Since he had invited the court's most influential ministers to a banquet at the residence, Gu Yanshu spent the next few days personally overseeing the preparations.
The youngest of these ministers was already approaching the age of fifty.
If any negligence on their part led to an accident, it would completely contradict Gu Yanshu's original intention for hosting this banquet.
The servants in the residence could also sense Gu Yanshu's seriousness about the event.
Hadn't the Princess Consort, in order to focus on the banquet, delegated even the handover of the Zhou family's silk business to his subordinates?
Not to mention the opening of the two teahouses, which had required considerable effort—he hadn't even gone to inspect them, merely listening to Manager Zhao and Madam Yao's reports.
Under Gu Yanshu's lead, the servants of the Prince of Li's residence naturally didn't dare slack off either, each of them working with the utmost diligence.
Amid the entire household's high alert, the agreed-upon day quietly arrived.
Shortly after nine in the morning, some sharp-eyed commoners in the capital began to notice something unusual.
The Prince of Li's residence, whose gates were usually tightly shut, had now flung them wide open.
Just as these onlookers were silently speculating about the meaning behind this, they saw a carriage slowly approaching from the distance, eventually stopping right in front of the Prince's residence.
Soon after, someone stepped out of the carriage. Those with keen eyes quickly recognized him—it was Hanlin Academician Wen.
Upon clearly seeing the visitor, some bystanders widened their eyes in disbelief:
Who was the Hanlin Academician?
The current head of the Hanlin Academy, and the undisputed successor to the Chief Grand Secretary once the latter retired!
And who was the Chief Grand Secretary?
The emperor's most trusted confidant, a figure second only to the emperor himself in the court!
Since when had the Prince of Li's residence developed such connections with the Hanlin Academician?
However, they soon realized that the arrival of the Hanlin Academician was far from the end.
One after another, seemingly unassuming carriages rolled in, and the figures who stepped out were all familiar names—
Minister of Rites Sun, Minister of Personnel Shen, Grand Preceptor Cheng…
Finally, even the Chief Grand Secretary, Pei, leisurely arrived in his own carriage, stopping unhurriedly before the Prince of Li's gates.
A particularly observant person roughly counted—by noon, a total of twenty-three officials had entered the Prince's residence.
After reaching this conclusion, the onlooker couldn't help but marvel inwardly:
Good heavens, isn't that practically half the court's most powerful figures?
The commotion outside the Prince of Li's residence was impossible to miss, and even those less perceptive eventually caught wind of it.
Without knowing the full story, the commoners could only wildly speculate about the ministers' actions.
But no matter how much they guessed, no one could quite figure it out.
Yet nearly everyone had a vague inkling:
The capital is likely on the verge of a major shift.
Previously, the covert and overt struggles between the Prince of Li's residence and the First Prince's faction had never produced a clear outcome—in truth, they could even be considered minor skirmishes.
At the root of it all was the emperor's complete lack of intention to appoint an heir, coupled with his refusal to show favoritism toward any of his sons.
Naturally, these shrewd, fox-like ministers had also remained ambiguous in their stance, maintaining neutrality.
Now that so many of them had gathered at the Prince of Li's residence, did it mean that a decision regarding the succession had already been made?
After all, while the number of officials present today seemed substantial, there were still many who hadn't come—
For instance, the Minister of Works and the Minister of Justice…
Did these ministers lean more toward the First Prince?
But judging by the current situation, the First Prince's position didn't look promising!
Gu Yanshu had no idea about the wild speculations running through people's minds.
Had he known, he would have told them outright that their conjectures were completely off the mark.
The reason the Minister of Works and the Minister of Justice hadn't come was simply that they were relatively younger—even the older Minister of Justice had just passed forty, with eyesight still sharp enough that he didn't need glasses.
At the moment, Gu Yanshu was far too busy entertaining these senior officials to spare a thought for what the rest of the capital might be thinking.
Perhaps because they had requests to make of the Prince of Li's household, these elder statesmen arrived with impeccable courtesy.
Not only had each brought gifts, but their manner of speaking was also exceedingly polite and amiable.
This attitude eased some of the tension among the Prince of Li's servants, who had been on high alert for days.
Even so, none of them dared to slack off in the slightest.
Since the banquet was ostensibly a housewarming celebration, Gu Yanshu had arranged the venue in the newly renovated main courtyard of the Prince's residence.
During the renovations, Gu Yanshu hadn't made any major structural changes to the main courtyard.
Thus, it remained divided into three sections:
The bedchambers, the study, and the reception hall.
Naturally, the reception hall was spacious enough to comfortably accommodate all the invited officials.
From the moment these well-traveled ministers were led into the main courtyard, their emotions oscillated between astonishment and wonder.
They were no strangers to the rest of the Prince of Li's residence—
Rugged, austere, and unyielding, much like the Prince of Li himself, giving an immediate impression of aloofness.
