"Rise, all of you, please take your seats." Xiao Yugan's voice was steady and dignified, echoing in the hall with an unquestionable air of authority.
After Ji Zhuo got up, he gently helped Lin Xihe until she was sitting down steadily before letting go of her hand.
Lin Xihe looked up, her gaze sweeping across the hall.
At this moment, Mu Ruoyan and Xiao Yugan sat side by side, each occupying a position on either side of the main seat.
Mu Ruoyan remained calm, her gaze not falling on her, as if she were an insignificant presence.
In this era, it was extremely rare for a monarch to personally visit another country, yet Xiao Yugan arranged for Mu Ruoyan to sit on equal footing with himself, clearly showing his great respect for him.
Lin Xihe's heart tightened slightly. In her eyes, Mu Ruoyan had always been the spirited third prince of Nanzhao, a young and impetuous lad.
But today, she truly realized that he, like Xiao Yugan, was a king who held the power of life and death, high above and unattainable.
She couldn't help but glance at Mu Ruoyan again, only to find that his gaze hadn't been directed at her. She smiled bitterly to herself, realizing that he had probably truly let her go, and perhaps, she was no longer important to him.
She lowered her head, not daring to look at Mu Ruoyan again, nor daring to let Ji Zhuo notice her unusual behavior.
The commotion inside the hall seemed irrelevant to her; she only felt an emptiness in her heart, as if she had lost something, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was.
Inside the hall, Xiao Yugan exchanged a few pleasantries with Mu Ruoyan, his tone carrying a mixture of politeness and probing.
After a moment, Xiao Yu chuckled and said, "My worthy brother is young and promising. I wonder when you will establish an empress? I have heard that the harem in the Northern Border is still empty, which is a pity."
Mu Ruoyan smiled faintly and said calmly, "It's time to put it on the agenda."
Xiao Yugan smiled even more broadly, raised his cup and said, "Then Da Hao will definitely present a generous gift at that time."
Upon hearing this, Lin Xihe recalled that day when Mu Ruoyan had told her that he wanted her to be his empress, and that she would be the only one in his harem.
Looking back now, those words were nothing but empty talk. The one he couldn't live without every day was the one he wanted to make empress.
Although she didn't want to be empress, if she became a concubine, she would have to pay her respects to the empress every day, and might even lose her life in the struggle for the emperor's favor. Thinking of this, Lin Xihe felt an indescribable sadness welling up in her heart.
Not wanting Ji Zhuo beside her to notice, she reached for the water glass on the table, trying to use drinking water to hide her emotions.
However, she was distracted and mistakenly grabbed the wine glass.
The moment she swallowed the liquor, the spicy taste instantly irritated her throat, and she couldn't help but cough.
Seeing this, Ji Zhuo quickly picked up a grape and held it to her lips, his tone full of concern: "Slow down, don't rush."
Lin Xihe was stunned for a moment, then gently bit into a grape and lowered her head to hide her embarrassment.
Upon hearing the cough, Mu Ruoyan's eyes shifted slightly, her gaze landing on Lin Xihe, who was sitting next to Ji Zhuo.
Seeing her choke on the wine, Ji Zhuo immediately tried to comfort her, but a hint of displeasure rose in his heart. Didn't she have hands? Did these two forget what he had said? How dare they be so intimate in front of him.
Does that mean he's blind?
A hint of coldness flashed in Mu Ruoyan's eyes, but it disappeared in an instant, and he cleverly concealed it.
He withdrew his gaze, his expression indifferent, his tone calm yet somewhat distant: "The matter of establishing an empress still requires careful consideration. Once I have set a date, I will certainly send an invitation to you, my esteemed brother, to join in this grand event."
His voice remained calm and steady, as if the chill from just moments before had never existed.
However, Lin Xihe suddenly felt an invisible pressure, as if a pair of cold eyes were staring at her, making her feel like she was sitting on pins and needles. But Mu Ruoyan clearly didn't look at her, not even giving her a glance.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yugan smiled, but a glint of shrewdness flashed in his eyes.
He picked up his wine glass, took a small sip, then put it down, his tone gentle yet meaningful: "My worthy brother is young and promising, yet his harem has been empty for so long, it's truly a pity. The women of my Great Hao are gentle, virtuous, talented, and beautiful. If you are interested, you might as well take a look. If you find someone you like, bringing her back to the Northern Border would be a beautiful story."
He spoke tactfully, but his intention was to test the waters.
Mu Ruoyan sneered inwardly, but showed no sign of it on her face.
He naturally understood Xiao Yugan's implied meaning—the Emperor of Dahao wanted to use the marriage alliance as a pretext to further strengthen the relationship between the two countries.
And this was exactly what he wanted.
Mu Ruoyan nodded slightly, his tone calm yet carrying a deeper meaning: "I appreciate your kind intentions, brother. The women of Da Hao are indeed outstanding. If we are destined to be together, I will cherish it."
As he said this, his gaze seemed to casually sweep over Lin Xihe, who sat to the left.
She was holding a teacup, head down, drinking tea, as if everything was irrelevant to her.
However, Mu Ruoyan's voice was not quiet, and even the ministers who were some distance away frequently turned their heads to look at him, especially the noble ladies, who couldn't help but cast their gazes at Mu Ruoyan upon hearing his words. After all, such handsome men were rare, let alone the emperor, who was high above them all.
Mu Ruoyan sneered inwardly.
He wanted to show her that he could get whatever he wanted, and that even the women of Da Hao were nothing more than a matter of a word from him.
He didn't genuinely want to find someone else; he just wanted her to understand that she wasn't irreplaceable. Of course, he also wanted to make her jealous. To make her see her own situation clearly and stop saying such hurtful things to him. He had a heart too; didn't she feel pain from hurting him so wantonly?
Seeing that Mu Ruoyan's attitude had softened, Xiao Yugan was secretly pleased and continued, "If you are interested, my brother, I can arrange a flower-viewing banquet tomorrow and invite the noble ladies of my Great Hao to attend. You can take this opportunity to see more and learn more about them."
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