"No, didn't His Majesty say that we would enter the palace immediately after arriving in Beijing?"
"Governor Fan, Governor Yan, Lord Qin... all the nobles, His Majesty has changed his mind. He is hosting a banquet at Sifang Pavilion to welcome you all. Furthermore, His Majesty's arrangements are as follows: Sifang Pavilion will be the first session, and then please move to Liuyun Terrace, where Liuyun Pavilion will be the second session."
Fan Tianning and others looked at each other in surprise, Your Majesty, what a grace!
In order to welcome himself and others, he actually arranged two parties!
This shows how important we are in His Majesty's heart!
This banquet is unique, so of course I have to attend it.
Then, Ning Siyan continued, "His Majesty has arranged a third session, which will be held at Jinghu Villa. All of you will be staying at Jinghu Villa while you're in Guanyun City. It's the royal villa. His Majesty said... the third session will be at Jinghu Villa, where we'll drink and roast a whole lamb!"
Ning Siyan looked at Master Yan and said embarrassedly, "Governor Yan... well, well, His Majesty said that today's banquet is a gathering of old friends. His Majesty said that since you are the elder, it might not be appropriate for you to attend. His Majesty means that you should dine at the Honglu Temple. The dishes are prepared by the imperial chef and are guaranteed to be exquisite."
Ning Siyan rubbed her hands with a playful smile and said, "Look... you've been exhausted from the long journey. I'm afraid you can't stay up late with your old body, right?"
Yan Shidao was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. This emperor was too unreliable!
What does he want?
Yan Shidao understood it after a simple thought. The emperor did not look down on him, Yan Shidao, but the emperor wanted to have fun with this group of young people of the same age as him.
Yes, the emperor is a casual and free-spirited person. He may not have had a happy time in these years for the sake of Da Xia.
"General Ning, I will leave it to Your Majesty's arrangements. Please rest assured, Your Majesty!"
"Thank you, Governor Yan, for your understanding!"
The other officials, especially Yan Xiwen, burst into laughter when they heard this.
Now, tonight is definitely not a political discussion, but a happy party for old friends to meet.
This guy is really thoughtful, just like he was in Jinling before.
The other officials were somewhat surprised. They also understood His Majesty's intention, but...
Why is Your Majesty so happy?
We haven't reported it yet, and there are still many problems in various places. Why should he be happy?
However, it is certainly more comfortable for His Majesty to be happy than to be angry, so the eight serious officials of Daxia who gathered in the Honglu Temple went to the Sifang Tower under the leadership of Ning Siyan.
The three prime ministers of the three ministries were sitting by the fire and drinking tea in the office of the Secretariat, waiting for these senior officials to come and chat with them so that they could understand the situation in various places and prepare for tomorrow's closed-door meeting.
After waiting for a long time, the sky gradually darkened. Zhuo and his group had finished three pots of tea, but where was his lover?
Just when they were confused, Yan Shidao walked in.
Everyone stood up and bowed to greet each other. Zhuo and his party invited Yan Shidao to sit by the fire, and only then did they realize that it was His Majesty who had caused the trouble.
"Wasn't the banquet scheduled for the Peony Pavilion?" Zhuo and his group looked at Meng Changping. "Why didn't the Ministry of Rites notify us of such a major change?"
Meng Changping looked innocent. He spread his hands and said, "I don't know either. The Ministry of Rites hasn't received any news at all. The banquet is still being prepared."
"this……"
Yan Shidao smiled slightly, "You may have been deceived by His Majesty. This was His Majesty's own doing. He probably felt that holding a banquet in this palace was too formal, and he wanted to have it more casual."
After a pause, Master Yan continued, "When in Jinling, Your Majesty's favorite place to go was the Sifang Tower. Back then, Your Majesty was close to Qin Mowen, Ning Yuchun, and my son Yan Xiwen, and they often drank, recited poems, and composed couplets there. I guess Your Majesty has this thought in mind, simply wanting to reminisce about those old times."
"But... Your Majesty wasn't His Majesty back then. Now he's the Emperor of Daxia. How could he do such a ridiculous thing?"
Zhuo Yihang stood up and said, "No, I have to go and persuade His Majesty to come back!"
Nangong Yiyu reached out and grabbed Zhuo Yixing's sleeve, saying calmly, "Lord Zhuo, if you want His Majesty to abandon the throne and run away, then go. Otherwise... just sit down."
Zhuo Yixing was shocked, then he came to his senses. To be honest, His Majesty was forced to become the emperor. He always wanted to run away. If he was restrained too tightly and pushed into a corner, it was very likely that he would abandon his responsibilities and run away.
"Hey..." Zhuo and his group sat down and just picked up the teacup when they saw the Minister of Rites Xiao Yulou hurried in.
"My Lords, I just received a message from Liu Jin, saying that Governor Yan and all of you are invited to the banquet at the Peony Pavilion. Your Majesty, Your Majesty, he's escaped!"
…
…
In the imperial harem, Xu Yunqing was playing mahjong with her daughters-in-law.
Liu Jin rushed in and knelt down in front of Xu Yunqing with a plop, startling Xu Yunqing. "What's wrong?"
"Empress Dowager, Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."
Xu Yunqing's heart skipped a beat. She stood up suddenly and grabbed Liu Jin, "What's wrong, Your Majesty?"
"Your Majesty, His Majesty has left the palace without permission!"
"Oh..." Xu Yunqing put Liu Jin down and glanced at his daughters-in-law vaguely. He thought to himself, this son is just the same. He has ten beautiful wives at home, but he still wants to go out to find wild food... This matter must be made up for for his son.
"It's no big deal for His Majesty to go out of the palace for fun. Why are you so frightened, you little dog slave?"
"Your Majesty, this is what happened. His Majesty was originally planning to host a banquet at the Peony Pavilion for the distinguished guests, but, His Majesty left me a note saying the banquet would be held at the Sifang Building. I'm wondering... should I wait by His Majesty's side?"
So that's how it is. If my son doesn't go out to look for wild food, then there won't be any problem.
"It's no big deal, go if you want, but don't disturb us playing mahjong!"
"Your servant obeys the imperial decree!"
Liu Jin ran out of the palace happily.
Xu Xinyan asked, "Mother, the Emperor's alcohol tolerance is limited. I'm afraid he'll be drunk today. Would you like me to go and check on him?"
Xu Yunqing rubbed his mahjong tiles and thought for a moment, "He's trying to reconnect with his past. If you go and see him... you might see a different side of him. You have to be mentally prepared. So, I think it's best not to go."
Xu Xinyan nodded slightly, thinking that it might not be appropriate for her to go. Who knows what he might do outside?
If he did see it, should he pull him back or pretend he didn't see it?
It's just making things more difficult for yourself.
"Then... I won't go."
"Well, some things are better left unturned. His heart is with you after all, but he has a heavy burden on his shoulders and must be feeling a bit frustrated, but he can't vent it to you. Let him go out and play for a while to calm down."
If Fu Xiaoguan knew about this, he would probably feel that he was even more wronged than Dou E.
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