September 1, the fifth year of Chenhe
The emperor got up at dawn, dressed in the imperial robes of the Ming Dynasty, and went to the Temple of Heaven. He performed the ceremony of three bows and nine kowtows, and respectfully presented jade disks and Tailao, praying for a good harvest and a long reign of the country.
On the birthday of Emperor Song, the capital was bustling with activity. In the early morning, this year's candidates gathered together to write a longevity picture for Emperor Song.
Everyone held up the longevity picture and knelt down to congratulate the emperor on his longevity. When the Emperor Song received the gifts, he couldn't stop smiling. He ordered the imperial kitchen to make a lot of top-ranking cakes and distributed them to many students.
This year, the country has enjoyed good weather, peace and prosperity. Outside the pilgrimage temple, ninety-nine golden dragons in relief surround the Chinese character "Shou". The dragon eyes are inlaid with pigeon blood rubies, shining brightly in the sun.
The seats for all officials were arranged in layers along the red steps. Each rosewood table was placed with a mutton-fat jade cup and an agate plate, and the table feet were carved with Ganoderma lucidum patterns. Twenty-four musicians dressed in red silk court robes were beating drums together.
At three quarters past three in the afternoon, the Imperial Household Department gave the order "Open the banquet", and three hundred glazed lamps were lit at the same time, making the entire palace look like a jade building suspended in the clouds.
The princes returned to their seats, and the officials sat down in rows according to their ranks. The princes were the first to stand up and present the gifts. The Emperor of Song accepted them, his eyes filled with satisfaction.
Then, envoys from various countries came forward one by one, presenting their countries' rare treasures. The envoy from the Western Regions presented a snow-white horse, so majestic that it attracted everyone's admiration.
Afterward, all the officials presented their gifts. The Minister of Revenue presented a landscape painting inlaid with coins from various countries, symbolizing the prosperity of the country and the enduring strength of the country. The Vice Minister of Rites presented a dragon robe woven from the finest silk, with a lifelike golden dragon on it, seemingly about to soar into the sky.
After the ceremony, there was singing and dancing, and the tables were filled with delicious food and wine.
After Jiang Zhixu completed the memorial service and gift-giving process, he began his inspection. With at least 30,000 people in the palace today, accidents were very likely to occur. The Imperial Guards, Embroidered Uniform Guards, and the Imperial City Administration were responsible for securing the banquet.
Jin Linlin and Cao Jiao were dressed in auspicious attire. Their seats were neither too high nor too low, situated in the middle. Jin Linlin was leisurely eating the sugar pills she had bought from the electronic pharmacy that morning. As she was concentrating on enjoying the singing and dancing, Cao Jiao gently nudged her and whispered,
"Look over there, Concubine Jiang doesn't look well."
Jin Linlin followed her gaze and saw Jiang Bin sitting in her seat with a slightly frown on her face and a hint of dissatisfaction in her eyes.
Jin Linlin took out a pill from her purse and handed it to Cao Jiao. "It's a pregnancy-maintaining pill. Take it quickly. This state banquet will last for three days, and there will be a dinner in the evening. Don't stress out the baby."
Cao Jiao took the pill and swallowed it:
"I heard that the surrounding small countries all sent princesses to the palace to serve Your Majesty. Concubine Jiang must be dissatisfied with this."
"It's really puzzling. She has been in the palace for more than ten years. How can she still be so naive at such a young age? This love-brained person is really unacceptable." Jin Linlin showed a look of disappointment on her face.
"Don't underestimate her. Ever since we stopped sending her money to the palace, she has been trying every possible way to cause trouble for our family!"
Jin Linlin felt someone was watching her. Following the gaze, she saw a graceful and beautiful woman.
"She is the wife of Duke Mu's mansion. She has a dagger hidden behind her smile. It's okay to get in touch with her normally, but I heard that several concubines in her husband's courtyard have been injured or killed." Cao Jiao told Jin Linlin what she knew.
"Then why is she looking at me? It seems like we have nothing in common." Jin Linlin picked up the wine glass on the table and toasted her from a distance.
Lady Mu also picked up her glass and saluted in return.