But stepping into the main courtyard was like entering an entirely different world.
Personally arranged by Gu Yanshu, the courtyard balanced grandeur with elegance, nobility with meticulous refinement.
Moreover, Gu Yanshu had incorporated elements that would have been unthinkable in the old Prince's residence—
A swing, a glass greenhouse, and several plum trees in full bloom in the garden.
At first glance, these additions might seem incongruous with the Prince's residence, but upon closer inspection, they harmonized perfectly with the courtyard.
If the rest of the Prince's estate resembled an endless desert, this main courtyard was its oasis—
Refreshing to the senses while imparting a subtle warmth to the heart.
The slight unease some ministers had felt upon seeing the starkness of the outer residence melted away as they entered the main courtyard.
Just then, Qin Lu emerged from the reception hall with Gu Yanshu.
"Your humble servants pay respects to His Highness the Prince of Li and His Highness the Princess Consort. May Your Highnesses enjoy eternal peace."
Noticing their arrival, the officials who had been admiring the courtyard quickly composed themselves and bowed.
"Gentlemen, please rise."
Qin Lu gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.
Gu Yanshu knew Qin Lu's temperament well—while the prince might be slightly more talkative with him, he was notoriously reticent around others.
Now was clearly the time for Gu Yanshu to take on diplomatic duties. With a faint smile, he said:
"We are grateful for Your Excellencies taking time from your busy schedules to attend. Our apologies for not greeting you at the gate."
Some found it surprising that Gu Yanshu would speak up so readily.
After all, rumors painted the Prince of Li as cold and indifferent, even toward his male consort.
Yet here was Gu Yanshu acting with such confidence before Qin Lu—
And far from showing displeasure, the prince's entire demeanor radiated approval of this arrangement.
The seasoned officials immediately understood: the relationship between the Prince and Princess Consort differed markedly from the rumors.
But these were men who had mastered the art of keeping thoughts hidden behind impassive faces. With slight bows to Gu Yanshu, they replied:
"Your Highness flatters us."
Though holding high court positions, they remained subjects before their prince.
That the royal couple had come to greet them in the courtyard already demonstrated proper etiquette—who would dare expect them to meet guests at the gate?
"As it nears noon, we've prepared modest refreshments. Might Your Excellencies join us inside?"
With most guests being elders who shouldn't go hungry, none declined the invitation.
After expressing thanks with another bow, they followed the royal couple into the reception hall.
Upon entering, several immediately noticed something unusual—
Despite closed windows, the hall remained brightly lit as if in daylight.
A closer look revealed the secret lay in the windows themselves.
The windows of the Prince of Li's reception hall were not covered with traditional silk fabric, but instead fitted with crystal-clear glass.
Every official attending today was a pillar of the court—since the emperor had even boasted to them about the eyeglasses and magnifying glass, how could he have failed to mention the glass tea set and lampshades?
Yet none had ever imagined that glass could be used for windows as well. Moreover, the effect was astonishingly brilliant!
Immediately, some began calculating inwardly:
These glass windows seem remarkable. I must find an opportunity to sound out the Prince of Li later—perhaps I can arrange a set for my own residence.
Additionally, more observant ministers noticed another peculiarity—the reception hall felt noticeably warmer than outside.
After lingering awhile, some even felt a faint warmth creeping upon them.
Yet scanning the surroundings revealed no charcoal braziers for heating. Truly miraculous!
Each of these officials was a master of composure. Though myriad thoughts churned beneath the surface, not one spoke up prematurely.
Maintaining cordial smiles, they exchanged quiet reminiscences while following the Princess Consort's arrangements to their seats.
Soon the hall filled with ministers—except for one conspicuously empty seat at the lower end.
Though inconspicuous, such details never escaped these battle-hardened court veterans.
Some immediately registered surprise.
From the servants' meticulous conduct since their arrival to the Princess Consort's flawlessly organized seating, everything demonstrated his exceptional competence.
How could someone so thorough commit such an oversight as leaving a seat vacant?
Unless... it wasn't an oversight.
The placement suggested the missing guest held relatively low rank.
Yet even the Chief Grand Secretary had already taken his seat. Who could possibly warrant such tardiness?
As puzzlement spread, the sound of carriage wheels crunching snow came from outside.
Then appeared a figure being wheeled inward on a peculiar chair.
The hall's brilliant lighting revealed the seated man's features—
A jade-like countenance, radiant as moonlight, yet strikingly familiar.
Before anyone could place him, the man clasped his hands in apology.
A voice like pearls falling onto jade—both mellifluous and cool—resounded through the hall:
"Apologies for my tardiness, esteemed ministers. The snowy roads proved difficult for this immobilized one, causing unforeseen delays. I beg your forgiveness."