Greeting the Merchant Envoy with Trembling Hearts
（14）
King Wu ran up the steps in front of the palace. He strode three steps at a time and quickly came to the platform in front of the palace gate. He hurriedly snatched the robe from the servant who had been waiting there and quickly put it on. At this moment, he heard the people beside him say that they had seen the merchant envoy's carriage enter the east gate. King Wu was anxious. As he tied his belt, he said,"Quickly prepare to strike the bell and drum.
"The bells and drums are ready. The Queen has also been informed.”a servant whispered.
They could already see the three carriages of the merchant envoy rushing towards the palace. As if welcoming a merchant envoy, the sound of bells and drums suddenly rang out from the palace. On the platform, the Martial King appeared to be in a panic. He hurriedly asked the attendant,"Why isn't the Queen here yet?"
Duke of Zhou Dan, Duke of Zhao Shuang, and a few ministers had already lined up on the steps, waiting quietly.
The few rows of houses in the back hall of the palace were already in a hubbub. The 1,000 young women gathered as palace maids were calmly and orderly weaving linen gauze in the rooms of the back hall of the workshop. Everyone was in full swing. As the supervisor, the queen happily supervised the operation of the female workers and then returned to her post to spin the thread. Suddenly, someone came to report that the merchant envoy was about to arrive in front of the capital. He asked the queen to dress up and prepare to welcome him. He also asked the female workers to dress up quickly and wait in front of the palace to listen to the tune. The queen was stunned. In the past, whenever an envoy came, they would receive a notice a day in advance, giving them ample time to prepare for the welcoming. This time, it came so suddenly and time was too tight. She was at a loss. The Martial King was still in the ground. She wondered if he knew about it and if he could make it back in time. She didn't have time to think about it and quickly said to everyone,"Ladies, quickly stop, quickly dress up, and immediately go to the palace to listen to the tune.”The palace maids had never heard the queen speak so loudly and hurriedly, and they were all stunned. An official Qiang behind the queen quickly reminded,""Ladies, quickly go and get dressed. King Wu has ordered us to immediately go to the palace to listen to the tune. Don't just stand there, go quickly!”With a shout, the female workers came back to their senses and hurriedly put down the linen work in their hands. They quickly packed up the work in the workshop and rushed to dress up. Then, they swarmed into the back hall to wait for orders. The queen also rushed to the main palace, followed by several attendants in a hurry. The sound of footsteps was chaotic.
The queen quickly dressed up and hurried to the palace gate. King Wu, who was dancing with joy, pulled Queen Wang over and rushed down the steps.
The merchant envoy's carriage had already stopped in front of the steps. With the help of the servant, the rubber tripod slowly stepped out of the carriage. He had just straightened his body when he looked at the Martial King who was rushing down the stairs.
"Aha, I didn't know that the Shang envoy had arrived, so I came late to welcome you. Please forgive me, please forgive me.”King Wu walked down with a smile on his face. He greeted the plastic tripod and bowed.
"I have an imperial mandate. I came from the west in a hurry and didn't have time to inform you in advance.”Jiao Li's eyes blinked mysteriously and said with a smile. He returned a bow to King Wu, then raised his head and looked at King Wu. At the same time, he also looked carefully at Queen Jiang Yi behind King Wu. He thought," I've come so suddenly. Let's see what King Wu is up to." He moved his feet in the direction of the Martial King's gesture and stepped onto the steps.
"Doctor Jiao, you've had a tough journey. The road from the west is not easy.”King Wu smiled as he walked up the steps again." If you knew that Doctor Jiao was coming from the west, we should have gone to the outskirts of the capital to welcome him. I didn't expect…"”A group of people crowded around the plastic tripod and came to the top of the steps, standing in front of the palace gate. The clock was even louder, and the drumbeats were even more muffled. The palace echoed with the resonance of the powerful bell and drum beats.
"I didn't expect this palace of yours." After King Wu's words, the plastic tripod praised the scale of the palace." It's so majestic and magnificent. It's really enviable. The design and craftsmanship of the people of the Western Regions are really superb." This is the second largest palace I've ever seen besides Deer Terrace.”
