The full moon celebration of the eldest prince, Xiao Mu'an, was undoubtedly the grandest and most unique celebration since the founding of the Great Liang Dynasty.
The banquet was so grand because on the day of the event, the Hall of Supreme Harmony was filled with dignitaries and dignitaries from all corners of the world. Not only were all the civil and military officials and members of the imperial family of the Great Liang present, but also envoys and delegations from dozens of vassal states, bringing a dazzling array of rare and precious treasures that adorned the vast palace with a radiant glow. The scale of the event was indeed as Xiao Che had wished, in no way inferior to the founding ceremony of the dynasty.
What makes it so peculiar is that this royal celebration, which should have been solemn and dignified, was filled from the very beginning with a strong and lingering aura of a "foolish father" because of the protagonist's father—Emperor Xiao Che of the Great Liang Dynasty.
As is customary, the newly-born eldest prince, who is just a month old, is simply brought out by the master of ceremonies while still in his wet nurse's arms, and all the officials bow to him from afar as a formality.
However, His Majesty the Emperor himself changed the procedures today.
He actually held the swaddled "dumpling" himself the whole time, as if he were holding the most precious treasure in the world, with an uncontrollable, silly pride on his face, and personally stood at the entrance of the main hall to "welcome guests".
Whenever a minister or envoy came to offer congratulations, Xiao Che would turn to the side and, in a tone of presenting a treasure, show off his son to the other party, his voice filled with undeniable pride.
“Look,” he said to the astonished old prime minister, “doesn’t it look like me? Especially the eyebrows and eyes, they’re practically identical to mine!”
The old prime minister looked at the wrinkled, still-unopened baby and couldn't see any resemblance to a dragon or phoenix, but he could only go against his conscience and repeatedly say, "So alike! Absolutely! His Highness's martial prowess has been fully inherited from His Majesty!"
"Look," he said to General Shen Ce, who had come to offer his congratulations, "how powerful these little fists are! They'll surely become another fierce general for our Great Liang in the future!"
Shen Ce looked at the chubby little hand, which was not even as big as his finger joints, and his lips twitched. He could only clasp his hands in praise and say, "Your Highness is born with superhuman strength, which is a blessing to our Great Liang!"
The entire morning was spent as if the guests were participating in a massive "praise contest." They not only had to present gifts, but also rack their brains to use every conceivable word they knew to praise the little prince held in the Emperor's arms.
Xiao Che, on the other hand, was completely immersed in the immense satisfaction of "showing off his baby".
Lin Wanwan sat in the main seat in the hall, watching her husband, who was showing off to everyone like a child who had received a favorite toy. The expression on his face that said, "Come and praise my son," couldn't be more obvious.
She sighed and rubbed her forehead, yet couldn't help but want to laugh. She glanced up and saw that above Xiao Che's head, the familiar emoji area was now occupied by a huge, shimmering golden image. It was a cartoon emperor, hands on his hips, chest puffed out with immense pride. Beside him stood an even smaller doll wearing a miniature crown, accompanied by a line of flashing text: "[Look, this is my son! The cutest kid in the world! .jpg]".
The banquet officially began, with singing and dancing filling the air and creating a lively atmosphere.
Xiao Che finally returned to his dragon throne, but he still couldn't bear to put the "little dumpling" in his arms. The little guy seemed to enjoy the lively atmosphere, and didn't cry or fuss. He just opened his big, dark eyes and curiously looked at the dazzling world.
After several rounds of drinks, the banquet reached its climax with envoys from various countries presenting their gifts.
One after another, rare and precious treasures were presented, eliciting gasps of amazement from those inside the hall. Among them was the "Moonlight Jade," a tribute from the Western Regions that could emit its own light, and the "Qilin Bringing a Child" statue, carved from a single massive piece of red coral, presented by a small kingdom in the Eastern Sea. Each piece was priceless and symbolized good fortune.
Xiao Che merely nodded politely in response, his face still bearing the proud expression that said, "My son is the most precious treasure."
Just then, the Yuezhi envoy who had requested an audience with Lin Wanwan the day before stepped out from the crowd and walked to the center of the hall.
He first performed a full salute, then announced loudly, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty! To celebrate the Crown Prince's one-month birthday, our King has prepared a small gift to pray for His Highness's well-being and the longevity of our Great Liang Kingdom!"
His voice was loud and clear, and he deliberately mentioned "praying for blessings," which instantly attracted everyone's attention.
Xiao Che raised an eyebrow, showing some interest.
The envoy clapped his hands triumphantly.
Outside the palace, a melodious and exotic piece of music began to play. A stunningly beautiful dancer, veiled in a semi-transparent veil and dressed in a gorgeous gown, with a graceful and swaying figure, entered the palace like a willow branch swaying in the wind.
