Chapter 56

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Protagonist:

Yan Qianqian

Several people rode in an exquisitely decorated carriage, galloping all the way until they finally arrived at the majestic and imposing gate of the Imperial Palace. After the carriage slowly came to a halt, they disembarked one by one, then followed the respectful and courteous guiding eunuch through layer upon layer of palace gates toward the venue where the Palace Banquet was being held.

Along the way, everyone curiously gazed around at the resplendent palace buildings and the busy palace maids and eunuchs coming and going.

Before long, they arrived at the location of the Palace Banquet. One could see carved beams and painted rafters, magnificent and splendid; countless bright lamps illuminated the entire venue as bright as day.

Just at this moment, An Wang, with a calm expression, led Yan Wang, striding forward with steady steps, slowly advancing toward the area where that man sat.

Ordinarily, An Wang was always taciturn, disliking wasting words with people, but unfortunately there were always some who came forward to exchange pleasantries with him.

Whenever such a situation arose, An Wang would always ignore them, but this time he would exchange a sentence or two with the person, and then the other party would praise Yan Wang at his side for having An Wang's bearing and so on; clearly, An Wang's doing this was deliberately letting everyone get to know Yan Wang, thereby expanding his network of connections.

Simultaneously, on the other side of the banquet venue, An Wangfei, with elegant bearing, accompanied Qianqian and Shuang'er as they walked gracefully toward the area where the women gathered.

Although men and women were separated at this banquet, sitting respectively on the left and right sides, in reality there was no obvious barrier between the two. At the very highest position of the entire Banquet Hall, two incomparably noble seats were conspicuously placed; one was the Dragon Throne symbolizing supreme power, the other naturally for the Empress to sit upon.

Just as they stepped through the Banquet Hall's main gate, their gazes were instantly drawn to several familiar faces. Guo Lanxin had sharp eyes; she immediately noticed the figures of An Wangfei's party. She hurriedly quickened her pace, rushing forward to welcome them, and said respectfully: "Wangfei, peace!" An Wangfei smiled faintly, nodded lightly in reply: "Many thanks for your concern. Shuang'er, Wang'er, Qianqian, quickly come greet the elder."

Yan Shuang'er, hearing this, immediately stepped forward with elegant steps, bowed slightly, performed a perfectly proper salute, then said softly: "Aunt Guo, hello." In comparison, Qianqian, with her lively and adorable personality, did not have so many formalities.

The moment she saw Guo Lanxin, a scene of a full table of delicious dishes flashed through her mind, and her little mouth watered with craving. So she eagerly shouted loudly: "Pretty Auntie!" This clear and resonant shout drew sidelong glances from everyone present.

Guo Lanxin, looking at this innocent little girl before her with a mouth sweet as honey, felt affection well up in her heart.

With a face full of smiles, she reached out and pulled Qianqian into her embrace, saying affectionately: "Oh my, our Qianqian is getting prettier and prettier! You must come visit Auntie's home when you have time; my family's chef has several signature dishes waiting for you to taste!" Hearing this, Qianqian's eyes shone with excitement, and she nodded repeatedly: "Okay okay, Qianqian wants to taste those delicious foods!"

Just like that, the several of them chatted warmly as they slowly walked toward their respective seats.

Laughter and cheerful talk continued unabated along the way, very lively. Just as everyone was conversing, two people slowly appeared at the entrance. One of them was Qi Xi, being led by the hand by a woman who looked gentle, dignified, and poised.

That woman had a beautiful face and elegant temperament; her every gesture exuded a unique charm.

Qianqian had sharp eyes; she spotted Qi Xi at once, and her face instantly blossomed into a wildly delighted smile.

Immediately after, she quickly wriggled free from Guo Lanxin's warm embrace, took light quick little steps, and ran straight toward Qi Xi.

"Xi Xi!" Qianqian shouted at the top of her voice, her voice clear and pleasant. On the other side, Qi Xi heard her friend's call, and her gaze immediately turned toward Qianqian's direction.

When she saw that familiar figure running toward her, she likewise cried out excitedly: "Qianqian!" Before her words fell, she unhesitatingly let go of the small hand originally held by her mother, and like an arrow leaving the bowstring, ran toward Qianqian.

After a short while, the two little girls finally successfully met up. They tightly held each other's small hands, their faces beaming with innocent smiles. Qi Xi, full of joy, pulled Qianqian and turned to walk back, not forgetting to introduce as they walked: "Qianqian, this is my mother."

Qianqian, hearing this, raised her head, using her bright big eyes to curiously examine the beautiful woman before her. She saw the woman squat down slightly, smiling, her eyes full of kindness and gentleness. So Qianqian, very obediently, called out softly: "Pretty Auntie, hello!"

Qi Xi's father was named Qi Ling, and he was the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review in the imperial court. Although his post was considered respectable, compared to the high-ranking Chief Censor, his official rank was indeed somewhat lower.

Precisely because of this, whenever Qi Yu, Qi Xi, and her little friends played outside and caused trouble, they would always invoke the Chief Censor's title.

However, for Qianqian, today was her first time seeing Qi Xi's family. Especially Qi Xi's mother — An Ning — made Qianqian feel exceptionally close.

As it turned out, An Ning came from a prestigious aristocratic family, the cherished daughter of the Vice Censor-in-Chief. Back then, because Qi Xi's maternal grandfather and paternal grandfather both served as officials in the court, and the two were close colleagues, there was a chance occasion that allowed Qi Xi's parents to meet. Who would have thought they would fall in love at first sight, plunge into romance, and finally marry, achieving a beautiful union.

An Ning looked at the little girl before her wearing exquisite clothing, staring with big eyes and calling her "Pretty Auntie," and her heart melted; she hurriedly replied: "So you're Qianqian, truly very cute." Just at this moment, the three of them chatted as they slowly walked forward.

Before long, they arrived in front of An Wangfei. An Ning, An Wangfei, and Guo Xinlan had met before at a Palace Banquet, but at that time they had not exchanged much. However, because of the connections between the several children, upon meeting this time they actually got along famously.

Not long after, a sudden piercing and sharp male voice rang out: "The Emperor arrives! The Empress arrives!" Following this shout, everyone present swiftly knelt on the ground and shouted in unison: "Long live the Emperor, long live the Emperor, long, long live the Emperor! Long live the Empress, long live the Empress, long, long live the Empress!"

And at this moment, Qianqian's mind instantly flashed with her own mother's earnest instructions before departure, so she hurriedly, obediently... squatted down (in her heart still muttering: anyway this young lady's figure is very petite, surely no one will notice me, right).

Qi Xi, standing to the side, had originally been about to kneel and salute, but when she caught sight of Qianqian squatting beside her, she changed her mind, and actually imitated Qianqian's example, likewise squatting down.

Immediately after, everyone's gazes focused upon those gradually approaching figures...