Concubine's true colors

Chapter 164
In August, the sweet-scented osmanthus faded away with the wind, and the weather gradually disappeared, and the hot summer entered September.

Today is September [-]th. Three days ago, the [-] troops who went to the frontier fortress to fight against Beirong returned triumphantly. The squadron returned to the court. The palace banquet, which had been prepared for more than half a month, was officially held today.

As early as after Zhou Xianyu asked Emperor Ming to ask for the celebration banquet, he extended an invitation to Xiao Jinxuan.

Therefore, Xiao Jinxuan, who has already agreed to the other party, is now in the Forsythia courtyard, washing and putting on makeup, busy getting ready.

It will be dusk and evening, because the palace banquet starts after nightfall, so there is still plenty of time.

Palace banquets are generally attended by civil and military officials, as well as the wives of various mansions, as well as the daughters of daughters, sons and grandchildren.

Because Xiao Jinxuan was Princess Ling in her previous life, she is no stranger to palace banquets. Different from banquets in the mansion, one must wear a palace dress to attend banquets in the palace.

And Xiao Jinxuan, as a concubine, was not included in the invitation list. Therefore, after the Shuai Mansion received the invitation list three days ago, it was too late even if Mrs. Zhao wanted to make a set for her.

Fortunately, just yesterday, Prince Rui's Mansion sent her a set of dark purple double layered iris palace dress, which solved her urgent need.

But just now, Xiao Jinxuan took out this palace outfit and was about to change into it.

The Yuwang Mansion also sent someone to bring over a begonia purple palace skirt with black and gold double-color patterns, and a waist plaque with Zhou Xianyu's name engraved on it.

And the servant of Yuwang Mansion who came to deliver the palace skirt also said that his prince originally wanted to come here in person to escort Xiao Jinxuan into the palace together.

But because Emperor Ming summoned him in advance, he took the first step and sent his waist card. He was afraid that Xiao Jinxuan would encounter trouble entering the palace. As for the palace skirt, Zhou Xianyu had prepared it early in the morning. surprise.

So now Xiao Jinxuan was sitting beside the soft couch, looking at the two palace skirts in front of her, a little lost in thought.

In the past half a month, no matter how Xiao Jinxuan avoided, Zhou Xianyu would always appear in front of her eyes. Even if she deliberately snubbed him, she couldn't stop Zhou Xianyu from approaching her.

So these days, Xiao Jinxuan had nightmares every night. In the dream, Zhou Xianyu was always injured and bleeding because of her, and even died of serious injuries.

I don't know how many nights, Xiao Jinxuan woke up sweating profusely in the middle of the night, and then lay down by the window, looking at the moonlight in the sky, weeping silently, and sat quietly until dawn.

She is nostalgic for Zhou Xianyu, and Xiao Jinxuan had already faced up to her own heart a long time ago.

But she was in love but she didn't dare to love. The last time Zhou Xianyu was injured in an accident in the frontier, she was almost heartbroken to death after being hit.

If the other party suffers even the slightest misfortune because of her, Xiao Jinxuan will never forgive herself in this life.

Thinking of this, Xiao Jinxuan closed her eyes, and after taking a deep breath, she stretched out her hand to pick up the palace dress sent by Prince Rui's Mansion, and changed her clothes on her body.

Since Zhou Xianyu was doomed to have no results, Xiao Jinxuan was ready to be hard-hearted, and she would not give each other even the slightest chance of easing up.

Although her heart hurt like blood, she still decided to cut through the mess quickly, completely cut off Zhou Xianyu's thoughts, and forced him away from her side completely.

After everything was ready, Xiao Jinxuan looked again at the begonia purple palace skirt on the soft couch, and finally withdrew her reluctant gaze, and walked out of the room with some sadness.

In the handsome mansion, the old lady is sick now, and the Shen family does not leave the house all year round, so the only ones going to the banquet today are Zhao family and Xiao Jinxuan.

