent it, but I can't find an opportunity.

Her gaze swept over Xie Yuqi, and the nameless anger in her heart finally couldn't be suppressed. "Prince Rui!"

Xie Yuqi tried his best to make himself inconspicuous, but when he suddenly heard the Emperor Yuan's voice, he immediately put down his wine cup and stood up.

"Father."

Xie Yuqi did not know why his father had summoned him.

His furrowed brows and the unease in his expression told me that nothing good was coming.

Sure enough, Emperor Yuan's gaze lingered on him for a moment, as if he didn't want to look at him any longer. "I heard you've been ill recently? When you're sick, you should behave yourself. It's best to avoid such occasions, lest you let your illness take hold and bring bad luck."

The tone of disgust was like needles pricking.

Is he kicking people out?!

Xie Yuqi looked embarrassed and gritted his teeth, but he could only suppress his anger and said, "Your subject thanks Your Majesty for your understanding."

Xie Yuqi led Liang Shuyi away from the family banquet.

The banquet afterwards was filled with harmony and joy.

Empress Meng prepared gifts for the younger generation and had Aunt Ling deliver them to each of them.

Everyone else has it, except for Emperor Yuan.

Emperor Yuan's face grew increasingly gloomy. He felt that Meng Fu was doing this on purpose, challenging his imperial authority. He was indignant and wanted to rebuke him, but he opened his mouth and then swallowed it back.

The frustration in my heart intensified.

Just then, the Sixth Prince Xie Lian received a reward from Empress Meng and expressed his gratitude.

Before he could even speak, Emperor Yuan had already targeted him.

"Pity..." The word made Emperor Yuan think of Consort Shen again. It seemed he didn't want to remember anything about Consort Shen, so he changed his words, "Sixth Prince, are you feeling better?"

Song Qingning sat at the table, her gaze fixed on the Sixth Prince.

On the anniversary of the imperial concubine's death, his face was deathly pale, and his body was visibly weak.

But today, his complexion looks much rosier.

"Your Majesty, I..."

Before Xie Lian could finish speaking, Emperor Yuan waved his hand, "If you're not feeling well, you don't need to stay here."

The Sixth Prince: "..."

The crowd present: "..."

From the start of the banquet, Emperor Yuan was visibly annoyed and resentful, as if he wanted to drive everyone away.

"Your subject thanks Your Majesty for your compassion." Xie Lian withdrew his thoughts and dared not linger any longer.

He thanked the Empress for the gift and then withdrew from the family banquet.

For a moment, the atmosphere became strange.

Xie Yuqi was kicked out, Xie Lian was driven away, and of the three sons, only Xie Xuanjin remained.

Emperor Yuan's expression did not improve; instead, it grew even more gloomy.

Just as everyone was wondering what he was about to do next, Empress Meng got up and left her seat.

He passed by Song Qingning, reached out his hand to Song Qingning, and then glanced at Xie Xuanjin.

The couple immediately understood that Empress Meng wanted to take them away.

The two men stood up, and the three of them walked together out of the hall.

The anger on Emperor Yuan's face visibly intensified.

Finally, just as the three were about to step out of the hall, the emperor's uncontrollable rage swept over them like a tidal wave:

"Meng Fu, stop right there!"

"Meng Fu, how dare you!"