strictlysupreme Chapter 588 State Banquet (Part 2)
Chapter 588 State Banquet (Part 2)
This family all held high ranks, so the Imperial Censor arranged for them to sit in the same seat.
Prince Jing'an and Prince Anguo sat in the center, flanked by two heirs and two county princesses.
Nangong Yuanhong looked at Xie Buli, who was whispering to her sister. Her usually aloof eyes were now incredibly gentle, and he felt a pang of pain in his heart.
They were childhood sweethearts and classmates; he had long since decided in his heart that she would be the wife he would spend his life with.
However, when he confessed his feelings to her, Xie Buli coldly told him that she was sorry, but her heart was not in it.
She wanted to follow in her father's footsteps and become a great general who could conquer battlefields, rather than be confined to the inner quarters and be his virtuous wife!
This is how he answered at the time:
"I can wait, I will not leave. If one day you are tired and weary and want to rest, you might as well stop and look back. You will find that I have never left, I have always been here."
Nangong Yuanhong believed that one day, his devoted waiting would move her.
Unexpectedly, before the Emperor's birthday, his father summoned the two brothers and solemnly informed them that he would arrange their marriages on the Emperor's birthday.
The person she was engaged to was neither Xie Buli nor Xie Wuchou.
Nangong Yuanhong was stunned, while Nangong Minghong was relentless and almost threw a tantrum.
"I don't want anyone but Wuchou!"
But the emperor coldly told them that it was an imperial decree.
"As a prince, you have responsibilities to fulfill. Born into an imperial family, you have many things beyond your control! What you bear is not only the glory of being a prince, but also the weight of the survival of the empire!"
Nangong Yuanhong was dejected.
How could he not know? As the eldest son of the emperor, he bore a greater responsibility than his own brothers.
Royal marriages have never been a matter of personal choice; so it was the case for his father, and it was also for him!
"I will obey my father's decree!"
He knelt down and kowtowed, his voice choked with emotion.
Undeterred, Nangong Minghong continued to pester Cui Jin: "Mother, I don't want to marry anyone else! I only want my sister Wuchou!"
Cui Jin sighed, "If you ever fancy another young lady, your mother can always find a way to make it happen. But only Prince Jing'an is someone even the Emperor can't control. What can your mother do?"
She poked her youngest son's forehead in annoyance, "Who told you two to be so incompetent? All these years, you still couldn't win over the daughter of the Prince of Jing'an!"
She longed for a daughter-in-law for so many years, but she couldn't get one!
Nangong Minghong said with a long face, "I can't coax him, I can't beat him, and there's nothing I can do about my son!"
Cui Jin retorted, "Do you expect your mother to go and steal the groom? Do you think your mother can beat Prince Jing'an? You two are so useless, what can your mother do? Just wait patiently for the wedding!"
Nangong Minghong walked away dejectedly.
At this moment, the two brothers looked at the two beautiful sisters, their hearts filled with endless sorrow.
Xie Wuchou noticed their gazes and mischievously made a face at them. Nangong Minghong felt even more like crying; he couldn't bear to let go of such a beautiful and adorable little sister like Wuchou!
Xie Buqi glanced over and gave them a provocative, wicked smile.
You two are about to get engaged. If you keep eyeing my sister and sister, I, the young master, won't be so polite!
Xie Wuyou also glanced over indifferently. His clear and all-seeing gaze made the two princes feel ashamed and involuntarily turn their heads away.
Jiang Li watched as these younger generation members fought with their eyes, and couldn't help but smile slightly.
The palace banquet has begun.
The imperial kitchen continuously served up delicacies, with rare and exotic foods displayed like a profusion of flowers on each table. Every dish was exquisite, with perfect color, aroma, and taste.
Dishes like bird's nest with deer placenta, steamed grouper, braised shark fin, braised camel hump, braised bear paw, and scallop stewed with scallops are all rare and precious ingredients. They are arranged in fan shapes or flower shapes, and even the dishes are different. Sky blue porcelain bowls are used to serve soup, white jade porcelain plates are used to arrange dishes, silver plates are used to hold cold dishes, and gold cups are used to hold desserts. It is dazzling to look at.
Nangong Qinghe raised his cup and said loudly, "Today, I am very pleased to celebrate with all my ministers and officials and to enjoy this peaceful and prosperous era together! May my Great Chu enjoy peace and tranquility forever, and may my people live in peace and happiness!"
