kvmb Chapter 132 Foreign Envoys
Chapter 132 Foreign Envoys
After finishing the full-month celebration banquet for the Crown Prince's eldest son, preparations began for the full-month celebration banquet for Consort Li's twins. Mo Lin and Ling Xi, at such a young age, were already granted the titles of prince and princess, a rare occurrence in the Great Xia Dynasty. Moreover, twins were considered an auspicious omen, so the Emperor not only invited his ministers but also representatives from neighboring countries. Consequently, the four neighboring countries of Western Xia, Eastern Ying, Southern Frontier, and Northern Yi all sent envoys.
Ye Qingchen had finally completed her mission of protecting Consort Li and her two children. In the past month, the two children had grown exceptionally strong. The Emperor had dispatched many skilled guards to protect Consort Li's courtyard, ensuring that no one could bully the mother and children anymore. Consort Li recovered quickly; under Ye Qingchen's care, she looked like a girl who had never given birth. Today, she wore a lotus-root-colored dress, simply adorned with a few pieces of jewelry, appearing exceptionally elegant and beautiful. Ye Qingchen also dressed simply today. Because it was a joyous occasion, she didn't wear white, but rather a light blue gauze dress. Her headdress was even simpler, consisting of only a jade hairpin and a small velvet flower—simple and understated. Everyone had come to the banquet. A prince and princess from Western Xia, the crown prince from Eastern Camp, the holy maiden and envoy from Southern Frontier, and two envoys from Northern Barbarians were present. Everyone knows that so many princes and princesses have come today, probably all looking for their other half in Daxia. Therefore, many people have put a lot of effort into dressing up. Only Gu Mochen is wearing a light blue dress and a jade hairpin in his hair. Careful people will notice that it is a pair with Ye Qingchen's.
The Emperor, Empress, and Imperial Concubine Li sat at the highest point of the hall, receiving the homage of foreign envoys and officials. Everyone congratulated the Emperor on the birth of his two adorable children and presented gifts. The Prince and Princess of Western Xia presented a Tian Shan snow lotus, along with some gold and silver. The Prince of Western Xia said, “Your Majesty, my sister and I have come to Great Xia not only to congratulate you, but also to wish to marry your princess and prince. Today, we saw a beautiful woman there; I wonder if she is Your Majesty's daughter. She is very beautiful. My sister has taken a liking to that prince; he is so handsome, and my sister wants to marry him.” He then pointed at Ye Qingchen and Gu Mochen, who were instantly stunned—they had been caught in the crossfire of gossip. As the two were pondering how to resolve the matter, the Emperor spoke up: "Prince of Xixia, I'm sorry, these two are my Seventh Prince and Seventh Prince's Consort. They are very much in love, and the Seventh Prince has no intention of taking a concubine. Besides, it would be a disservice to the Princess to make her a concubine. I also have the Eighth Prince and the Ninth Prince, both of whom are my good sons. I wonder if the Princess has any favorites? My Princess is also very outstanding, no less so than Qingchen! Hahaha~!"
When the Prince of Xixia heard from the Emperor that Ye Qingchen had already married the Seventh Prince, he felt a little regretful. However, since his purpose in coming here was to arrange a marriage, he did not refuse and chose the Emperor's Tenth Princess as his queen. This was a perfect match. The Princess of Xixia did not choose the Eighth or Ninth Prince, but instead chose the Emperor's Third Prince. The Third Prince was also very handsome, and the Princess of Xixia requested to be his queen as a secondary wife. Upon seeing this, the Emperor realized that the Princess of Xixia was only interested in looks, so he asked the Third Prince for his opinion. The Third Prince had no objection, and the Third Prince's wife dared not object, so the matter was settled.
The Crown Prince of Dongying presented the Emperor with a precious sword, along with other gifts. He had also taken a liking to Ye Qingchen, so he said nothing else and simply stood to the side, watching her with a possessive gaze. This made Ye Qingchen very uncomfortable, but with so many people around, she couldn't show it.
The southern borderlands are mysterious and remote. Recently, a holy maiden and envoy from the southern borderlands arrived in the capital carrying incomparably precious gifts. They brought not only a secret elixir said to grant eternal youth, but also lavish gifts for the newborn prince and princess. However, faced with this generous gift from the southern borderlands, the current emperor dared not easily try the so-called elixir of eternal youth; after all, in the palace, everything must be handled with caution to prevent any unforeseen consequences.
However, this secret elixir greatly intrigued the Empress. As the Empress, maintaining her youthful appearance was naturally something she longed for. Regardless of whether the elixir was truly as miraculous and effective as the legends suggested, the Empress's yearning for beauty and youth alone was enough to keep her preoccupied.
Then there was the Holy Maiden of the Southern Frontier, who truly possessed a beauty that could topple kingdoms. While everyone marveled at her beauty, some noticed a resemblance between this Holy Maiden and Ye Qingchen from the palace. However, compared to Ye Qingchen's gentle and kind nature, this Holy Maiden of the Southern Frontier exuded a cold and aggressive aura, like a rose with thorns—beautiful yet unapproachable.
When the Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang noticed Ye Qingchen, she also noticed the resemblance between their faces. She stared at Ye Qingchen intently for a long time, seemingly trying to find more clues to unravel the mystery. Ye Qingchen, however, was not intimidated at all, responding to the Holy Maiden's gaze with composure and grace, his eyes sparkling with curiosity and contemplation.
At this moment, Ye Qingchen secretly pondered: Could it be that she wasn't Ye Zhao's biological daughter? Why would a woman so similar to herself appear? Just as her thoughts were racing, the envoy beside her broke the silence. He smiled broadly and respectfully addressed the emperor, saying, "Your Majesty, I am honored to hear today that you have welcomed twins, a truly joyous occasion! Therefore, His Majesty of the Southern Frontier has specially dispatched me and the Holy Maiden to wish you good health, longevity, and an everlasting dynasty." After speaking, the envoy bowed slightly and then slowly withdrew with the Holy Maiden of the Southern Frontier, leaving everyone in the hall still captivated by the Holy Maiden's beauty.
Then there were the two envoys from the Northern Barbarians. These two envoys were tall and handsome, with high noses, blond hair, blue eyes, and fair skin. They were very polite, bringing two snow-white tiger skins and tiger bones, wishing the child a long and healthy life and the Great Xia Dynasty eternal prosperity. These two envoys made many court ladies blush, because they were so incredibly handsome, like immortals. In the entire court, apart from the already married Third and Seventh Princes, probably no one was more handsome than these two envoys. However, these two envoys had no intention of seeking anything from anyone; they had simply come to see the Great Xia Dynasty, causing many girls to blush deeply.