The moment the burly man took a step, the entire hall would tremble slightly.
After they had fully entered the palace while singing melodious birthday wishes, everyone could finally see what was carved on the giant stone.
It was a Buddha statue that looked like a small mountain, occupying almost the entire area of the palace and reaching two-thirds of its height.
Everyone has to look up to see the original appearance of this giant rock.
The entire Buddha statue is carved from a single large piece of jade. The jade is warm and translucent, and it looks like the finest Hetian mutton fat jade.
Mutton fat jade is rare to begin with, and such a large piece of mutton fat jade is unheard of.
The Buddha statue is adorned with lapis lazuli, which forms its eyes, giving it a solemn yet gentle, serious yet compassionate appearance. It is so lifelike that it is truly a masterpiece of carving.
The Empress Dowager was also slightly startled by the enormous creature before her, and only then did she come to her senses.
Even though she had lived for over a few decades and seen countless rare treasures, she had never seen a Buddha statue like the one before her.
Sunlight streamed in through the damaged palace gate, merging into the Buddha statue and making it appear even more sacred.
Seeing the Empress Dowager's reaction, Prince Su was very happy.
He had calculated the perfect time; with the sunlight at this moment, the jade-like body would become more translucent, and naturally, it wouldn't look like a clumsy stone anymore.
He bowed to the Empress Dowager again before saying, "A gentleman compares his virtue to jade. My grandmother is such a gentleman, which is why such a precious mutton-fat jade appeared in the world."
"In the Western Regions, in the birthplace of Buddha, lapis lazuli was widely used in the creation of Buddha statues, and was believed to possess mysterious power, as well as being a symbol of compassion and solemnity."
"I have invited this Buddha statue today to offer my congratulations, hoping that my grandmother will live a long and healthy life and be forever bathed in the Buddha's light."
Everyone was shocked by the sheer size of the Buddha statue, but Prince Yu and Consort Li exchanged a glance and remained calmly seated in their original positions.
Because they knew they had it in the bag.
Previously, my guess was pretty much right, but now, after seeing the birthday gift sent by Prince Su, I know that the odds of victory are now 100% in my favor.
After all, although Prince Su's gift was grand, it still fell into the clichés; it was nothing more than spending some silver to find a piece of jade.
Who hasn't seen a Buddha statue carved from jade?
Apart from Prince Su, only Prince Xiu has recently managed to gain some influence.
Prince Xiu was poor and destitute. Consort Zhen's family not only lacked connections but also had no money. In his desperation, Prince Xiu sought help from all sorts of people, including the poor and impoverished.
Even someone like Song Xizhi, whom they used to have to flatter and take advantage of, would never have given a proper birthday gift.
The Empress Dowager smiled clearly and nodded repeatedly: "You really put your heart into this. You must have gone to great lengths to prepare this item."
Seeing the Empress Dowager's reaction, Consort Li was very happy. She rolled her eyes and said directly, "Folk tales and legends are really accurate. I heard a few days ago that Buddha came to wish Your Majesty a happy birthday."
"This Buddha statue came all the way from the Western Regions to celebrate the Empress Dowager's birthday. It's not something that could be accomplished by ordinary means. It must be that Heaven is grateful for Prince Su's filial piety and is deliberately helping him! But this boy actually kept it from me!"
The Empress Dowager was very surprised to hear this, and her gaze toward Prince Su became even more loving: "So it turns out that the Buddha statue that people say is the work of Prince Su."
When Consort Liang heard this, she was stunned. When she came to her senses, her teeth ached from clenching them!
That bitch!
She actually took credit for her son's achievements and even claimed that Prince Su was ordained by Heaven and had Heaven's help!
You should know that the recent rumors circulating among the people are all about Zhao Qingshu creating hype for Prince Yu's birthday gift!
Consort Liang gritted her teeth, about to launch into a sarcastic remark, but she still smiled as she spoke: "This is something that could not have been accomplished by ordinary force; it must have come more from Prince Su's filial piety!"
"That's why we were able to find craftsmen to transport this Buddha statue all the way from the Western Regions. It took a tremendous amount of effort! It was also thanks to the concerted efforts of people all over the country that such a great undertaking was accomplished!"
Consort Liang was saying that this Buddha statue was a waste of money and resources, and that moving such a huge object here meant that countless people had died and shed a lot of blood.
It is also said that the whole country worked together to keep such a big matter a secret so well. No one knows how much silver Prince Su has or how many connections he has.
Upon hearing this, the emperor remained silent, but instead took another look at the Buddha statue.
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager suddenly stopped laughing and shook her head: "Why make such a fuss?"
Upon hearing this, the entire room fell silent.
Consort Li and Prince Su also suddenly stopped laughing.
Consort Li's hands, hidden in her sleeves, clenched into fists slightly. She then looked at Consort Liang beside her and spoke:
“A child’s filial piety should always be appreciated. However, I have heard that Prince Yu’s birthday gift is even more unique, and it has spread like wildfire throughout the capital, making Prince Su’s filial piety seem vulgar in comparison.”
"I wonder what kind of wonderful child Consort Liang has raised, and what kind of gifts Prince Yu has sent. All the ladies were talking about it with great interest before the banquet. I really want to see them too!"
Consort Li praised him excessively, her words sounding like a form of flattery that could actually harm him, while neither Prince Yu nor Consort Liang showed the slightest humility.
Prince Yu stood up gracefully and accepted Consort Li's words with pleasure: "Your Majesty is right. When I first saw this thing, I also felt that it was something that should exist in heaven, and only my grandmother could enjoy such a supreme thing in the world!"
Upon hearing his description, everyone was abuzz with excitement, and the banquet was filled with discussions, all curious about what Prince Yu had sent.
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
