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This Wu Ming, even if he is not the chosen one to be established as the Crown Prince, undoubtedly stands as a man at the pinnacle of power in the Great Zhou Dynasty.
Beside Empress Wang, apart from following Wu Ming, there emerged a small head—this was Prince Wu Ji, the fourteenth son, only seven or eight years old. After all, it was a family banquet, and his main purpose of coming here was to join in the fun; obviously, the matter of establishing the Crown Prince did not involve him.
After Empress Wang finished asking about their well-being, several other Noble Consorts also came forward one after another to greet her.
Cheng Guang didn’t recognize these Noble Consorts, but each one was a top-tier beauty, all followed by a bevy of princes and princesses.
Cheng Guang scanned the group, and his gaze suddenly skipped over the cluster of princes and princesses and settled on a somewhat solitary figure.
Unlike the other princes and princesses,
There was not a single Noble Consort by that person’s side, just someone wearing a somewhat old-fashioned bright yellow long skirt, head lowered, following behind the crowd.
At once, it dawned on Cheng Guang that this was probably the future Empress Wu Ling.
Who could have imagined that the future Empress of Great Zhou would look so oppressed right now?
Although she silently followed beside everyone, one could see that the princes and princesses were subtly distancing themselves from her, seemingly repelling her.
Cheng Guang could understand the feelings of these princes and princesses; aside from Wu Ling, they all grew up in the Imperial Palace. Only Wu Ling did not grow up there. A year ago, the emperor had picked her up from some unknown ravine outside and conferred on her the title of princess.
Whether it was xenophobia, disdain, or simply disregard, myriad reasons had created this scene of Wu Ling standing all alone.
Cheng Guang silently watched this unfold.
Unnoticed by Cheng Guang, as he was observing Wu Ling, some of the princes and princesses were also surreptitiously watching him, curiosity flickering in their eyes.
They seemed to find that today’s Cheng Guang was somewhat different from his usual self, but they couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was different.
“Greetings to Empress Sister-in-Law.”
The voice of Princess Yuemei rang out as she smiled toward Empress Wang.
“Sister Yuemei, you’ve arrived already? I was wondering whether to send someone to fetch you or not,”
At the sound of Yuemei’s voice, Empress Wang immediately revealed a smile. Her relationship with Yuemei was good, after all, she was the emperor’s sister.
“Guanger, come, this is your Aunt the Empress, come and greet her,”
After exchanging a few words with Empress Wang, Princess Yuemei pulled over Cheng Guang, who was hiding in the corner.
Cheng Guang’s heart tightened slightly while he managed a smile and began to speak calmly.
“Guanger pays respects to Aunt the Empress.”
After Cheng Guang spoke, he paused slightly, recalling Empress Dowager Li’s reaction earlier, then once again thickened his skin and started to sweet-talk.
“Aunt the Empress, you’ve been looking exceptionally radiant recently, haven’t you?”
Perhaps because the Princely Heir usually gave off the impression of being a cold and silent type, his sudden praises managed to surprise the Empress and others. They were caught off guard and didn’t have the time to scrutinize what was different about Cheng Guang from the usual.
And this was precisely Cheng Guang’s intention.
Indeed, what women loved to hear most was the praise from others about their looks, especially sincere compliments from a junior like Cheng Guang.
Upon these words, Empress Wang’s face instantly beamed with a genuine smile.
She had indeed been putting more effort into her appearance, hoping to get the emperor to stay over at her place more frequently, but aside from the Palace Maids who would sincerely compliment her, the praise from others felt perfunctory.
Empress Wang did not expect Cheng Guang to be the first to offer such compliments, and his words were so amusing that she was over the moon.
“Oh, Guanger,”
“It’s been some days since I saw you, and your sweet talk seems to have gotten much sweeter. Bring the exquisitely prepared Wanhua Facial Cake that I made, to let our mother and Guanger have a taste,” she addressed her Maiden.
Overjoyed, Empress Wang walked straight up to Cheng Guang, affectionately pinched his face.
This action startled him, fearing that Empress Wang might have noticed something, he dared not make any rash movements.
However, Cheng Guang soon realized that Empress Wang had no other intentions—she just wanted to show her affection for him.
For one, Cheng Guang naturally had a handsome appearance.
Secondly, Empress Dowager Li was extremely fond of Cheng Guang.
Thirdly, Cheng Guang came from an extraordinary background, and on top of that, today he had particularly won her favor.
Combining these factors, it was natural for Empress Wang to react this way.
The Maiden presented the cake box, placing it respectfully on the table.
Empress Dowager Li showed little interest, but looking at Cheng Guang, she couldn’t help but smile and picked up a piece, handing it to him.
From this gesture, it was evident that even in front of all the princes and princesses, Empress Dowager Li did not hesitate to express her favoritism toward Cheng Guang.
Cheng Guang respectfully accepted the pastry, tasted it, and found the flavor surprisingly good, quickly finishing it off.
Thinking he was hungry, Empress Dowager Li passed him the whole box.
“Here, my dear grandson, if you like it, just eat it. When it’s gone, ask your Aunt the Empress to send you more,” she told him.
This scene once again drew the attention of many Noble Consorts, princes, and princesses in the hall.
Cheng Guang inwardly lamented; he only wanted to keep a low profile, but being so praised by Empress Dowager Li, he really felt uncomfortable.
Cheng Guang chuckled, deciding not to get involved in the conversation of these important figures anymore, and quietly retreated a few steps, holding the cake box and starting to eat.
Only Princess Yuemei quietly tugged at Cheng Guang’s sleeve, “Guanger, eat a little less. There will be plenty of delicious things at the family banquet later, and eating too much of this can make you gain weight.”