Report to the Empress and the Eldest Princess: They're using the system to poach your men.

Seeing that the others had no intention of continuing the commotion, Shen Sangwan didn't want to cause a scene. She turned around, got into the carriage, and still looked somewhat sullen.

Because several prefectures were suffering from disasters, Shen Yuchen also followed the principle of diligence and thrift. The palace banquet was not as extravagant as in the past, but it was still full of joy and happiness. It was clear that the people who organized it had put a lot of thought into it.

The people in the harem thought that the Empress had done this in response to His Majesty, but little did they know that it was actually the Empress Dowager who had orchestrated it.

After all, Wen Yuening had only been back from Wuzhou for three days; where would she find the time and energy to prepare a grand palace banquet?

Shen Sangwan arrived relatively late.

Many members of the royal family were already seated on both sides of the Golden Palace, slightly towards the rear.

With smiles on their faces, they exchanged words of blessing.

Shen Sangwan's position was just below Shen Yuchen and the Empress Dowager, almost level with them.

"Your son greets your mother."

"Why are you so late today, Ah Wan?"

The Empress Dowager slightly raised her hand, gesturing for the other party to sit down quickly.

"I was delayed on the way, but it was nothing serious, so I'm a little late."

Shen Sangwan got up and naturally sat down in her seat.

Shen Yucheng and Wen Yuening were the last to arrive, and they sat hand in hand in the high seats.

The concubines of higher rank took their seats in order on the left front, while on the right front, Prince Sheng was the head, followed by Prince Ming and Prince Qi.

Before the banquet officially began, musicians played music in the center of the hall.

"Consort Rong said she was unwell today, so she didn't come."

Wen Yuening noticed that Shen Yuchen's gaze was fixed on the concubines to his left. After recalling what Qingluan had told her about the situation in the Half Moon Palace, she slowly spoke.

Shen Yuchen didn't think much of it and nodded, "Since she's unwell, let her rest well."

From Shen Sangwan's perspective, the Empress appears gentle and graceful, while the young Emperor, though still quite young, already displays an air of dignified pride.

The two are truly a perfect match.

However, she felt that the two of them were quite distant, and their polite but somewhat overly formal interactions were a bit too distant.

If it weren't for that damn mission, she would have tried her best to salvage the young emperor's relationship.

But now it seems that the emperor and empress don't have any real feelings for each other, and she doesn't seem so uneasy about poaching him.

Cen Luoyan and Liang Shuyu (the two imperial concubines) sat on the same side, looking quite harmonious. However, Consort Yi Jiang Sihan and Consort Zhao Cheng Tingran below seemed to be at odds.

The two families were mortal enemies even before their daughters were married. Now that Cheng Tingran has only been granted the title of Zhaoyi and is being overshadowed by Jiang Sihan, she is naturally unhappy.

Fortunately, he had received the emperor's favor a few days ago and was finally able to show off in front of Jiang Sihan. After that, he became more and more proud. Who knew that Consort Rong would suddenly appear and entice the emperor to go to Changxin Palace for four consecutive days.

Now that they had nothing to brag about, they turned their attention to Jiang Sihan.

Shen Sangwan glanced around briefly but didn't find anything interesting. However, when she looked away, she noticed that Cen Luoyan's gaze seemed to linger on the direction where the ministers were seated to her right.

Curious, I followed the other person's gaze and saw two or three men laughing and talking; nothing else seemed amiss.

"Xiao Tong, before Consort Cen entered the palace, she probably didn't have a boyfriend, right?"

[It's not mentioned in the documents, so it shouldn't be. Why is the master suddenly asking about this?]

"No...it's nothing."

Shen Sangwan was afraid that she had broken up the couple in the past, so in order to balance the power, she personally selected several families' daughters to enter the palace.

When the auspicious time arrived, Shen Yucheng first made a few formulaic remarks before officially starting the banquet.

The musicians in the hall stepped aside, leaving the central position empty for the dancers who would perform next.

