Chapter 20
"Moon, you mustn't do this!"
Such an arrogant attitude, if seen by the imperial family, would surely displease them.
Lin Yue'er pursed her lips and didn't say anything.
She was very unwilling to accept Shen Qingnian's earlier annoyance, but fortunately she was confident that she could outdo her in terms of wedding gifts.
Thinking of this, Lin Yue'er's unwilling expression turned into a smug one. She whispered to the maid beside her to bring up the congratulatory gifts.
Shen Qingnian noticed the change in Lin Yue'er's expression, and she was also a little curious about what the other party would give as a gift.
Lin Minxin was promoted from a minor fifth-rank official, which happened in the last few years, and His Majesty's deliberate promotion was indispensable during this period.
If Lin Yue'er were to present him with an expensive and extravagant gift, His Majesty and the Crown Prince would likely not be pleased.
He was a civil official of the Qingliu faction, not a hereditary noble, and had only been in the position of Vice Minister of Rites for a few years. Where did he get such a grand gesture?
Soon, the Lin family's servants carried something into the hall. It was very large and heavy, covered with a red cloth. It took three servants working together to lift it up.
Just then, the dancers finished their performance and left the hall, making the things carried by the three servants very conspicuous.
Everyone looked at the heavy object.
Lin Yue'er stood up, glanced at Shen Qingnian, her eyes full of contempt.
"Your Highness, this gift is a small token of my appreciation," Lin Yue'er said, her face slightly flushed, her expression carrying a hint of pride.
This gift was retrieved from the deep sea by someone my father had asked; it's priceless.
Song Xuan looked at the congratulatory gift covered with red cloth, and his usually gentle eyes darkened for a moment before disappearing.
Shen Qingnian, who was sitting down, raised her eyebrows. She heard Shen Zheng next to her mockingly say, "That Lin Minxin is really useless. I don't know why His Majesty values him so much."
The rest of the people in the hall looked curiously at the congratulatory gift covered with red cloth, and whispered among themselves guessing what it was.
Lin Yue'er stepped down from her seat and went to the congratulatory gift, which was almost as tall as her. She bowed to the person in the seat of honor and then waved to the servant to unveil the red cloth.
The servant carefully lifted the red cloth covering the congratulatory gift.
"Hiss—" Everyone in the hall stared wide-eyed.
The congratulatory gift Lin Yue'er sent was a coral as tall as a person!
The coral was brightly colored and very eye-catching, and it shimmered slightly under the light of the palace lanterns.
The coral was deliberately decorated, with sachets, persimmons, and some auspicious poems hanging on it, making it look even more beautiful.
After a brief moment of amazement, everyone sighed in admiration:
"This coral is over a meter tall, which is extremely rare. The coral that Japan gave as compensation when it ceded territory was only a tiny one!"
"Let alone something this big, even a coral bracelet would be worth ten thousand taels of silver. It's priceless outside. All the coral in our dynasty comes from tribute, which shows how precious it is."
"Tsk tsk tsk, Lord Lin is truly generous, actually finding a coral as tall as a person. He is indeed very powerful."
"Lord Lin was able to rise from a lowly fifth-rank official to the position of Vice Minister in just a few years, and is highly regarded by His Majesty; he must possess great abilities..."
......
Today is a palace banquet, and the guests include not only women from the inner quarters but also court officials. The topic that was originally about coral quickly turned to Lin Minxin.
Lin Minxin's expression changed slightly. He looked at the emperor on the throne and, seeing that the emperor's expression remained humble, he felt relieved.
Although his grandfather has passed away, he still protects the Lin family, and His Majesty values him highly. He's just overthinking things.
Lin Yue'er listened to the discussions around her and didn't feel that anything was wrong. Her Lin family was powerful, and her father was highly regarded by His Majesty!
She raised her head, somewhat proudly, and said, "Coral is rare. Most of it grows at depths of hundreds of meters in the water, let alone such a large coral."
Today, I present this coral to His Highness the Crown Prince as a birthday gift, a token of my heartfelt wishes.
After saying this, Lin Yue'er showed a hint of shyness. Lin Minxin spoke up at the right time: "The persimmons and sachets on this coral were all hung up by my daughter herself, and these poems were also written by my daughter herself. She really put a lot of effort into it."
Song Xuan had been watching Lin Yue'er and her father Lin Minxin. After Lin Minxin finished speaking, he stood up, his attitude as gentle as ever. He said indifferently, "Miss Lin's gift is truly precious."
Although it is gentle and warm, it carries a hint of hidden aloofness.
“Of course, this coral was specially obtained by my father from a neighboring country. However, it took a lot of effort to transport it from the neighboring country to the capital. Several horses died from exhaustion alone,” Lin Yue’er said with a hint of pride, as if she was waiting for Song Xuan’s praise.
Is there anyone who can do what she did? She even traveled to a neighboring country to find a gift for her brother, the Crown Prince.
Upon hearing Lin Yue'er's words, Song Xuan's expression remained gentle, but he showed little joy.
"Miss Lin has devoted so much effort to this coral, which shows how much she has done behind the scenes. She must be very wealthy. The largest coral in the dynasty is not even half the size of this one."
"It is truly remarkable that Your Highness has obtained this coral," Shen Zheng said, bowing towards Song Xuan with deep admiration.
He might as well take advantage of this opportunity to offer himself up.
Lin Minxin could easily see through Shen Zheng's provocation, and he wouldn't tolerate it. He immediately said, "Your Excellency, you flatter my daughter. In terms of wealth, my Lin family can't compare to Your Excellency. I've heard that the Shen family owns a lot of private property, enough to cover several streets!"
Everyone knows that the Shen family owns a lot of private property, but Shen Zheng currently holds a high official position and has a son who is a general on the border, which makes him truly daunting. This is why Shen Zheng insists on making Shen Qingnian the Crown Princess.
He feared that one day the emperor would settle scores, and if he had the crown prince of the Shen family in his hands, the Shen family could survive, or even rebel against him!
If Shen Zheng could think of this, then the royal family must have thought of it long ago. Shen Qingnian is a daughter of the Shen family, and if she really becomes the Crown Princess, it will take quite a bit of effort...
"Minister Lin, be careful what you say!" The emperor, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke.
He waved his hand: "I am aware of your deep affection for the Crown Prince. Please sit down."
Lin Minxin bowed to the emperor and obediently sat down, while Shen Zheng said no more.
Lin Yue'er then covered her mouth and looked at Shen Qingnian, asking, "Miss Shen, everyone has already presented their congratulatory gifts to His Highness the Crown Prince, why are you still hiding yours?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Qingnian stood up. Xiao Ju, who was standing next to her, was carrying a tray with the contents covered by a red cloth.
She looked at Song Xuan and bowed, saying, "My gift is truly unworthy of your attention, Your Highness. Please do not find it offensive."
After saying that, Xiaoju stepped forward with the tray.
Looking at the tray in front of him, Song Xuan's eyes flickered, and a slight sense of anticipation rose in his heart.
He didn't care what other people gave him; he only cared about what she gave him.
Thinking this, Song Xuan personally lifted the red cloth—
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