Chapter 208 Brother Xiongxiong, you will have no friends if you continue like this!
Imperial Master's Mansion, main hall.
The hall was already full of guests. Almost all the prominent princes, nobles, civil and military officials in the capital were present.
On the main seat, Regent Xiao Yu was wearing a dark-colored uniform with a golden dragon pattern. He had a stern expression and an aura so powerful that people dared not look directly at him.
Next to him sat the kind-looking, graceful and elegant Empress Dowager.
Further down was the imperial teacher Xuan Yi, who looked like a banished immortal, and a group of princes and dukes in the capital.
This ceremony was even more grand than the prince's coming-of-age ceremony.
Everyone knew that the Regent was holding this coming-of-age ceremony today to announce to the world—
This girl named Ajiu is the one under Xiao Yu's protection.
"Miss Jiu is here—!"
In an instant, everyone's eyes were focused on the door.
A young girl in a scarlet silk dress walked in slowly.
The girl's hair was as golden as a flying phoenix, which made her face look whiter than snow and her lips red without any makeup.
As soon as she appeared, the entire magnificent hall instantly became three times brighter.
No wonder……
This face alone is enough to drive any man crazy.
Ajiu took a deep breath and tried hard to recall the "Flower of Gaoling" tactics that Censor Qian had just taught her.
The first step is to stand tall.
Well, she was standing at the door now, with everyone looking at her from below, so she was tall enough.
The second step is to be cold and ignore people.
Ajiu immediately put away all the expressions on his face, put on a stern face, and stared straight ahead with empty eyes.
Yun Shen, who was sweating profusely beside her, nudged her with his elbow and said in a low voice, "Ajiu, what are you doing? Go and pay your respects to the Grand Empress Dowager! Don't look so stern, smile!"
Ajiu was unmoved, and even moved a step to the side, a little further away from Yun Shen, to show his "aloofness".
Yun Shen: “???”
Did this girl take the wrong medicine today?
The guests in the room looked at each other in confusion and talked a lot.
"This Miss Jiu...what's wrong? Why does she look so unhappy?"
"Yeah, this is too rude, isn't it? You can't even show courtesy when meeting the Empress Dowager and the Prince?"
"Humph, you're really a wild girl who's not worthy of being on stage. You don't know any rules at all!"
On the main seat, the Empress Dowager looked at Xiao Yu in surprise and asked in a low voice, "Yu'er, what's wrong with this child?"
Xiao Yu's bottomless eyes had never left her since the moment Jiu appeared.
He naturally saw through the little girl's clumsy disguise.
A faint smile played on his lips.
"Grandmother, Jiu grew up in the mountains and is not used to meeting strangers. He is a bit shy. I'm sorry to have embarrassed you."
When these words were spoken, everyone in the room was shocked.
Shy of strangers?
Your Majesty, are you kidding?
But since the Regent has explained it himself, who would dare to object?
Everyone could only agree.
"So you're just shy of strangers. I understand."
"Yeah, yeah, it's inevitable for a little girl to be nervous when she sees so many grown men like us."
"Your Majesty is so considerate!"
In the corner, Censor Qian held his heart and felt like he was almost suffocating.
Your Highness, your ability to tell lies with your eyes open is truly...perfect!
"So you're afraid of strangers." The Empress Dowager smiled and waved at Ajiu, "Good boy, come here quickly. I'm not a cannibal."
Ajiu looked at the kind Empress Dowager, and then secretly glanced at Xiao Yu who was sitting in the main seat.
Brother Xiongxiong... is he speaking for her?
Her little heart beat twice involuntarily.
She thought about it and decided to continue with the third step of the "Flower of Gaoling" tactic: let him see it but not touch it, and feel anxious!
So, she walked past Xiao Yu without looking around, went straight to the Empress Dowager, and then imitated the ladies in the storybooks and bowed awkwardly.
"Ajiu, I'm honored to meet the Grand Empress Dowager."
Xiao Yu's hand holding the teacup paused slightly.
