Chapter 237: First Update
Noble Consort Wen was momentarily stunned. There were many matters requiring planning, and with all the powerful aristocratic families of Nanzheng State now in Zheng Capital, if not now, when?
"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager approved the birthday banquet menu. Her Majesty added a few dishes and removed a few," Nanny Leng, holding a long booklet in her hands, respectfully presented it to her.
Noble Consort Wen flipped through it, feeling somewhat annoyed. Just this one matter required her to consult several times a day, not to mention the arrangement of the night banquet, the variety of flowers to be displayed, and the organization of the dances—a mountain of tasks that left Noble Consort Wen completely overwhelmed.
"Your Majesty, the day after tomorrow, the Empress Dowager has scheduled a flower appreciation event. There are still a few varieties of Blessings and Longevity Cakes and Pinecone Chrysanthemums that haven’t arrived. Eunuch Kang came to ask if we should use the Pinecone Chrysanthemums first?" Nanny Hai also hurried in.
"Let’s do that for now. Ask Kang Ning if the Lotus Pond has been cleaned out. The appreciation of the lotus flowers is essential the day after tomorrow." Noble Consort Wen thought about it—the birthday was just a few days away, and the Empress Dowager was also organizing a flower appreciation event, which, although not complicated, merely involved assigning more servants to assist.
However, it was clear what the Empress Dowager intended—it was obviously for the Crown Prince’s marriage alliance with the Shiping Aristocratic Clan. She, however, was not tired of it, repeatedly dealing with it over and over again.
Noble Consort Wen snorted coldly; the Crown Prince connecting with the Shiping Aristocratic Clan, the currently most powerful among the aristocratic families. The Empress Dowager’s move was beautifully calculated, pulling another significant force for their Xiao clan. Not only that, even with the Zong Sheng Aristocratic Family involved in such an issue, they had already planned their next move.
If the offspring of Prince Duan really married Heir Zong, with the Crown Prince now very keen on courting Prince Duan, outwardly feigning harmony within the Imperial Palace while her hidden agendas were not unknown to her, this would mean drawing both the Shiping Aristocratic Clan and the Zong Sheng Aristocratic Family into their fold—a masterfully played hand indeed.
And those minor gentry, none of them were easy to deal with. Noble Consort Wen thought carefully, the only ones they could now pull to their side were the Wuxing Aristocratic Family and the Nanan Aristocratic Family, after all, they had not managed to form a marriage alliance with the Zong Sheng Aristocratic Family and still had a chance.
If she could pull these two families over, that would not be a loss of the advantage.
...