Chapter 453 Palace Banquet
Three days later, a grand celebration banquet was held in the palace.
The Hall of Supreme Harmony was brightly lit, with colorful palace lanterns hanging outside and red carpets laid inside.
A long banquet table stretched from the palace gate to the bottom of the dragon throne, and was filled with delicacies from land and sea. Amber wine shone in the silver cups, and the air was filled with the aroma of wine and dishes.
As one of the main contributors to this battle, Ye Yuntang's seat was specially arranged next to Jiang Luli.
This banquet scene was countless times more luxurious than what he had seen on TV in his previous life, leaving Ye Yuntang dazzled.
Zizizizi, those big-budget TV dramas are still too conservative.
In comparison, those scenes are like the village kids playing house.
Jiang Luli looked at her like this, fearing she might do something out of the ordinary. "Control your emotions," he said, especially the saliva at the corners of her mouth.
Ye Yuntang quickly straightened his back, but his eyes couldn't help but look at the food on the table that was as exquisite as a work of art?
What is this? Can I eat it later? Can I take it away if I can't finish it?
Stop, stop, don’t think about it anymore!
At the beginning of the banquet, the dancers in the center of the hall were dressed in gorgeous clothes and danced gracefully to the sound of stringed instruments, their skirts fluttering and their dance moves graceful.
Ye Yuntang sat in his seat, his eyes wide open, staring in a daze.
I didn’t expect that there is something more unforgettable than food.
It’s worthy of being a state banquet!
Xie Qingyun's seat was not far from Ye Yuntang, just diagonally opposite.
With his status as a disciple of the national teacher, and the fact that he accompanied the army in the battle and offered advice as a military strategist, his contribution was no less than that of Ye Yuntang.
Therefore, he became the object of everyone's flattery.
Many officials came over with wine glasses to toast and make compliments, and Xie Qingyun responded politely.
He was holding a glass of wine and interacting with people, but his eyes were fixed on Ye Yuntang, full of worry.
In the past few days, he specially invited the most senior etiquette nanny in the palace to teach Ye Yuntang the court etiquette. After all, being disrespectful in front of the palace is a serious crime.
I don’t know how she is doing in her studies.
After returning these days, his master kept him by his side and repeatedly asked him about Taohua Village, so he had no time to care about Ye Yuntang.
I had said before that I would take her to the night market and eat delicious food, but none of the things happened in the end.
The imperial teacher who was sitting not far away saw all this.
When children grow up and have their own thoughts, they will eventually leave our side.
However, he had previously read Ye Yuntang's fortune and found out that she had a deep connection with the "Demon Star", and this connection was destined to have no good results.
It seemed that his young disciple was going to be sad after all.
"Who is Ye Yuntang?" After three rounds of drinks, His Majesty put down his wine glass and spoke in a loud voice.
The hall suddenly became quiet, and everyone's eyes were focused on Ye Yuntang.
Now comes the theme of this banquet.
Ye Yuntang was staring at the dancer in the center of the hall with fascination, and had no idea that the emperor was calling him.
Jiang Luli, sitting nearby, couldn't bear to watch any longer, so he quietly tugged at her sleeve with his fingers and whispered a reminder, "His Majesty is calling you."
Ye Yuntang suddenly came back to his senses, with a bit of confusion in his eyes, and looked blankly at His Majesty sitting on the dragon throne.
"Stand up and salute." Jiang Luli reminded again in a low voice.
She then hurriedly stood up from her seat, frantically kneeling on the ground, prostrating herself before him. "Your Majesty, I, Ye Yuntang, greet you!"
"Oh? I didn't expect that the person who invented such a powerful weapon was a little girl." His Majesty looked at Ye Yuntang who was kneeling on the ground, with a bit of surprise and appreciation in his tone.
Ye Yuntang continued to kneel without saying a word.
She remembered the etiquette nanny's advice: when faced with a question you don't know how to answer, the best thing to do is to keep your mouth shut. If you don't say anything, you won't make mistakes.
"Young people today are much more capable than we were back then." Seeing Ye Yuntang remain silent, the Queen smiled and smoothed things over, easing the awkwardness. "This girl is very well-behaved, and I like her very much. She has made such a great contribution this time. Your Majesty, why don't you grant me a favor and allow me to adopt her as your adopted daughter?"
As soon as these words were spoken, no one in the hall objected.
Everyone could see that this was the result of a prior discussion between the Emperor and Empress. Naturally, no one would spoil the fun of His Majesty and the Empress at this time.
"Miss Ye, are you willing?" The Queen looked at Ye Yuntang and said gently, "I only have one child, the Crown Prince. He is usually busy with state affairs and has no time to accompany me. I have always wanted to have a lovely girl by my side to talk to."
Ye Yuntang was worried.
Since everyone has been called, it would be impolite not to answer.
She quietly raised her head and looked at Jiang Luli beside her, her eyes full of questions.
Jiang Luli nodded slightly while drinking, indicating that she agreed.
Ye Yuntang then raised his head and forced a smile on his face. "I've always wanted to have a brother, too. My queen, you don't know, my younger brother at home is very naughty and a real worry."
I'm sorry, Yunqiao. At this critical moment, I can only let you bear the charge of being "naughty".
Many years later, Ye Yunqiao became the governor of a state, but people still teased him about his "naughty childhood".
But he knew that the rumor was spread by his own sister, so he could only sulk in his heart and did not dare to refute it at all.
"What a poor child! You will have a brother who loves you from now on." The Queen smiled even more happily and waved to Ye Yuntang, "Come to me quickly."
