The queen is crazy and spoiled, and the tyrant bows to her

During the Dragon Boat Festival banquet, the Imperial Garden was full of life, with colorful flowers blooming and the rich fragrance filling the air...

Today's palace banquet is extremely lively. Looking around, the imperial garden is crowded with people in gorgeous clothes.

In the center of the palace banquet venue, there were exquisite tables covered with gorgeous brocade. The tables were filled with all kinds of delicacies, golden cups and jade bowls, which complemented each other and exuded an atmosphere of luxury.

Everyone attending the palace banquet was dressed in their best clothes and took their seats in turn under the guidance of palace servants.

The princes, nobles, civil and military officials were dressed in brocade robes, with jade pendants on their waists, and behaved elegantly;

The concubines and ladies-in-waiting were dressed in silk and satin, wore pearls and jade on their heads, and had exquisite makeup.

Young men and women gathered in groups of three or five...

They either talked in low voices or greeted each other with smiles. The scene was lively yet solemn.

Above the banquet table were the empress dowager and the imperial family on one side, the empress dowager and the emperor and empress sat at the top, and below were the seats for civil and military officials.

On the side of the empress, all the concubines, headed by the virtuous concubine, had taken their seats, except for a few people in high positions.

Soon, Empress Dowager Qi sat down on the platform with the help of Nanny Sun.

After everyone was seated, Wang Fuhai appeared at the banquet and shouted, "Your Majesty has arrived, and the Concubine Shu has arrived!"

This shout was like a huge rock thrown into a calm lake, instantly causing a thousand waves among the crowd.

Everyone stood up, straightened their clothes, and looked towards the entrance with respectful yet nervous expressions.

Ji Wuyuan was dressed in a black and gold dragon robe with wide sleeves, inlaid with gold and jade, and a golden dragon crown on his head. He was handsome and noble.

Jiang Wantang was wearing a long, floor-length dress in crabapple red. The long skirt had layers upon layers, an elegant curved neckline, and the edges were inlaid with sparkling rubies. The sleeves were wide and flowing, made of gauze fabric as thin as a cicada's wing, and the gauze was embroidered with faint crabapple patterns. As she walked, there seemed to be a faint fragrance floating in the air.

Her hair was tied up high, with a pair of exquisite crabapple flower hairpins inserted diagonally in it. The hanging pearls swayed gracefully, contrasting with the gorgeous dress she was wearing.

Her face is as white as snow, and her lips are as red as pearls.

A pair of affectionate peach blossom eyes and smiling eyebrows make the enchanting red teardrop mole at the corner of the eye even more vivid. She looks around gracefully, and her eyes are full of breathtaking charm. She is really like the reincarnation of a fox spirit, beautiful, charming and flamboyant, stunningly beautiful and alluring.

The men present stared with wide eyes.

Seeing the newcomer, everyone knelt down and saluted: "Long live His Majesty! Long live His Majesty! Long live His Majesty, Madam Shufei!"

Ji Wuyuan raised his hand slightly, signaling everyone to stand up.

Under everyone's gaze, he held Jiang Wantang's hand and walked step by step from the center of the banquet to the highest seat.

Walking side by side with the emperor was an honor only for the queen, but Ji Wuyuan was happy to pamper her and indulge her.

Such great favor is truly enviable and jealous.

Some of the noble ladies whispered, "Look, that's the famous Consort Jiang Wantang, the one who has captivated His Majesty and is the most favored concubine in the harem."

Another noblewoman whispered, "Hey, didn't Jiang Wanfu say that her second sister grew up in the countryside, was vulgar and unpresentable?"

"Yes, she also said that her sister is extraordinary and has learned all the seductive tricks to seduce men. Now she looks bright and noble, and doesn't look like that kind of woman, does she?" A noble lady echoed in a low voice.

Another noblewoman said sarcastically, "A country girl climbs up the social ladder, a pheasant becomes a phoenix, isn't that noble?"

"Hush, you are courting death! How dare you criticize the Concubine Shu? She is the most beloved one by His Majesty now."