Everyone stood up and raised their glasses.
"May His Majesty enjoy good health and live a long and prosperous life!"
"May His Majesty enjoy both longevity and good fortune, and may the Great Chu Kingdom prosper!"
Outside the palace, the Imperial Guards shouted in unison, "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Great Chu!"
The sound waves caused the cups and goblets inside the hall to sway slightly.
Nangong Qinghe smiled with satisfaction and gestured for the officials to return to their seats.
After several rounds of drinks, the atmosphere at the palace banquet became increasingly lively.
The palace music and dance troupes jointly choreographed a piece titled "A Prosperous and Peaceful Era".
Dozens of dancers, dressed in colorful costumes, each representing "farmers, mulberry growers, fishermen, and merchants," held corresponding props—the farmer held ears of rice, the mulberry grower held silkworm cocoons, the fisherman held fishing nets, and the merchant held abacuses. To the accompaniment of cheerful music, they formed a formation in the hall that symbolized "abundant harvests" and "peace throughout the world."
The musicians all took to the stage, with the chime bells, guzheng, erhu, and suona playing in unison. They even added the Huqin from the Western Regions and the Morin Khuur from Mongolia. The sounds of different instruments intertwined, creating a scene that was both solemn and lively.
The ministers cheered, and Nangong Qinghe smiled.
"On this auspicious day, I hereby announce a few more pieces of good news."
He put down the jade cup, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the hall, finally settling on the prince in the west side hall.
"Yuanhong, Akihiro."
Nangong Yuanhong and Nangong Minghong felt a tightness in their chests; what was bound to happen had finally arrived.
The two had no choice but to attend. They walked to the emperor's side, bowed, and said, "Your subjects pay their respects to Your Majesty, and wish Your Majesty a prosperous and long-lived reign!"
Nangong Qinghe gestured for the two to step forward, his tone carrying the composure of an emperor, yet also revealing a hint of expectation for his juniors: "I believe that the most important aspect of imperial governance is upholding human relationships; and the most important aspect of upholding human relationships is marriage. I have four sons, and now Yuan Hong and Ming Hong are of age. They should be married to secure the lineage. Today, I will choose a suitable match for you, so that we may uphold the ancestral temple sacrifices and extend the imperial lineage."
Nangong Yuanhong and Nangong Minghong knelt down respectfully: "Your subjects thank Your Majesty for your grace!"
His Majesty intends to arrange marriages for the two princes!
Everyone in the hall looked on with curiosity, their eyes unconsciously drawn to the seats of the Prince of Jing'an and the Prince of Anguo.
I heard that both princes are in love with the daughters of this family. Could it be that the two brothers are marrying the two sisters?
Nangong Qinghe announced: "The eldest daughter of Lu Hongguang, Minister of Justice, is virtuous, gentle, knowledgeable and reasonable. She is to be married to the First Prince as his principal wife. The eldest granddaughter of Zhuang, the Protector-General of the Western Regions, is virtuous, wise and intelligent. She is to be married to the Second Prince as his principal wife. The Imperial Observatory is hereby ordered to select an auspicious day for the wedding."
Upon hearing this, the entire hall erupted in uproar. It turned out that it wasn't one of the two most popular county princesses.
Jiang Li and Xie Chang'an smiled with satisfaction.
Nangong Yuanhong and Nangong Minghong were filled with bitterness and had no choice but to kneel down to express their gratitude.
Nangong Yuanhong understood his father's good intentions. Empress Zhang had no children, and as the eldest son of the emperor, with his maternal family being the prestigious Qinghe Cui clan, he would be the future crown prince if nothing unexpected happened.
The Third Prince's mother, Consort Lu, came from another first-class noble family, the Lu Clan of Fanyang. In order to appease the Lu Clan, the Emperor offered her the position of Crown Princess in exchange for their support.
Military generals also need to be won over. Since Xie Chang'an and Jiang Li were unwilling to marry into the royal family, Nangong Qinghe chose the granddaughter of General Pingxi and Protector-General of the Western Regions, and betrothed her to the Second Prince, Nangong Minghong.
After their initial surprise, the courtiers immediately began to praise them.
Lu Hongguang and Wei Zhuang immediately stepped forward and kowtowed, their voices filled with excitement: "Your Majesty, we thank you for your great kindness! We will certainly teach our daughter (granddaughter) to uphold the virtues of womanhood, assist the prince, and live up to Your Majesty's high expectations!"