Chapter 62 Excellent! The twenty-second time!
Chapter 62
Emperor Liang was not yet married and had no empress dowager, so the palace banquet was held in the small Yuying Hall. Men and women sat at separate tables, separated by a screen depicting the vast landscape. The gauze curtains fluttered, and palace servants moved about, with no view of either side.
After the imperial court hastily moved to the southern capital, there was no time to build a magnificent palace like the northern capital. Furthermore, due to the tight national treasury, the palace banquet was held suddenly, and even the furnishings inside the palace were somewhat shabby, lacking any of the splendor and magnificence that the Great Liang Dynasty once possessed. The country was in decline.
Even so.
The officials and their families, who had finally found an opportunity to feast, were still in a lively atmosphere, exchanging toasts and laughter.
Ye Xiren sat beside Liao Changying. Her grandmother was feeling unwell today and hadn't attended the banquet. The quietness between the two seemed out of place. There were constant, almost imperceptible glances directed at Ye Xiren, but no one approached her; they only exchanged glances from behind.
It's not that these people are intentionally distancing themselves, but rather that many already know what their true purpose is today.
With peace talks imminent and the final outcome uncertain, and the two countries of Huai'an and Qu still at odds, the future Crown Princess of Northern Yan really doesn't know what attitude to take towards this "Second Miss Ye".
They cannot be close to each other, nor can they be far apart.
Liao Changying held her hand, tilted her head and asked in a low voice, "Do you want me to take you to meet your old confidante?"
Ye Xiren shook her head.
"Finally, we can attend the banquet. The palace banquet is over today. Can we hold a spring appreciation banquet tomorrow?"
"It still depends on whether Northern Yan can withdraw its troops. Right now, things are still chaotic everywhere."
"Honestly, it's been several days since the third day of the third month, why haven't we finalized it yet? The Crown Prince of Northern Yan is in Nandu, hurry up and sign the peace treaty. We've been fighting for years, and even though we are officials, life isn't easy."
"They said they were about to reach an agreement, otherwise there wouldn't be today's banquet, which was held for that Prince Chizhan..."
...
As Ye Xiren listened to their discussion and considered the current situation, she felt a chill run down her spine.
Many officials in the court, even if they did not collude with the enemy, were not qualified officials. They had been plagued by deep-seated problems for many years and were "traditional." In their positions, they only thought about living a peaceful life and how to make a better living. They never considered the people under their jurisdiction... Jiang You was right.
Ye Xiren sighed silently.
She looked to the other side, where the gauze curtain swayed slightly. Ye Changming, with his graceful movements, was very popular, chatting and laughing with Ye Pei among a group of officials despite still being a commoner.
Ye Pei didn't say much, his brows furrowed into a deep frown.
Ye Changming smiled broadly, exchanging a few words with this person and whispering with that person. Ye Xiren subconsciously frowned, but when she saw clearly who he was talking to, she was somewhat surprised.
These people are relatively young and hold low-ranking positions in the current court, but Ye Xiren had been to the other half of Jiang You's study, which was covered up by him, and knew that these people were all promising candidates for "reform" that the Emperor and Prime Minister Jiang had long favored...
Thinking back on her brother's daily remarks, it seems he can have a lot in common with the Emperor and Prime Minister Jiang.
Just as Ye Xiren was about to look away, she felt a burning gaze fall on her. She looked up and met the eyes of Chi Zhanlan Ce, who was sitting at the front and next to Jiang You.
He raised his glass to her, smiled silently, and his lips moved slightly:
"Your Highness, the Crown Princess."
His eyes burned with intensity, his gaze sharp as lightning, utterly determined to have her, as if Ye Xiren was already his for the taking, proving the saying, "Let's see how long you can hide."
Ye Xiren's face suddenly darkened, and she looked away.
Liao Changying silently moved forward a little, shielding Ye Xiren behind her, but her face was full of worry and anxiety. How could she stop what was about to happen?
Is defying the imperial decree truly the only option? But to defy the decree in public, their family...
Sensing her mother's unease, Ye Xiren subconsciously touched her hair bun, where there was an exquisite plum blossom hairpin, lifelike and particularly beautiful when pinned in her hair.
"Today's banquet is to welcome Prince Lan Ce to Daliang as a guest, and to express our hope that Daliang and Northern Yan will become brothers, put aside past grievances, and build a lasting friendship!"
As soon as Liang Yue spoke, the hall fell silent. Then everyone raised their wine cups, their faces showing genuine or stiff smiles, joining the emperor in wishing for a friendly relationship between Great Liang and Northern Yan.
Chi Zhanlan Ce raised his wine cup and said with a smile, "Of course, I like the Great Liang very much and am willing to negotiate with the Great Liang to maintain the friendship between the two countries forever."
Everyone congratulated the two countries on the peace talks. Through the fluttering gauze curtain, Ye Xiren could clearly see the expressions of the officials opposite her. Most of them had relaxed and happy smiles because of the peace talks.
Ye Xiren twitched the corners of her mouth, a forced smile.