Little thing, are you addicted to acting?
The Empress Dowager smiled even more happily. She pulled out a fine mutton-fat jade ruyi hairpin from her head and personally inserted it into the bun on the other side of Ajiu's hair.
"My dear child, today is your coming-of-age day. I don't have anything nice to give you, so please accept this hairpin. May you be blessed with peace and happiness every year from now on."
"Thank you...thank you, Empress Dowager." Jiu felt warm in his heart and almost broke down, but he still forced himself to keep a straight face.
"Miss Zhang, Miss Li, didn't you also prepare a gift for Sister Jiu?" Princess Cheng, who was anxious for unrest in the world, suddenly smiled and said, "Why don't you take it out now and let everyone see it?"
Ms. Zhang and Ms. Li, who were called, looked at each other and stood up slowly.
Miss Zhang held a brocade box in her hand and said with a smile, "I heard that Sister Jiu is very good at martial arts, so I specially found a pair of black iron wrist guards. They are not expensive, but they are very practical. I hope Sister Jiu will not dislike them."
Although he said not to be disgusted, he did not hide the contempt in his eyes.
A girl was given a wristband as a coming-of-age gift? Wasn't this a clear mockery of her being crude and uncouth, only fit for swordplay?
Everyone looked at Ajiu, wanting to see how she would deal with this humiliation.
Jiu frowned and was about to say "I don't want it" when the cold voice from the host seat sounded.
"Minister Zhang submitted a memorial the other day stating that the national treasury was in a tight spot and suggested cutting the Imperial Guards' salaries by 30% to use them for repairing the canals in the capital."
Miss Zhang's father, Lord Zhang, the Vice Minister of War, fell to his knees with a thud, sweating profusely.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, please spare my life. I... I am also here to share the burdens of the country!"
Xiao Yu glanced at him coldly.
"To share the country's worries? So my personal guards have to go hungry to repair the river for you?"
"I dare not. I absolutely dare not." Minister Zhang kowtowed repeatedly in fear.
The whole place was dead silent.
Everyone understood that the prince was trying to scare the enemy!
Miss Zhang was so frightened that her face turned pale and her hands were shaking as she held the brocade box.
"My beloved Ajiu is a precious girl, she doesn't need such crude things." Xiao Yu turned his gaze to Ajiu, "Ajiu, come here."
Ah Jiu: “…”
The strategy...seems to have failed.
She walked slowly to Xiao Yu's side.
Xiao Yu took her little hand and put an imperial green jade bracelet with an emerald green color and excellent water content on her wrist in front of everyone.
"Do you like it?"
"...I like it." Jiu answered softly, his cheeks starting to feel hot again.
"Yeah." Xiao Yu nodded with satisfaction, then turned his gaze to Miss Li, who was about to faint. "What about you? What have you prepared?"
Miss Li also knelt down with a thud, crying out, "Your Highness, spare my life. I... I didn't prepare anything. I know I was wrong."
Are you kidding? Even the Vice Minister of War was dealt with on the spot. Her father, the insignificant Minister of Personnel, is not even enough to fill the prince's teeth!
Looking at the absurd scene before them, all the guests dared not breathe a word.
How can this be a coming-of-age ceremony?
This is clearly a large-scale double standard scene of the Regent protecting his wife!
Ah Jiu looked at the people kneeling on the ground, then looked at the man beside her who held up the sky for her, and suddenly felt...
There seems to be no point in being a "flower on the mountain top".
It’s more interesting to make him your own!
She raised her head and gave Xiao Yu a smile brighter than the sun.
"Brother Xiong Xiong, you are so nice!"
Xiao Yu was slightly startled. Looking at her bright smiling face, he felt as if the softest part of his heart was hit hard.
He couldn't help but reach out and rub her head as usual.
Ah Jiu suddenly stood on tiptoe, leaned close to his ear and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear:
"But you'll have no friends today if you do this!"
From now on, I am your only friend!
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