The Prince was accompanied by the Lin family's second legitimate daughter, Lin Ruoyan.
Interestingly, at the very end, there was also a young lady from a concubine, Lin Yuan, dressed so splendidly and conspicuously that she rivaled anyone present.
She didn't seem to mind being behind the Prince, her eyes always holding a gentle smile. She walked with small, well-mannered steps, occasionally glancing at the sides. Upon seeing Lin Yanxi, she paused for a moment, a polite smile gracing her lips.
"Mother Empress."
"Greetings, Empress."
The three bowed.
The Empress nodded, her gaze falling on the last person as she asked, "Whose daughter is this?"
The Prince slowly replied, "This is Lin family's concubine daughter, Lin Yuan."
As soon as "concubine daughter" was spoken, the expressions of those present changed. A concubine daughter attending the Empress's palace banquet was unprecedented.
The Empress stated directly, "The Lin daughters are quite skilled, indeed. Even a concubine daughter not on the invitation list has come to my flower appreciation banquet?"
Every word and action of the three would reflect upon the Grand Tutor's household.
Lin Yanxi remained silent, quietly observing how Lin Yuan would respond.
Lin Yuan lowered her head, kneeling on the ground.
Before she could reply, Lin Ruoyan stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Replying to Empress, my eldest sister is fond of flowers and grasses. Upon hearing of the palace's flower appreciation banquet, she yearned to attend. Your subject then pleaded with His Highness the Prince to bring my sister along."
The Empress looked at the young girl before her. Was this Lin Ruoyan, the second legitimate daughter of the Grand Tutor's household?
She was entirely different from her two elder sisters, a naive girl.
The Empress knew well that after the Emperor bestowed a marriage upon Lin Yanxi, the Prince had set his sights on this young girl. Naturally, she had to show some consideration.
"Very well, a seat is granted. Please be seated."
Lin Yuan, who had been standing at the end, bowed and said, "Thank you, Empress, for your grace. Your subject knows her status is humble and attending a palace banquet is improper. Therefore, your subject has prepared a gift for the Empress."
As she spoke, a maid beside her brought forward a pot of flowers.
"This is a Water Lily, a water plant from the Western Regions. Your subject has nurtured it with great care. A small token of my humble appreciation. I hope the Empress will accept it."
The Water Lily's pink petals bloomed with vibrant beauty, several stalks clustered together and placed in a glass vase.
Having been in the imperial harem for many years, the Empress had seen women of all sorts of stratagems. She merely glanced at it and said, "The flowers are well-tended, suitable for the Ministry of Gardens. It is a pity that the palace's selection of palace maids is very strict, not everyone can enter."
"Compared to these delicate flowers, I prefer the noble peony. Come, be seated."
As these words were spoken, a scattering of laughter arose.
It was clear the Empress was not taken in by this gesture.
Lin Yuan had gone through connections and spent a considerable sum to obtain this pot of Water Lilies, only to find it unappreciated and even insulted.
A palace maid?
Then she was determined to become a Crown Princess to show everyone.
Lin Yuan smiled and bowed, "Your subject was presumptuous."
With that, she followed Lin Ruoyan to their seats and withdrew.
They happened to be seated opposite Lin Yanxi. She had repeatedly warned Ruoyan not to engage with the Prince again, yet she had still come to the palace with him and brought Lin Yuan.
Shen Muzhou saw her small face tense with displeasure. Following her gaze, he saw Lin Ruoyan pouring wine for the Prince.
"It seems your sister is quite fond of the Prince," he murmured in her ear, his voice low.
The moment Lin Ruoyan's eyes met Lin Yanxi's, she quickly lowered her head and averted her gaze, not daring to look at her elder sister.
Lin Yanxi was about to rise from her seat, but Shen Muzhou grasped her wrist, saying, "If you go over now, it will only worsen the relationship between you and your sister."
"Then what should I do?"