"If our Great Liang and Northern Yan can reconcile as before, Prince Lan Ce can treat this place as his own home. We, the people of Great Liang, will certainly treat Your Highness well." Jiang You looked at Chi Zhan Lan Ce, as if he did not see the obvious wounds left on his body in the imperial prison, and smiled warmly.
"You feel right at home." Chi Zhanlan Ce returned a glass of wine, not caring that his sleeve had slipped, revealing the wound on his wrist.
"I've heard that His Highness Chizhan is not yet married?" Jiang You asked with a smile.
The banquet fell silent instantly, even the things they were doing stopped. The officials looked at Ye Pei, while the women all looked at Ye Xiren.
Ye Xiren clenched her fist, and Liao Changying tensed up. Even though they had already guessed it, they still held onto a glimmer of hope that things wouldn't turn out so badly...
Why would a prince of Northern Yan marry a lady from Liang?!
"No." Chi Zhanlan Ce's smile grew even brighter, his eyes looking straight at the opposite side. The seating arrangement was quite interesting; from his position, he could see Ye Er-guniang directly across from him with just a slight turn of his head.
His eyes seemed to hold only Ye Xiren, like a tiger sniffing its prey, as he said, word by word: "However, Lan Ce already has someone he loves, a smart, beautiful, and extremely bold girl..."
He didn't name names, but with those eyes watching, everyone knows who he's talking about!
Chi Zhanlan Ce expected to see fear and dread on her face, but Ye Xiren lowered her head and remained calm.
She cursed inwardly, but remained outwardly calm, her entire being seemingly proclaiming: "It's none of my business."
Jiang You's eyes were devoid of emotion, and his voice was polite: "That would be a great thing. My Great Liang has a fine daughter, intelligent, quick-witted, and exceptionally courageous. Why don't we ask His Majesty to grant her a marriage?"
Chi Zhanlan Ce stood up, raised his hand in greeting, and the bright lights of Yuying Hall reflected the confident and arrogant smile on his face as he stared intently at Ye Xiren.
However, the other party kept their head down, with an attitude of "it's none of my business, don't bother me."
Chi Zhanlan's smile deepened.
At the head of the table, Liang Yue sat expressionless and motionless, reciting the words he had memorized in a gentle tone as if going through the motions:
"Since that's the case, then today, as we feast and celebrate together as all the officials, I will bestow upon you a marriage, adding joy to joy."
His emotionless expression was completely at odds with his gentle tone, but at this moment, everyone knew perfectly well that this was a peace deal, and it was not up to them, nor to the person being betrothed... whether they wanted it or not.
Beside him, the eunuch holding the imperial edict slowly opened his mouth, cleared his throat in full view of everyone, and was about to issue the edict. The hall had become increasingly quiet, and everyone was waiting for the edict to be issued.
Once the imperial decree for the marriage is issued, the formal peace talks will begin!
Ye Pei and Ye Changming could no longer control themselves; their faces darkened, and they almost simultaneously prepared to stand up.
A sharp, clear voice rang out from outside the hall, growing louder as it approached, breaking the silence.
Everyone was taken aback and subconsciously looked towards the outside of the hall.
Ye Xiren loosened her clenched fist and let out a long breath. He had finally arrived.
Yan Danqing was dressed in a black robe with red trim, the trim of which looked particularly dark and as if it had been dampened. Immediately, someone's pupils contracted, and they stared at his feet in disbelief, their eyes wide.
As he walked, blood began to drip from the hem of his clothes!
His hair was disheveled, his eyebrows were sharp and his eyes were bright, and there was a shallow wound on his face with bright red blood oozing out, making this handsome man look like a ghost.
He carried a small box in his hand and strode in. His robes fluttered, and the chilling aura instantly made the atmosphere in the hall tense and suffocating.
Ye Xiren was a little nervous and touched the plum blossom hairpin in her hair again.
"Yan Danqing, how can you appear before the Emperor with such an improper appearance?" Jiang You immediately stood up and ordered with a gloomy face, "Someone, take Marquis Zhongyong away to change his clothes before he comes to the banquet."
This is to prevent him from causing trouble and to make him leave!
However, Yan Danqing was there to cause trouble, so how could he possibly leave obediently? With a glance, the guards hesitated and dared not step forward.
He strode towards Chi Zhanlan Ce and laughed:
"Having heard that Chizhan Lance has found someone he loves, Danqing has come here specially to present this gift. I hope Your Highness will like it."
He tossed the small wooden box in his hand to Chizhanlan Ce.
The box was hidden from view, but his hands, which he held, were covered in blood. Blood dripped from the box, creating an eerie silence in the quiet palace.
He raised his eyebrows and laughed, "However, Danqing believes that Your Highness is not yet ready to get married."
From the moment Chi Zhanlan Ce appeared, he stared at him with a gloomy gaze, his eyes as cold as knives, surging with murderous intent.
He caught the box, opened it, glanced at it, his pupils contracted, and he immediately closed the lid. His expression turned even more unpleasant, his body tensed, his hands gripped the box tightly, and his eyes looked like they could devour someone as he glared at Yan Danqing!
