Lose My Heart to the Lovely Kitten Princess - Chapter 58
Chapter 58 A tempestuous victory banquet
Cheng Xiaoxiao hid behind a pillar and looked at the west side of the gold dragon banquet table.
Since the victory banquet was held in Chu Yunshen’s honor, he should sit in the first seat.
However, a man around seven feet and eight inches tall dressed in fine clothes was sitting there when Cheng Xiaoxiao looked up at the west side’s first seat.
The young man looked around 16 years old. He had well-chiseled features and attractive eyes.
Chu Yunshen left the second seat empty and was getting ready to take the third one with Xiaowu standing behind him.
Cheng Xiaoxiao found it odd. Didn’t they hold this victory banquet for Chu Yunshen?
Shouldn’t he be taking the first seat?
Why was someone else sitting there?
This young man was rather dumb.
Also, Chu Yunshen was acting strange too. He might not care about the seating arrangement, but why did he deliberately leave the second one empty?
Why did he want to take the third one?
Just as Cheng Xiaoxiao contemplated, a few government officials suddenly walked over to Chu Yunshen with the minister of revenue, He Deyong, at the lead.
She was so startled that she quickly shrank behind the pillar. That was close!
She almost got caught.
After hiding behind the pillar behind ChuYunshen, she could clearly hear He Deyong and the other officials bowing to Chu Yunshen and talking to him.
“Your Highness. We prepared some gifts for you. Hope you like them.”
“You can leave them there.”
Chu Yunshen nodded at them calmly before turning to glance at Xiaowu. Xiaowu hurriedly stepped forward and took the gifts from them.
“What is he so cocky about? Prince Jing might have cracked a case, but he made a mistake previously. Why did they organize such a huge victory banquet?”
A man dressed in a military official uniform complained to another military officer on their way back after handing the gifts to Xiaowu.
The other military officer glanced at Chu Yunshen, who was sitting behind him with a distant expression. He hushed the man, “Keep it down. Do you want to die? No matter what crime he committed, he is still the emperor’s son.”
After observing the event for some time, Cheng Xiaoxiao realized Chu Yunshen was mostly sitting around accepting gifts from officials.
She found it boring and looked around elsewhere until she suddenly noticed a gold chair placed on the table’s main seat.
Cheng Xiaoxiao stayed out of sight and quickly walked up to the pillar by the dragon engraved chair. She reached her head out and saw everyone chatting, and no one had noticed her yet.
She ran up behind the chair and reached her paw to touch it. It was pure gold! How much was this worth?
Cheng Xiaoxiao placed her paw on the dragon engraving on the armrest before moving her paw down and touching the entire pattern. She was really making her trip to the palace worthwhile. She got to touch a chair made of pure gold. If only she could sit on it. That would be absolutely brilliant. Cheng Xiaoxiao pondered.
Then she glanced at the empress sitting in the next seat.
Fine, she would only touch it.
“Brother Yunshen!”
A familiar voice suddenly came from below. Cheng Xiaoxiao reached her head out from behind the chair and looked. Chu Hongyi was sitting at this second seat next to Chu Yunshen. He was pointing at the first seat and asking, “Why didn’t you sit there?”
Chu Yunshen lowered his head and took a sip of tea before putting down his teacup and replying indifferently, “I’m used to this seat.”
“But that is your seat, so you should sit there.” Chu Hongyi pulled Chu Yunshen’s sleeve unhappily.
Cheng Xiaoxiao shook her head gently and sighed at what a pity it was.
If it wasn’t for his mother, how could Chu Yunshen’s icy heart not get thawed by the innocent and adorable Chu Hongyi?
“Hongyi!”
The young man dressed in fine clothes sitting at the first seat suddenly put down his teacup and turned to call Chu Hongyi, “That’s because Brother Yunshen has self-knowledge.”
“Brother Jinshuo, that seat belongs to Brother Yunshen! Get up!”
Chu Hongyi immediately stood up to pull Chu Jinshuo.
Chu Jinshuo flung Chu Hongyi aside and said unhappily, “Hongyi, didn’t he just say that he is used to sitting there?”
Chu Jinshuo glanced at Chu Yunshen. “But I recall Brother Yunshen’s seat is always right at the end in the past. When did you get used to taking the third one?”
Cheng Xiaoxiao’s fur instantly exploded. Although the eighth prince looked young, his words sounded harsh.
He not only stole Chu Yunshen’s seat but he also blatantly ridiculed Chu Yunshen.
However, Chu Yunshen simply drank tea without defending himself.
“Brother Jinshuo!” Chu Hongyi hastily let go of Chu Jinshuo. He towered above Chu Jinshuo as he said, “This victory banquet is for Brother Yunshen! Aren’t you worried that Father will get angry if you sit there?”
“Do you seriously think Father will get angry with me over something so trivial? Hongyi, Don’t be naive!” Chu Jinshuo glanced at Chu Hongyi before he took a sip of tea and continued, “Do you really think Father wanted to have a victory banquet? If Mother didn’t keep asking Father for permission, he couldn’t be bothered celebrating!”
“You’re lying!” Chu Hongyi clenched his fists tightly and glared at Chu Jinshuo.
“Oh, all of you came pretty early.”
A roughly 16-year-old young man walked in slowly.
He greeted the empress and consorts before walking up to Chu Yunshen. He bowed and said, “Congrats for cracking such a major case so quickly after you joined the justice department.”
He took a box from his servant behind him as he spoke and handed it over. “Brother Yunshen, here’s a little gift for you.”
“Thanks, Brother Yelin.” Chu Yunshen nodded to him before glancing at Xiaowu behind him for him to take the present.
