Thinking about it later, she realized that the reason the Emperor wasn't seeing her was because the Emperor was hosting a banquet that evening, and as the Princess Consort of the Prince of Zhan, Xi Liang would naturally have to attend. So, even if she didn't come, they would naturally meet that evening. After some deep thought, Hai Ling came to terms with it and prepared to go to her room to rest for a while.
Shi Zhu, however, came in after gathering information and calmly reported the situation to Hai Ling.
"Inside this post station, there are envoys from our Northern Lu Kingdom, as well as envoys from the Great Zhou Dynasty. The other three small countries are all small countries bordering the Southern Ling Kingdom. Every year, they would pay tribute to the Southern Ling Kingdom. Among them is a fiefdom, and there are also the Small Jin Kingdom and the Five Barbarian Kingdoms. In short, apart from the Great Zhou Kingdom, the other three countries are unfamiliar to us."
After Shizhu finished reporting, Hailing didn't say anything. Ruan Jingyue from Fengguo had already come to visit. As for the other Xiaojin Kingdom and the Five Barbarian Kingdoms, they didn't have much to do with them. What she was interested in now was what kind of envoy the Great Zhou Dynasty had sent this time, so she raised her eyebrows and looked at Shizhu.
Who were the envoys from the Great Zhou Dynasty?
Upon hearing her question, Shi Zhu's expression darkened, and she looked quite unwell. Hai Ling, seeing this, blurted out, "It can't be Feng Zixiao, can it?"
If that's the case, then they really are haunted by that man; they keep running into him wherever they go.
As expected, as soon as she finished speaking, Shi Zhu nodded heavily: "That's right, it was Emperor Feng Zixiao of the Great Zhou Dynasty who brought several court officials over."
Upon hearing this person's name, Hai Ling's mood inexplicably soured. Compared to Ruan Jingyue, she disliked Feng Zixiao even more because this man was too shameless and brazen. Who knew what kind of trouble he would cause here? So they had to be extra careful. They had come here to relax and visit Xi Liang, but they never expected to encounter such people.
Hai Ling was initially very annoyed, but then she thought that if they had any grudges against these people, it would happen sooner or later, even if not today. So, since they were already here, they might as well make the best of it and just be careful. They were envoys now, and Ruan Jingyue was a princess of the Southern Ling Kingdom, so they wouldn't cause trouble on the spot. The emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty was also an envoy, so he naturally wouldn't make any moves openly. Therefore, if they made any moves, it would be in secret, so they just had to be careful.
Hai Ling figured it out, stood up, yawned, and then waved for Shi Zhu to leave.
"From now on, everyone must be on high alert and pay attention to any movements in the shadows."
With the cultivation levels of Shizhu, Shiju, Shimei, and Shilan, it wouldn't be easy for those people to do something under their noses.
"I'm going to take a nap."
She went to her room to rest.
That evening, a welcoming banquet was held at the royal palace of the Southern Ling Kingdom.
The royal family of Nanling Kingdom has many members. In addition to the members of the crown prince's faction who were eliminated, there are several brothers and sisters, as well as ministers in the court. Therefore, the banquet is very lively. The ladies of Nanling Kingdom dress very openly, so the whole banquet is full of excitement. Every time a princess arrives, people cheer. The reason is simply that these princesses and noble ladies are dressed too beautifully.
This palace banquet was three times more lively than usual, because in addition to the emperor of Beilu Kingdom, the emperor of Dazhou Dynasty also came to the coronation of the emperor of Nanling Kingdom. It is said that since Jiang Batian plotted against this emperor of Dazhou Dynasty, all the concubines in his harem have been eliminated. Now that he has regained power, he has not yet taken any concubines or established an empress. Therefore, tonight, all the princesses of Nanling Kingdom have their own ideas. If they can be chosen by this emperor of Dazhou Dynasty and become empress, it would be great.
Moreover, besides the people of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the emperor of the Northern Lu Kingdom was also present at this palace banquet. This legendary emperor, who was said to be unparalleled in his elegance, was naturally someone everyone wanted to see. Furthermore, the fact that the empress of Northern Lu could defeat their royal princess, Ruan Jingyue, the most beautiful woman in the world, naturally piqued their curiosity even more, so they were determined to come and see her.
Ye Lingfeng, Hai Ling, and the other people from the Northern Lu Kingdom, led by ministers from the Southern Ling Kingdom, entered the palace and headed to the banquet hall. When they arrived, the hall was bustling with activity, with people coming and going in front of the hall and the noise inside rising in waves.
