Chapter 297 See You Again
Inside the Taiji Hall, the candlelight was as bright as day, and palace lanterns in a mixture of bright yellow and crimson hung on the beams, casting a warm glow on the jade cups and golden goblets throughout the hall.
Xiao Heng stood up from the throne, cup in hand, and looked towards the crowd. His voice echoed clearly through the palace: "This great victory is not the work of me alone, but the result of the concerted efforts of Lan Yue and the soldiers of the three armies! Today, I would like to drink this cup with you all and celebrate the peace and stability of our country!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" All the ministers in the hall bowed, raised their cups, and drank from them.
In the midst of the banquet, Zong Zhengjun suddenly stood up and left the table. He bowed to Xiao Heng and said, "Brother Xiao, my beloved daughter is now outside the palace gate. She has come from afar and is unfamiliar with the palace etiquette. I must excuse myself for a moment and go to greet her personally."
Xiao Heng picked up his wine glass and said with a smile: "I've always heard that Lan Yue dotes on his daughter the most. Seeing her today, it's true."
Zong Zhengjun smiled and said, "My daughter has been traveling all over the place. She has only been back in Lanyue for two years now and is very clingy."
When it came to his daughter Yan Ji, Zong Zhengjun smiled in the corners of his eyes and brows. His majestic air disappeared completely, leaving only the tenderness of a father.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Heng raised his hand to signal him to hurry up: "Since that's the case, Brother Zong Zheng, go quickly!"
After saying this, he quickly ordered Zhou Defu to go and welcome the princess of Lanyue Kingdom with royal ceremony.
A meaningful smile appeared on the queen's lips.
How could Princess Lanyue come all the way here just to see her father?
When two countries have friendly relations, they always use the marriage of princesses as a bond. Zong Zhengjun asked his daughter to come to Jinghe, and his intention was obvious.
I’m afraid... there will be a new face in this palace.
Besides, the princess's rank would not be very low.
With her noble birth and Lan Yue's contribution this time, even if she is not a concubine, she should be given the position of a concubine.
She turned her head to look at Xiao Heng, only to see Xiao Heng staring at the wine in the glass, not knowing what he was thinking, with a gloomy expression.
Yes, Xiao Heng thought of Liu Yuetang again.
She recalled the day when she was drunk and hit her chest with her hands, saying, "Xiao Heng, you bastard."
"Why does it always make me so uncomfortable?"
Maybe it was because I didn't know how to cherish her before.
Now that retribution has come, I am the only one who suffers.
Xiao Heng picked up the wine glass and drank it all.
After an unknown amount of time, Xiao Heng looked at the Queen and whispered, "Queen, what rank do you think should be given to Princess Lan Yue?"
The Queen nodded slightly and said, "I think the position of Concubine is just right. What do you think, Your Majesty?"
"Then it will be the position of consort." Xiao Heng agreed, and then said: "Next year's selection will be suspended. I will tell the Ministry of Revenue not to prepare."
The Queen was surprised, "Is the Emperor not planning to hold a beauty pageant?"
Xiao Heng gently stroked the patterns on the wine glass with his fingertips and nodded slightly: "I still have to prepare to attack Jiang Kingdom and Yantai Kingdom later, so I really have no intention of having a harem. Taking them into the palace will only cause me more trouble."
The queen was stunned for a moment, then slowly lowered her eyes: "Okay."
Xiao Heng canceled next year's selection due to state affairs. Even if the ministers in the court wanted to find fault, they couldn't find any reason, and the queen naturally wouldn't give him any more advice.
The more new people there are, the more conspiracies and schemes there will be in the palace. Now that the harem has finally been peaceful for a while, she also wants to have more quiet time.
But only Xiao Heng knew in his heart that the national affairs were just a cover and his real intention was not to participate in the selection again.
Liu Yuetang had only been gone for a few months, and he was asked to select those beauties into the palace. He couldn't do it!
