Chapter 465 Lantern Festival Banquet 3
As soon as he started playing the instrument, he began with an incomprehensible Ukrainian song. However, he was an excellent drummer. The instrument had no strings; he used his hands and fingers to strike the drumhead and create a melody that left listeners feeling exhilarated.
As soon as he stopped what he was doing, the music stopped, and he bowed to the emperor and empress on the high throne, saying, "This humble official has made a fool of himself. We people of Wu Kingdom like to sing and dance during festive occasions."
Everyone present was stunned, as if they couldn't understand. Xie Shang paused for a moment, but Jiang Fenghua clapped her hands, saying it was very pleasant to listen to. Then everyone present joined in the applause.
The envoy from Wu Kingdom said, "When I was playing the drum just now, I noticed that Your Majesty seemed to be keeping time as well. Does Your Majesty understand the tunes of Wu Kingdom?"
Jiang Fenghua said, "I don't understand the language of Wu Kingdom, but I can feel that the melody between your hands and the drumhead gives people a passionate feeling, like a couple who love each other without regard for anything."
The envoy from the Kingdom of Wu smiled and said, “Your Majesty has a good ear. This is a song praising love. We people of Wu like to use music to express love. Love is about disregarding everything and being passionate and intense. I will present this song to Your Majesty.”
Jiang Fenghua was stunned. What did that mean? She didn't want to disregard everything for love.
Xie Shang stared at her, yet he secretly hoped she would disregard everything for him.
this……
Xie Shang thought the envoy from Wu Kingdom was deliberately showing his love to his queen, but this man with a full beard was not good-looking. Men in Wu Kingdom all liked to grow beards, and his queen did not like men who did not shave their beards.
Seeing their puzzled looks, the envoy from Wu Kingdom explained, "Your Majesty has misunderstood. This piece of music is for Your Majesty, wishing you and the Emperor a passionate and arduous love."
Jiang Fenghua glanced at Xie Shang and smiled, "Thank you, sir."
Xie Shang smiled and said, "Thank you for your kind words, my lord. The Empress and I will surely be stronger than gold."
The envoy from Wu laughed, “Your Majesty is truly a man of character. I know that the Great Zhou Dynasty is a land of etiquette, and that people from the Central Plains are very reserved in expressing their love. I never expected Your Majesty and the Empress to be so genuine.”
Jiang Fenghua smiled slightly at Xie Shang, as if she truly admired him greatly.
As soon as the envoy from Wu Kingdom sat down, the female official from Chaoxi Kingdom also said, "Your humble servant, on the orders of our Empress, wishes Her Majesty the Empress good health and happiness, and wishes His Majesty the Great Zhou and Her Majesty a blissful life. Your humble servant also brings Your Majesty a gift to celebrate the Third Miss Jiang's ascension to the position of Empress. I hope Your Majesty will like it."
Upon hearing this, the people in the hall began to whisper among themselves. "The Empress of Chaoxi Kingdom actually sent an envoy to deliver gifts to Her Majesty the Empress. Do the Empress and Her Majesty know each other?"
"The Empress is truly remarkable; she can even discern the meaning behind the casual patting sounds made by the Wu Kingdom envoy."
"The Empress and the Emperor sitting together are a perfect match, making everyone envious!"
"The Emperor's favorite person is the Empress. No matter how much others try, it won't make a difference."
Tang Qianran knew perfectly well that the Emperor did not like her, but after she was granted the title of Imperial Concubine, she had other ideas and thought that the Emperor must like her too.
Seeing the Emperor and Empress interacting, her heart sank again. She had seen the look in a man's eyes when he liked a woman before, but never the look in the Emperor's eyes when he looked at her.
Here, the female official took out a brocade box, which Wuxin took personally. When she opened it, a pure white jade flute was revealed before her eyes, though of course, the others in the hall could not see it.
Xie Shang glanced at it and saw that the jade flute was completely flawless, clearly a top-quality piece. It was hard to find a piece of raw jade of this quality anywhere in the world, let alone one that had been polished to such an exquisite appearance.
