tallest building

Chapter 241 has a hidden meaning.

Seven or eight song and dance performances had been held, and we had already gone through three rounds of drinks.

The King of Chu was somewhat drunk and took advantage of the Emperor undressing to quietly slip out of the Si De Hall.

There happened to be several pots of chrysanthemums in full bloom under a screen wall, and he lingered there.

Master Zhuge arrived leisurely and smiled at the King of Chu, saying, "Your Highness has a fine taste, but be careful not to be caught and forced to drink the penalty wine."

"Oh dear, Master," the King of Chu quickly bowed, "it's just that the yellow wine doesn't suit my temperament. I came out for a short walk and will be going back soon. Why have you also left your seat, Master?"

"I am naturally unaccustomed to banquets, and I have already done my best to attend today. That is why I apologize to Your Majesty and will take my leave first," Master Zhuge said with a smile.

The King of Chu knew that Master Zhuge was a romantic and talented man who would not be bound by worldly constraints. The emperor treated him as an honored guest, but it was up to Zhuge himself to agree.

Otherwise, if the person simply waved their sleeve and left, the world would inevitably accuse the emperor of being incapable of serving virtuous officials.

"Didn't the Master also love chrysanthemums?" the King of Chu asked, looking at the blooming autumn chrysanthemums.

"I love all kinds of flowers and plants, but Your Highness seems to have a special fondness for chrysanthemums." Master Zhuge stroked his long beard.

"I love the flower's beauty that rivals the autumn of late spring, and I love even more its proud spirit that withstands the frost." The King of Chu praised it, "Every time I see it, I am captivated by its beauty."

"Hehe, Your Highness has a deep love for chrysanthemums. If chrysanthemums had a spirit, they would surely become your confidants. To see their spirit, the best time to appreciate them is at dawn or dusk."

"Ah, what you say resonates deeply with me, sir. In that case, I can also consider you a close friend," said the King of Chu happily.

"Your Highness is too kind. One can judge a person's character by their appearance. Your Highness is of noble birth, yet you are of noble character, which is truly rare."

"You flatter me, Master. I am so ashamed."

The two men got along better and better as they talked. King Chu had always admired Zhuge Liang, and since Zhuge Liang had praised his son in front of the emperor, he was truly grateful to him.

Seeing that the time was right, Master Zhuge then got to the main topic.

"Your Highness, I believe that while Ling Shuang's proud spirit is admirable, it is also important to have the will to preserve it for a long time. Otherwise, wouldn't it be a pity if it withered and decayed?"

The King of Chu was puzzled: "This is the nature of chrysanthemums; it has been like this for thousands of years!"

"Flowers are like that, but people are not," the Master smiled gently. "Both of us have noble roots and outstanding beauty, so how can we abandon ourselves?"

If the King of Chu still couldn't understand the meaning at this point, then he wouldn't be the King of Chu.

He didn't respond to Master Zhuge's words, his mind racing with thoughts, and finally chose to play dumb: "People say that it's not good to be exposed to the wind after drinking, and it seems that's true. I'm feeling dizzy right now, so I'm afraid I'll have to excuse myself."

Master Zhuge listened and said nothing more, then turned and drifted away.

The King of Chu was left alone, feeling lost and dejected.

Wen Mingqian was not qualified to attend the imperial banquet, so she got up early and picked out the dried spices with Xiaoyue.

Then Sang Er came and stayed there for a long time.

Later, Wen Mingqian thought that since she had finally made it to the palace, she should take a stroll in the Imperial Garden, so he asked Xiaoyue to take her there, so they could look around and come back.

But after waiting and waiting without seeing the two of them return, he couldn't help but worry and went out to look for them himself.

In the Imperial Garden, several children were playing happily.

Someone had set up an archery target in the open space, and several boys were having an archery competition there.

Gong Chang'an didn't participate; he was pestered by Zhuolahan to teach her Cuju (ancient Chinese football).