Hai Ling looked up at Ye Lingfeng to the side and found that his handsome features were covered with frost, and his deep eyes were filled with murderous intent. He walked steadily, and each step he took was quite powerful. As for why Ye Lingfeng was so angry, it was because when she told him earlier that Ruan Jingyue had become the Queen of the Feng Kingdom and that the envoy from the Great Zhou Dynasty was Feng Zixiao, his face darkened.
As the group approached the main hall where the banquet was to be held, they heard the eunuch's soft voice.
"The Emperor and Empress of the Northern Lu Kingdom have arrived."
At a single call, the people in the main hall, who had been chatting animatedly, immediately fell silent. All eyes were fixed on the entrance to the hall. When the emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty arrived earlier, men and women were excited; now that the emperor of the Northern Lu Kingdom had also come, everyone was curious about just how this legendary emperor of the Northern Lu Kingdom could be so exceptionally handsome and refined.
Everyone's eyes widened instinctively, not blinking. The entire hall was completely silent, as if no one was there.
At the palace gate, Ye Lingfeng and Ji Hailing entered one after the other. The tall, handsome man in front of them possessed a refined and elegant bearing, his dark eyes seemingly capable of drawing the heart in. One glance was enough to captivate anyone. He wore a white long robe under a purple gauze robe trimmed with gold, the contrast of white and purple highlighting his nobility. His every move exuded an aura of dominance and menace, a natural imperial presence, an arrogant disdain for the world. His casual glances sent shivers down the spines of those around him, making them want to lower their heads, yet they were irresistibly drawn to him, resulting in a hesitant and uneasy posture. This was especially true for the princesses of the Southern Ling Kingdom, whose hearts fluttered with excitement, their gazes involuntarily drawn to their beloved Jingyue. No wonder the most beautiful woman in the world had fallen for this emperor; even they found him captivating.
Unfortunately, the falling flowers were willing, but the flowing water was indifferent; all that was lost was an arm.
With that thought in mind, they wanted to see the empress who was favored by Emperor Xie. After looking at Emperor Xie in front of them, the people in the hall became curious about the empress of the Northern Lu Kingdom behind them.
The Empress was dressed casually in a simple white long dress with subtle floral patterns. Unlike the women of Nanling Kingdom who wore tight-fitting, low-cut dresses, she wore a loose, casual gown. However, a few snowflakes were embroidered with silver coins at the hem, delicately and subtly adding to its elegance. A cool, refreshing aura emanated from her. Not only her clothing, but even her jet-black hair was loosely tied up, adorned with a jingling hairpin that swayed gracefully with her movements, adding to her refined elegance. Her beauty was captivating. When she lifted her gaze from the child in her arms and casually swept it across the hall, the crowd once again exclaimed in admiration. This Empress was indeed stunningly beautiful; no wonder she was so deeply favored by Emperor Xie. Her beauty was different from that of Princess Jingyue. Her beauty was a sharp, radiant kind of beauty. Although her clothes were simple and she wore no expensive ornaments, her sharp eyes and elegant movements all accentuated her brilliance, like a sword concealing a hidden edge.
If anyone provokes her, her sword will be drawn, and it will surely injure the person.
No wonder Princess Jingyue was defeated by her. Everyone thought to themselves. At that moment, a minister from the Southern Ling Kingdom came over to greet Ye Lingfeng and Hai Ling and led them to the head of the table. Today's banquet was for the envoys from the Northern Lu Kingdom and the Great Zhou Dynasty, as well as the envoys from three other small countries. Therefore, these guests who had come from afar should naturally sit at the head of the table.
Ye Lingfeng and Hai Ling were led to seats in front of the main hall. Only then did the two have time to look around at the people in the hall. Soon they saw a familiar face. Sitting opposite Ye Lingfeng, the person staring intently at him was Feng Zixiao. Feng Zixiao had a faint smile on his lips. He didn't greet Ye Lingfeng, but his eyes met Ye Lingfeng's, completely ignoring the others in the hall.
Hai Ling ignored the two people, her gaze quickly searching among the noblewomen. However, she couldn't find Xi Liang, which surprised her. Her face darkened slightly. Had something happened to Xi Liang, or was she ill? A slight anxiety welled up within her. Unexpectedly, her eyes met those of Empress Ruan Jingyue, who sat not far away. Ruan Jingyue smiled warmly, but her eyes held a strange and unpredictable glint. Hai Ling's gaze turned cold as she looked away, thinking to herself, "It seems I need to be careful tonight."
