bookcurios Chapter 146: The Return of the Moon Envoy Arrives
Chapter 146: The Return of the Moon Envoy Arrives
Chapter 146: The Return of the Moon Envoy Arrives
There looked like a banquet was being held in the Fenghuang Yufei Palace. The men began to clink glasses and cups, the women drank tea and ate food, and there were also young children running around in groups of three or five, asking for candy from table to table.
But people had not yet forgotten the appetizer that the Regent had just served, and they were whispering about it while drinking and eating. Many women secretly looked at the Sixth Prince, seeing that his every move was elegant, less violent and more gentle than before, and their hearts could not help but flutter and their faces turned red as they watched.
Many people also focused their attention on the Fourth Prince, because this prince returned to Northern Qi for the first time in nearly ten years and sat in the palace banquet hall for the first time. In addition, Quan Qinghua's plain clothes were as white as snow, and his demeanor was elegant. Judging from his appearance alone, he was indeed the best-looking among the seven princes of the royal family. Even though his eyes were covered with frost now, he still couldn't hide his extraordinary temperament. For a moment, many people were moved.
But he was just tempted, but didn't dare to fall in love with her secretly. Because everyone knew that His Highness Prince Chen had no power and influence, and he was just a prince in name only. In fact, there were very few servants in Prince Chen's mansion, and he hadn't even repaired the broken door yet.
Who would want to marry such a person? No matter how good-looking she is, she might return to Yue Kingdom one day. They can't just leave Beiqi and follow her to Guiyue.
What's more, the Ye family seemed to have some ideas about His Royal Highness Prince Chen. When Old Madam Ye was outside Chaofeng Gate, she said more than once that the Ye family wanted to arrange a marriage for Miss Ye Four and His Royal Highness Prince Chen.
Alas, Fourth Miss Ye and His Royal Highness King Chen! A good King Chen was ruined by the witch Ye Wenyan.
People were all feeling sorry for His Royal Highness Prince Chen, and at the same time, they also felt a little more disgusted with Ye Wenyan.
Ye Chulian was also looking that way, but she thought differently from others. She was thinking that if she could marry His Royal Highness Prince Chen, then she would be willing to go to Northern Qi or Guiyue in the future.
It's a pity that such a possibility is too slim. Her grandmother is determined to marry her fourth sister to the Fourth Prince. Although she knows that her fourth sister will not let her grandmother manipulate her, this also indirectly illustrates a problem, that is, the Ye family does not think highly of the Fourth Prince, and it is even more impossible for her to marry into the Chen Palace when she has already begun to be trained.
Ye Chulian's gaze dimmed. Although she was still reluctant to take her eyes off that man's face, despair gradually appeared in her eyes.
The dance had already reached the third one, and from time to time someone stood up to congratulate Queen Mother Li. After all, the Sixth Prince's recovery was a happy event, and no one could say anything about congratulating Queen Mother Li in this way.
Empress Dowager Li appeared very happy, but amid her happiness there was a barely perceptible hint of sadness.
Li Yanran, the daughter of the Li family, also congratulated her aunt, but this kind of congratulation seemed a little strange, especially when she turned to talk to Queen Mother Yu after congratulating her aunt. Not only did she talk, but she also presented a gift that she had brought into the palace.
It was a vase made of seven-color gemstones, which symbolized peace and safety. Li Yanran knelt in front of the palace, lifted up the vase with both hands, and sang a sweet voice like singing. She said, "This is the first palace banquet that the Queen Mother has attended as the Queen Mother, and it is also the first year of the Emperor's accession to the throne. It has special significance for the country, the Queen Mother, and the Emperor. Yanran wishes the Queen Mother a long life and good health, and also wishes the Emperor to stabilize the country and take power as soon as possible."
The words were spoken beautifully and the voice was pleasant. There was no reason for Empress Dowager Yu to refuse under such circumstances.
So Congwen stepped forward and took the vase from Li Yanran. Quan Qingcheng couldn't help but look at her twice more and nodded at her. It wasn't because of any other meaning, but because Li Yanran just said that she wished him to take power as soon as possible, which was the best wish for him, so he also had more goodwill towards the person who sent such a blessing. Queen Mother Li's face was very ugly, but seeing that the Regent didn't react at all, she kept her temper and didn't say anything.
Li Yanran behaved very well, and every word and action was very appropriate. After Empress Dowager Yu took the vase and the emperor nodded to her, she immediately kowtowed and then slowly retreated.
At the Li family banquet, Mrs. Tao, the eldest lady, praised her with satisfaction: "You did a great job."
Li Yanran was a little worried, "Aunt is unhappy."
"Don't worry about her." Tao said, "Since we have chosen the new emperor, we will no longer be on the same path as her. At this point, the Li family must plan for themselves and make choices. They can't just let her control them, and they can't bet all their wealth on her. The Li family has paid a lot for her over the years, but the son she raised is not a good person. Not only has he ruined his own future, but the Li family's efforts have also been in vain. So she can't blame us. She can only blame herself for not having that kind of luck."
