XH 85 - Don't fall in love with my beautiful face
The trio returned to their seats just in time before the Emperor and Empress arrive. Everyone stood up and paid their respects and sat back down when the Emperor permitted them.
The place was crowded as every fifth-ranked ministers and above was invited to join the celebration. Their family members were invited as well, except for the concubine born children.
Yet Liu Chu Chu was the exception to that expectation, as she was the Second Prince's future princess consort as well as the Miracle Doctor Bai's apprentice.
As Liu Chu Chu had publicly broken ties with her family members for wrongly accusing her of murdering her legitimate born elder sister, she was allowed to share the Second Prince's table. For today's festive event, she dressed in a bright red dress that resembled a wedding dress. As she always wears red, there was no longer anyone that was shocked by how she dressed.
Her innocent looking face was extremely lovable today, and the Second Prince seems to agree with that too for he was always caught staring at his future consort with a smitten smile on his face.
The Eighth Prince suddenly understood why Xiao Hua said that the Second Prince was rather cheesy.
After the Emperor finished the annual sacrificial ceremony to the Gods, the next event began. The representative from smaller countries inside the Guilin Kingdom will have to presents their gift to the Guilin Emperor one by one.
Long Zhu lazily, yet charmingly eats the prepared snacks that were displayed on his table. A cup filled with tea on his table had gone cold and a serving maid glanced at it worriedly for the Third Prince had not drunk even a sip of it.
The poor serving maid thought that there was something wrong with the tea but the Third Prince was actually spoiled by Xiao Hua's tea. He could no longer drink the teas that were not brewed by Xiao Hua.
Fortunately, An Jing had foreseen it and made an appropriate backup plan. An Wan, the only inner maid that followed the Third Prince into the palace, discreetly took away the cold tea and replaced it with a new cup of tea.
"Your Highness, this tea is personally brewed by Elder Sister Hua this morning."
Without any reluctance, he picked up the cup and took a sip. With just a sip, Long Zhu could confirm it was indeed brewed by Xiao Hua.
The serving maid that had witnessed the whole interaction feels a little insulted. She was one of the Empress' second-ranked maids and was personally tasked to serve the Third Prince today. The tea was personally brewed by her, with one of the best tea leaves in the Guilin Kingdom. Yet the Third Prince did not even taste it and only paid attention to the snacks on the table.
The serving maid could feel the phantom slap on her face when the Third Prince's maid removed her tea and replaced it with hers. She feels another phantom slap on her cheek when the Third Prince drank it and did not stop his maid to keep on refilling it. The snacks were discarded at aside, no longer worthy of his attention.
"This King is here to visit Guilin's Emperor with gifts for the New Year." A deep, smoky voice of a man with forceful presence caught everyone's attention and the silent whispering died down to watch the show. He had waited until everyone had presented their gift before presenting his.
They were surprised that the King of Munzhu would personally come to greet the Guilin's Emperor. The rumors of his bad temper and his hatred towards the royal families were well known to anyone interested.
The King of Munzhu was not as handsome as the Second Prince, but he was the masculine one among the two. There was something wild under his polite smokescreen and it was actually what most elder ladies would go crazy about. His hair looked rough and untamed, matching the wild look in his eyes.
Most of the madam had married boring, book smart officials; hence they were not that good in pleasing their wife in bed as they tend to put their own pleasure as their first priority. Even if there were husbands that please their wives, it could be considered as rare. They were men with many wives and concubines; they expected their concubines and wives to please them, not the other way around.
It was unknown how the rumor started, but to the madams' newfound knowledge, military men were rather adventurous in bed and have more stamina. They could not do a survey as they have too little subject to interview, but Madam Ping Shui looked radiant after her marriage and they had all known that General Tang had kept his wife in bed for three days!
They could die in envy! (ᗒᗣᗕ)՞
"To have King of Munzhu to travel from afar, We hope you will enjoy the festive to the fullest with Us."
"This King will do that." The King of Munzhu had said it as if one was talking to someone with equal standing when the truth was that he was just a King of a small country while the other was the Emperor of a large Kingdom that was made up of a few smaller countries inside of it.
"This King had prepared a gift for Prince Long Zhu when I heard it's your birthday yesterday. Mithu, pass the gift."
