Emperor Feng Jing received the letter of greeting written by Anning and sighed deeply after reading it: "The Fifth is truly filial."
Yu Ling, standing beside Emperor Feng Jing, thought to herself that the Fifth Princess was clearly using this as a ploy to win favor.
However, Emperor Feng Jing did not see it that way.
Anning was her own daughter; everyone says that husbands from other families are good, but daughters are always better in one’s own family, and Emperor Feng Jing felt the sa way.
Her own daughter was always seen as good in her eyes, if there was anything bad about her daughter, it was soone else’s influence that spoiled her.
She believed that her daughters were inherently good and close to her.
Moreover, Anning was inherently reserved in her emotions and was not used to saying sweet words; she always maintained a stern expression.
Emperor Feng Jing thought that for the Fifth, who’s not fond of words, to write such a letter, she must have genuine feelings.
She also recalled that Anning was weak in health as a child, and during that ti many of her children had died, making each one precious to her. Even though Anning’s biological father was of low status, she still cherished this daughter dearly.
Once, Anning fell ill, seriously ill, and fearing she might lose this child too, Emperor Feng Jing was unable to sleep for nights, stayed by the child’s side.
She thought Anning had forgotten, but unexpectedly, Anning ntioned this matter in her letter of greeting.
Emperor Feng Jing sighed again: "What mother doesn’t cherish her children? Those two daughters in the Fifth’s household are also facing troubles and difficulties, fine, if she wants to spend ti with them, let her be."
Anning was busy organizing the Three-Day Feast at this ti.
This was the Three-Day Feast for the legitimate daughter, naturally more grand than that for a concubine’s daughter.
Because it snowed, it was not feasible to set up tents and spread out the banquet in the courtyard, so Anning instructed to set the tables indoors.
The front reception hall, as well as the Nuan Pavilion behind the stage, were all filled with banquet tables.
In the morning, the princes from various Imperial Princess Mansions arrived, first visiting Xiao Yuan’s room to see the Third Miss, and then gathered in the Nuan Pavilion to chat.
The Eleventh Imperial Princess had just married her prince consort this year, whose surna is Sun; he’s even younger than the Eleventh Imperial Princess, and at first glance still looks like a child.
However, the Sun Family is also a prominent and respectable family; despite Sun Zhengjun being young, he’s prudent and doesn’t miss a beat with etiquette and protocol.
Since the Fifth Princess and the Eleventh Imperial Princess are both born to the sa father, Sun Zhengjun is closer to Xiao Yuan than others.
He arrived particularly early, coming after breakfast and imdiately helping in receiving the male guests, busying himself throughout the morning.
By now most guests had arrived, and he went to the Nuan Pavilion.
Upon entering, the princes from Imperial Princess Mansions were already seated in a circle.
Lord Geng of the Imperial Elder Princess Mansion held himself in too high regard to attend, and Lord Wu from the Princess Mansion also did not co, but the rest, including Lord Cao of the Second Imperial Princess Mansion, Lord Liu of the Fourth Imperial Princess Mansion, Lord Ping of the Sixth Imperial Princess Mansion, and Lord Shi of the Seventh Imperial Princess Mansion, were all present.
Being seated together, there really wasn’t much they could discuss.
They dared not discuss politics or the daily activities of the princesses.
Sitting together, they mostly talked about the children and those Secondary Prince Consorts and secondary masters in the back courtyard.
The Second Imperial Princess Mansion has a legitimate daughter, and the Fourth and Sixth Imperial Princess Mansions have several daughters, but none were born to the princes.
The Fourth Imperial Princess was born with six fingers, a congenital defect; her prince consort is of high birth but never liked by the Fourth Imperial Princess, who preferred a secondary master in the mansion, with most of the mansion’s daughters born to that secondary master.
The daughters in the Sixth Imperial Princess Mansion were all born to the Secondary Prince Consort, and Lord Ping had neither daughters nor a son.
Lord Shi of the Seventh Imperial Princess Mansion had no children up to now.
Gathered in one place, they sowhat envied Xiao Yuan.
Especially Lord Shi, who sighed: "I originally thought I and the Fifth brother-in-law shared the sa fate for years with no offspring, but I didn’t expect his luck to be better, with a legitimate daughter born, whereas I still have not even a son."
Lord Cao chuckled: "Fifth brother-in-law also has co through hardship to rejoice, I heard the other day the Fifth even had soone beaten near Songtao Court, seed like she’s being nice to the Fifth brother-in-law now."
As they conversed, they noticed a few servant attendants leaving, Lord Ping glanced outside and sent his attendant to find out what was happening.
After a while, the attendant returned: "It’s the Eldest Miss of the Fifth Imperial Princess Mansion who’s ill, and they’ve called the Imperial Physician for treatnt."
"What made her ill?"
Lord Ping frowned: "Did you find out clearly, what’s the illness?"
The attendant replied: "She fell ill a few days ago, and for the past two days, the Fifth Princess has been personally overseeing her care, but it seems like the wind got to her today and she’s feverish again."
On their side, the princes began discussing Eldest Miss’s illness.
On the other side, the princesses gathered and talked about the new beauty the Seventh Princess had taken a liking to.
The Tenth Princess raised her wine glass to the Seventh Princess: "Seventh sister, I think you should bring that beauty back to your mansion, if your husband can’t have children, that ans you should have more beauties."
The Eleventh Imperial Princess took a sip of her wine: "Tenth sister, this is the Seventh sister’s family matter, you should stay out of it."
"What did I do? I am looking out for the Seventh sister, listen to what people outside say, they’re saying the Seventh sister is henpecked, can’t stand up to her husband, good luck saying that."
The Tenth Princess rolled her eyes: "Seventh sister, you have such a good nature, if Mrs. Feng dared to act like that, behold my big hands slapping him."
Her words drew laughter from several princesses.
The Fourth Imperial Princess took a sip of wine: "Alright, who doesn’t know whom, it’s not like it’s the ti when you and Tenth brother-in-law fought and you lost and cried."
"I’d lose, I’d lose to him."
The Tenth Princess’s temper flared, took a swig of her wine, stood, and loudly declared: "Mrs. Feng is like a mouse when faced with the cat, I command him to go east, he dare not go west; should he dare fight , I wouldn’t beat him to death."
She patted the Seventh Princess’s shoulder: "Seventh sister, listen to , there’s no mistake, choose a beauty and bring her back openly, what would the Seventh brother-in-law do? He can’t eat soone, can he? After all, we’re princesses, should have the dignity of princesses."
Her impassioned speech was oblivious to the several prince consorts in the next room who were grinding their teeth in rage.
Due to the bad weather, the indoor arrangents were a bit cramped, the room in the Nuan Pavilion was large, so Anning had partitions set to divide it into two rooms to host the princesses and princes.
The princes spoke in soft voices, none raising their voices, so the princesses did not hear them.
Yet the princesses spoke loudly, each one in high spirits, so the occupants in the other room could clearly hear everything.
Lord Feng, from a noble warrior family, was stronger than the average man, his temperant not very mild, he often quarreled with the Tenth Princess, hearing her words, he felt unjust but unable to express it.
Lord Shi assud he was the only one in the Seventh Princess’s mansion, believed to be in love with the Seventh Princess, only to find out she secretly kept a concubine outside, and judging by the words, all the princesses knew except him.
He was filled with unprovoked anger in his heart.
Of distinguished birth, Lord Shi naturally had his temper too.
The more he listened, the angrier he beca, disregarding decorum and face, he stood and headed for the adjacent room.
The others deed it wise to go too, thinking to persuade him well.
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