Chapter 68: All nations come to pay homage to the emperor.
The imperial capital of Yan State had never been so bustling and glorious. Suzaku Street, paved with the most expensive scarlet Persian carpets, stretched all the way to the towering palace gates.
The air was filled with the unique cool smell of exotic spices, leather, gold and silver. The envoys of different skin colors and hair colors, dressed in gorgeous clothes, brought their most precious treasures and rare medicinal herbs.
The carefully selected beauties and handsome men, some as bright as fire and some as cool as the moon, filed into the Chengtian Palace Square under the strict guidance of the imperial guards.
Their eyes, filled with curiosity, awe, or subtle temptation, swept over the majestic ceremonial guards and sophisticated armor of the Yan Kingdom. In the end, they were all firmly grasped by the four figures sitting at the highest point on the platform.
On the high platform are the most dazzling existences in Yan Kingdom today - the four supreme beauties who are privately praised by the people as the Yuxiu Tiantuan.
In the center sat the Empress Dowager of Yan. Though over fifty, time seemed to have treated her with special favor, only adding an unapproachable majesty to her graceful and elegant demeanor.
She was dressed in a bright yellow phoenix robe, embroidered with a golden phoenix soaring in the sky, and wore a red gold and kingfisher phoenix crown on her head, with pearl tassels hanging down and shining brightly, which made her face look solemn and her eyes as calm as the deep, as if all the prosperity and noise in the world were under her gaze.
Slightly below and to the Empress Dowager's side was the current Empress, Dongfang Qiwu. In her thirties, she was at the peak of her beauty. She wore a bright red palace dress embroidered with gold phoenix patterns. Her hair was tied high, and a nine-tailed phoenix hairpin with a pearl in its mouth was inserted diagonally.
The Empress's beauty was dignified and graceful, the calm and tolerant mother of the nation. A perfectly composed, yet subtle smile etched itself around her lips, and her gaze gently swept over the envoys from various nations below. Her calm demeanor inspired admiration.
She is the elder sister of Princess Fuxing. She has some similarities with Dongfang Yuning in her features, but she is more mature and reserved.
Beside the Empress sat the eldest princess, Nangong Yue. Eighteen years old, she was in the prime of her youth. She had inherited the stunning beauty of her mother, Empress Dongfang Qiwu, and her youthful prime gave her an even more alluring radiance.
She wore a brocade palace gown, as brilliant as the rosy glow of a sunset, framing her slender figure perfectly. In her hair, a red gold and jeweled butterfly hairpin, seemingly ready to take flight, trembled gently with her occasional glances, adding to her graceful demeanor.
Although she had experienced divorce, it did not diminish her pride and brilliance as the eldest princess of the royal family. There was even a hint of carefreeness between her brows, as if she had seen through the world.
The most eye-catching person is undoubtedly Princess Fuxing - Dongfang Yuning, who is sitting on the outermost side next to the eldest princess.
At only fifteen, she possessed all the natural beauty of heaven and earth. She wore a turquoise silk palace gown, the hem embroidered with intricate star tracks and ethereal vines in silver thread. As she walked, she shone with brilliance, as if draped in a sea of stars and the air of spring.
Her hair was delicately tied in a bun, pinned with a single, emerald green, aura-filled jadeite hairpin. A few strands of hair playfully draped around her jade-white face. Her beauty was one of transcendental agility and purity. Her clear eyes, now gazing with curiosity and cunning at the diverse "foreign friends" below, were a mixture of wit and cunning.
Her skin is whiter than snow, and has a soft glow under the sun. It is so delicate that even the finest mutton-fat jade pales in comparison - this is naturally the result of daily internal and external application of Lingquan, combined with the miraculous effect of high-concentration Lingquan Rejuvenating Cream.
These four, from the supremely noble empress dowager, to the peerless queen, to the bright and dazzling eldest princess, and finally the charming little princess, have distinct ages and temperaments that complement each other, together forming a beautiful painting that can make the mountains and rivers pale in comparison and the sun and moon lose their luster.
They just sat there quietly, but they had already attracted the attention of the whole audience and became the most intuitive and shocking symbol of Yan Kingdom's national strength and style.
Whether it was the knowledgeable envoys or the princes and ministers of their own country, everyone held their breath and concentrated, with only one thought in their minds:
[The royal family of Yan Kingdom is truly a place of great talent and beauty! ]
[Inner OS Channel Opened - Only important officials of Yan State can listen. Violators will be executed along with their entire clan! ]
Dongfang Yuning smiled dignifiedly on the surface, but her mind was calculating:
[Wow! 118 Look, look! That lion-like king has a braided beard! And that guy in the white robe, doesn't he look like a moving lighthouse? That piece of cloth on his head looks like he could perform a flying fairy dance if the wind blew!]
System 118's electronic voice was filled with the excitement of watching the fun: [Host! Host! The focus isn't on the cloth! The focus is on the attendant holding the box behind him!]
The scan revealed that the box contained a thousand-year-old deep-sea giant clam pearl! Its energy fluctuations are gentle and pure, making it the perfect ingredient for calming and soothing incense! Priceless! Find a way to get the Emperor's brother-in-law to accept it! We'll split the profits 50-50 later.
Dongfang Yuning rolled his eyes inwardly:
[118 You money-grubber! That's tribute! Do you understand tribute? It's for the emperor's brother-in-law! But... (rolls his eyes) Giant clam pearls... are indeed good things.