Jiang Fenghua started her business with jade, so she naturally knew that this jade flute was priceless. She said, "Please, Lady Official, convey my gratitude to Her Majesty the Empress."
The female official nodded. "This humble official returned the gifts to Miss Jiang. Madam Jiang also brought gifts, which will be delivered to the residence shortly. They are all from the Empress and we hope Her Majesty will like them."
Jiang Fenghua glanced at Xie Shang, who nodded to her before she said, "Please thank the Empress on my behalf."
No one knew that Sang Yupianpian once lived in the Jiang Mansion, and that she was now even the Empress of Chaoxi Kingdom.
No one knew why the Jiang family was so highly regarded by the state.
Xie Shang knew this.
The banquet continued, and just as everyone had eaten and drunk their fill and the singing and dancing were in full swing, the young prince of the Hu tribe suddenly raised his wine cup and said, "This prince has a request to make of His Majesty the Emperor."
Xie Shang drank a few more cups, stared at the young prince of the Hu tribe, and said in a deep voice, "Prince Huyan, please speak your mind."
"I wish to marry your ninth princess as my queen." Huyan Chuci bowed respectfully. "To strengthen the diplomatic relations between our two countries, I humbly request Your Majesty to grant my request."
The ministers were also taken aback when the young prince of the Hu tribe suddenly asked to marry the Ninth Princess on such an occasion. Looking at the entire palace, the Ninth Princess was indeed the only one suitable for a marriage alliance.
The Ninth Princess is now sixteen years old. Even if she doesn't marry into the royal family, she will still have to get married.
Xie Shang frowned and said in a deep voice, "Young Prince has never met the Ninth Princess, so why does he suddenly ask to marry her as his princess?"
Huyan Chuci said, "Your Highness, I have met you. On the day Your Majesty ascended the throne, she disguised herself as a palace maid. I only glanced at her once and decided that I would marry no one but her. I beg Your Majesty to grant my request."
Xie Ling'er had long been under house arrest in Xie Shang's palace, and Hu Yan Chu Ci had no chance to see her. However, he only confined her to her quarters and did not actually lock her up with handcuffs and shackles, so it was possible that she had secretly gone out.
Jiang Fenghua thought to herself: There's something strange about the Hu tribe's sudden request to marry Xie Ling'er.
Xie Shang also found it strange and said in a deep voice, "Go and invite the Ninth Princess out to attend the banquet." He meant to have someone dress her up so she wouldn't look like a ghost.
If Su Qingqing is truly the one manipulating all of this, and if she is indeed related to the Hu tribe, even having the Hu prince rescue her through a marriage alliance.
Jiang Fenghua also thought that perhaps handing over Xie Ling'er would lure out Su Qingqing, since the Su family only had one daughter in the world.
In her past life, Xie Ling'er was arrogant and domineering because of the protection of Consort Su. Later, she married a prince consort, who later committed suicide. Xie Ling'er, on the other hand, learned to keep male concubines and acted recklessly, which her mother did not care about. She was utterly wicked.
But Xie Ling'er is also Xie Shang's most beloved younger sister, and she shares the surname Xie, so Xie Shang probably wouldn't be willing to kill her!
A moment later, Xie Ling'er was indeed brought to the main hall. She walked up to Xie Shang and bowed respectfully, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty, long live the Emperor!"
Xie Shang stared at her and noticed that she seemed to have lost weight again. Had no one been feeding her lately? Thinking of how her mother and Ling'er had always been at odds, it wouldn't be difficult for her mother to be harsh on her if she wanted to.
"Get up!"
When Huyan Chuci first saw Xie Ling'er, his eyes flickered for a moment. Then, remembering what Lady Xiang had told him to marry the Ninth Princess of the Great Zhou Kingdom, he also bowed to Xie Ling'er and said, "This humble prince greets the Ninth Princess."
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