Gu Yuan held the wine bottle tightly.
Seeing Ning Que drinking happily, he felt sad and angry.
But who can he blame?
He has only himself to blame.
Emperor Feng gave him a chance, but he didn't seize it.
Just as he was about to stand up, he was stopped by Gu Mingzhi.
"Yuan'er, no!"
"But……"
"No buts!"
Gu Mingzhi scolded in a low voice.
Now is the time when Ning Que is proud.
Jumping out is asking for trouble.
They have to endure now.
We must behave ourselves openly.
Gu Yuan's face turned cold. He hadn't expected Ning Que to possess such superb swordsmanship. As a military family, the Ning Palace's most powerful weapon was the Overlord Spear. But he remembered hearing Lin Xianhong say that Ning Que had never used the Overlord Spear since marrying her.
The most taboo thing in martial arts training is to give up halfway.
Ning Que hadn't touched a weapon for three years.
How come he's still so powerful?!
"Your Highness is truly well-hidden." Jiang Quan stood up, raised his glass, and said, "This is truly an eye-opener for us. This level of swordsmanship is unheard of."
"Master Jiang, your compliments are too kind."
"If there is a chance in the future, please teach me, Your Majesty."
Jiang Quan was very serious.
He is a man who loves swordsmanship.
As a rebellious youth, he became a wandering knight. Armed with a sword, he traveled thousands of miles. He treated the outlaws like brothers, renowned for his swift swordplay. Later, he joined the army, serving under the old Prince Ning, earning numerous slayings. Though he later transitioned to a civilian position as Minister of War, Jiang Quan continued to practice swordplay in his spare time.
"Then Lord Jiang, please give way to me."
"Hahaha!"
Jiang Quan smiled brightly and returned to his seat.
The Queen Mother looked reluctant and sighed, "Forget it, as long as Prince Ning is alright. Let's call it a day..."
"Your Majesty, I have not yet presented my gift."
Ning Que laughed.
He remembered that his father had mentioned it to him before.
When the Empress Dowager first entered the palace, she was quite vicious. After all, in a harsh place like the harem, you couldn't survive without some tricks. But after giving birth to Emperor Feng, she became more amiable. After Emperor Feng ascended the throne, he devoted himself to worshipping Buddha and not interfering in state affairs.
"you……"
"Yes, Prince Ning hasn't presented the gift yet."
"It's so mysterious, what kind of gift is it?"
Emperor Feng was also very interested.
Ning Que always comes up with something new.
We can’t let him off the hook this time.
"I have been preparing this birthday gift for several days."
"The Queen Mother, at least you've seen it first..."
"Okay, then I'll take a look."
The Queen Mother looked helpless, yet also a bit doting.
"What about the birthday gift?"
"The Queen Mother, Your Majesty, and all the gentlemen, please move outside the palace."
"Um?"
Emperor Feng frowned.
Outside the palace?
Could it be some big object?
"Okay, then I'll wait and see."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Ning Que walked slowly out of the palace.
At the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet, all officials were required to present gifts. In reality, these gifts had been registered and reviewed by the Ministry of Rites to ensure that no hidden weapons were involved. After all, they had to be wary of anyone using the gift as a pretext for assassination.
During the reign of Emperor Wu, an envoy concealed a weapon within a map under the guise of presenting it. Had it not been for Emperor Wu's own exceptional martial arts skills, he would have likely been killed. Everything in the imperial palace and forbidden gardens adhered to the rules. Even Ning Que's birthday gift had already been inspected by officials from the Ministry of Rites.
"Where's the prince's birthday gift?"
Gu Mingzhi looked around but saw nothing.
Ning Que smiled.
"Your Majesty, please ring the bell."
"good."
The Queen Mother walked forward doubtfully.
He lifted the gavel and struck the bronze bell hard.
The bronze bell is used to tell time in the palace.
Every hour, someone would ring the bell.
Buzz...
A vast and heavy bell rang out.
It also proves the saying that the greatest sound is the one without voice.
"After knocking, what next?"
"Hey, wait a moment, Queen Mother."
Ning Que stood with his hands behind his back, looking towards the east.
Soon, a scene that shocked everyone appeared.
A ball of fire suddenly appeared in the distance.
And under the gaze of everyone, it gradually rose.
"What...what is this?"
"Look, there's one over there too!"
Rays of flames shot straight into the sky.
All the officials were dumbfounded.
The Queen Mother stared blankly.
The firelight was eerie and had a unique beauty, especially when it rose high into the sky, seeming to blend in with the night sky, which was awe-inspiring.
"Is this your birthday gift?"
"Exactly."
Ning Que raised his hands and bowed deeply, then introduced with a smile, "This item is called the Sky Lantern, and it can reach the heavens. Today, at the Queen Mother's birthday banquet, I will present the Sky Lantern. May the Queen Mother live a long and everlasting life. I also wish that my great master will be blessed by heaven and live forever!"
"May the Queen Mother live a long and healthy life!"
"May the great devotion last forever, year after year!"
Sima Changqing followed suit and bowed in agreement.
The ministers followed closely behind.
Looking at the sky lanterns, I was a little confused.
Ning Que smiled.
The so-called sky lantern is actually a Kongming lantern, which is said to have been invented by Zhuge Liang. This lantern was not only used for folk prayers, but more importantly, for military communication. In the darkness of night, it could serve as a beacon fire. In an emergency, hoisting a sky lantern would alert distant troops.
A sky lantern flew in from afar. Uncle Fu slowly retracted it like a kite, finally landing it steadily in front of them. Written in seal script on it were Ning Que's words: his best wishes for the Queen Mother and Dafeng.
“Is this a sky lantern?”
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