Reborn Divine Doctor: The Abandoned Girl's Legend
Chapter 157 - 27 Talent Show

Chapter 157: Chapter 27 Talent Show

Upon hearing the Empress Dowager inquire about the Empress, Ye Lingyue felt a bit surprised; she had thought that the beautiful woman clad in red palace attire was the Empress of Daxia.

Although Ye Lingyue was not familiar with the rules of the court, Lady Lan had instructed her in some basic etiquette before she entered the palace, including certain taboos to be aware of during a palace banquet, such as aspects of eating and drinking, speech and behavior, and even the color of one’s clothing.

One of those points was that the color bright red could only be worn by the Empress during a palace banquet.

But the lady before her...

The beautiful woman in palace dress raised her head, and amidst the lush lantern light, wore a strikingly vivid red gown that added a few degrees of brilliance to her grandeur.

The broad expanse of her skirt shimmered with golden phoenix patterns, and her black hair was coiled in a complex and regal updo, adorned with glossy eastern pearls that sparkled radiantly.

Such attire was clearly meant to draw everyone’s attention to her.

"Replying to the Empress Dowager, the Empress originally planned to attend, but the Sixth Prince has fallen ill again. She had no choice but to entrust me, her servant, to assist the Empress Dowager in presiding over tonight’s banquet," the voluptuous and enchantingly beautiful woman explained; she was the Noble Princess Consort Luo, the Emperor’s favored consort.

Noble Princess Consort Luo was also the mother of the Crown Prince, who had close ties with the Hong Residence. Hong Fang was the Crown Prince’s Grand Protector, while Hong Yulang has been a playmate to the Crown Prince since childhood, making the two families’ relations notably intimate.

That’s why, as soon as she took her seat, Noble Princess Consort Luo struck up a conversation with Zhuge Rou.

Upon the mention of the Sixth Prince, the banquet grew quiet.

The ladies and young misses who often attended palace banquets all knew that the Sixth Prince, born to the Empress, was ill, and he and his mother spent most of their time recuperating in the palace, hardly ever attending such events. It was always Noble Princess Consort Luo standing in for the Empress to host.

Over time, Noble Princess Consort Luo became the de facto ruler of the harem, second only to the Empress Dowager.

As for the Sixth Prince, he was even more of a taboo within Xia Palace, rarely dared to be mentioned in the presence of the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager looked somewhat displeased; she waved her hand dismissively and no longer pursued the matter, simply commanding the palace banquet to begin.

Only then did the minister’s wives and daughters from each family take their seats. The banquet commenced, with several court musicians and dancers entering amid the assembly, playing music and dancing gracefully.

The sweet fragrance of osmanthus lingered in the air, the moon hung high, creating a joyful atmosphere at the banquet.

Lan Lingyue casually ate a few bites, noticing that Lady Lan seemed somewhat distracted.

"Mother, what’s wrong?" Ye Lingyue thought Lady Lan might be upset by Nangong Qinglin’s earlier words.

"It’s nothing. I’m just worried about the Empress. It seems the Sixth Prince’s illness sees no improvement."

Lady Lan appeared somewhat lost in thought as she mentioned the Empress.

Seeing Ye Lingyue looking at her intently, Lady Lan offered an apologetic smile.

"Before entering the palace, the Empress and I were playmates since childhood; my father was a teacher in her family’s residence. After she was selected to enter the palace, I married your father. We kept in touch for a few years, but after the Sixth Prince’s health declined, she has rarely made an appearance. Actually, it’s been many years now," recalling the past, Lady Lan appeared quite emotional and heaved a sigh.

When the Empress first married into the royal household, she was greatly favored by Emperor Xia, but after the Sixth Prince’s health deteriorated, she became more withdrawn, and her friendships grew sparse. She even distanced herself from Emperor Xia.

As time passed, Emperor Xia began to bestow his affections on other concubines, with Noble Princess Consort Luo, who originated from the Emperor’s personal attendants, becoming the most favored.