"Hahaha…" King Wu laughed wantonly, raised his head, clapped his hands, and said to the plastic tripod,""There is a country within a country. This was built by my father when he was still alive. I don't think it's big enough. I'm also preparing to build an even bigger and more spectacular palace.”He turned around and pointed at the square in front of the palace." Look, what do you think of this place? The entire flat ground is big enough, right?" Although the western border was barren, there was a lot of manpower. They could build any palace they wanted. However, I want to build a bigger and more magnificent palace than Deer Terrace Pavilion. I'm afraid that King Zhou of Shang will be unhappy, so I can only build a smaller one. When it's finished in the future, you're welcome to come and watch.”
"By that time, my old bones would have long been thrown into the underworld.”The rubber tripod was infected by King Wu's smile, and it also smiled wantonly."As for me, I'll be satisfied if I can see this palace today and fulfill Meng Jin's promise.”As soon as he stepped into the palace, he stopped and looked around the spacious palace. He saw that the somewhat dim palace was very spacious and quiet. On the four walls, he could vaguely see the decorative patterns on the vertical pillars and purlin beams. He said,"This palace is really quiet." He turned around and glanced at the Martial King.
"To be honest, I drank until midnight last night. She had been drunk for the entire day, and the servant had forcefully woken her up just now.”The Martial King hurriedly explained and took the initiative to yawn.
"Your eyes are red. You're really drunk. It's rare.”Jiao Li said," Blame me for coming abruptly and disturbing your beautiful dream.”
"No, no, Doctor Jiao is wrong. The east and west are thousands of miles apart. The merchants don't come easily. We can't even welcome them.”King Wu led the tripod to the guest table in the middle of the table. He sat down at the head table in the middle and said,"I didn't expect Doctor Jiao to travel thousands of miles and personally step on the barren land of the West to bring us the blessings of King Zhou of Shang. I feel extremely honored. Today, we are holding a banquet to welcome you. However, West Earth doesn't have anything good to entertain you. Please forgive us, Doctor Jiao.”He turned around and looked at Zhou Gongdan, who was sitting on the left side of the plastic tripod. He pointed and said,"This is my brother, Duke of Zhou." When Duke Dan of Zhou saw him being introduced, he turned sideways and bowed to Jiao Li, who was sitting on the banquet table. King Wu then introduced Zhao Gongshuang, who was opposite Duke Dan and on his right, to Jiao Li.
At this moment, the attendants also began to place tea sets and pour tea for King Wu and the plastic tripod. Soon, the dishes were served.
"I'm old and weak," said Jiao Li,"but I'd still like to come to the Western Regions. The year before last, Meng Jin had already had this wish. God bless, Shang Zhou king grace, today I can realize my long-cherished wish.”He said to Duke Dan of Zhou,"Duke Dan of Zhou is a man of outstanding appearance. He is deep and steady. He is really the prime minister of the auxiliary country." Zhao Gongshuang had a kind expression and a kind gaze. He was also a benevolent person. This was all thanks to the wisdom of King Wu and the strength of the Wang Clan. The people looked up to him. It's admirable."
"What is the mission of this trip to the Western Regions?”King Wu asked humbly.
"Shang Zhou didn't specially engrave imperial edicts," replied Jiao Li with a smile. The king remembered the Zhou Kingdom in the Western Regions. Today is just after the spring ploughing season, so he ordered me to patrol the west. Along the way, I saw that Zhou Guozhong's crops were flourishing and growing happily.”After a pause, he continued,"King Zhou of Shang is also concerned about the relationship between Zhou and the neighboring countries and the peace at the border of Zhou.”
"My father carried out the 'conquering power' granted to him by King Zhou of the Shang Dynasty and didn't dare to slack off. Ever since I ascended the throne, I have always paid attention to the relationship between the neighbors and have been able to live in harmony.”King Wu sighed as he spoke." It's just that Xirong and Northern Di often disturb our borders. They appeared and disappeared unpredictably. Once, he secretly attacked the capital, plundered my cattle and sheep, and killed my people. It was really worrying.”
