Chapter 450: A Palace Banquet Prepared for the Xiyu Mission
The next day, the setting sun melted into gold, coating the glazed tiles of the Dayan Palace with a layer of flowing luster, which was brilliant and dazzling.
Inside the Qide Hall, the lights were just coming on and the melodious sounds of stringed instruments and orchestras rose up.
A grand palace banquet was being held to welcome the Xiyu envoys who had come from afar.
Emperor Dayan sat high on the throne, his dark dragon robe making his face look even more solemn and majestic.
After days of tending to the Empress Dowager, the emperor finally had traces of fatigue on his face that were difficult to conceal.
Beside the throne, Wen Li'er sat on the phoenix throne.
She was dressed in a bright yellow palace dress with peony patterns, her hair was tied up high, and she wore a red gold and kingfisher phoenix hairpin, looking graceful and elegant.
Princess Changle looked a little pale because she was pregnant, seriously injured, and had been worried for days.
Beside her, the crown prince was dressed in the attire of a crown prince, and Mumu and Miaomiao were dressed in the ordinary clothes of princes and princesses, all sitting upright and proper.
Zhao Zhao was placed on a specially made soft chair next to his mother, with his injured left arm carefully fixed with a soft silk ribbon.
Although her little face was still a little pale, she was in good spirits. Her big black eyes looked curiously at the busy palace servants coming in and out.
The music paused for a moment, and from the palace gate came the resounding announcement from the eunuch in charge of ceremonies: "The Xiyu marriage delegation is here to see you—!"
The hall instantly became quiet, and everyone's eyes were fixed on the slowly opening door.
The first to enter were the chief and deputy envoys of Xiyu, both wearing Xiyu official uniforms. They looked respectful, stepped forward, and bowed deeply in the direction of the throne.
Then, it was as if a bright, exotic pearl was thrown into the hall.
Princess Xiyu Yuyao walked into the palace slowly, surrounded by a group of maids.
She did not wear a complicated long dress with wide sleeves like the noble lady of Dayan, but a golden and red dance dress with a very Western style.
The tight waisted long skirt outlines an amazingly graceful curve. The hem reaches the ankles, and the slits reveal the slender ankles when walking.
She wore a light gauze shawl of the same color on her arm, and her face was covered with a red-gold veil as thin as a cicada's wing, revealing only a pair of eyes with slightly upturned corners.
As she looks around, she seems to have an invisible hook, mysterious and charming.
The most eye-catching thing is the several strings of exquisite Jiuxiao pendants worn on her fair wrists and delicate ankles.
With every graceful step she took, the golden bells on it made a clear and crisp sound of "ding-ling-ling... ding-ling-ling..."
The sound was not harsh, but rather had a strange, sticky rhythm.
It is like the camel bells tempting travelers in the depths of the desert, or like the clear spring bewitching people in a valley under the moon.
In this silent and solemn hall, the sound of the bell was exceptionally clear, each time seeming to strike at the heart of everyone.
The civil and military officials, young and old, could not help but be drawn to the scene.
The sound of the bell penetrated into the ears, making the soul float away, and even forgetting where they were.
Low gasps and uncontrollable exclamations of admiration echoed in the hall.
Even some royal family members who were used to the pleasures of life could not hide their amazement and fascination in their eyes.
Wen Li'er sat upright on the phoenix throne, maintaining an impeccable and graceful smile on her face, but her eyes were as calm as water, with scrutiny hidden deep within.
She looked at this famous foreign princess without any contempt in her heart, but was full of vigilance instead.
There was a strange sense of contradiction about this woman—
Although he appears weak and boneless, his steps are surprisingly steady;
The eyes behind the mysterious veil seemed to be full of affection, but deep inside was a cold, emotionless scrutiny.
To Wen Li'er, the tinkling golden bells did not sound pleasant at all. Instead, they carried a deliberate and dangerous aura that was meant to lure people into submission.
She calmly gathered her hands in her sleeves, her fingertips feeling slightly cold.
"Ding-ling-ling..."
