As night fell, guests began to arrive one after another.
The invitations had been issued on short notice, and the banquet was quite sudden. Many who had prior engagements found themselves here nonetheless.
There were several reasons for this. First, although the Marquis of Dingbei held only the title of Marquis, he had been personally appointed by the Emperor to the second rank, a position that carried more weight with the throne than some first-rank officials. As a second-rank Marquis at such a young age, his future was limitless. Moreover, Chu Xiaohe and his sister had made quite a name for themselves in the imperial court; after the autumn hunt, who didn't know them? Chu Xiaohe, now holding multiple posts, was undoubtedly the Emperor’s new favorite.
Chapter 472