Chapter 100: Sir, please be safe, box
The next day, early in the morning.
When the prince of the Western Regions came to the capital, the Minister of Rites and his subordinates welcomed the prince and accommodated him in an inn.
"King Yuesha has come from afar and is a distinguished guest of Daxia. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has specially ordered me to prepare a welcoming banquet for you. King Yuesha, please come!" The Minister of Rites was an elderly man and he said politely.
"Thank you, Your Excellency the Minister, and thank you, Your Highness the Crown Prince." King Yuesha replied.
The etiquette of Daxia in receiving guests from vassal states was that after the vassal kings came to the capital, they had to submit a request for an audience with the Emperor of Daxia. Only after the Emperor's approval and the auspicious day was chosen to organize a palace banquet, could they be allowed to meet the Emperor.
Before this, the emperor was usually received by the prince or officials from the Ministry of Rites.
Because Yueshan was one of the two major countries in the Western Regions, the Emperor of Daxia specially sent a prince to show his importance.
Qinghuan Tower is the official kitchen of Daxia that is specially used to entertain foreign guests.
The prince was sitting in the host's seat.
Xie Lingxi, wearing a gold dress inlaid with beads, sat lazily in a side seat.
Sitting at the lower left were a group of officials and a woman, the prince's cousin, Xun Shiyu.
Xun Shiyu was actually very reluctant to come over.
Because Fan Ziyi wanted her to marry King Yuesha...
The Western Regions were thousands of miles away, so she was not happy. But as the daughter of the Xun family, her marriage was not something she could decide.
"King Yuesha has arrived!" the servant came in to report.
The person who came in with the Minister of Rites was a tall and handsome young man.
He looked like a Central Plains person, but his facial features were more rugged, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, and he walked like a dragon and a tiger. He looked at the two people in the main seat and bowed:
"Ye Yan, the Lord of Moon Sand, greets the Crown Prince of Daxia and the Prince of the Northern King!"
Vassal states must observe tributary etiquette.
Murong Shicheng immediately stood up and said with a smile, "King Yuesha, there is no need to be polite. Please take a seat."
"Thank you, Your Highness."
Ye Yan sat down.
The maid brought a sumptuous meal...
The string music started and the dancers began to dance.
“This is King Yuesha’s first visit to Daxia, so he must be feeling a little uncomfortable. Half of these dishes are delicacies from your Western Regions, and the other half are delicacies from our Daxia. You can have a taste…” Murong Shicheng was very polite and enthusiastic towards the people he wanted to win over.
"Thank you for the arrangement, Prince! You really take care of everything." Ye Yan said with a smile.
Hearing Ye Yan's praise, Murong Shicheng felt elated. He glanced at Xie Lingxi beside him and couldn't help but sneered:
"Prince Yuesha has only met Xie Lingxi before, and I don't want you to have any misunderstandings about our Great Xia because of this. Our Great Xia's court officials are not all good-for-nothings. There are still many loyal officials like the Minister of Rites who are dedicated to their duties."
The Minister of Rites was a good-natured man who liked to smooth things over. When he heard this, he jumped up from his seat in shock:
"Your Highness, you are too kind. I am ashamed."
Ye Yan's eyes flickered. This prince was just like the rumors said, stupid and vicious...
"It is true that I have only met the prince of the Northern King before. The prince came a thousand miles away with the decree of the upper country to confer the title on me. He is Yuesha's distinguished guest and my benefactor."
"My impression of Daxia is that it is a vast land with abundant resources and a wealth of talented people. Along the way, I met His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and the Minister of Rites. I feel that the facts are even better than the rumors, and I think there is nothing to misunderstand."
Ye Yan's words not only praised Xie Lingxi, but also did not leave out the Crown Prince and the Minister of Rites. He was truly a man of many talents and good at dancing with all his sleeves.
Murong Shicheng listened but was not angry.
It is normal that the royal families of neighboring countries dare not offend the Northern Palace.
After all, most of their ancestors had been beaten by Xie’s army.
Once he has someone to support him, the situation will be completely different.