The ringing sound is getting closer.
Wen Li'er lowered her eyes and saw Princess Yuyao had walked to the foot of the imperial steps and bowed down with a graceful posture like a painting.
Her voice came through the veil, with the soft and sticky voice of an exotic accent, but her pronunciation was clear and melodious:
"Xiyu Yuyao, I pay my respects to His Majesty the Emperor of Dayan and His Majesty the Empress. May His Majesty be blessed with long life and may His Majesty be in good health and may His Majesty be blessed with long-lasting blessings."
"Stand up."
Yan Shixu raised his hand, his voice expressing no emotion, only his deep gaze swept across the golden bell on her wrist.
"Princess, you have come a long way and must have worked hard. Please take a seat."
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace."
Princess Yuyao bowed again and stood up gracefully.
The moment she stood up, her eyes seemed to quickly and covertly sweep over the emperor and empress on the throne.
And the children around Wen Li'er, especially those who stayed on Zhao Zhao, who had his arm in a sling, for a barely noticeable moment.
That look was as fast as lightning, and if Wen Li'er hadn't been concentrating on paying attention, it would have been almost impossible to catch.
Princess Yuyao sat down on the gorgeous seat prepared for her with an elegant and calm demeanor.
The maids behind her stood with their heads bowed, like exquisite silhouettes.
Among them, there was a thin woman wearing ordinary maid clothes and with a blurred face. She kept her head very low, as if she wanted to blend into the shadow of the temple pillars.
But Wen Li'er inexplicably felt that beneath that lowered head, there seemed to be something deeper and more disturbing hidden than this radiant princess.
"Ding-ling-ling..."
Princess Yuyao raised her hand to signal the maid to pour wine, and the golden bell on her wrist rang again.
This voice made Zhao Zhao, who was sitting next to Wen Li'er, frown slightly. He subconsciously shrank into his mother's warm embrace and muttered softly:
"Mother... the bells are so noisy..."
Wen Li'er noticed it immediately, gently held her daughter's right hand, whose wound had healed, and comforted her softly.
At the same time, her doubts deepened—
Why do children find the ringing of the bell irritating and annoying, while adults find it fascinating?
Mumu also glanced at Princess Yuyao warily.
Tiantian sat upright with a calm gaze, taking in all the subtle movements.
Yan Shixu raised his glass and said loudly:
"The ruler of Xiyu is wise and righteous. He has sent envoys to offer marriage, cities, and treasures in order to achieve lasting peace between our two countries. This is deeply gratifying to me. I am hosting a banquet today to reward the delegation for their hardship and to celebrate the new friendship between us. May Dayan and Xiyu put aside their hostility and share a peaceful and prosperous era! My friends, let us drink to this cup together!"
"Long live our emperor! May the alliance between Dayan and Xiyu last forever!"
All the ministers responded in unison, and the atmosphere in the hall reached a climax.
The wine glasses clinked, the music of stringed instruments began to play again, and dancers in colorful clothes entered the stage one after another, dancing gracefully.
However, beneath this apparent prosperity and harmony, there are even more turbulent undercurrents.
In the middle of the banquet, Princess Yuyao stood up and stepped barefoot on the polished gold bricks. The golden bells on her ankles made crisp and rhythmic sounds as she moved.
She bowed deeply to the throne again, her voice speaking through her veil with just the right amount of earnestness:
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty. Yuyao has come from afar, and everything she has seen along the way has impressed her with the splendor of the customs and the flourishing rituals of the Great Yan Kingdom. To express Xiyu's sincerity in seeking peace, and to express her gratitude for Your Majesty's grace, Yuyao would like to perform a Xiyu Blessing Dance. First, to pray for the longevity of the Great Yan Kingdom, and second, to pray for the speedy recovery of the Empress Dowager. I sincerely ask for your permission, Your Majesty and Your Majesty."
As soon as these words were spoken, the hall instantly became quiet.
A dance of blessing? For the bedridden Empress Dowager?
This reason is so plausible that it is hard to refuse.
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