Chapter 414 The Banquet
On her way to the palace, Yu Sui was ignored by Tang Qing. Tang Qing only spoke to Wu Huaiwei, his eyes were only on her, and he wanted Wu Huaiwei to be like him.
When Wu Huaiwei turned to talk to Yu Sui, Tang Qing was still smiling, but Yu Sui felt that the other party's gaze had become cold.
Yu Sui understood, so she brought up more questions related to Tang Qing, involving him and allowing him to interact more with Wu Huaiwei.
The journey wasn't long or short, but Yu Sui discovered that Tang Qing was a petty person.
Emperor Qingyang hosted a banquet, which, though small, was extremely lavish. As soon as Yu Sui and his entourage entered the palace gates, they were escorted by a troop of golden-armored soldiers to Tianyu Tower. Tianyu Tower was located west of the palace, and consisted mostly of tall buildings overlooking the lake.
Within the Qingyang Royal Palace lies a Green Sand Lake. Spanning a vast area, almost the entire western part of the palace complex is encircled by it; tall and short buildings intertwine, creating a distinct hierarchy. A double-corridor jade bridge spans the lake. From above, the black eaves and white bridge, along with the layout of the Green Sand Lake and palace buildings, resemble a flowing yin-yang symbol.
"Your Excellencies, Second Miss, this way please." Eunuch Sun, who was waiting in front of the mountain stone gate, greeted Yu Sui and her entourage with great pleasure.
"Eunuch Sun," Tang Qing greeted him. Eunuch Sun immediately showed an expression of being flattered and surprised. "Your Excellency, it is kind of you to remember me."
Tang Qing simply smiled and casually asked, "Did His Majesty invite anyone else to this banquet?"
As he walked inside, Eunuch Sun replied with a smile, "There aren't many people, just His Majesty, the Queen, and two other venerable ones."
"His Majesty said that you have not been seen for a long time, and since the other Venerable Ones are all free tonight, he invited them to join in the festivities."
Yu Sui followed behind, and after walking for a while, she looked back and seemed to be deep in thought.
All the passageways appear to be artificial rock passageways surrounded by flowers, with the tops not completely sealed off but rather connected by loose stones. Moonlight and hanging lamps can illuminate the stone walls in the passageways, creating new shadows and images.
Yu Sui knew that the entire western side of the palace was built along Green Sand Lake. At this moment, she was walking through the Gen Gate of Green Sand Lake, and the air was filled with the smell of soil and grass after the rain.
The lamplight at night shone from above onto the reddish-blue sandstone walls, like falling golden light.
The mountain spirit's voice came from the Fusang Pearl hidden in Yu Sui's ear: "You are about to enter the Green Sand Lake Sound-Breaking Barrier. After entering the barrier, you will lose contact with several mountains."
She looked up at Tang Qing and Wu Huaiwei walking ahead, and gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Venerable Qin!" Eunuch Sun's high-pitched voice came from ahead, full of surprise, "What a coincidence that the two of you have met here."
On the pebbly path outside the exit of the artificial hill passage stood a silver-haired man with his hands behind his back and a natural expression. When he saw Tang Qing, he nodded slightly as a greeting.
"It is indeed a coincidence." Tang Qing stepped forward and greeted Qin Shan with a smile.
Yu Sui felt that his words, just like the way he looked at her, suddenly turned cold.
Wu Huaiwei, who was lagging behind, said to Yu Sui, "I heard that Qin Shan also had his talent examined by you. He's also blind."
Qin Shan, who was talking to Tang Qing, looked up. Tang Qing coughed softly and was about to change the subject when he heard Qin Shan laugh and say, "Back then, I really couldn't tell that the Second Miss had such talent."
Qin Shan's gaze swept over, and Yu Sui involuntarily straightened her back. When their eyes met, she politely bowed her head in greeting.
Qin Shan said, "Now that the Second Miss has sealed the incomplete Breath Soil, the five elements are full, and she has been reborn."
"It's too late to say all this now," Wu Huaiwei sneered, her gaze silently mocking Qin Shan for saying these things to save face afterward.
Qin Shan, however, showed no anger and maintained a gentle and polite attitude.
"Let's go," Qin Shan said.
Tang Qing followed up and said to Qin Shan, "She's always been like this, so don't take it too seriously."
Qin Shan just smiled and didn't answer.
Yu Sui whispered to Wu Huaiwei from behind, "If you don't like this kind of occasion, I'll pretend to be..."
Wu Huaiwei gave a light hum: "What are you worrying about?"
Yu Sui blinked: "Aren't you in a hurry to find Yan Xiaochuan? I'm afraid I'll delay you."
"There's no rush." Wu Huaiwei wasn't entirely at ease with her current situation. "If I'm not careful, you might end up like Mu Yong'an..."