Chi Zhanlan Ce only opened the box and glanced at it before immediately closing it. Jiang You didn't see it. However, this wasn't his first time dealing with Yan Danqing. Seeing the blood dripping from the box reminded him of the box that had been delivered to his residence "last night"...
He hadn't even opened it before Ye Xiren and Yan Danqing tricked him. Now that Chizhan Lance had opened it, his expression changed instantly. There must be something inside that could threaten him.
What exactly is it?!
Yan Danqing stood before Chi Zhanlan Ce, his eyes cold as he met his gaze, yet a sly smile played on his lips as he pressed closer.
"Your Highness, what do you think?"
Chi Zhan Lan Ce gripped the box tightly, the veins on his neck throbbing slightly, his fingertips turning white, his eyes gloomy. After a long while, he finally answered, "Yes, the girl Lan Ce likes is in Northern Yan. It is not a good time to get married now. We will have to wait another two years. I'm afraid we will have to disappoint Emperor Liang's favor."
The hall became even quieter, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Ye Pei and Ye Changming breathed a sigh of relief, then exchanged a surprised glance. Chi Zhanlan Ce had actually changed his mind.
Liao Changying grasped Ye Xiren's hand, her shoulders completely relaxing and no longer tense.
It was only then that she noticed her daughter seemed a little nervous? Not just now, but after Chi Zhanlan Ce gave up his marriage proposal…
Jiang You was breathing rapidly.
No wonder Miss Ye seemed so calm today. Even though she was to be betrothed to him, she acted with a cold and indifferent attitude, as if it were none of her business. She was very quiet, probably because she knew Yan Danqing would come and that the betrothal would not happen.
Jiang You and Liang Yue exchanged a glance, their hearts pounding.
A mix of emotions churned within him. One moment he worried that the marriage would fail, affecting the peace talks and preventing him from obtaining the much-needed provisions and letters. The next moment, he wanted to know what Yan Danqing had brought.
Liang Yue hesitated. The palace banquet had already begun, and the imperial edict had been opened and was about to be issued. Was it really going to be withdrawn so suddenly? He was caught off guard by this turn of events and didn't know what to do for a moment.
Liang Yue opened his mouth, about to speak.
Yan Danqing turned around and looked in Ye Xiren's direction.
When she met his gaze, Ye Xiren's ears turned red, her fingers clenched, and she tried her best to keep her eyes from darting away. Her chest heaved, and the plum blossom hairpin in her hair trembled slightly, making her look particularly eye-catching and beautiful.
When Yan Danqing's gaze fell upon the plum blossom hairpin, the icy expression on his face instantly melted away, and he could no longer restrain himself from revealing a genuine and radiant smile. Although he looked somewhat disheveled, his joy, as bright as spring flowers, could not be concealed at this moment.
"At today's palace banquet, I request Your Majesty to grant me a marriage with Miss Ye Er, the daughter of Ye Pei, the Minister of Revenue."
Everyone was shocked.
They all turned to look at Ye Xiren, then turned to look at Chi Zhanlan Ce, their faces filled with undisguised astonishment and shock, their hearts trembling with fear.
Who exactly is this Miss Ye, and why do Yan Danqing and Chizhan Lance both want to marry her?!
Jiang You, Liu Duoxi, and others who had dealt with Ye Xiren before all gasped in surprise. They were not surprised by the relationship between Yan Danqing and Ye Xiren, but they were surprised that Yan Danqing was asking for a marriage proposal at this moment!
All eyes turned to Chi Zhanlan Ce. Yan Danqing's actions were clearly an act of arrogance towards the Crown Prince of Northern Yan, a marriage decree imposed on him with utter disrespect.
Even if you want to ask for a marriage decree, it can't be now!
Liu Duoxi was almost out of breath, and his vision blurred. He felt that these young people could scare these old folks to death.
Jiang You's face was grim as he stared intently at Yan Danqing. His actions were not only aimed at stopping Chi Zhanlan's plan, but also at hindering the peace talks. He had humiliated the Crown Prince of Northern Yan; how could the peace talks possibly proceed smoothly?!
Jiang You's body trembled as he pointed at him, about to speak.
Yan Danqing looked only at Chi Zhanlan Ce, her chin slightly raised, a smile playing on her lips, and asked again:
"What does Your Highness think of this marriage?"
He was kneeling, while Chi Zhan Lan Ce was standing. He was disheveled, while Chi Zhan Lan Ce was dressed in fine clothes, but the raised chin, the smiling eyes, and the uncontrollable curve of the corners of his mouth were all slapping the face of the Crown Prince of Northern Yan, each word piercing his heart.
Everyone: "!!"
I'm going to die.
A real face-to-face attack!
Chi Zhanlan Ce still held onto the box, his eyes fixed on the provocative Yan Danqing, before slowly shifting to the other side.
Ye Xiren calmly met his gaze, no longer avoiding or flinching. The plum blossom hairpin reflected the candlelight, making her even more beautiful. Her dark eyes were clear and unwavering.
"A match made in heaven, wonderful!"
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Author's Note: Come on, let me stop and witness Egg White's incredible feat of charging head-on into the enemy's face!
Chi Zhanlan Ce: ...
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