kvmb Chapter 259 The Peacock Princess
Chapter 259 The Peacock Princess
Li Duan doesn't know how she got back.
Despite the bright sunshine, she felt as if she were walking in the dead of winter, much colder than the snow-covered landscape of Northwest China last year.
She saw it clearly.
Her uncle, who doted on her since childhood and treated her better and more warmly than the princesses in the palace, had a close relationship with her mother.
That face, which usually appeared dignified yet very kind, now held a coldness and ruthlessness she had never seen before.
Her uncle and her mother were in the palace...
Her uncle even wanted her to marry into a political alliance.
She felt that her limited brain was almost unable to sort out these chaotic things. Why, why is this happening?
That was her mother, the one who loved her most in the world. Why would she do that? How much suffering must she have endured? Was it for her? Her father was unknown. She hadn't paid much attention to this before, because her mother had given her so much love, so much that she could accept not having a father; it wasn't a big deal. But she had never considered what price her mother had to pay for everything she had given her…
Is that so? Is that so?
Li Duan had no idea that her world seemed to collapse in that instant; everything she had thought was beautiful was just an illusion.
The palace banquet had started at some point. Li Duan stared blankly at the high platform in the center. She heard that her uncle had arrived and knew that her mother had also come, but she did not have the courage to raise her head and look at them.
When Lu Yangyang returned from the Crown Prince's place, she saw Li Duan sitting alone in a chair. The seating arrangements at the palace banquet were specially made, and Li Duan had made prior arrangements so that she could sit with Lu Yangyang. Sheng Yunjiao had already gone back to sit with the Second Madam.
Lu Yangyang sensed something was off about Li Duan, so she reached out and grabbed her hand, only to find it extremely cold and stiff. She quickly asked, "Little Li? What's wrong?"
Li Duan was startled awake by the sound. She shook her head in a daze, not knowing what to say, where to begin, or how to put these words into words.
He subconsciously gripped Lu Yangyang's hand tightly, as if a person struggling in water had suddenly grabbed a piece of driftwood, completely unaware of how abnormal his situation was.
Lu Yangyang naturally sensed it; Li Duan was someone who couldn't keep a secret, so something incredibly important must have happened to make her so distraught.
However, the palace banquet had just begun, so she couldn't just take her away directly. She could only gently massage the acupoints on her hands with her fingers to help her relax.
The banquet held to receive foreign envoys included not only performances arranged by officials from the Zhao state, but also performances by delegations from various countries. One such performance was a drum dance by the Northern Yan, where graceful dancers, as nimble as swallows, danced swiftly on the drums, drawing cheers from the audience.
After the performance, the envoy from Northern Yan, who was now the Prince of Northern Yan, Helian Jue, stood up and stepped forward, raising his voice to the emperor: "Your Majesty the Emperor of Great Zhao, this is Nalan Yunyan, the niece of our Emperor of Great Yan. Our Emperor of Great Yan has no beloved daughter, so he intends to send his most beloved niece, Princess Yunyan, to Great Zhao for a marriage alliance, to show that the peaceful and friendly agreement between Great Yan and Great Zhao will last forever."
Nalan Yunyan then pulled down her veil, revealing a face as radiant as the moon, and bowed to the emperor, saying, "Yunyan greets Your Majesty the Emperor of the Great Zhao Dynasty."
"With the Emperor of Great Yan showing such kindness, how could I possibly refuse? Princess Yunyan is in the prime of her life, and my sons are also of marriageable age. So, Princess Yunyan, please stay here in peace. I promise you, I will choose one of the princes to marry you. What do you say?" the Emperor said with a smile.
Nalan Yunyan's gaze swept over the positions of the princes, and seeing that each of them was an outstanding individual, she was extremely satisfied. Her cheeks flushed, and she happily thanked him, saying, "Yunyan thanks Your Majesty the Emperor."
The emperor clapped his hands and laughed: "Good, good! Guards, quickly give Princess Yunyan a seat."
Princess Yunyan was soon led to a seat opposite the princes, which was a good opportunity for her to observe them.
At this moment, Helian Jue, who was still standing below, did not leave. Instead, he smiled and said to the emperor, "To be honest, Your Majesty, I have another request."
"Oh? Why don't you tell me, Prince Yi?" the emperor said with great interest.
"I have always admired the flourishing literary culture of the Great Zhao Dynasty and longed to marry Your Majesty's pearl. I hope Your Majesty will grant my request," Helian Jue said, bowing.
Helian Jue had a tall and straight figure. Because his ancestors of the Great Yan had foreign blood, he also inherited the characteristics of the Great Yan royal family, such as high eyebrows and deep-set eyes. His eyes were deep-set and his pupils were slightly light, but they were exceptionally bright. His facial features were distinct and had a bit of aggression, but this did not diminish his wildness and handsomeness.
Moreover, he was of noble birth, being the fifth son of the current Emperor of Great Yan. He had already been granted the title of King at a young age, and it was said that he did not yet have a principal wife, making him a truly good candidate for husband.
Many of the royal women couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.
Once a marriage alliance is formed, the distance between them will be thousands of miles, and they may never be able to return in this lifetime.
The emperor pondered for a moment, seemingly lost in thought, before laughing heartily twice: "I have heard many tales of Prince Yi before and greatly admire him. I am very pleased to have such a fine son-in-law. I have a niece who has just reached marriageable age, and she and Prince Yi are a perfect match, both handsome and beautiful. I will bestow her upon Prince Yi as his consort. What does Prince Yi think?"
Helian Jue's eyes darkened slightly. This Emperor of Dazhao was truly an old fox.
He sent the princess of the Great Yan to marry the princess of the other side, and he took the opportunity to bring out a niece as well. Ha!
Helian Jue was dissatisfied, but he didn't show it on his face. Instead, he asked with great interest, "Oh? May I ask which young lady this is? May I see her?"
The emperor seemed very pleased with Helian Jue's attitude, and laughed heartily. Then he beckoned to Li Duan: "Li Duan, come here."
Li Duan gripped Lu Yangyang's hand tightly. Lu Yangyang never expected that one day, such a thing as a marriage alliance would fall on Li Duan, and she was helpless at this moment.
Lu Yangyang was a little anxious, but Li Duan gently released her hand and stood up.
Li Duan is beautiful and loves to dress up, especially in vibrant green. Today is her coming-of-age ceremony, and the princess has been commissioning skilled craftsmen to make her a special feather-like dress for months. The ethereal gauze is paired with green brocade, and the hem of the skirt is embroidered with golden peacock feathers, which complement the golden hair ornaments in her hair, making her look as radiant as a peacock princess descended from the heavens.
The moment she stood up, Helian Jue turned around and looked at her.
One glance for thousands of years.