The ladies pursed their lips, some of them said unconvincedly, "We are not making this up, her own sister Jiang Wanfu said so."

Here, Empress Dowager Qi on the high platform looked at Jiang Wantang's bright little face with a cold gaze, and there was an unfathomable haze in her eyes.

Laugh, and see how long you can be proud.

Ji Wuyuan sat in the middle of the platform, and Jiang Wantang sat beside him.

With his order, the banquet officially began.

At the banquet, glasses clinked, music played melodiously, and dancers danced gracefully in the center of the stage.

After the song ended, Qi Ming, the second son of the eldest branch of the Qi family, stepped forward to toast Ji Wuyuan and greet Empress Dowager Qi.

Ji Wuyuan picked up the wine cup with an indifferent expression, took a sip, and said nothing more.

Empress Dowager Qi looked at Qi Ming lovingly, her tone full of concern: "Ming'er, you've suffered a lot on this bandit suppression trip. You look so much thinner. Are you injured?"

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. These are my duties. It cannot be said that I suffer. Relieving Your Majesty's worries is the duty of an official." Qi Ming answered without arrogance or impatience.

"..."

Compared with Empress Dowager Qi's enthusiasm, Ji Wuyuan's reaction seemed extremely cold.

Jiang Wantang looked at the calm and composed Qi Ming in front of him without any emotion, and thought of Qi Sheng whom he met in the Land of Tenderness that day. Although they were brothers, their temperaments were very different.

Qi Ming looks somewhat similar to Concubine Qi, and looks like a gentle and courteous young man.

But Jiang Wantang knew that this was just his disguise, and no one in the Qi family was a good person.

For example, at this moment, Qi Ming clearly felt Jiang Wantang's gaze, but he remained calm and didn't even look in her direction, as if he didn't notice.

Obviously, this is a very difficult character to deal with.

Empress Dowager Qi wanted to say something else, but Qi Ming stopped the topic in time.

He said respectfully to Ji Wuyuan, "Your Majesty, I was able to successfully suppress the bandits this time thanks to the help of a brave and chivalrous man."

"This man is highly skilled in martial arts and possesses the courage to stand up to any enemy. During this bandit suppression campaign, he was both courageous and resourceful, and made significant contributions."

As he spoke, he knelt down and said, "Your Majesty has always been a man of talent. I cannot bear to see heroes go unnoticed, so I dare to recommend this outstanding talent to you to serve as a general."

His words were sincere and his heart was loyal.

Jiang Wantang curled his lips, a sneer flashing in his eyes.

Qi Ming was openly recommending a talented person to Ji Wuyuan, and this person was someone who had just made achievements. It seemed reasonable and for the benefit of His Majesty.

In fact, he was also testing Ji Wuyuan's attitude towards the Qi family in both open and covert ways.

After all, the person was recommended by his Qi family.

Ji Wuyuan's slender, cold white knuckles rubbed the cup in his hand. He raised his eyes slightly, with an unfathomable smile in his eyes: "Bring the person up here for a look."

Qi Ming smiled lightly and said, "Yes."

Soon, a strong and sturdy man with a broad back and strong arms walked towards the banquet table led by a young eunuch.

Ji Wuyuan looked over and saw that the man was about thirty years old, with an ordinary square face and dark skin. He seemed honest and decent, but in fact, his eyes were flashing with shrewdness and cunning, and he was obviously a villain.

No matter how brave and resourceful such a person is, Ji Wuyuan would not look down on him at all.

He didn't know what Qi Ming's intention was in openly recommending such a person.

The man stepped forward, knelt on the ground, and said respectfully: "I, Lei Shi, pay my respects to Your Majesty..."

Ji Wuyuan frowned, and Jiang Wantang beside him was pale, with his hands clenched into fists hidden under his sleeves, trembling slightly.

When the man walked forward, Jiang Wantang's pupils shrank sharply. She saw the man's bright black eyes and the disgusting black mole at the corner of his lips.

Instantly, memories flooded her ears and nose like a tide, and that familiar feeling of suffocation quickly spread throughout her body...