Chapter 20 I knew you were vicious
Wen Shuwan really wanted to slap Lin Ruoxue hard, but her upbringing wouldn't allow her to do so, and besides, she couldn't cause trouble for her husband.
Her bright eyes coldly stared at Lin Ruoxue, "That's still better than some people who, unable to get the love they desire, still come to the original wife to act wildly. They are utterly despicable."
The bright candlelight reflected in her bright eyes seemed to ignite a leaping flame, making it impossible to look directly at them.
Lin Ruoxue couldn't help but take a step back, like a mouse whose tail had been stepped on. She wanted to curse, but couldn't refute it, so she could only snort coldly, "Let's see how long you can be so smug."
Wen Shuwan turned and left, too lazy to pay attention to this clown, but her hand, hidden in her sleeve, was clutching a handkerchief.
Wen Shuwan didn't come to her senses until Xie Mianmian ran up to her with a look of surprise and hugged her leg softly.
She half-squatted down and hugged Xie Mianmian tightly in her arms, feeling the invisible healing from the small body.
Wen Shuwan told herself that it would be alright, everything would be alright.
Xie Mianmian gently patted Wen Shuwan's back with her small hand, "Is sister-in-law unhappy?"
Wen Shuwan stood up, took the child's hand, shook her head, and said gently, "Seeing Mianmian makes me very happy."
The emperor hosted a banquet for the Northern Rong delegation in the Hall of Preserving Harmony.
Inside the main hall, everything was resplendent in gold and jade. The emperor's exclusive throne was large and luxurious, placed high at the top, with seats for the concubines and their families on either side.
Even before the Emperor arrived, the hall was already filled with people sitting neatly on both sides: officials and their families on the left, and the Northern Rong delegation on the right.
Even though the long table was laden with exquisite food and wine, no one dared to touch their chopsticks first.
A moment later, "The Emperor has arrived!"
The most distinguished person finally arrived late. The emperor said a few polite words, then gently raised his right hand, and the banquet began.
Dancers in gorgeous costumes danced in the center of the hall, amidst the clinking of cups and the merriment of the men from the Northern Rong, who stared in awe at the graceful movements.
A veiled woman suddenly stood up, cupped her hands in greeting to the emperor, and said, "The envoy from the Northern Rong seems to greatly admire the culture of the Great Zhou. I have heard that Miss Xie Mingyi, the second daughter of the Xie family, is exceptionally talented, especially in playing the zither. I wonder if I could ask Miss Xie to play a piece for the people in the hall to enjoy."
Upon hearing Lin Ruoxue's words, the people of Beirong whispered among themselves. They had heard that the people of Da Zhou played the zither very well, and they were eager to see if the legendary zither music could truly linger for three days.
The people of Da Zhou also began to look forward to it.
"I've heard that Miss Xie is the most talented woman in the capital, and her musical skills are unparalleled."
"Yes, we're in for a treat for our ears today."
Upon hearing Lin Ruoxue's words, Xie Mingyi couldn't help but look at her father and elder brother. Had Lin Ruoxue come up with some new trick? Was she trying to embarrass her in public? Or was she plotting to make her offend the Emperor and be severely punished?
Xie Mingyi was unsure what to do, and neither Xie's father nor Xie Linyuan knew what Lin Ruoxue was planning.
The person above spoke up, "Second daughter of the Xie family, I have heard that you are exceptionally skilled in playing the zither. Today, let everyone in the hall hear it."
What else could Xie Mingyi say? She could only thank the Emperor.
The graceful dancers withdrew, and Xie Mingyi knelt down before the guqin (a seven-stringed zither) placed before her by the palace servants.
With a gentle flick of her slender fingers, a few melodious notes resonated from the zither, like pearls falling to the ground.
"What a wonderful instrument!" Xie Mingyi exclaimed excitedly, as if she had found a treasure. Her fingers eagerly began to pluck and twist the strings.
The music was melodious, sometimes slow, sometimes fast. It was like a slowly unfolding ink painting, or an elderly man telling his story by candlelight.
Xie Mingyi was so engrossed in her own world that she momentarily forgot she was still in the palace and that Lin Ruoxue was still watching her intently.
The emperor squinted his eyes in enjoyment, gently tapping his fingertips in time with the music.
When the music ended, there was complete silence; the crowd had not yet recovered from their shock.
The Emperor clapped his hands and exclaimed, "She deserves a reward!" He then asked her to name any reward she desired.
Xie Mingyi's fingers were still on the guqin, reluctant to leave. Upon hearing this, she stood up and bowed, "Your Majesty, it is already the best reward for me to be able to play on this peerless guqin. I have no regrets."
The Emperor laughed heartily, and with a wave of his hand, presented the guqin to Xie Mingyi.