"King Wu is in danger. Two years ago, King Zhou of Shang sent troops to suppress Dongyi, but King Wu was still able to gather his troops to help. King Zhou of Shang ordered me to come to Zhou Country to see how your achievements are.”Jiao Li smiled and looked at everyone.
"Thanks to the mandate of Shang Zhou, although there were external threats in the past few years, the country was peaceful, the agriculture was bumper, and all industries prospered. We are happy and happy. Come, let the Shang envoy drink this cup.”King Wu raised his glass to show his sincerity and advised him to drink.
"It's really good wine. It's pure and fragrant." He took a sip, clicked his tongue, and praised the wine. Then he raised his head and drank it all in one gulp." There's such a refreshing wine in the Western Regions. It reminds me of the good wine in Lutai. It's comparable."”
"I have a wine maker in the palace who specializes in making good wine. Since the Shang envoy and the doctor have a taste, I'll bring a few pots back. Come, drink the ready-made one first." King Wu raised his wine cup and took a big gulp before saying,""How can the barren lands of the Western Regions compare to the mountains of rare treasures on Deer Terrace? Every year, we have to spend a lot of time searching for and excavating the items that we pay tribute to. For this year's tribute, we've already been searching for it with all our heart to make early preparations. Although we haven't found anything yet, we will do our best to prepare special tributes for the tribute period.”
"Shang Zhou is very satisfied with your annual tribute. Your tributes are so varied that they are really pleasing to the eye.”The plastic Li also took a big gulp, grabbed a piece of thigh meat, and started chewing. He chewed until his cheeks were bulging, and his lips were covered in oil. He looked like he was hungry for food. He nodded and said,"This leg meat is not bad. It's delicious. I didn't come here in vain."”He looked at the Martial King and his eyes fell. Suddenly, his eyes widened and he was stunned." This…"”
King Wu was also shocked when he saw the sudden change in Jiao Li's expression. He did not understand the reason, but he still had a smile on his face. He nodded with a smile and turned to look at Zhou Gongdan.
Zhou Gongdan also smiled and nodded. He blinked his eyes with obvious force. His right sleeve was slightly covered in front of his chest, and his left hand was pointing at the bottom of King Wu's table, hinting.
The Martial King understood a little and lowered his head to look at the scene below his table. It would have been fine if he didn't look, but when he did, he was shocked. His heart skipped a beat and turned cold. From the gap in front of him, he could see the hem of his robe covering the ground from his knees, while half of his right toe was exposed. The toe and both sides of his shoes were stained with thick gray soil, which was extremely incompatible with the clean and gorgeous ochre floor in the palace. Ah, I see. At this moment, his blood seemed to have frozen. His nerves were highly tense, and the smile on his face was stiff. His mind spun rapidly as he quickly thought of how to explain and deal with this flaw. He immediately came up with a plan. His face moved and he pretended to smile as he said loudly,"This…This cup of fine wine is highly praised by the Shang envoy. Since you've just arrived in the Western Regions today, let's get drunk as a gift to welcome you. Come, another toast." He raised his wine glass high and bowed to the front. He leaned forward slightly and took advantage of this perverted posture to secretly retract his right foot into the corner of his robe.
"Ha!" Zhou Gongdan also responded loudly. He raised his wine cup with both hands and raised it high in front of him to hide his panic just now.
Zhao Gongshuang, who didn't know the secret of this place, also shouted,""Drink, cheers!"
