Chapter 221 Chapter 221 Palace Banquet
Although the old emperor didn't know what Yu Li meant, he still asked the palace servant to hand the cup to her.
Yu Li took the cup and held it in his hand in front of the old emperor.
The cup broke into pieces in her hands, and then she closed her hands and the pieces turned into powder. She spread her hands and only a pinch of powder was left.
In an instant, the hall was silent.
The old emperor stared at her hands and looked hard at the powder on her hands.
The palace maids around also widened their eyes and stretched their necks to look, especially the palace maid who had handed the cup to Yu Li earlier. If she had not felt how hard the cup was when she touched it with her own hands, she would have thought that the cup was made of flour.
After a long while, the old emperor sighed: "Daughter-in-law Xiao'er, you are really strong."
Although I knew she was very strong when I saw her carrying those ferocious beasts just now, I had no idea how strong she was. Now, seeing her easily crush a cup into powder, it seemed like I had some understanding.
Who in the world could crush such a solid porcelain cup into powder so easily? I'm afraid even the Imperial Master couldn't do it.
The old emperor stared at Yu Li, and recalled what Fu Wenxiao had said when he had apologized.
After returning to the Yangxin Palace, Fu Wenxiao apologized to him, saying that his wife had some strange abilities, and then briefly told him about what she encountered when she was slaughtering pigs in the south.
After hearing this, the old emperor found it very strange.
Killing pigs is considered a lowly job in the eyes of the world, but now, when it is Yu Li's turn to kill the pigs, it adds a mysterious color to it, which makes people amazed.
So when the old emperor learned that Yu Li used to be a butcher, he accepted it easily.
For a talented person like this, the way she slaughters pigs must be different from that of ordinary people, and there must be a deep meaning behind it.
What's more, Yu Li had just saved himself. If she hadn't shouted in time, those animals would have really hit him hard and the old emperor would have definitely been knocked away, and who knows what would have happened.
The old emperor asked again: "Those beasts are so afraid of you, can you drive them?"
"That won't work." Yu Li said with regret, "When I get close, they lie down. I can't ask them to do anything. Sometimes, before I get close, they run far away and I can't find them even if I try." Thinking of something, she said, "Didn't Xiao Ge give me a horse king? That horse king can't carry me as a mount now."
The old emperor also thought of this.
When Fu Wenxiao asked him for the King Horse, he wondered why Xiaoer would give his wife a fierce horse. He also joked with Li Mao, thinking that young people were too boring.
Now I understand the reason. It turns out that he really wants to give him a wife.
When the old emperor found out, he found out that because the animals were afraid of Yu Li, she could not ride a horse when she went out except in a carriage.
So Fu Wenxiao got her a horse king to see if she could withstand it.
It turned out that the horse king was the same.
The old emperor found this interesting and asked how Yu Li got along with the horse king.
"It's okay." Yu Li said, "I'm the one taking care of it now. I take it out for a walk every day, just to make it get used to me so that it can be my mount in the future. But it still doesn't seem to be able to do it. Sometimes it will kneel on the ground and refuse to move. I can only carry it out by myself..."
Perhaps what Yu Li said was really funny, not only did the old emperor laugh out loud, but even the palace maids in the hall had a hard time holding back their laughter.
Fu Wenxiao sat next to him, smiling helplessly.
Only Yu Li looked at the old emperor with a puzzled look on his face. What's so funny about this? Is it really funny?
After the old emperor finished laughing, he took the tea handed to him by the palace maid and drank it, then said, "Daughter-in-law Xiao'er, you have done a great service in saving the emperor this time. I wonder what reward you would like."
As soon as these words were spoken, the hall instantly became extremely quiet, and the palace servants around subconsciously slowed down their breathing.
Yu Li could naturally feel the change in the atmosphere in the hall, but she didn't care. After thinking for a while, she said, "I'm hungry now. If the Saint wants to reward me, please give me the imperial banquet prepared by the imperial chef."
The world is so big, but there is nothing more important than eating.
Old Emperor: “…”
"Because I'm very strong, I usually eat a lot." Yu Li said a little embarrassedly.
The old emperor didn't take it seriously and said jokingly, "How much can a little girl like you eat?"
It was rare for him to take a serious look at the girl opposite him. She was young and skinny, and it was hard to tell how much she could eat.
Even so, the old emperor still had someone prepare a royal banquet for Yu Li, and said, "This is not a reward."
Yu Li said with an "oh" and said casually, "Then the Saint can do whatever he wants."
"Don't you want anything?" the old emperor asked puzzledly.
If it were anyone else, they would have been ecstatic after hearing what he said. Of course, they wouldn't dare to make excessive demands, but they would still try to get some benefits for themselves.
But looking at her, she seemed calm and indifferent, as if she didn't understand what the emperor's reward represented.
He looks too honest.
Yu Li shook his head and said truthfully: "I don't lack anything now. I have food, drink, shelter, and money to spend. I really don't lack anything."
That's what she said and she thinks so.
