SFL Chapter 10

In a few days, the royal family will host a banquet. Officials with a rank of third grade or higher could bring their families to the palace.

The head of the Su family took the opportunity to dress up her daughters in advance.

At the same time, inside the palace, Su Qianluo, as the daughter-in-law, was helping the Empress prepare for the banquet.

Various banquets in the palace had their own specifications and arrangements, so the Empress wasn’t very busy. Moreover, she had Su Qianluo to help her.

The Empress gently placed her hand on Su Qianluo’s arm and asked with concern about the recent situation in the Third Prince’s residence.

Due to Mu Yunfeng’s impartial behaviour in their mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship, these two women got along quite well. As long as someone was pleasing to the eye, many problems would cease to exist.

For instance, the noblewomen in the capital had always criticized Su Qianluo’s background. But in the eyes of the current Empress, it was not an issue at all. Su Qianluo’s status might be low, but was Su Qianhuan’s background any less prestigious than Mu Yunfeng’s, the original candidate for the Third Princess?

Since both were of humble origin and their statuses couldn’t surpass the royal family, in the Empress’ eyes, there was hardly any difference between the two. That’s why the Empress could treat Su Qianluo as her own person.

Of course, Su Qianluo had also put in a lot of effort in this regard, sincerely serving and respecting the Empress as if she were her own elder.

Unlike her cousin Su Qianhuan, who was infatuated with romance and unrealistic ideals, Su Qianluo was a proper young lady. She had thought about how to serve her parents-in-law and be a good wife and mother even before marriage.

Even though she had fortuitously married into the royal family, her days were not much different from what she had imagined. In fact, life after becoming a substitute princess consort in the Third Prince’s residence was even easier than she had anticipated.

In ordinary households, mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law were often at odds over trivial matters, and sometimes they even quarreled over small, insignificant things. With two women in one household, it was natural for there to be conflicts.

However, the royal family was different. When the prince left the palace to handle affairs outside, the princess consort became the undisputed mistress of the household. She didn’t need to endure the years of suffering that ordinary daughters-in-law did to earn the respect of their mothers-in-law.

Moreover, the Third Prince’s residence was exceptionally peaceful. There were no other women or illegitimate children to contend with. Compared to the neighboring residences of the First and Second Princes, where the princess consorts looked glamorous on the surface but were weary inside, Su Qianluo felt content.

Of course, Su Qianluo understood that the key to this situation lay with the man. The reason the Third Prince’s residence was so peaceful was entirely thanks to the Third Prince. Otherwise, if he had brought many women into the residence, she would have had no choice but to accept it.

If Mu Yunfeng were really seductive, and in an irreversible situation, Su Qianluo would willingly become a virtuous and generous princess consort. However, since Mu Yunfeng didn’t actively pursue it, Su Qianluo wouldn’t take the initiative to find concubines for him to gain a good reputation.

She had created her own life, and Su Qianluo felt that the current situation was quite good. The only worry she had was the thoughts of the Emperor and Empress. However, the Empress’ attitude had put her mind at ease, allowing her to manage the prince’s residence properly and prevent undesirable individuals from taking advantage of the situation. Su Qianluo understood this well.

After all, as legitimate wives and mothers of the Empire, they were not fond of the concubines. Once a woman had a child, she would want the best for herself and her child. The Empress wanted to provide the best for Mu Yunfeng, and those concubines had the same idea.

For the unfortunate legitimate sons who couldn’t ascend to the throne, history showed how miserable their fates could be. The Empress naturally didn’t want the mother and son to end up like that.

The Empress and Mu Yunfeng’s unique status meant that they had few allies in this vast palace.

Due to the external pressure they faced, the Empress’ family had become even closer since Mu Yunfeng arrived. Since the men couldn’t enter the harem, much of the information was passed between Su Qianluo, the wife and daughter-in-law.

Su Qianluo’s actions, something the female lead Su Qianhuan couldn’t achieve, set her apart. After marrying, Su Qianluo quickly integrated into her various roles and fulfilled her responsibilities promptly, which the female lead couldn’t match.

