Half a month later, the group arrived safely in the capital of Chu.
And the capital of Chu.
The prosperous country, with its different national conditions from Dongwei, also began to show its unique customs and culture to the distinguished guests who came from afar.
On both sides of the wide and clean streets, locals enthusiastically greeted passersby, calling out to them as they made purchases.
"Maltose for sale! Hot maltose, so sweet!"
"Hey girl, look at our freshly cooked braised meatballs! They're so salty and fragrant, I guarantee they'll be delicious!"
Sitting in the carriage, Qingyin, even though she couldn't quite understand the local dialect spoken by the people of Chu Wangdu, guessed that the people outside were probably selling some local delicacies.
Qingyin was somewhat tempted.
But when she thought about how she and Xie Ping would have to wash up and go to the capital to pay homage to Emperor Chu, a look of disappointment flashed across her face.
"What? Want to go out and have some fun?" Xie Ping sat next to her, looking at his eager wife with tenderness in his eyes.
Qingyin stubbornly replied, "No."
Xie Ping found it somewhat amusing; his wife, who said one thing but meant another, seemed even more adorable.
Knowing that his young wife was worried about having to meet the Emperor and Empress Dowager later to show respect to He Chu, Xie Ping, fearing that she might feel pressured, took her hand and smiled, saying:
"Actually, the Empress Dowager has already issued a decree. I didn't tell you while you were sleeping. The Empress Dowager felt that you were too tired from the journey, so she specially allowed us to rest at the Prince's residence for one night and then go to the palace to pay our respects tomorrow."
"Really?" Qingyin looked up in surprise. "Wouldn't that be a bit inappropriate?" But then, remembering certain etiquette, Qingyin hesitated.
"Yes, Mother and Father don't care about such trivial matters."
The journey was so long, and no matter how much she was served, she was somewhat tired. It would be even better if she could rest for a night and recover her energy before meeting the emperor again the next day.
With Xie Ping as their doting master, the grand wedding procession naturally headed towards the Prince's residence, where Xie Ping had never left before.
The once clear and clean signboard of the Fifth Prince's Residence has become somewhat blurred due to the departure of its master, but the words "Fifth Prince's Residence" can still be recognized.
Qingyin got off the carriage and, with Xie Ping's help, walked into the house where Xie Ping had once lived, still feeling somewhat curious.
The Fifth Prince's Residence.
Pavilions, terraces, and waterside pavilions—the Prince's Mansion had everything. The various classical and elegant buildings showed that His Majesty in the palace attached great importance to this prince.
Qingyin took in these distinctive buildings and guessed a bit about Xie Ping's standing with the emperor, and breathed a sigh of relief.
Although she married Xie Ping, Qingyin didn't want to be a tragic and pitiful princess who wasn't valued by the emperor. Compared to the material hardships, Qingyin felt that being a prince who was valued by the emperor and might compete for the throne wasn't so troublesome.
Lying on the incredibly soft bed in the Prince's mansion, Qingyin thought the same thing.
Xie Ping sat there for a while, but eventually managed to hold back and leave his young wife's room.
Tomorrow I still have to pay my respects to Father Emperor and Mother Empress, and Qingqing, and wait for their wedding... Xie Ping blushed, but without changing his expression, he drank the tea in the room in one gulp, which reduced the irritation in his heart.
...
The next morning.
The Chu Imperial Palace, the main hall for governing the country.
The emperor sat high in the hall, surrounded by a multitude of officials, creating a solemn and dignified atmosphere.
Emperor Chu looked down at his son who had returned from Dongwei, a hint of relief flashing in his eyes. "Fifth Prince is back? Your mother has been thinking of you. Remember to go see your mother later."
Xie Ping remained calm and replied, "Yes, Father."
The intimate conversation between Tian and his son attracted a lot of attention.
Standing below the stage, a young man with effeminate features watched the scene with resentment on his face.
It's the fifth prince again, the fifth prince again. Father Emperor is only so kind to the fifth prince. Is it just because the fifth prince was born to the Empress?
Damn it, why?!
The man's resentment seemed to attract the attention of those around him, even the emperor on the stage glanced in his direction.
The fourth prince quickly suppressed the jealousy on his face, which appeared somewhat distorted.
idiot.
Emperor Chu glanced at his fourth son with disgust. He was not the Empress's child after all; he was so stupid that he was worse than a pig.
"Alright, now that you've brought your queen back, let her in." Emperor Chu stopped looking at his foolish son and calmly looked at Xie Ping below.
"Yes, Father Emperor."
The ceremonial eunuch announced His Majesty's command, "Summon the Fourth Prince's Consort to an audience."
The eunuch's high-pitched voice echoed in the hall.
In fact, the eunuch should have addressed the woman who came with Dongwei as Miss Lin, but His Majesty was already satisfied and directly addressed her as the Fourth Prince's Consort.
The court officials would naturally not make things difficult for His Majesty with such a trivial matter as the issue of what to call a married couple before they are even married.
However, in a short time, everyone also increased the Fifth Prince's importance to His Majesty.
After all, while His Majesty said he valued the Fifth Prince's wife, he was actually still showing her respect because of the Fifth Prince.
However, this does not mean that the court officials were not curious about the Fifth Prince's wife, who had been brought back to Chu by their Fifth Prince.
A woman in palace attire slowly walked into the hall. The curious gazes of the crowd gradually turned into astonishment. Their mouths gaped open, and even their hands began to tremble slightly.
Qingyin: "Your subject, Lin Qingqing, pays her respects to Your Majesty."
Is this the Fifth Prince's wife? She must be the Fifth Prince's wife!
No wonder their Fifth Prince, who was so cold-hearted since childhood, insisted on bringing this Miss Lin back to He Chu and promising her the position of Princess Consort.
No wonder, no wonder.
Even heroes can't resist the charms of a beautiful woman, let alone such a stunning beauty. Concealing their astonishment, everyone turned to look at His Majesty the Emperor on the stage.
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