Chapter 46: Welcome Banquet, I Want Your Majesty
It was Gu Linyuan who returned, and not just him. On his way back, the general also brought back the emperor's younger brother, the sixth prince Song Chengnian.
During the previous expedition, the young Emperor Song Mingjiao made a special trip from the Imperial Palace to the city walls to see the army off. But now that they had returned victorious, Song Mingjiao had no intention of putting himself through this again. He simply waited quietly outside the Qianyuan Palace in the Imperial Palace.
This time, the ministers were not asked to gather in the palace to welcome the triumphant army, but it was obvious that both the people of the capital and the officials and courtiers spontaneously went to the streets along the way to welcome the returning army.
A long, black procession snaked its way through the city gate, marching in unison and with strict discipline. Behind the procession were various trophies seized from the barbarians.
There are cattle and sheep that can be distributed to the people, war horses that can expand the military strength, and gold, silver and jewelry presented to Your Majesty.
Every soldier's clothes were stained with the frost of their long journey, yet they couldn't suppress their smiles. At the forefront of the ranks flew the banners uniquely belonging to Daliang and Emperor Song Mingjiao.
The flag printed with the word "Song" fluttered as the team moved forward, from the northernmost border all the way to the imperial palace in the capital.
At this point, the soldiers have basically returned home to reunite with their families. In the days that follow, they will successively receive rewards from the emperor. Song Mingjiao had already discussed the specific details of the rewards with officials from various departments before the army returned to the capital.
Song Mingjiao didn't wait too long in the palace before he saw Gu Linyuan riding on a tall warhorse, and Song Chengnian following Gu Linyuan.
"Your Majesty, I have fulfilled your command."
The general dismounted, knelt on one knee before Song Mingjiao, and saluted. His armor was already worn compared to before the expedition, and it made several cold clinking sounds as Gu Linyuan moved.
Song Mingjiao walked down the stairs step by step, bent down, and helped Gu Linyuan up with his hands.
The emperor's smile was gentle and genuine, coming from the heart: "General, it is my good fortune that Daliang has such an army."
The ruler and his ministers know each other well and are filled with joy.
Song Mingjiao was very satisfied with his performance and thought that all the film and television dramas he had watched in the past came in handy. With regard to his performance today, he must be highly praised in history books, right?
The harmonious atmosphere did not include He Wen, who was smiling with a forced smile.
After all, when these two annoying and conspicuous bags were outside the capital, he and Song Mingjiao lived in their own world, staying together day and night, and were very happy. But those days are gone forever.
Song Mingjiao was showing the emperor's kindness and generosity, asking Gu Linyuan about his well-being with such concern that he seemed to be almost flying away.
Song Chengnian, who was standing next to him, felt ignored by his brother, so he immediately came over and said, "Brother, there is also me! I have also made great efforts this time."
Only then did Song Mingjiao notice his adopted brother whom he had not seen for a long time.
After more than half a year of training outside, Song Chengnian now looks taller, with darker skin, and sharper facial features. He bears less and less resemblance to Song Mingjiao.
Even if Song Chengnian was like this now, imitating his past behavior and approaching Song Mingjiao to ask for credit and reward, Song Mingjiao could clearly sense that:
The person in front of him was more like a mature man with the beginning of aggressive desires than his younger brother.
Song Mingjiao smiled tolerantly and raised his hand to touch his adopted brother's head. Song Chengnian noticed his brother's action and his eyes lit up immediately. He lowered his head and put his head obediently under Song Mingjiao's hand, like a docile house dog.
Song Mingjiao only touched it for a moment, then raised his eyebrows imperceptibly and quickly withdrew his hand. His adopted brother's hair had become rough after going out, so it was not easy to touch it, so he decided not to touch it.
"Chengnian is also very good. He has lived up to my expectations. I am very pleased."
Song Mingjiao praised everyone without any partiality.
He was indeed very satisfied with the outcome of this great victory, because it not only resolved the biggest threat on the northern border, but also resolved the constraints and imprisonment of the system's so-called plot on him.
Song Mingjiao thought about how the system had been jumping around in his head these days, wishing he would be attacked by foreign tribes immediately, and then he had prayed to the system, but in vain. The curve of his lips rose higher and higher.