He was very satisfied with Ye Yan's respectful and flattering attitude, so he winked at Xun Shiyu.
Xun Shiyu was very reluctant at first.
I didn’t expect that this prince of the Western Regions would be so handsome!
He was a little happier than before and said:
"Shiyu has made great progress in music practice recently, and has prepared a piece of music to dedicate to my cousin, the Crown Prince."
Murong Shicheng immediately cooperated and said, "My cousin is a great pianist. We are in for a treat today."
Xun Shiyu came on stage holding a guqin.
The song is over.
Murong Shicheng immediately looked at Ye Yan and asked, "What does King Yuesha think?"
"I don't understand the art of playing the zither, I just think it's very beautiful..." Ye Yan praised with a smile. He has never said a bad word since he came to Beijing, and he always praises everything he sees.
Xun Shiyu was very pleased with himself.
Murong Shicheng also felt that the marriage had great potential, and the scene became more harmonious for a while.
The banquet is over.
Ye Yan thanked everyone and specially gave the three chief officers gifts brought from the Western Regions.
…
Come out from Qinghuan Tower.
Xie Lingxi did not return to the Northern Palace, but went to a remote villa in the south of the city.
The attendants carried the large box sent by King Yuesha from the carriage back to the yard.
Jingzhe opened the lock and lifted the lid, only to see a man in black lying inside, covered in wounds and unconscious.
Just a moment.
Chushu came to report: "Young Master, someone is coming."
"Let him in."
A man shrouded in a black cloak walked in with Chushu.
He walked straight to Xie Lingxi, lifted his cloak, and saluted respectfully:
"Greetings, young master."
The face beneath the cloak is...
Night Flame.
…
At noon, Wanjuan Study hung a small wooden sign in front of its door.
"'Qian Qiu Volume Three' is on sale!"
As the news of the new volume's sale spread, Qingshi Street was once again crowded.
Major brothels, restaurants, and teahouses had reserved thousands of copies in advance.
For a time, the entire capital city, streets and alleys, were filled with people watching "Qian Qiu".
In the exquisite building.
Shen Wenyuan drank and had fun with several children of high-ranking officials, and a group of scholars talked about everything.
Recently, Master Shen sent him to Jingxi Academy, the most famous academy in the capital, where many great scholars gathered, and many aristocratic families in the capital also sent their children to study.
After Shen Wenyuan entered the school, he did not study hard, but immediately made friends with the children of officials in the school...
"Gentlemen, today 'Qianqiu Volume Three' is on sale. My shopkeeper announces that all guests in the private rooms today will receive a copy. Do you need one?" The waiter came forward with a tray containing the book and asked with a bow.
The room rate for a private room is only a few taels, and those who can dine here are all distinguished guests of Zhenxiulou.
The shopkeeper is very good at dealing with people. For these distinguished guests, he saves them the trouble of queuing up to buy books and just gives them away directly!
All the young masters were very interested in "Qian Qiu", but when they remembered something, they all looked at Shen Wenyuan.
Everyone knows about the rift between Shen Wenyuan and Jiang Rong. It's inappropriate to watch "Qian Qiu" in front of him, right?
Instead, Shen Wenyuan smiled and said:
"Thank you, shopkeeper. Let me have a look at it. This Wanjuan Bookstore is the business of my fiancée's cousin, so I should take good care of it. Bring me some ink, go to Wanjuan Bookstore and buy a hundred books, and give one to each of my father, brother, and sister."
The book boy took the ink and left.
The atmosphere at the banquet became lively again.
"Brother Shen is magnanimous. He doesn't bother with women. He repays evil with virtue. He is truly a gentleman!"
“That’s right.”
Several sons of officials began to flatter each other.
Shen Wenyuan opened the third volume of Qianqiu. The first volume commented on the essays of the top five candidates who passed the provincial examinations in the capital, north of the Yangtze River, and south of the Yangtze River last year...
"Brother Shang, I saw your article!" Shen Wenyuan saw that someone's article was included in the collection, and immediately smiled and praised:
"You are indeed the top scorer in last year's Jingcheng Township Examination. You are even praised in the book."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
