After the ritual music stopped, Emperor Huilin said, "Today is the Dragon Boat Festival. The Dragon Boat Race is an indispensable event of the Dragon Boat Festival. It can also display the bravery of our young men. I'll reward the winner of the Dragon Boat Race handsomely!"
The young men in various uniforms underneath responded in unison, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Qiao Jinniang looked over and saw many familiar faces in the teams. The one dressed in red was Junior Duke Rong. Most of his team members were young male members of the royal family.
And Lin Mo, the son of the Right Prime Minister, was in green. In his team, most of them were the sons of civilian officials.
There were two other teams. One consisted of young noblemen, who were in brown. Her younger brother and cousins were in this team.
The members of the fourth team were in blue, and this team received the most plaudits.
When they boarded the boats, many bold girls on both sides threw handkerchiefs and fruits onto their boats.
Seeing Qiao Jinniang looking at them, Lu Chen introduced,
"The captain of the blue team is Qin Shu.
"And the vice-captain is Zhou Siming, whom you saw last time in the Tasty Pavilion.
"The members of the blue team and the brown team were all young noblemen. They are divided into two teams according to their ages, that's why your younger brother is in the brown team."
Qiao Jinniang was wondering just now why her younger brother was not in Qin Shu's team. Now she knew the reason.
Qin Shu, the eldest son of Duke Qin, was thrown a lot of silk handkerchiefs by the women on both sides of the river.
Seeing this, Qiao Jinniang was annoyed. Ruoyun was still recuperating at home, but Qin Shu was dressed up like a peacock and flirting with other women.
Sure enough, in this world, few men were loyal to their wives.
After the Emperor hit the gong, rowers began to beat the war drums on the bows of the ships, and the dragon boats shot out like arrows.
Qiao Jinniang thought of Lu Chen's first year in the restaurant.
At that time, her foster parents had just passed away and she was just pregnant with Tuan'er.
She missed the past Dragon Boat Festivals when her foster parents were still alive.
Noticing her sadness, Lu Chen took her to the river.
It just so happened that a dragon boat team needed a rower, so Lu Chen was dragged over to participate in the Dragon Boat Race.
And the prize for the winner was a jade hairpin.
Lu Chen tried his best and won the jade hairpin. Then, he put it on for her in public. Everyone bantered about how sweet the young couple was.
This dispelled the sadness in her heart.
But just three years later… the so-called sweetness turned out to be a joke.
In Jinniang's arms, Tuan'er was watching the Dragon Boat Race in relish. "Mommy, will Uncle Rong win?"
Jinniang looked over. It seemed that Qin Shu was more likely to win.
But Tuan'er's voice was not small, so many people on the viewing platform heard him call Qiao Jinniang "Mommy".
Qiao Ruoshui was showing off about the bayberries with Li Lingling who was from Earl Cheng'en's Mansion. Li Lingling secretly gnashed her teeth when she heard the call. "How can His Royal Highness be so extravagant and wasteful…"
Qiao Ruoshui said triumphantly, "There was once an emperor who had litchi transported from far away to please his beloved imperial concubine, and now His Royal Highness fetched bayberries for me. It's obvious that he loves…"
At this time, Li Lingling's maid came over and said, "Miss, the woman wearing the head curtain turns out to be the biological mother of the little imperial grandson. The little imperial grandson just called her 'Mommy'."
Li Lingling stared directly at the woman on the viewing platform. How did this woman just pop up out of thin air?
Although the plate of bayberries in Qiao Ruoshui's hands was such an eyesore to Li Lingling, she didn't mind using Qiao Ruoshui as a sharp blade.
"Ruoshui, His Royal Highness loves you so much. Even if the position of the crown princess is reserved for the daughter of the Xie Family, the position of his first concubine will definitely be yours.
"His Royal Highness loves you because the little imperial grandson likes you, but now… the little imperial grandson's mother is back…"
Qiao Ruoshui also felt that the woman was an eyesore. A woman who came from nowhere would never have a chance to snatch her place.
…
From the viewing platform, a female voice sounded, "The Crown Prince is really capable. I heard that you had granted fresh bayberries to the fourth miss of Duke Anyuan's Mansion yesterday. I've lived this long but I've never seen fresh bayberries."
