The Reborn Princess Has Turned Evil

Chapter 253 A Family Banquet in the Palace (3)

Snow began to fall again outside, and another layer of snow, still lingering, covered the ground, gleaming with a dazzling white light. Meanwhile, at the palace banquet, the lights shone brightly, and the soft, melodious sounds of orchestral music filled the air, creating a refined and pleasant atmosphere.

Empress Dowager Chen Huaping and Emperor Jing sat at the head of the table, with two rows of seats placed to the left and right below them.

On the right are Jing Fengyao, Jing Anle, and Jing Fengyu, with Consort Lin, Consort Li, and Consort Chen seated in the next row. On the left is Prince Qing, followed by his wife, Princess Yongping, and then Jing Rou, Laili, and Yin Geer.

As the last note faded, Emperor Jing raised his wine cup, inviting everyone to drink together. "Today's family banquet in the palace is different from previous years. Yongping is rarely back, so it's really lively. We must drink to our hearts' content today."

"It is my good fortune that Yongping can return to Jing Kingdom to reunite with her brother and mother." Princess Yongping's voice was filled with joy. She was wearing a red princess dress embroidered with phoenixes, and her makeup was gorgeous and exquisite, making her very eye-catching.

"More than a decade has passed in the blink of an eye. It's a rare occasion for Yongping to return; he should stay in the palace for a while longer," the Empress Dowager said with a smile. She then turned to Emperor Jing and asked, "What does Your Majesty think?"

“Yes, Your Majesty, although Yongping is not Mother’s biological daughter, her concern for her is genuine. She can’t help but feel sad when she talks about Yongping’s imminent return to Nanjiang. Why don’t you issue an edict to allow Yongping to stay a little longer, so that Mother and Yongping can have a proper mother-daughter relationship?” Prince Qing stood up, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and spoke earnestly.

Jing Anle narrowed his eyes, picked up a glass of wine, took a sip, and couldn't help but sneer inwardly. This was no plea; it was clearly coercion. Otherwise, the world would say that Emperor Jing was unfilial.

As expected, Emperor Jing's face was not very pleasant. "Brother Qing, what are you saying? Although Yongping is now the Queen of the Southern Frontier, she is still a princess of my Jing Kingdom, your and my own sister. This is her home."

A master is a master. Emperor Jing neither agreed nor refused, leaving Prince Qing at a loss for words. Instead, Yongping stood up with a smile, "What Your Majesty said has truly moved me. Thank you very much, Your Majesty."

Emperor Jing waved his hand, signaling Yongping to sit down. From beginning to end, he never said that he wanted Yongping to stay in the palace for a long time.

Emperor Jing glanced around and his gaze fell on the man sitting behind Princess Qing.

"That must be Prince Igor, right?"

For a moment, everyone turned to look at Yinger's position, while Princess Yongping subtly gave him a wink. Then Yinger stood up and walked to the center of the hall. His clothes were colorful yet understated, likely from the southern frontier, possessing a unique beauty.

"Your humble servant, Yin Ge'er, pays his respects to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty live a long and prosperous life!"

“Prince Yinger, there’s no need for such formalities. You’ve come from afar, are you getting used to it?” Emperor Jing asked again.

"The palace is magnificent and has everything one could want; it is truly breathtaking."

"Why don't Prince Inger also stay in the palace for a while?" Emperor Jing asked with a smile, but his eyes revealed a dangerous aura.

"The palace is nice, but I still prefer my hometown, where flowers bloom in spring and it is warm and comfortable in winter." As he spoke, Yingor sneezed at the right moment and continued, "I think the southern border is more suitable for me."

"Hahahaha." Emperor Jing suddenly burst into laughter, "Prince Yinger is indeed a man of strong character, quite like your father back then."

Upon hearing Emperor Jing mention the King of Southern Xinjiang, Yongping's expression immediately changed, and his eyes instantly became impatient.

"My father is loyal to His Majesty without reservation, and so am I."

What appeared to be Emperor Jing's casual conversation was in fact fraught with danger; a slight misstep could lead to dire consequences, as the emperor's wrath could easily cost a life.

“Speaking of Yinger, Your Majesty should reward him handsomely.” With that, Princess Yongping also stood up and stood beside Yinger.

The Empress Dowager asked curiously, "Oh? Yongping, what exactly happened?"

“Yes, Yongping, tell me about it,” Emperor Jing asked.

Everyone looked on with curiosity.

Yongping smiled faintly, "This matter is related to Anle."

For a moment, everyone looked at Jing Anle again.

"Anle, what's going on?" Emperor Jing's tone became more serious when Jing Anle was mentioned.

Princess Yongping felt a surge of anger upon seeing Emperor Jing's concern for Jing Anle. She immediately recounted how Jing Anle had fallen from her sedan chair that morning and how Yin Ge'er had come to her rescue. It was nothing extraordinary, but Princess Yongping embellished it as if the two were deeply in love.

"So, Prince Yingeer is Princess Anle's savior?" Prince Qing chimed in from the side.

"It's just a pity that Prince Yinger is already married. Otherwise, in my opinion, Prince Yinger is a handsome and talented man and would be a perfect match for Princess Anle."

Yongping immediately said, "Brother, you may not know this, but although Yin Ge'er is over twenty, he only has a few concubines and has not yet married a queen."

This was Princess Yongping's goal: to distance herself from Jing Anle. Why should she bear the bitterness of her marriage alone? In this way, she could also obtain a portion of the map of Jing Kingdom.

Although Yin'er is a prince of the Southern Frontier, barring any unforeseen circumstances, he will eventually become the King of the Southern Frontier. However, the Southern Frontier is merely a vassal state of the Jing Kingdom, a sovereign and a subject.

"Uncle Wang, you're drunk." Jing Fengyao couldn't accept that Jing Anle was going to marry into a remote place, so he immediately spoke up.

Prince Qing gave an awkward smile, then happily resumed drinking his wine.

"Father." Jing Anle slowly stood up, coughing softly from time to time.

“Your subject has only met Prince Ingor once, and was saved by him. Your subject is naturally grateful.”

“It’s just that Anle knows she’s been weak since childhood and can’t shoulder heavy responsibilities, unlike Princess Rou who is clever and thoughtful in everything she does.”

"Father is the ruler of a country, and I am also a legitimate princess. Although the Southern Frontier is good, I prefer the Jing Kingdom." Jing Anle's words were practically saying that she was the ruler and Yin Ge'er was the subject. It is a subject's duty to save his master, but does he have to repay his subject with his body?

Upon hearing this, Jing Rou's face turned pale instantly. This Jing Anle actually wanted to drag her into this. Why didn't the assassin kill her last time? However, Jing Rou couldn't speak and just kept quiet, but she was extremely jealous and resentful in her heart.

Upon hearing this, Prince Qing was taken aback, and Princess Qing's expression immediately changed. Marrying Jing Rou off to the Southern Frontier was unacceptable.