Of course, while Su Qianluo excelled in her duties as the Third Prince’s consort, she also didn’t forget to be affectionate and considerate toward her husband, Mu Yunfeng. Since Mu Yunfeng had chosen Su Qianluo as his conquest target, it was evident that he had a foundation of liking for her. With both parties showing interest, the affection between husband and wife naturally continued to grow steadily.

All of these observations didn’t escape the notice of the Empress, and they were delighted that her son’s marriage was going smoothly.

With the cooperation of the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, the palace banquet was quickly arranged.

On the day of the banquet, Mu Yunfeng, for once, relaxed and pulled his attention away from state affairs. He asked those around him, “How are the preparations on the Empress’ side?”

“Replying to His Highness, the Empress’ side is already well-prepared, and they have also arranged the clothing you will wear,” a servant from the Third Prince’s residence replied.

When Mu Yunfeng returned to his residence, he immediately saw Su Qianluo dressed in splendor. She wore a luxurious Princess’-grade palace robe adorned with various gold, silver, and gemstone accessories. Her footsteps were graceful as the hem of her skirt swayed, and her hair ornaments shimmered as she moved.

“Your Highness,” Su Qianluo greeted Mu Yunfeng with a shallow bow and urged him to change into his attire.

The palace banquet was set to begin in the evening, and they needed to enter the palace in the afternoon. Su Qianluo had prepared a dark-colored python robe for Mu Yunfeng, which gave off a dignified aura. She also provided matching jade ornaments and other accessories. Su Qianluo had everything prepared, so Mu Yunfeng could simply change into them without any worry.

The steward of the prince’s residence watched this scene with admiration, constantly marveling at how good it was to have a lady of the house. In the past, Mu Yunfeng had no one, and he had to handle all these matters himself. As a steward, he couldn’t provide the kind of care and thoughtfulness the Third Princess could.

Seeing Mu Yunfeng and Su Qianluo like this, the steward couldn’t help but feel genuinely relieved that their lord had someone to care for him.

Mu Yunfeng couldn’t help but feel the difference too. Being single and having a wife were indeed two entirely different feelings.

After changing into his attire, Mu Yunfeng and Su Qianluo entered the palace together.

Mu Yunfeng was the Legitimate Prince born to the Empress. Although he was the third in line, his status was the most prestigious among the princes. Therefore, at this palace banquet, Mu Yunfeng’s seat was right below the Emperor and Empress, in the top position.

Following him were the Eldest prince, the Second prince, and other princes.

The Eldest prince couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable at the thought of Mu Yunfeng overshadowing him at the palace banquet. Lately, he had sensed a greater threat from his Third brother than in the past twenty years.

In the past, he hadn’t paid much attention to Mu Yunfeng. Initially, after marrying into the family and then gaining the upper hand in the court due to his status as the first to enter politics, he had worked hard to win the support of the court officials. However, he hadn’t expected that many of those officials would be implicated due to their corrupt practices and that Mu Yunfeng would take the opportunity to eliminate most of them.

He had suffered a significant loss in Mu Yunfeng’s hands but hadn’t found a way to regain his position. After all, it was his father, the Emperor, who was in charge of the court, not him, the Eldest prince. Trying to win over court officials was a matter he would rather swallow his pride than openly discuss because his father was the one in power.

“Big Brother,” Mu Yunfeng greeted the eldest prince with a smile as he and Su Qianluo took their seats.

“Third Brother,” the Eldest prince replied with a forced smile.

Unlike Mu Yunfeng, who had only one queen by his side, the eldest prince had brought his children with him to the palace. Several older children stared at Mu Yunfeng without blinking. “Uncle, we heard that Uncle has killed many bad people. Is it true?”

Although they were the eldest prince’s offspring, they hadn’t yet been tainted by worldly concerns due to their young age. Mu Yunfeng replied with a smile, “Yes, Uncle has indeed dealt with many parasites to the nation.”

Hearing this, the eldest prince’s face twitched involuntarily. He felt that Mu Yunfeng’s words carried some hidden meaning, as if he were indirectly criticizing him.

“So, when we grow up, can we also kill bad people like Uncle?”

“Well, that depends on your future positions. For example, among the Six Ministries, only the Ministry of Justice has the authority to execute criminals. Other departments can, at most, send criminals to the Ministry of Justice. Without the corresponding authority, you cannot randomly take someone’s life,” Mu Yunfeng explained while twirling an empty wine glass with his fingertips, smiling.