Her words were abrupt. Qiao Jinniang looked at the woman only to notice the wrinkles on her face that couldn't be concealed.
She sat next to the Queen, and she looked like the Queen's mother.
Imperial Concubine Xian said, "Why not summon the Fourth Miss of Duke Anyuan's Mansion over and let me see what the bayberries that the Crown Prince took so many pains to transport all the way from the South look like!"
Lu Chen said indifferently, "Imperial Concubine Xian, I'm afraid that you're mistaken. One of my subordinates went to the South and since my son has been missing his hometown, I asked that subordinate to bring bayberries back to Chang'an on his way back.
"I am very grateful for Duke Anyuan's hard work for the country and the people.
"If it weren't because of his busy work, it wouldn't have taken him a full eighteen years to find his real daughter.
"Plus, I heard that his long lost daughter was from the South too, so I rewarded him with some bayberries.
"I just rewarded a meritorious official for my father, but why are you saying that the bayberries were for his fourth daughter?"
Prince Mediocre gave Prince Lu, who was watching the fun, a sneaky kick under the table, forcing Prince Lu to say, "Brother, why did you only reward Duke Anyuan? Are you trying to form a clique?"
Prince Lu was confident that this would give the Emperor an impression that the Crown Prince was forming a clique for his private gains.
However, as soon as he said so, Emperor Huilin suddenly smashed a rice dumpling onto his head. "He is the Crown Prince. Why couldn't he reward a meritorious official for me?"
Prince Lu hurriedly knelt down. "Father, I was wrong."
Prince Mediocre looked at Emperor Huilin coldly. He was too partial to the Crown Prince!
Almost all emperors were afraid of their sons forming cliques and wooing powerful officials, but he didn't care at all.
Although Qiao Jinniang didn't know much about politics, she knew people well. His Majesty was clearly defending Lu Chen.
Therefore, it showed that if Lu Chen really wanted her to be his wife, His Majesty would not refuse.
Lu Chen said that she could only become his first concubine because she only deserved to be a concubine in Lu Chen's heart.
The drums stopped, and unsurprisingly, the winner was Qin Shu's team.
The Emperor rewarded Qin Shu and also praised him and Zhou Siming.
After that, the Emperor returned to the imperial palace with the Queen and his concubines.
Lu Chen asked Qiao Jinniang, "What are you planning to do in the afternoon?"
Qiao Jinniang played with Tuaner's little hand. "Of course to stay with Tuan'er."
"Tuan'er will have a nap after lunch. Go to the East Palace with me. I will order someone to send you back to the Duke Mansion at night."
Qiao Jinniang looked down at Tuan'er and said, "Okay."
Lu Chen wanted to help Qiao Jinniang down the viewing platform, but Qiao Jinniang would rather hold the wooden handrail on the side than hold Lu Chen's hand.
Seeing this scene, Qiao Ruoshui who happened to come over was infuriated.
The Duchess took Qiao Ruoshui's hand, signaled her not to make a fool of herself, and saluted to the Crown Prince. "Thank you for granting the bayberries to us, Your Royal Highness. We deeply appreciate your kindness."
Lu Chen said coldly, "Duchess, I granted the Duke Mansion the bayberries for the sake of the Duke's service to the court.
"But you people took me wrong, spread wrong information, and made me look like a fatuous lecher.
"Moreover, your fourth daughter is not a beauty, but you people rumored about how much I love her, which is an insult to my taste.
"However, I will forgive you for the sake of the Duke."
Hearing his words, his secret guards silently laughed in their hearts. His Royal Highness was trying to please his beloved beauty with the bayberries indeed!
It was just that the beauty was not Qiao Ruoshui.
Hearing Lu Chen's words, the Duchess hurriedly knelt down and said, "Your Royal Highness, I failed to educate my daughter well. The fault is all mine. Thank you for your understanding."
Lu Chen's words were like a bolt from the blue for Qiao Ruoshui. "But, Your Royal Highness, didn't His Majesty say that he wanted to be in-laws with my father?"
Lu Chen grinned and said meaningfully, "Duke Anyuan has more than one daughter, right?"