Chapter 297 Consort Liu Returns?

Xiaoyue was stunned for a moment, then quickly reacted and happily exclaimed, "That's wonderful, brother! You're so generous!"

"Is this child stupid?" Ling Xiao looked at Xiao Yue's happy expression and didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

However, seeing how happy they were, Ling Xiao willingly gave them the one hundred ingots of gold.

Xiao Xingyuan smiled and then said calmly, "Alright, then hurry up and give it to me!"

After saying that, Xiao Xingyuan crossed his arms and looked at Ling Xiao, looking just like a tyrant demanding a debt!

Seeing this, Ling Xiao felt helpless, rolled his eyes at Xiao Xingyuan, and said, "Do you think I would renege on my debt?"

"That's hard to say!" Xiao Xingyuan still had some reservations about this person's character.

Upon hearing this, Meng Yanzhi couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Outside, Xiao Yan was surprised to hear the laughter inside.

He never imagined that there would be such laughter in the palace, that they could talk and laugh so freely without any reservations.

Is this Meng Yanzhi's magic? Is this why His Majesty dotes on Meng Yanzhi so much?

What was once a cold palace now seems to have become a warm home.

Even though he wasn't actually there, he still envied that atmosphere.

Although they were very unhappy about their arrival, the people of Canglan Kingdom still came to their capital and their palace on time.

Meng Yanzhi and Xiao Xingyuan sat together on the high platform, watching Crown Prince Cangshui walk in with Cang Huan'er. They looked at each other but neither of them spoke.

Just as Xiao Xingyuan had described, the Crown Prince Cangshui was dressed in a flamboyant red outfit, and his walk even carried an indescribable air of frivolity and dissoluteness.

That's really stylish!

Meng Yanzhi genuinely felt that Xiao Xingyuan was quite apt in many ways.

"Crown Prince Cangshui of Canglan Kingdom pays respects to His Majesty the Emperor and His Majesty the Empress!"

"Princess Canglan of Canglan, Zang Huan'er, pays her respects to His Majesty and Her Majesty the Empress!"

The two walked to the center of the hall in unison and bowed respectfully.

"You two have come from afar, you must be tired. Please, no need for formalities."

Xiao Xingyuan spoke, his tone polite but tinged with coldness.

The two immediately stood up, glanced at each other, and then found a place to sit down.

When envoys came to visit, they would exchange polite words. As the empress, Meng Yanzhi didn't need to say much; she just needed to sit there quietly and maintain her composure.

However, Meng Yanzhi really didn't expect the banquet to last so long, from day to night. These two people from Canglan Kingdom were clearly up to no good, and they started showing off all sorts of skills as soon as the banquet began, obviously there to cause trouble.

Meng Yanzhi sat down next to Xiao Xingyuan, feeling drowsy and tired from watching.

Seeing Meng Yanzhi like this, Xiao Xingyuan felt a pang of heartache and then said, "Are you tired? Why don't you go and rest?"

"No, I am the Empress, and I will stay by your side."

Meng Yanzhi shook her head and smiled at Xiao Xingyuan.

"Your Majesty, I've heard that Your Majesty and the Empress are deeply in love, and there is no one else in the harem like you. It's truly enviable." Zang Huan'er stood up and bowed to Xiao Xingyuan. "I just wonder, does Her Majesty the Empress feel lonely living alone in the harem?"

What does that mean?

Meng Yanzhi's expression changed, and then she looked at Zang Huan'er. As soon as she looked, her face turned pale.

Before, it was too far away to see clearly, but now Meng Yanzhi realized that this Cang Huan'er was exactly the same as the former Consort Liu, like twins.

Could this be the reason why the Jade King insisted on Consort Liu leaving the palace, or has the Canglan Kingdom already granted her a formal identity?

Xiao Xingyuan didn't even glance at Zang Huan'er, and said indifferently, "With me by the Empress's side, how could she possibly be lonely?"

"Yes, it was all Huan'er's fault for being so talkative."

"Your Majesty is so handsome that Huan'er was immediately captivated. So, I wonder if I have the honor of serving by Your Majesty's side?"

Zang Huan'er knelt on the ground, staring at Xiao Xingyuan with an adoring expression; it really did seem like love at first sight.

What?

Everyone was stunned by these words, especially Ling Xiao!

Ling Xiao truly hadn't expected that this woman had come for Xiao Xingyuan, and not for the position of Crown Princess.

For some reason, Ling Xiao looked at Xiao Xingyuan with a mixture of sympathy and schadenfreude.

"Is the culture of the Canglan Kingdom so open?"

"Women can openly find men for themselves in public? They really have no shame!"

Xiao Xingyuan remained expressionless, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Cang Shui to the side.

Cang Shui stood up, bowed to Xiao Xingyuan, and said with a smile, "Your Majesty is right. The women of our Canglan Kingdom have always been open and honest. They like whomever they want without any hesitation. So please forgive me, Your Majesty. Although my words were a bit abrupt, my feelings for Your Majesty are genuine. So please consider it!"

As he spoke, Zang Shui smiled at Zang Huan'er, pulled her up, and sat her down beside him.

If it were an ordinary woman, Xiao Xingyuan would definitely have refused her outright. However, this was the little princess of Canglan Kingdom, and it was her first time here. In this situation, refusing would certainly be inappropriate, so Xiao Xingyuan chose to abandon the topic and continue with the social interaction.

Zang Huan'er's gaze remained fixed on Meng Yanzhi, filled with indescribable resentment.

Now, Meng Yanzhi was certain that this person was none other than the former Consort Liu.

Her eyebrows furrowed tightly as she looked at the Jade King not far away. That unlucky fellow definitely had something wrong with his head, otherwise how could he have done such a thing? He was utterly despicable!

The Jade King naturally sensed Meng Yanzhi's gaze, but he didn't say much. He simply smiled, raised his wine cup, and drank it all in one gulp.

This is a provocation!

Meng Yanzhi knew that this was the Jade King's deliberate provocation!

Very good, excellent!

Since that's the case, she won't let it go easily.

The banquet ended at midnight, so when Meng Yanzhi returned to Haitang Palace, she didn't care about anything else and went straight to bed, falling into a deep sleep.

When Xiao Xingyuan returned from washing up, he was stunned to see Meng Yanzhi fast asleep. He walked over, reached out and gently touched her cheek, and smiled slightly: "It's good that you can still sleep."

The Crown Prince's Residence.

Xiao Ce couldn't sleep at all, so he called Zhang Xuanyun over: "What exactly does Canglan Kingdom mean this time? They want to form a marriage alliance with Father Emperor right away. It's simply shameless!"

"Your Highness, don't be anxious. This is nothing unusual. It's quite normal for two countries to form a marriage alliance." Zhang Xuanyun looked at Xiao Ce's excited expression with some helplessness.