Forget it, I don't want to think about those unlucky things.
Wu Huaiwei lowered her voice and said to Yu Sui, "Let me see what His Majesty Qingyang thinks first."
Yu Sui nodded.
As the group walked across the Twin Jade Bridge over Green Sand Lake in the night, the water shimmered with a bluish-green hue, occasionally reflecting the image of hanging lanterns. Yu Sui crossed the bridge and saw many maids carrying empty plates walking across the opposite bridge, heading in the opposite direction from them.
At the end of the Twin Corridors Jade Bridge was an open-air circular banquet stage. Yu Sui could hear the sound of string and wind instruments from afar and saw a young man in a golden robe sitting indifferently behind the table.
That face was no different from the one I saw when I was a child, the same arrogance.
The Crown Prince immediately took a liking to Yu Sui in the crowd. The frail and easily bullied little girl from years ago had grown up. Although she was beautiful, he couldn't bring himself to like her. His father had previously hinted that he wanted him to marry Nangong Sui, saying that the future heir to the Nangong Royal Family was still unknown.
Sure enough, Nangong Ming revoked her status as heir.
But before the Crown Prince could even rejoice in his own clever foresight, news arrived that Nangong Sui and Wu Huaiwei were master and disciple.
What right does this silly girl have to have such an opportunity? Even Shang Yang couldn't become Wu Huaiwei's personal disciple back then, so how did Nangong Sui manage to do it?
The Crown Prince stared at Yu Sui from afar.
Wu Huaiwei's red ribbon flashed and appeared in front of the two, blocking their view. She turned her head to Yu Sui and said, "That boy has been staring at you. Does he like you?"
“That’s His Highness the Crown Prince,” Yu Sui whispered back. “He hates me.”
"Why?" Wu Huaiwei asked, puzzled.
Yu Sui said, "Back then, he saw me as a person of low social standing and allowed others to use their lowly skills to bully me and make me fall into the water. Later, my elder brother retaliated against him, so he has always disliked me and my elder brother."
Wu Huaiwei showed a look of disgust.
Qin Shan, who was walking ahead, smiled and said, "His Majesty seems to intend to arrange a marriage for His Highness the Crown Prince."
Tang Qing asked in surprise, "Who?"
Qin Shan said, "Second Miss."
Wu Huaiwei and Yu Sui were both taken aback.
Tang Qing turned to look at Wu Huaiwei, who said, "That won't do."
Based on what Yu Sui just said, what would happen if these two got married? The Crown Prince is not good enough for his disciple.
Qin Shan nodded and said, "Now that you're back, why don't you try to persuade His Majesty?"
He glanced at Tang Qing, seemingly intending to use Tang Qing's words to persuade Emperor Qingyang to change his mind.
Tang Qing, however, understood Qingyang Emperor's thoughts.
Nangong Sui herself lacks ability, but as long as she is Nangong Ming's daughter and marries the Crown Prince, she can only be the future head of the Nangong family. If the Crown Prince controls Nangong Sui, it's equivalent to taking over the entire Nangong family.
Nangong Ming took back Yu Sui's right to be the heir first, which annoyed Emperor Qingyang.
But soon, Nangong Sui found a new bargaining chip in his eyes.
"Why don't you approve of His Majesty's idea?" Tang Qing asked Qin Shan in a low voice.
Qin Shan said, "What's good about a couple who are constantly at odds with each other?"
"Have you consulted a fortune teller?" Tang Qing said. "It's hard to say about matters of the heart."
Qin Shan glanced at him, a smile flashing across his light gray eyes, but it seemed like a silent mockery.
Tang Qing seemed unaware.
"Haven't you heard? Elder Chang's apprentice, Mei Liangyu, is the child of the eldest princess of Yan Kingdom and also the second young lady's senior brother. The two were very close when they were at Taiyi Academy," Qin Shan said. "Dean Changsun specifically mentioned this to me, and his meaning is very clear: if this marriage is forced, there will only be harm and no benefit."
Tang Qing understood and nodded.
After the red ribbon swept past Yu Sui, they had already arrived at the banquet stage.
Eunuch Sun announced loudly, "Your Majesty, the two venerable ones and the second young lady have arrived."
Yu Sui looked up and saw that on the highest banquet platform, Emperor Qingyang stood with his back to them in front of the Queen's table, bending down to pour wine into the Queen's cup. Upon hearing this, he calmly turned to look at the people below the platform.
"Your Majesty," Tang Qing stepped forward first, skipping the formalities for Wu Huaiwei, "Dean Wu and I have brought Miss Nangong Er on your behalf."
As Yu Sui stepped out from behind Wu Huaiwei, a deep male voice rang out: "Your Excellency, have you forgotten that she no longer bears the surname Nangong?"