Therefore, Song Mingjiao, who was immersed in joy, did not notice that Song Chengnian's eyes suddenly darkened.
Song Chengnian, who thought he had grown up and transformed, thought he would be treated like Gu Linyuan. But unexpectedly, Song Mingjiao still treated him as an ignorant younger brother as before.
Song Chengnian felt a little disappointed, but he quickly adjusted his mood.
He has gained enough experience outside the capital and will continue to live with his elder brother for a long time. Sooner or later, he will let his elder brother know that his younger brother, who was once treated as a child, has now grown up and can protect his elder brother under his wings.
*
Afterwards, in order to welcome the victorious army, Song Mingjiao specially set up a family banquet to receive the representative nominated by the soldiers, who was actually Gu Linyuan.
Although it was called a family dinner, only four people participated: Song Mingjiao, He Wen, Song Chengnian, and Gu Linyuan, as well as the palace maids and eunuchs who were responsible for serving them.
Song Mingjiao was in a good mood and drank some wine at the family banquet. Ancient wine was more potent than modern mild red wine, not to mention that this wine was confiscated from the barbarians by Gu Linyuan, originally intended to be presented to the emperor as a treasure.
"Ooooh... so spicy."
The people at the family dinner were all Song Mingjiao's closest acquaintances. He no longer concealed his true nature. As soon as he touched the wine glass and took two sips, he felt a burning pain on the tip of his tongue.
Song Mingjiao took two deep breaths quietly and unconsciously stuck out half of his tongue, which was faintly visible between his lips.
It was not so bad that he was so aggressive. The three people who were watching the emperor closely and paying close attention to his movements came over at this moment, vying with each other to make their presence felt in front of Song Mingjiao, and directly took over Eunuch Zhao's job.
Eunuch Zhao who was squeezed out of the circle:?
"Your Majesty, please drink some fruit wine. I picked the fruit myself. I know your Majesty cannot drink much, so I specially selected this fruit wine. It is the sweet taste that your Majesty likes."
Relying on his understanding of Song Mingjiao, He Wen squeezed to Song Mingjiao's right side, handed a transparent crystal glass to Song Mingjiao, and also took the opportunity to criticize Gu Linyuan who was delivering the liquor.
Song Mingjiao liked this kind of small and exquisite object, and soon took the wine handed over by He Wen because of the attraction of the cup: "Well, let me try it."
This time, Song Mingjiao was much more cautious. He only extended a small part of his tongue and gently licked the surface of the liquid in the cup, rolling up a few water droplets into his mouth. His taste buds were satisfied, and even his eyebrows relaxed.
While Song Mingjiao was enjoying the fruit wine, the three people next to him all focused their eyes on the tip of his red and tender tongue, and even the temperature there rose slightly.
Song Mingjiao arched his eyebrows and said, "Not bad, the Prime Minister is indeed my right-hand man."
He Wen remained calm and composed, maintaining a noble demeanor. He vowed to differentiate himself from the other beautiful women out there: "This is what I should do."
Gu Linyuan, who was supposed to be the protagonist of this welcoming banquet, simply abandoned his seat and squeezed to the left side of the emperor. He was also petty and took away the candlestick that was in his way, causing the palace maid in charge of adding candles to tremble with fear and dare not step forward.
"I saw that this wine was carefully cared for in the royal tent of the Northern Barbarians and was extremely valuable. I confiscated several jars of it, thinking that the best wine should be presented to Your Majesty. I never thought that I would cause Your Majesty to suffer from the spiciness. This is my fault. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."
He perfectly filled the hole that the Prime Minister had just dug for him.
Gu Linyuan had taken off his armor and sword today, but was still wearing his battle robe. But at this moment, he was like a big dog, crouching and humbly apologizing to the emperor.
Song Mingjiao naturally would not embarrass his meritorious officials for such a small matter, so he said, "General, your kindness is most precious. It's just a small matter, so don't worry about it."
Gu Linyuan then remained silent but dishonest, quietly taking out the exotic gadgets he had carefully selected for the emperor and giving them to Song Mingjiao to please the emperor who still had a playful nature.