Faced with the crowd urging him to drink, the elephant said," This…is refreshing. Good, drink." Influenced by the cheers, a smile bloomed on its face. It raised its cup to King Wu, raised its neck, and drank it all in one go. Then, it showed the empty cup to King Wu, Duke Dan of Zhou, and Duke Shuang of Zhao. Its eyes rolled in its eye sockets and glanced at King Wu from top to bottom. At this moment, the King Wu was sitting in a square position with his robe on his knees. The corners of the robe covered the ground. The white-gray robe was clearly eye-catching on the ground ground made of ochre ore, giving people a sense of beauty. The Martial King smiled and toasted with a carefree smile without the slightest hint of surprise. Jiao Li's heart was also relieved, but there was a question left. He asked himself in his heart, was it because he was old and his eyes were blurry, or was it because he was tired from the journey and drank so much wine that he was drunk? No matter what, the scene just now was real. He saw the tip of the Martial King's shoe covered in mud. He couldn't understand it no matter how hard he thought about it. After a short pause, he began to blame himself again. It was impossible. The palace hall was so clean and gorgeous. Where did the mud on his shoes come from? However, the scene just now left a strange question in his heart.
The four of them drank and ate respectfully. After a while, Uncle Guan, Uncle Cai, and the rest of the royal family arrived. The palace was in a mess for a while before the celebratory feast resumed.
The sky had unknowingly darkened. The servants lit the oil lamps hanging on the walls of the palace. The lights on the four walls emitted a soft yellow light, bringing glory to the palace.
Jiao Li said," The lights in the palace are really beautiful. It's like a fairyland. King Wu really knows how to decorate." The little lights were so beautiful and refreshing.”
King Wu smiled and said to the plastic Li,"This is just a real scene." Although the lights were beautiful, they were still.”
"No, they can move. Look carefully." Jiao Li emphasized affirmatively. He pointed at the lights hanging on the wall in the shape of a flower. When he looked carefully, the lights were slightly shaking, like a flower shaking. This indeed gave people a clear sense of movement.
" Ha," King Wu laughed again." The flower seems to be moving, but in fact, the shape of the flower doesn't change. There was nothing praiseworthy about this. Please enjoy the new songs and dances of the palace maids. How is it?"
"This palace is so magnificent. The exterior is majestic, and the interior is exquisitely decorated. It is already fascinating and full of praise. Now, it is truly a blessing for me to personally enjoy a Western Region song and dance in this fairyland.”Jiao Li was also a little drunk.
King Wu waved his hand." Song and dance.”As the sound fell, a deep drum sound from afar rumbled. It slowly grew stronger and stronger, and then the instruments played music. Two groups of dancers dressed in flowery clothes walked with light and delicate steps, twisting their waists from the side door to the center of the palace as a dance venue.
Jiao Li listened to the music with great interest and enjoyed the dancing of the palace maids. She shook her head and showed a carefree expression. She returned the wine to King Wu and praised the melodious characteristics of the Western Regions 'songs and dances.
The music and dance did not bring much comfort to King Wu. He smiled with the plastic tripod, his heart in a mess, but he was thinking about how to continue socializing. The mud on his shoes revealed a flaw. He had been in too much of a hurry when he entered the palace just now. He was in a hurry to put on his robe, but he had forgotten to change his shoes. The merchant envoy had suddenly come to the west, and the fatigue of the long journey had exhausted him so much that he did not have the energy to pay attention to King Wu's clothes. Everyone had overlooked many details in the chaos. Now that he had woken up, he had regained his focus. " What should I do?" King Wu searched his mind, trying his best to find a wonderful method to continue deceiving the merchant envoy's eyes. His feet followed the rhythm of the music, and his eyes followed the dancing palace maids. His mind was wandering.
King Wu smiled at the palace maids and then at the plastic tripod. He looked at this and then at that. He saw that the plastic tripod had been paying special attention to the leading dancer in a purple dress. Its eyes were wide open and it looked at her with a gaze full of love. It didn't even care about the food on the table. Suddenly, the Martial King's eyes lit up. Ha, right, this was the way. Who wouldn't be tempted by good wine and beautiful women? Even the cruel King Zhou of Shang was falling into the pit of drunkenness, let alone the others. The inspiration in Martial King's heart came, and a set of ideas had already matured in his mind. He turned his head to look at Zhou Gongdan. From Zhou Gongdan's smiling face, he could see a hint of worry. Zhao Gongshuang was still calm and at ease, and Uncle Guan and Uncle Cai were still carefully handling the situation. He smiled mysteriously.
