PDLP Chapter 150 Seating
Chapter 150 Seating
The palace banquet was held in the Hall of Supreme Harmony next to the Imperial Garden. The entire hall was brightly lit and resplendent in gold.
Outside the hall, a biting wind howled and snowflakes fluttered, but inside, the atmosphere was warm and inviting, with incense wafting and melodious music playing. Noble families and high-ranking officials from the court had arrived one after another, exchanging greetings and creating a lively and festive atmosphere.
Xu Jiaojiao and Xu Qingran followed behind Lord Xu as they entered the main hall.
By this time, a considerable number of people had gathered inside the hall.
The three of them had just entered the hall when they attracted a lot of attention.
Xu Jiaojiao wore a sky-blue palace dress with delicate auspicious cloud patterns embroidered on the skirt, which made her skin look as white as snow and her eyebrows and eyes as beautiful as a painting. Her eyes were lowered, and she was obedient and dignified, making her look exceptionally gentle and charming. Even with a veil on, her stunning beauty could not be concealed.
Xu Qingran wore a light green dress. Although she was not as beautiful and dazzling as Xu Jiaojiao, she was still pretty and charming with a unique style.
The appearance of the two young women undoubtedly became the focus of everyone's attention. In particular, the eldest daughter of the Xu family had grown up outside since childhood and had a mysterious identity. Coupled with her subtle relationship with Prince Chen, Xu Jiaojiao's appearance immediately caused whispers among the crowd.
Xu Jiaojiao seemed oblivious to this, her expression indifferent, and walked into the hall with Xu Qingran.
Lord Xu chatted with several familiar officials, appearing quite composed.
The young eunuch leading the way at the palace gate was very perceptive and immediately stepped forward to guide Xu Jiaojiao: "Miss Xu, please follow me."
Xu Jiaojiao nodded slightly, took Xu Qingran's hand, and led her forward, following the little eunuch.
The further Xu Jiaojiao walked, the more uneasy she felt.
Isn't this position... a bit too far forward...?
Although Xu Jiaojiao had doubts in her heart, she did not show them on her face. She simply continued to follow the little eunuch forward without making a sound, intending to act according to the situation.
As she walked, she glanced sideways at Xu Qingran beside her and saw that Xu Qingran looked surprised, clearly also taken aback by the seating arrangement.
Soon, the young eunuch led them to the front of the main hall, near the throne.
This is usually a place reserved for members of the royal family and extremely prominent nobles. The Xu family were only fifth-rank officials and were not even qualified to attend palace banquets, so how could they possibly sit in such a prominent position?
"Miss Xu, your seat is here." Upon arrival, the young eunuch stopped and respectfully gestured for her to sit.
Xu Jiaojiao paused, glanced around, then rubbed her fingertips together, without immediately responding.
Too close, too close to the throne!
This is a seat reserved for princes!
Jia Rong knew that she had a special status and was pregnant, so he would not arrange such a seat for her.
Someone must have tampered with this.
Jia Rong hasn't arrived yet, so she needs to find a way to stall this little eunuch.
Although Xu Qingran was still young, she immediately sensed that something was wrong when she saw that Xu Jiaojiao was silent. She quickly moved closer to Xu Jiaojiao and whispered, "Sister, is there something wrong with this position?"
Xu Jiaojiao gently squeezed Xu Qingran's hand, which she was holding, to signal her to calm down.
After a moment's thought, Xu Jiaojiao looked up at the water clock, then took out a small silver ingot from her sleeve and handed it to the eunuch: "Thank you for your hard work, sir. This is just a small token of my gratitude. I hope you won't refuse it."
The young eunuch accepted the gift with great delight: "Miss Xu, you're too kind. You must be tired from your journey. Please take a seat."
The fact that the young eunuch was urging them on so urgently suggests that there must be a huge trap involved.
Xu Jiaojiao isn't stupid; she naturally wouldn't knowingly jump into a trap.
