The female supporting role is really here to mess things up

When Lu Qingxi and Xiaohuan returned to the mansion, it was already dark. In Lu Qingxi's courtyard, there were people left by the original mother. Including Lu Xingmu, no one in the mansion could enter without Lu Qingxi's consent, so naturally there was no need to worry about being discovered if she sneaked out.

After confirming that his young lady had returned home, Ying Yi returned to his room, walked to the table, took out a pen and wrote down everything that happened to his young lady today, no matter how big or small. He waited until the ink was dry before rolling up the paper.

I opened the window on the right and blew a whistle like I did yesterday. Within three seconds, a carrier pigeon flew over from the left. I took a small tube from the pigeon's left leg, unplugged it, and then stuffed the paper in my hand into the small tube, and then tied the tube back to the pigeon's left leg. Finally, I released the pigeon to the east.

Lu Qingxi was in a good mood. Today, she saw a lot of streets that were completely different from the modern ones. Although she was a little frightened, she was generally safe. After dinner, she took out Qiu Lu Nong and practiced Guangling San twice.

The banquet had just begun in the palace at this time. There was toasting and laughter everywhere, like a flowing palace painting.

In previous years, the Shangshu family should have been seated in the fourth row and beyond, but now they were placed in the third row. Everyone knew the reason for this arrangement.

Although it was just the Noble Consort's birthday banquet, it goes without saying that the Prince of Qi, as the Noble Consort's only son, would be present. Consort Duan, who was one rank lower than the Noble Consort, would also attend, and of course the Crown Prince would also attend the banquet.

The wives of the ministers in the court all dressed up gorgeously in the hope of gaining the favor of the nobles. Among all the noble ladies, the most outstanding one was Lu Shiyao, who had the Phoenix fate.

As soon as she entered the banquet, she became the focus of the whole place. Even Gu Rou, who had specially put a lot of effort into dressing up, became a foil. Although Lu Shiyao was slightly inferior in appearance, she wore the gorgeous clothes given by the imperial concubine today, and her whole body style overwhelmed her.

The imperial concubine ordered this dress to be made in order to win over Lu Shiyao, so naturally she put a lot of effort into it.

The fabric used is top-grade brocade, which is elegant and luxurious, just like the morning glow, soft and bright. The brocade is woven with fine dark patterns, each of which seems to contain an ancient secret, shining with a mysterious and charming light.

The dress was tailored just right, fitting Lu Shiyao's figure while leaving enough room for her to look graceful and dignified. The neckline and cuffs were embroidered with delicate patterns, which were embroidered with gold and silver threads, with smooth lines and fine stitches, like blooming flowers, adding a touch of softness and cuteness to Lu Shiyao.

Around the waist of the dress, there is a wide belt with exquisite embroidery, which echoes the patterns on the dress. This belt not only serves as a decoration, but also cleverly outlines the waist, making her figure more graceful.

The hem of the dress was wide and flowing, swaying gently with Lu Shiyao's steps, like a blooming lotus, swaying gracefully in the wind. The edge of the hem was decorated with fine tassels, which swayed gently as Lu Shiyao walked, making a pleasant sound, adding a bit of agility and liveliness.

The most eye-catching thing is the embroidery on the back of the clothes. It is an exquisite landscape painting, embroidered with delicate stitches, with undulating mountains and gurgling water, like a living painting. This embroidery not only shows the exquisite skills of the craftsmen, but also highlights the noble temperament and extraordinary taste of the women.

Lu Shiyao walked in gracefully wearing this gorgeous dress. Her temperament blended perfectly with the dress, which not only highlighted her identity as a woman from an aristocratic family, but also showed her extraordinary charm.

She entered the table leisurely and sat behind Minister Lu. Her eyes were deep, as if they contained thousands of stars, and her eyes revealed a unique charm as they flowed inadvertently.

The King of Qi and the Crown Prince sat below the Imperial Concubine and Concubine Duan, one on the left and one on the right, facing each other. Although they didn't get along well with each other, this was a royal banquet, so they still had to maintain superficial peace.

Xiao Duanyue was always unrestrained and often raised his glasses to invite people sitting below to drink. His smile was full of unruly and wildness, as if it could swallow everything.

The prince remained gentle and polite as usual, and his words revealed his profound knowledge and cultivation, which made the young ladies from the noble families present feel more favorable towards him.

Lu Shiyao sat quietly in her seat, but the young ladies from various families came to talk to her.

Fortunately, her father had invited an old maid who had retired from the palace to come to her house to teach her, so she was mentally prepared for this situation. She handled it with ease. She had a decent smile on her lips, neither too close nor too distant.

The Imperial Concubine and Concubine Duan who were sitting at the top were both secretly watching Lu Shiyao. They were very satisfied to see how the woman treated others appropriately.

The next step was for each family to present gifts to the imperial concubine. The noble ladies of the noble families presented gifts one after another, adding a bit of liveliness and festivity to the imperial concubine's birthday banquet. They either held exquisite jewelry or brought precious paintings and calligraphy collected from various places. Each gift showed their status and taste.

Among them, only Gu Rou from the Earl's Mansion and Lu Shiyao from the Shangshu Mansion brought things that were made by themselves. The imperial concubine opened Gu Rou's painting first, and her eyes lit up.

