Abnormal crossing

Chapter 181 The Dinner Begins (The End)

During this period of time, Gu Wei had accompanied Qiao Kewen to the third and sixth floors of the palace.

The third floor is the so-called reception area, a spacious area filled with content related to monarchs or other heads of civilizations throughout history.

Its overall style is quite formal and solemn, with a very obvious political or propaganda flavor.

The sixth floor is the rest area for the Persian monarch and queen, where luxury is infused with a sense of everyday life, since a residence should be as comfortable as possible.

But the fifth floor is different now.

As an area specifically for hosting state banquets, the moment Gu Wei saw the fifth floor, only one word echoed in his mind:
luxury!

As soon as I stepped off the platform onto the ground, I felt an incredibly soft yet supportive sensation under my feet.

A golden carpet stretched out, its intricate patterns, imprinted with some kind of technology, shimmering and gleaming under the lights, as if one were walking on flowing gold.

A crystal chandelier filled with numerous gemstones hangs from the dome, while over a thousand prisms that float naturally without ropes illuminate the entire space as if it were daytime, yet add a touch of dazzling brilliance to the daytime.

The walls are not static decorations, but dynamic murals woven from some kind of alloy and optical glass. Every now and then, various incredibly realistic modeled fish swim by, and the air is filled with a scent similar to sandalwood.
In short, Gu Wei, this country bumpkin, was somewhat mesmerized by what he saw.

no way.

Although the technology of the Pulling Pulling is far superior to that of the Persian, the equipment on board is more science fiction-like, or rather, technologically advanced.

The fifth floor of the palace, on the other hand, is simply luxurious, making a more direct and impactful impression.

Lynn then led Joe Cowen and the others directly to a closed gate and nodded to the two guards standing at the door: "Open the door."

Two guards in black armor respectfully said yes and pushed open the metal door together—Boska almost perfectly fits the character of a feudal civilization in this respect, always preferring to arrange for manpower to complete tasks that could be controlled by technology, just for the sake of so-called ritual.

Rumble.
The metal door was quickly pushed inside by two guards.

Swah——

The moment the gate opened, a waterfall of light, even more dazzling than the light outside, poured out.

Gu Wei subconsciously squinted, and after his pupils adjusted, he saw an extremely spacious fan-shaped hall.

The hall floor was covered with a silver-white carpet, and the central aisle was ten meters wide. Dozens of gilded low tables were arranged symmetrically on both sides. The crystals inlaid on the edges of the tables shimmered with a special luster under the lights, and various delicacies steamed in the vessels. This scene reminded Gu Wei of the scenes in "Romance of the Three Kingdoms". Many ancient people liked to sit at such independent small tables.

Well, the ending is usually not very good. In those kinds of scenes, they're drinking when suddenly a wine glass is smashed, and five hundred laughing knife-wielding men—oops, I mean, school knife-wielding men—rush out from behind the tent.

The seats on the left side of the aisle were filled with elegantly dressed men and women, ranging in age from their teens to their fifties, while the seats on the right side were not occupied.

At the end of the passageway was a high platform. Whether it was a custom of the Persian card or because Jokowi's status was not high enough, there was only a large table on the platform.

As Qiao Kewen and others entered the hall.

Boko III, who was sitting on the high platform, stood up and held a glass of wine in his hand. However, he did not speak until the group arrived below the platform: "Governor Jokowen, I was unwell a few days ago and was unable to host a banquet for you distinguished guests. Please forgive me."

Upon hearing this, Qiao Kewen also bowed to Boko III, appearing very polite: "Your Majesty is too kind. We are truly flattered that you, despite being unwell, still remembered to entertain us. Today, seeing that Your Majesty is in excellent health, you must have fully recovered. This is the most joyous occasion to celebrate."

"Hahaha"

Boko III laughed heartily a few times, then pointed to the seats below the stage and said, “Your Excellency, there’s no need for such formalities between us. The banquet is ready, please take your seats.”

Upon seeing this, Chief of Internal Affairs Lynn immediately went to Joe Cowen's side and led the group to seats on the right:

As the guest of honor at the banquet, Jokowen naturally sat at the head of the table on the right, followed by Adele and Ophelia—although the mother and daughter were royal women, their seating arrangement was ultimately placed in the guest area on the right, taking into account Jokowen's relationship with the guests.