She smiled gently and said, "You are so kind, Father-in-law. It's just a bit stuffy inside the palace. I would like to take my sister to the Imperial Garden for some fresh air. There are still two quarters of an hour before 7 p.m., so it's still early. We will definitely be back before 7 p.m.
After saying that, without waiting for the little eunuch to react, Xu Jiaojiao took Xu Qingran's hand and turned to leave.
Watching the two figures disappear into the distance, the little eunuch opened his mouth, then froze, completely dumbfounded.
By the time he came to his senses, Xu Jiaojiao had already led Xu Qingran far away. If he chased after them now, he would definitely attract attention, which would be disadvantageous.
Thinking of the task assigned by his master, the little eunuch looked terrified, and a fine layer of cold sweat immediately appeared on his forehead. His eyes rolled around a couple of times, and he quickly left the main hall.
After leaving the Hall of Supreme Harmony, Xu Jiaojiao led Xu Qingran towards the Imperial Garden. As they walked, Xu Qingran sighed softly, "Sister, we can hide for a while, but we can't hide forever. What will we do when we get back to the main hall?"
Xu Qingran was extremely frustrated to encounter such a situation on her first time attending a palace banquet.
For a moment, she even considered going back to the carriage.
Xu Jiaojiao comforted her, holding her hand, "Don't worry..."
To ensure the safety of the Emperor and his consorts, no unauthorized personnel are allowed to enter the palace. Before entering the palace, both Jin Gang and Cai Lian were left outside. At this moment, Xu Jiao Jiao wanted Jin Gang to help her find Jia Rong and Prince Chen, but he couldn't.
Fortunately, she had a backup plan.
Prince Chen had given her a whistle before, instructing her to blow it whenever needed. Just in case, she almost never parted with the whistle.
Thinking of this, Xu Jiaojiao looked around and, seeing that no one was following her, led Xu Qingran to a secluded and hidden rockery. She then took out a whistle from her bosom and blew it.
The distinctive sound of the whistle carried through the night.
Before long, a masked shadow guard appeared out of nowhere in front of the two.
Xu Qingran, who had been following Xu Jiaojiao, stared wide-eyed, somewhat unable to believe what had just happened.
After scanning Xu Jiaojiao and Xu Qingran, the shadow guard's gaze immediately settled on Xu Jiaojiao.
He bowed respectfully and asked, "What are your orders, Madam?"
The word "Madam" made Xu Jiaojiao blush, and she subconsciously glanced at Xu Qingran.
The latter indeed looked like he had seen a ghost.
Xu Jiaojiao coughed shyly, "Um... someone is trying to harm me and has arranged a seat for me that doesn't belong to me. To avoid causing unnecessary trouble, I need Your Highness or Princess Jiarong's help."
The shadow guard nodded and disappeared.
Because they disappeared so quickly, Xu Jiaojiao and Xu Qingran suddenly thought they were seeing things and that the appearance of the shadow guard was just an illusion.
The other party left decisively, but Xu Jiaojiao was completely flustered at that moment.
She glanced at Xu Qingran, whose face was full of inquiry, and asked, "Hmm... Shall we go back to the Hall of Supreme Harmony?"
Xu Qingran raised an eyebrow slightly: "Wife...?"
Xu Jiaojiao felt her ears burn and a faint blush rise on her face when Xu Qingran called her "Madam" with such a meaningful tone.
She gently patted Xu Qingran's hand and said, feigning composure, "Stop joking around, this is not the time for jokes."
Xu Qingran blinked. Although she was full of curiosity, she knew that this was not the right time to ask questions. She nodded obediently and said, "I will listen to what you say next, sister."
Clearly, the man who suddenly appeared was no ordinary person. Considering the man's address of "Madam" and the close relationship between Xu Jiaojiao and Prince Chen, Xu Qingran had already guessed most of the situation.
Since Xu Jiaojiao is unwilling to talk about it, then she will not press her. When the time is right, many things will naturally come to light...