The rapid music shook the palace violently and echoed in the night sky. The dancers shuttled back and forth with hurried steps, alternating back and forth, waving their sleeves, rolling their long sleeves into an arc and floating in the air. The music, the dancers, and the sleeves tied the hearts of everyone present, as if they were in the surging state of the current. Everyone held their breaths. Suddenly, the strong voice stopped, and the music turned distant and quiet. The dancers danced gently and gracefully in a circle, like a gentle breeze floating in the clouds. It was fascinating. The people present seemed to be in a leisurely and elegant fairyland.
Jiao Li's eyes stared at the dancer in purple, thinking about the music's attraction. He entered his hometown manor and recalled the charm of his daughter under his parents 'knees. He was enchanted and had great fun. The madam teased her little daughter as she wandered in the fields with flowers in full bloom. The fragrance of the stamens assailed her nose as bees and butterflies flew. Jiao Li was entranced and motionless. He watched the palace maids arranged in a flower-shaped formation around the woman in purple. They sat on their knees and raised their waists. Their hands shook the flowers that were folded with sleeves and slowly danced in front of them and behind them. A white flower appeared in the field. The stamen was a lovely purple-red color. It trembled slightly like a breeze, making people fascinated. Everyone watched quietly, and there was only the sound of music echoing in the palace.
"Shang shi doctor, how is this dance music?”A question suddenly sounded in his ear. The rubber Li, who was immersed in singing and dancing, was shocked and suddenly raised his head. He revealed an expression as if he had just woken up from a dream. When he saw that it was King Wu who was smiling and asking for his opinion, he felt that he was in a situation. He had come to Zhou as a merchant envoy and was being hosted by King Wu of Zhou. He hurriedly pointed at the flower arrangement of the dancers with his finger and was momentarily speechless.
" This is a summer night dance. If it's urgent, it's like a drum that inspires people. It's like the heat of summer, and if it's slow, it's like the cool breeze at night. Under the open air, you can look up at the starry sky. The stars are brilliant, and the moon is hanging. It helps people think far away. It's beautiful and happy.”the Martial King introduced.
" That's right, that's right." Jiao Li nodded his head repeatedly, but he did not answer the question. He stroked his beard and leaned forward. At this moment, the music was gently beating out a very slow and melodious sound, as if a small insect was softly chirping, leading people into the quiet night when flowers were hidden. The dancers landed on their hands and feet, arched their soft backs into a semicircle, and put the cloth flowers in their hands together. A budding flower appeared in the middle of the field.
King Wu saw that Jiao Li was completely immersed in the dance music and waited silently. After a pause, he praised again,"This dance was rehearsed recently. The palace maids have been busy practicing day and night and have just become familiar with each other. It's all thanks to you that the Shang envoy and doctor arrived just in time. This is also my first time watching this song and dance.”He turned to the Queen beside him and said,""It's all thanks to the queen's guidance that we can have such intoxicating singing and dancing.”
As they spoke, the palace maids gently shook the flowers in their hands and slowly raised them. This process was like a bud unfolding and blooming, very moving. The palace maids raised their heads and stood up. They spread out and changed into two rows of small teams. They walked in neat steps and crossed each other.
King Wu was touched by Jiao Li's intoxication and noticed that Jiao Li's eyes had been following the leading dancer in purple. At this moment, he said,"This dance is beautiful and lively, and we still have to rely on these two leading dancers to lead the way and form a stance. That violet-robed dancer is called Shuhua. She is my queen's right-hand man and personal maid.”As he spoke, King Wu tilted his head and smiled at the Queen. He thought, You might lose this Shu Hua.