Anyway, since the two of them are not involved in the crown prince competition, even if they sit next to Qiao Kewen, it won't be interpreted as anything strange.

Below Ophelia were several crew members of the Khan. Milo, disguised as Little Berry, was placed fourth as the first mate, followed by Jin and Kai.

Sheena and Cohen from Mold occupied the last two seats—after all, they were only ordinary high-ranking members in the Mold civilization, and only Speaker Gray would have been able to be assigned a relatively high position.

After everyone was seated.

Lynn returned to Boko III's presence and began fulfilling his duties as Minister of the Interior: "Your Excellency, in accordance with banquet etiquette, please allow me to introduce the identities of today's guests to you and our distinguished guests."

Qiao Kewen pretended to listen attentively.

Lynn then turned to the left side and said to the woman at the head of the table, "This is His Majesty's first wife, Princess Gwynne, and the mother of His Highness Prince Andluca, the eldest son of the Emperor."

Everyone quickly turned their attention to this person.

The Gwynne Lynn mentioned was not young, around seventy years old. She was wearing a blue dress with silver embroidery, and her ice-blue eyes, which matched the color of her dress, showed a hint of age. Upon hearing this, she smiled at Jokwen and said, "Governor Jokwen, it's been many years. Your demeanor is even more respectable."

“You flatter me. Compared to a vagrant like me, you are still as elegant as ever,” Jokowen raised his glass in return, then looked at another woman beside Gwynne: “And Princess Blanche, you too.”

The woman sitting next to Gwyneth, Blanche, had reddish-brown curly hair, brown skin that contrasted sharply with her emerald green eyes, and looked to be in her early fifties. She immediately returned the greeting.

Gwynne and Blanche were both wives whom Boko III married before he ascended the throne. Although Jokowen didn't know much about their situation over the years, he had met them at Adele's wedding decades ago, so they could be considered old acquaintances.

Of course.

Given the intrigue and power struggles within the court, it's impossible to know how much of the apparent enthusiasm was genuine.

Clang!
Blanche's rose gold earrings swayed gently as she raised her glass, and judging from her attire, the second princess seemed to defy her age.

Followed by.

Qiao Kewen then looked at the third woman sitting on the left and said in a slightly more polite tone, "I presume this is Princess Tamia?" Milo and the others also turned their attention to this person.

After all, her record was truly remarkable; with an average reproductive cycle of twenty-one months, she managed to give birth to ten offspring in twenty years.
However, to everyone's surprise,

This princess, who could be described as a baby-making machine, actually has a remarkably well-proportioned figure, and her appearance is indeed as beautiful as Meimei said:

Her long platinum blonde hair was styled into an elegant updo, and her well-tailored dress perfectly accentuated her slender figure. Her skin was as clear and translucent as snow, and her grey-purple eyes were as calm as a deep pool, showing no trace of her 10-0 superhuman performance. If this were on a video platform on Earth, she could probably make a fortune by offering a postpartum care course.
Well, there are probably quite a few people calling her Cao the traitor or her son Tian Wenjing.
Seeing that Jokowen was looking at her, Tamia picked up a silver goblet and said very politely, "Tamia greets the Governor, may the stars bless you."

Watching Tamia down her drink in one gulp, Gu Wei subconsciously frowned slightly.

It's strange.
I don't know if it was his imagination.

He always felt that there was something... between Tamia's brows
familiar?

How can this be?

This is the first time I've met Tamia, so why am I having this feeling?
Gu Wei then quickly shook his head to dispel this strange thought.

And the other side.

After Joe Cowen raised his glass in return.

Lynn then continued with the introductions: "Below the three princesses are the royal children. This is Prince Andluca, this is Princess Lina, this is Prince Pelu, and this is..."

Gu Wei's gaze lingered on the eldest prince, Andluka, and the third prince, Pelu, for a moment.

Crown Prince Andluca was Boko III's eldest son, born before he ascended the throne. He was already an adult when Adele married Boko III, and was considered one of Jorcovin's acquaintances.

