GBP Chapter 373 A Riot of Flowers, Old Fourth Makes His Appearance
Chapter 373 A Riot of Flowers, Old Fourth Makes His Appearance
Chapter 373 A Riot of Flowers, the Fourth Prince Makes His Appearance
The eldest prince, Zhao Hongmin, didn't even glance at the third prince, Zhao Honghao, and just drank his tea.
At this moment, the Fifth Prince also arrived gracefully, dressed in a dazzling silver-white robe. It must be said that no matter what kind of character the Zhao family princes had, they were all exceptionally handsome.
"Big brother, third brother, why didn't you wait for your younger brother? You have no care for the young at all."
The fifth prince, with his charming peach blossom eyes, blinked pitifully as he naturally acted coquettishly with his two older brothers.
"How old are you? You're still acting like a spoiled girl. You have no shame."
The eldest prince, who had been indifferent to the third prince, showed some affection and doting towards his fifth brother.
"Exactly, how old are you? You haven't grown at all. You're still the same weakling you were when you were a kid."
The third prince's sarcastic remarks seemed to indicate his disdain for the fifth prince.
"Big brother~ Look at third brother! He's talking about me again~~!"
"Third brother, you're the older brother, don't always bully the fifth brother. Father also wants to see us brothers get along well, doesn't he?"
The eldest prince made a pointed remark, and the third prince immediately understood. Acting, after all—who can't do that? Born into the royal family, they're all natural actors!
"Big brother is right. I love the fifth brother too, but I just don't know how to express it. Sigh... I guess the saying 'pity him for his misfortune and anger at his lack of ambition' perfectly describes me."
Little Wu, you can't always act so weak and timid. Your fourth brother is about to be released, and there will be another person to dote on you~
The fifth prince, Zhao Hongjing, visibly trembled, as if he were very afraid of his fourth brother, Zhao Hongsheng.
"Fourth Brother, is he going to lift the confinement? What, when did this happen?"
"Oh, our fifth brother doesn't know yet? The flower viewing banquet has already started, and the fourth brother is probably coming too. Maybe he's already on his way?"
The third brother "kindly" offered this reminder.
"Big brother, third brother, um, I suddenly feel a little unwell and want to go back and rest first. My two good brothers, please explain this to Grandmother."
"I'm still young this year, there's no rush to choose a prince's wife. Let my brothers decide first, I'll think about it later. I'm not in a hurry, not in a hurry."
The Fifth Prince's face was pale, and he wished he could run away as fast as he could. The Third Prince secretly laughed at the other's lack of courage, while the First Prince was somewhat worried and handed him a handkerchief to wipe his sweat.
"Look how pale you are. Wipe your sweat and have someone go find the imperial physician. You can't just rest. You need to have your pulse checked and get some treatment."
"Yes, thank you, brother. I won't spoil the fun any longer and will head back now."
The eldest and third princes nodded, while the fifth prince hurriedly left.
"Tch~ Pathetic. So many years have passed, and you're still like a mouse before a cat. Is the fourth brother really that scary? I don't see it at all."
The Third Prince looked disdainful. He was just an unfavored prince whose birth mother had passed away. How could the Fifth Prince be so afraid of him? He was truly useless!
The eldest prince watched the fifth prince's departing figure and sighed softly, "The events of that year left a shadow on the fifth prince's heart, which has not yet faded away."
The Third Prince snorted dismissively. "Fifth Prince is just a coward. Who was old back then? Weren't they all children?"
Before long, Zhao Hongsheng, who had not shown his face for a long time, arrived. He was dressed in a black robe, with a tall and straight figure and a cold face. However, he looked much thinner, and his jawline had become more defined.
"Greetings, elder brother and third brother." Zhao Hongsheng was polite but his eyes were distant.
The Third Prince couldn't help but provoke, "Oh, Fourth Prince, it's been a long time. I'm afraid these days of confinement are not easy."
Zhao Hongsheng looked up at him and said, "Third Brother is joking. For me, being confined to my quarters is nothing more than a way to cultivate my character."
I used to be too spoiled and unrestrained, and my father wanted to temper my character. Now I have learned my lesson and deeply realized the inappropriateness of my behavior.
