Chapter 17 Proposal
Huiyi glanced around the Bohai delegation, and even smiled generously at a young man who seemed to admire her, while discussing the delegation's attire with her grandfather.
"Sure enough, Grandfather, the Bohai Kingdom really did learn from us. Look at their official robes and formal attire, they're basically the same, and their etiquette is almost identical. They don't look like a vassal state at all!"
Emperor Yongxi chuckled and said, "That's true. But look at their entourage. Their robes aren't quite as standard. They're made of leather and felt, which is probably the style of the Khitan and Uyghurs. There are still some differences."
"This kind of thing can only fool people like the Japanese; if you look closely, you won't mistake it for something else."
Huiyi had heard of this matter. Because the Balhae Kingdom had been imitating the current dynasty for many years, its appearance was too similar to that of the current dynasty. As a result, when the Balhae Kingdom sent envoys to Japan, the Japanese people could not tell them apart and thought they were people from the superior country, so they all bowed down.
It was quite a joke.
Now that we see it, the Bohai Kingdom does indeed bear some resemblance to the people of Chang'an.
But it was just a shadow; it could never cross Chang'an.
Huiyi glanced again at the Bohai youth who was staring at her blankly, and felt even more that he didn't seem like a Chang'an native.
Just as he was about to agree with his father, a commotion broke out below. The wine jug in front of the young man from the Bohai Kingdom delegation had inexplicably overturned, spilling all the wine onto his robes. He was frantically trying to wipe it off.
This caused quite a commotion.
It was at this moment that Huiyi realized that the young man who had been staring at her was the eldest prince of the Bohai Kingdom.
"What's wrong with Prince Xiuren?"
As the host, the old man came out to inquire about the situation with concern.
The eldest prince seemed to be a shy man. He had made such a commotion, attracting everyone's attention, especially the beautiful and noble princess at the head of the table. His face immediately burned, and he was somewhat at a loss.
"It's nothing, I just accidentally knocked over the wine pot. Xiuren, please forgive my rudeness."
It was nothing serious. Emperor Yongxi smiled and sent someone to take Prince Xiuren to a side hall to change into a new robe. When he returned, Prince Xiuren was much calmer and apologized again.
The eldest prince was shy, but the Minister of Rites who accompanied him was experienced and shrewd, and he could see through the eldest prince's thoughts.
This was exactly what their king had instructed him to do before he left.
If we can form a marriage alliance and bring back the princess of the superior country, that would be the greatest gain of this trip.
So, Song, the Minister of Rites of Bohai Kingdom, spoke eloquently, warming up the atmosphere for his ultimate goal.
"In response to Your Majesty, it is truly because Your Majesty's princess is too graceful and beautiful, like the bright moon in the sky, dazzling in her radiance. Our prince was so captivated by her that he lost his composure and made a fool of himself. We earnestly hope that Your Majesty and the princess will forgive him."
Such flattery was unprecedented among the officials, and they whispered and laughed among themselves.
If such words came from the mouths of other officials in Chang'an, they would inevitably sound obsequious and vulgar.
But when it came from the mouth of the Bohai Kingdom delegation, it was different; it would only please the emperor.
As expected, the sage burst into laughter upon hearing this, clearly indicating that the flattery had hit the mark.
Princess Chang Le was overjoyed. Her already radiant and beautiful face became even more radiant and charming with her smile, making the whole hall shine.
Only Lin Lanting, seated at the Lin family's table, looked somewhat unwell.
That flick should have been aimed at that Xiuren or Almond Prince's face, to see how this old geezer next to him could still fawn over him.
Before his emotions could continue to worsen, the other end became even more outrageous and unreasonable, going too far in bullying him.
"Princess, you are radiant and incomparably noble. It just so happens that Prince Xiuren of my Bohai Kingdom is still unmarried. I wonder if the princess would be willing to take pity on me and marry into my Bohai Kingdom?"
No longer concealing his purpose, the Minister of Rites of Bohai Kingdom revealed the king's intentions, causing a stir throughout the surrounding area.
First, he looked at the saint and the princess, and then at the Lin family's seat, at that troublemaker, Lin Erlang.
Hiss~
That was pretty interesting.
The Bohai delegation was somewhat bewildered by the silence that filled the hall.
At this gloomy moment, Prince Xiuren heard the beautiful and noble princess at the head of the table chuckle softly, speaking in a way that sounded exceptionally sweet and melodious to him.
"Are you telling the truth? You really like me, think I'm good, and want me to go to your Bohai Kingdom?"
The young woman's interesting words brought smiles to the faces of the Bohai Kingdom delegation, especially Prince Xiuren and Minister Song.
If the princess herself is willing to agree to a marriage alliance, then it's easy to talk to the emperor.
Seeing the princess ask with a smile, not only Minister Song beamed with joy, but also Prince Xiuren became excited, his face flushing.
If he can marry the princess of Chang'an, then the next King of Bohai will undoubtedly be his.
Moreover, the princess was stunningly beautiful, and he longed for her greatly.
"Of course, we would not dare to deceive the princess. The princess is like a fairy in the moon, otherworldly and ethereal. If we could gain the princess's favor, the entire Bohai Kingdom would be eternally grateful!"
Feeling hopeful about a marriage alliance, Minister Song showered the Empress with compliments, making her beam with delight.
After witnessing this, Emperor Yongxi was momentarily unsure of his youngest daughter's intentions.
Could it be that Xinu is going to break off the engagement with the Lin family's son and marry him off to Bohai?
Really?
