The Crown Prince's Eldest Son Was Stunned! Just How Much Money Did My Brother Have?

Inside Yuqing Palace in the Eastern Palace.

The brazier burned fiercely, driving away the chill outside the hall.

The hall was filled with joy.

Crown Princess Zhang clutched her eldest son Zhu Zhanji's hand tightly, the corners of her mouth stretched into a smile that had yet to close.

"Good! Excellent!"

"My Ji'er, although you accompanied your grandfather on this campaign without taking the field to kill the enemy, you handled Military Affairs at his side from dawn to dusk. That was still valuable experience."

"Your grandfather praised your steadiness in front of the Civil and Military Officials. It made your mother feel utterly satisfied!"

A smile hung on Zhu Zhanji's face, but it was somewhat forced.

He knew very well that his small "merit of accompanying the imperial carriage" was utterly insignificant compared with his second brother's achievement of "conquering all of Mobei single-handedly."

"Mother, this was merely my duty as your son."

Zhu Zhanji's voice was warm, gentle, and modest.

After a pause, he voiced the question weighing on his heart. "By the way, Mother, where is Zhanjun?"

"Today, with Imperial Father returning in triumph, the officials welcoming him, and the common people cheering, what an honored occasion it was."

"As the foremost meritorious figure of this campaign, why was he nowhere to be seen?"

"That little monkey!"

At the mention of Zhu Zhanjun, the smile on Crown Princess Zhang's face grew even broader, mixed with a touch more indulgence and helplessness.

She extended her well-kept hand and pointed lightly at the air. With exasperation and amusement, she said, "That child disliked the crowds outside. It was noisy and far too loud."

"Before the army had even entered the city gates, he slipped away from the ranks by himself."

"Someone just sent word back that he went home first to enjoy a hot bath and change into clean clothes. He would come over later and eat the ready-made feast."

"This... What kind of conduct is that? It was simply outrageous!"

Zhu Zhanji's brows immediately drew together into a deep frown.

"Imperial Father was waiting outside the city with all the officials, under the eyes of the entire populace. As the main character, he fled from the scene at the last moment. If the censorial officials found out, they would submit another memorial!"

"Enough, enough."

Crown Princess Zhang waved her hand, cutting off her son's lecture.

"Don't you know his freewheeling temperament?"

"Even your grandfather indulges him, so stop fretting over nothing."

"Besides, I already sent someone to report back to your grandfather. Your grandfather gave only three words in reply: Let him be."

As she spoke, she pulled Zhu Zhanji over and sat him down on a chair covered with a thick brocade cushion.

Then she turned to her daughter-in-law, Imperial Grandson's Consort Hu Shanxiang, who stood quietly nearby, and instructed her gently, "Shanxiang, tonight is a momentous occasion."

"Your grandfather, your father-in-law, and several important ministers of the court will all be coming to welcome your second brother and wash away the dust of his journey."

"This celebratory family banquet is no ordinary affair. You must arrange it with care. We absolutely cannot lose the dignity of our Eastern Palace, nor can we let your second brother feel that he has been slighted."

Upon hearing this, Hu Shanxiang hurriedly bowed, her manner respectful. In a gentle voice, she replied, "Yes, Mother. Your daughter-in-law understands."

"Your daughter-in-law has already made all the preparations."

She immediately took a carefully written list on fine Xuan paper from her sleeve and presented it with both hands.

"Mother, please take a look. This is the menu and schedule your daughter-in-law drafted with reference to the highest-standard 'Longevity Banquet' in the palace."

"There are one hundred and eight dishes in all, with every delicacy from land and sea, all made with the finest ingredients presented as tribute from every region."

"During the banquet, your daughter-in-law has also arranged for the Music and Dance Bureau's finest musicians and dancers to perform and add to the festivities. I guarantee that Grandfather, Imperial Father, and all the honored officials will be completely satisfied."

Hu Shanxiang's plan could be called watertight, perfect in every regard.

However, Crown Princess Zhang merely took it and gave it a cursory glance before setting it aside, clearly uninterested.

She offered no comment. Instead, she instructed a eunuch Steward standing beside her, "Go and bring me that so-called 'banquet plan' sent over from Zhanjun's residence a few days ago."

"Yes."

The eunuch acknowledged the order and left. Before long, something utterly different from every document in the palace was presented.

It was a booklet. Its cover was made of strange paper, snow-white and smooth yet tough in texture. Various bizarre patterns and characters no one had ever heard of had been drawn across it in charcoal pencil.

Crown Princess Zhang did not even look at it. She directly handed the unusual booklet to Zhu Zhanji and Hu Shanxiang, her eyes and brows brimming with irrepressible amusement and novelty.

"You two, take a look at this."

"This is tonight's program."

Zhu Zhanji and Hu Shanxiang accepted it, their hearts brimming with curiosity.

They had barely opened the first page when both froze where they stood, their eyes widening round as saucers.

"Outdoor... self-service cold buffet?"

"Large-scale... kaleidoscopic musical fireworks spectacular?"

"Twelve-hour themed... colored-glass ice sculpture exhibition?"

"French golden-baked escargot, deep-sea sashimi dragon boat, German crispy roasted pork knuckle, Italian black truffle risotto..."

What in the world was written here?

They recognized every individual character, yet once combined, the words were harder to understand than the Heavenly Book!

The plan contained not only these incomprehensible terms, but also exquisitely detailed, lifelike hand-drawn illustrations beside them.

In one picture, guests held gleaming white porcelain plates as they chatted and laughed in a brightly lit garden, freely selecting food from a long table with no distinction of rank or seniority whatsoever.

In another, countless multicolored "fireworks" shot into the pitch-black night sky and burst into words such as "Long Live Great Ming" and "Prince Zheng Is Awesome," along with all sorts of elaborate, dazzling patterns.

In yet another picture, enormous crystal-clear blocks of ice had been carved into dragons, phoenixes, qilins, and other divine beasts. There were even lifelike figures of Zhu Di and Zhu Zhanjun themselves.