Xiaowu walked up immediately and took the gift from the servant.
“Brother Jinshuo, Brother Hongyi.” Chu Yelin nodded to Chu Hongyi in the second seat and Chu Jinshuo in the first seat before taking the fourth seat next to Chu Yunshen.
“Brother Yelin.” Chu Hongyi got up and bowed to Chu Yelin.
Chu Jinshuo glanced at Chu Yelin before picking up his teacup for a sip.
“Brother Yunshen, what did Brother Yelin give you?”
Chu Yunshen looked at Xiaowu. Xiaowu walked over to Chu Hongyi with the box and opened it. “Here you go, Your Highness.”
“This ginseng must be 100 years old, right? Brother Yunshen was so thoughtful.”
Chu Hongyi looked at Chu Yelin happily. “My birthday is coming soon. Can Brother Yelin give me a ginseng just like this?”
“Hmph!”
Before Chu Yelin could reply, Chu Jinshuo sneered from next to Chu Hongyi.
Chu Hongyi turned to look at Chu Jinshuo’s guard standing behind with his hands empty. Then he said unhappily, “Brother Jinshuo, don’t tell me that you didn’t prepare a gift for Brother Yunshen? You cheapskate!”
Chu Jinshuo sneered and said calmly, “I prepared a big gift for Brother Yunshen, but you can only get to see it after everyone is here!
“Do you have to show off even when you are giving a gift?” asked Chu Hongyi as he twitched his lips.
“What did you say?”
Chu Jinshuo looked at Chu Hongyi coldly. Then Chu Hongyi got the guards to move his seat closer to Chu Yunshen’s before he turned to say to Chu Jinshuo, “I’m looking forward to seeing this big gift of yours.”
“Just wait and see.”
Chu Jinshuo glanced at Chu Yunshen profoundly. “I’m sure Brother Yunshen will love it.”
Chu Yunshen looked back at Chu Jinshuo. He curved his lips in a mocking angle.
Then thanks, Brother Jinshuo.”
“Yelin has gotten smarter ever since Your Majesty adopted him.”
A seductively charming voice suddenly came from the right side of the table.
Cheng Xiaoxiao reached her head out carefully from behind the chair.
A woman dressed in light green court attire with flowers embroidered on it raised her soft, slender fingers at the young man who had just given Chu Yunshen a gift and said, “Your Majesty, you groomed him well. If he continued living with Imperial Concubine Zhao, it would be a waste of his talent.”
A milky white jade bracelet hit the corner of the table and gave off a melodious chime.
“Imperial Consort Zhao, you’re too modest. I think Jinshuo is also very well-educated.”
The empress picked up her teacup before she glanced at Chu Jinshuo who was sitting at the first seat. In her heart, she laughed contemptuously that Chu Jinshuo was arrogant, just like his mother.
Then she had some tea before she continued, “I recently heard about His Majesty praising Jinshuo for being good at essay writing.”
When imperial consort Zhao heard the empress mention Chu Jinshuo getting praised by the emperor, a smug look appeared on her face. “Jinshuo has always been smart since he was a kid. His Majesty often tells me how much Jinshuo resembles him when he was a child, even the way he walks and talks…”
Before imperial consort Zhao managed to finish her sentence, imperial consort Su, who was sitting on the left side of the main seat, interrupted, “Really? I think Yunshen resembles His Majesty more. He made so many military achievements at such a young age. The moment he came home, he cracked a major case.”
“Hongyi, is pretty good himself. He was conferred the title of a prince at such a young age. He’s the first in history.” The empress glanced at imperial consort Su with sparks shooting in her eyes. Cheng Xiaoxiao found it fortunate that she transmigrated into a cat. If she had to join the palace harem, she probably wouldn’t live to see the second day!
“So what if he’s a prince now?” imperial consort Zhao picked up a bright shiny grape and placed it by her lips. Her red nail varnish complemented the grape and made it look even brighter. “By the time Jinshuo was seven, he was academically proficient. His Majesty rewarded him with a dragon pendant and praised him for his talent.” She placed the grape in her mouth after she finished her sentence.
“You’re right.” Imperial consort Su looked at imperial consort Zhao. Then she picked up an exquisite snack unhurriedly and said, “This snack was just shapeless dough before it took shape. No one would bother taking a second look if it fell on the ground. However, it would be sad to drop it on the ground after it got molded into this.”
Then imperial consort Su dropped the snack on the ground.
Cheng Xiaoxiao glared at imperial consort Su angrily. It was wrong to waste food!
Did she have to throw the snack on the ground to make her point?
That was good stuff!
It was such a pity to throw it on the ground.
“Imperial consort Su, what are driving at?”
Then imperial consort Zhao looked up at the empress who was sitting on the main seat. However, the empress drank tea and didn’t utter a word.
She looked at imperial consort Su and said, “Are you implying that Her Majesty’s father was incapable of teaching, even though he is Grand Tutor?”
Although imperial consort Su talked about the snacks, she was clearly implying that her son was talented, but no one was grooming him.
At the thought, her eyes went dark. The grapes in her hands burst open. Purple juice flowed from her hand, but she failed to notice it!
“Of course, not,” said imperial consort Su as she smiled, “I meant Jinshuo was academically inclined when he was a kid. Hongyi was taught by Grand Tutor Li too.”
Then imperial consort Su glanced at the empress on the main seat and continued, “But Hongyi wasn’t as academically blessed as Jinshuo. I recall when they were students, only the eldest prince and Jinshuo kept getting praised by the Grand Tutor. Although Hongyi was conferred prince, the credit really goes to his uncle.”
