Chapter 352: Annual Banquet
It was unclear why the Emperor wanted to hold a family banquet with so many people, a gathering where everyone was present.
The Emperor was just like an ordinary person; he was especially fond of his first child and held the children of his original principal wife in particularly high regard.
But as time went on and the number of children grew and grew, he couldn’t keep track of them all.
Either they were the ones he doted on, or the ones he detested; as for those in the middle, he sometimes couldn’t even remember them.
This was also because children often passed away prematurely.
At first, he was exceptionally heartbroken.
But later, he slowly grew accustomed to it. It was like a wound that, when torn repeatedly, didn’t hurt as much as it did at the beginning. Wounds have a stress response; the skin hardens, and the heart hardens as well.
Therefore, speaking of his many children, the Emperor didn’t truly love them in any special way.
He only had one heart; when it was divided among so many, each person received very little.
Especially when the Emperor began to seek immortality and study the Dao.
He even regretted having so many children, feeling that it had drained his vital energy.
Later, he stopped visiting the inner palace.
But now, the room was packed full of people.
Fortunately, this was the imperial family, so the room was large enough.
Ordinary nobles wouldn’t have been able to accommodate so many people.
The Tenth Prince was carried in looking sickly. Once he arrived, he leaned against his chair, gasping for air; he clearly couldn’t handle an environment with so many people.
Mianmian noticed the person, feeling like it was a symptom of asthma—allergic asthma?
It was only because he was a prince and had the means to be well-cared for.
Ordinary people would have likely kicked the bucket long ago.
But even for a prince, it was tough.
The Emperor’s appearance wasn’t just due to geriatric illness; there were also symptoms of chronic poisoning. Knowing the Emperor had been taking elixirs, one could be certain of it.
Ancient elixirs often used mercury, which was extremely, extremely poisonous.
In this world where lifespans were generally short and the average age was in the thirties, Mianmian was still a bit panicked.
It was only after going to the Star-Gazing Pavilion with Brother Chong that she learned the Star-Gazing Pavilion kept records of celestial phenomena, climate, and their impact on humanity, as well as statistics on human lifespans.
During years of great disaster, the average lifespan was about 25 years.
These last hundred years had been considered peaceful, raising the average lifespan to 33, which was already a golden age.
Therefore, it was normal for people in ancient times to become grandparents in their thirties, because if you didn’t do it early, you’d kick the bucket before you even saw the next generation.
Mianmian thought to herself that while she couldn’t do other things, and there were no domestic squabbles or palace intrigues that seemed to involve her, it was highly likely she was actually in a world where immortality was the theme, and she would survive to the end simply by living long.
Attending the palace banquet felt like going home for the New Year to drink at a wedding feast; there were dozens of tables, all relatives, all connected, but she truly couldn’t recognize them all.
Back then, when she was in school, she had been a bit snobbish and felt embarrassed to greet people.
Thinking back on it now, there was no need for that. They were all relatives, so one should chat boldly. If you aren’t familiar, chat more and you will be. Start getting familiar from this banquet; when you enter society later, you’ll find that the whole society is full of acquaintances, and you can find connections through those dozens of tables of people.
There were so many people that seats had been arranged in advance. Otherwise, choosing a seat would have taken forever.
Mianmian saw her elder sister and her two nephews were both there.
But they weren’t nearby, so she decided to go see them later.
Today was a bit like a company’s annual meeting.
At the beginning, the Emperor (the big boss) came, and they paid their respects.
Then, they listened to the leader’s speech.
There were no microphones, but fortunately, it was very quiet when it was the Emperor’s turn to speak.
No one made any noise.
The Emperor’s voice wasn’t loud; he lacked vigor.
The Emperor’s gaze fell upon the crowd below, which consisted mostly of young faces, childish faces, face after face.
Familiar ones, unfamiliar ones.
Actually, there were fewer.
His children were becoming fewer and fewer.
He wanted to say something stirring, but he couldn’t actually say it.
He just looked at so many faces.