When the two of them got together, they walked out of the house together, boarded the carriage, and drove into the imperial city not long after.

The palace banquet was held in the Jinhua Palace, and the horse-drawn carriages of various prefectures who were invited to enter the palace naturally could not drive their horses straight to the gate of the palace. Therefore, after the carriages stabilized at the designated parking place, Xiao Jinxuan and Mrs. Zhao got out of the carriages.

But now here, there is an endless stream of ladies and ladies in twos and threes, who are acquainted with each other and get together, and then led by Gong'e, they walk towards the Jinhua Palace.

Because of the noble status in the Shuai Mansion, Mrs. Zhao got out of the carriage, and immediately several wives came to greet her and say hello.

Xiao Jinxuan couldn't get in the conversation for a while, and she never liked excitement, so she took a few steps back quietly and hid herself alone.

At this moment, Xiao Jinxuan suddenly felt that someone patted her shoulder lightly, and turned around in surprise. She saw Lu Qingge standing behind her, looking at her with a chuckle.

After meeting each other, Xiao Jinxuan said in surprise:
"It turned out to be Sister Gu. I haven't seen you for a long time. My sister is doing well. Last time, thanks to my sister's rescue, I should have come to the mansion to thank you in person, but I didn't expect my sister to bring a pearl hairpin to the door and send it back to me. I am really sorry for you." I'm bothered."

Looking at Xiao Jinxuan's sad expression, Gu Qingge quickly shook his head and said:
"Sister Xiao's words are too polite, it's nothing more than a little effort, since my sister is also here to attend the palace banquet, how about you and I walking together, we can also relieve each other's boredom on the way."

Hearing these words, Xiao Jinxuan glanced at Mrs. Zhao, and saw that beside this aunt, there were more wives than not less.

Immediately, she spoke to An Rong who came with her, and then she and Gu Qingge took a step ahead and walked towards the Jinhua Hall.

Today, Zhu Xin and Bai Shu didn't bring Xiao Jinxuan with them because they didn't understand the palace rules. If it wasn't for Gu Qingge's company, she might have gone alone.

When the two of them were talking and walking about halfway, a palace chair came up to her. Xiangping was sitting on it. Four eunuchs carried her and rushed towards her.

When he got close, the lift was lowered smoothly, Xiangping immediately got up with a smile, and stepped forward to hold Xiao Jinxuan's hand.

"Because my aunt stayed in the palace to help my mother and concubine arrange the palace banquet, so I came to welcome cousin Qingge to the Jinhua Palace. I didn't expect the two of you to get together first. If I knew it, I wouldn't bother. Came here."

Hearing this, Gu Qingge smiled apologetically, but Xiao Jinxuan immediately snorted softly, and said pretending to be angry:
"Okay, the eighth princess is really arrogant now, don't tell me my elder sister Gu and I can't wait for you to greet me, if that's the case, then you can sit down and drive back quickly, so you won't have to complain and feel wronged here endless."

Reluctantly reaching out and patting Xiao Jinxuan, Xiangping pouted and yelled:

"Cousin, look at Jinxuan's mouth, it's really tricky. Now I just want to be lazy. With her watching here, this princess will not dare. She might not know how to arrange me later."

Xiao Jinxuan and Xiangping hit each other very well, so they have always been used to speaking casually, and no one is really angry.

Laughing and laughing along the way, although it took half a stick of incense, I didn't feel tired.

Because the princess Xiangping led the way, when they arrived at the Jinhua Palace, there was no one to check and check, and the three of them went in without any hindrance.

There is still some time before the Palace Banquet officially begins, but the hall has already settled down, and many people are seated.

Although the specific rehearsal program has not yet started, singing and dancing have already continued in the middle of the hall, in order to relieve the boredom of the people who arrived first, so as to save time and sit quietly.