Shen Sangwan leaned back in her chair, intently watching the dance below.

"Xiao Tong, look at the greedy look in King Qi's eyes! His eyeballs are practically popping out of his head!"

His concubine seems quite gentle and charming, so why isn't he satisfied?

[Master, you crow shouldn't accuse the pig of having a black nose. You two are equally bad, so neither of you should laugh at the other.]

How can these be compared?

I've always maintained a clean reputation, so what's wrong with being a little lecherous? Who doesn't love looking at beautiful women?

[My lord, it seems the Princess Consort Ming has been secretly observing you.]

Upon hearing this, Shen Sangwan glanced at Lin Wanyi without showing any emotion and noticed that Lin Wanyi was timidly huddled next to Shen Yujing, occasionally glancing at her.

"I remember she's the daughter of the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, isn't she? She must have attended many of these palace banquets with her mother before she got married. Why is she so nervous?"

I examined her and found many wounds on her body, but none of them were fatal.

Shen Sangwan raised her cup to the Empress Dowager, "Your Majesty, I toast you."

The Empress Dowager smiled and raised her cup in response.

Shen Yucheng and Wen Yuening raised their glasses to Shen Sangwan in perfect unison, saying, "Sister, let's raise our glasses to celebrate our long and happy life together, may the flowers bloom, the moon be full, and may we all live long and prosper."

"I wish to enjoy the Mid-Autumn Moon with Your Highness every year."

With a smile on her face, radiating a gentle tenderness, Wen Yuening silently recited these words as she finished her drink.

"it is good!"

Halfway through the palace banquet, the leader of the dancers in the center of the hall stepped forward and bowed, "Your Majesty, a new dancer has arrived in the palace. She has specially choreographed a solo dance for Your Majesty, and we request that Your Highness allow her to enter the hall."

Shen Yuchen wasn't really interested in any of these things. Even regarding matters of the harem, if it weren't for the Empress Dowager forcing him to favor the various palaces, he would have been quite willing to stay in Xingde Palace every night.

After all, resting in Xingde Hall would save him some energy in the evening, and he would be in better spirits for the morning court the next day.

He glanced at the Empress Dowager and saw her nod slightly, so he guessed that this was arranged by the Empress Dowager.

"Xuan."

After Shen Yuchen agreed, the dancers withdrew in an orderly fashion, and a veiled woman slowly walked into the center of the hall.

She wore a plain silk dress with a butterfly pattern and gold flowers, her figure was slender, her waist was so small that it could be encircled by one hand, and she was so beautiful that it was impossible to look away.

Shen Sangwan stared wide-eyed.

"Xiao Tong, although I don't know what she looks like now, I bet her appearance is absolutely top-notch."

[A stunning beauty, and a talented dancer, with such a waist...]

[Master, why do you always stare at other people's waists? You're not from northern Myanmar, can you please stop...]

"Hey...hey! Hey! What do you know? Let me tell you, the Empress's supple waist...cough cough—cough!"

As Shen Sangwan spoke, her gaze fell on Wen Yuening, and she saw that the gentle and tender demeanor she had shown before now made her look at her with eyes that seemed to be hiding knives. She was so frightened that she didn't even finish the wine in her glass.

"What's wrong with my elder sister?"

Wow, the Empress's ability to change her expression so quickly is comparable to a national treasure.

He silently muttered a complaint to himself.

"This wine is quite sweet and mellow. I drank a little too quickly, but it's alright, it's alright."

"If you like it, I will have two more jars brought to you separately."

After Shen Yuchen finished speaking, he beckoned to Fu'an, whispered a few words in her ear, and then Fu'an bowed and left.

"Let me tell you, I was just...making an excuse. It's not like you're really taking it seriously. Bringing two jars? Do you think I'm a cow's stomach?!"

Why does my adopted brother always seem to have a slightly different thought process when he's with her? It's such a curse!

Wen Yuening half-covered her face as she drank her wine, listening to Shen Sangwan's inner monologue, and couldn't help but smile.