flstandardbreds Chapter 164: The envoy from the Kingdom of Nanshi pays homage.
Chapter 164: The envoy from the Kingdom of Nanshi pays homage.
As night falls and the lanterns are lit, the time for the palace banquet to be held on the night of the Reunion Festival will soon arrive.
After carefully dressing up, Su Nuannuan led her two adorable little ones slowly toward Jiaohua Palace. Along the way, the moonlight shone down on them like water, as if draping the three of them in a layer of silver gauze.
The reason why the palace banquet for this year's Reunion Festival was held in Jiaohua Hall instead of Xuanhua Hall, as is the usual venue, is because foreign envoys are visiting for the festival. Therefore, the palace specially arranged Jiaohua Hall, which is used to entertain foreign envoys, to host guests from all sides.
When Su Nuannuan arrived at the gate of Jiaohua Palace, before she even stepped inside, a clear and melodious voice called out, "Sister Zhuangfei!"
She turned her head at the sound and saw Consort Qin, Consort Li, and Consort Qing each leading their children slowly walking towards them. The three consorts were all dressed in their finest attire, with beautiful faces and graceful bearing; their children were also lively and adorable, skipping and hopping along with their mothers.
"Oh, look at you all, did you arrange to come together beforehand?" Su Nuannuan looked at the scene before her and couldn't help but chuckle.
Upon hearing this, Consort Qin smiled and replied softly, "What are you talking about? Consort Zhuang, please don't tease us. We just happened to meet on the road."
After saying this, the four of them smiled at each other, exchanged greetings, and then entered Jiaohua Hall hand in hand.
Upon entering the hall, the siblings Canglan Jingcheng and Canglan Jingyao immediately spotted their second, third, and fourth brothers. Excited as if they were freed from their reins, they rushed over and instantly joined their brothers. The children gathered together like a flock of cheerful little birds, chirping incessantly.
Consort Qin smiled and instructed their nanny to take the children to the side hall to play.
Only the sixth prince, being only one year old, remained in his wet nurse's arms and did not go over.
As the four concubines slowly entered the palace, everyone rose to greet them. After the four concubines gracefully took their seats, the others resumed their conversations and interactions.
Consort Li smiled charmingly and asked, "Sister Consort Zhuang, I've heard that there's a very interesting climbing frame in your courtyard. May I take Han'er and Yu'er to play there?"
Upon hearing this, Consort Qin quickly smiled and agreed, "Yes, yes, let Xu'er come along too. It will be even more lively with the children playing together."
Hearing this, Su Nuannuan smiled and replied softly, "That would be wonderful, but I must make this clear first: you must take good care of your precious child. If anything goes wrong, I will not be responsible."
Consort Li waved her hand gently, her sweet smile still on her face, and comforted her, "Don't worry, Consort Zhuang. We'll arrange for experienced matrons to look after things, so there shouldn't be any problems."
"Sister Qingfei, why don't you bring the Sixth Prince along to Caiwei Palace for a gathering? It would be nice if the children could have some fun." Consort Qin smiled broadly at Consort Qing, who had remained silent, and enthusiastically suggested.
Consort Qing's lips curled slightly upward, revealing a somewhat stiff smile: "Sister Consort Qin is joking. Hong'er is still young and probably can't withstand such torment. I'd better not join in the fun." As she spoke, her eyes flickered, as if she was intentionally avoiding Consort Qin's gaze.
Seeing this, Consort Qin understood and smiled gently without saying anything more. After all, in the deep inner palace, Consort Qing now had the Sixth Prince as her support, and she must have already made plans for her high position.
At this moment, Su Nuannuan took in Consort Qing's unnatural smile. After a moment's thought, she turned to Jinse beside her and softly instructed, "Jinse, go and check on the princes and princesses. Make sure they don't get hurt. Once the Emperor arrives, remember to bring them back promptly."
Upon hearing this, Jinse quickly replied, "Yes, Your Highness, rest assured, this servant will go and check right away." After speaking, she hurriedly walked towards the side hall.
Just as Su Nuannuan was giving instructions to Jinse, her bright eyes seemed to be focused on Jinse, but in reality, the corner of her eye was always fixed on Consort Qing like a hawk.
As expected, when Consort Qing heard that Su Nuannuan was going to send Jinse to protect the children, her face instantly turned gloomy, and her originally dignified and quiet face seemed to be covered with a layer of frost.
However, Su Nuannuan merely snorted inwardly, not revealing her true feelings. She maintained her elegant and composed demeanor, chatting and laughing with Consort Qin and Consort Li beside her, creating a particularly warm atmosphere.
Just then, a loud and clear shout suddenly came from outside Jiaohua Hall: "The Emperor has arrived! The Empress Dowager has arrived! The Empress has arrived! The Crown Prince has arrived!" This hoarse voice, like a great bell, echoed throughout the entire palace.
In an instant, everyone in the hall stood up, their movements perfectly synchronized, and they bowed swiftly and respectfully towards the entrance. The children who had been playing happily in the side hall also obediently returned to Jiaohua Hall under the guidance of their respective nannies.
"Your Majesty, I (your subject, concubine, or other concubine) pay homage to Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Empress Dowager! Long live the Empress Dowager! Long live the Empress! Long live the Empress! Long live the Crown Prince!" Accompanied by these resounding shouts, everyone in the hall knelt on both knees, bowed their heads, and performed the most solemn salute. For a moment, the vast Jiaohua Hall was completely silent, with only the sounds of their worship echoing in the air.
"Rise, my lords," the Emperor said as he and his entourage ascended to their high seats.
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Everyone rose and took their seats.
"Summon the envoy from the Kingdom of Nanshi to an audience," Li Desheng shouted.
Not long after, the envoys from the Southern Stone Kingdom entered the Jiaohua Hall in orderly steps.
Su Nuannuan narrowed her eyes as she looked at the envoys from the Southern Stone Kingdom.
"This delegation from the Southern Stone Kingdom is quite interesting," Su Nuannuan thought to herself, then glanced at the emperor sitting above.
"Hmm, the Emperor's expression is blank."
Once the group entered the Jiaohua Hall, the leader was none other than Zhang Wang, the envoy from the Southern Stone Kingdom. He stepped forward steadily, bowed respectfully to the high-ranking Azure King, and announced in a clear voice, "Zhang Wang, the envoy from the Southern Stone Kingdom, along with his entourage, pays his respects to the Azure King!" As his words fell, the entire Southern Stone delegation behind him also bowed in unison, their movements perfectly synchronized and demonstrating their high level of training.
Seeing this, the Azure King, seated on the dragon throne, slightly raised his hand and said, "Esteemed envoys, please rise. You have traveled a long way and must be exhausted. Please take your seats and rest for a moment." With that, the Emperor, in a gentle yet authoritative tone, gestured to the seats that had been prepared for the envoys of the Southern Stone Kingdom.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Wang quickly bowed again in thanks, saying, "Thank you, King of Canglan!" He then led the delegation in another bow before turning to their seats and taking their places. The entire process was orderly and without the slightest sign of panic.
Upon seeing this, the people of Azure Kingdom all thought to themselves, "These people are not simple."