Let it be lively, then.
“The past year has had its storms and setbacks. Today marks the beginning of a new year; I hope for the prosperity and peace of the nation, and for health and smooth sailing for all.”
The Emperor didn’t give a long speech.
He only said one sentence before announcing that the meal could begin.
However, Mianmian noticed that no one was in a hurry to pick up their chopsticks.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do; she wasn’t in a hurry either.
In reality, the food didn’t look that great. The main issue was that there were too many people and the distance was far, so by the time the dishes were served, they usually weren’t very hot.
If the leader liked to talk for a long time, the dishes would have congealed into jelly.
Moreover, regarding eating and drinking in the palace, according to the laws of banquets, it seemed something always happened.
Come to think of it, the Emperor had it quite rough; he had to worry about being poisoned just to eat something.
Perhaps the reason the Emperor took elixirs was to fight poison with poison; he was simply standing on the eighteenth floor looking down.
Mianmian saw that Father was sitting very close to the Emperor. Father was by the Emperor’s side, and on the other side were the Seventh Prince and the 9th Prince.
Mianmian didn’t recognize them, so she listened to the little eunuch’s introduction.
They all looked quite handsome.
None of them were ugly.
Of course, the best-looking one was still Father.
Father was the type who looked comfortable no matter how you looked at him; he was good-looking from every angle.
The banquet began, and then it got a bit noisy.
They couldn’t all sit there without talking, but once everyone started talking, mixed with the crying of children, the Tenth Prince’s asthma worsened.
Mianmian saw her elder sister carrying her child out, and the Tenth Prince was also carried away.
Some of the restless princes and grandsons also left.
The banquet suddenly became much quieter.
And at this moment, Jiang Wan was actually invited over by someone.
The Emperor summoned Chu Xi and Jiang Wan.
The 9th Prince’s consort was a bit anxious.
The Emperor said there were important matters to arrange.
He even specifically took a look at the Seventh Prince’s eldest son by a concubine. What was this about?
Fortunately, after a while, the 9th Prince’s child also arrived before the Emperor.
The 9th Prince had a legitimate son.
The 9th Prince himself was a loafer, but his son Chu Ze was raised to be very much like the Sixth Prince—upright and decent, looking very bright and cheerful.
As for Chu Xi, perhaps because he was a son by a concubine and had to make a living under his stepmother, he looked more slick and wasn’t as pure or sunny.
The Emperor leaned on the dragon throne, looking at the two imperial grandsons, and nodded, bestowing rewards upon both.
Seeing Jiang Wan, he was also taken aback by her beauty and bestowed a reward upon her as well.
Today, the Emperor acted like a loving elder.
Exceptionally kind.
The 9th Prince was slightly excited. When the Imperial Father summoned folk sorcerers to the palace for medical treatment, one of them happened to be his own man.
That sorcerer said the Imperial Father’s body was failing.
Although he felt sad, it was the final moment, and the outcome would soon be revealed.
If he happened to luck out and become the Crown Prince, and then the Emperor, that would be wonderful. How could being the “Nine-Thousand-Year-Old” compare to being the “Ten-Thousand-Year-Old”?
It was naturally better for his children to be a princess and a prince than to inherit a title and be a branch of the royal family.
Moreover, the Imperial Father had always disliked the Seventh Prince, and the Seventh Prince was super good at putting on an act—he was sinister.
Once he took the throne, he would immediately make his Seventh Brother return to his fief, as far away as possible; he was too much of an eyesore.
The 9th Prince thought to himself.
But he didn’t know that in the previous life, after the Seventh Prince took the throne, the first thing he did was execute the 9th Prince’s entire family.
The 9th Prince usually appeared to be a playboy, but today he was slightly anxious.
The Seventh Prince remained calm, no different from before.
He still wore a look of fearful respect; whenever the Emperor called his name, he would show a look of joy and delight.
Until the Emperor spoke, “I am old, and my body is failing more and more. The 9th Prince is sincere and filial. After I pass away…”
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