Wu Huaiwei didn't want to argue with a junior, but she felt that the Crown Prince's words proved that Yu Sui was right.
Tang Qing replied without changing his expression, "It is the second young lady of the Nangong family."
No one bothered to dwell on it or deliberately prolong the little episode.
Yu Sui smiled and stepped forward to bow to Emperor Qingyang: "Greetings, Your Majesty."
Emperor Qingyang laughed loudly, "When I last saw you, you were just a commoner. Now that you've returned, you're a renowned ninth-rate sorcerer!" His expression was natural, and his tone was gentle. "Sui Sui, come, sit down with your master."
After Yu Sui stepped down from the desk, he heard Emperor Qingyang sigh, "When you first entered the palace, I saw you as a child. In the blink of an eye, that child has grown up."
"Back then, Shangyang always wanted to become a disciple of Dean Wu. He cried and made a fuss with me and the Queen, but he gave up because there were less than three thousand stars in the Star Sea."
Emperor Qingyang looked at Yu Sui and asked with a smile, "You must be one of the Three Thousand Stars to have earned Dean Wu's favor."
Wu Huaiwei glanced at Yu Sui out of the corner of her eye; if Yu Sui didn't want to be exposed, she would step in to resolve the situation.
“Your Majesty is right,” Yu Sui readily admitted under everyone’s gaze, “If it weren’t for the three thousand stars, I wouldn’t have been able to catch the eye of my second master.”
Wu Huaiwei pursed her lips. "You have far more than three thousand stars. If I really said it, I'm afraid even His Majesty wouldn't let you leave the palace."
"Indeed!" Emperor Qingyang seemed very satisfied, laughing as he raised his cup towards Yu Sui, who could only raise his cup in response.
"Your Majesty!" came the voice of Eunuch Sun from outside the banquet platform, "The Venerable King has arrived!"
The Qingyang Emperor gestured a wave.
Yu Sui glanced outside and the first thing she saw was a woman in red with a cold and stern expression.
Wang Jingshu and Wan Guiyue are two extremes. Wan Guiyue is sickly and weak, like a fragile and poisonous flower in a downpour. She looks delicate, but she can kill silently. Wang Jingshu, on the other hand, is more like a sturdy green branch, unmoved by the wind and rain.
"His Majesty."
Wang Jingshu spoke in a steady voice, her gaze sweeping coldly over Tang Qing and Qin Shan's group. Before the Crown Prince could speak, she looked back at Emperor Qingyang: "On the way here, I met the Sixth Prince, who said he was here to report on the recent Xuan Kui incident outside the city, so I brought him along."
Yu Sui rolled her eyes and saw that the Crown Prince, who was about to reprimand Duan Fengning, quietly shut up and dared not refute Wang Jingshu.
Standing on the platform, Emperor Qingyang held a wine pot, his posture relaxed. Upon hearing this, he simply nodded, which was taken as his agreement.
Duan Fengning was summoned and walked in from outside. He looked straight ahead, not at the guests on the banquet tables on both sides. When he reached Wang Jingshu's side, he lowered his head and respectfully said, "Father."
Emperor Qingyang waved his hand and said, "Tonight's banquet is for Miss Nangong. We won't discuss official business. Come find me later. Please sit down."
"Yes." Duan Fengning dared not reveal a single thought, and obediently responded before stepping aside to sit down.
Yu Sui watched Duan Fengning take his seat, then went to a table two tables away from the Crown Prince, and happened to sit opposite her.
As soon as Duan Fengning sat down, the Crown Prince's cold snort rang out: "You sat opposite the second young lady of the Nangong family as soon as you arrived. It seems you want to take a closer look at her. You really like her."
“If Your Highness likes this position, I will switch with you,” Duan Fengning said with a gentle smile.
"How dare you! You want to switch places with me?" The Crown Prince's gaze suddenly sharpened as he looked at Duan Fengning. "You think you're worthy?"
Duan Fengning was not intimidated by his implied meaning and said in a joking tone, "Your Highness, you can't exactly ask Miss Nangong to change her seat, can you?"
After speaking, he glanced at Yu Sui opposite him out of the corner of his eye, only to find that the girl was talking quietly with Wu Huaiwei. She smiled and her eyes crinkled, her beauty captivating, which made Duan Fengning quietly look away.
After Emperor Qingyang had greeted Wang Jingshu and helped her to her seat, Eunuch Sun's voice came from outside: "Your Majesty! General Zhongli has arrived!"
"Let him in!" Emperor Qingyang said loudly, looking very pleased.
Yu Sui was unaware that Zhong Li Ci would also be present. When she turned her head to look back, she saw Zhong Li Shan entering behind Zhong Li Ci, and her eyebrows slightly raised. Zhong Li Shan looked up and their eyes met. In an instant, they both understood that they would likely be questioned about Mei Liang Yu tonight.
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