Zhu Xiuyuan was humble, but at the same time he became confused. The prince just said the word "mother concubine", which means that the noble concubine who invited Zhu Xiuyuan here is the prince's mother concubine!

It's strange, isn't the mother of a prince usually a queen? How could his mother be a noble concubine?

Zhu Xiuyuan was a little confused.

"I wonder why His Highness the Prince summoned his ministers here?" Zhu Xiuyuan suppressed the doubts in his heart and asked again.

The prince was very well-educated and hurriedly returned the greeting: "Zhu Sima misunderstood. It's not that I want to see Zhu Sima, but my mother's concubine. This king was also summoned by my mother's concubine."

"That's it!" Zhu Xiuyuan nodded.

"The imperial concubine has arrived!" At this time, a eunuch outside shouted at the top of his lungs.

Zhu Xiuyuan raised his eyebrows. The mysterious imperial concubine had finally arrived, and he wanted to see who she was.

As the high-pitched voice of the eunuch outside fell, a noble concubine who looked like a fairy on earth walked in.

She walked with lotus steps and her walking posture was very elegant. The long skirt behind her was very long and trailed on the ground.

The four little maids followed behind, all lowering their heads... Zhu Xiuyuan wondered if these little maids had their tongues cut out, their ears blocked, and their throats destroyed. Because they were too rigid and always ignored people...

…

The little palace maid was not the point. Zhu Xiuyuan looked at the imperial concubine who walked in, and he recognized it with just one glance. This was the imperial concubine You Lihua he had seen in the Qin'an Palace!

Why did she summon Zhu Xiuyuan alone? Oh no, it doesn't count as a separate summons, because there is also the Crown Prince here.

You Lihua didn't look sideways and walked straight to the main seat in the side hall after entering.

Zhu Xiuyuan and His Highness the Crown Prince cupped their hands and turned their bodies to keep facing You Lihua.

After You Lihua sat down on the main seat in the side hall, the prince and Zhu Xiuyuan came forward to pay their respects.

"Meet my mother-in-law!"

"Greetings to the imperial concubine!"

You Lihua's eyes swept over His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Zhu Xiuyuan in turn. Seeing that these two young men were both handsome and distinguished, she couldn't help but smile.

"Your Majesty and I wish Sima to hurry up and stop paying tribute!" You Lihua said with a smile.

"My dear, thank you, concubine!"

"Thank you very much, Your Majesty the Concubine!"

You Lihua waved her hand and said, "Please sit down."

The prince and Zhu Xiuyuan sat down on the chairs on the left and right as instructed.

You Lihua first looked at Zhu Xiuyuan and said, "Zhu Sima, I would like to introduce to you that this is the current crown prince Liu Shen."

Zhu Xiuyuan pretended not to know that the prince was the prince, stood up and bowed deeply: "I pay my respects to His Royal Highness."

You Lihua looked at the prince again and said, "Your Majesty, this is the handsome young man I always tell you about. Zhu Xiuyuan, Your Majesty, please get to know him well."

The prince was very understanding of etiquette, so he stood up and gave a deep salute: "Congratulations to Sima, this king is polite!"

You Lihua smiled and said: "Zhu Sima, Your Majesty, I have called you two here not for anything important, I just want you two to meet each other."

You Lihua looked at the prince: "Your Majesty, I wish Sima, although he is still young, has already made outstanding achievements, and it is impossible for him to leave his name in history! Such a handsome young man, your Majesty, you should be closer to him!"

Zhu Xiuyuan was stunned when he heard this. He understood that it turned out that You Lihua asked him to come here to recruit talents for her prince, Crown Prince Chen!

What a painstaking effort!

Prince Liu Shen immediately stood up, gave a long salute, and said respectfully: "Zhu Sima's achievements are beyond my reach. I am very happy to get to know such a talented person as Zhu Sima!"

Zhu Xiuyuan couldn't help but raise his eyebrows. The prince's gifts must have been too many. He always gave a deep gift. Although it is said that "it is not strange to give gifts to many people", this gift is not the other gift!

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince gave many gifts, which made people feel a little uncomfortable, because Zhu Xiuyuan wanted to return the gifts.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince is so complimentary. His Royal Highness is gentle, well-educated, and sensible. I am very happy to get to know His Highness the Crown Prince!" Zhu Xiuyuan returned the greeting.

"Okay, okay!" Yu Lihua was very happy when she saw the two of them "respecting each other like guests": "You two, don't be polite!"

You Lihua spoke, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince obediently turned around and sat down.

Zhu Xiuyuan also sat down again.

You Lihua raised her hand lightly and waved.

Two of the four little maids behind her walked out and walked among the crowd, standing awkwardly with their heads bowed.

You Lihua looked at Zhu Xiuyuan and said with a smile: "I have nothing to give to Zhu Sima. Only these two little maids have been with me since childhood and have been trained very smoothly. I will give them to Zhu Sima."

Bar."

Zhu Xiuyuan was stunned.

What?

Send another woman?

It seems that the housekeeper of the Poyang Palace also wanted to give him some Yangzhou thin horses.

Are these people sick?

Those are living people, and they are being sent around like goods...

No, Concubine You, as a concubine, actually allowed her son to become the crown prince, which shows that this person has a deep scheming mind.

She was supposed to be giving him a palace maid, but in fact she might have sent two spies beside him...

Definitely don’t want it!

Zhu Xiuyuan immediately jumped up from his chair, bowed to You Lihua and said, "I have thanked your Majesty for your kindness, but... I already have a lovely wife in my family and a useful maid, so I really don't dare to waste my time on your Majesty."

With all your heart, please take back your life, the noble concubine!"

The implication is that if he takes two palace maids back rashly, I am afraid that his beloved wife at home will be unhappy.

And because he already had maids who were convenient to him, he didn't know how to use these two maids and would just put them away. Wouldn't that be a waste of Yu Lihua's efforts?

But You Lihua was unwilling to give up. She asked with a smile: "Zhu Sima... but you don't think they are good-looking enough? Yes, young people naturally like pretty faces... Come in!"

As soon as Yu Lihua finished speaking, a dozen young women with enchanting figures and charming faces walked in from outside the side hall.

They were all dressed in colorful dance costumes... they seemed to be the same group of dancers who had just performed in the main hall of Qin'an Hall.

"This batch of dancers is not simple. They were selected by me from the entire Chen Kingdom. Their figures, timbres, faces, etc. are all the best. One in a million!"

"Also, they are not the daughters of poor and lowly families, they are at least the daughters of noble families of fifth rank or above... They have been pampered since childhood, with noble status and elegant temperament..."

You Lihua looked at Zhu Xiuyuan with a smile and said, "Zhu Sima, please choose one from among them. I will be heartbroken if there are more of you!"

Zhu Xiuyuan admitted that Yu Lihua was right. These dancers were indeed perfect and had been trained, so they would definitely be useful.

However, Zhu Xiuyuan still did not intend to accept it.
Chapter completed!