Chapter 414 A Visit to the Emperor and Empress of Jin

After a New Year's Eve dinner, the two sides, who were originally strangers, almost became one family.

The Shen family kept urging the two to stay overnight, since their mansion was the largest in the entire capital city, with plenty of empty courtyards!

However, the two still politely declined, firstly because they had already rented a house, and secondly because Sheng Sheng was also very concerned about the little ones.

"Since you insist, we won't force you," the First Madam said with a smile. "However, you must come tomorrow, the first day of the month."

Sheng Sheng asked curiously, "Don't we need to visit relatives and such? When I celebrate the New Year in the palace, I visit the various palaces to pay my respects to the ladies. Doesn't the Jin Kingdom do that?"

“No,” the Third Young Master Shen explained, “Every year on the first day of the Lunar New Year, His Majesty and the Empress return to their residence to pay their respects.”

Logically, it should be the subjects who pay New Year's greetings to His Majesty.

However, the Emperor and Empress of Jin were deeply in love. The Emperor only had one wife, the Empress. He not only doted on her and loved her in ordinary times, but he was also willing to accompany her back to her parents' home on the most important festival.

This was an unprecedented rule, but once established, it has been upheld for so many years.

This year is no exception.

Xie Yun glanced at him, pondering the meaning of his words.

Why were they summoned here specifically? Was it to allow them to meet the Emperor and Empress?

"If we are to have an audience with His Majesty and the Empress, is the Shen residence not formal enough?"

If they were to be seen, it would be proper for them to go to the palace to meet him.

“There’s no need to worry. His Majesty is easygoing and doesn’t care about these things,” the Third Young Master Shen said meaningfully. “Moreover, I think His Majesty would prefer to discuss this matter privately with His Highness the Crown Prince in a less formal setting.”

Xie Yunyang paused for a moment.

This matter?

What they were talking about today were all perfectly normal things.

The only thing that's meaningful and worth mentioning...

Is this a matter concerning the State of Song?

Xie Yunyang turned his head to look at Shengsheng, and for some reason, he felt that it was something extraordinary.

Could it be because, as mentioned this afternoon, the State of Song had harassed the State of Jin, and the State of Jin wanted to wage war against the State of Song?

After a long pause, Xie Yun nodded: "Okay."

...

Zijuan and several guards ate in the side hall with the head maid and subordinates of the Shen family. As soon as Zijuan saw Shengsheng, she happily told her that the New Year's Eve dinner in Jin was different from that in their Yu Kingdom.

“The State of Jin is really different from our State of Yu. The State of Yu prefers lighter flavors, but the State of Jin is the opposite and likes stronger flavors.” Zijuan put her hands together and listed the dishes she liked best for Shengsheng. “But they all tasted very good. The maids and servants of the Shen family are also very nice. They kept telling us about the festivals and customs of the State of Jin!”

Sheng Sheng listened with a smile and nodded repeatedly: "No wonder Sister Zijuan's belly is so round, did she eat three bowls of rice?"

Zijuan scratched her head shyly, changing the subject, "By the way, Miss, I also heard the maids say that there were rumors in the capital a while ago that His Majesty of Jin was planning to go to war with Song. But the rumors only lasted for a short while and then disappeared, because apart from harassing a small border town of Jin once, Song didn't do anything else. Everyone knows that Song is in turmoil, so everyone says that maybe something serious went wrong in Song and accidentally hurt Jin. After all, how could a country that can't even sort out its own internal affairs possibly want to launch an external war at such a time?"

After listening to it, Sheng Sheng felt that it made a lot of sense.

After all, although the atmosphere was always extremely tense when they passed through the Song Kingdom, they didn't actually encounter any real trouble, except for being harassed by the soldiers at the city gate once when they entered the city.

That trouble was easily resolved by them using Master Mo Wen's identity token.

Even the jade pendant bestowed upon them by the late emperor, which was specially given to them by the old gentleman Mo Wen, had never been used.

But now that I think about it carefully, everything about it seems strange.

According to what Mr. Mo Wen said, the infighting among the princes of the Song Kingdom was indeed fierce.

Sheng Sheng pondered, finding it all the more peculiar precisely because the State of Song was indeed embroiled in internal strife.

Could the calm and tranquility along the way have been deliberately suppressed?

However, Sheng Sheng couldn't figure out why it was suppressed, who did it, or why it was done under such circumstances.

Xie Yun seemed to be deep in thought, but he did not hastily express his opinion. He simply patted Sheng Sheng reassuringly and said, "Don't overthink it. Get a good rest tonight. The person we're meeting tomorrow is no ordinary person."

"Uh-huh!"

Sheng Sheng naturally knew that since the Shen family had so openly invited them to the Shen residence the next day, it must have been with the tacit approval of the Emperor of Jin.

Otherwise, no matter how close and trusting the Shen family was to the emperor, they would never have dared to allow a foreign royal family to meet His Majesty without authorization.

In other words, for the Jin royal family, tomorrow will be a dialogue between the two countries.

However, Sheng Sheng didn't understand why His Majesty thought that she, Xie Yun, and Consort Liang could represent the Yu Kingdom.

Who cares? I have a clear conscience. At worst, they can just keep their mouths shut and add "This is just my personal opinion" to the end of everything they say.

The following day, the people sent by the Shen family brought them to the Shen family residence as promised.

The ladies of the Shen family were delighted to see Sheng Sheng. The young masters wanted to take Sheng Sheng to play, but the ladies chased them away.

"Go away, go away, your aunt and uncle will be here soon, so behave yourselves."

The third young mistress pulled Sheng Sheng aside and whispered to her, "Sheng Sheng, don't be nervous. His Majesty and the Empress are both very kind people. Last night, your aunt asked my husband for you. His Majesty and the Empress just wanted to ask you some questions. It's nothing."

"Thank you, Auntie, Sheng Sheng isn't afraid!" Sheng Sheng clenched her little fists and patted her chest with a righteous expression.

His adorable appearance completely charmed the ladies, making them all overjoyed.

"Wow, that's really good at keeping a low voice!"

"That's right, people love it when we speak softly!"

Sheng Sheng once again experienced what it means to be spoiled. She had only said one sentence, so what was so powerful about it?

Surrounded by the ladies, Sheng Sheng was both amused and exasperated by their praise when he suddenly heard the maids and servants outside the courtyard greeting him in unison.

"Greetings, Your Majesty! Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress! Long live Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty the Empress!"

The courtyard fell silent.

Before my eyes, a beautiful couple was walking slowly towards me.

Contrary to what Sheng Sheng had imagined, His Majesty was dressed in a moon-white brocade robe. His features were handsome and sharp at twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old, completely unlike the easygoing person the Shen family had described. Even though he had deliberately changed into the most ordinary casual clothes, his majesty was still undeniable.

Perhaps it's because they're not speaking, but some people have a cold expression when they're not talking or smiling, even though they don't actually mean it that way.

This Emperor Gan Ning was perhaps such a person; his face was expressionless, and one could even say he was somewhat indifferent.

Yet, this person with such a temperament has eyes full of tenderness and love when looking at those around him.

Sheng Sheng instantly became even more curious about this Empress Shen.

What kind of person is she?