Traveling through famine years, peasant girls hold space in their hands to store food

When Zi Yao was chatting with her master, she heard a sound coming from the rockery in the distance.

The master and servant looked at each other, then Lu Qingqing slowly stood up and motioned to Zi Yao to be gentler, and the two of them slowly moved over.

"Let me go, and go chase after your Princess Yuyao."

"Xue'er, what are you talking about? You know what I mean. Stop making trouble."

"You said I was making a fuss. You knew our child was missing, but you..."

Lu Qingqing and her servant looked at each other, their wide eyes filled with surprise. They both heard something.

As the woman sobbed, Lu Qingqing and her servant turned around and quietly left the place.

The two of them walked slowly to the corridor in front of the hall, and Lu Qingqing stopped at the edge of the corridor.

"Tsk tsk tsk... there are melons to eat everywhere."

Zi Yao was still in shock at this time. She looked at her master in disbelief, but she saw her master raised the corners of his lips sarcastically and murmured, "Zi Yao, do you think the emperor knows about this?"

Zi Yao's eyes widened after hearing this. If the emperor knew about this, the two of them could still...

Lu Qingqing looked at her and smiled meaningfully, then took her into the hall.

Chu Haochen saw the little woman coming back from afar, and he was relieved. He asked her with a smile in his eyes: "What's the matter? Why do you look like that?"

Seeing the mysterious look on the little woman's face, Chu Haochen couldn't help but ask in a low voice.

She took a sip of tea, took a breath, and then whispered to Chu Haochen what she had just seen.

After hearing this, Chu Haochen frowned, glanced at the emperor above him, and then looked at Xiao Zihong who had just walked in.

Looking at his calm and composed appearance, Chu Haochen really admired him.

It was Tiantian who came forward to perform at this time. Lu Qingqing nodded at her. The two sisters looked at each other, and then Tiantian came to the front of the hall with the zither in her arms.

She bowed to the emperor and empress sitting above her, then slowly sat down at the table, placed the guqin in place, and tuned the strings with her slender fingers, quickly getting into the mood.

Hearing the piano music, Lu Qingqing nodded with satisfaction, knowing that Tiantian had concealed her shortcomings and played the piece neither well nor badly.

Yu Yao and Tiantian in front of the palace just stared at His Royal Highness Prince Rui, who had been unusually cold all night. Only when this woman came forward to perform did the expression on his face change, and a hint of tenderness appeared in his eyes.

It seems that this is the person that the Fourth Prince mentioned as the marriage partner of Prince Rui. Interesting!

Xiao Zimo listened to the little woman's piano playing. Her slender fingers kept tapping the table following the rhythm. She tilted her head and looked like she was enjoying it.

The Queen Mother at the top was also very fond of her gentle and generous daughter-in-law, and always had a smile on her face.

Concubine Yu looked at the second young lady of the Lu family below, with a hint of displeasure in her eyes. The only one who could compete with her sister the most that night was Lu Tiantian in front of her, but didn't the emperor reward her before...

After the song ended, many people were still immersed in the music. Although there were some imperfections in it, it was still good overall.

Tiantian held the zither and leaned over to bow to the Emperor and the Empress who were sitting at the top of the table. The Emperor simply said "hmm".

Tiantian finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Xiao Zimo glanced coldly at his father, and when his eyes met his mother's, he saw her shaking her head slightly at him.

Xiao Zimo lowered his eyes, picked up the teacup on the table and blew gently, his eyes full of coldness.

The banquet was coming to an end. After the last young lady from a noble family had finished her performance, Concubine Yu jumped out and asked the Emperor if he had come to a conclusion.

The emperor smiled slightly and asked her what she thought.

Concubine Yu glanced in the direction of her sister, but couldn't say it directly, so she could only say tactfully that she would listen to the emperor.

On the surface, the emperor seemed pleased by her gentle answer, but a closer look revealed that the emperor's smile did not reach his eyes, and one could even feel a hint of coldness in the depths of his pupils.

The queen sneered and glanced at her. It seemed that Concubine Yu still didn't know the emperor well enough! She wanted to look at Concubine Yu for a while...

At this time, the emperor began to question several princes, and even Chu Haochen was not spared.

Several people looked at the Fourth Prince as if they were discussing something, saying that the Fourth Prince was the oldest among them, so of course the elder brother should come first.

Xiao Zihong was so angry. He had never seen them being so modest in giving in to others. He could only bite the bullet and bow to his father and said, "Father, I still think Miss Liu's dancing skills are better."

The emperor looked at the others at this time, and they all bowed and said in unison: "That's what my brother said!"

Xiao Zihong didn't expect these people to answer like this. He was stunned for a moment, then he bit his back teeth and whispered to the two brothers Xiao Ziyi beside him:

"You did it on purpose?"

Xiao Ziyi looked innocent and shrugged his shoulders and replied to him. Didn’t he agree with what he said?

Xiao Zihong was choked and didn't know how to respond for a moment.

The emperor at the top of the table laughed loudly, and then said that the dance performed by the second lady of Lord Liu's family was indeed unique!

As soon as the emperor finished speaking, all the ministers below him began to praise him obediently. Concubine Yu, who was standing next to Concubine De, had a very proud look on her face, and her eyes were full of joy as she looked towards her father below her.

The Queen also followed the Emperor's words and praised him a few words. Then the Emperor waved his hand and announced that Liu Ling'er had won the top spot.

"Draft an imperial decree to confer the title of Princess Xuanli on Liu Ling'er."

When the Liu family heard this, they stood up in surprise, walked to the front of the hall, knelt down and thanked Long for his grace.

The emperor smiled with the corners of his lips curled up, and Concubine Yu also had a look of joy on her face.

At this time, the Emperor was heard talking to Princess Yu Yao of Shangyu Kingdom, saying that since Shangyu Kingdom was sincere in making peace with the Yuan Dynasty, he would marry Princess Xuanli to Prince Xiao to show the Yuan Dynasty's sincerity.

Yu Yao did not expect the emperor to do this. She was stunned for a moment and then turned to look at Prince Xiao who was standing beside her. She saw that he did not seem to care much.

Then Yu Yao bowed and said, "Then Yu Yao would like to thank His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Yuan Dynasty."

"I would like to thank the emperor." Prince Xiao also stood up and bowed.

Only the Liu family members and Concubine Yu at the bottom looked confused. Liu Ling'er's face was full of rejection at this time. She looked anxiously at her sister at the top, but she also looked helpless.

Lord Liu's sharp eyes kept stopping Liu Ling'er from speaking.

"Mom, I don't want to marry that man, I don't want to..."

Madam Liu was also worried at this time. She looked at her husband, wondering why the emperor suddenly granted them a marriage when everything was fine just now.