"Oh, is this a hidden weapon?"
"Yes, it can be tied to the arm. Your Majesty, be careful not to trigger the mechanism and injure the dragon's body. Let me install it for Your Majesty."
He Wen's teeth ached as he watched, and he sneered from an angle where Song Mingjiao couldn't see.
They said that warriors were vulgar and pretended to be silent and honest. He saw that the so-called great general of His Majesty had won a victory and even became more cunning.
Of course, the one who was most upset at this banquet was the Sixth Prince Song Chengnian.
Because he lacked experience against He Wen and his martial arts skills were not good enough against Gu Linyuan, he couldn't get a position on either side of Song Mingjiao at all. He felt gloomy and wanted to smash the wine glass in his hand.
Where is the family dinner we promised?
Apart from the fact that he is the emperor's younger brother, what other people have the qualifications to attend the banquet!
Song Chengnian took a few deep breaths, then put on a smile and walked straight to Song Mingjiao's desk, diligently serving the dishes to his brother.
Song Mingjiao was eating happily when suddenly a shadow covered his eyes. He looked up with some confusion and saw his adopted brother coming close to him. The brother almost wanted to stick to the table to occupy his entire sight.
"What are you doing here?"
Song Mingjiao asked the question, and by the way, he noticed that the seats specially set up for his ministers were now empty. These three people had squeezed in next to him at some point, and he said that he felt much hotter.
It's simply outrageous!
Song Mingjiao frowned, thinking that one should not spoil the fish in the pond too much, no, the ministers in the pond.
"Everyone, sit back down! Eunuch Zhao, why did you go over there? Come here quickly."
Fortunately, He Wen and Gu Linyuan had already stolen enough of the emperor's fragrance, so even when they were scolded in public, they kept their composure and just sat back obediently.
Only the sixth prince Song Chengnian felt extremely aggrieved. He was driven away before he had the chance to curry favor with his royal brother.
"Royal brother——"
To be honest, with Song Chengnian's current size, his sharp eyes and eyebrows could not be concealed even if he tried his best. It was obviously not very effective for him to try to curry favor with the emperor as usual.
"Sit back."
His royal brother coldly and ruthlessly rejected Song Chengnian's request, so Song Chengnian had to reluctantly sit back at the seat under the guidance of Eunuch Zhao, and he did not forget to glare fiercely at the prime minister and the general who had seized the initiative.
Song Mingjiao just sat upright on the main seat, pretending not to see the "swords and shadows" below, and hoping that it would not affect his enjoyment of the food.
After three rounds of drinks, the banquet finally got on track.
Song Mingjiao at least remembered that this was a welcoming banquet for the army, so he ordered the eunuch Zhao beside him to read out the imperial edict, which was as long as a piece of silk. Rewards were given according to merit. Every soldier who fought in the battle would receive a reward of varying degrees of generosity. The families of those soldiers who died on the battlefield would also receive special pensions from the court.
"Tomorrow, the eunuchs will visit the homes of the officers and soldiers and issue imperial decrees to reward them. General, these are all soldiers you led. If you have any other ideas about these treatments, you can raise them now."
Song Mingjiao put down his wine glass. The redness from alcohol no longer appeared on his cheeks. His eyes were extremely clear as he spoke to General Gu Linyuan, who had stepped out of the line to receive the order in advance on behalf of the other soldiers.
"I have no objection. It is a blessing for the soldiers to have Your Majesty always thinking about them."
Gu Linyuan looked calm.
Song Mingjiao walked down from the main seat, his robe trailing on the ground in an arc. He walked lightly in front of Gu Linyuan, looking down at him with a smile in his tone:
"Their rewards have ended. What about the general? Silks, satins, gold, silver, and jewelry, what do you want? Why not ask for them all? I will do my best to satisfy you."
The scene at this moment was very delicate. Gu Linyuan knelt on one knee in the center, and Song Mingjiao walked up to the minister with condescension, gently releasing the grace of the royal family.
