Chapter 66

The sound of bells echoed continuously as the emperor took his seat, and officials came to offer their congratulations.

Envoys from various small countries stepped forward to pay their respects and present their gifts. Lu Minghua sat beside the Empress Dowager, hearing joyful congratulations and seeing smiling faces all around. Such was the prosperity of the flourishing age. She couldn’t help but smile lightly, and seeing the Empress Dowager drink her tea, she quickly refilled it.

“No need, no need. I didn’t bring you here for this,” the Empress Dowager said, pleased with her attentiveness but stopping her, her eyes full of pride and satisfaction.

“Have you ever attended the grand court assembly in previous years?”

Lu Minghua nodded slightly. As the wife of the heir to the Marquis of Ningguo, she had naturally attended. Her heart stirred, and she suddenly understood why the Empress Dowager was so proud.

“How does it compare to today?”

“It doesn’t compare to today,” Lu Minghua said honestly, her smile reaching her eyes. “The current emperor is wise, ruling the capital, and Prince Rui is brave, defeating the northern barbarians. The brothers work together, creating this prosperous age. This is all thanks to your excellent guidance, Empress Dowager, and should be praised by the world.”

This statement was truly fitting, and the Empress Dowager was even happier. Her eyes smiled as she teased, “No wonder you won Yuanhua’s heart with such words.”

“Empress Dowager,” Lu Minghua blushed, afraid of being misunderstood, and quickly explained, “I only had a gentlemanly relationship with the Prince before. I never, never…”

“Alright, alright, I know, I know. How can you not tell when I’m teasing?” Seeing her getting anxious, the Empress Dowager quickly said.

Lu Minghua lowered her eyes, realizing that Empress Dowager and Yan Yuanhua were indeed mother and son, even in their teasing.

“Ordinary people either praise Yuanhua or Yuanqing in front of me, but you praised all three of us together,” the Empress Dowager said, clearly pleased.

“Everything I said was sincere,” Lu Minghua said softly. Achieving today’s prosperity was not the work of one person alone. Throughout history, many royal siblings have turned against each other. Even she and her twin sister, Lu Mingxi, were like fire and water. But the bond between the current emperor and Yan Yuanhua was so strong, how could she not be moved?

“It’s because you spoke sincerely that I’m happy,” the Empress Dowager thought. No wonder Yan Yuanhua was sure she would like Lu Minghua; she was indeed a good child. For her, no matter how others praised her two sons, it didn’t make her as happy as Lu Minghua’s words about their brotherly bond. This was indeed her greatest pride in life.

As they chatted and laughed, Yan Yuanhua, who was following the emperor and greeting the officials, glanced over and felt relieved. It seemed they were getting along well. He knew his mother would like Minghua.

“Look, he’s watching us,” the Empress Dowager, always attentive to her two sons, said softly.

Lu Minghua looked up and met Yan Yuanhua’s gaze. Seeing him smile brightly at her, she couldn’t help but smile back.

“He hasn’t stopped looking at us. He must be thinking about how I’m bullying you,” the Empress Dowager huffed.

“How could that be? I think the Prince is worried that I might not be serving you well enough and that you might be displeased,” Lu Minghua replied, not explaining further.

The Empress Dowager couldn’t help but laugh.

As they chatted, many people in the hall secretly observed them. Seeing Lu Minghua’s gentle smile and natural demeanor, with a hint of respect, making the Empress Dowager laugh repeatedly, they couldn’t help but feel a mix of emotions.

They had thought that even if the Empress Dowager accepted this marriage, it would only be for Prince Rui’s sake. But now, it seemed otherwise?

Many noblewomen secretly clenched their handkerchiefs, feeling very unwilling. Since Prince Rui returned to the capital, many had their eyes on the position of his consort, hoping to marry a handsome prince and gain a noble status. But in the end, a divorced woman had taken the lead, and no one could accept it.

At that moment, the hall fell into a subtle silence.

The emperor had encountered the delegation from Beiyi, and all eyes were on the enchanting woman among them, who looked like a fairy from a storybook.

Some were amazed. They had guessed her extraordinary beauty when they saw her veiled, but now, with the veil removed, revealing her high nose, deep-set eyes, and lightly curved red lips, they understood what it meant to be captivating.

“Tuo Ba Feng, paying respects to Your Majesty,” Tuo Ba Feng stepped forward and bowed, suppressing his resentment.

The envoys followed suit, and Tuo Ba Rou gracefully bowed, her ample bosom subtly moving, catching many eyes.

The emperor called them to rise, and as the woman stood, her gaze swept past Prince Rui. While Tuo Ba Feng spoke with the emperor, she took a few steps and approached Prince Rui.

“Your Highness, Prince Rui, I am Tuo Ba Rou, princess of Beiyi.” In Beiyi, women also had inheritance rights. Men were called princes, and women, naturally, were princesses.

Yan Yuanhua nodded indifferently, not even glancing at her enchanting face. He wondered how long his brother would continue the greetings. If he had known, he wouldn’t have come down earlier and could have spent more time talking with Minghua. Thinking this, he looked at Lu Minghua, who was watching him, and immediately smiled.

Lu Minghua had been a bit worried, but seeing his nonchalant demeanor, she couldn’t help but laugh. It seemed she had been worrying unnecessarily.

The Empress Dowager watched from the side, not worried at all. If her son had any flirtatious tendencies, she wouldn’t have had to worry about him until now.

Ning Yunxi sat at her seat, angrily sipping tea and sighing.

Forget it, getting angry was pointless. Since Prince Rui didn’t fancy her, she might as well look for another suitable match. The status had to be high enough to protect her mother and sisters.