His words left the young ones wide-eyed and puzzled. “So, we can’t just kill people in the future?”

“That’s right, you can’t,” Mu Yunfeng instructed the children.

“That’s enough, Third Brother. They are imperial children. How can you treat them the same as others?” Upon hearing Mu Yunfeng’s strict guidelines, the Eldest prince voiced his displeasure.

In response, Mu Yunfeng’s lips curled slightly. “Big Brother, when I served in the Ministry of Justice, the members of the imperial family didn’t receive any special treatment.”

The Eldest prince suddenly jolted, completely awake now. Thinking about it, even if he didn’t consider the distant imperial family members, the Eldest princess, who shared the same father as the Emperor, had lost a son to Mu Yunfeng and had yet to find a way to regain her position. Moreover, the Eldest princess was in a position equivalent to him, and her son’s mishap had occurred because he had violated the law first. Even though Mu Yunfeng had offended many people, he was in the right.

In the future, if his father allowed him to ascend the throne, his offspring wouldn’t have to heed Mu Yunfeng’s authority. However, if he failed to ascend the throne, his descendants would become part of the imperial family. At that time, coddling them wouldn’t be a good thing.

Understanding this, the Eldest prince remained silent.

Seeing the Eldest prince back down unconsciously in front of Mu Yunfeng, the Second prince, not far away, smirked quietly.

Onlookers see more clearly. In the past, the Eldest prince had never yielded to his Third brother. Now, he was retreating without realizing it. What did this mean? It meant that the Eldest prince’s confidence had waned.

What about him? Is he the same way?

After his last attempt to gain an advantage ended up backfiring, he distinctly felt that the Emperor’s gaze upon him had diminished. This wasn’t a good sign for a prince who aspired to ascend the throne.

The relationship among the three of them was one of give and take. When their side lost influence, Mu Yunfeng’s side gained it.

Although Mu Yunfeng had already offended many members of the imperial family and court officials, and his hopes of ascending to the throne had become dim, the Second Prince couldn’t shake off his growing unease. He had a lingering feeling that he had overlooked something but couldn’t quite pinpoint that blind spot.

As time passed, the guests had mostly arrived. The Emperor and Empress hadn’t yet made their entrance. Some guests engaged in lively conversations while others moved about, forming small groups away from their original seats.

Su Qianluo gently tilted her head, her hair ornaments swaying as she spoke to Mu Yunfeng beside her. Mu Yunfeng’s expression softened, and a charming smile graced his face, causing those who saw it to be captivated.

The members of the Su family were seated far from the imperial seats, so they couldn’t hear the conversation between Su Qianluo and Mu Yunfeng, but the expressions of the couple were enough to convey to onlookers that they were a deeply affectionate pair.

“Who would have thought that the Third Prince would be such a considerate and loving husband? I remember his reputation as the ‘Cold-faced Prince’ before his marriage; everyone said that his heart was as cold as his face. People predicted that the future Third Princess Consort would have a tough life, but after their marriage, Third Prince seems to have transformed into a different person. His actions towards his wife are something that even some of our husbands can’t compare to,” a lady-in-waiting remarked nearby, and Su Qianluo, being perceptive, overheard. She turned her gaze towards the lady-in-waiting, who was also looking at Mu Yunfeng, and occasionally, she’d glance at her own husband beside her with a disapproving expression.

Su Qianluo observed carefully and realized that this sentiment of admiration wasn’t limited to just one lady-in-waiting. Many of them, regardless of age, expressed their feelings of envy, their tones carrying no attempt to hide their emotions. They couldn’t help but remark on the good fortune of the Third Princess Consort.

Su Qianluo having good fortune? Su Qianluo’s first reaction was to smile.

Back at home, Su Qianluo, her cousin, had always overshadowed her, remaining inconspicuous with no notable reputation, merely serving as a backdrop to her cousin’s brilliance. Later on, she had even shielded her cousin from disaster by becoming a substitute bride.

Now, Su Qianluo has married into the imperial family. Could the imperial family really view this low-born Third Princess Consort with favor? Could the Third Prince truly accept his wife being replaced without any resentment? Su Qianluo found it hard to believe.