Long Zhu placed down his cup, giving the King of Munzhu a wide grin, looking like a boy of his age. "This prince likes presents. If you have the time, I can give you a tour around the place as thanks to your gift."
An Wan accepted the long silver box from the King of Munzhu's servant and returned back to the Third Prince's side.
"I will gladly accept that invitation."
The Emperor nodded with a smile, pleased at how hospitable his most beautiful son was but, on the other hand, the Empress was suspicious.
It was rather strange that her son would give a stranger such a wide and genuine smile. Normally, she would have assumed Long Zhu was just being friendly, but what she had witnessed two nights ago had horrified her and shaken her belief.
Her son was the most beautiful man in the world and it was inevitable that some men would have dirty, immoral ideas towards him.
Fortunately, she had a good plan to protect her son!
The Empress laughed gently, and placed a hand softly on the Emperor's upper arm, catching his attention. "Your Majesty, the Third Prince is now seventeen years old. Won't this be a good time to choose a suitable bride for him as all the suitable candidates had gathered here today?"
Long Lian, who was seated just below her mother, glanced at her sharply. The silver chopstick on her hand snapped into two, earning a horrified gasp from Tang Mei. The princess must be very agitated to be able to snap the silver chopsticks into two!
"Mother Empress, this daughter thinks that might be too soon for the third brother to marry," Long Lian quickly slipped into the conversation. "Eldest brother had not even married yet."
"Eh?" The Crown Prince turned to their direction upon hearing someone mentioning him.
"Third Prince, what did King of Munzhu give you anyway?" Yang Ling asked loudly from his seat, which was not far from the Third Prince's assigned seat and effectively changed the topic.
Advisor Yang just shakes his head but did not stop his son's antics. This was not the first time his son had acted this way.
But there was someone that refused to change the subject.
"The Empress is right. It is indeed the right age for the Third Prince to choose a princess consort," Minister Bin spoke up, caressing his short beard. "Your Majesty, right now every eligible young ladies that are worthy of the Third Prince had gathered here. Perhaps the Third Prince is interested in one of the ladies?"
The eligible and of age young ladies that were interested in the Third Prince either blushed or doing their best to make eye contact with the Third Prince.
"Minister Bin wants to be a matchmaker for the Third Prince now that his daughters were all married?" Yang Ling said loudly, not at all caring that he was being rude. "By the way, where's your eldest daughter? Hey Xu Ming, where's your wife? Is she punished to be a guard dog of your house? Are you angry because your wife likes the Emperor?"
There were discreet coughs and whispers among the guests. The rumors of Madam Bin Tang aiming to be the Emperor's wife were widely spread around. She had boldly decided to choose a partner for Princess Long Lian, acting just like a mother would towards her daughter.
Xu Ming, who was seated beside the red-faced Minister Bin, coolly replied, "This official's wife is not feeling well. To avoid spreading her illness, she chooses to be absent." He stood up and bowed at the Emperor and Empress. "This subject hopes that Emperor and Empress would look over this subject wife's rudeness."
"A sick person should rest." The Emperor dismissed without care.
"Say, King of Munzhu." Yang Ling turned to the King of Munzhu who coincidentally seated across him. "Did you receive the painting of beauty from Minister Bin? What do you think of the youngest Bin daughter? I heard she's pretty but a little touched in her head. Ah, did I remember the wrong dates? Had she already been sent over to you? Did the Bin's youngest daughter please you?"
Advisor Yang spurted out the wine he was drinking and coughed violently.
"Father, why are you so clumsy? Didn't I already tell you to drink slowly at your age?" Yang Ling patted his father's back carefully until the coughing fit subdued. "One day you would have accidentally choked to death with that speed drinking! Don't assume you are still young!"
Advisor Yang took a deep breath and holds back his anger. This is not a suitable place to scold his son!
The King of Munzhu surprisingly showed goodwill to Yang Ling, who he had crossed swords during the battlefield. "This King had yet to know your name."
Yang Ling grinned devilishly and introduces himself. "My name is Yang Ling, age fifteen. I'm male so don't fall in love with my beautiful face!"
The awkward atmosphere from Yang Ling's blunt questioning earlier dispersed as the guest laughed at how shameless he had introduced himself.
And just like that, the Empress' plan was sabotaged.