Post station.
"Knock knock knock".
A knock sounded at the door, and Ruixin, who was helping Wuqi with her makeup, quickly looked towards the outside.
Who's outside?
Before long, a familiar voice came from outside; it was the Tatar servants who had come to escort the bride.
"Princess Wuqi, someone from the Great Jin Imperial Palace has come to fetch you to the welcoming banquet in the palace."
Ruixin glanced down at Wuqi, who was applying rouge, and called out towards the outside, "Okay."
The attendant wanted to urge them on, but remembering that Wuqi and Ruixin were not to be trifled with, he abandoned the idea and quickly left to inform the messenger.
The two inside heard the footsteps fading away outside. Ruixin glanced at the wooden box on the dressing table and asked again, "Are we really going to bring this in?"
Wu Qi pursed her red lips, making sure her lip color was consistent and vibrant. She put down the lip rouge box in her hand and looked at herself in the bronze mirror with great satisfaction.
She said in a languid voice, "If you are afraid, you may stay at the post station."
If I cannot leave the palace, the envoy will arrange for you to remain in the Great Jin Dynasty and become the new princess sent for a political marriage.
Ruixin revealed a spoiled and arrogant look, "What is there to be afraid of? If we cannot leave the palace, the Third Prince will surely crush the Great Jin to avenge us. At that time, the Great Jin will be the land of my Tatars."
Hearing this, Wuqi did not refute it. Although she knew about this matter, she would have been willing to take a gamble in the past.
However, since Tadar's assassination, it also means that the Tatars' fate is sealed.
Of all the Tatar king's sons, only Tadar had such courage; the rest of the princes, just by looking at this marriage alliance, one could see how spineless they were.
Wu Qi glanced down at the wooden box, stood up, and said, "Take it with you, let's go."
The sky gradually darkened.
The palace was brightly lit.
Because the banquet was to honor the Tatar princess and her envoy, showcasing the prestige and etiquette of the Great Jin Dynasty, it included not only accompanying officials but also women from the imperial harem.
The emperor sat on the throne in the main hall, with Empress Liu, the mother of the nation, sitting beside him.
Empress Liu had no children and was the emperor's second empress.
Her personal maid whispered a few words in her ear, startling her so much that her eyes widened.
Just as she was about to relay the message to the emperor, she heard His Highness report that the messenger was already waiting outside.
After a long pause, the emperor finally nodded and said, "Send it."
Before long, three men and women dressed in Tatar attire entered the main hall.
The Tatar envoy Uliji walked in front, followed by Uchi and Ruixin.
The three stood in the main hall, feeling the gazes coming from all directions.
Uliji was the first to pay homage to the emperor with the Tatar salute, saying, "Uliji greets His Majesty of the Great Jin."
Uki and Ruixin followed closely behind and bowed.
The emperor looked down at the three of them and laughed loudly, "Princess and esteemed envoy, you are guests, there is no need for formalities."
You have traveled for several days, so this welcoming banquet is specially prepared for you.
"Guards, please offer me a seat."
The envoy bowed and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Since it was a special welcome banquet, the three of them couldn't be seated too far back. So they were arranged to sit in a relatively forward position, which would not affect the conversation but would also give them a sense of superiority.
After the envoys were seated, the customary practice was to present gifts to demonstrate the goodwill between the two countries.
The emperor was in a good mood after receiving compensation from the Tatars, and his gaze towards the envoy softened.
Before long, the servants carried the treasures covered by a red cloth and lined them up in the main hall.
The envoy stood up and walked to their side, lifting the first red cloth with pride, saying, "Your Majesty, this is a gemstone unique to my Tatars, called turquoise."
This fist-sized turquoise is truly rare. The Tatar king ordered us to present this treasure to demonstrate the Tatars' sincerity in seeking peace through marriage.
The emperor felt very comforted upon hearing these words from the defeated Tatar envoy.
Even though the emperor knew what the Tatars were up to, it didn't stop him from enjoying the feeling of the victor being king.
The envoy slowly moved to the side, introducing one by one the treasures that the Tatar king had presented to the emperor.
As Empress Liu watched the red cloths on the tray being lifted one by one, a bad feeling kept swirling in her mind.
She tried to remind the emperor several times, but under the emperor's imposing gaze, she trembled and had no choice but to give up.
As the last red cloth was lifted, revealing no treasure as the maid had reported, the hand twisting the handkerchief abruptly stopped, and a sense of relief washed over him.
All eyes were on the treasure, except for Song Yanqing, who was sipping wine and eating, whose gaze occasionally swept towards Wu Qi.
He had met Uchi once before; when the Tatars attacked the city, he saw Uchi standing next to Tadar.
Moreover, according to the Shadow Guards, she has a close relationship with Ajitai.
Now that Tadar is dead, although Ajitai is disliked by the Tatar king because of his defeat, Uchi will certainly not become a pawn in the marriage alliance because of Ajitai's connections.
Meanwhile, Wuqi was sitting in the main hall, still using the identity of a princess sent for a political marriage. It was obvious that this was Wuqi's doing.
Song Yanqing downed the fruit wine in her glass in one gulp and then met Wu Qi's eyes.
She raised her wine glass and toasted Song Yanqing from afar, then drank it all in one gulp, revealing a half-smile.
Song Yanqing looked at her, who was covered in jewelry, looking like a walking wooden frame, and with red lipstick on her lips, she looked like a Tartar who was tearing flesh apart on the road to escape famine.
For a moment, it completely relieved his hunger, and he even felt a little nauseous.
He quickly picked up his glass and brought it to his lips, suppressing the discomfort.
Before he could even put down his wine glass, he heard Wu Qi suddenly speak.
"Your Majesty, Wuqi has married far away to the Great Jin Dynasty and has prepared a special gift for you."
Uliji had never heard of Uchi giving gifts before, let alone seen the prepared gifts, and a bad premonition was about to emerge in his heart.
Before he set off, he received instructions from the Tatar king to keep a close eye on Uqi's every move and prevent her from doing anything detrimental to the Tatars.
But this matter was completely beyond his control. Now he could only hope that Uchi wouldn't play any tricks and put himself and the Tatars in a dilemma.
Upon hearing this, the emperor laughed heartily, "Since Princess Wuqi is so kind, then please present it."
Ruixin slowly walked into the main hall, carrying a tray covered with a red cloth.
At this moment, Wu Qi stood up, walked to Rui Xin's side, and ripped off the red cloth.
When everyone saw what was on the tray, their expressions became unnatural, with frowns, displeasure, anger, and all sorts of unpleasant emotions showing on their faces.
Looking at the colorful expressions on everyone's faces, Wuqi was in a great mood, but she didn't show the same smile as before.
She announced loudly, "This is a skull-shaped wine vessel specially made by a Tatar shaman."
After General Feng of the Great Jin Dynasty was defeated, the skull was delivered to the shaman by chance.
"Wuqi has come to the Great Jin Dynasty for a marriage alliance, and she has specially prepared this item to present to His Majesty!"
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