◇ Chapter 75 (75) Everyone’s White Moonlight (Part 1)
His expression was relaxed, but if you looked closely, you could see that his hands were struggling to hold onto the window frame. Lianzhi uttered an "oh" and said, "Then you hang on by yourself."
After saying this, he turned around and pretended to leave. Bo Kang thought he was going to close the window and hurriedly said, "Lian'er, Lian'er, don't go! I'll go in first!"
Lianzhi turned around with a pout: "How long have you been hanging here?"
If he happened to run into Xi Niang coming to see him, he would not open the window for Bai Kang tonight!
"About half an hour." Bo Kang grinned, deliberately exaggerating the time. In fact, he had only been here for less than a quarter of an hour, but how could he tell the truth?
Only by saying more can Lianzhi feel sorry for him, and he can also show Lianzhi his amazing arm strength, which is good.
Lianzhi saw what he was planning and sneered, "It seems you like hanging out."
It seemed different from what he thought. Bai Kang was a little surprised. The wind was getting stronger outside, and the windows were wide open, blowing the lotus branches against his face. He finally relented and stretched out his hand: "Come in."
Although he didn't intend to make things difficult for Bai Kang.
Hanging on the window for so long, Bai Kang's arms felt numb, and being blown by the wind for so long made his body icy cold. Lian Zhi felt the icy cold just by holding his hand. He dodged Bai Kang's embrace and said, "Don't hug me."
"Go warm yourself up first." Lianzhi lifted the quilt and took out a still-warm hot water bottle, mumbling, "Really? Why didn't you call me earlier? It's so windy outside. What if you fall? If you die, I won't be able to collect your body..."
Bai Kang found his hard-mouthed but soft-hearted appearance adorable: "I called you, but I didn't dare shout loudly. What if I attracted people?" In the dead of night, the Daning official was hanging outside the window of the Beihai prince. The scene was really awkward.
Lianzhi closed the windows tightly, making sure there wasn't a single draft in the room before returning to bed and lying down. "What are you doing here in the middle of the night?"
"I'm looking for a private meeting with you." Bo Kang clicked his tongue twice and repeated, "I can't sleep without you."
Lianzhi didn't want to admit that she couldn't sleep either. She could still bear it before she reunited with Bai Kang, but now that she was back in the capital, it suddenly became unbearable. But he insisted, "We've only been apart for a few hours, and I can sleep."
"It was like this before. You slept, and I stayed by your side," Bai Kang said suddenly. Ever since his identity was exposed, he kept bringing up the past, intentionally or unintentionally. Lianzhi felt strangely uneasy. "It seems like you're destined to serve me. Tell me the truth, did you like me before?"
"That's right." Bo Kang thought about it seriously and nodded. If someone else had to deal with Lianzhi every day, they would have killed Wudao and Daning long ago. Only he and Lao Wen could tolerate it.
The wind roared fiercely outside the window, but with two people inside, the sound didn't seem so terrifying. Bo Kang said, "I'll tell you something funny. Da Xi Mi and the Mobei envoy got into a fight."
"When did this happen?" Lianzhi also became interested. Da Ximi was aloof, and the envoys from Mobei were being held in the palace by Emperor Jianguang, treated as honored guests. How did these two groups of people come into contact?
"Just now, something happened near the palace. Da Ximi went to the Ministry of Rites today, and on his way out, he happened to run into an envoy from Mobei. Mobei and the Helan tribe are currently locked in an irreconcilable feud, and a brawl broke out right there. It's said that the Mobei envoy wasn't very brave either, and after being beaten so badly by Da Ximi, he didn't even dare to fight back." Bai Kang recounted the story vividly. "Do you think His Majesty will know about this?"
"We'll know in three days." Lianzhi yawned lazily, "I'm sleepy."
After he finished yawning, Bai Kang immediately stopped talking, letting Lianzhi sleep peacefully. For the next few days, Bai Kang asked Lianzhi to leave the window open for him, and he climbed in through it every night. He was quite cautious, and for three consecutive days, he went unnoticed.
Three days later, the sun rose in front of the Golden Palace.
Aside from the Ministry of Rites, officials from all six other ministries were already waiting inside the palace. At the head of the table sat Emperor Jianguang, the Empress Dowager, and the Imperial Concubine. The Helan Tribe's chariot had already stopped outside the palace road. Ceremonial officials on either side of the palace shouted, "The envoys from the Mobei Kingdom are here to see you!"
"The envoy from the Helan tribe of the North Sea Territory has come to see you!"
"Please enter the palace, envoy." The doctor of the Ministry of Rites smiled and directed Da Ximi, "Our Majesty has been waiting for you for a long time."
Compared with them, the envoys from Mobei who entered the hall earlier obviously did not receive such good treatment. Although they were treated with courtesy on the surface, they could not get this "welcome" in return.
Seeing the visibly warmer smile on Emperor Jianguang's face as the envoys from the Northern Sea Territory entered the hall one after another, the envoys from Mobei gritted their teeth. Only after everyone was seated did the envoys from Mobei emerge. The eunuch who announced the ceremony stepped forward and read out the list of gifts brought by Mobei.
"Mobei presented a hundred kinds of herbs, including snow lotus, a hundred boxes of jade dates and peaches, a hundred yaks and goats, and a hundred boxes of jade gemstones..."
The tribute list contained rare and precious treasures unique to Mobei. While the list itself took only a short time to read, the actual items filled over a dozen carts. This clearly showed that Mobei had invested heavily and risked everything to win over Daning.
