Chapter 82
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In the capital, the people were celebrating throughout the city, and in the palace, the annual birthday banquet was about to begin.
Naturally, the envoys from various countries had prepared more than one gift. The valuable and numerous gifts had been sent to the national treasury in advance, leaving only one gift as the most important, waiting to be presented at the banquet.
Before the Shen hour, the preparations for the palace banquet had already begun. Officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Court of Imperial Sacrifices were busy with the ceremonial arrangements. When the time came, the envoys and royal ministers from various countries were each led to their seats.
As a low-ranking official, Chu Wei couldn’t attend the banquet. He stayed in his mansion, listening to the festivities outside, and couldn’t help but smile faintly at the bustling scene.
The modest gentleman, as graceful as jade. Madam Chu watched him from the hall, and as she watched, she couldn’t help but smile. She said to the maid beside her, “Look, our Wei Ger is becoming more handsome.”
The maid replied, “You won’t find anyone in the entire capital more handsome than our young master.”
When Chu Wei entered the room, he happened to hear this conversation. He couldn’t help but ask, “There is.”
But when curious glances turned towards him, he pursed his lips and remained silent.
Madam Chu rolled her eyes at him and suddenly remembered something. “Yesterday, when you were on duty, someone came to deliver a gift to you.”
Chu Wei asked, “Who?”
Madam Chu had someone bring the gift up and thought for a moment before saying, “The person claimed to be from Mingsheng Relay Station, dressed strangely, probably an attendant from the Outer Court. My son, why are you getting involved with the envoys from the Outer Court?”
Chu Wei frowned slowly. He stepped forward to take the gift from the servant’s hand and opened it. Inside was a gold flower accessory commonly seen in Xixia. Sure enough, a look of disgust flashed in Chu Wei’s eyes as he tossed the gift back to the servant’s hand and said coldly, “Return it.”
The Xixia prince may look decent, but his intentions are dirty. Chu Wei was most—
Chu Wei suddenly thought of himself.
He hesitated for a moment, ignoring his mother’s calls, and turned to leave the hall.
As he stepped out of the threshold, Chu Wei suddenly realized.
If the Xixia prince acted like this upon seeing him, wouldn’t it be even more disrespectful when he saw the Emperor?
***
Li Angshun was brought to his seat by the officials of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, with the other Xixia envoys sitting behind him. Sitting next to Xixia was the envoy from Fusang.
The envoy from Fusang had originally wanted to say a few words to the Xixia prince, but seeing Li Angshun’s unpleasant expression, wisely withdrew his gaze and continued chatting with the officials of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.
Li Angshun’s face changed for a while, then returned to normal. He ran his fingers through his black hair under his felt hat and said, “It’s okay if we don’t see Chu Wei. Today is the Emperor of Great Heng’s birthday banquet. I don’t believe that the arrogant Heqin Wang won’t show up today.”
The Xixia envoy asked, “Seventh Prince, what will you do if Heqin Wang does show up?”
“It would be perfect to embarrass him in front of the Emperor and all the foreign envoys,” Li Angshun sneered, “to avenge our humiliation.”
“Embarrassment is not just ours.”
Later, the royal ministers and foreign envoys were all seated. The palace was magnificent, and the bright lights were lit, shining like daylight.
Heqin Wang sat at the front of the lower row, the most forward position.
Heqin Wang looked at the birthday gift he had brought, a embroidered map of the mountains and rivers jointly embroidered by a hundred embroiderers from the palace, had been sent to the national treasury. Now this thing was still in his mind, the thing he personally went out of the palace to find a few days ago.
Looking at this birthday gift, Heqin Wang couldn’t help but question himself. Why did he put so much effort into this, especially with the way Gu Yuanbai doubted him so much? Why did he try so hard?
The Emperor didn’t see him as an older brother, yet he still had to go out of his way to be cold to him.
Just as he was feeling frustrated, a eunuch outside called out, “The Emperor is here.”
The people in the hall all stood up, bowing and saluting with their eyes downcast. The Emperor’s bright yellow robe with dragon patterns flowed in front of them, followed closely by palace attendants. After the Emperor sat down, he said, “Please be seated.”