Even if she is the princess of Lanyue Country, he will treat her well after taking her into the harem and will give her all the honors she deserves, but he will not summon her to sleep with him in the short term.
As I was thinking this, a bright color suddenly caught my eye.
Xiao Heng raised his eyes and saw that she was already standing behind Zong Zhengjun. He could only see half of her figure, and her face was also covered with a veil, so his true appearance could not be seen clearly.
Zong Zhengjun bowed and saluted: "Your Majesty, this is my little daughter."
Liu Yuetang walked into the hall in lotus steps.
It was not a complicated palace dress, but a long coral dress with large golden flowers embroidered on the hem. When she moved, it was like a flowing flame, and the golden patterns stretched with her steps. It was also like the clouds rolling in the sky when the setting sun melted gold, so warm that people could not take their eyes away.
She leaned over, holding the pipa, and the red veil made her skin look as smooth as jade.
"My humble daughter, Zong Zheng Qianyin, greets the Emperor and the Empress."
As soon as she spoke, Xiao Heng felt as if his heart was being clenched by a hand, and even his fingertips were trembling slightly.
When he touched the figure that was more plump than Liu Yuetang, Xiao Heng pulled his lips coldly.
It turns out that when longing reaches its extreme, one will have such a heart-wrenching illusion when looking at a completely unfamiliar outline.
Although her voice sounded like Liu Yuetang's, it was not as gentle and melodious as Liu Yuetang's. It was only about 70% similar.
Seeing that Xiao Heng was hesitant to speak, the Queen said loudly, "Princess Lanming, there is no need to be so polite."
Liu Yuetang lowered her eyes and smiled, "The peace and prosperity of the country are great, and there should be beautiful music to accompany it. Qianyin Su loves the pipa, so why not play a piece of 'Jiahe' for the two countries? May the crops be fertile from now on, and may both countries enjoy the sweet rain."
After saying that, Liu Yuetang sat down with a smile. She plucked the strings lightly with her bare hands. When the sound first started, it was like a stream flowing over bluestone, with a refreshing feeling after the rain.
Her graceful eyes were fixed on the string until she caught sight of a sight out of the corner of her eye. She slowly raised her eyelids, and the loose hair on her temples was blown by the wind in the hall, revealing the outline of her eyebrows and eyes.
At this moment, Xiao Heng felt that all the blood in his body had frozen in an instant.
He stared at the eyes and eyebrows of the person in front of him, and the jade cup in his hand fell on the table with a "clang". The wine spilled and soaked the bright yellow brocade, but he was completely unaware.
"Your Majesty..." The Queen was startled and was about to step forward to help Xiao Heng tidy up, but she found that his eyes were burning and he was motionless, his eyes were full of Zong Zheng Qianyin in the hall. She turned her head to look at the woman playing the pipa in the hall, and slowly withdrew her hand.
So similar...
They look so similar...
Xiao Heng almost forgot to breathe.
How could there be such similar eyes in this world?
The way the corners of his eyes drooped, even the frequency of his eyelashes trembling, were exactly the same as hers.
Perhaps the woman in the hall also felt Xiao Heng's gaze, and she glanced at Xiao Heng with her eyes moving.
It was this one glance that made his heart tighten and he stood up in a panic.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he walked down the stairs as if he had lost his soul.
The noise, music, and voices in the hall all faded into a blurry mist, and only that face became clearer and clearer in his eyes.
At the same time, the sound of the pipa in the hall suddenly stopped.
Liu Yuetang pretended to be confused as she looked at the man who was walking towards her step by step.
But after not seeing him for three months, he looked much older.
There are now one or two faint fine lines at the corners of the eyes, which used to be full of vigor and vitality.
The loose robe dangled empty, seeming much thinner than before.
The most different thing is...
His eyes.
She had never seen Xiao Heng's eyes so scorching.
There were so many things wrapped in that heat—shock, ecstasy, sadness, disbelief…
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