"Is it pretty?" A cold voice whispered in her ear.
Zheng Quchi's ears twitched involuntarily, and he quickly pulled his head back: "Of course it's beautiful. That palace lantern, no, more accurately it should be called a flower lantern, is mainly made of fine wood as the frame, inlaid with silk gauze and glass, and painted with various auspicious patterns. This is different from the paper lanterns that are commonly seen outside. Ordinary people can't afford the silk gauze alone, and there's also the skill of the palace painters..."
Yuan Xingzhou paused for a moment after hearing this, and then said, "You were staring at these the whole time?"
“Of course…no.” Zheng Quchi glanced at some seats out of the corner of his eye and whispered to Yuan Xingzhou, “I’ve been looking at these kang tables. Oh, that’s what I call them. You probably call them long tables or long desks. They’re made of nanmu wood with a thin layer of lacquer. The material is excellent, but the workmanship is simple and the lines are clumsy. Look at how the corners are rounded…”
Yuan Xingzhou: "..."
Did she only ever see these inanimate objects? He had thought she was attracted by the young talents who had come to the banquet, but all she saw were pieces of wood…
“Indeed, compared to your skills, it’s simply appalling,” Yuan Xingzhou said with a light laugh.
Zheng Quchi rarely heard him laugh so sincerely and happily. She turned her head, and perhaps the flickering light of the lamplight rippled into his eyes. At this moment, the way he gazed at her was like a desolate, cold sky, yet a touch of peach blossom pink drifted by in the wind, and his dark eyes seemed to be tinged with light.
"I'm not trying to praise or belittle, but weren't the craftsmen of Ye Kingdom specially invited from other countries at high prices? With this level of skill, they're really not as good as a master craftsman in Fu County who makes a Seven Star Table. He's just a young worker who didn't even pass the craftsman exam. Let me tell you, they were definitely ripped off. Sometimes it's not that the craftsmen from outside are necessarily good, nor is it that the things you make yourself are necessarily bad."
Zheng Quchi spoke with a mixture of indignation and lamentation, mockery and dissatisfaction.
These things, which would be tedious and boring to laymen, Yuan Xingzhou listened with great interest.
He chimed in, "The Prince of Ye has always been bad at judging people; this is not the only time he's been tricked."
Seeing that he openly discussed the Prince of Ye without any restraint, Zheng Quchi quickly raised a finger to make a "shh" sound: "Stop talking now, there are people all around. If someone carefully eavesdrops on our conversation, we'll be in big trouble."
Even if you've never eaten pork, haven't you at least seen a pig run?
In a place like the palace, where eyes and ears are everywhere, there are bound to be spies and henchmen of the King of Ye or the Queen. If she talks about the palace craftsmen, at worst she will be misunderstood as a colleague "slandering" him. But if he talks about the King of Ye like that and someone hears him, it will be a serious crime of disrespect and rebellion.
Even if the King of Ye doesn't punish them, the Queen is already worried about not being able to find any fault with them. Now that he's been so careless with his words, who knows how the other side might use this as an excuse to make a big deal out of nothing.
To be fair, although Zheng Quchi didn't understand palace intrigue and lacked the keen sense to grasp the other party's true intentions, she was cautious, extremely cautious. At worst, she was like a tortoise, only moving when the enemy moved.
Yuan Xingzhou laughed, but it was a sinister laugh that could chill all those watching: "I dare to say it to his face, so why should I be afraid of others spreading it?"
Zheng Quchi was stunned.
He's...so arrogant.
Before entering the palace, she thought Yuan Xingzhou would endure humiliation and bide his time for revenge, but since his return, he has basically followed the typical path of a protagonist in a wish-fulfillment novel...
And what about her?
Could she be the protagonist's little follower, the kind of younger brother who would sacrifice everything to help the other person ascend to godhood? No, I mean, his little sister?
Zheng Quchi was caught in a mental turmoil when, amidst the golden candlelight reflected on the crimson carpet of the banquet, palace maids and eunuchs stood on either side of the palace gates. Suddenly, a shrill, drawn-out shout rang out: "The Queen has arrived!"
Before Zheng Quchi could even process what was happening, he was already on high alert, straightened up, and turned to look.
Immediately afterward, the messenger, without pausing, announced repeatedly, "General Shen of Hongsheng Kingdom has arrived!"
"General Mu Jin of the Southern Chen Kingdom has arrived!"
"General Fei Qing, Marquis of Beiyuan Kingdom, has arrived!"
Zheng Quchi was taken aback, then a look of suspicion appeared in his eyes.
Why did the Queen come with the other generals from the three kingdoms? Did they meet by chance, or were they already together and just happened to be passing by?
Before Zheng Quchi could think much, he was deeply attracted by the Queen Consort. Seeing her was like being bombarded with beauty.
Yuan Chuhua looks very similar to her, but Yuan Chuhua is still younger and lacks the depth and maturity that makes every smile and frown seem to tell a story, as well as the dignified elegance that a person in a high position maintains over a long period of time.
With her gold and red color scheme, red lips, and dark eyebrows, her entire outfit is eye-catching. Psychologically speaking, this type of person is very assertive and confident.
She swayed in a phoenix robe adorned with auspicious clouds and flowers, her fragrance wafting through the air. The gold beads embellishing her sleeves jingled softly. Yuan Chuhua followed behind, also dressed up specially to restore the noble radiance of a princess.
Next was General Shen of Hongsheng Kingdom, a middle-aged man with dark skin and a medium build, but with strong limbs. He wore thin, soft blue armor and a neat, close-fitting outfit, and seemed to be someone who was always on guard.
Arriving at the same time as him was General Mu Jin of the Southern Chen Kingdom. The surname Mu in the Southern Chen Kingdom is equivalent to the surname Wei in the Ye Kingdom. They are also a family of military generals. It is possible that General Mu Daye, who died from Zheng Quchi's arrow last time, was related to this General Mu Jin.
He was a young man with many moles on his face. He had strong features and a thick neck, which made him appear burly and gullible. However, once you met his sharp, eagle-like eyes, you would know how ruthless he was.
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