The voice sounded somewhat familiar. Li Angshun’s eyebrows suddenly jumped, and he raised his head to look at the Emperor of Great Heng.
Gu Yuanbai had changed out of his heavy and luxurious ceremonial robes and into his usual attire. He was chatting with the eunuch next to him, his face indistinct from this distance, but his slender chin and dignified demeanor were just like the person who had coldly ordered Li Angshun on the carriage that day.
This person was actually the Emperor of Great Heng!
Li Angshun’s face changed back and forth.
Someone behind him tugged at Li Angshun’s robe, and he snapped out of his thoughts, sitting down obediently. The envoy from Fusang smiled and asked, “Why does the Seventh Prince of Xixia look so gloomy?”
Li Angshun forced out, “It’s nothing.”
The eunuch behind him approached with a filled cup of alcohol. With a forceful grip on the cup, his expression was gloomy.
To think it was the Emperor of Great Heng! He had made himself a laughingstock for nothing.
How could he forget that the Emperor of Great Heng’s health was not that good? In the capital, he could say and do whatever he wanted. If he wasn’t the Emperor, who else could he be?
Li Angshun looked up at the Emperor, whose facial features were deep-set like dark clouds. Even at such a distance, he couldn’t see the Emperor’s face clearly, but his demeanor was extremely noble.
The court musicians entered the hall and began to sing and dance. Gu Yuanbai glanced down and asked Heqin Wang, “What’s beside Heqin Wang’ table?”
Heqin Wang moved the wooden box aside and rolled up his sleeves. This was the first time he had personally prepared a gift for Gu Yuanbai, feeling embarrassed and annoyed. He said, “It’s a birthday gift for Your Majesty.”
Gu Yuanbai looked at Tian Fusheng, who reminded him, “Your Majesty, Heqin Wang sent in an embroidered map of the mountains and rivers a few days ago.”
“Heqin Wang has made an effort,” Gu Yuanbai nodded slightly and smiled again, “I have to guess what this gift is.”
He picked up the cup filled with clear water pretending it was alcohol and took a sip. Considering the habit of Heqin Wang giving gifts to the late emperor, he said, “Is it a strange stone or fine jade?”
Heqin Wang nodded solemnly. The eunuch approached to take his gift, but Heqin Wang waved them off and stood up, walking to Gu Yuanbai. “I found a somewhat decent stone while looking around a few days ago.”
Tian Fusheng opened the wooden box, revealing a jade stone shaped like ginseng, dark red in color with a few golden threads flowing through it. Such a rare and beautiful object easily made people think of legendary immortals. Gu Yuanbai took a few glances and said, “I really like it.”
Heqin Wang wanted to laugh, but kept a straight face and said coldly, “As long as Your Majesty likes it.”
Led by Heqin Wang, everyone took turns presenting their own gifts. These gifts were all about sincerity and novelty, and there were indeed a few very rare items that Gu Yuanbai liked.
The officials were in the front, with foreign envoys behind. After witnessing Great Heng’s military expedition to the north, many of these envoys secretly increased the weight of their gifts. Now, as they looked at the offerings from other countries, they were both surprised and relieved. Even if they couldn’t be the ones who gave the most gifts, they couldn’t be the ones who gave the least either.
Watching this scene, the expressions of the Xixia people were not very pleasant.
The Xixia envoys came to Great Heng this time for three reasons: to wish the Emperor of Great Heng a happy birthday, to inquire about the current situation of Great Heng, and because Xixia had requests of Great Heng. Therefore, they sent the Seventh Prince with lavish gifts, hoping to discuss border market matters with the Emperor of Great Heng.
The border market was the term used by both countries for trade along the border. Xixia was a small country with limited resources, unable to be self-sufficient. Many things depended on the trade at the border market. However, two months before Li Angshun came to Great Heng, Great Heng suddenly stopped trading with Xixia at the border market.
Xixia was caught off guard.
Great Heng had few horses and relied on Xixia to obtain them. Logically speaking, Great Heng closing the border market so arbitrarily would provoke Xixia. Wouldn’t Great Heng worry about souring relations with Xixia and losing a stable source of horses?
