A shrill eunuch's voice came from outside the door: "Your servant has been ordered to deliver a message."
Hearing this, the second prince's guards immediately stepped forward and opened the door.
When everyone looked, they found that it was indeed a eunuch beside Emperor Mingxi.
"The emperor ordered the second and third princes to go to the imperial study immediately to discuss matters." The eunuch bowed.
[Really? They don't even let us have some fun and enjoy ourselves on our days off!]
Xia Miaoyuan complained in his heart.
When the second and third princes heard that it was Emperor Mingxi who summoned them, they did not dare to delay and immediately said goodbye to everyone and took a carriage to rush to the palace.
…
When the second and third princes arrived at the imperial study, they saw Emperor Mingxi, the crown prince, the minister of the Ministry of Rites, Lord Yan, Lord Han, Prince Jin and two other princes all waiting there.
After everyone greeted each other, they stood respectfully in front of the table, waiting for Emperor Mingxi to ask questions.
Emperor Mingxi said, "I summoned you today because the Dai Viet delegation is arriving soon."
"A few months ago, they sent a letter from Daiyue saying that one of their prime ministers was the chief envoy."
"But a few days ago, my secret guards discovered that their great prince had also come this time."
"The Great Prince, the Prime Minister Han, and another official are all envoys. In name, Prime Minister Han is the chief envoy, but the Great Prince's status is more prestigious. In reality, their positions within the delegation are comparable."
"I originally planned to arrange for the Minister of Rites and Lord Yan to receive the delegation. But now that their great prince has also arrived, I'm afraid this arrangement would be inappropriate."
"I'm afraid they'll make a big fuss about this and accuse us of looking down on Dayue."
At this time, everyone had already understood Emperor Mingxi's meaning.
This means that another prince will be selected temporarily to handle the reception duties.
Emperor Mingxi glanced at the crowd and continued, "Therefore, I have decided to select another prince or a noble to serve as the reception official."
After Emperor Mingxi finished speaking, everyone was silent for a moment.
The Crown Prince spoke first, "I am willing to receive the Dai Viet delegation!"
At this time, the Second Prince stepped forward and said, "The Crown Prince's status is too noble, why not let me go?"
Emperor Mingxi stroked his beard and smiled with relief.
At this time, the Third Prince also spoke up: "Father, the Crown Prince is too noble. If he comes to receive us, it may make Daiyue feel that we are afraid of him. Second Prince has just returned from the Northern Frontier and needs to be trained. It is better to let me go. I am already grown up."
The third prince, Xia Chengsui, is already eighteen years old, and his handsome face has shown a bit of maturity.
His words really shocked everyone.
Xia Chengsui had just participated in the morning court this year, and everyone still subconsciously treated him as a child, and were somewhat uncomfortable treating him as an adult.
Emperor Mingxi looked the third prince up and down, his eyes lighting up.
"But Cheng Sui, you've never been on an errand before, and this is an important mission to receive a foreign delegation. There's no room for error. Are you confident?"
The Third Prince nodded firmly: "Father, I will do my job well!"
At this time, the prince said in a gentle voice: "Father, I can give guidance to my third brother."
Over the years, the prince has done many tasks, big and small, and has gained a lot of experience. His ability to do his job has improved a lot, and he has also accumulated a lot of experience.
Emperor Mingxi smiled gratifiedly at the Crown Prince, walked over to the Third Prince, and patted him vigorously on the shoulder: "Okay! It's settled then."
Then, Emperor Mingxi instructed, "Third Brother, let Lord Yan and Wang Siqing take care of you. You must listen to them carefully. If you have any difficulties, you can also consult the Crown Prince."
After hearing this, the third prince bowed respectfully again.
After discussing how to receive the delegation, everyone dispersed.
Yan Wenjing and Wang Siqing took the initiative to pull the third prince.
"Third Prince, the Dai Viet delegation will arrive in the capital in two or three days." Yan Wenjing said.
"Time is urgent. How about this now? Wang Siqing and I will take His Highness to the guesthouse to take a look and learn about the reception first."
The Crown Prince and the Second Prince were not very confident about the Third Prince, so he didn't leave just now.
At this time, the prince also said: "Master Yan is right. I will go with you to the guesthouse to take a look."
The second prince echoed, "I'll go too!"
The third prince naturally agreed with both hands.
Before long, a group of five people arrived at the guesthouse.
The Guest House was built on the west side of the capital, about ten miles away from the imperial palace.
It was specially used by Daxia to receive foreign delegations.
The guesthouse was built in a very grand and luxurious manner. The entire guesthouse was almost as big as the Prince's Mansion. There were dozens of rooms inside, which could accommodate a delegation of hundreds of people.
It was the first time for the Third Prince to come to the guesthouse and also his first time to serve as a welcoming envoy, so he found everything very novel.
The steward of the guesthouse led the way attentively in front, and Lord Yan and Wang Siqing introduced the place to the third prince as they walked.
It took them two incense sticks of time to tour the entire guesthouse.
Seeing that everyone was a little tired, the steward hurriedly brought some good tea and asked everyone to sit in the front hall and rest for a while.
Lord Yan took a sip of tea and said, "When we receive the delegation, safety is our top priority."
"First, we must protect the safety of the delegation and prevent those with ulterior motives from poisoning or harming them. Second, we must also be on guard against any tricks the delegation members might take."
After hearing this, the Crown Prince and the Third Prince nodded repeatedly.
Lord Yan continued, "We've just toured the guesthouse inside and out. What else do you think we need to pay attention to?"
The Crown Prince spoke first, "Shouldn't we screen all the people in the guesthouse? We must make sure no suspicious people sneak in!"
Lord Yan and Wang Siqing smiled at each other and nodded.
Wang Siqing gave the Crown Prince a thumbs-up: "Well, Your Highness, this is a very good idea!"
The Third Prince pinched his chin and thought for a moment. "As for the doors and windows, I think we should check all of them to see if any are broken and repair them immediately."
Lord Yan nodded approvingly: "Okay, this one is fine."
At this time, there was a chattering sound outside.
A servant came running over to announce, "Princess Anguo has arrived with her two young ladies, and they're clamoring to come in!"
The Crown Prince, the Second Prince, and the Third Prince all laughed at the same time.
When the three of them heard that it was their younger sister who came, they guessed that her younger sister must have finished the dinner party. When they found out that they were at the guesthouse, they followed her.
The prince waved his hand and said, "Let them in."
Lord Yan and Wang Siqing were at a loss to say anything after hearing what the prince said.
Before long, Xia Miaoyuan brought Xiao Wanyin and Yan Wenjing in.
When Lord Yan saw that his granddaughter was there, he was shocked.
"Ruoxi, why are you here instead of going home?" Lord Yan asked in a deep voice.
Yan Ruoxi lowered her head slightly: "Grandfather, it's my fault."
Seeing Yan Ruoxi admit her mistake, Xia Miaoyuan quickly explained, "It's none of Sister Yan's fault. I was the one who dragged her here."
When Lord Yan heard Xia Miaoyuan come forward to defend his granddaughter, he stopped talking and didn't know what to say.
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