My Reason for Calmness Chapter 8

After Mingzhan finished his meal in the Cining Palace, he returned to the Pomegranate Courtyard to watch the servants move.

The location that Feng Jingqian arranged for him was very good. His neighbor to the east was the third prince Feng Mingxiang, and his neighbor to the west was the fourth prince Feng Mingrui.

Elijah had too many boxes and cages to fit in the courtyard, and they blocked the main entrance. As the saying goes, a close neighbor is worse than a distant relative. The princes also had to go back to the courtyard for lunch and rest at noon. The third prince Feng Mingxiang was a friendly person. He introduced himself first, "You are the cousin of the uncle of Zhennan Wang's family, right? I am your third brother. Do you have enough manpower? Do you want me to send some people to help you?"

Elijah bowed to Feng Mingxiang, pulled Asher over, pointed at Feng Mingxiang, and then pointed at his throat. Asher bowed again and said in a gentle voice, "Meet the Third Prince. This is my Fourth Master, Elijah. We will live in the Pomegranate Courtyard from now on, and please take care of us, Third Prince."

"It's my duty. No need to be polite to me." Feng Mingxiang smiled.

Asher smiled and said, "Third Prince, those who came with you are the maids who serve you closely. They are weak and frail. If it is convenient, Third Prince can borrow a few servants to help carry these boxes and crates into the house so that the maids can clean them up."

Feng Mingxiang was naturally happy to help and invited him, "This yard is a mess. Why don't you come to my yard to rest for a while? When they have cleaned up, you can come over."

Elijah then went to Feng Mingxiang's yard, leaving Asher behind and pointing to the messy yard. Asher smiled and said, "Don't worry, Fourth Master, I'll watch them clean up and won't mess up your things."

Feng Mingxiang was a very considerate person. He first asked about tea and food. When he learned that Mingzhan had already had lunch in the Cining Palace, he asked someone to make tea and told him to "use a new cup."

Feng Mingxiang was very talkative. "When did you arrive, fourth brother? We all know you are coming today. The Pomegranate Courtyard was renovated two months ago. I heard that it was once lived in by the uncle of Zhennan. Fourth brother just arrived, so please don't hesitate to ask me for help. Mingrui lives to your west. Oh, he is also the fourth child. You two are a bit different. So, I will just call you by your name, okay?"

Elijah smiled and nodded, then took a sip of the tea. It was no less fragrant and fresh than the one in the Cining Palace.

"Mingzhan, are you the only one living in Pomegranate Courtyard? I heard that your elder brother Julian came with you, but I didn't see him."

Elijah took out a small notebook and wrote in pencil, "Big brother lives in the palace."

"Oh." Feng Mingxiang stopped asking and smiled, "By the way, Princess Shuyi, does she also live outside the palace?"

Elijah nodded and said, "Big sister will go to the palace to pay respects to the empress dowager in the afternoon." Of course, if Empress Dowager Wei wanted to enhance Amber's status, it would be best to keep Amber in the Cining Palace. This matter depends on the mood of Empress Dowager Wei.

"Then I guess Aunt Fuchang will have to come too," Feng Mingxiang blinked his lively almond eyes and smiled at Mingzhan, "You'll be able to see her when we study together in the future. Du Rulan is my second brother's study partner, and you're his real brother-in-law. He'll definitely try to curry favor with you."

Elijah smiled and said that was not necessarily the case, as he had just offended the second prince’s mother.

Feng Mingxiang was warm and hospitable, and the servants around him were also discerning. The head palace maid brought a pair of emerald lotus leaf cups, one of which was filled with bright red cherries, and the other was filled with purple grapes, which were so juicy that they made people very appetizing.

"My Lord, Fourth Master, this is a reward from the Cining Palace this morning. It is very fresh. The servants have washed it carefully. My Lord, Fourth Master, please have a taste."

Mingzhan took out a purse to offer as a reward, but the maid waved her hands to refuse. Feng Mingxiang smiled and said, "Mingzhan has just arrived, so you should accept the reward. Accept his reward, and treat him as you would treat me in the future."