"Since the last incident of stripping titles, there are only two duke's mansions, two marquis' mansions, and one earl's mansion left in the capital. The rest have lost their titles." Cao Jiao has been managing the household affairs recently and is familiar with these relationships.
At this moment, an envoy knelt and saluted the emperor, saying in a deep voice, "This time, the ruler of the Southern Ming Kingdom has specially sent a princess to congratulate Your Majesty on his birthday and to demonstrate the friendship between our two countries."
With that, the envoy stepped aside, and a stunningly beautiful woman in exotic attire gracefully approached and bowed. Her features were picturesque, her skin whiter than snow, and her every gesture revealed a unique grace.
The Song Emperor was delighted and immediately appointed the princess as the Southern Concubine. Seeing this, the concubines in the harem grew even gloomier, their handkerchiefs nearly crumbling in their hands.
Jin Linlin stared at the Princess of Nanming and thought to herself that once this princess arrived, she would be on equal footing with Concubine Jiang, and it would be difficult to preserve the porcelain in her palace.
The envoys from the Kingdom of Dong and Jin, trembling with fear, led the princess and the hostage to congratulate the Song Emperor on his centenary. Ever since the incident with Prime Minister Zhuge Liang, the Song Emperor had sealed off the post station and had only just appeared today.
The Song Emperor leaned back on the dragon throne, looking down at the envoys from the Dong and Jin Kingdoms. He glanced at Zhuge Ke again, raised the corners of his mouth slightly, and called him.
"I am here!"
"Dong Jinguo has sent a princess to us as a token of peace between our two countries. I will reward her as your concubine."
Zhuge Ke suddenly looked up at the Song Emperor. The Emperor simply nodded, and he understood. The Emperor's intention was to allow him to deal with the princess, avenging the death of Prime Minister Zhuge because of her.
"The rest of the Dongjin people will be taken to the palace, and when our punitive army reaches the city, they will be sacrificed to the flag."
The guards behind Emperor Song received the order and took all the people away.
All the civil and military officials and ladies in the court were shocked. Demoting Princess Dong Jinguo to a concubine was clearly a precursor to war!
The Song Emperor naturally wouldn't miss the opportunity to expand his territory, paved with the lifeblood of Prime Minister Zhuge Liang. With his treasury overflowing, his army strong, and the iron ore tribute from the Duke of Zhenguo's residence exceeding expectations, the Emperor wouldn't miss this golden opportunity to expand his territory.
All the officials and ladies of state were silent. Jin Linlin knew that the Song Emperor was trying to intimidate other countries. Since they were vassal states, they should behave themselves and not try to cause trouble.
The banquet continued with singing and dancing, but the atmosphere was a little more tense and depressing than before.
Jin Linlin quietly observed the expressions of the crowd. She keenly noticed that there seemed to be a few unusual gazes flashing in the crowd. Her heart tightened, and she vaguely felt that this birthday party would not calm down. Perhaps, a bigger storm was still to come.
The state banquet passed peacefully during the day, and the dinner soon arrived. At the dinner, there was singing and dancing. The Emperor of Song took the Queen and concubines to the lake to watch the fireworks.
Just as Jin Linlin was wondering about the owners of those strange gazes, suddenly, several men in black ran towards Emperor Song. Screams and exclamations rang out one after another, and chaos spread instantly.
The Imperial Guards immediately went on alert, trying to stabilize the situation. Jin Linlin quickly grabbed Cao Jiao and leaned against the table.
At this moment, a flash of cold light passed by and stabbed towards Emperor Song. Before anyone could react, they heard a clang. It turned out that Jiang Zhixu had intervened in time to block the fatal blow.
The Song Emperor was furious and ordered a thorough investigation. Jin Linlin knew that there must be someone behind this assassination, perhaps the owner of those unusual gazes, who wanted to use this opportunity to create chaos.
All the officials and ladies turned pale with fear, and the atmosphere at the state banquet became even more tense and oppressive. Jin Linlin clenched her fists and was about to remind Jiang Zhixu when she saw Concubine Qing behind the emperor, holding the Emperor Song hostage with a knife.
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