However, the Persian civilization did not rely on primogeniture to determine the heir apparent, so Andruka can only be considered the eldest son of the emperor, not the crown prince in the Earth's sense.

Now in his early seventies, Andluca has inherited his mother Gwynne's icy blue eyes. He looks to be around forty, and his understated clothing and round face make him appear quite kind and approachable.

As for the third prince, Pelu, he was much younger, around thirty years old, and this was the first time Joe Cowen had met him.

Pelou stood tall and straight like a pine tree, with sharp eyes and a strong, distinct jawline. His short, dark brown hair was neatly combed back, and with the medals on his chest, he exuded the aura of a soldier.

Just by looking at their appearances, one can easily discern which "camp" the two princes represent:

Andluka's supporters were mostly Persian intellectuals or civil servants. His populist approach earned him a small reputation among the common people who were not particularly fond of the Persian royal family—although the ordinary people of Persia were just 'nourishment', the middle class still had some influence.

Behind the third prince, Pelou, stand many military generals, including several military bigwigs.

One is a scholar, the other a warrior; their roles are clearly distinct.

As for the other princes and princesses, they were not as eye-catching, except for their good looks. After all, judging from the coronation video, Boko III was a handsome man when he was young, and the three queens were also quite good-looking. Unless it is a case of artificial humans like those in South Korea, it is impossible for their offspring to be ugly.

Even though Ophelia is only fifteen years old now, she is already an incredibly beautiful woman.

In older online novels, even the minimum requirement would have to be accompanied by archaic terms like "absolutely beautiful."
Something to say.

Of the remaining children, only the fifth prince, Duke, has any real presence, after all, he was Tamia's first child.

After introducing the royal children...

Lynn then briefly named several princes and grand dukes, who then greeted Jokowen one by one.

They were all Boko III's brothers and sisters, one of whom, Prince Karen, had even competed with Boko III for the crown prince position.

According to royal rules.

After Andluca and Pelu decide on the heir apparent, the other side will also be divided into princes, while Ophelia and others will be grand dukes.

This is actually one of the strange things about Boska – not to mention now, in most of history, after the crown princes ascended the throne, their competitors actually lived well and, to be honest, had quite a bit of power.

That's right.

These two groups have maintained an extremely strange peace for a long time:
The monarch trusted the princes immensely, completely disregarding the possibility of rebellion, and even granted them important planets far from their home planet, Boska.

To know.

Due to the unique celestial structure of the labyrinth.

Although the Boska civilization advanced to the fourth level long ago and controlled multiple star systems, it legally possessed only 19 planets, including its home planet Boska, and only four of them had more than 100 million inhabitants.

Can you believe that the monarch would actually assign such a planet to his rivals, and even send his princes there when his descendants were competing for the crown prince position?
Throughout the history of Persia, spanning over 30,000 years and nearly a thousand monarchs, this period can be traced back to the past.

Only a handful of candidates for the crown prince position died of illness within a few years of the crown prince's ascension to the throne, and the causes of death were all quite detailed, with no suspicious circumstances to be found.

These princes were also inexplicably loyal, never worried that the monarch would harm them, and were quite cooperative when their descendants competed for the crown prince position.

More than half of the crown prince contenders even outlived the monarch, such as Boko III's grandfather's generation.

If it were just one or two brothers who were close and respectful to each other, that would be one thing, but there were several hundred of them.
At least from Gu Wei's, and even from Xinghai's, traditional perspective, this is a strange phenomenon.

It was as if both sides were NPCs in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. They fought to the death before the outcome was decided, and once the outcome was decided, they immediately took over.

He could still trust him completely and give him 50,000 soldiers to fight from Jianning to Beihai. Throughout the process, his loyalty was at its maximum without even having to spend money on rewards.
Of course.

Despite harboring resentment and doubts, Jokowi and his entourage still politely greeted each of the royal family members.

Note:
The first two short chapters disrupted the rhythm, so I changed the title. Also, my heart has actually been checked a long time ago, as long-time readers should know. It's hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, mitral regurgitation, and tachycardia. Some readers suggested I take Q10, but that's just a health supplement. I've been taking bisoprolol for two or three years now.
(End of this chapter)