Cheng Guang promptly uttered an "oh."
Before coming, he had claimed he had lost weight, and now he was worried about gaining weight—parents' thoughts are truly strange.
The others didn't pay much attention to Cheng Guang's actions, assuming he was just hungry, then making small talk before getting to the main topic.
"Today, we're all here under the guise of a family banquet, simply to discuss the matter of appointing the Crown Prince."
Empress Dowager Li spoke outright, not bothering to beat around the bush.
At this, Empress Wang wasn't embarrassed but smiled graciously and nodded.
"Mother, the matter of the Crown Prince is significant as it also determines who will be able to enter the Blood Pool this year. My son is no longer young, other princes can afford to wait, but he cannot."
"Besides, my son is the legitimate eldest son, and appointing him as the Crown Prince is justified by ancient laws."
Empress Wang spoke up, perhaps because this had been mentioned several times before, and this time she was forthright.
At this, Empress Dowager Li slightly frowned.
Princess Yuemei knew that the Empress Dowager's frown was not because of any objection to what Empress Wang said, but rather because she was reluctant to get involved in court controversies.
In the past, when the former crown prince was deposed and Wu Shang was placed on the throne, it had already caused great dissatisfaction among the court officials toward her. Although Empress Dowager Li didn't care about the opinions of the court officials, she ultimately did not want to interfere with the selection of the Crown Prince.
Emperor Wu Shang highly respected Empress Dowager Li, and it was normal for him to seek her opinion on this matter. However, it was clear that she was reluctant to intervene and would eventually have to pass this issue back to the Emperor.
Princess Yuemei knew that the Empress Dowager would likely analyze the court's situation next, weigh the pros and cons, balance the situation, and leave the handling to the Emperor thereafter.
With children present, some court-related matters couldn't be discussed too openly.
Therefore, Princess Yuemei looked at Cheng Guang, "Guanger, why don't you and your siblings go out and play for a bit? Just wander around, and I'll call you back when it's time to eat."
Empress Wang and the other Noble Consorts also spoke similarly.
Cheng Guang put down the pastry in his hand, uttered an "oh," respectfully bowed to the elders present, then turned and left.
The group of princes and princesses followed Cheng Guang's footsteps out of the hall.
At the same time, several eunuchs hurried out, carefully following behind them.
To the servants, whether it was Cheng Guang or the other princes and princesses, each was extraordinarily noble. Should any harm befall them, it could jeopardize the survival of their entire families.
After Cheng Guang left the hall.
Several princes and princesses came over to greet Cheng Guang.
Cheng Guang didn't recognize any of these princes and princesses. After making small talk, he excused himself and found a pavilion to sit and rest.
These princes and princesses didn't cling to him either and soon went off to entertain themselves.
Clearly, these princes and princesses were not very familiar with Cheng Guang; in their eyes, he still appeared as the usually aloof Princely Heir.
That was just as Cheng Guang wanted.
The more one converses, the more one risks revealing, and he needed to be cautious.
The other princes and princesses quickly walked away, leaving only Wu Ling standing alone in the clearing, feeling out of place.
This family banquet felt like a gathering of strangers for Wu Ling, and it seemed scarcely relevant to her.
She noticed a general awkwardness and estrangement everywhere.
Cheng Guang could understand how Wu Ling felt, as he too was an outsider, merely existing here as a stand-in for the Princely Heir, similar to Wu Ling's predicament.
"Hey." Cheng Guang called from inside the pavilion, waving at Wu Ling.
Wu Ling heard the voice, paused, seemingly unsure if someone was calling her or if she had just heard wrong, and continued to walk head down until she reached the lake where she crouched down to watch the goldfish, momentarily lost in thought.
Seeing that Wu Ling didn't respond at all, Cheng Guang felt a bit awkward and rubbed his nose before calling out again.
"Wu Ling."
This time, Wu Ling heard her name being called, looked in the direction of the voice, and saw Cheng Guang in the pavilion, clad in a brocade robe and strikingly handsome, beckoning her over. She became even more flustered.
Unsure how to react, she simply froze in place.