"Imperial sister, do you know? His Imperial Majesty is hosting envoys from six nations at the Liuli Palace tonight. Will you be going? Xingzhu wants to go with you, alright?"
Mu Qingyao's eyes flickered upon hearing the princess's words, and she asked with interest,
"Which six nations are they?"
Although Mu Qingyao could sense the information in her mind, knowing that the Fengyun Continent was a world where seven nations coexisted, and that the most powerful among them was the Xian Yue Kingdom, followed by the Qing Luo Kingdom, and then the Wan He Kingdom, she had no further information.
The original Mu Qingyao was merely a love-struck lady of the Prime Minister's mansion and did not concern herself with worldly affairs. Thus, the information in her mind was very limited. As a princess of the royal family, Murong Xingzhu naturally possessed more knowledge.
When Murong Xingzhu heard Mu Qingyao speaking to her, her eyes curved into thin, crescent moon shapes, appearing cute and playful.
"Qing Luo Kingdom, Wan He Kingdom, Dan Feng Kingdom, Yun Cang Kingdom, Huang Yuan Kingdom, and Yue Rang Kingdom. These are the six nations, along with our Xian Yue Kingdom, making it seven nations in total. However, among all these nations, our Xian Yue is the most powerful. With His Imperial Majesty's wedding approaching, other countries have sent envoys with gifts."
Mu Qingyao raised an eyebrow upon hearing Murong Xingzhu's words, a hint of coldness in her eyes.
She suspected it wasn't merely about sending gifts. The world had always seen cycles of union and division; long periods of division would eventually lead to union, and long periods of union would eventually lead to division. This was indeed a time of turmoil, and the seven nations were not as peaceful as they appeared.
Although Xian Yue was powerful, other nations were likely not weak. Take the Qing Luo Kingdom, for instance. Crown Prince Changsun Zhu was no simple character. As for the other countries, they had not truly clashed yet. Those people hid in the shadows, waiting for opportunities. The unification of the land was only a matter of time.
However, she knew that Murong Liu Zun was also not a simple character. It remained to be seen who would ultimately claim dominion over this land.
Furthermore, Xian Yue still had internal strife that had not been resolved. For now, it could only maintain peace and avoid revealing any anomalies?
"Xingzhu, who is hosting the envoys from the six nations this time?" Mu Qingyao asked with concern, understanding that this was a grave responsibility.
"Second Imperial Brother, the King of Beijin," Murong Xingzhu replied crisply. Mu Qingyao's expression darkened, and she turned somewhat cold, prompting Princess Xingzhu to ask worriedly, "Imperial sister, what's wrong?"
Mu Qingyao shook her head, a sense of unease growing within her.
Why would the Emperor assign the King of Beijin to receive the envoys from the six nations? Was he not afraid that the King of Beijin would cause trouble during the event?
Or perhaps he actually wanted something to happen to the King of Beijin. Regardless of the reason, it was likely to lead to turbulent times. Tonight was bound to be fraught with peril.
"It's nothing, I'm just a bit tired."
Mu Qingyao truly felt tired. First, there were the troublesome Empress Dowager and Princess Ru Yin, and then those two sisters who didn't know their place.
Fortunately, Princess Xingzhu treated her as a friend, which made her feel that things weren't entirely hopeless. Mu Qingyao smiled faintly.
"Imperial sister, then you should rest for a while. Xingzhu will take her leave now. I still need to go to the Liuli Palace to host those envoys tonight?"
"Alright," Mu Qingyao nodded, her gaze shifting to Mei Xin. She spoke faintly, "Mei Xin, escort the princess out."
"Yes, Your Highness," Mei Xin replied and respectfully saw Princess Xingzhu out.
Murong Xingzhu bid farewell to Mu Qingyao and, leading her palace maid Lan Yi, left the Fengluan Palace and returned to the Changle Palace.
As there was a banquet in the evening, Mu Qingyao got up and went into her sleeping quarters to rest.
She didn't know how long the banquet would last. As the Empress of Xian Yue, she naturally could not be absent, nor could she leave the guests midway to return to her palace. Therefore, she might as well sleep for a while to have the energy to host the guests tonight.
Moreover, tonight would undoubtedly be a delicate operation. The six nations would not simply come to offer congratulations.
The moon was brightest on the fifteenth and sixteenth of the lunar month.
The full moon hung in the sky like a jade plate, its moonlight cascading down like water. In the garden in front of the Liuli Palace, vibrant flowers under the moonlight blended into a radiant sea of blossoms. A gentle, cool night breeze softly brushed past, causing the flower shadows to sway and the moonlight to ripple.
Liuli Palace.
Bright as day, beneath the swirling eaves, various beautiful palace lanterns hung. Palace maids and eunuchs bustled about, creating a scene of activity.
In the resplendent main hall, the light of the night-blooming pearls shone brilliantly. Incense, freshly added to the golden tripod, curled upwards. Red brocade curtains hung on both sides.
A golden dragon throne was placed on the high seat. To its sides were several chairs covered with brocade cushions, arranged in order for the Empress, the Empress Dowager, the Noble Consort, and the two princesses.
This banquet was informal, deviating from the traditional banquet format. Instead, rectangular low tables and cushions were placed in front of the guests, with fine wine and delicacies presented on the tables for the guests to enjoy freely.
At this moment, the two sides of the main hall were already filled with rectangular low tables, laden with exquisite delicacies, fragrant fine wines, and colorful fruits and vegetables.
In addition to the delectable dishes and aromatic wines, bottles of beautiful fresh flowers were also placed on the tables. At a glance, they resembled waves of red, making the fresh fruits appear exceptionally refreshing. The aroma of fine wine and delicacies wafted through the air, complemented by the alluring fragrance of the flowers.
In an instant, the vast palace was filled with a rich scent, a fusion of the aromas of dishes, wine, and flowers, creating a intoxicating fragrance.
Eunuch Ah Jiu, the chief eunuch of the Liuli Palace, led his trusted subordinates, meticulously inspecting every detail.
Tonight, not the slightest mistake could occur. If any accident happened, it was likely that no one in the Liuli Palace, from top to bottom, would escape with their lives.
"These flowers seem different from the others; they are a bit withered. Replace them,"
"And this golden goblet isn't bright enough; polish it again." In the main hall, only Ah Jiu's stern voice could be heard.
The eunuchs and palace maids behind him responded carefully, replacing the items. As the time approached, all inspections were completed, and there were no errors thus far.
Ah Jiu breathed a sigh of relief and turned to instruct the head eunuch behind him to keep a close watch on everything here, to respond smartly when the guests arrived. He himself would go to the Imperial Study to request the Emperor's presence.
"Yes," the head eunuch, Ping Yang, respectfully saw Ah Jiu out.
This banquet, viewed on a small scale, concerned the foundation of the entire Xian Yue Kingdom; on a larger scale, it pertained to the fate of the world.
Therefore, Emperor Xian greatly valued the visit of these envoys. Besides the essential members of the royal family, all first-rank officials of the court were required to be present to accompany them.
Consequently, after the hour of You (7-9 PM), ministers began to arrive one after another. They were not like the noble members of the royal family, nor were they envoys sent by various countries, who could carry themselves with a higher status and put on airs.
They were merely subjects. Their responsibility tonight was to share the burden of hosting guests with the Emperor. Therefore, who dared to be late?