The emperor just doesn't treat everyone equally, and it's none of my business!

The dinner was still held in the Chuigong Hall of the Imperial Garden. It happened to be spring, and the Imperial Garden was full of flowers, dotted with colorful palace lanterns, which were gorgeous and dazzling, just like daytime, and beautiful beyond words.

In the Chuigong Hall, concubines from all palaces had already arrived and were gathered together chatting and laughing, looking very harmonious.

And today, two unexpected people also came to the dinner.

The imperial concubine sat in the frontmost position on the ground, lowering her head and speaking gently to the second princess.

Opposite her, Concubine Xian sat quietly with a calm expression, as if the noise of the banquet had nothing to do with her.

These two people had similar personalities and were sitting in the front row, so the chatter of the other concubines gradually became quieter.

"Why is Concubine Liu here today?" Li Guipin asked, looking at Concubine Liu who was pregnant.

I am not at peace when I am pregnant, but I am also afraid of not being able to give birth.

Concubine Liu lowered her head and touched her belly, saying, "Today is the day when the Queen Mother returns to the palace, so it is natural for me to come and greet her."

"Also, the imperial physician said that my pregnancy is stable and that proper movement will be beneficial to the birth."

Concubine Zhou glanced at her and said sarcastically, "Concubine Liu should be more careful. There are so many people at the banquet. I hope nothing unexpected happens."

Concubine Liu smiled and said in the same tone as before: "Thank you, Sister Zhou, for your concern. With the Emperor and the Empress Dowager here, there is nothing that can happen to this concubine."

Gu Shijin glanced at Concubine Liu and felt something was wrong. Concubine Liu had been keeping a low profile for so long, why would she come out to attend a banquet when she was about to give birth, and be so rude.

"The Emperor has arrived! The Empress Dowager has arrived! The Empress Dowager has arrived! The Concubine Dowager has arrived!" the eunuch's shrill voice sounded.

Then all the concubines stood up and bowed to greet him.

"No courtesy, get up."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

The banquet for Empress Shangguan Yan was set to the left of the banquet for Emperor Lu Junze, and to the right was the banquet for the Empress Dowager, and next to the Empress Dowager was the Concubine Dowager.

Lu Junze was wearing a black dragon robe, with a casual and gentle smile on his handsome face. His black eyes occasionally swept across a concubine, making the concubines below feel excited.

Shangguan Yan was wearing a red auspicious dress and sitting next to Lu Junze in a graceful and dignified manner. She had an exquisite and gorgeous phoenix crown on her head and her face had her usual gentle and kind smile.

However, the protagonists of today's dinner, the Empress Dowager and the Concubine Dowager, did not wear formal auspicious clothes, but only simple palace costumes, which made people feel friendly.

Lu Junze picked up the wine glass and stood up and said to the Queen Mother and Concubine Dowager: “Mother, Concubine Dowager, thank you for your hard work in coming out of the palace to pray for the country this time.”

"emperor."

The Queen Mother and the Concubine Dowager also picked up their glasses and took a sip.

Then, the Queen brought all the concubines to welcome the Queen Mother and the Queen Mother back to the palace.

"An'er, come here." Lu Junze looked at the second prince Lu Yian who was next to Song Xiuyi and waved.

The second prince is four years old this year. Although he is frail and sickly, he still walks very steadily.

Moreover, Song Xiuyi has been training the second prince, hoping that he can have a healthy body as soon as possible.

Yi'an Yi'an, from the name we can see Lu Junze's expectation for this child, that is, he hopes that he will be safe and sound.

The second prince was weak, but courageous. He walked to Lu Junze, climbed directly onto his legs, and shouted crisply, "Father."

Lu Junze pinched his chubby cheeks lovingly and said with a smile, “Be good, An’er.”

"Father, hold me. See if I've gained some weight." As he spoke, Lu Junze picked up the second prince and lifted him up. "Yeah, he's gained some weight."

