Chapter 54: The Princess Consort Meets a Man in Private at the Full Moon Banquet

Zhao Shenxing was still immersed in the joy brought by the banknotes in his hand when this screeching voice made his smile freeze on his face. "So rash and clumsy, what kind of decorum is this!"

"What is the situation?"

Consort Dowager Xu's voice was as cold as ice as she sternly demanded, "How did he suddenly choke on his milk? How on earth was that wet nurse taking care of the young master?"

"The young heir's cheeks turned a dark purplish-blue from choking, and he almost couldn't catch his breath," Yuzhu said with her head lowered.

In contrast, Li Tailai seemed even more astonished. He abruptly stood up from his seat, demanding in a booming voice, "What kind of heir is this? Born of a concubine, yet he dares to presumptuously assume the title of heir!"

Since the child was born of a concubine, he indeed could not be called the heir, but everyone in the estate tacitly referred to him as such in private. Yet this maid had truly lost all sense of propriety, daring to call him the "young heir" in public.

As it happened, this stubborn old man had served as the libationer for decades; he was usually meticulous and fond of nitpicking over wording.

Knowing full well that this act indeed lacked propriety, Zhao Shenxing was consumed by a burning rage and kicked Yuzhu to the ground.

"You insolent servant, opening and closing your mouth with 'heir' just to please your mistress! If I ever hear you call him that again, I will pluck out your tongue!"

"Stop!"

Ning Junruo suddenly spoke up, interrupting the impending outburst of scolding.

Her voice was cool and resolute, akin to a tranquil pool of water that calmed the surrounding clamor. "Yuzhu is a person from my Yilan Residence. Fearing that Mistress Chang might encounter some mishap during her pregnancy, I arranged for her to go to Yunmeng Pavilion. Even if she truly did something wrong, it is not up to the Prince to humiliate her like this."

Having previously thought she had done something wrong and been transferred out of sight because her young mistress resented her, Yuzhu wiped her tears in grievance. "So the young mistress transferred me there because she was worried about someone, but I..."

A single cry of "young mistress" was enough to prove her origins.

Li Tailai was quite displeased. "This girl is a dowry maid from the Ning family, specially sent to serve her young mistress. For the Princess Consort to be so magnanimous as to send her to serve Mistress Chang shows her dedication and sincerity toward the Prince's estate. How can you treat her like this?"

"If Yuzhu goes to serve Mistress Chang and any mishap befalls Mistress Chang or the young master, the young mistress will not be able to shirk responsibility."

Yuan Wenxiu cupped his fists and said sincerely, "The young mistress's action is undoubtedly staking her own life as a guarantee. I implore the Prince and the Consort Dowager, for the sake of the young mistress's utmost sincerity, to treat her genuinely."

"For a delicate woman to display such deep loyalty and affection is truly admirable while making one feel ashamed of oneself."

Li Tailai smiled as he looked at Consort Dowager Xu, his words earnest. "It is truly a blessing of three lifetimes for the Prince to have such a virtuous wife. I will not repeat superfluous words; this matter..."

Having learned that her grandson had choked on his milk, Consort Dowager Xu could no longer restrain her inner anxiety.

Now that the money was safely in her pocket, she had no intention of continuing to spar with Li Tailai. She rose and said, "I must go and look after the child. Please excuse me for not seeing you out."

"I will go with Mother," Zhao Shenxing also stood up impatiently.

In the spacious floral hall, only the few of them remained.

Li Tailai took a gentle sip of tea and said in a profound tone, "Your plight is indeed deserving of pity, but there is no need to worry overly much. Since they have promised not to interfere with your freedom, I suppose they will not resort to drastic measures again. What are your plans for the future?"

Li Tailai did not address her as the Princess Consort, which showed that he truly regarded her as family.

Ning Junruo felt a surge of gratitude in her heart and smiled, "Thanks to Grandfather's help today, everything is still being planned. But please rest assured, I will not let myself suffer the slightest grievance."

That single word "Grandfather" warmed the heart, and Li Tailai was filled with delight. "Since that is so, old man I am at ease. In the future, never shoulder everything alone; if you have any difficulties, come directly to me."