Li Yanran nodded, and then she heard Mrs. Tao continue, "The colorful bottle has been sent out, but I don't know if it suits the Empress Dowager Yu's taste. The Empress Dowager was a concubine before, and she has never had any contact with our family, so no one knows her preferences. But before, when she was outside the palace gate, she invited the fourth young lady to go in first. I think she has some feelings for the Emperor, the benefactor. You should pay more attention to her."
Li Yanran thought for a moment and said, "My daughter wants to compete in dancing with the Fourth Young Lady at the palace banquet."
"Blade dance?" Tao was pleasantly surprised. "Have you mastered it?"
"Yeah." Li Yanran also smiled. "I have already mastered it about ten days ago. Now I can stand barefoot on the tip of a knife and dance for two incense sticks. The teacher said that my knife tip dance has surpassed her when she was the lightest. And as long as I can keep practicing Qinggong, I can keep doing this knife tip dance."
Mrs. Tao was very proud, "You are worthy of being my daughter. You can compete with her and dampen the arrogance of the witch from the Ye family. People can't only think of her when they mention the beauties in Lin'an City. Yanran, remember, we didn't fight for the position before because the Sixth Prince is your aunt's son and you can't marry him no matter how hard you fight. But now you must fight, and you have to fight hard. As long as you fight for the position of queen, our Li family can prosper forever, and you can be the mother of the country."
The four words "mother of the country" gave Li Yanran a sense of mission, as if she had already taken the throne and ruled the country hand in hand with the emperor. And that night, Wen Yan would eventually kneel at her feet and call her "empress".
Tao looked at the table of the Ye family for a while, and then said, "In addition to Ye Wenyan, you have to be on guard against your aunt. The old lady of the Ye family has always stood on your aunt's side. Now that the Sixth Prince is well, I'm afraid she will have further plans. But our family can no longer let her make plans, because what she plans has nothing to do with you, and the Sixth Prince is unlikely to help the Li family in the future. If you let her make arrangements, the Li family will probably be finished, and you will have no hope for the future."
Speaking of the Sixth Prince, Li Yanran really couldn't figure it out: "When did cousin Qinglu get better? Where did the Regent find the famous doctor? The Li family has been worried about him a lot. A few days ago, I heard from my father that the Sixth Prince had no hope at all. How come today..."
She looked towards the prince's seat, "Mother, is he really Qinglu's cousin? Why do I always feel like he is someone else?"
Tao also followed her gaze for a while, then sneered: "Who else could it be if not Quan Qinglu? It's just that now he has not only healed his wounds, but also his brain, and has learned the manners of a regent. But learning is learning, it is not his true nature, and sooner or later he will not be able to pretend anymore. Just look at the Princess Su and you will know, her face is swollen, and she dare not show her hands, it is obvious that she was beaten and injured. It can be seen that your cousin has only changed on the surface, and there is no change inside."
After hearing what Tao said, Li Yanran felt that it made sense and stopped worrying about it.
But there was one thing that still bothered her: "I heard that Guiyue Country sent a princess to marry the emperor."
"That's okay." Tao smiled. "The princess who married into the alliance can only be a concubine. It's impossible for her to climb to the position of empress. This is the rule. The emperor can have countless concubines, but he can only have one empress. So don't worry about how many concubines he has. It has nothing to do with you. As long as you are the empress, it's fine." "But can the empress be me?"
"So we have to plan. How can we make it possible without planning? Humph, your aunt wanted to send you to Guiyue Country before, and your grandmother listened to her and nodded. No matter how much I begged, she would not change her mind. It was not until the Sixth Prince was deposed and the Seventh Prince succeeded to the throne that the old lady was willing to give in. Just wait and see. The old lady will only be gone for a year or two, and by then, your father will be the only one who has the final say in the family."
The mother and daughter of the Li family were talking when they heard a voice outside the palace gate announcing: "Emissary Guiyue is here to see the emperor!"
Everyone's eyes were looking outside the hall door, and Ye Wenyan also put down a piece of snack in his hand and looked outside.
The Guiyue envoys had a group of six people, four men and two women. However, the master only had one man and one woman, and the rest were servants.
As the group walked into the hall, the most eye-catching person was a woman in red. The woman was wearing a red veil, covering half of her face, but just the exposed eyes and forehead were enough to attract people. People in the hall gasped, and some even exclaimed, "What a beautiful girl! How can there be such a beautiful girl in the world?"
Someone else said, "How come it's gone? Isn't Miss Ye Si right there?"
Indeed, the Fourth Miss Ye was right there. So people had this kind of reaction before, when people first saw the Fourth Miss Ye, they couldn't help but sigh. Now this kind of sigh was given to another person, which made many women feel aggrieved.
One Miss Ye Si is enough, how come there is another girl who is breathtakingly beautiful without showing her whole face? Can we leave her a way out?
The Guiyue envoy knelt and shouted: "Congratulations to the new emperor of Northern Qi for ascending the throne. I wish Northern Qi prosperity and the people well-being."