As the wife of a duke, she no longer had to work hard to make money. Instead, she had too much money to spend. She was thinking of sending some money back to the south one day to open a girls' school for her sister.
The old emperor could naturally see that it was the first time he met such an honest child. He was so honest that it made people feel a little distressed.
Soon he became happy again and praised: "Not bad, not bad, Xiao'er married a good wife."
Fu Wenxiao was a little embarrassed, "Uncle, Li Niang is really good."
The title of "uncle" also means that he is now just a nephew, not a subject.
The old emperor enjoyed his closeness very much. He smiled and talked to them for a while. After the palace servants prepared the imperial banquet, he asked them to go to the side hall to rest first and eat something to avoid starving the children.
After the two of them left, the old emperor seemed to be in a good mood and asked, "Li Mao, what do you think of Xiao'er's wife?"
Li Mao smiled and said, "The wife of the Duke of Zhenguo is naturally good."
"How is it good?"
"In front of the saint, she is neither humble nor arrogant. Such a mentality is very rare. In the previous situation, she was willing to stand up and scold those beasts. Her courage is commendable... Moreover, I can see that the wife of the Duke of Zhenguo is too simple and unsophisticated. Perhaps the Duke of Zhenguo also likes this aspect of her."
Before this, Li Mao's impression of the wife of the Duke of Zhenguo was just a country girl from the south, or even a pig butcher. He didn't know what the Duke of Zhenguo saw in her that made him willing to marry her and even love her so much.
Is the Duke of Zhenguo so unpicky?
It is hard to imagine that the Duke of Zhenguo, who is as gentle as the breeze and bright as the moon, would marry a pig-killing girl. They are such a mismatch.
But now, he doesn't think so.
The wife of the Duke of Zhenguo is capable of doing anything, so killing pigs is nothing to her. Instead, she is simple and innocent, which is extremely rare.
The old emperor listened silently, and he sighed softly, "It seems that Xiao'er married a very capable wife..."
Li Mao's heart skipped a beat and he lowered his head silently.
The emperor's mind is hard to predict. Although he can figure it out a little, most of the time, he still doesn't dare to guess his emperor's intentions easily.
Not long after, a palace servant came over and reported: "The wife of the Duke of Zhenguo has a good appetite and eats... a lot. The Duke of Zhenguo is serving her food, and the couple has a very good relationship."
After hearing this, the old emperor asked, "How much did you eat?"
"I have already eaten most of it. I can continue eating depending on the situation."
The old emperor finally looked surprised. How could he eat so much?
It seems that she was not lying when she said she was strong and could eat a lot.
A normal person could not finish the imperial banquet on that table. Not to mention eating half, even eating one third would make one feel uncomfortable.
Waving his hand to let the palace maid go, the old emperor said: "Xiao'er's wife has such ability, which makes people feel at ease. Li Mao, what do you think about letting Xiao'er's wife enter the palace to serve?"
Li Mao was just stunned, and said hesitantly: "Saint, this is not good, right? After all, she is the wife of the Duke..."
How could my wife work in the palace? What kind of work would she do?
"That's right." The old emperor felt a little regretful. It would have been better if she was not Xiao'er's wife.
He would feel very relieved if such a talented person could enter the palace to serve as his guard.
Soon the old emperor laughed again and said, "She has done a great service in saving me today. I will reward her well."
When Li Mao heard this, his heart moved slightly, and he looked up at him cautiously. It seemed that the wife of the Duke of Zhenguo had really caught the saint's eye.
It's really hard to dislike the wife of the Duke of Zhenguo with her personality, not to mention that she is capable.
The saint was suspicious, and he would certainly not be happy if others tried every means to please him. However, he quite liked people like the wife of the Duke of Zhenguo who were frank and selfless.
As we were talking, we heard that Princess Fuhui was coming.
Princess Fuhui rushed in, threw herself in front of the old emperor, and asked anxiously, "Father, are you okay?"
The old emperor asked, "Is it Fuhui? Why are you here?"
“I heard that a ferocious beast escaped from the rare bird garden and almost hurt my father. I was scared to death when I heard it.” Princess Fuhui had tears in her eyes as she looked the old emperor up and down. She was finally relieved to confirm that he was fine.
The old emperor has now recovered, and is even less afraid now that he has seen how docile and harmless those animals are in front of Yu Li.
He smiled and said, "I'm fine. It was Xiao'er's wife who saved me."
Princess Fuhui laughed when she heard this, "I knew that Li Niang was very powerful."
"You know her too?" the old emperor was surprised.
"Of course. Didn't I fall into the water on the Lantern Festival? She was the one who saved me." Princess Fuhui said, "If she wasn't the wife of the Duke of Zhenguo, I would have wanted her to be my bodyguard."
These words really touched the old emperor's heart.
As expected of a father and daughter, they have similar ideas.
The old emperor narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "What a pity..."
"That's right." Princess Fuhui agreed, and then said, "Father, Li Niang saved you this time, you can't be stingy, you must reward her well."
The old emperor smiled and nodded.
**
In the side hall, Yu Li had already finished eating the food on the table.