Marrying someone far away is not a good thing, and he was even more reluctant to do so.
Emperor Yongxi was about to cough twice and speak, but someone beat him to it.
"You Bohai Kingdom didn't even bother to do any research before coming here? You didn't even ask if our princess was already engaged before you rashly proposed marriage. It's extremely rude of you."
The crowd's gazes shifted and finally settled on the Lin family's seats, their expressions conveying a sense of relief and anticipation.
Given Lin Erlang's temperament, could he possibly tolerate such humiliation?
That's right, Lin Lanting couldn't stand it anymore.
Her fiancé was still sitting there when the Bohai Kingdom publicly proposed marriage. What was even more ridiculous was that the spoiled princess was going back and forth with him, treating him as if he were nothing.
What a mess! Do you think the Lin family is easy to bully?
Unable to bear it any longer, Lin Lanting put down his wine cup and forced a murmur, suppressing his anger.
Lin Lanting did not speak harshly, but the atmosphere froze after he spoke.
Emperor Yongxi looked over, his eyes filled with admiration.
What kind of man is he if he remains unmoved when his fiancée is proposed to?
A young man should have some spirit.
The Bohai Kingdom delegation also looked towards Lin Lanting and saw a handsome and dashing young man. Considering what he had just said, they all had a bad feeling.
After Lin Lanting finished speaking, he rose from his seat, came before the sage, and bowed with folded hands, displaying impeccable manners.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me; I have been rude this time."
"However, the demands of the Bohai Kingdom are truly rude. Although the Lin family are subjects, we have devoted ourselves to the Sage for many years. How can we endure such humiliation?"
After saying that, Lin Lanting's eyes swept over the smiling woman beside him, a hint of indignation showing on his face.
When Huiyi caught a glimpse of Lin Er's appearance, she was first surprised.
She didn't understand why Lin Er was making such a fuss, as if she had done something to offend him.
Her engagement to the Lin family was still fresh in everyone's minds. Huiyi simply found the Bohai people's speech pleasant and wanted to hear more of their words, so she chatted with the Bohai delegation for a while to have some fun.
She wouldn't abandon the Lin family to marry a foreigner and suffer the hardships of a distant marriage, would she?
"Who has insulted you? Perhaps the envoy is unaware of the situation and speaks out of admiration. Ignorance is no excuse."
"Do you think my grandfather and I would abandon this marriage agreement with your family?"
"Reckless!"
The young woman's sweet voice echoed in the Linde Hall, carrying the majesty of the emperor and the arrogance of a young girl, leaving little face for that little troublemaker from the Lin family.
Everyone suppressed their laughter, having enjoyed a good show, and were quite satisfied.
After being reprimanded in public by Huiyi, Lin Lanting's already pale face darkened even further.
But at this moment, he could only grit his teeth and swallow his anger.
Upon reflection, he was indeed reckless this time.
Few princesses wanted to be married off for political reasons, and even fewer would a spoiled princess, even if the price was living with him.
"Your Highness is right. I was rash."
He humbly admitted his mistake, and Lin Lanting blamed all the wrongdoing on the Bohai mission.
Especially that Xiuren, who is also the eldest prince of Almond, looks like a complete idiot when he sees a pretty girl. He has no ambition at all!
And what is the Bohai Kingdom thinking? How dare they covet the legitimate princess of their suzerain state?
There's no reason for princesses to be sent away for marriage alliances after defeat to be chosen from among the emperor's children, let alone in a time of peace and prosperity.
Feeling wronged, Lin Lanting began to take it out on others, grumbling to himself for a long time, almost glaring a hole through Prince Xiuren.
After this incident, the Bohai Kingdom realized that it had done something it shouldn't have. The Bohai Minister humbly apologized to Emperor Yongxi and asked him with difficulty.
Emperor Yongxi laughed heartily and explained, "Ignorance is no excuse. My daughter was betrothed last month to the envoy, who is none other than the second son of the Lin family. He will be married in June, so I'm afraid I will have to disappoint the Bohai envoy's good intentions."
The Minister of Works from Bohai was fine. He quickly composed himself, smiled, and said that there was nothing wrong. He then praised, "I heard in Bohai that General Lin is a young hero with extraordinary courage and is quite like General Guo in his prime. I believe that he will become a general in a few years. Congratulations to His Majesty on finding such a fine son-in-law!"
Similarly, these words had an even better effect coming from the Bohai envoy. Emperor Yongxi was pleased and his words became less humble.
"Not at all, not at all. He just has some talent. It would be best if he could live up to the envoy's words in the future."
The atmosphere returned to harmony, and Lin Lanting returned to her seat. As soon as she sat down, she was scolded by her own father.
"You reckless brat!"
Lin Lanting's face turned pale again, but he remained silent.
Honestly, why couldn't he keep his composure today?
At the same time, Prince Xiuren's condition worsened. His face visibly darkened, and he slumped down, his spirits gone.
He even dared to look up at Lin Lanting, and the envy in his eyes made Lin Lanting, who was about to tear him apart, pause for a moment, and then he turned his head away with a cold and arrogant attitude.
What a load of nonsense, you're really hopeless.
But a strange, secret sense of pride welled up inside me.
It feels different from conquering cities and seizing territory, but strangely it gives you a sense of pleasure.
Amidst the clinking of glasses, Lin Lanting's gaze swept past the various officials and met that of a beautiful young woman with shifty eyes.
Sparks seemed to fly as the two of them simultaneously looked away, behaving nothing like an engaged couple about to get married.
The banquet continued late into the night, lasting until midnight.
A note from the author:
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