Chapter 1008: Chapter 735: Virtue
Yu Wenquan’s words marked the end of today’s unexpected "farce" at the celebration banquet.
Yu Mingyue’s face was deathly pale; even the bright candlelight in the grand hall couldn’t dispel the shadow in her eyes at that moment. Instead, it made her panic and disappointment painfully obvious; on the other side, Yu Wencheng had already shrunk his neck, not daring to speak. The few ministers who had previously gathered around them also buried their heads deeply, as if in regret or fear of being discovered.
Fortunately, no one paid them any more attention.
Because as soon as Yu Wenquan finished speaking, Shang Ruyi immediately bent down to pick up the wine cup from the table, raised it high, and said, "Thank you, Father. I raise this cup to His Majesty, wishing our Emperor and country everlasting peace and stability!"
"Good!"
This was the third "good" Yu Wenquan had said to Shang Ruyi that night. He beamed with joy, seemingly happier than upon hearing news of a great victory on the battlefield. He also raised his cup and beckoned to everyone, "You too, raise your cups."
When the Emperor spoke, how could the others dare to be slow in responding? They all raised their cups promptly.
However, as they drank, each felt their own emotions — although the attribution of credits from the Taiyuan campaign and the Crown Prince’s appointment had led them to choose their allegiance, this night banquet revealed unexpected signs they’d never noticed before.
The Crown Prince still hadn’t married, which was a matter of great concern for the Emperor and all the ministers, as it was almost universally accepted that one couldn’t establish a career without first forming a family. Originally, tonight Yu Wenquan had arranged for Yu Mingyue to be brought to the palace, and she was dressed to impress, clearly indicating Yu Wenquan’s intentions. But unexpectedly, from the moment this Lord Yu entered Bai Fu Hall, she made mistake after mistake; not a single word pleased the Emperor, and she almost constantly grazed the edge of his fury.
From that recent remark where she was told not to speak anymore, it was evident that tonight the Crown Prince’s marriage proposal was doomed to fail.
In stark contrast, however, was Princess Qin.
Despite her status as a princess, she had performed the role of a dancer, a real loss of face for the Royal Family. Mention it on any other occasion, and it would certainly attract raised eyebrows; but her passionate and eloquent speech drew attention only to her achievements and the responsibility women should bear for their country — something Empress Du had been striving for since Emperor Wen’s reign. In these troubled times, how could the Emperor reject the service of more devoted subjects?
Therefore, with just a few words, Princess Qin was able to completely overshadow the clueless and tactless Lord Yu.
And it was clear that although His Majesty had a suppressive stance towards King Qin, he genuinely liked this daughter-in-law.
King Qin and Princess Qin had yet to establish their own residence and still lived in the palace.
With such an agreeable and considerate daughter-in-law by his side, it wouldn’t be impossible for His Majesty to gradually change his attitude and lean towards King Qin. Especially since King Qin and Princess Qin had been married for some time, and should the princess bear a Princely Heir early—
The atmosphere in the hall suddenly turned a bit strange.
Some ministers looked at each other, then turned their gaze to Princess Qin, who was slightly tipsy after a whole cup of wine and swayed a little upon sitting down. Luckily, King Qin was quick to support her. The prince, who had been decisive and ruthless on the battlefield like an Asura, now looked at his wife with such tenderness that the ministers felt they were seeing a different person.
The affairs of the Royal Family are hard to predict until the very last moment.
Thinking about this, the people in the hall found their thoughts in disarray, each thinking their own thoughts, chaotic like a hundred rivers merging.
Yet, at that moment, the collective confusion of everyone present could not rival the bewilderment in Yu Mingyue’s heart. She stared at the empty wine cup she had been forced to drink from, and though it was clearly empty, she felt as if it were still overflowing with wine, the reflections of the candlelight casting ripples that dazzled her eyes.
How could it be like this...
How could it be like this!?
She dared not look up, but her ears were already filled with the mingling sounds of glasses clinking, laughter, and chatter among the ministers around her, as if to compensate for the awkwardness caused by the earlier "farce." Everyone was jovial and bold, with a few military generals directly raising their cups to drink with King Qin and Princess Qin. Prince Qin’s demeanor was much softer tonight, refusing no one, except not letting Princess Qin drink any more, saying she had already had enough. The generals just laughed and didn’t press further.
