Chapter 106: Defeat the scheming boy and tease the sultry general (16)
Perhaps the emperor had discussed this with Chu Heng in private, and Chu Heng's seat was arranged next to Li Ziyan. As the only brother of the current emperor and the only prince, Li Ziyan naturally sat in the lower right position of the emperor. As a general of a country, Chu Heng was naturally qualified to sit next to Li Ziyan.
A state banquet is different from a family banquet. Not only the royal concubines and royal relatives attend the state banquet, but also the ministers. Therefore, the ministers and the envoys who come to pay homage to the emperor will sit together scatteredly.
Wen Zhu looked at the luxurious palace, the exquisitely dressed, beautiful Li Ziyan, then at Chu Heng, who was talking to him with tender eyes. He clenched his fists, slowly increasing the force. It had been over a month since Chu Heng took leave and rarely went to the training camp. Previously, the two of them had only exchanged views and discussed military matters, but now there was no chance for them to interact.
He came from a poor family and had never even taken the imperial examination. The reason he was able to attend the state banquet this time was because Chu Heng had to have two attendants by his side, and Chu Heng needed him and Rong En to sit near the King of Southeast to help him observe this man's actions and find out information.
There were so many people here, and in the presence of His Majesty, Wen Zhu didn't dare show his emotions too much, no matter how much he felt unwilling. He had been absent-minded for the past few days, which had attracted Rong En's attention. If he didn't adjust, Chu Heng would probably find out.
However, he stared at Chu Heng and Li Ziyan for too long, and he was a scholar and did not know how to practice martial arts. When he came to his senses and wanted to look away, he met the eyes of a man who was dressed in luxurious clothes that exceeded the standard.
That man was none other than the King of Southeast, who had come to pay homage. He wore a red and yellow robe, a color reserved for the emperor regardless of dynasty. Yet, he dressed so brazenly today, clearly demonstrating his ulterior motives. However, he had come prepared, and Li Zihan couldn't act rashly. He could only smile and pretend nothing had happened.
Wenzhu's gaze was not concealed, and the King of Southeast noticed it early on. When he saw Wenzhu lowering his head, a sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth. He looked in the direction Wenzhu had just seen. It was not a stranger to him, but Li Ziyan, whom he had met once in Southeast. However, in his opinion, Li Ziyan seemed even more dazzling than before.
His face was serious and sharp, but his eyes were gentle. He turned slightly and leaned towards the person next to him with a completely intimate attitude. The King of Southeast touched his chin and felt that Li Ziyan was quite pretty.
"It is a blessing for the people of both regions that the King of Southeast has come to our Great Jin Dynasty. I have heard that the Southeast has been developing well recently, and the people are living and working in peace and contentment, and are financially prosperous. This is all due to the King of Southeast's good governance."
"Your Majesty, you are too kind. This is what I should do." Although the King of Southeast was the head of a fiefdom, he was actually a vassal of the Great Jin Dynasty. When meeting the emperor, he should call himself a humble minister. Only the prince could call himself king. His behavior this time had completely crossed the line. The ministers present were quite dissatisfied, but due to the situation, they could not say much. "By the way, Your Majesty has been back to the court for a long time, right? I wonder how your health is?"
"Thank you, King of the Southeast, for your concern. I'm in good health." Li Ziyan had drunk a bowl of ginseng soup before coming here to stay strong, and he also had some cough pills tucked away in his sleeves. Now he was even more determined to stay in good shape. He said to the King of the Southeast, "The climate in the southeast is hot and humid, after all. It's not like the climate in our Great Jin Dynasty, which is more suitable. I suffered a lot of discomfort there, but now I'm back. I'm grateful for your care back then."
Li Ziyan's words were not polite, but he was stating the facts. Although the King of Southeast was unhappy, he did not say much. Instead, he raised his eyebrows at this prince who was somewhat eloquent for the first time. He became even more interested. He looked at the emperor and Chu Heng who were particularly fond of Li Ziyan, and gradually had a strange idea.
"My dear minister, you must be tired after traveling for several days. How about we have a banquet right now, eat and chat, and have those singing girls come up to entertain the King of Southeast?"
Li Zihan waved his hand, and the palace servants who had been prepared long ago brought up the prepared meals. This time, in order to give the King of Southeast a warning and a show of force, all the preparations were of the best quality. Although he was currently recuperating, it was not difficult to prepare some such exquisite dishes.
Just as Li Ziyan said before, the things in the southeast are actually not richer than those in the Great Jin Dynasty, and their climate is not very suitable for the growth of many crops. Therefore, the Great Jin Dynasty brought out such a rich variety of dishes this time to make them weigh the difference in strength between the two countries.
Music began, and elegantly dressed singing girls and dancers came up to entertain the crowd. Their performances weren't vulgar, but rather had a celestial quality. They had all practiced for a long time before being allowed to perform. However, in this situation, not many people paid much attention to it. Li Ziyan took a sip of the soup on the table. His meal was the most unique of everyone else's. It was a medicinal meal specially prepared by Li Zihan at the request of the imperial physician and the imperial kitchen. It was nourishing and made him feel much more comfortable. The effect of the ginseng soup he had drunk earlier also came back.
Li Ziyan's face turned a little pink. Chu Heng had been paying attention to Li Ziyan's condition. He secretly reached out and touched Li Ziyan's wrist, then patted the back of his hand, indicating that he should be at ease.
The singing and dancing continued, and the ministers below were chatting about their own things. Rong En and Wen Zhu did not speak. Rong En followed his master and was not a talkative person. Wen Zhu was frightened by the look of the King of Southeast just now and did not dare to look around anymore.
After all, he did not have such a profound background, and the eyes of the King of Southeast seemed to be able to see through people's hearts, so he did not dare to explore further.
"Your Majesty is truly blessed. The singing and dancing of the Great Jin Dynasty are truly exceptional." The Prince of Southeast China took a sip of wine, tapped the rim of the glass, then stood up and bowed to Li Zihan. "Your Majesty, I have come here to discuss something. I hope Your Majesty will grant my consent."
"If you have anything to say, my dear, please tell me. We can discuss it together."
"My prince has reached the age of marriage. Although I have concubines at home, I still don't have a wife. So I came here hoping that the emperor would grant me a wife."
This was not actually a request. Saying he wanted a wife was actually a request for marriage. Everyone understood it, but Li Zihan did not dare to relax easily, because there were no royal women of marriageable age in the current dynasty. He had no sister and no children at this time. It was impossible that the King of Southeast had set his eyes on a woman from aristocratic family.
"My dear minister, you are capable of governing the southeast, so you are certainly worthy of this responsibility. However, I wonder what kind of woman you would like to marry?"
"Xiao Wang doesn't want a woman."
"Not a woman?"
The King of Southeast smiled and glanced at Li Ziyan who was sitting not far away. That look made Chu Heng next to him feel uneasy for no reason.
"This prince has a crush on a man and hopes the emperor will grant him the marriage."
In the Jin Dynasty, gay marriage was not uncommon. There had long been such traditions and rules, so Li Zihan did not find it strange.
"Who?"
"The little prince wants to marry the Holy Prince."
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