She was barefoot, with a string of golden bells tied around her ankles, which jingled melodiously with her steps. Her waist was incredibly supple, and her eyes, like shimmering autumn water, seemed to bewitch even through her veil.
His mere appearance captivated many of the young officials in the hall.
The dancer entered the hall, bowed gracefully to the emperor and empress, and then began to dance to the music. Her dance was unrestrained and alluring, every movement exuding a fatal attraction, like a beautiful peacock courting a mate.
After her dance, she composed herself and stood quietly in the hall, her graceful figure inspiring the imagination.
The room erupted in uproar.
Many people were amazed by the stunning dancer and her graceful movements, whispering among themselves and praising her beauty.
However, some astute veteran officials, such as the prime minister, had already frowned and sensed something was amiss.
This isn't a gift; it's a human sacrifice!
Sure enough, seeing that he had successfully attracted everyone's attention, the Yuezhi envoy became even more smug. He bowed again and said loudly:
"Your Majesty! This woman is the most beautiful woman in our country, named 'Yue Ji'. Our Emperor was overjoyed upon hearing of the birth of the Crown Prince of Liang and has specially sent this woman here, wishing to send her to the palace to serve His Highness the Crown Prince personally. After His Highness the Crown Prince comes of age, she can bear children for him and continue the royal bloodline!"
"boom--!"
These words, like a bombshell, exploded within the hall!
The audience erupted in uproar!
In that instant, everyone's gaze shifted from the dancer to Empress Lin Wanwan, who sat regally in the main seat.
Everyone's expressions became incredibly varied: shock, astonishment, schadenfreude, and amusement... the list goes on.
In front of the entire court and envoys from all over the world, a future "concubine" was presented to a crown prince who was only a month old.
This is nothing short of the most blatant and naked provocation on the Empress's own turf! It's a slap in the face to the Empress! It's a challenge to her dignity as the Mother of the Nation!
For a moment, the air in the entire hall seemed to freeze. The festive atmosphere vanished, replaced by an eerie silence thick with tension. Everyone held their breath, waiting to see how the Empress would respond to this sudden, humiliating "gift."
Lin Wanwan's smile slowly faded. She held her teacup, gently blowing on the floating tea leaves, without speaking immediately. Her eyelids were slightly lowered, making it impossible to discern her emotions.
However, before she could speak, a cold, clearly displeased laugh came from the dragon throne.
"Oh."
The laughter wasn't loud, but it was like icicles in the dead of winter, instantly lowering the temperature in the hall.
Xiao Che, who had been immersed in the joy of his "silly father," had long since lost all smiles.
His face immediately turned black.
His face was blacker than the ink spilled in the imperial study. A cold and terrifying imperial aura, as if it were tangible, suddenly emanated from him, instantly enveloping the entire hall.
The once bustling hall was now so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Everyone was terrified by the sudden dragon's might and didn't dare to breathe.
The Yuezhi envoy, unaware of the enormous hornet's nest he had stirred up, still wore a smug smile, believing that his "brilliant plan" had intimidated everyone present.
However, Xiao Che didn't even glance at the dancer in the hall, as if that stunning beauty was nothing more than an insignificant wisp of air.
His gaze, cold as a knife, shot straight at the Yuezhi envoy.
He held his son, who was still curiously looking around, in his arms and slowly began to speak. His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears. His voice was devoid of warmth and filled with chilling mockery and murderous intent.
“My Crown Prince,” he said slowly, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth, “will only have one Crown Princess in the future.”
He paused, looked down at his innocent son in his arms, and the cold killing intent in his eyes instantly turned into a rare tenderness. Then, when he raised his head again, that tenderness turned back into a bone-chilling coldness.
"That was... the person he himself loved."
These words, spoken with resounding force, are not only a promise to his son's future, but also a declaration of his relationship with Lin Wanwan, and the most direct and resounding slap in the face to this farce!
The smile on the Yuezhi envoy's face finally froze.
However, Xiao Che's "retaliation" was clearly not over yet.
Holding his son, he looked down at the envoy with a condescending and disdainful gaze, and said coldly:
"As for your 'congratulatory gift'?"
He drew out his words, a mocking smile playing on his lips.
“My prince of Liang is not so low as to need others to ‘pray for him’!”
These words struck the Yuezhi envoys like a heavy hammer, and also struck the hearts of all the envoys with opportunistic intentions!
Finally, Xiao Che didn't even bother to look at him anymore, and issued an ultimatum in a tone full of disgust and impatience:
"Someone come here!"
Two golden-armored guards immediately stepped forward, their voices booming: "Present!"
Holding his son, Xiao Che gestured with his chin towards the dancers and pale-faced envoys in the hall, who were already terrified, and coldly uttered five words:
"Take it back!"
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