The crowd slowly came to their senses.
"It's like hearing celestial music, and my ears are instantly clear!"
"Truly exquisite! It reminds me of the days when I was still studying diligently in the mountains." The official wiped away tears from the corner of his eye.
However, some people find it unpleasant to listen to, as it sounds harsh and discordant.
The people of Beirong looked at each other, not understanding what they were praising.
They found the music extremely dull, playing intermittently and making them feel restless and anxious.
Xie Mingyi couldn't suppress her smile as she returned to her seat, clutching her precious guqin.
It wasn't until she sat down that she realized something was wrong. Lin Ruoxue wasn't planning on doing anything bad? That was really strange. Lin Ruoxue had even given her a peerless zither.
Not disappointing Xie Mingyi's "high expectations", Lin Ruoxue stood up again.
"Your Majesty, after listening to Miss Xie's song, I remembered that I have something important to report. Last night, I observed the stars and found that a red phoenix star fell into the north, which is an auspicious sign."
Lin Ruoxue cupped her hands in greeting and continued, "This indicates that if the Great Zhou were to form a marriage alliance with the Northern Rong, it would be extremely beneficial to both countries."
The emperor lowered his eyes and remained silent.
The second prince of the Northern Rong, Tuoba Hong, stood up and bowed to the emperor, saying, "We of the Northern Rong also have this intention. This is my younger sister, Tuoba Xiu."
He pointed to the foreign girl beside him and continued, "I hope to find a suitable husband for my sister in the Great Zhou. Of course, I am also very willing to marry a noblewoman from the Great Zhou."
An uproar erupted in the hall.
"That Northern Rong bandit even wants to marry a noblewoman from my Great Zhou. He's dreaming! It's a pipe dream."
"My dear daughter, quickly lower your head, lest a thief take a liking to you."
Lin Ruoxue glanced at Xie Mingyi and said, "Miss Xie is exceptionally talented and beautiful, and is a perfect match for the Second Prince. If she could bring about a marriage between the two countries, it would be a truly joyous occasion!"
Tuoba Hong glanced at Xie Mingyi, then shook his head. He found this kind of conventional, well-behaved young lady extremely boring and didn't like her.
He looked at Lin Ruoxue, whose face was covered by a white veil; it was still the mysterious and aloof beauty who piqued his interest.
Xie Mingyi, upon hearing Lin Ruoxue's speech: !
She knew Lin Ruoxue was wicked and wouldn't act without reason; she had been waiting for this all along.
Xie's father stood up, bowed deeply to the emperor, and said, "It is not that this old minister is unwilling to share the burden of the country, but this old minister promised his deceased wife that he would take good care of the children. I hope Your Majesty will reconsider."
The Emperor chuckled lightly, "You're always like this; I haven't said a word."
He shook his head, wondering when his former study companion had become so distant, and felt a sense of unease and fear.
"The matter of a marriage alliance between the two countries needs to be considered carefully. This matter is entirely based on voluntary consent, and I will never force anyone."
Everyone stood up and respectfully bowed to the Emperor.
Tuoba Hong twitched the corner of his mouth, "On this trip to the capital, we, the Northern Rong, have prepared a surprise program for Your Majesty."
"Oh? Then I'll be looking forward to a feast for the eyes."
Tuoba Hong clapped his hands, "Please welcome our beast trainer, Handa."
A tall, thin man walked in. He had a cloth wrapped around his head, a full beard, and deep, bright eyes.
Two henchmen pushed a huge cage, slowly following behind Handa.
Tuoba Hong introduced to the emperor: "Handa is the number one beast tamer of our Northern Rong. No matter how ferocious the beast is, it will eventually be tamed under his long whip."
The emperor bowed and said, "Now I will perform a show for Your Majesty: training eagles."
He waved to his men, who understood and together lifted the black cloth covering the iron cage.
Everyone in the hall craned their necks to look curiously.
In the center of the main hall stood a huge iron birdcage, and what was trapped inside was what truly astonished them.
"It's... a golden eagle!"
"I'm not mistaken, am I?"
The emperor stared wide-eyed in deep thought.
Handa held a whip in his right hand, head held high, enjoying the sight of the people of the Great Zhou who had never seen the world.
Then he raised his whip and struck the golden eagle hard.
"Woo! Woo! Woo!" The golden eagle let out a shrill cry.
After establishing his authority, Handa whistled at the golden eagle and raised his hand to make a gesture, indicating that the golden eagle should do something.
But the golden eagle stared at him with its cold, amber eyes, unmoved.
Handa whistled loudly, but the golden eagle remained motionless. Could it be that even poison couldn't control it?
Then, Handa picked up his whip and lashed the golden eagle hard, intending to subdue it.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