After Ning Junruo expressed her gratitude, Li Tailai rose to take his leave, and Manager Yuan also departed due to other matters. Finally, the estate grew quiet.

With the silver in hand, the Prince's estate began to grandly prepare for the full-month banquet.

Fortunately, the swelling on Chang Yumian's cheeks had subsided. The estate had not celebrated a joyous occasion with such grandeur and scale in a long time, and Zhao Shenxing ordered invitations to be sent far and wide.

Whether it was seventh-rank minor officials or once-disdained wealthy merchants, almost no prominent figures in Liangzhou City were omitted.

Those in the know understood tacitly that the estate's move was intended to make up for its financial deficits and take the opportunity to amass wealth.

As for those kept in the dark, they assumed that His Highness the Prince of Liang was blessed with a new addition to the family after a long time, and his overflowing joy compelled him to share the celebration with the common folk.

Although Zhao Shenxing's reputation was poor, he was still a Prince after all. For wealthy merchants and seventh-rank county magistrates who had never set foot in the Prince's estate before, receiving an invitation to attend the banquet was a supreme honor.

Therefore, not only did no one refuse, but some even prepared lavish gifts, intending to use this opportunity to cultivate ties with the Prince.

Whether out of caution against mishaps during the banquet or because Li Tailai's words had taken effect, the Consort Dowager and the Prince had greatly altered their attitude toward Ning Junruo recently.

Even when she showed no willingness to organize the full-month banquet, the Consort Dowager said nothing further and instead entrusted the matter to Xiao Yunjiji.

On the day of the full-month banquet, the sky was filled with clouds. The summer solstice had not yet arrived, and Liangzhou remained pleasantly cool.

Chang Yumian retained her elegance after childbirth. Today was her beloved son's auspicious day, and before dawn broke, she was already being meticulously dressed by her maids.

Having grown much leaner after childbirth, and thanks to the careful recuperation during her confinement, she radiated such vibrant health that she scarcely fell short of Chen Qinghe.

The banquet was divided into two locations. Male guests were hosted in the outer courtyard and the main hall, personally hosted by Zhao Shenxing amidst a lively and bustling atmosphere.

Female guests were accommodated in Yunmeng Pavilion, personally accompanied by the Consort Dowager, the Princess Consort, and the Secondary Consort.

Because the estate had sent out widespread invitations and there were numerous female guests—among them many wives of merchants—the Consort Dowager and Secondary Consort Xiao felt thoroughly unenthusiastic.

Ning Junruo, even earlier, had taken Li Tailai's granddaughter Li Hengwu and headed to Yilan Residence.

Only Chang Yumian, acting like the mistress of the house, navigated effortlessly among the unfamiliar guests.

As the banquet was about to begin, the Princess Consort and Miss Li had yet to make an appearance. The Consort Dowager sent someone to urge them, only to find the maid stammering in a panic, hesitating to speak.

Under the Consort Dowager's repeated questioning, the maid finally revealed that there was an unfamiliar man in Yilan Residence.

"An unfamiliar man?"

Consort Dowager Xu knitted her brows tightly, her tone laced with dissatisfaction, "What kind of decorum is this! Have the rules of the Prince's estate all become mere decorations?"

"Quick, take me to see."

Chang Yumian put down her teacup, her eyes a mixture of curiosity and apprehension.

As one of the focal points of today's banquet, she would never allow anything that ruined the atmosphere to occur.

The crowd hurried toward Yilan Residence. Along the way, the servants they encountered cast sideways glances and whispered among themselves.

"Have you all heard? An unfamiliar man actually appeared in Yilan Residence. Instead of hosting guests here, the Princess Consort went off to secretly meet a strange man."

"Didn't they say the Princess Consort is virtuous and talented, a paragon among women? How could she take advantage of the estate's busyness to rendezvous with a man?"

"Indeed, who would have thought the Princess Consort could be such a fickle and promiscuous woman? Who would ever dare send their children to that Changning Academy in the future!"

"Exactly! And talking about the cultural heartbeat of Liangzhou—I bet she just uses the academy as a front for her unspeakable deeds!"