bookcurios Chapter 285 Step 1
Chapter 285 Step 1
Chapter 285 The First Step
The Empress Dowager held Su Yinyin's hand tightly with great joy, her eyes filled with love and satisfaction, and said, "Yinyin, you are such a thoughtful child, always thinking of what I need. I am truly happy from the bottom of my heart."
Her tone made it seem as if Su Yinyin was her long-lost granddaughter.
With a perfectly timed smile on her face, Su Yinyin replied softly, "It is my greatest honor to please the Empress Dowager and make her happy on her birthday."
The Empress Dowager usually showed great care for Yinyin, and Yinyin only offered a small token of her appreciation.
The emperor held the two cloth bags tightly in his hands, his eyes filled with joy and appreciation. He stroked them lovingly and said, "Princess Protector of the Nation, this gift of yours is not only extremely valuable, but also of great significance to our Great Zhou Kingdom."
I will certainly make good use of this to alleviate the urgent need for supplies at the front lines and contribute to the stability and prosperity of our dynasty.
Su Yinyin bowed slightly and said humbly, "Your Majesty has the world in your heart and cares about the people and the soldiers on the front lines."
Yinyin's actions were merely a small contribution, hoping to be of some help to His Majesty and to contribute to the prosperity and stability of the Great Zhou Kingdom.
Upon hearing this, the emperor couldn't help but burst into laughter: "Hahaha, good, good, good! As expected of the princess I personally appointed as the protector of the country! She is both talented and righteous, truly a rare find."
The other princes and empress heard the emperor's hearty laughter from the outer hall.
Everyone was filled with curiosity, wondering what magical gift Su Yinyin had given the Empress Dowager that could make the Empress Dowager and the Emperor so full of praise and joy.
Su Yinyin carefully helped the Empress Dowager out of the inner room, while the Emperor followed behind them with steady steps.
The radiant smiles on the Empress Dowager and the Emperor's faces, like the warm spring sun, were enough to show that the gift Su Yinyin gave them was exactly what they wanted and made them extremely satisfied.
The Empress Dowager and the Emperor keenly noticed that the princes' eyes kept glancing at Su Yinyin, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
They knew what they were up to; they just wanted to know what gift Su Yinyin had given them.
But how could we easily let them know about such an amazing and miraculous object, lest it cause unnecessary trouble?
The chief eunuch was extremely astute; he immediately saw through the emperor's gaze and understood perfectly. So, he bowed at the opportune moment and reminded him, "Empress Dowager, Your Majesty, it's almost time. Preparations for the birthday banquet should begin in earnest."
The Empress Dowager nodded and said, "Alright, stop talking and get ready for the birthday banquet. We can't keep the ministers and guests waiting."
So, a large group of people walked towards the banquet venue.
Along the way, everyone was as curious as a cat about what gift Su Yinyin had given them.
Seeing the Empress Dowager and the Emperor's obvious reluctance to reveal anything, they wisely refrained from asking further questions, instead secretly speculating in their hearts.
Upon arriving at the birthday banquet venue, one sees the palace brightly lit by candles, illuminating the entire area as if it were daytime.
The melodious sounds of silk and bamboo instruments flowed through the air like a gentle stream. The dancers, dressed in colorful brocade gowns, danced gracefully to the music, their movements light and lithe, like fairies among flowers.
The whole scene was lively and filled with a joyful and peaceful atmosphere.
As soon as Su Yinyin sat down, she keenly sensed several unfriendly gazes that felt like thorns in her back.
She looked up and saw Princess Siran and Princess Yinhan. The jealousy and resentment in their eyes were almost palpable, as if they wanted to devour Su Yinyin.
However, Su Yinyin remained calm, completely ignoring their gazes as if they were air, while secretly remaining vigilant.
At the same time, they also wondered if the arrogant noblewoman from earlier might be won over by them and become a pawn in their schemes against them.
Halfway through the birthday banquet, the Empress Dowager slowly rose, surrounded by everyone.
Raising his wine cup high, with a smile on his face, he said in a loud voice, "Today is my birthday. I am very happy to have the honor of having my beloved ministers, princes and distinguished guests who have come from afar to celebrate with me."
Especially the gifts sent by the Princess Protector of the Nation were so unique and thoughtful that they brought me immense joy and satisfaction.
Upon hearing this, everyone echoed their agreement, and praises of Su Yinyin's filial piety rose and fell incessantly.
Just then, Princess Siran suddenly stepped forward at an inopportune moment, a strange smile on her face, and said, "Empress Dowager, the gift from the Princess Protector of the Nation is indeed special, but I wonder if the origin of this gift is innocent?"
Upon hearing this, the entire room fell silent, as if time itself had frozen.
The crowd exchanged bewildered glances, their eyes filled with surprise and confusion, wondering what Princess Siran's intentions were.
Su Yinyin sneered inwardly, slowly stood up, her posture upright and calm, and said, "Princess Siran, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want."
This gift was obtained by Yinyin by chance, and she only intended it to celebrate the Empress Dowager's birthday, expressing her respect and blessings. How can it be considered improper? Does the Princess have any evidence to support her unfounded accusations?”
Seeing this, Princess Yinhan also stood up and added fuel to the fire, saying, "Hmph, who knows if you have ulterior motives."
Who knows what kind of shady secret lies behind this gift? Like embezzlement, robbery…!
Why did Princess Siran dare to utter words like embezzlement and robbery?
It turned out that Su Yinhan had told her beforehand that Su Yinyin would definitely take advantage of this opportunity to celebrate the Empress Dowager's birthday to prepare an extremely valuable gift, but she had no power or influence before and simply didn't have that much money.
Therefore, they planned to accuse Su Yinyin of embezzlement and robbery.
Even if the charge is ultimately proven false, it will still leave a bad impression on the Empress Dowager and the Emperor regarding Su Yinyin.
Moreover, even if the accusation against Su Yinyin is unfounded, the emperor will only criticize them slightly because they are princesses from another country.
The three of them racked their brains to frame Su Yinyin, and discussed every step in great detail.
They prepared three traps for Su Yinyin, determined to kill her.
The Empress Dowager's face darkened instantly, a hint of displeasure flashing in her eyes. She said sternly, "You two princesses, today is my birthday, a joyous occasion. Do not cause any trouble here and spoil everyone's fun."
The emperor frowned, his face showing displeasure, and said, "Princess, without solid evidence, you must not slander the Protector of the Nation Princess."
In the imperial palace of my Great Zhou Kingdom, one must be evidence-based in speech and action, and not speak recklessly.
Princess Siran showed no sign of backing down, and instead insisted, "Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, Siran just feels that this matter is too strange and we must be on guard."
After all, this concerned the royal family's reputation, and Siran dared not take it lightly.
Su Yinyin looked at the two of them with a firm gaze and said in a cold voice, "A princess of the Great Yan Kingdom actually dares to control a princess of the Great Zhou Kingdom? I have no idea how you, as a princess, have done this."
Lacking talent, virtue, ability, and knowledge, are all women in your Great Yan Kingdom so ill-mannered and unable to distinguish right from wrong?