“Your Highness, I once saw your elegance in the royal city, but unfortunately, we didn’t have the chance to meet,” Tuo Ba Rou said, her eyes flickering as she glanced at Lu Minghua from afar. She quickly composed herself and stepped forward with a smile.

What elegance? The elegance of defeating Beiyi? Yan Yuanhua thought casually, finding the woman’s scent too overpowering compared to Minghua’s light jasmine fragrance. He nodded and tried to avoid her.

Seeing his lack of interest, Tuo Ba Rou felt unwilling. In the past, men would have noticed her by now. She hurriedly followed, pretending to stumble and almost fall, trying to grab Yan Yuanhua for support.

Yan Yuanhua stepped back, avoiding her in time. He finally looked at Tuo Ba Rou directly. Her behavior was something he had only seen in ordinary women. His sisters were all proud and high-spirited, so why was she—

Not bothering to engage, he walked away.

As Yan Yuanhua avoided her, Tuo Ba Rou steadied herself, making it seem like an accident. Ignoring the faint laughter around her, she watched Yan Yuanhua leave. She returned to the envoys, her expression slightly cold as she faced Tuo Ba Feng’s gaze.

After speaking with Beiyi’s envoys, the emperor turned to walk back to the hall, noticing Yan Yuanhua’s impatience. He chuckled, “A beauty delivered to your door, and you don’t want her. Why act like this?”

Yan Yuanhua snorted, “If you like her, take her.”

The emperor smiled knowingly, “That’s not possible. Tuo Ba Rou has her uses.”

Tuo Ba Rou’s maternal family was a noble Beiyi clan that produced several empresses. The previous one almost seized the throne. Even so, the current Beiyi king had to treat this family well.

Of course, this was only on the surface. Tuo Ba Rou had brothers, but they all died, leaving her as the only princess. Even Beiyi didn’t want to keep her; otherwise, why send her among so many princesses?

Yan Yuanhua sneered, not wanting to get involved. He returned to his seat and smiled at Lu Minghua, who was sitting beside the Empress Dowager.

“Look at him, so hopeless,” the Empress Dowager huffed, disapproving of Yan Yuanhua’s silly behavior in front of his beloved.

“How could that be? The Prince is just too sincere,” Lu Minghua instinctively defended him, then remembered she was speaking to the Empress Dowager and quickly composed herself, though her face reddened.

Yan Yuanhua heard this clearly and smiled broadly.

“I don’t believe you never thought he was silly,” the Empress Dowager said, staring at Lu Minghua.

Lu Minghua paused slightly.

“Indeed, there is.”

The Empress Dowager laughed and said, “Alright, alright, go to Yuanhua. If he keeps looking at me like this, I won’t be able to eat.”

“Thank you for your kindness, Mother. Minghua, come quickly.” Lu Minghua, feeling even more embarrassed, was about to decline when Yan Yuanhua spoke first, making room for her and looking at her eagerly.

“Go quickly. With so many people here today, don’t let him continue like this,” the Empress Dowager said immediately. It was truly embarrassing. Where was his princely dignity?

Lu Minghua knew Yan Yuanhua was carefree, but she hadn’t expected him to be so bold in such a setting. Feeling the gazes of others in the hall, her cheeks burned. She said no more and quickly sat beside Yan Yuanhua.

Unable to resist, she pinched his waist hard. “Behave yourself,” she whispered, not understanding how he could be even more brazen with so many people around.

“Why should I? I want everyone to know how much I adore you,” Yan Yuanhua whispered back, smiling. His gaze was filled with undisguised affection.

Lu Minghua was stunned, looking at him in disbelief. So, this was his purpose?

“Minghua, try this and see if you like it,” Yan Yuanhua stopped what he was doing and pushed a bowl of glistening pomegranate seeds towards her.

“Pomegranate?” Lu Minghua, suppressing her emotions, looked at it, still in a daze, and murmured softly.

“Yes, I remember you like it. I had it prepared especially for you. Try it,” Yan Yuanhua said, wiping his hands with a cloth and urging her.

Lu Minghua picked up the bowl, took a jade spoon, and tasted a bite.

Yan Yuanhua pushed a jade plate towards her, indicating she should spit the seeds there.

“Very sweet,” Lu Minghua said, taking the plate, covering her mouth with her sleeve to spit out the seeds, and then wiping her lips with a handkerchief before smiling at Yan Yuanhua.

“Then I’ll peel another one,” Yan Yuanhua said, breaking open another pomegranate.

Lu Minghua wanted to stop him but swallowed her words, watching his hands work with a smile. His long, fair fingers moved continuously, peeling the seeds into the white jade bowl. Despite the scars on his hands, she didn’t find them unattractive.

The two of them, one peeling and one eating, seemed to create their own little world amidst the bustling hall.

The emperor and the Empress Dowager exchanged glances and couldn’t help but laugh. “Look at him; he doesn’t even remember us now.”

The Empress Dowager glanced over, feeling a bit jealous. Her own son, whom she had raised, had never been this attentive to her.

“Mother, I brought you some of your favorite pastries,” Yan Yuanhua said, his ears attuned to everything around him. He had done his research and knew not to only show affection to his beloved in front of his mother-in-law. That wasn’t kindness; it was creating resentment.

“Hmm?” The Empress Dowager looked at the table, surprised she hadn’t noticed.

“I had them sent to your palace. You’ll see them when you return,” Yan Yuanhua explained. Pastries were crumbly and not suitable for eating at a banquet.

The Empress Dowager finally smiled, feeling that her son remembered her, which was better than anything.

“And what about me?” The emperor, having waited and seen no response from his brother, couldn’t help but ask.

“Haven’t you received enough gifts today?” Yan Yuanhua replied without looking up.

“That’s not the same,” the emperor grumbled.

“How is it different?”

“You rascal.”