"Father is merciful, and Empress Dowager is kind, which is why they gave me this opportunity. I'm sure my eldest and third brothers are also very happy that their younger brother has turned over a new leaf."
The Third Prince was taken aback. He hadn't expected that his fourth son's time in confinement had made him smarter. Or had someone been secretly tutoring him?
Or was the confinement just a pretext, with the fourth prince biding his time and secretly cultivating a large number of people and winning over a large number of officials in the court?
The more the Third Prince thought about it, the more frightened he became. He looked at the Fourth Prince with even more scrutiny, as if he wanted to stare a hole through him.
It must be said that the Third Prince is quite imaginative. The First Prince coughed lightly and said, "It is excellent that the Fourth Prince thinks this way."
Today's flower-viewing banquet is hosted by the Empress Dowager, so let's take our seats early and wait for her arrival.
After everyone took their seats, palace maids filed in, serving various exquisitely crafted pastries, and of course, a hundred-flower wine.
They were among the last to arrive, and the other side of the garden was already filled with the sounds of women laughing and chatting.
Some of the bolder individuals frequently glanced in the direction of the princes, but the three remained unmoved, continuing to chat and drink tea as if nothing had happened.
"The Empress Dowager has arrived! The Empress has arrived! Princess Consort Deqing has arrived!"
The Empress Dowager walked at the front, with the Empress and Princess Deqing following a few steps behind on either side.
"Greetings to the Empress Dowager and the Empress. May the Empress Dowager be well and the Empress be in good health."
Everyone bowed, and the Empress Dowager smiled and said, "Rise quickly. There's no need for formalities at today's flower-viewing banquet. Everyone should just enjoy themselves."
The Empress also gently echoed, while Princess Consort Deqing secretly observed the princes. Hmm? It was one thing that the Second Prince wasn't there, but the Fifth Prince wasn't there either.
Zhao Hongsheng felt a gaze on him, turned his head and saw it was Princess Deqing. He frowned slightly.
The Empress Dowager sat in the center, the Empress on the left, and Princess Consort of Deqing on the right.
After the Empress Dowager took her seat, the banquet officially began. At this time, the Second Prince, led by several maids, sat down next to the Empress.
The legitimate son is the legitimate son; even if he's an idiot, his status is still higher than that of the illegitimate sons.
The eldest prince stared at the wine cup in his hand, his expression inscrutable, seemingly unconcerned whether the second prince would attend the banquet or not.
"Your Majesty, look how spirited these children are! As expected of royal offspring, each one is exceptionally handsome and extraordinary."
"So, whether you think they're good to them or not depends on whether their future in-laws think they're good to them."
Everyone likes to hear nice words, and besides, the Empress Dowager genuinely thought her grandsons were quite good-looking, at least in terms of appearance.
These were words spoken by his own cousin, so he naturally didn't think they were flattery. At most, he felt that Princess Deqing liked his younger relatives.
She's my great-aunt, so isn't it normal for her to think her younger relatives are outstanding?
But if other officials' wives said these words, the Empress Dowager would inevitably overthink it. "Does your family have a daughter who's hoping to marry into the royal family? To climb the social ladder?"
It's not fair to blame the Empress Dowager for being hypocritical; Princess Deqing really didn't have that idea.
After all, his family consisted entirely of boys, with not a single daughter, so there was no way he would have a daughter marry into the royal family.
However, Princess Deqing really wanted to find a good marriage for her nephew, and ever since the banquet, she couldn't take her eyes off him.
Like an X-ray, the cameras would scan the women's section, but the noble ladies were unaware, while the wives of noblemen did notice.
Those who intend to form a marriage alliance with the Prince of Deqing's family have already figured out how to strike up a conversation with the Princess of Deqing later.
The Prince Deqing's mansion is wealthy, favored, and has a close relationship with the Empress Dowager; only a fool would look down on it.
Besides, older men are more stable and caring.
Moreover, Prince Qin is also quite handsome, no less so than the princes.
Marrying into the royal family involves too many complications, so families who truly love their daughters instead set their sights on the wealthy and idle Qin Mucheng.