Shen Muzhou simply patted her hand and said, "Don't rush. Let your sister discover the relationship between the Prince and Lin Yuan herself, and she will naturally give up on this affection."
Seeing Lin Yanxi still looking worried, he added, "I will help you."
She looked up, their gazes meeting. His face was always devoid of expression, yet it always managed to relax her troubled heart.
He said he would help her, so this matter would surely be resolved.
She didn't know when it started, but she had come to trust him like this.
This feeling of trust was like how in her past life she believed the hidden guard following her would protect her at all costs.
After a long moment, her ear tips turned slightly red, and she averted her gaze, nodding.
The Empress said, "The flower appreciation banquet is held annually during the most beautiful blooming season. Just like all of you who have come today, you are all in the prime of your youth, like flowers. Please feel free to enjoy yourselves, there's no need to be formal."
After saying this, everyone raised their cups and said, "Thank you, Empress."
Then, they could begin eating.
During the feast, Shen Muzhou continuously placed food into Lin Yanxi's bowl. When the steamed pigeon was brought out, he used a small dagger to cut off the wings and legs, placing them on Lin Yanxi's plate.
She just had to eat.
"You eat too." She also picked up a small piece of sparerib and placed it on Shen Muzhou's plate.
He paused for a moment and said, "Okay."
He gazed at the sparerib on the plate, a slight smile playing on his lips.
He gently picked up the sparerib with his chopsticks, put it in his mouth, and savored it. Seeing that he had eaten something, Lin Yanxi stopped bothering him and continued to focus on the pigeon meat on her own plate. While she was looking down, Shen Muzhou spat out the sparerib from his mouth and then hid it.
She turned to ask him, "Is it tasty?"
He smiled and replied, "Delicious."
Encouraged, the young girl quickly picked up another piece for him and said, "Then eat more."
His expression remained unchanged, his face always holding a smile. "Okay."
In truth, due to the worsening of his cold illness, he had lost his appetite. He had forced himself to eat a few bites yesterday, only to vomit it all out.
Lin Yanxi was not good at taking care of people, so she didn't notice Shen Muzhou's condition.
Instead, outside, she was always in need of care. When she drank soup, she slightly lowered her head, slowly sipping it spoonful by spoonful with the ladle, appearing very well-behaved.
Her hair cascaded down her shoulders, resting on the edge of the soup bowl. Shen Muzhou gently tucked away a stray strand of hair for her, patiently watching her drink her soup, paying no mind to the Empress and other ladies engaged in their nonsensical conversations.
Luo Jingxin, while flattering the Empress, secretly glanced at Lin Yanxi, a flicker of jealousy in her eyes, which she did not reveal.
Throughout the banquet, the Prince had barely spoken to Lin Yuan, not even looking at her much. His attention was focused on Lin Ruoyan, and they seemed to be chatting animatedly, enjoying each other's company.
Lin Yuan sat demurely at the end of the seating arrangement, a smile on her face, her thoughts unknown.
Only Lin Yanxi and Luo Wanwan truly made their way through all the delicious food at the banquet. They even exchanged glances from across the table to communicate which dishes were good, ignoring the undercurrents of the event.
---
The banquet concluded. The Empress gave a few instructions and then returned to her chambers, supported by palace maids.
Lin Yanxi, Luo Wanwan, and Lin Ruoyan huddled together, chatting about something, occasionally bursting into laughter, appearing very happy.
Shen Muzhou, holding a hand warmer, quietly watched the sunlight fall on her, outlining a beautiful golden edge. The young girl's eyes were lively, her complexion like snow, and a bold, bright smile curved her lips.
It made one's heart feel joyful, as if ice and snow were melting.
He wanted to watch her for a little longer, to etch the sight of her smiling face into his heart.
"Ninth Prince," Luo Jingxin approached Shen Muzhou, bowing respectfully.
She asked, "Could we find a quiet place to talk?"
Shen Muzhou slowly retracted his gaze and said, "Whatever it is, let's discuss it here."
