As night fell, the candles in the palace were gradually lit, and the entire magnificent palace was enveloped in a pale yellow light, exuding a solemnity and grandeur different from that of the daytime.
After finishing the last stroke on the memorial, An Honghan put down his brush, closed the memorial, and handed it to Lin En. "Send this memorial to Liu Fuqing." Then he pointed to the other memorials piled up on the desk. "Send them back to where they belong."
"Yes, Your Majesty, I will take care of it right away." Whenever His Majesty finished dealing with state affairs, it was time for Lynn to run errands.
The memorials submitted each day, after being reviewed by His Majesty, would pass through the hands of Lin En before being distributed to the various ministers, and then the contents of the memorials would be implemented.
Having spent a long time by An Honghan's side, Xi Xizhi had come to understand to some extent what Lin En's job entailed.
A pair of round, adorable eyes glanced at the pile of memorials a few times before finally settling on An Honghan.
"Prepare the carriage for Liuyun Palace." An Honghan stood up, straightened his clothes, glanced at the sky outside the window, and then spoke slowly.
Xi Xizhi immediately jumped off the chair, stretched, and followed An Honghan out of the Imperial Study.
The Liuyun Palace was brightly lit and exuded a peaceful atmosphere.
Many ministers had already arrived and were chatting idly around the tables. They were unaware of the reason why His Majesty had summoned them to the palace for a banquet that evening. However, since His Majesty had invited them, they were obliged to attend.
The announcement of "Your Majesty has arrived" caused all the officials to kneel and pay their respects.
An Honghan put his arm around a child's shoulder and walked step by step from the palace gate to the ninth-tiered platform.
"Rise." A clear, cold voice echoed through the hall.
The ministers shouted "Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty!" and slowly stood up.
Duan Yufei and Dongfang Youyu were seated in the lower left and right corners respectively, both relatively close to the ninth-tier platform.
Dongfang Youyu, with the intention of joining in the fun, waved his folding fan while observing the situation inside the Liuyun Palace.
He knew more or less about Duan Yufei's purpose in coming to Fengze Kingdom.
Their country and the Huiying Kingdom were neither friendly nor hostile, so he had no intention of getting involved.
Sitting next to An Honghan, Xi Xizhi was completely at ease, constantly reaching for fruit from the fruit plate to eat, her eyes occasionally glancing at Duan Yufei and then at the Fourteenth Princess sitting below.
The Fourteenth Princess sat with the other princesses. Among the young girls, she stood out the most. Her light pink palace dress made her look extremely charming. A faint smile graced her face, and the two dimples at the corners of her mouth made her even more captivating.
She's definitely a beauty in the making!
Xi Xizhi couldn't help but sigh inwardly, then pinched her own little cheek!
Comparing yourself to others will only make you miserable.
Why do I have such a 'cute' face? Every time I try to scare the servants with a stern face, I fail. Instead of frightening them, I make them laugh.
Feeling a surge of frustration, Xi Xizhi glanced at the wine glass on the table and, without any hesitation, picked it up and drank it all in one gulp.
An Honghan watched leisurely, recalling the drunken state of Xi Xizhi when they had just met and Xi Xizhi was still in her beastly form. A slight smile gradually appeared on the corner of his mouth.
An Honghan glanced at Lin En and pointed to the glass of wine in Xi Xizhi's hand, indicating that he should refill it.
Lynn did as instructed immediately.
Upon seeing An Honghan's actions, Xi Xizhi immediately guessed what he was planning. She gritted her teeth, glared at him, and silently declared that he would never let her get drunk! This time, Xi Xizhi held her wine glass and refused to drink, determined not to let the cunning emperor's wish come true.
An Honghan didn't force Xi Xizhi to drink, but seeing her angry expression, the corners of his mouth widened.
Lynn was adept at reading people's expressions. Seeing that His Majesty was in a good mood, his anxious heart gradually calmed down.
Usually, as long as His Majesty is in a good mood, it means he won't get angry easily, which makes it much safer for these servants to do their work.
Miss Xi is truly their lucky star. At least since Miss Xi came to Panlong Palace, His Majesty has been in a better mood than in a worse one. If His Majesty is always this easy to get along with, they won't have to live in constant fear.
At the banquet, everyone had different thoughts on their minds.
An Yunyi was restless, her gaze drifting as she stared blankly at a lamp, seemingly lost in thought. Her bright eyes were now rather lifeless, and the silk handkerchief in her hand was crumpled beyond recognition, as if she were afraid of something.
Against the backdrop of the night sky, the moon appears even brighter, like a pearl in the night sky, while the twinkling stars, like fine diamond dust, are sprinkled in the quiet night.
Inside the palace, lanterns were lit everywhere. As soon as the banquet began, the sounds of string and wind instruments slowly rose, making the banquet peaceful and lively.
Halfway through the banquet, the ministers were all full of food and drink.
Seeing that the time was right, Duan Yufei couldn't help but step forward, bow politely to the person sitting on the high platform, and asked, "Your Majesty, what are your thoughts on the matter this afternoon?"
Duan Yufei was dressed in white and had an elegant demeanor.
Many of the princesses and ladies present couldn't help but be captivated by him, and were extremely jealous of the fourteenth princess who was about to marry him.
The ministers were taken aback, all looking at the ninth-tiered platform with puzzled expressions.
An Honghan replied casually, "Why is Prince Duan in such a hurry? I have already said that this matter needs to be discussed with the ministers. After all... this is the Fourteenth Princess's lifelong happiness."
The last four words were emphasized, and everyone suddenly realized what it was all about.
An Yunyi was so frightened that she scratched a line on the silk handkerchief with her fingernail, her face pale and weak.
What was bound to happen has finally happened!
She gritted her teeth, stubbornly pouting, unwilling to give up her happiness just like that.
But she didn't want to be the second Sixth Princess!
He looked up at Wu Jianfeng, who was standing next to his elder brother on the high platform.
This is a do-or-die situation; she... can only succeed, she cannot fail!
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