I'll hint to my brother-in-law later and tell him it's a shame to leave this pearl gathering dust in the national treasury. Why not give it to someone who can maximize its value... like me, his lovely sister-in-law? Could it be used to develop a beauty product that will benefit all people (especially noble ladies)?
Down below, an old duke with white hair and beard happened to hear the words "50-50 split" and "hint to brother-in-law", and the jade sceptre in his hand shook and almost dropped it.
He forced himself to calm his mind, his eyes focused on his nose and his nose focused on his heart, but a drop of cold sweat quietly seeped out of his forehead. "Punish the entire clan... Ten thousand words... I, this old minister, still want to live a few more years!"
At this time, an unusually tall, dark-skinned tribal chief with a huge gold nose ring came forward to offer a gift. He presented a majestic pony that was completely snow-white except for a tuft of flame-shaped red hair on its forehead. He introduced it in Mandarin with a heavy accent as the Sky Fire Horse of their tribe.
Dongfang Yuning exclaimed inwardly, "Wow! Little white horse! So cute! Its red fur looks like a little flame!"
System 118 (suddenly serious):
[Host! Biospectral analysis reveals that this horse possesses a trace of the ancient 'Flame-Treading Horse' bloodline! Although the amount is so thin it's practically negligible, its feces, after special processing, are top-tier fertilizer for cultivating Nine-Transformation Resurrection Grass!]
It might even be better than watering it with diluted spiritual spring water! We must get it! Just say... just say the princess loves riding horses!]
Dongfang Yuning almost burst out laughing and quickly covered his mouth with his sleeves:
[118!!! You want me to ask for horse manure?! And in my niece's name?! Yue'er would strangle me to death if she knew! And why in her name?!]
System 118 is justified:
[Host, you are young, and it would be a bad influence if you indulge in pleasure. Her Royal Highness the Princess is in her prime, and it is reasonable for her to be interested in riding and shooting!
For the sake of our immortal herb cause, a small sacrifice of reputation is nothing! Besides, we don't want it for free; we can trade it for 'Rejuvenating Cream'! This is called optimizing resource allocation!
The eldest princess Nangong Yue, who was sitting next to Dongfang Yuning, felt a chill down her spine for some reason. She turned her head doubtfully to look at her aunt, who was sitting upright with an exceptionally "innocent" expression.
Below, the officials in charge of the reception, their faces flushed crimson, their shoulders heaving suspiciously. "Asking for horse manure... in the name of the eldest princess... Princess Fuxing's inner voice... this is killing me!"
He could only bite his cheeks tightly, try to look into the distance, and pretend to study the flying eaves and brackets of Chengtian Hall.
Nangong Ye was wearing a black prince's python robe, his posture was as straight as a pine tree, and he stood half a step behind Dongfang Yuning's seat.
He seemed to be looking straight ahead, guarding the treasure in front of him, but in fact, there was an almost invisible curve at the corner of his lips.
He heard every word of the little girl's conversation with the "system" clearly. Seeing her appear solemn on the surface, yet so lively and energetic on the inside, directing that mysterious entity in her plans to "cut leeks," even going so far as to plot against the divine horse's feces... This unique agility made his heart melt, yet also filled with pride.
His eyes fell on her profile, which was more delicate and smooth than the finest porcelain, and Nangong Ye's eyes deepened slightly.
Taking advantage of the moment when an envoy was giving a long speech praising his achievements, Nangong Ye leaned forward slightly, and his low and pleasant voice was heard only by Dongfang Yuning, with a barely perceptible smile and expectation?
"Ning'er, that Immortal Skin Jade Dew Rejuvenating Cream... could you please share some with me today?"
He paused, lowering his voice to a lower level, with a hint of mischief.
"After all... I also want to take good care of myself so that I can be worthy of this young grass that is becoming more and more beautiful."
Dongfang Yuning's ears blushed slightly. On the surface, she maintained the demeanor of a cold princess, but inside, she was exploding:
[118! Did he hear it?! Did he hear me complaining about him being too young to be with me?!]
System 118 (Confidence):
[Impossible! This system's transmission of thoughts is absolutely private! Unless he has the ability to read minds! Host, he's finally gotten it! He knows he needs to be maintained!]
Great! Promise him now! We can use him as a living advertisement! Just think about it, even the cold-faced war god Jin Wang praised it, what a huge gimmick! Won't the leeks rush to buy it? Doubling the price is not a dream!
Dongfang Yuning was speechless and choked up:
[…118, your business acumen is always sharp.]
She tilted her head slightly and glanced at Nangong Ye with a look that only the two of them could understand. With a little pride and cunning, she nodded her chin almost imperceptibly.
Atop the high platform, the four beauties shone as brightly as ever, awe-inspiring the envoys from all directions. Below, the Yan Kingdom's trusted ministers struggled to digest the turmoil of laughter and cold sweats emanating from Princess Fuxing and her mysterious companion, a turmoil only they could hear. At the same time, they silently recited the prohibitions of "treason," "execution of nine clans," and "ten thousand words" in their minds like a golden talisman to protect themselves.
This grand banquet that attracted the attention of all nations was destined to be a unique experience for the core members of the Yan Kingdom, which was solemn and dignified on the outside but magnificent (wild) and broad (Tang) on the inside.
Dongfang Yuning's "leek-cutting" weapon has silently revealed its sharp edge under the watchful eyes of the public.
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