Luo Jingxin smiled, unbothered by his indifference, and leaned closer to his ear. He immediately flinched back, taking half a step away.
She leaned closer again and whispered, "It's about the border town."
Shen Muzhou paused, his body stiffening. He no longer dodged. Jingxin's lips neared his ear. She glanced around, then covered his cold hand.
Jingxin said, "It's inconvenient to talk here. Your Highness, please accompany me to a quiet place."
Shen Muzhou instinctively looked at Lin Yanxi. The young girl's round, apricot-shaped eyes, clear black and white, were fixed on their direction.
Upon meeting her gaze, Shen Muzhou faltered. The young girl immediately averted her eyes, seemingly unconcerned with him, and continued chatting with Luo Wanwan and the others.
Shen Muzhou followed Luo Jingxin behind a quiet rock garden.
Luo Jingxin said, "The remaining people from your mother's clan have safely retreated to the border town."
Shen Muzhou's mother was Princess Mo Jiao of the Ning Yu clan.
When the current Emperor Shen Zesheng was still the Crown Prince, he had led troops to conquer and subjugate the Ning Yu clan.
Shen Zesheng had confronted Mo Jiao on the battlefield. Despite her delicate beauty, a woman who should have been kept in the inner chambers, Mo Jiao led the Ning Yu soldiers, refusing to surrender even unto death.
In the end, Shen Zesheng won the battle, and the Ning Yu clan suffered heavy casualties.
He exchanged a truce for Princess Mo Jiao of the Ning Yu clan to enter the palace as a concubine.
He thought Mo Jiao would refuse, given her stubborn nature. Unexpectedly, she agreed.
Her learning was unparalleled by women in the harem, and she understood Shen Zesheng very well. From the time she entered the palace, Shen Zesheng doted on her for several years, neglecting the others in the harem.
But then the Ning Yu clan rebelled.
Mo Jiao betrayed the Emperor. He couldn't accept his beloved betraying him, so he wanted her to suffer as he did. Thus, he forced Shen Muzhou to kill her mother with his own hands.
Only by Shen Muzhou killing his own mother could the other members of the Ning Yu clan survive.
Luo Jingxin continued, "The border town is territory controlled by the Anchang Prince's manor. You can rest assured, the Ning Yu clan is safe."
Shen Muzhou nodded. "Thank you."
Luo Jingxin could no longer control herself and embraced him, asking, "You know, I've never wanted thanks."
Shen Muzhou's body stiffened. He didn't push her away, only saying coldly, "Didn't I also agree to what you wanted?"
After speaking, he turned his back to Luo Jingxin and covered his mouth with a handkerchief, coughing violently. When he lowered the handkerchief, it was covered in black blood. He discreetly hid the handkerchief in his sleeve.
Luo Jingxin didn't see it and held him even tighter. "The position of Princess Consort is not what I seek. What I desire is your heart, that you would like me."
Shen Muzhou remained silent. She looked up at him and asked tentatively, "Can you?"
His expression was weary, his face pale. He clutched the hand warmer tightly in his palm. "If there's nothing else, I shall take my leave."
Luo Jingxin, unwilling, asked, "You like Lin Yanxi? Are you serious?"
"What about Zhaozhao?"
Others might not know, but she had grown up with Shen Muzhou. Every time Shen Muzhou lost his senses, he mumbled this name.
Lin Yanxi, seeing Shen Muzhou quietly leave with Luo Jingxin, also felt distracted. She reiterated her warning to Lin Ruoyan, telling her to "be careful of the Prince" and similar words. Then, Lin Ruoyan and Lin Yuan headed out of the palace.
She waited for a while, and when Shen Muzhou didn't return, she followed the direction he had gone, searching along the way.
Behind a rock garden, she overheard Luo Jingxin tearfully asking Shen Muzhou if he liked Lin Yanxi.
Hearing her name, she quietly crept closer and found them behind a rock garden. She hid on the other side of the rock garden, waiting for his answer.