She had not yet made up her mind when Liu Xu gently tugged at Jiang Li's sleeve and said, "The palace banquet is about to start."
The palace banquet was about to begin, and everyone had to take their respective seats.
Jiang Li was to sit with the ladies of the Jiang family, so she parted ways with Liu Xu. When she sat down, Jiang Youyao was on one side of her, and Jiang Yue was on the other. The smile Jiang Youyao squeezed out was filled with malice; it was almost unbearable for Jiang Li to look at her.
If you don't want to smile, then don't—why force yourself under everyone's watchful eyes?
Emperor Hongxiao had not yet taken his seat. The Empress stood by his side, with Consort Li slightly behind, but still by Emperor Hongxiao's side. Jiang Li's gaze flickered; the emperor's favor towards Consort Li was even greater than she had imagined.