While thinking, he beckoned Shi Mei over and then whispered to her to go out and find someone to inquire why Princess Zhan hadn't come.
Shi Mei nodded, not in a hurry to leave. She would wait until the banquet started before quietly going out to inquire, so as not to attract attention.
After instructing Shi Mei, Hai Ling raised her eyebrows and searched the main hall to see who Xi Liang's husband, Prince Zhan, was. However, after looking around, she did not see any outstanding men. Although there were a few handsome officials, none of them seemed to be Ruan Xiyin, the fierce general on the battlefield.
Inside the main hall, people started talking again. The men were mostly talking about Feng Zixiao and Ye Lingfeng, while the women were mostly talking about Hai Ling and Ruan Jingyue.
Suddenly, a eunuch's shrill voice rang out from outside the main hall: "The Emperor has arrived! The Empress has arrived! Prince Zhan has arrived!"
As the eunuch reported, the hall fell silent once more. Everyone rose, then knelt and proclaimed, "Your Majesty, we pay our respects to the Emperor and the Empress."
Although the new emperor of Nanling Kingdom has not yet officially ascended the throne, he has taken charge of everything due to the passing of the previous emperor. All the ministers in the court address him as "Your Majesty." Not only the ministers of Nanling Kingdom, but also those from the other three smaller kingdoms rise to pay their respects. Only Ye Lingfeng of Beilu Kingdom and Feng Zixiao of Dazhou Dynasty remain motionless, because their status is the same as the new emperor of Nanling Kingdom. If we were to be serious, this new emperor has not yet ascended the throne and his status is not as noble as Ye Lingfeng's and the others, so naturally they do not pay their respects. However, the ministers of both countries rise to offer their greetings.
Several figures walked in through the main hall. Leading them was naturally the emperor of the Southern Ling Kingdom. This new emperor was very young, with refined features and a gentle demeanor. However, a closer look at his eyes revealed their sharpness, which was why he stood out among the princes. The empress following closely beside him was also very young and extremely beautiful. She seemed to possess an air of superiority and arrogance, and as soon as she entered, her eyes swept over everyone, revealing a sense of superiority in her gaze.
Hai Ling's lips curled slightly. This Empress of Nanling Kingdom was truly not a very clever person. At this moment, the political situation in Nanling Kingdom was not stable, yet she was so arrogant. I'm afraid her position as Empress is not secure. Moreover, the reason why the new emperor made her Empress is likely related to the succession struggle. Because the Empress's family supported the new emperor, he made her Empress. But what about after this storm passes? Who can guarantee her position as Empress?
After her initial shock, Hai Ling lost interest in the new emperor and empress. What interested her was the man standing next to the new emperor, the War King Ruan Xiyin.
War King Ruan Xiyin has handsome features, possessing the fortitude of a battlefield general and the elegance of a civil official. He wears a blue brocade robe, with a fine jade pendant hanging from his waist. As he walks, he moves with the wind, like a golden leopard hiding its strength. His dark eyes are deep and unfathomable, as if they are ready to devour others at any moment.
This man is indeed good, but he has too much of a violent aura. Is Xi Liang really a good match for him? And why didn't Xi Liang appear at all?
Hai Ling raised an eyebrow, giving the Prince Zhan a cold look. She then saw him walk to the side of the hall, find a place to stand, and ignore the ministers around him. He seemed to be a prince who did things his own way.
The Emperor and Empress of Nanling Kingdom walked to the head of the table and sat down, then spoke gently: "All of you, rise and sit down."
After expressing their gratitude, the ministers of Nanling Kingdom sat down. For a moment, no one spoke, and they all looked up at the emperor at the head of the table, waiting for the emperor to speak.
The new emperor glanced at Emperor Ye Lingfeng and Empress Ji Hailing of the Northern Lu Kingdom, then looked at Feng Zixiao of the Great Zhou Dynasty. A dark glint flashed in his eyes, and then he smiled: "I must thank the emperors of the Northern Lu Kingdom and the Great Zhou Dynasty for traveling thousands of miles to visit my Southern Ling Kingdom and participate in my enthronement ceremony."
"Your Majesty is too kind. Our Northern Lu Kingdom and Southern Ling Kingdom are on good terms. Princess Qinyang of our Northern Lu Kingdom married Prince Zhan as his concubine, which is a symbol of the good relations between our two countries. Therefore, how could we not attend Your Majesty's enthronement ceremony?"