tallest building

Chapter 278 Qianqiu Banquet

The 20th day of the 11th lunar month is the Emperor's birthday.

Although the palace was in a state of panic before, once the matter was over, no one was allowed to mention it again.

Therefore, everyone in the palace seemed to have completely forgotten the previous unpleasantness, and a joyous and lively atmosphere prevailed.

On the actual day, all the imperial concubines of rank and the wives of officials from the previous dynasty were required to attend. Early in the morning, the crowds delivering birthday gifts nearly broke down the palace gates.

The eldest princess did not attend today, but sent Cuizhen to deliver birthday gifts to the palace.

"Your Majesty, the Princess has instructed me to come to the palace to deliver birthday gifts to you. She says that the whole world belongs to Your Majesty, and that all kinds of rare treasures are commonplace before you."

I then prepared some new and exquisite pastries for you to try. They were kept warm in a soup container and sent to the palace immediately, still piping hot.

"Aunt, are you alright? The weather has been so cold these days, and the wind is so strong on the mountain; it's easy to catch a chill. I've ordered the imperial physician to leave the palace to attend to you, and he'll go up the mountain with you." The Emperor came to the Empress's palace after the morning court session. Upon hearing from Cuizhen that the Princess was ill, he quickly arranged for someone to go and see her.

“Then thank you very much, Your Majesty,” Cuizhen said. “The Princess is just coughing badly and can’t stand the cold wind, but otherwise she is fine.”

"It's such a pity that Aunt couldn't come in person. I had already asked them to arrange the music that Aunt likes to listen to," the Empress said with a smile. "Why don't we ask the imperial chefs to come up the mountain with her? Aunt has been ill these days, and I'm sure she doesn't have a good appetite. If the food can be prepared to be delicious, she'll probably recover quickly."

The Empress still tried her best to appear virtuous and capable in front of the Emperor, but in reality, she had known for a long time that the Princess was ill, and only now did she show concern.

"The Empress is very thoughtful." The Emperor nodded in agreement. "There are plenty of cooks in the palace, one or two more won't make a difference. Cuizhen must know what Aunt likes to eat and which cook is good at it."

"Thank you for your trouble, Your Majesty and Your Majesty the Empress, but in my humble opinion, it is unnecessary." Aunt Cuizhen smiled. "The old woman who serves the Princess's meals is very good at preparing food, so Her Highness's appetite has always been good. She also made these snacks. Your Majesty and Your Majesty the Empress may wish to try them."

The palace servants opened the lid of the food box, and a fragrant aroma wafted out.

"What exquisite pasta dishes!" the Empress couldn't help but exclaim. "They're just as good as those made by the imperial chefs in the palace."

The Emperor and Empress both tasted a piece of the pastry, and needless to say, it was delicious.

"It turns out that the people around Auntie have such excellent cooking skills. One of these days, we should bring them into the palace to teach the palace chefs," the Empress said with a smile.

After eating, the emperor remained silent, even somewhat lost in thought, but the empress did not notice.

When the time came, the Emperor and Empress had to go to the banquet, and needless to say, there would be another round of paying homage and offering congratulations.

As soon as the banquet was fully served, Princess Duanmin stood up, smiling as she raised her wine cup and said, "Royal brother, today is your birthday. I have been away from the capital for many years, and only now do I have the opportunity to celebrate your birthday again. On such a fine occasion, how can there be no singing and dancing? Let everyone present enjoy the scenery of the frontier."

As soon as she finished speaking, a group of girls from the Fenye tribe, dressed in brightly colored clothes, walked in.

As the music began, they began to dance a lively and enthusiastic dance.

Everyone is used to court music and dance, so this exotic style is truly refreshing.

After the dance ended, applause erupted. "Your Majesty is very kind," the Emperor said, pleased. "There must also be a sentiment from the Prince of Fenye here. I only wish that you two, husband and wife, would be a perfect match and deeply in love. In this way, even if you are separated by thousands of miles, you will be at peace."

The Emperor doted on this younger sister. He originally disagreed with her marrying far away, but Princess Duanmin was determined to leave the capital, and he had no choice but to accept it.

When Princess Duanmin first returned to the capital, the Emperor was worried when he saw that she was distant and cold towards Qisi and the other two, but he didn’t say much.

The Emperor was naturally pleased that the two were now quite close.

"Brother, long before I came to the capital, I was already thinking about what kind of birthday gift I should give you. Our Great Xia is rich and powerful, and you hold the reins of the imperial power. Gold, silver and jewels fill the national treasury, and capable ministers and generals are found throughout the court and the country."

Our territory is just a small territory, so there's really nothing special to give as a gift. But it's still good to express the sentiments of both the Prince and me.

After much thought, I realized that nothing is better than giving something as a gift.

Princess Duanmin pointed to the two women who were leading the dance: "They are both good at singing and dancing, have delicate minds, and are well-behaved. I spent three years training them."

"Your Majesty works tirelessly for the country; you deserve to have devoted servants by your side. I will be returning to the grasslands after the first month of the lunar calendar, so leaving them with you is a way of fulfilling your duty to me."

Everyone present was surprised that Princess Duanmin's birthday gift to the Emperor was two beautiful women. They couldn't help but look at the Empress, as this was clearly meant to upset her.

The Empress was naturally unhappy, but the situation was special and she could not afford to clash with Duanmin.

After all, both she and the Dong family wanted to make Ying Tong and Zhuo Lahan's marriage a priority, and they couldn't let such a small matter delay the important matter.

A few days ago, the Empress ordered Consort Yun to find out what Princess Duanmin was thinking, and Princess Duanmin did not object.

He then took the initiative to see the Empress, wanting the twelve pairs of phoenix and jade crystal palace lanterns that the Empress Dowager had bestowed upon her during her wedding.

The two then had a conversation, which naturally touched on the marriage, and ultimately it was a bargaining session.

The Empress knew that Princess Duanmin's gift was merely a favor, and that Zhuolahan's marriage would ultimately be decided by the Prince of Fenye. Even if he and the princess were deeply in love, he couldn't be too ambiguous about such important matters.

The Empress made concessions because she didn't want Princess Duanmin to interfere. After all, there were countless treasures in the harem, and she didn't want to be bothered by trivial matters.

Therefore, despite Princess Duanmin's antics at the banquet today, the Empress still smiled and said, "My sister is indeed very thoughtful; these birthday gifts are extremely considerate. I had originally thought of selecting some young ladies to enrich the harem, but His Majesty always stopped me from doing so. These two beauties are just the right gift; not only will His Majesty have more servants around him, but they have also saved me a lot of trouble."

"Her Majesty the Empress is the most generous and understanding. Please forgive me for not discussing this with you beforehand. It was simply to add a surprise to the birthday banquet. You know, it's no fun if you know the gift in advance," Princess Duanmin said with a smile.

“Indeed unique,” ​​the Queen replied with a smile, “It’s quite amusing.”

Afterwards, the other women withdrew, while these two came to the emperor's side to pour wine and serve dishes.

They were only seventeen or eighteen years old, with slender and full figures and pure and lovely appearances. Although they were of a different race, beauty was not limited by such a thing.

On the contrary, their difference from the Han people adds to their unique charm.