The maid took it with both hands, bowed and thanked for the reward, and said with a smile, "It is a blessing for me that the Fourth Master has rewarded me. Even if he didn't reward me, it would be my duty. Could it be that I serve the Fourth Master in the hope of being rewarded? The master underestimates Xinhe too much."

"Oh, you are more sensible than me. Go away, you sharp-tongued girl." Feng Mingxiang scolded with a smile, and said to Mingzhan, "I have spoiled you."

Elijah wrote, "Very cute."

Feng Mingxiang pinched his fat face and said contemptuously, "Do you still know what cute is?"

Elijah bared his teeth in anger.

Feng Mingxiang laughed out loud.

The family dinner in the Cining Palace was very lively. c0ncubine Wei lost face at noon and did not show up in the evening.

Several princes have arrived, as well as the unmarried second and third princesses. Amber is chatting with Queen Mother Wei. Amber is always smart, and Queen Mother Wei is kind when she talks to her. She has decided to keep Amber in the Cining Palace.

The eldest prince died young, so the second prince Feng Minglan was actually the eldest son. Feng Minglan looked like his mother, and a peony flower on a man's face would make him look a little feminine. Feng Minglan probably knew that his mother had angered Mingzhan, and he looked at Mingzhan with a rather unfriendly look.

The third prince Feng Mingxiang was on good terms with Elijah, laughing and joking. The fourth prince Feng Mingrui had a stinky face, as if someone owed him two hundred dollars, and his amber eyes seemed to be frozen, and anyone who looked at him would feel cold all over, so he kept away from strangers.

Elijah even felt that the Fourth Prince could serve as a door god just by standing at the door, and even ghosts would feel cold when they saw him.

The fifth prince, Feng Mingchu, is the son of c0ncubine Ruan. He is still young and has just started school. He looks so cute and innocent that he looks like a real brother to Mingzhan.

They were all blood relatives, and there were no c0ncubines or second wives to show off. Everyone sat around a long rosewood dining table. The Queen Mother Wei sat side by side with the Emperor at the top, and below the Queen Mother Wei sat the Second Princess, and below the Emperor sat the Second Prince Feng Minglan.

Alas, two idiots.

Everyone wanted to sit in order, but the emperor smiled and said, "The three girls sit next to each other. Julian, you sit next to Minglan. Mingzhan, you sit next to Mingxiang and Mingrui. Mingchu, you are young, so you are not allowed to drink. Do you understand?"

Feng Mingchu said in a baby voice, "Son knows, I only drink fruit wine, just a small cup, to welcome my two brothers to the imperial capital."

Feng Jingqian was happy, "Okay, just one small cup."

"yes."

Feng Jingqian raised his glass and laughed loudly, "Today Julian and Mingzhan have come all the way from Yunnan, and the Queen Mother specially held a welcoming banquet for them. Julian and Mingzhan are the treasures of your uncle, the Prince of Zhennan, especially Mingzhan, who is young and studying with you in Wendaozhai, so you should take care of him more. If he doesn't know something, it is your duty as a brother to remind him and help him. We are our own flesh and blood, so it is better to be close to each other. Come, let's drink a glass together first."

Elijah rarely drinks, and this wine tastes a bit spicy. He smacked his lips, exhaled, and quickly picked up some cold lotus root slices with chopsticks to fill his mouth to suppress the smell of alcohol. Feng Jingqian smiled and said, "Change Elijah's wine to fruit wine."

Elijah was treated the same as the five-year-old Feng Mingchu.

There is one advantage of dining with the emperor: no one urges you to drink. Feng Jingqian does not like to drink excessively, but he stops after three or four cups, and the princes naturally have self-control.

The Queen Mother pointed at a dish of bamboo shoots and chicken breast and said, "I saw that Julian liked this dish at lunch, so I asked them to make it again and put it in front of Julian so that he wouldn't be embarrassed to reach out and take it."