The Fourth Prince, born to Noble Princess Consort Luo, was consequently named the Crown Prince.

Everyone in the court was saying that the Crown Prince would inherit the great ceremony and become the new Emperor Xia, which undoubtedly raised the status of Noble Princess Consort Luo several notches higher.

"Ling Yue, there is something I have always wanted to ask of you. Last time, you cured your father’s illness, could you possibly take a look at the sickness of the Sixth Prince?" Lady Lan pleaded with Ye Lingyue.

In Lady Lan’s view, since Ye Lingyue had cured Governor Lan’s chronic illness, her medical skills must undoubtedly be much more superior to those of the Imperial Physicians and the alchemists from the Alchemist Association.

Ye Lingyue was momentarily at a loss for words.

Truth be told, how could she be considered highly skilled in medicine? It was nothing more than relying on Cauldron Breath and the Hong Meng Notebook to mimic what she learned.

These things, however, she couldn’t honestly tell her mother.

"Mother, let’s talk about this later. After all, there are many Imperial Physicians in the palace, and neither the Empress Dowager nor the Empress would agree to let me, a mere half-baked alchemist, treat the Sixth Prince," Ye Lingyue soothed her mother.

Lady Lan nodded after hearing this.

It was true that she had been too anxious and forgotten the rules of the palace; it seemed that if they wanted to seek medical treatment, they would need a long-term plan.

While mother and daughter were discussing, the music suddenly stopped.

"Empress Dowager, today coincides with the Ghost Festival, a reunion for beautiful people under the moon. Since those present are all daughters of nobles from the Daxia Royal Palace, and they are each capable in both literature and martial arts. Why not have the young ladies come forward and display their talents to bring a smile to your Grace?" Noble Princess Consort Luo—having caught a signal from Zhuge Rou—understood and whispered into the Empress Dowager’s ear.

Having had a few drinks, the Empress Dowager was in a good mood and nodded her head.

"Whoever performs well will certainly be rewarded by I."

Once the young ladies heard this, their spirits were lifted, seeing it as a great opportunity to showcase themselves before the Empress Dowager. The daughters of the civil officials played the zither and painted, composed poems and engaged in repartees, while the daughters of the military officers danced with swords and practiced Fist Technique, immediately attracting waves of applause at the banquet.

Hong Yuying stepped forward, performing a beautiful Swordsmanship routine.

"The tiger girl of the martial Hong Residence, Miss Yuying’s swordsmanship indeed carries the style of the Crown Prince’s Grand Protector, awarded fifty taels of Gold."

Having received the reward, Hong Yuying was unbearably proud and strutted off the stage like a peacock, just when she happened to see Ye Lingyue sitting next to Lady Lan.

She frowned and suddenly said.

"Empress Dowager, speaking of martial daughters, Eldest Miss Lan is the real descendant of a military family. The Fist Technique she displayed at the palace banquet in the past won your appreciation. Unfortunately, Eldest Miss Lan is not here, but the second young miss of the Lan Family is present. Why not have her perform on behalf of Eldest Miss Lan?"

As soon as Hong Yuying finished speaking, Lady Lan’s face showed some difficulty.

She had already been low-key enough this evening.

But why does someone keep provoking her and her daughter repeatedly?"

"Oh? The second young miss from the Lan Family is also here. I heard that you are General Lan’s recently acknowledged daughter from the common folk. Come forward a few steps, let I take a good look at you," the Empress Dowager had also heard that Lan Yingwu had taken another daughter, and with so many people at today’s palace banquet, she had forgotten but was reminded by Hong Yuying’s words, and now she was indeed curious.

The other noble ladies quieted down, all eyes turning towards Lady Lan and her daughter’s seats.

The Empress Dowager favored Eldest Miss Lan and even personally appointed her as Commandery Princess. This matter spread around Xia Capital for a while. Now everyone wondered whether the second young miss from the Lan Family would also earn the fondness of the Empress Dowager, or perhaps her dislike?

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