My Five Bigshot Seniors: I am The Most Coddled Junior!-Chapter 90 - 42: Palace Banquet [Second Update]

The Emperor’s birthday banquet was held in the evening, and that night, the Imperial Palace was brightly lit. Carriages of those attending the banquet were parked outside the palace gates. Officials qualified to attend the banquet brought their family members along as they entered the Imperial Palace.

The venue for the banquet was Hanguang Hall, the place the Royal Family used specifically for entertaining the ministers. Palace maids were bustling about, preparing items needed for the banquet.

Gu Qingqing and their seats were arranged closer to the front, together with Yun Ran and the others. They did not arrive early; Hanguang Hall was already filled with many officials. Upon seeing Si Lin and the others, their gazes would occasionally drift over.

Not only was Si Lin and his group very young, but all of them were also outstandingly handsome. Even though Gu Qingqing and Jun Wu were still young, one could foresee that they would undoubtedly grow up to be very attractive!

What piqued people’s curiosity the most was their identity. In such grand banquets, the closer the seat to the front, the more prestigious the status. The fact that many present had never before seen Si Lin and his group made them exceedingly curious.

Fortunately, Gu Qingqing and friends were already accustomed to such attention. Among the crowd’s scrutiny, they remained calm and composed, showing no fear or any other overreaction.

"Geng Geng, are you used to this?" Yue Zhao, sitting to the right of Gu Qingqing, asked in a low voice.

[It’s okay, just their gazes are too fervent.] Gu Qingqing looked around and gestured quietly.

Si Lin, sitting next to Yue Zhao, upon hearing this, lifted his head and expressionlessly glanced around. Anyone who met his gaze instinctively looked away, lowering their heads. Within a dozen or so breaths, those lingering gazes completely disappeared.

Nan Hua, beside him, gave a thumbs-up to Si Lin, only to receive a cold glance in return. He shrugged, propped an elbow on the table, and with one hand fanned himself, observing the surroundings.

Since being chided by Si Lin last time, Nan Hua would always refrain from displaying his charm in front of Gu Qingqing, maintaining the demeanor of a proper gentleman.

Despite this, Si Lin and the others were still too strikingly handsome. There were quite a few young ladies attending the banquet, and in the presence of Si Lin and his group, the young noblemen they usually admired lost their luster altogether and simply could not compare!

Faced with the covert glances from the ladies, the five of them remained like wooden figures, entirely ignoring them, without any response, which made Yun Ran, who had been watching them, cover her mouth and chuckle.

The Third Princess, who was temporarily free due to the Emperor’s birthday, was also watching Gu Qingqing and their group. That day, she had been preoccupied with arguing with Si Lin and had not paid attention to their appearances. Only now did she realize how exceptionally handsome each of Si Lin and his group was.

In particular, Yue Zhao was completely her type.

Since childhood, the Third Princess had preferred the elegant gentlemen type, always fantasizing that her future partner would be such a person. Now, seeing Yue Zhao, she felt that the person she had always fantasized about had finally appeared, and her heart was entirely captured by Yue Zhao.

Yi Lan Ting, sitting beside the Third Princess, seeing her behave this way, gently shook her head and then looked towards the empty seat across, which was Prince Li Xiuting’s, who had not arrived yet.

As soon as Qiu Yuyan entered Hanguang Hall, she immediately spotted Si Lin sitting in the front. Rarely did Si Lin wear a dark-colored robe. His demeanor was inherently cold, and wearing a dark robe added a hint of authority, captivating people’s attention, making them want to submit at his feet.

She instinctively covered her chest, forcing herself to look away, afraid of losing composure in front of the crowd.

"Sister Yu Yan, what’s wrong?" Nalan Qing, after becoming acquainted with Qiu Yuyan, had become quite close, and this time traveled to Shangjing City with Qiu Yuyan. They entered the palace together, and seeing Qiu Yuyan clutching her chest, Nalan Qing thought she might have fallen ill and asked with concern.

"I’m fine, just the noise in the hall is a bit much for me to handle." Qiu Yuyan waved her hand with an apologetic smile, "Sorry to worry you, let’s quickly head over."

With that, she took Nalan Qing’s hand and, under the guidance of a palace maid, walked to their designated seats.

Coincidentally, the seats for the Qiu Family and Nalan Family were directly across from Gu Qingqing and the others, allowing a perfect view of Si Lin and his group. After sitting on the cushion, Qiu Yuyan casually glanced towards Si Lin’s direction. She happened to catch a glimpse of Si Lin’s face, locked eyes with him, froze momentarily, then quickly averted her gaze, her cheeks subconsciously coloring red.

Si Lin looked at Qiu Yuyan, furrowed his brows, and shifted his gaze with a cold expression.

On the other side, Yue Zhao also sensed the fervent gaze of the Third Princess. He turned his head and, upon discovering it was the Third Princess, his expression remained unchanged, but a hint of disgust flashed in his eyes.

Because of the incident the other day, Yue Zhao held a poor impression of Li Sisi. What’s more, the other party had nearly trampled Gu Qingqing with a horse hoof, which was absolutely crossing Yue Zhao’s line. The fact that Yue Zhao didn’t directly kill her on the spot was due to his good upbringing. Now, witnessing Li Sisi’s admiring gaze upon him, he only felt nauseated, with not a shred of happiness.

