Robe blanche - Chapitre 64
Inside the Chongde Hall, the envoy from the Golden Sparrow Kingdom sat in the first seat on the right, with an empty seat behind him for his entourage. The Prime Minister sat next to the envoy, followed by a group of civil officials. From the left, in descending order, were the four princes, Prince Qing, Shen Haoyu, and then the military generals. The various feudal lords with fiefdoms remained stationed in their respective territories and did not attend the banquet.
Everyone took their seats, and then a high-pitched voice announced, "The Emperor has arrived! The Imperial Concubine has arrived!" Then, Emperor Youjing, dressed in a golden dragon robe, emerged from behind the beaded curtain on the left, accompanied by the Imperial Concubine in a crimson court dress. They slowly ascended the jade steps and sat down on the dragon throne. Everyone who had just sat down bowed to the ground and shouted, "Long live the Emperor!" I hesitated only once, but I also knelt down.
After a deep but powerful "Rise, my lords!" the people on the ground shouted in unison, "Thank you, Your Majesty!" before getting up, straightening their robes, and sitting back down in their seats.
I stole a glance at the emperor's seat and saw that Emperor Youjing was handsome, bearing a resemblance to Prince Qing, but his gaze was sharp and piercing. I trembled slightly, afraid to look again; being stared at by that gaze would surely be unpleasant. Consort Wei, standing beside me, was much gentler. She and Princess Qing were sisters, both possessing unparalleled beauty. Consort Wei, though high above, exuded a refined and gentle charm that seemed incongruous with her status, making her very approachable. I wondered what the legendary Consort Meng, who had enjoyed the emperor's favor for many years, looked like. In my memory, Consort Ning, Shen Tingxuan's mother, was also the wife of the Marquis of Qiyun, and she seemed quite different from Consort Wei. What had caused her to be confined to the Marquis of Qiyun's residence for so many years instead of staying in the palace? This was a question that had always troubled me.
Thinking of this, I couldn't help but look towards Shen Tingxuan, only to find him looking at me as well, seemingly surprised that I was there. I smiled at him and slowly looked away, but halfway through, I met Shen Zexuan's smiling gaze again. I composed myself, gave him a brief glance, and then lowered my head, keeping my eyes down and not daring to look around anymore.
After the ceremonial music finished playing, the envoy from the Golden Sparrow Kingdom rose from his seat and entered the hall, holding a scroll of yellow silk in both hands. He bowed to Emperor Youjing and said, "Luochen, the eldest son of the Golden Sparrow King, presents this letter of state to His Majesty Youjing on behalf of his father."
An old eunuch beside Emperor Youjing hurriedly ran down the jade steps, took the yellow silk with both hands, and presented it to Emperor Youjing. Emperor Youjing opened it, looked at it once, and then handed it back to the old eunuch. He slightly bowed to Prince Luochen and said, "The Golden Sparrow Kingdom is indeed trustworthy."
Prince Luo Chen cupped his hands and said, "Jinque takes benevolence and righteousness as the foundation of its nation and should uphold righteousness. Now that our country has honored the treaty and sent Princess Luo Li to marry him, I urge Your Majesty to decide on the marriage partner for Luo Li as soon as possible and choose a date for the wedding so that I can return to report."
Princess Luoli was supposed to marry the emperor, so why is she choosing someone else to marry?
Upon hearing this, a murmur of discussion arose in the hall, and Emperor Youjing's expression changed slightly. Then, Prince Luochen said, "Luoli should have been presented to Your Majesty, but I fear that she is too young and ignorant to satisfy Your Majesty, which would harm the harmony between our two countries. Therefore, I request Your Majesty to choose another suitable person."
I chuckled inwardly. Wasn't this just a roundabout way of saying that Emperor Youjing was too old and didn't want him to mate with that young girl, Luoli? The Golden Sparrow Kingdom really didn't give Emperor Youjing any face. It seems that the Golden Sparrow King's words about doting on Princess Luoli are somewhat believable.
But if she doesn't marry the emperor, does that mean she has to marry his son? The eldest and second princes are already married and have principal wives. It's impossible for a princess of the Golden Sparrow Kingdom to be relegated to a secondary position. The fourth prince is still too young to marry, so only the third prince, Shen Zexuan, is suitable.
I looked up at Shen Zexuan, and there he was, smiling at me again. My face flushed, and I forced myself to look away.
Emperor Youjing, seated on the throne, pondered for a moment before slowly saying, "Currently, I only have my third son who is suitable to marry your princess."