"This one is for Mingzhan." Although partiality is inevitable, Queen Mother Wei tried her best to be fair and just.

Julian and Mingzhan both stood up to thank the reward. Queen Mother Wei smiled and said, "When we are a family, there are no need for so many rules. Sit down and eat."

Feng Mingxiang was still as enthusiastic as ever. He served food to Mingzhan from time to time and asked Julian about the scenery of Yunnan and Guizhou and what he had seen along the way. Julian and Feng Minglan already had some tacit understanding and although they spoke little, they exuded a sense of closeness.

During the whole dinner, Feng Mingrui didn't say a word, just sat there and ate his meal. Feng Mingchu, who was sitting below him, felt bad. He opened his mouth but didn't dare to talk to his fourth brother. Amber, however, had experience dealing with children, so she would ask Feng Mingchu a question from time to time and take care of him with his meals.

Queen Mother Wei looked at her children and grandchildren. Although Mingzhan was not very pleasing to her, after taking a look at the Emperor and then at Feng Minglan and Feng Julian, a slight joy rose in Queen Mother Wei's heart and her face became even more kind.

The meal was very enjoyable, mainly because the chefs in the Cining Palace were skilled, and Mingzhan came for the food, so he didn't have too many other thoughts. Because he was dumb, few people talked to him, so the wine and food were naturally a great enjoyment.

After dinner, it was still early, so everyone drank fragrant tea and chatted happily with the Queen Mother.

The tea from Queen Mother Wei is still the best, of course the Emperor’s tea is also good.

Elijah held the teacup with three fingers. Before he could take a sip, he heard Queen Mother Wei call his name, "Elijah, you are new to the capital and you are young. I am worried about you." She pointed to a palace maid in green clothes in front of her and smiled gently, "This is the senior palace maid I need, Ying'er. Ying'er is good at making delicious soup. Let Ying'er serve you. It's always good to have someone who knows whether you are hot or cold."

Elijah pursed his lips, looked at Queen Mother Wei, shook his head, and waved his hands.

Queen Mother Wei was immediately displeased. She sat up straight from the couch, her face slightly angry, and asked, "Why, you don't want it?"

Elijah nodded and looked back at the Queen Mother quietly. The Queen Mother Wei's mouth corners drooped, her nasolabial lines were very deep, and her eyes showed a fierce look.

Feng Julian blamed Mingzhan for not knowing what was good for him, and quickly scolded him, "Fourth brother, this is because the Empress Dowager loves you. It is a gift from the elders, and you should not refuse it. It is your blessing to have Miss Ying'er take care of you."

Elijah didn't seem to hear Feng Julian's words at all. The people who were laughing suddenly quieted down. Queen Mother Wei's face became more and more unpleasant, but she didn't get angry. After all, Elijah was Gavin's legitimate son. Even if he was disabled, he was still a legitimate son. This was the first day, and no matter how unhappy he was in his heart, he couldn't ignore it on his face.

Everyone was surprised at Elijah's audacity, even refutation of Queen Mother Wei's words. Everyone was busy with their own calculations, and no one spoke out to persuade him.

Feng Jingqian could only smile and said, "Mother, Elijah brought a lot of servants with him, and I think they are used to serving him. Why don't you give Miss Ying'er to Julian? Julian is a half-grown boy, and he is outside the palace. How can he know how to take care of the inner house? It's just right to give Ying'er to Julian to relieve his worries."

Queen Mother Wei estimated that she would not be able to wait for Mingzhan's steps today, so she went down the steps of the emperor, nodded with a little anger, and said, "Let's do it this way."

The banquet was over, those who needed to leave the palace left, and those who needed to return to their rooms returned.

After bidding farewell to the Queen Mother Wei, everyone respectfully saw the Emperor off. Feng Jingqian tapped Mingzhan with his finger and turned to leave.

Elijah rubbed his head and looked up to meet a pair of eyes that were full of thoughts.