And the Emperor Ming and the concubines in the harem haven't arrived yet, only those who were invited from outside the palace, the princes and princes came in twos and threes.

Xiao Jinxuan and Gu Qingge are the daughters of a family with no rank, so their positions are very low.

Because Xiangping likes to be with them very much, she is also ready to sit next to them. Anyway, she has always been favored, and there is no need to report such a small matter of finding a seat at will, and she can make her own arrangements.

Just after the three of them sat down in a relatively secluded place, before they had time to say a few words, suddenly Xiangping was pulled up by the collar from behind, and was dragged up.

Xiangping is Emperor Ming's most beloved daughter, no one has ever dared to be so presumptuous with her, so she immediately glared and became angry.

But when she turned around and was about to get angry, when she saw that the seventh brother, Zhou Xianyu, was holding her collar, she immediately lost her temper.

Instead, he drooped his head, and said pitifully, "Seventh brother, what are you doing? You scared me. If you don't let go of your clothes, your clothes will wrinkle. Now that so many people are watching, you can't leave some for my little sister." Face."

With a smile on the corner of his mouth, Zhou Xianyu raised his eyebrows and glanced at Xiangping, then said lazily:

"You crazy girl, you know how to care about your face, hurry up and play. The seat you are sitting now belongs to me first, and you will come back when the palace banquet starts."

Xiangping was taken aback when she heard these nonsense words, but when she was swept away by Zhou Xianyu's evil eyes, she immediately shivered, nodded in favor, and immediately ran away as if to escape.

Thinking of this eighth princess, she has always been fearless, even if Emperor Ming made her unhappy, she dared to directly pull the dragon's beard of the emperor.

But only for Zhou Xianyu, she panicked from the bottom of her heart, she thought that she was enough to mess around, but compared with this seventh brother, she was too bad.

It is said that the wicked will be tortured by the wicked, and Xiangping's nemesis is Zhou Xianyu. As long as the other party stares, she is more docile and well-behaved than a mouse that has met a cat.

Seeing Xiangping who had already run away more than ten steps away, Zhou Xianyu suddenly thought of something, and called her back again.

Then he pointed at Gu Qingge with his hand, and said in a rather impatient tone:

"Eight sister, come back, what is your cousin's name, hurry up and hold her together, remember that before the banquet starts, don't come back, otherwise Brother Seven doesn't suggest going to talk to you tonight."

Hearing this, Xiangping shuddered fiercely. Without temper at all, he ran back quickly, took Lu Qingge's hand, and dragged him forward.

He still swore in his mouth: "Don't worry, Seventh Brother, the banquet's celebration bell won't ring, and Eighth Sister will never come back. You can sit as long as you like, and my cousin and I will leave first."

And Gu Qingge, who was pulled forward by Xiangping and forcibly walked forward, still looked at Zhou Xianyu with disappointed eyes.

When the other party pointed at her just now, Lu Qingge's heart was still excited for a long time because of this.

But immediately afterwards, Zhou Xianyu asked Xiangping to take her with him, and even when he mentioned her, he didn't even remember her name.

Taking a deep look at Xiao Jinxuan who was sitting there quietly, Gu Qingge knew that Zhou Xianyu was running after her.

Thinking of this, she couldn't help clenching her hands slightly, wondering why she tried every means to please Zhou Xianyu's memory, but the other party still dismissed her, and didn't even remember it at all.

But Xiao Jin, just sitting there without saying a word, can attract Zhou Xianyu, and let all the heart of His Highness pour on her.

Suddenly, a nameless fire of jealousy and hatred rose in Gu Qingge's heart. She was annoyed at Xiao Jinxuan that she shouldn't treat Zhou Xianyu's tenderness as nothing, and she didn't know how to cherish it at all.

And if it was Zhou Xianyu's love, let alone giving her half, just being able to smile tenderly at her once, then Lu Qingge felt that even death was worth it in her life.

(End of this chapter)