On this Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, the most dazzling figures were naturally the Empress and Consort Shu.
Consort Liu had not yet fully recovered from her poisoning and therefore did not attend the palace banquet.
However, several princesses and princes gathered, creating a lively atmosphere.
Xiao Muqian also entered the palace with his family to attend the night banquet and, by chance, was seated in the same section as the eldest princess of Changlin and her consort, Wen Xinglu.
Though they all harbored ill feelings towards each other, superficial pleasantries were still exchanged at such an occasion.
The eldest princess of Changlin raised the wine cup at her hand and offered a fake smile to Xiao Muqian.
"In half a month, Muqian will be marrying his beautiful bride. Truly a stroke of good fortune."
Her words were laced with sarcasm, and it was unclear what she intended to convey. Xiao Muqian did not reply at length, merely nodding in acknowledgment. He touched the rim of his wine cup to his lips and set it down.
Despite his dismissive gesture, the eldest princess of Changlin did not lose her temper. Instead, her expression became even more pleasant.
Yet, Xiao Muqian couldn't shake the feeling that her smile concealed a hidden blade.
The eldest princess of Changlin did not linger, turning to engage in further pleasantries with others. It was Wen Xinglu who offered Xiao Muqian a genuine blessing.
"General Xiao has found a good match, a blessing from his past life. I wish you both a lifetime of happiness and prosperity."
He bore no grudges against the Prince Kang's manor or the Bai family.
Although his leg had been crippled due to Bai Siruo, the ultimate responsibility lay with the eldest princess of Changlin.
If he now intended to make Changlin pay for her actions, he naturally had to cultivate good relationships with others.
He had heard of the Liang family's affairs.
He had not expected that even with such events, the Wei family would not be implicated. A simple divorce letter had severed the ties between the Liang and Wei families. It had to be said that the Duke of Wei possessed considerable skill.
Therefore, he treated the eldest princess of Changlin with even greater caution.
The wine at the palace banquet was sweet but not intoxicating. The eldest princess of Changlin was charming when sober, and even more so when drunk.
She began to speak with unrestrained abandon to several younger individuals around her.
Xiao Muqian raised an eyebrow, looking at Wen Xinglu. This consort was truly an interesting character.
The princess openly flirted with others in his presence, yet he showed no reaction. It was hard to say whether he was magnanimous or something else entirely.
Determined to distance himself from the pair, he considered them both troublesome – one mad, the other blind.
What happened next proved Xiao Muqian's assessment.
While changing clothes in her drunken state, the eldest princess of Changlin took a fancy to a guard.
Whether the man was forced or willing, the Emperor was enraged and reprimanded the eldest princess of Changlin. Surprisingly, the guard was not executed but sent directly to the princess's manor.
This left Xiao Muqian utterly astonished.
Everyone spoke of the immense glory of the royal family, but only those within could perceive how much of the world's goodness it consumed and how much of hell's evil it unleashed.
The moon was equally round in both places. While families reunited in the Eastern Capital, in Shuzhou in the southwest, Bai Chao'an met Qiao Shanwei for the first time in a formal capacity.
By blood, Qiao Shanwei should have addressed Bai Chao'an as uncle. However, if he were to be adopted into the elder branch of the family, he would have to call him father. But at present, he could utter neither title.
After all, Bai Chao'an was still a stranger to him.
Bai Chao'an, however, did not press him. Being a man of gentle disposition, he perceived Qiao Shanwei's restraint and awkwardness.
"It's alright. If you're not accustomed to it, you can simply call me Minister Bai."
"Minister Bai."
Qiao Shanwei was grateful that Bai Chao'an did not immediately pressure him to reciprocate this belated familial affection, allowing him to accept it gradually.
It was far better than his biological father, whom he had never met and who had never acknowledged him.
"The conditions are a bit simple when traveling. Once we return to the Eastern Capital, your aunt will make you some new clothes."
Bai Chao'an immediately noticed the worn state of Qiao Shanwei's attire and felt a pang of sympathy for his own child who had been adrift for over a decade.
Qiao Shanwei had brought several sets of clothes. Though not expensive, they were made of sturdy material. He wore the old clothes because, while supervising the construction of dikes and the widening of river channels, he sometimes had to work with his hands. Better clothes would have been useless and would have delayed progress.
Thus, he had specifically chosen short tunics and wrapped trousers for ease of labor.
But seeing the sympathetic look in Bai Chao'an's eyes, Qiao Shanwei's heart softened. Even if it was a misunderstanding, he did not wish to explain, preferring to immerse himself in the moment.
It was their first festival together, and both felt a sense of awkwardness.
However, Bai Chao'an was a man of conversation, and with a few words, he dispelled the awkwardness.
They chatted animatedly, while Wen Zhehe, at this moment, had a headache.
The Sixth Prince remained in Shuzhou to assist with disaster relief. As the prefect of Shuzhou, he had to accompany him. Therefore, he simply arranged a banquet. Those present were individuals who had contributed significantly to the relief efforts, be they officials or merchants. Everyone was in good spirits.
However, with the numerous toasts, he inevitably developed a headache.
He excused himself to sober up, which was essentially an escape.
Alone on the corridor, gazing at the round moon in the sky, he profoundly missed his wife and children in the capital.
If given the chance, he truly wished to travel north.
To be with his wife and children, and to celebrate a simple yet warm Mid-Autumn Festival.
After a good night's sleep, Qiao Shanwei awoke to find that his previously troubled light sleep had significantly improved. Perhaps his emotional burdens had been lifted.
In the past, he had been consumed by the question of why his paternal family had not acknowledged him, and he was not as strong as he appeared.
But now, things were different. Although he had only shared a meal with Bai Chao'an, his uncle, and spoken briefly, he felt the goodwill and acceptance Bai Chao'an had extended.
The knot in his heart had finally loosened, and he was no longer so anxious about returning to the capital to be adopted into the elder branch of the Bai family.
The Sixth Prince and Bai Chao'an brought a large quantity of supplies and funds, and the entire Shuzhou seemed to have been injected with new vitality.
Consequently, recovery was swift, and the river channel expansion proceeded at a rapid pace, deliberately driven by the Chi family.
For this, every memorial submitted by the Sixth Prince was widely praised by Emperor Qi in court.
It was clear to all that the Sixth Prince was currently in a position of great favor, while the Ninth Prince, who had always been favored, seemed somewhat neglected.
In the past, the First Prince would naturally have stepped forward to claim credit.
But he was currently enjoying great success and could not spare attention for the Sixth Prince's glory.
In simple terms, it was a double blessing.
Wen Yuwei's pregnancy was stable, and the Consort of Prince Ke, who already had a daughter and a son, had successfully conceived a third child.
This was tremendous news for the royal family, which had a limited number of offspring.