Seeing these people, Yu Meng pursed her lips and muttered, "So hypocritical."
As soon as the words were out, Zhao Jiaqi pinched her and silently warned her. This brat blurted everything out, and didn't even consider where they were!
Receiving her mother's signal, she stuck out her tongue, made a face, and then sat properly, eating the delicacies in front of her and watching the performances on stage.
She shook her head and leaned closer to her father, whispering, "Listening to the music, watching the beauties dance, drinking fine wine, and having a beautiful woman by your side, life is truly wonderful."
Fan Zehao flicked her forehead and said with a smile, "You only see the beautiful life, but you don't know how exhausting it is behind this beauty. Do you think the Emperor can enjoy it every day?"
Yu Meng thought about it and felt that living such a life every day was not impossible: "He is the Emperor, and there are so many capable people below him. Why should he worry?"
Thinking she was right, she then compared her mother to the Emperor: "Look at Mother, she clearly has so many businesses, but now she's so leisurely every day?"
"That's because your mother knows how to use people and trusts them implicitly. How can you compare that!"
Thus, Yu Meng came to a conclusion: "My mother's method is still better. Trust those you use, and don't use those you doubt. That's why life is so comfortable."
Zhao Jiaqi and Fan Zehao exchanged glances and then looked away, neither arguing nor explaining her words. They believed that when she grew up, she would understand the meaning of these two sentences.
The moon rose above the branches, and the banquet reached its climax.
The melodious music shifted to a joyful tune, and soon, masked women with graceful figures, clad in sheer gauze, entered the stage. As the rhythm picked up, their dance moves became increasingly rapid, dazzling the eyes of the onlookers.
A pair of large eyes, framed by long, fluttering eyelashes, were revealed. As the music stopped, the dance also came to a halt. Her heaving chest accentuated her magnificent figure.
All the men present were mesmerized, their gazes fixed on the kneeling woman. When she removed her veil, revealing an astonishingly beautiful face, even the eunuchs were captivated.
Baili Huoling's voice, as clear as a lark's song, echoed through the hall: "Xuanyuan Huoling pays her respects to Your Majesty the Emperor. May the Emperor be blessed."
Xuanyuan?
Huangfu Xi's gaze shifted. Xuanyuan Fengge stood up and, fanning himself with one hand, said, "Huoling is my own sister. Knowing I was coming to the Flower Appreciation Ceremony, she greatly admired the Emperor. Our father, seeing her deep affection, could not bear to refuse and intends to marry the Princess to the Emperor. What is Your Majesty's opinion on this matter?"
Huo Huo!
Are they starting with political marriages so openly now? They were certainly not subtle.
Zhao Jiaqi truly witnessed an open country tonight, her eyes wide with wonder.
However, Huangfu Xi quickly made a decision and immediately took the beauty into his embrace. He laughed heartily and personally helped the woman on the ground to her feet.
"I am greatly pleased. Today, I bestow upon you the title of Consort Shu and the residence of Yonghe Palace."
With the beauty secured so quickly, Huangfu Xi was in high spirits.
Zhao Jiaqi glanced at Baili Fengge. If she remembered correctly, at Lover's Lake, he had claimed to be Murong Mingyu. Now, his identity had not only transformed from a tourist to a crown prince, but his name had also changed?
But then she thought, perhaps this was just an alias he used for traveling incognito, for self-protection.
Once she understood, she stopped dwelling on the matter.
When she looked up again, Huangfu Xi was leading the beauty to sit beside him. They gazed at each other affectionately, their happiness too evident to conceal.
Fan Zehao turned his face away. Had this emperor never seen a beautiful woman before?
She had some beauty, but to act like this in public was truly embarrassing, an insult to them as men.
But then he looked at the ministers; almost half of them had their eyes glued to Baili Huoling. The rest either dared not or were stealing glances. Only he remained steadfast, looking at his own wife.
Finally, he seemed to nod in affirmation: "Yes, my wife is still more beautiful."
As this scene concluded, another began on the other side.
If Baili Huoling's voice was as clear as a lark's, then the woman singing now had a voice like a clear spring, pure and ethereal. Listening to it seemed to bring an inexplicable calm to a restless heart.
Paired with a face that could topple kingdoms, she was like a fairy descending from heaven.
If Baili Huoling was a siren, then Helian Jin Feng was a celestial fairy, both possessing an inherent beauty.
After the song, Helian Jin Feng followed Baili Fengge's lead. Unsurprisingly, Huangfu Xi waved his hand and bestowed upon her the title of Consort Rong, assigning her to Guanghan Palace. Although Guanghan Palace sounded cold, it was located very close to the Emperor's residence.
Zhao Jiaqi sighed, "The Emperor will be smiling in his dreams tonight."
Fan Zehao didn't care if the Emperor smiled or not. He was more curious about whom the Emperor would favor tonight.
There were two beauties; it would be difficult for him to make a choice tonight.
However, he dared not say this to his wife. If their daughter were not present, he might have exchanged a few risqué jokes with his wife.
As the Flower Appreciation Banquet drew to a close, Helian Jin Feng, seizing the joyous atmosphere, produced a contract.
The chief eunuch beside the Emperor, Wang Shan, took it and handed it to Huangfu Xi.
He said, "I, Ding Beiliao, wish to form a marital alliance with Yun Country and jointly create a prosperous and peaceful era. Here are our medicinal herb prices. We are willing to sell them to Yun Country at a low price in exchange for silver to purchase grain and transport it to our country. What is Your Majesty's opinion?"
Huangfu Xi took the contract. The price of each medicinal herb was clearly marked, along with the price.
He was not familiar with the market for these herbs, so he handed it to the Minister of Revenue. After the Minister of Revenue compared it, he bowed and said, "The price is lower than what we sell for within Yun Country. However, we are unsure of the quality of these medicinal herbs!"
Helian Jin Feng immediately ordered his guards to present a brocade box. "I, this Crown Prince, guarantee that every batch of medicinal herbs will be of the same quality as these. If there is any adulteration in the medicinal herbs, this Crown Prince will offer them for free, without charging a single coin."
Having said so much, Huangfu Xi naturally believed him. Moreover, Yun Country did lack some medicinal herbs.
If medicinal herbs could be imported at a low price, it would be a benefit to the common people.
He immediately decided to sign the contract.
Today, he not only gained a beauty but also sealed a deal. This business seemed to be a sure win.
By exchanging medicinal herbs for grain, the common people would sell their grain, get silver, and their pockets would become fuller, leading to a better life.
The Emperor was pleased, and Helian Jin Feng and Baili Fengge had achieved their goals. The ministers found the matter unimportant and showed no signs of distress.
Conversely, the Empress's face had been like constipation all evening. Though clearly angry, she had to suppress her rage and jealousy, praising the two consorts for their beauty and propriety, while inwardly wishing to tear them apart.
In contrast, Noble Consort Mei remained as usual, eating and drinking, indulging her palate, and occasionally patting her belly with a contented expression.
Seeing this, Zhao Jiaqi felt that Noble Consort Mei was the most intelligent person in the imperial harem.
She was wise; to establish herself in the harem, children were the guarantee.