Xiao Lingyue and Chu Yuanqi were also talking in a low voice, but the content of their discussion was much more serious.
Xiao Lingyue asked: "Little Marquis, what do you mean about Concubine Shu's birthday banquet?"
Chu Yuanqi choked a little. He originally just made a random excuse and it was not really about this matter. But when he saw that "Shen Wan" was serious about it, he couldn't say it clearly and hesitated for a while.
Xiao Lingyue didn't care, she just felt strange: "I heard that Concubine Shu's birthday banquets were held in Jinhua Palace in previous years, and all the female relatives were invited. Didn't you expect that male guests were invited this year?"
Jinhua Palace is located in the Harem.
The harem is where the concubines and princesses live.
With the exception of Emperor Zhaoming, foreign men had always been excluded, and even adult princes had to apply in advance to enter the harem.
Chu Yuanqi has already grown up, and is the son of a foreign minister. Logically speaking, it is inconvenient for him to set foot in the harem. Is it possible that Concubine Shu is so prestigious that a birthday banquet not only requires a grand ceremony, but also breaks the palace rules to let the foreign man Enter the harem?
Doesn’t this make sense?
Chu Yuanqi was stunned for a moment: "So you don't know yet?"
Xiao Lingyue: "What?"
"Although Jinhua Palace is responsible for Concubine Shu's birthday banquet this time, the banquet will be held not in the harem but in Ganquan Palace."
"Ganquan Palace? This name seems familiar..." Xiao Lingyue frowned slightly.
Chu Yuanqi explained: "In fact, it is also in the palace, but it is located in the middle of the front and back palaces. It does not involve the harem, and it is famous for the natural hot spring under the palace."
Xiao Lingyue thought for a moment, and then an idea flashed in her mind.
She remembered.
Five years ago, "Miss Xiao" was invited to the palace, and was pushed into the hot spring pool by someone. She was forced to have physical contact with Zhan Beihan, who was in the pool at the time, and was caught by the shouting palace servants. , ruined reputation.
After all, "she" is the legitimate daughter of the Xiao family, and her status is not low.
After the matter became a big deal, Emperor Zhaoming had no choice but to issue a decree to grant a marriage due to the reputation of the royal family. This is how the marriage between "Miss Xiao" and Zhan Beihan came about.
As a result, "Miss Xiao" committed suicide by cutting her wrists in the sedan chair, and Xiao Lingyue was reborn, a completely different person without even noticing.
Ganquan Palace.
This is the place where "Miss Xiao" was plotted.
It was also the place that completely changed "her" destiny.
Xiao Lingyue's eyes darkened, and she said calmly: "The palace servant who came to send me the invitation didn't tell me why Concubine Shu suddenly thought of holding a birthday banquet in Ganquan Palace?"
Chu Yuanqi smiled bitterly: "This is what I want to tell you. I also received the invitation."
Xiao Lingyue: "What do you mean?"
"As you just said, Concubine Shu's birthday banquets were held in Jinhua Palace in previous years. All the female relatives were invited, and there were no restrictions on entering and leaving the harem, but this time it is different."
Chu Yuanqi frowned and said: "Concubine Shu doesn't know what she is thinking. She not only sent invitations to the female relatives of various houses, but also invited many unmarried young men from aristocratic families, such as Xiao Xuan of the Xiao family and Hu Hongwei of the Hu family. Wait... I said I wanted the birthday banquet to be more lively, so in order to facilitate the entry and exit of the male guests, I changed the location of the birthday banquet to Ganquan Palace."
Xiao Lingyue understood: "So you were invited too?"
"Yeah." Chu Yuanqi's mouth twitched, "I am one of them."
After all, after he and "Shen Wan" broke off their engagement, he was now free, and he had already reached the age to get married, so he was naturally included.