Prince Luo Chen sneered, "Everyone knows that the Third Prince is fond of men and has a large number of male concubines in his household. If Luo Li marries the Third Prince, how can she be happy?"
Is the Golden Sparrow Kingdom's visit truly motivated by a genuine desire for a marriage alliance? Dissatisfied with both the father and son, who will Princess Luoli ultimately marry? Or will they find an excuse to claim that no one in the Youjing Dynasty is a suitable match for Princess Luoli, thus fulfilling the Golden Sparrow Kingdom's promise to send the princess according to the treaty while preventing her from being married off to a distant land?
Emperor Youjing seemed to have been holding back for a long time, and said in a deep voice: "There are many men who are fond of homosexuality in this world, and many wealthy families have male favorites. But I have never heard of anyone who is fond of homosexuality but does not indulge in women. Your words completely negate my son."
Prince Luo Chen was about to speak when Shen Zexuan interrupted, saying, "Prince Luo Chen is quite right. Zexuan has a bad reputation and is indeed unworthy of the pure, noble and elegant Princess Luo Li. However, the Youjing Dynasty is full of talented people and young heroes. Right now, there is someone who is a good match for Princess Luo Li."
Emperor Youjing glared angrily at Shen Zexuan, but Prince Luochen asked, "Who is it?"
Shen Zexuan smiled seductively and pointed at Shen Haoyu, saying, "It is indeed the young prince of the Qing Prince's Mansion, Shen Haoyu."
Do not lean against the west railing to lock in the clear autumn. Chapter 49
Chapter word count: 3643 Update time: 09-08-09 18:55
Shen Haoyu, who was drinking tea, never expected that the blame would be directed at him. He spat out a mouthful of tea, immediately losing his composure in the hall. Yin Yan quickly grabbed a handkerchief to wipe the tea off Shen Haoyu. Prince Qing glanced at him, then turned his gaze to Shen Zexuan.
This shift has left me utterly perplexed. How could the Prince Qing's mansion be entrusted with such a delicate matter as marrying a foreign princess? Emperor Youjing already viewed Prince Qing as a hungry tiger lurking beside his bed; wouldn't this further expose the Prince Qing's mansion to the raging fire? What is Shen Zexuan thinking? Although I know he and the Prince Qing's mansion only appear to be on the same side, given the current uncertain situation, is it necessary for him to distance himself from the Prince Qing's mansion so quickly? His recent actions, combined with today's, are truly baffling. Of course, I'm certainly not the only one who can't understand it.
Prince Luo Chen glanced at Shen Haoyu and frowned slightly. My impression of this prince of Jinque Kingdom instantly turned terrible. Aside from Emperor Youjing's advanced age, both Shen Zexuan and Shen Haoyu are exceptional individuals, yet he seems to look down on everything. Are all the men of Jinque Kingdom like gods? I think he's nothing special. No matter how much he dotes on his sister, does he really intend to find her a god to marry?
Emperor Youjing clearly saw Prince Luochen's expression, and his face darkened with displeasure, though he barely managed to suppress his anger. The sincerity of the Golden Sparrow Kingdom's marriage proposal was far too weak.
Upon seeing this, Shen Haoyu quickly stood up and bowed, saying, "This humble subject knows that I am of lowly talent and unworthy to be a match for the princess, so I will not presume to gain the favor of your esteemed country. However, if your country finds a suitable husband for the princess in the future, please let us witness what a truly good man is."
No sooner had Shen Haoyu finished speaking than a voice came from below: "Only today have we realized that the men of our Youjing Dynasty are so despicable in the eyes of the Golden Sparrow Kingdom." Looking in the direction of the voice, the speaker was a civil official with a handsome three-pronged mustache, whose name seemed to be Yuan Wo. I had seen him at Shen Tingxuan's residence; he was the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.
The atmosphere in the hall was somewhat tense. Prince Luo Chen had successfully aroused the indignation of the men present. Only Prime Minister Wei sat to the side, smiling silently. The princes exchanged smiles but said nothing.
Emperor Youjing said, "If your Golden Sparrow Kingdom is unwilling to continue the marriage alliance, just say so. Why humiliate the men of our dynasty? If you want to avoid the marriage alliance but still retain a good reputation, it will not be easy."