"Ah!" Jiao Li looked at the dancer and came to his senses after hearing King Wu's introduction. He quickly turned around and smiled apologetically at King Wu, saying contentedly,""This music is pleasing to the heart, this dance is pleasing to the heart. These palace maids are even more charming, especially this palace maid in purple.”He pointed at the palace maid, excited and seemingly having an unspeakable heartfelt feeling. A blush flashed across his face, and under the illumination of the lights, it seemed to shine brightly, very uncoordinated.
King Wu understood and hinted,"The doctor is particularly concerned about Shuhua and has a good impression of her. Do you appreciate her dance or reward her?"”
" We have both," the plastic tripod immediately added,""A beautiful person dancing like a flower is even more likable.”He smiled and said hesitantly to the Martial King,""I thought that Martial King also liked Shuhua. It's rare for me to see such a woman in the Eastern Lands. I wonder if the King Wu and the Queen are willing to part with their treasures?”Before he could finish, a blush flashed across his face. Then, he looked pleadingly at the Martial King and the purple-robed palace maid.
"You mean…" King Wu pretended to be puzzled and asked. Before Jiao Li could answer, he immediately showed an expression of realization. Then, he laughed loudly and said to Jiao Li straightforwardly,"Doctor, don't say that you're willing to part with her. As long as the Shang envoy sees any palace maid, just boldly point it out, and I will be generous to help you entertain yourself in your later years.”
He pointed at the purple-robed palace maid and asked,""How old is this palace maid in purple?”His face flushed red again, mixed with the alcohol, and he looked even more radiant. However, he mumbled,"She looks like…"
King Wu saw that Jiao Li really pointed out the palace maid in purple. He turned his head to the Queen and smiled slyly. He said to Jiao Li,"She looks as graceful and beautiful as a lotus flower, pure and cute, right?”After seeing Jiao Li nod in agreement, King Wu continued,""The Queen named her Shuhua when she entered the palace. Her intentions were profound, and she was really smart. She was proficient in singing and dancing skills and needlework. She was the one who had helped the queen arrange the dance music. She had become a capable assistant of the queen, and could be said to be a piece of flesh and blood.”
"Ah…this…" Jiaoli revealed a regretful expression. She really shouldn't have made this request, but she was afraid that she wouldn't get an answer.
King Wu tilted his head and whispered something into the queen's ear. Then, he said loudly to the plastic tripod,""The Shang envoy is not afraid of the hardships of the journey from the east to the west. I should have prepared a generous gift. Since you like it, I'm very pleased to be able to give it to you. As long as you love her as I do, I can give her to you.”As the King Wu spoke, he turned his head and glanced at the Queen.
The queen looked at King Wu and then at the palace maid in purple." This…"”After pausing for a moment, he seemed to understand and emphasized,"As long as the Shang envoy cherishes her, I have nothing to worry about. This was a good girl that was one in a thousand. He had to treat her like a daughter.”The queen introduced the palace maid.
"Definitely, definitely." When Jiao Li heard what King Wu and Queen Wu said, he immediately added happily,""I will love her like a daughter. Ah, haha…" He thought that King Wu would so readily satisfy his request, so he smiled happily and proudly. He couldn't help but look at the purple-robed palace maid again.
King Wu said,"When the dance music is over, the Queen will inform her first and let her make some preparations. When you return to the east, she can go with you." Other than a tribute for King Zhou, I also have a gift for you. I'll try my best to make you return with a full load.”
"Thank you for your kindness, King Wu and Queen. I will definitely take good care of her. I have gained a lot from my trip to the west. I have enjoyed my eyes and am happy to have a beautiful daughter.”Jiao Li smiled happily again.
"Come, congratulations. Have another drink.”King Wu raised his wine cup and gestured to the plastic lid.
Jiao Li gulped down a cup of wine in one gulp and shouted at King Wu,""Another glass!"
"Pouring!" The Martial King responded loudly.
When the dance ended, the palace maids lined up and retreated in an orderly manner. After the queen got up and entered the palace.
King Wu raised his glass and toasted again.
Jiao Li first looked at the queen's figure who left her seat with concern, and could not help but feel a little worried. He did not decline and immediately drank another cup.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。