Fu Wenxiao poured her a cup of tea to moisten her throat and asked, "Li Niang, are you full?"
"Yeah, almost."
Fu Wenxiao asked someone to bring water to wash her hands, then he straightened her clothes and took her out.
This is the imperial palace, and there are people everywhere, so the two of them didn't have much communication.
When I arrived at the main hall, I found Princess Fuhui was also there.
When Princess Fuhui saw Yu Li, she pulled her aside enthusiastically and said, "Mother Li, it's all thanks to you for saving my father this time, otherwise..."
Yu Li lowered his eyes, "This is what I should do."
Everyone heard this and thought it was her duty to save the saint.
Only Fu Wenxiao knew that as long as someone was in danger, she would go to rescue them, regardless of their identity.
But there is no need to say these. His eyes fell on the old emperor who had a smile on his face, and he could roughly know what the old emperor was thinking at the moment.
It was about time and the palace banquet began.
When the old emperor stood up, Princess Fuhui hurried over to help him up. He said to Fu Wenxiao, "Xiao'er, you and your wife should come with me."
Fu Wenxiao responded.
The group arrived at the palace where the banquet was held and met the queen and others who were waiting there.
The time for the palace banquet had passed, but because the old emperor did not come, the banquet was naturally postponed indefinitely, and no one dared to object.
Seeing the old emperor now, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and hurried over to ask about the old emperor's health, showing their great concern.
The old emperor looked droopy-faced, glanced at the group of people, and said, "I'm fine, everyone go in."
"yes!"
There were many people in the hall, and everyone stood up and saluted to welcome the emperor and empress.
The old emperor and the empress sat down and asked everyone in the hall to stand up.
Then the old emperor spoke, "Duke Zhenguo, Madam Zhenguo, please come and sit over here."
The people in the hall looked up and saw the old emperor calling the Duke of Zhenguo and his wife to his side and asking them to sit below the old emperor, which was very close to the old emperor's seat.
In the past, this position was occupied by princes, emperors, or ministers trusted by the old emperor.
But now, only the seventh prince and the ninth prince were present; the third prince, the fifth prince, the sixth prince and the eighth prince were not present.
The old emperor snorted and asked, "Old Third and the others haven't arrived yet?"
The palace attendant waiting nearby said, "The Third Prince, the Fifth Prince, the Sixth Prince, and the Eighth Prince are not feeling well and cannot come."
"What did the doctor say?"
"The doctor said that the fifth prince's leg was broken, and the other princes were fine, but they all suffered from dizziness due to hitting their heads."
The people in the hall listened quietly to the questions and answers between the emperor and the palace maids. Thinking back to what they had just heard, they found it unbelievable.
Someone secretly looked up and looked at the wife of the Duke of Zhenguo who was sitting below the emperor.
Seeing such a delicate girl, could she really tame wild beasts and even lift them up with her bare hands? How much strength does it take?
When they heard that a ferocious beast escaped from the rare bird garden and almost hurt the saint, everyone broke out in a cold sweat.
When they heard about the process of rescuing the old emperor, they couldn't believe it and thought the other party was joking. However, there were so many witnesses this time that it was impossible to be a joke.
That's true.
How could the wife of the Duke of Zhenguo, a country girl from the south, actually have such ability?
They seemed to understand a little bit why Fu Xiao would marry such a woman and even give her a king horse.
The wife of the Duke of Zhenguo is a person who cannot be judged by appearance.
In short, everyone who heard about this was shocked and speechless.
Then conspiracy theories began to arise, and no one knew who released the wild animals into the exotic bird park and for what purpose.
They didn't think that the wild beasts in the rare bird garden were released accidentally by someone and just happened to run into the saint and the group of princes.
The ferocious beasts in the Rare Bird Garden were all tributes from various places below. Each one was quite ferocious. When the old emperor was young, he was quite fond of these beasts and would go to the Rare Bird Garden to take a look when he had nothing to do.
Although the old emperor liked wild animals, he only liked those that were kept in captivity, and did not like close contact with them.
The old emperor suffered a lot this time, but he seems to be in good spirits now.
No matter what everyone in the hall was thinking, the banquet began.
The musicians played music, the dancers danced gracefully, and everyone raised their glasses to toast the emperor and empress who were sitting at the top of the table.
Yu Li watched the singing and dancing for a while, then buried his head in eating.
The old emperor was drinking and chatting with several princes. When he saw Yu Li still eating, he was surprised.
Still eating? Did he eat too much?
The queen next to her said, "When the wife of the Duke of Zhenguo came to my place earlier, she also ate a few boxes of snacks. I didn't expect her appetite to be so good. Could it be that she didn't eat anything when she went out today and is hungry?"
She was also really surprised. She didn't expect Yu Li to be such a big eater.
The old emperor was thinking that just now in the Yangxin Palace, Xiao'er's wife had already eaten a table full of royal banquet.
Is her belly a bottomless pit?
No, the reason she can eat so much should be because of her strength. It seems that she will have no strength if she doesn’t eat.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