"Oh ho, second brother, it seems the Third Princess has set her eyes on you, staring at you unceasingly." Rong Ye, sitting behind Yue Zhao, easily noticed Li Sisi’s gaze. He couldn’t resist having a chance to tease Yue Zhao and naturally didn’t let it slide.

"Where? Where?" Mu Chen, too, was someone who relished in watching the excitement, looked around and asked Rong Ye.

"See for yourself." Rong Ye indicated with his chin, gesturing for Mu Chen to look.

Mu Chen looked over, indeed seeing Li Sisi staring intently at Yue Zhao, and couldn’t help but whistle in his mind, applauding Li Sisi’s boldness.

One should know that Yue Zhao’s exceptionally handsome appearance had attracted many girls, and many liked him. However, Yue Zhao seemed like a refined gentleman, polite to everyone, yet in reality, was filled with trickery—a person who would sell someone, and that same person would help him count the money, even thinking him a good man.

Those who confessed their liking for Yue Zhao were all mercilessly rejected by him, and yet they still felt grateful, considering Yue Zhao a good man, which was truly infuriating!

Moreover, Yue Zhao most hates women entangling him. If someone crosses his line, they will suffer greatly at Yue Zhao’s hands!

Previously, a woman liked Yue Zhao. Relying on her family’s influence, she persistently pestered Yue Zhao, following him around all day, and even foolishly attempted to drug him to get close to him. As a result, Yue Zhao was thoroughly enraged, and he caused her family to fall from a second-rate power to a bottom-tier one, never daring to appear before Yue Zhao again!

Now, Li Sisi was looking at Yue Zhao like this, and she had previously attempted to harm Gu Qingqing. If she behaves herself, it’s fine; but if she makes any extra moves, even her father, the Emperor, won’t be able to protect her!

Just as the banquet was about to begin, Crown Prince Li Xiuyan finally stepped into the hall.

All the officials and family members of the Great Tang Dynasty rose to greet the Crown Prince, and people from other powers also stood, respectfully acknowledging him.

Li Xiuyan was dressed in the official attire symbolizing the Crown Prince. Being already handsome, he now appeared even more noble and radiant.

He passed through the central aisle from the doorway, paused in front of Gu Qingqing and them, nodded greetings to Si Lin and others, and then proceeded to his designated seat.

Li Xiuyan was already the focus of attention, and all eyes followed him. Although his pause in front of Si Lin and others was brief, it was long enough for everyone to notice, thus making others even more curious about Si Lin and their identities.

Soon after, the Emperor finally arrived.

"Long live His Majesty, ten thousand years!"

"Rise, my lords." The Emperor’s voice sounded robust, clearly indicating his good mood tonight.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Once the Emperor had taken his seat, everyone else also sat down.

It was Gu Qingqing’s first time attending a palace banquet, and she was very curious about everything, especially the performances. She watched them intently, even forgetting to eat. Sitting beside her, Jun Wu kept serving her food, making sure she wasn’t hungry.

"Are the shows really that entertaining, Little Qingqing?" Rong Ye said sourly, noticing Gu Qingqing’s engrossed expression.

Without thinking, Gu Qingqing nodded, her eyes never leaving the performers.

"If Qingqing likes them, when you go to the Sub-immortal Realm, brother will arrange performances for you every day," Nan Hua, the master of such matters, said as he lifted his wine cup and spoke to Gu Qingqing.

"Don’t use your tricks on Qingqing, restrain yourself!" Yue Zhao, with a smile, glanced at Nan Hua, warning him in a chilly tone.

Seeing Yue Zhao’s smile, Nan Hua couldn’t help but shiver, clearly recalling some unpleasant memories. He turned away and said no more.

"I can take you back to the Holy Land, where people know more than here," Jun Wu whispered in Gu Qingqing’s ear.

Gu Qingqing turned her head to look at Jun Wu, her eyes shining brightly, [Really?]

"Of course, it’s true." Jun Wu tidied her hair which had fallen forward, answering earnestly.

[Then it’s settled; when we get to the Sub-Immortal Realm, you’ll take me to see the performances.] Her expression was unusually excited.

"Alright." Jun Wu nodded.

Sitting behind them, Rong Ye gripped Mu Chen’s arm with a ferocious expression, while Mu Chen looked utterly despondent, rolling his eyes at Rong Ye.

"Father, may your fortune be as vast as the Eastern Sea and your longevity as enduring as the Southern Mountains!" Li Xiuting stood up from his seat, came before the Emperor, and toasted him with a broad smile.

Although the Emperor favored the Crown Prince the most, he was also nice to his other sons. Especially today, being his birthday, he was very happy. Seeing this, he lifted his wine cup and with a chuckle, "Good, I am very pleased."

Afterward, the Emperor lifted his cup and drank the wine in one go.

Receiving the Emperor’s praise, Li Xiuting was also very happy, and he backed down with his wine cup.

Next, Li Xiuyan also lifted his wine cup to toast the Emperor. The Emperor appeared even happier than when Li Xiuting toasted him earlier, repeatedly expressing his approval.

While Li Xiuting was about to retreat, suddenly, the Emperor’s wine cup fell to the ground, and under everyone’s gaze, he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood and directly fainted.