Ye Yuntang stood up and walked to the Queen. The Queen immediately took off a jade bracelet of excellent quality from her wrist and put it on hers. "This is a gift from me to you."
The prince sitting beside him also quickly took off the jade pendant from his waist and said, "Sister Yuntang, this is a gift from me, please keep it."
The Crown Prince took the lead, and the Crown Princess, the Imperial Concubine and other concubines also took out gifts.
There were gold hairpins, silk, and jewelry, and soon they piled up in front of Ye Yuntang.
Even Ye Yuntang couldn't take it.
Fortunately, Xiao Fuzi behind Jiang Luli was very considerate and quickly used her clothes to help cover it.
The Emperor sat on the dragon throne, watching with a chuckle. "You're so anxious, you're stealing my limelight." He paused, then said solemnly, "Since the Empress has adopted you as her adopted daughter, I can't be stingy. I'll confer the title 'Princess Anle' upon you. The ceremonials will be as worthy of a legitimate princess, and the construction and furnishing of the princess's residence will be overseen by the Crown Prince. This will also allow you and your sister to be closer."
What are the specifications for a legitimate princess?
Do we still need to build a princess palace?
Ye Yuntang was stunned.
Although Jiang Luli had told her before that His Majesty might offer a generous reward, she had not expected it to be such a generous reward.
This clearly meant keeping her in Kyoto and not letting her return to Taohua Village!
What about her parents? What about Gu Jiayue and the children in the school?
Before she could sort out her thoughts, the Queen gently nudged her and reminded her with a smile: "Child, are you so happy that you've gone silly? Why don't you thank me quickly?"
No matter how reluctant Ye Yuntang was, he could only kneel down and kowtow respectfully. "Thank you, Your Majesty, and thank you, Queen."
The hall was suddenly filled with joy, and both the guests and the hosts were delighted.
Next, His Majesty's gaze fell on Jiang Luli.
"A-Li, you're not young anymore," His Majesty said, his tone undeniable. "The Crown Prince, who's three years younger than you, already has two children. At the Spring Festival banquet hosted by the Queen yesterday, I saw that the Prime Minister's second daughter is both virtuous and talented, and has a gentle personality. She's the perfect match for you. How about I grant you a marriage today? That way, you'll have someone who understands you and cares for you."
Granted marriage?
He had long expected that His Majesty would not give any substantial power rewards, but he did not expect that he would directly grant the marriage.
This was clearly because they were afraid that his prestige in the army was too high and that he would have inappropriate thoughts, so they wanted to tie him to Kyoto through marriage.
He secretly complained in his heart: Uncle is really getting more confused as he gets older. Isn't it obvious enough? He really has no interest in power. There is no need to be on guard against him like this.
"Your Majesty, I have no plans to start a family at the moment." Jiang Luli stood up and said firmly, "I beg Your Majesty to rescind your order."
Ye Yuntang, who was sitting on the side, was full of admiration when he saw that Jiang Luli dared to refute His Majesty in public.
What a brave man! As expected of someone who can command a large army, he even dares to disrespect His Majesty!
Unlike her, she is timid and only dares to complain in her heart.
"You! You!" His Majesty angrily pointed at Jiang Luli and turned to look at Jiang Luli's father, Jiang Luan. "Second brother! Take care of your good son! He's already so old and still hasn't gotten married? When he gets old, he won't even have someone who cares about him!"
Jiang Luan slowly stood up, a look of resignation on his face. "Royal brother, you know this child complained that I was too strict with him when he was little, and that he never listened to us. You are His Majesty, and your authority is greater than ours as parents. I'd like to trouble you to take the trouble to discipline him."
His "passing the buck" look made His Majesty hold his breath in his chest and almost couldn't breathe.
"Jiang Luli, I order you to get married this year! Otherwise, I will revoke your title of Prince!"
Jiang Luli, however, didn't care at all. He stood up and spoke in a relaxed tone. "If Your Majesty finds this pleasing, then you can wipe it off. Anyway, I just want to travel and enjoy the scenery. I don't want to get involved in court affairs. It doesn't matter to me whether I have the title of Prince or not."
After saying that, he waved his hand, turned around and walked out of the hall, not caring at all about the shocked looks in the hall.
The prince is really brave. He is the only one in the court who dares to speak to the emperor like this.
Indeed, if you ask for nothing, you have nothing to fear.
"Jiang Luan! What a good son you gave birth to!" His Majesty slammed the table in anger, his voice full of rage.
Jiang Luan still smiled and pretended to be stupid, but his heart was full of helplessness.
Son, can you not be so aggressive next time? Your uncle is old and can't handle this kind of stimulation from you.
Besides, the older the eldest brother gets, the more he thinks. What if he can’t figure it out and really locks up the whole family?
Why!
The emperor's brother today is no longer the big brother who could take him to the mountains to pick bird eggs when they were children.
He was the emperor, and he was very wary. He always felt that Jiang Luan's family was planning a rebellion.
Over the years, Jiang Luan has said countless times, both openly and secretly, that he doesn't want to be a lonely man who can only sleep two hours a day and can't even pamper the person he likes.
But the emperor just didn't believe it and continued to test it in various ways.
The spies in the mansion can almost fill a table.
Now that he saw Jiang Luli's outstanding abilities, he began to test his son.
That’s enough!
Jiang Luan didn't even dare to think about what he would do if his son, who weighed 120 kilograms and had a rebellious nature of 119 kilograms, was really provoked and really tried to seize the throne.
Don't doubt it, Jiang Luli has this ability!
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