The reason Xixia sent the Seventh Prince to Great Heng this time was precisely because of this matter. But Li Angshun was confident in the horse source and the involvement of Xixia’s salt smugglers in Great Heng, so he was quite arrogant and domineering in his actions.
This arrogance even extended to the Emperor.
Originally, they thought these lavish gifts were enough to make amends. But now, looking at the lavish gifts from other countries, they felt puzzled and ridiculous.
Could it be that all the foreign envoys were seeking something from Great Heng?
Xixia’s gifts were originally very generous, but now, compared to others, they were completely overshadowed, not standing out at all.
When it was Xixia’s turn to present the gift, the Xixia envoy behind Li Angshun wanted to hand over the heavy gift to the eunuch beside him. Li Angshun suddenly stood up, grabbed the gift, and strode forward. All eyes in the hall were on him as he approached. Finally, he could see the appearance of the Emperor of Great Heng clearly.
The Emperor of Great Heng noticed him, gave him a slight glance, and squinted his eyes slightly.
Li Angshun’s steps paused, but after a moment, he strode forward again. When he reached Gu Yuanbai, he hadn’t spoken yet, but the eunuch following him respectfully said, “Your Majesty, this is the envoy from Xixia, the Seventh Prince Li Angshun of Xixia.”
“I have some impression,” Gu Yuanbai smiled ambiguously, “The Xixia prince, indeed very arrogant.”
Although the Emperor of Great Heng didn’t say anything, it seemed as if he had already mocked someone. Li Angshun thought to himself, there was no mistake, this tone was just like the person in the carriage that day.
Following Xixia’s etiquette, he bowed to Gu Yuanbai and smiled apologetically, “Ignorant people always resort to bluffing to conceal their unease. The vastness and richness of Great Heng, the talents and spirits of the people here, have dazzled us newcomers to Great Heng, making us timid and causing us to make mistakes. If our actions have caused you to disdain Xixia, then we are truly not worth living.”
Gu Yuanbai raised his hand slightly, indicating him to rise. “Quite articulate.”
Li Angshun stood up straight again, seeing the handsome face of the Emperor of Great Heng. Li Angshun liked handsome people, and regardless of anything else, in terms of appearance alone, the Emperor of Great Heng had a face that made it impossible for anyone to bear a grudge against him.
“The gifts sent by Xixia are very heavy,” Gu Yuanbai said slowly, “From spices to felt blankets, from camels to horses, a lot of effort has been put into it.”
Li Angshun smiled, and the gold flowers on his clothes sparkled. He had a very good appearance, with deep features like an eagle’s, but the pride in his eyes really spoiled his likability, ruining such a good face. “Your birthday, Xixia must put in a lot of effort.”
He handed the gift to the eunuch, and the eunuch approached and handed it to Tian Fusheng.
When the exquisite wooden box was opened, a faint glow appeared inside. Tian Fusheng placed the wooden box in front of Gu Yuanbai’s eyes, revealing a beautiful, semi-transparent pearl, resembling a sphere, emitting a soft fluorescent light, yellow-green with a hint of blue even under the bright candlelight in the hall. It looked like a treasure from the depths of the sea.
Li Angshun’s expression was subtly proud. Although the royal family of Great Heng had many pearls, this one was definitely one of the best.
“Good stuff,” Gu Yuanbai exclaimed, “I never expected Xixia to have such treasures.”
Li Angshun didn’t sense the danger in the Emperor’s words. He smiled complacently and said loudly, “Although Xixia is not comparable to Great Heng, we have countless treasures like this!”
Gu Yuanbai took the pearl from the wooden box, feeling its round and full texture. He could even hold it with just one hand. As he played with the pearl, a faint glow reflected in his eyes, showing a deep blue.
“Really good.”
Xixia was indeed a good place.
Qingyan salt, camels, horses, sheep, beeswax, musk, fur, antelope horns… With such good things and such a beautiful pearl, Gu Yuanbai couldn’t help but love it.
The Emperor was deeply moved. He had Tian Fusheng pack up the pearl and looked at Li Angshun with a smiling and gentle expression, as if looking at a gold mine. Such eyes made Li Angshun’s handsome face blush.
Such a good place should be in his hands and become part of Great Heng.
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