An awkward silence fell, and no one spoke for a long while. Finally, someone from the Golden Sparrow Kingdom delegation stood up and said, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. My brother had no intention of looking down on your country's men; he merely wanted me to witness their magnanimity and demeanor. Now, I have someone I've chosen." The voice was as beautiful as a nightingale's song; it belonged to a slender, handsome young man, or perhaps Princess Luo Li disguised as a man. It seemed they really hadn't taken You Jing seriously; the marriage alliance had turned into a son-in-law selection.
Princess Luoli stepped into the hall and gracefully bowed to Emperor Youjing. Although dressed in men's clothing, she still exuded elegance. Princess Luoli said, "I have been impolite while mingling with the delegation. Please do not blame me, Your Majesty. I will change my clothes and apologize to Your Majesty later."
Emperor Youjing gestured for Princess Luoli to rise, and Princess Luoli turned and walked out of the palace.
Although the banquet with wine and food has not yet started, it is really unexpected that a state banquet has turned out like this. It feels like we are being played with by the Golden Sparrow Kingdom. Even Princess Luoli, who should have been waiting to be summoned, has already disguised herself and entered the palace. Are they really so ignorant of etiquette?
When Princess Luoli returned to the palace after changing her clothes, she could clearly feel that the breathing around her had slowed down considerably. Looking up at the woman entering the palace, she was indeed a graceful and beautiful fifteen-year-old girl, accustomed to trailing long skirts, her delicate steps exquisite. Her smile was captivating, making all other beauties pale in comparison. At this moment, perhaps no one would complain about the Golden Sparrow Kingdom's pickiness anymore. Who in this world could truly be worthy of such a stunning beauty? All the women she had seen before would feel ashamed in comparison.
I stared blankly at Princess Luoli, yet I vaguely sensed a gaze lingering on me. I turned my head to the right and saw Shen Zexuan looking at me with eyes full of affection, a faint smile playing on his lips. How many times had he looked at me like this? Why was he looking at me instead of the beauties in the palace?
I lowered my eyes, and heard Princess Luoli say, "Luoli begs forgiveness from His Majesty."
Emperor Youjing did not answer, but asked, "Just now the princess said that she already has someone she likes?" Her tone was much gentler than before; such is the charm of a beauty.
Princess Luoli replied, "Indeed, Luoli finds the Third Prince very agreeable!"
Are you kidding me?! I thought it would be Shen Haoyu or someone else, but I never expected it to be Shen Zexuan. After all, Shen Zexuan's reputation has been ruined by Shen Haoyu. Although he was wronged, Shen Zexuan was quite happy about it. This Princess Luoli doesn't seem to care at all?
Looking at Shen Zexuan again, he probably hadn't expected it either. He had initially left the princess with Shen Haoyu, but who knew the princess would take a liking to him? Shen Zexuan's face paled slightly, and he immediately stood up and said with a smile, "Thank you for your kindness, Princess, but I have a hidden illness and am really not worthy of you."
He just rejected the princess like that? Did he really not want to marry her? With male concubines and a hidden illness, didn't he want his reputation to be bad enough already?
Emperor Youjing coughed once on the throne and said, "When did Ze'er fall ill? Why didn't Father know?"
Shen Zexuan bowed and said, "Father, it is an old ailment that is inconvenient to talk about, so I did not mention it to you, so as not to worry you."
Emperor Youjing shook his head and said, "If there is an illness, then it should be treated. After returning, have the imperial physicians take a good look at you."
Shen Zexuan bowed and agreed, then lifted his robe and sat down. Emperor Youjing then said to Luo Chen and Luo Li, the brother and sister in the hall, "Please return to your seats first. We will enjoy the song and dance while we begin the banquet. We can discuss the marriage alliance later."
The two turned and returned to their seats, a clear smile on Princess Luoli's face. What was going on? Did Princess Luoli anticipate Shen Zexuan's rejection, and that's why she said he was the one she favored? In that case, it wouldn't be that the Golden Sparrow Kingdom was arrogant and looked down on anyone from the Youjing Dynasty, but rather that Youjing had rejected Princess Golden Sparrow.
Why did Shen Zexuan do this? If the imperial physician examines him and he's not sick, what will Emperor Youjing think of him? My mind is a complete mess, filled with thoughts of Shen Zexuan. He's totally confused me today.
Palace maids in colorful robes brought out dish after dish of exquisite food, and poured pot after pot of fine wine into everyone's cups. Emperor Youjing raised his cup and drank the first cup of wine with everyone. The sound of string and wind instruments filled the hall, and dancers swayed gracefully to the rhythm. The previously solemn and tense hall was suddenly filled with a decadent and luxurious atmosphere.