"Your Majesty," Bahar, the leading envoy from Mobei, stepped forward. The envoys from Mobei were few and far between. He waved his hand, and the remaining envoys advanced, carrying a golden lion statue inlaid with jade. The statue was lifelike, its head carved entirely from red jade, a vibrant blood-red color under the palace lanterns.
"This is the most precious treasure of our Mobei Kingdom, the Red Jade Divine Lion Statue. This red jade originates from the Haiyi Mountains in Mobei, and in the Daning language, it's the location of the dragon vein. There's a rumor in Mobei that whoever possesses this Divine Lion Statue can rule the world. Mobei is a tiny country, and now I think only the Daning Emperor is worthy of possessing such a treasure. The King has ordered me to present this treasure to the Daning Emperor, hoping that the friendship between our two countries will last forever."
His attitude was too humble, and his fawning and sycophantic nature was clearly revealed. But what he said made sense—if he didn't win over Daning, Mobei would probably be renamed the Helan Tribe within three months.
"What flattery!" Yu Yao gritted her teeth and whispered to Lian Zhi, "How dare a defeated nation talk about lasting friendship? Compared to our North Sea Territory, it's nothing."
All the officials in the palace admired their timely advice and the splendor of the golden lion statue. However, Emperor Jianguang only raised his eyes and uttered an "oh".
Bahar's heart instantly raced at the sound of this. He hurriedly said, "This statue actually holds a secret! Your Majesty, please accept our sincere offer, and I will explain it to you in detail!"
"Hmm?" Emperor Jianguang tapped the dragon throne with his fingertips. He understood the hidden meaning of his words and said with a half-smile, "The envoy is thoughtful."
He waved his sleeves and said to Eunuch Lu, "Take it."
Seeing this, Bahar finally breathed a sigh of relief. He bowed again and then led the others back to their seats. The eunuch who called the prayer came forward and began to read the next list of gifts.
This one is a gift list from the North Sea.
The Yilu tribe had long been allied with Daning, and the gifts they presented were quite standard. Yuyao stepped forward to pay her respects and then returned to her seat. The final gift list contained very little, a full half the amount of the Mobei gift.
It really makes people doubt whether the Helan tribe is sincere in its intention to form an alliance.
"Emperor Daning." Da Xi Mi stepped forward and saluted. "This gift list is just a small token of our Queen's appreciation. My Helan tribe also has a rare treasure, I hope Your Majesty will accept it."
With that, the envoys from the North Sea Territory escorted their prince into the palace. In the center of the crowd stood a young man dressed in a red gown woven with gold, his face obscured by a crimson veil adorned with dazzling gold ornaments. With each step he took, the gold and jade pendant around his waist tinkled softly, like the bells of a warhorse.
Even though I couldn't see her face clearly, I could tell that she must be a rare beauty.
After the convoy arrived in Beijing, everyone present had already heard that the person sent by the Helan tribe for marriage was a prince. Many people found it hard to accept and asked why the Helan tribe had such a tradition and that they must be relying on their strong military power to humiliate Daning.
But now, when they saw the prince, many people felt that since the person sent to them was a prince, there seemed to be nothing unacceptable.
The Jianguang Emperor, seated at the top, showed no sign of emotion, his expression remaining calm, a faint, friendly smile on his face. Indeed, their Majesty had been on the throne for nearly four years, yet his harem remained empty. Clearly, he wasn't someone who would be tempted by beauty.
Lianzhi took one last look in the direction of Bai Kang, but didn't see any expression of anger or disapproval on his face, which made him a little confused. He had a hunch that Bai Kang had been holding back for the past few days, and there was definitely something wrong. But under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he could only lift the veil first -
That peerless beauty was clearly visible under the palace lanterns. The breathing in the hall became lighter, and then, suddenly, several bells rang out from different directions.
The hall was so quiet that the sound of cups and plates falling to the ground seemed like thunderbolts from the blue sky.
Amidst the eerie and terrifying silence, King Mu, the envoy who had been appointed to the throne, stepped forward, holding a jade tablet and the imperial edict. He spoke in a resounding voice, "I have fulfilled my mission and am here to receive Prince Helian Zhulan of the Helan tribe. I stand before the palace and announce the imperial edict."
In his hand was the decree that Emperor Jianguang had decided long ago to enthrone the prince of the Helan tribe.
If the Helan tribe is sincere enough, this prince will have the possibility of returning home safely.
If the Helan tribe has no intention of forming an alliance, leaving the prince in Daning as a hostage to his concubine would also be a safeguard.
A few days ago, after Da Xi Mi met with Emperor Jianguang, the emperor discussed with King Mu that after conquering Mobei, if the Helan tribe and Daning tribes permanently ceased hostilities and did not offend each other, he would decree to confer a higher title on Prince Zhulan and send him back home. Da Xi Mi also agreed to Emperor Jianguang's request.
Therefore, what he held in his hand was the imperial decree to confer the title of Prince Zhulan upon him.
Everyone in the hall had a different look on their faces. The moment that all-too-familiar face appeared, many stopped thinking. General Xue looked at the figure in the center of the hall, his eyes evasive. Even Bahar showed a look of fear.
The three people at the head of the table had the most astonishment. The three most distinguished people in Daning State had the same expression upon seeing a prince who was to be married off to a foreign prince.
Prince Mu was somewhat puzzled, and he waited a long time for Emperor Jianguang to order him to announce the decree. However, the stalemate in the palace could not continue. He held up the imperial decree, unsure of what to do, when Emperor Jianguang suddenly stood up and shouted, "Wait!"
【Author’s words】
Happy holidays everyone!
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