Song Chengnian watched from the side, curled his lips and said nothing. He knew in his heart the great general's contribution. He was working hard for the Song family after all. The emperor just wanted to win over the general to prevent him from raising his own troops. Song Chengnian would not go against the emperor at this time.
On the other side, Prime Minister He Wen kept his head down, looking at the dishes on his table, and did not look at the scene in the center that hurt him.
He was the emperor's right-hand man. All the rewards, even the dishes for today, were discussed privately with him. He and Song Mingjiao could talk behind closed doors. He single-handedly assisted the operation of the Daliang Dynasty and did not need to haggle with outsiders about his treatment.
He Wen let out a breath and convinced himself in his heart.
Regardless of what others thought, Song Mingjiao only looked at General Gu Linyuan kneeling before him, his eyes indifferent, and angrily repeated the question again:
"General, what else do you want?"
Song Mingjiao once said to He Wen that a general is not subject to military orders when he is away from home, and this was also what he thought in his heart. To put it cruelly, even if He Wen and Gu Linyuan did the same thing, neither could gain the same trust from Song Mingjiao.
In times of war, military power is a powerful tool for sweeping across the country and protecting the country. But in times of peace, it is a threat that threatens to keep others from sleeping soundly beside you.
Song Mingjiao was not yet a native emperor, so he had no opinion about the general himself. He was just preparing for Daliang after he left.
The emperor's voice was very calm, and no emotion could be heard from it, but there was a sense of unreasonable oppression. Even the palace maids and eunuchs who were just serving beside him had a slight cold sweat on their backs.
The seemingly gentle inquiry seemed to contain an abyss, which was enough to make people lose everything if they took a wrong step. Even a less sensitive person like Song Chengnian could hear the temptation in his brother's words.
But Gu Linyuan did not break out in a sweat like everyone else. He had no intention of listening to the emperor's test. All he could feel was the fragrance when Song Mingjiao approached him. It was not the smell of ambergris, but the emperor's own.
Gu Linyuan's expression was not only calm, but even had a long-lost excitement. Even his sharp features seemed to soften a bit. His eyes shone brightly, and he said in a low, deep voice:
"Your Majesty, your Majesty, please."
!!!
In public, the palace maids and eunuchs who were serving the emperor wished they could become deaf immediately, for fear that they would be silenced for hearing the royal secrets.
He Wen jumped up from his chair, not caring about his gentlemanly demeanor or the wife's forbearance. He pointed at Gu Linyuan's nose and cursed, "Gu Linyuan! You are so bold! How dare you!"
Song Chengnian almost rushed over, and was finally stopped by the eunuchs. However, he was still anxious and wanted to replace Song Mingjiao and kick the mangy dog at his feet away, shouting:
"Gu Linyuan, how dare you covet my brother! What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and drag this audacious thief away!"
Of course the guards did not move because Song Mingjiao did not give any orders.
The scene was in chaos. Eunuch Zhao was frantically trying to pull left and right to persuade people. He was completely overwhelmed.
Song Mingjiao, who was at the center of the storm, just tilted his head, looked at Gu Linyuan in confusion, and said nothing.
Gu Linyuan ignored all the words that tried to stop him and repeated it again, even more brazenly, calling the emperor's name:
"Mingjiao, I want you, I love you, I only want you."
In the background, Song Mingjiao seemed to hear someone gritting their teeth and shouting something like "Get out! Do you think you can call me Mingjiao?", but he did not turn around to look.
He just looked at Gu Linyuan who was kneeling in front of him. If this posture were put in modern times, it would be very much like proposing on one knee. But now, among the two people involved, one was a pure ancient person, and the other had no idea about love at all and did not notice the ambiguous atmosphere.
"Why?"
The emperor's voice was very soft, removing the oppressive feeling that stirred up the situation on the dragon throne, allowing Gu Linyuan to hear the genuine doubt in that voice.
Why not seek wealth, power and status? Isn’t this what everyone strives for?
Why did both He Wen and Gu Linyuan always act like they were content with his mercy? Was the so-called affection so important to them?
"Because Your Majesty is the best person I have ever met, Mingjiao. If I must say when it all started, perhaps it was from the day I caught you from the palace wall. This heart, which should have belonged to the battlefield, has long been attached to you."