A splendid landscape is presented vividly. In the center of the picture, a towering mountain peak rises into the clouds, implying the nobility and majesty of the imperial concubine. The mountains are shrouded in clouds and mist, like a fairyland, giving people a mysterious and solemn feeling. At the foot of the mountain, the gurgling water flows into a lake, symbolizing long-lasting blessings and a long life. Beside the lake, the pines and cypresses are verdant and the flowers are in full bloom, implying peace in all seasons and good luck every year.

The entire painting was filled with blessings and respect for the imperial concubine's birthday. The imperial concubine knew that Gu Rou had really put her heart into her birthday gift. She looked at Gu Rou below with satisfaction and nodded at her.

"Miss Gu's painting of beautiful mountains and rivers is truly a masterpiece. Not only is her painting skill outstanding, but it also has profound meaning. She must have put a lot of thought into it. I am very satisfied with her."

Gu Rou was pleased with what she heard, but she still had a faint smile on her face. She bowed politely and responded:

"Your Highness, thank you for your compliment. I have only tried my best to express my blessings and respect in this painting. Your Highness is blessed with great fortune, and I would like to express my gratitude through this painting. I wish you a long life, good health, and peace for many years to come."

After hearing this, the imperial concubine was even more satisfied and nodded, praising Gu Rou's intelligence and talent. Everyone present also agreed.

The imperial concubine has always thought that Gu Rou is outstanding in appearance and has good character, but it's a pity that her background is still a bit poor.

Then he opened Lu Shiyao's poems.

"The fairy music of Yaochi floats around the clouds, and the bright lights of the golden palace reflect the beautiful face.

May you live forever and enjoy eternal spring, and may you have long-lasting blessings for thousands of years.

The sweet-scented osmanthus trees are full of fragrant flowers, and phoenixes rest on the green wutong trees under the moon.

May you be blessed with longevity, health, happiness and longevity. "

Her handwriting is like a long stream of water, gentle and moving. Every stroke contains delicate emotions, making people feel endless tenderness and beauty.

The imperial concubine took the poem and savored it carefully, with admiration in her eyes. She recited it in public, her voice sweet and solemn: "This poem is really fresh and refined. It not only depicts the festive atmosphere of my birthday, but also implies that I will live a long and healthy life. This is the best birthday gift I have received today."

Lu Shiyao had just looked at Gu Rou's paintings, and it was obvious that her poems were not as good as hers. She knew that the imperial concubine was praising her, so she bowed appropriately and responded modestly:

"I am flattered by your praise. I know my handwriting is very humble, but I am grateful to you for reading it. I wish you good health and happiness every year."

After hearing this, the imperial concubine nodded with satisfaction, and motioned to the maid beside her, who quickly stepped forward and stood beside her. Then she opened the box in her hand, and inside lay a dazzling night-shining pearl.

The moment it was opened, a dazzling light burst out. Under the reflection of this light, the whole banquet hall became like a dream. Everything around seemed to lose its color, leaving only the dazzling brilliance of the night pearl.

The imperial concubine looked at everyone with satisfaction as they focused their attention on the beads before she spoke.

"Although your poem is simple in form, it is sincere in emotion and profound in meaning. This night-shining pearl is my reward to you. I also hope that you can come to the palace more often in the future and chat with me."

Lu Shiyao walked forward and took the Night Pearl. She felt a little more happy after seeing the Night Pearl. This treasure was indeed beautiful. She bowed again to express her gratitude:

"Thank you for your generous gift, Your Majesty. I will keep it in mind and will come to the palace more often to accompany Your Majesty in the future." After expressing her gratitude, she walked back to her seat.

"Sister Gu, I think the imperial concubine is planning to marry into the Lu family. Anyone with a discerning eye can see that your painting is much better than that crappy poem."

Gu Rou felt very uncomfortable after hearing Qi Yutong's words. Even this simple-minded young lady could see it, so how could others not understand the imperial concubine's intention.

Just because of the title of future queen, the imperial concubine stepped on her face to build momentum for Lu Shiyao today. Concubine Duan will also make some moves. She twisted the handkerchief in her hand, secretly hating it.

Lu Shiyao is so lucky. Her father is only a second-rank minister, and her mother is only a cousin of the minister. Compared with her status as the adopted daughter of the Earl's Mansion, how could she have the fate of a phoenix? It's really infuriating.

I'm afraid that after tonight's banquet, Lu Shiyao's reputation in Beijing will become even more famous. The beautiful woman I met a few days ago flashed through my mind. I spent a lot of time dressing up today just to meet her, but she didn't come. It's a good thing for me if she doesn't show up.

During the rest of the meal, Lu Shiyao only made eye contact with the Crown Prince and King Qi once or twice. As they were far apart, Lu Shiyao was not sure whether the people above her were looking at her.

The King of Qi looked around the banquet carefully at the beginning, and after confirming that there was no one he wanted to see, he did not look at the banquet again. He was almost concentrating on drinking, and his mind was obviously not on the banquet. Today, his mother had done enough superficial work, and his father was still sitting in the main seat, so he did not want to make friends.

The prince opposite him did not make any move either. Firstly, this banquet was held to celebrate the concubine's birthday, and he did not want to steal the show. Secondly, he was thinking about another person. Although he had convinced himself of what he should do, it would still take some time for him to really show his affection to another woman.