"Father, I eat two bowls of rice every day." Lu Yian looked at Lu Junze with a look of praise.

"Ann is so great!"

Shangguan Yan looked at this scene of loving father and filial son and smiled gently: "The emperor really loves the second prince."

When saying this, Shangguan Yan glanced at Concubine Rong intentionally or unintentionally. Concubine Rong seemed to be unaware of it and was wiping the eldest prince's mouth.

"It's normal for the emperor to miss the second prince as he hasn't seen him for a long time." The empress dowager smiled faintly when she heard Shangguan Yan's words.

Lu Junze: “Yeah.”

"By the way, Concubine Xian, why is the Third Princess not here?" Shangguan Yan asked after looking around.

The virtuous concubine stood up, bowed and said, "Your Majesty, Empress, Yin'er was sleepy, so I didn't let her come."

"Yes." Lu Junze nodded. "It's been a long journey, let Yin'er have a good rest."

Upon hearing this, Gu Shijin secretly glanced at Song Xiuyi. The Third Princess was a normal child and had already rested early after riding in the carriage all the way, but the Second Prince, who was born weak, still wanted to attend the banquet.

Song Xiuyi obviously thought of this, and she said openly, "I also wanted An'er to rest early, but An'er said he was not tired and wanted to come and pay his respects to the emperor, so I couldn't stop him."

"Father, I miss you so much." The second prince said while hugging Lu Junze's neck.

The second prince is obviously closer to Lu Junze than the eldest prince.

"Father misses you too."

"Qin'er, come here to your grandmother." At this time, the empress dowager also looked at the eldest prince sitting next to Concubine Rong and waved to him.

The eldest prince had poor hearing and the Queen Mother spoke in a loud voice, so suddenly everyone at the banquet looked upwards.

The eldest prince was not as lively and cheerful as the second prince. He looked at his mother timidly, and when Concubine Rong nodded, he walked to the Queen Mother and bowed politely, saying, "Grandson greets grandmother."

The Queen Mother naturally saw the eldest prince's series of actions and felt a little dissatisfied. He was obviously a prince, and the eldest son, but Concubine Rong brought him up to have such a cowardly character.

"Qin'er, there's no need to be polite with grandma." The Queen Mother pulled the eldest prince to her side and touched his head. "Qin'er has grown a lot taller."

"Grandmother, Queen Dowager." The eldest prince greeted.

"Tingshu Qin'er is already studying in the Shangshufang?"

"Replying to Grandma, yes."

"Yes, that's good." The Queen Mother nodded. "Do you understand what the Master taught you?"

"Yes." The eldest prince thought for a moment and said, "But Sister Lan'er is still the smartest. She can recite many books. Even the teacher praises Sister Lan'er."

"Oh?" The Queen Mother seemed very interested. She looked at Shangguan Yan and asked, "Where's the eldest princess? Why can't I see her?"

Shangguan Yan's face froze. Ever since the eldest princess moved out of Fengyi Palace and went to Xiefang Palace, Shangguan Yan cared even less about her. Naturally, he didn't know why the eldest princess didn't come to the banquet.

"Mother, Lan'er..."

"Grandmother, Lan'er is late. Please forgive me, father, mother, and grandmother." The eldest princess Lu Lanqiu walked slowly from outside the hall in a purple dress, knelt in the center of the hall and saluted.

This was the first time Gu Shijin met the eldest princess. Although Lu Lanqiu was still young, she saw in her the demeanor of a princess of a country, with graceful manners and neither humble nor arrogant words and deeds.

"Lan'er is here, get up quickly." Lu Junze was also very happy to see Lu Lanqiu, and said immediately.

"Thank you, Father."

When the eldest princess walked up to the Queen Mother, she changed again.

The eldest princess stuck to the queen mother and said coquettishly, "Mother, your grandson misses you too."

No wonder Lu Junze likes the eldest princess so much, Gu Shijin thought secretly.