Gu Linyuan expressed his love to Song Mingjiao affectionately, describing their actual encounter as dreamy, with the sweetness of memories still visible on his face.
Song Mingjiao was even more puzzled. "But, that day, I actually thought you were He Wen, so I fell down on purpose. I wanted to play with him, and I just ran into you by accident. Now that I know the truth, do you still insist on what you just asked for?"
As soon as these words were spoken, not only did the affectionate Gu Linyuan stiffen, but He Wen, who was standing next to him with his fists clenched tightly and his eyes cold, also fell silent.
It turns out that from the very beginning, it was a bad fate that entangled three people.
But the little emperor said it so openly, and it turned out that he had never really been moved, so he didn't know. For He Wen and Gu Linyuan, how it started was no longer important.
"...Yes, no matter who Your Majesty mistook me for then," Gu Linyuan was silent for a moment, then spoke with difficulty, "Even now, it doesn't matter who Your Majesty still mistook me for. Mingjiao, I only have this one wish: to stay by your side."
"Well, my dear minister, you have been a meritorious minister. Since this is your only wish, there is no reason for me to refuse."
Apart from the initial doubts, Song Mingjiao agreed to the rest of the questions very readily. He really didn't know why the promise of being with him was so attractive to some people, but since they insisted on coming over, then let them come over.
Anyway, he just needs to lie down and enjoy himself, and there will naturally be someone to serve him diligently.
Well, the general has been on the battlefield for a long time, could it be that he is even more ferocious somewhere?
Song Mingjiao thought it was interesting and worth a try.
After hearing the emperor's words of concession, although Gu Linyuan could see the confusion in Song Mingjiao's eyes, he thought it was only a matter of time as long as he could be with the emperor and slowly get closer to his heart.
Gu Linyuan could not hide his excitement. He was a general who did not show much emotional fluctuation even on the most dangerous front-line battlefield, but at this moment, he stood up like the most reckless soldier. He wanted to hug Song Mingjiao in his arms, but he was worried that his skin was too thick and he would hurt the delicate little emperor.
So Song Mingjiao just saw the man lower his head and said to him seriously: "It's Lin Yuan, not Aiqing."
Song Mingjiao:?
Why are all of you so obsessed with these titles?
The pair of protagonists in the center of the venue went from being oppressed and tempted in the beginning to being in harmony now.
Gu Linyuan got what he wanted. Fame and beauty were all in his arms, and his whole body was filled with an aura of happiness.
But the others who witnessed the big drama were very dissatisfied.
He Wen finally loosened his fist, which he had clenched for a long time, wiped the blood from his palm with his sleeve, and then walked to Song Mingjiao as if nothing had happened.
What a mistake! If he had known Ming Jiao didn't mind making their relationship public, he should have shown his affection to all the ministers earlier instead of hiding it. Now someone else got there first!
"Haha, General, that's a good move. During the time you were away from the capital, I stayed with Your Majesty day and night, worrying about the food supplies for the front lines."
He Wen was too lazy to pretend anymore. Besides them, there were only palace maids and eunuchs here, so they wouldn't dare say anything they shouldn't.
Therefore, He Wen directly reached out and put his arm around Song Mingjiao's waist. Song Mingjiao had been used to being close to his prime minister these days, and at this time he even habitually rubbed against He Wen's arm twice, looking for a comfortable position.
"Yes, Lin Yuan, when you were at the front line, the ministers in the court made great efforts."
Song Mingjiao didn't notice anything wrong and was still explaining to Gu Linyuan seriously.
He Wen's behavior clearly showed that his relationship with the emperor was not pure, and it was even more outrageous than the words he used to scold Gu Linyuan just now.
When Gu Linyuan saw the two bodies pressed tightly together, his pupils suddenly shrank. He had not expected that there were already other people around the emperor.
His gaze moved from Song Mingjiao's waist up and met He Wen's cold eyes. The two of them only looked at each other for a moment, and a raging fire silently ignited.
What was even more terrible was that the Sixth Prince Song Chengnian, who was truly out of the situation, finally collapsed and shouted:
"What are you doing?!"
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