Sang Er and Xiao Yue stood at a distance, seemingly unable to leave. "Mother Wen!" Sang Er was the first to spot Wen Mingqian and quickly ran over.

"Why aren't these guests at the table?" Wen Mingqian asked.

“Mother, I was on my way back to you, but I encountered these deities. Prince Zhao and Prince Yu Chao wouldn’t let me leave, so I was delayed,” Sang Er explained to Wen Mingqian.

Wen Mingqian understood immediately. Those two must have fallen for Sang Er at first sight. Judging from their competitive spirit, they were full of ambition.

“Mother, do you think I should take advantage of this opportunity…” Sang Er’s beautiful eyes darted sideways, “It’s a rare opportunity.”

“The Princess will definitely be coming to the palace frequently during this period. If you have such a plan, it will save us a lot of trouble. However, you must be careful not to get yourself implicated in the end,” Wen Mingqian advised her.

"Don't worry, Mother, I know." Sang Er smiled like a little fox. "Those two are both hot-tempered and easily provoked. But that Prince Chu seems quite composed. I'll find a way to drag him down with me."

While the two were talking, Gong Chang'an arrived, and Zhuolahan naturally followed him.

"Is this your mother?" Zhuolahan asked Gong Chang'an, looking at Wen Mingqian.

"This servant greets the princess." Wen Mingqian's position in the palace was that of a perfume maker, a palace servant with a certain rank. Zhuolahan was of noble status, so she naturally had to pay her respects.

“You are so beautiful, like a lily on the grassland,” Zhuolahan said, affectionately hugging Wen Mingqian’s arm. “I like Chang’an, and I like you too!”

Wen Mingqian looked at this foreign princess. Her beauty was different from that of Han girls. She was strong and wild, and her personality was so straightforward. There was no such person in the palace. She was truly refreshing.

"Hey, why do you smell so good?" Zhuolahan asked, tugging at Wen Mingqian's sleeve.

“Princess, I am a perfumer in the palace. I am surrounded by fragrances every day, so it is inevitable that my clothes will be covered with fragrance.” Wen Mingqian explained with a smile, “I wonder what kind of fragrance the princess likes? I can make some for you.”

“I like the smell of grass,” said Zhuolahan. “There are no grasslands in the capital, and I feel weak after staying there for a long time.”

"This servant can try to do it," Wen Mingqian said, "but I'm afraid it won't look quite right."

“It doesn’t matter if you can’t, you must be a female Bazan to have given birth to such a smart son as Gong Chang’an,” Zhuolahan said. “In our grasslands, we say whether a son is smart or not depends on his mother.”

"Miss Sang Er, I won!" Yu Chao shouted loudly. "This prize is yours!"

Their archery competition wasn't just for show; everyone had to bring out their weapons.

Yu Chao won, so the other two people's things will belong to him.

Sang Er stepped forward and declined, saying, "No, this is too precious. I cannot accept it."

It was a fine piece of yellow jade tiger head pendant, about half the size of a palm.

"Hey, brother, aren't these yours?" Zolahan's eyes widened. "Where are the two you won?"

"They're all mine. I can give them to whomever I want." Yu Chao's dark face flushed slightly. "Shut up!"

Ying Tong stood to the side, her eyes cold, and said in a low voice, "What's so great about him? He's just a barbarian."

Ying Bai stood further away, silent. He had been warned beforehand to stay out of the situation and avoid conflict with the people there.

Sang Er refused to accept it no matter what, but Wen Mingqian tried to persuade her, saying, "It's not that she doesn't want to accept the prince's reward, it's just that it's too valuable. If she accepts it, she will definitely be reprimanded later."

Upon hearing this, Yu Chao had no choice but to put away the jade pendant and give her the string of tridacna beads he was wearing.

Sang Er had no choice but to accept it.

“Miss Sang, although I lost the archery contest, you will still receive a reward.” Ying Tong said, taking off his thumb ring and giving it to Sang Er.