Zhao Shu had seen the Empress Dowager receive the homage of noblewomen during festivals before, but this time she was somewhat surprised because these noblewomen were clearly much more afraid of the Empress Dowager.
Some of the old-fashioned women even harbored resentment towards the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager understood that these women from powerful families probably felt that she, as a woman, was interfering in politics and acting like a hen crowing at dawn.
Ironically, it's often women who make things difficult for women.
With so many noblewomen, the Empress Dowager only needed to meet a few of those of very high status. Those of lower status were received by the Empress.
Since ancient times, there has been endless debate about the etiquette used to entertain foreign vassal states. Since the fall of the Zhou Dynasty and the beginning of the Spring and Autumn Period, the Zhou rites have not been preserved, and later courts mostly lacked perfect etiquette for entertaining foreign envoys.
The same applies to Dayong.
They entered the palace early. In fact, the state banquet began in the afternoon. When the ceremonial bell rang, everyone paid their respects to Emperor Mingde and the Empress Dowager in the Taihe Hall. Zhao Shu, along with Sheng Xia and Xiao Guozi, led the imperial princesses and followed the princess into the Taihe Hall.
After paying respects to the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, and the Empress in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, they then went to the Hall of Sweet Dew for a banquet, where dancers performed and musicians played the zither.
There was no reason for concubines in Dayong to pose and dance for foreign envoys. Of course, it was not encouraged to dance for the emperor, but it did happen. However, in such cases, they were usually compared to singing girls.
Therefore, even Hao Shumei had no intention of performing a dance; she kept a very low profile today, and Yi De was not even allowed to attend today's state banquet.
Fortunately, Zhao Shu was in good health; she didn't even pant after a long day of work, while the other princesses all turned pale.
Upon arriving at Ganlu Hall, one must first pay respects before taking a seat. This time, there was no need for such formalities. Once seated, one could eat and drink freely. Zhao Shu's seat was in the front, as she also cared about her reputation, unlike the others sitting in the corners. Their good seats meant that if they stole a piece or two of pastry, no one would notice.
As a highly respected new physician and the face of the Imperial Medical Academy, Physician Peng held a very high position. He sat next to Xie Yun and others, and Emperor Mingde recovered as soon as he returned.
Physician Peng swore that he hadn't prescribed any miraculous medicine. It was only because the Emperor felt at ease and was happy when he saw him that he recovered so quickly; it was a mental illness.
The Crown Prince had lost a lot of weight, but he had also matured considerably. He was calm and composed, and as the head of all the princes, he was like a cauldron that held the fort, reserved yet impossible to ignore.
He had just arrived and hadn't even had a chance to see Zhao Shu yet. Now that he saw her in the hall, he gestured from afar.
Zhao Shu smiled sweetly at him. It was wonderful that the Crown Prince was still alive and thriving in this life, the Empress Dowager was still alive, and Emperor Mingde had not passed away. As long as these people were alive, those villains would not be able to touch the entire territory of Dayong.
A glance at the people in the hall revealed that some of the people he disliked in his previous life had come, while others had not, but none of them had regained the glory they had in their previous lives.
She remembered that Lin Xiuxue was once incredibly popular and unparalleled in the capital, but now she was absent from this state banquet.
Five years ago, she said that she would not kill them so quickly. She would make sure that they would never achieve success and fame, and that she would stand at the top and look down on them, so that they would never have the face to regard her as an opponent again.
Because we're not in the same league.
Just as he was lost in thought, he heard the master of ceremonies announce, "The eldest prince of the Xiongnu, Tulev, has come to pay his respects."
"Announce it," Emperor Mingde said, quite pleased.
Everyone's eyes were on the gate, and Zhao Shu was no exception. Soon after, a handsome man walked in through the gate.
This man possessed unparalleled beauty; his captivating face was mesmerizing, making it impossible to look away. Hao Shumei was already beautiful enough, and although Yi De was not allowed to attend today's state banquet, everyone remembered her beauty.
However, the two women seemed unable to overshadow the handsome man who walked in. Even the few civil officials who were known as great writers felt at a loss for words and could not find the words to describe the man's beauty.
Even Emperor Mingde was stunned. He was a man who possessed two peerless beauties. To put it bluntly, some men would have their hearts racing.
Not to mention the women, apart from Zhao Shu and a few others who remained calm, almost all the women stared wide-eyed, and the young girls in the throes of first love blushed.
Zhao Shu coldly observed the gazes of the crowd before her. Then, looking at the handsome man, she noticed that he had applied makeup and drawn his eyebrows and eyes, making him naturally more attractive than the burly men. In addition, with his good natural features, a little embellishment was all it took to make him stand out from ordinary men by a wide margin.
"Who are you?" The Empress Dowager's cold voice brought everyone back to their senses. Realizing their rudeness, everyone lowered their heads.
What a disgrace! Our great nation is behaving like we've never seen the world before. It's truly shameful!
Zhao Shu wished she could find a handsome man to outshine this person. Handsome man?
She immediately thought of Chu Yang and Zhao Bi's lover Zhen Qizhong from their younger days. These two were no less attractive than this man. If they dressed up properly and did their makeup, they would each have their own unique charm.
"Hahaha, Empress Dowager Dayong, this man is named Dorita, and he is the most handsome man in the world." The Xiongnu prince strode in, his face full of pride, a stark contrast to when the Empress Dowager first met him.
Seeing his arrogant demeanor, Yan Shiren, Xie Yun, and the others felt much more at ease. They were not afraid of an enemy being arrogant, but rather of an enemy remaining silent.
"The most handsome man? Prince, that's a bit of an exaggeration." Yan Shiren stood up and said, "This Dorita, like a woman, wears makeup, draws his eyebrows and eyes, and acts pretentiously. He is indeed eye-catching, but his feminine appearance makes him seem too soft and lacking in masculine vigor."
The Hun prince Tulev turned cold and said, "Lord Yan, if you do not acknowledge Dorita as the most handsome man, that is fine, as long as you can find a man more handsome than him. If you cannot find one, then please ask the Emperor of Dayong to abdicate!"
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