Rebirth of the Phoenix Princess novel Chapter 638

"Miss Liu, do you know who did this?" Qin Yi asked coldly, paying no attention to Liu Chuchu.

Liu Chuchu shook her head and answered, "I was sent out on my wedding day. Then my maid took the palanquin to the seventh prince's mansion for me. I was afraid of being exposed, so I hid in the courtyard and didn't dare to go out. The maids who sent food to me the next day told me the incident happened in the seventh prince's mansion. After that I never went out. I didn't expect that you could find me."

Yun Shang knew that no matter how many questions she asked, she still couldn't get the answer. So she shook her head at Qin Yi and gestured for Qian Zhuo to take Liu Chuchu away.

After Liu Chuchu left the yard, Yun Shang turned to Luo Qingyan, "What do you think?"

Luo Qingyan sneered, "she didn't say anything useful. I don't know if she is really silly or just pretending to be."

Yun Shang also sensed that Liu Chuchu didn't tell her the truth. She hesitated for a moment and said, "I'll ask the secret guards to interrogate her."

Luo Qingyan nodded and said, "if she still doesn't say the truth, just send her back. Keep an eye on her. We may gain something from it."

Yun Shang uttered a soft "yes".

The royal banquet began from five o'clock in the afternoon. As it was an official ceremony, Yun Shang couldn't dress up as she liked. She had already asked Qin Yi to dress her up and make her up. She was wearing the palace uniform for the princess, which meant she should wear makeup according to her grade.

After dressing up, Yun Shang had to sit upright. Luo Qingyan looked at her frequently and fixed his eyes on the complex crown on her head. "I didn't notice it before. These clothes and jewelries are really heavy. Do you feel uncomfortable?"

Yun Shang smiled bitterly. "They make me a little tired, but it's not unbearable. There are not many official dinners in the palace, and I'll go through it."

Luo Qingyan opened his mouth but said nothing. Noticing that it was time to leave, he helped Yun Shang out of the mansion, got on the carriage and headed towards the palace.

Many carriages had already been parked at the gate of the palace and the street was packed with people. Yun Shang went into the palace with them and went up the stairs. Then she went into the Tai Chi palace and sat on a front seat in the Taiji palace. Yun Shang glanced around the hall, and had a rough understanding of the situation in the hall today. The positions of concubines and princes under age were on the left side of the hall, and the imperial concubines with titles should have arrived as well. On the right side of the hall were the officials and their families, and their positions were arranged according to their ranks.

Yun Shang stared at the positions of the concubines. Since Lady Yun had disappeared and Lady Shu had been grounded, the positions of the four noble consorts were almost empty. Ning Qian became the one to take the first seat.

Yun Shang frowned and felt worried for no reason.

Prince Rui sat on the first seat of the officials, and then the seventh prince. Afterwards, Su Qi, followed by Lord Hua Guo. Hardly had the emperor arrived, noise was heard in the hall. Yun Shang found there were many people talking and looking at Luo Qingyan from time to time. Perhaps owing to his coldness, no one came forward to speak.

Yun Shang exchanged a glance with Hua Yutong and smiled. Hua Yutong looked nervous. She was clenching the brocade handkerchief in her hand, and her lips were pale.

Yun Shang looked up at the seventh prince, who was sitting next to Hua Yutong. He looked pale as if he just recovered from a serious illness.

While she was thinking, the eunuchs came in a hurry from outside and stood in two rows on both sides. Yun Shang knew that the emperor had arrived, so she looked away and looked straight ahead.

"Here comes his majesty and her majesty..." As soon as the eunuch finished his sentence, another eunuch spoke from inside, "here comes his majesty, and her majesty..."

All the people rose to their feet and knelt down. "Long live, your majesties."

After a while, Xia Huanyu said in a faint voice, "Rise."

Then all of them stood up and sat down.

Glancing around the room in silence, Xia Huanyu said, "It's new year's Eve tonight, so you don't have to be so restrained. Besides, the empress has arranged many shows for you. New Year's Eve is a day of reunion of all the families, and you have worked very hard in the past year. I'd like to make a toast to you all. Let's have fun today."

Xia Huanyu raised his glass from the table and proposed a toast to everyone. Everyone followed suit and drank it up in a hurry. "We can begin now." Xia Huanyu turned to look at the empress. The empress smiled at him and nodded at the maid by her side. The maid knocked the bell beside with a golden stick.

The lights in the hall went down one by one, leaving only the few in the middle. Then the music began, and a woman in red with a veil walked in and danced gracefully.

The banquets in the palace were all like this, and there was nothing new. Feeling boring, Yun Shang turned her eyes and glanced around the palace. She caught sight of all the ladies.

Lady Hui sat at a back seat, and her face was a little pale.

Yun Shang paused for a while and realized that if she had severe sickness as Luo Qingyan said, she must be very uncomfortable with the smell of all kind of meats on the banquet. Although the people in the hall were watching the song and dance performance, it would also be hard for her to not be noticed.

After the dance was over, the lights were on. Yun Shang looked away and made a gesture to Ning Qian.