The night was like a huge black hand that enveloped the entire Shengyang City. The ink-like sky was filled with specks of starlight, and the night was mixed with an undetectable blue, rendering the entire sky into a strange swirl that weighed heavily on the hearts of some people who admired the starry sky. Shengyang City's bustling life did not end just because the sun was setting. The streets were crowded with people. The hawkers were shouting, the passers-by were cheering as they watched acrobatics, and the women in front of the red lights were calling for customers. The noisy laughter in the restaurants and theatres all reflected the carefree life of the people in the city.
The magnificent Ming De Hall in the Imperial Palace was now filled with red lanterns. The high and mighty ruler of a country, Gu, sat silently on the dragon throne. Beside him sat the dignified and beautiful empress. The two of them were smiling, and the sound of the dragon and phoenix made the people present envious. To their left and right were the concubines of the harem. There were only five or six of them, and each of them was beautiful and radiant. They were dressed in gorgeous and noble palace clothes, making them even more beautiful.
Gu Moran sat on the left and right. King Jing, Gu Moxi, and King Wu, Gu Moyan, sat at the first table on both sides. Behind them were the civil and military officials who sat according to their official ranks. In front of each of them was an independent table, on which was a meal carefully prepared by the imperial chef. The imperial food was not easy for the officials to eat. Although they were tempted, they restrained themselves and maintained good etiquette to participate in the banquet.
There was a round stage in the center of Ming De Hall, and behind the stage was a square stage. The court musicians were playing music on the square stage, and the pleasant sound of the strings and bamboo could be heard continuously. Graceful dancers were performing on the round stage. More than ten dancers had soft bodies, and their movements were nimble. They received the admiration of the officials.
The ten newly promoted officials were the main characters of this banquet. They humbly returned the toast to the old officials who had toasted with them. In their laughter, they had invisibly unfolded the hidden rules of the officialdom and quietly sorted out the officials who could be contacted in the future. In particular, the few young masters in the family had quietly analyzed the situation in the court.
Among the ten people, Yuan Pei was the only one who was isolated by the group. He looked at the officials who had formed cliques with a faint mocking gaze, as if he was mocking their hypocrisy. Originally, he would have been dragged into the group, but now he was actually grateful to his father, Yuan Ling, who had been beheaded for accepting bribes.
Lan Xi had been staring at Yuan Pei for a long time as she was gently hugged by the man. Ever since she entered this place, she had been paying attention to him quietly. The more she looked at him, the more she felt that this person would do something big. Banquets were very familiar to her. As the king of the cat race in the demon world, she would naturally attend all kinds of banquets. However, she did not like the hypocritical and pretentious her. She would reject him whenever she could, and became the legendary woman in the demon world.
Gu Moxi noticed the black cat's movements and was displeased. She tightened her grip on the cat and waited for it to look at her. Her tone was sour, commanding, and overbearing." Don't look at him. Xi 'er can only look at me, understand?"”
Lan Xi's eyes darkened. As a king, she didn't like being ordered around, and the person who ordered her was the weakest human in her race. However, she didn't get angry this time. A layer of doubt appeared in her heart, as if she didn't understand why.
Although Lan Xi was smart and used to strategizing, there were times when her brain couldn't work properly. For example, when she touched her own feelings, although she understood that Gu Mo Xi treated her differently, she still couldn't figure out what Gu Mo Xi was like. This feeling of confusion made her very powerless.
Gu Mo Xi was satisfied with the black cat's look. Her sexy lips curved into a happy smile and her charming phoenix eyes flashed with a dazzling light. She didn't care about the officials with different purposes and was focused on feeding the black cat. Her doting and gentle expression moved the hearts of all the unmarried women present. They were all infatuated and thought how good it would be if she had such an expression on her!
Generally speaking, officials could bring their family members to the palace banquet. Of course, they could only bring their wives and legitimate children. Therefore, the palace banquet was also the best place for them to make friends and go on blind dates. They dressed themselves up beautifully, wishing that they could outshine everyone else, especially those young ladies of the official family who were already in their prime. Which one of them did not have exquisite makeup and gorgeous clothes? They racked their brains for the man in their hearts.
Undoubtedly, among the men present, His Majesty Gu Moran, King Jing Gu Moxi, and King Wu Gu Moyan had become their targets. The ruler of a country had some connections, but they could not let them go. One had to know that once they were favored, wouldn't glory, wealth, dignity, and power naturally come? The two princes were the best candidates. Not to mention that they were young, handsome, and talented, just the fact that their inner courtyard was empty was enough for them to fight over it. If they married over, wouldn't others be envious?
What the official's young lady could think of, how could those officials not have thought of it? They brought their daughter here with this idea, but they did not dare to be too blatant. After all, the two princes were not people they could control, and the Emperor, Gu Moran, did not dare to make any suggestions. In his heart, he firmly remembered the words 'the heart of the monarch is unpredictable.' And these officials had been unable to guess Gu Moran's thoughts all these years.
The banquet went on in an orderly manner, and it was late into the night. Gu Moran announced the end of the banquet and led the Empress and the concubines back to the rear palace. Behind him, all the civil and military officials knelt down and bowed to send them off. They walked to the palace gate in twos and threes. Some officials were already drunk and could not walk steadily with the help of their families. Others also said goodbye.
Gu Moxi carried the black cat and left with Gu Moyan. Gu Moyan was the only one who spoke on the way. Gu Moxi rarely spoke, as if she was used to this pattern. Gu Moyan did not care about the other party's indifference and continued to talk. The two people and the cat soon arrived at the imperial garden and passed through the gorgeous and exquisite flower rockery.
"En ah ~ Be gentle ~ Ah ~" A flirtatious voice suddenly came from behind the rockery. The owner of the voice was obviously enjoying the pleasure of his body. The delicate voice was full of charm.
"Ah, you little vixen." A man's voice came from behind the fake mountain. He sounded quite young.
Such a blushing conversation, such a shy panting, and the fact that they were in such a secluded place, the brothers were not fools. How could they not understand that the man and woman were doing something indecent? Their eyes met, as if they were holding something.
It might have been a long time or a moment, but Gu Moyan retracted his gaze and walked to the back of the rockery with a red face. As expected, he saw two white bodies intertwined together. His face darkened and he coughed heavily.
"Ah!" A woman's scream rang out in the imperial garden, followed by the rustling of clothes.
Gu Moyan's face was red and black as he returned to the stone path. His eyes were filled with killing intent as he stared at the fake mountain, as if he wanted to split it apart. In an instant, he turned to look at his second brother with resentment. The corner of his mouth twitched, and he felt like crying.
Gu Mo Xi covered the black cat's ears with her warm palm, her phoenix eyes staring at the cat in her arms, as if she was guarding against it hearing the rotten sound. She only released her palm when she felt her brother's resentful gaze. Her dark phoenix eyes fell on the man and woman who walked out of the rockery, causing them to tremble in fear.
He had long heard that King Jing, Gu Moxi, might look harmless normally, but once she attacked, she would definitely die. Now that he had caught this pair of wild mandarin ducks stealing the forbidden fruit, they would not have a good ending.
Gu Mo Xi recognized that the person opposite her was a child of an official. He touched the black cat and opened his sexy thin lips, but he didn't give them a chance to explain." You're guilty of a capital offense for disturbing the palace."”After saying that, he walked towards the palace gate with firm steps.
Gu Moyan was also used to his second brother's way of handling affairs. He summoned the Imperial Guards and ordered them to be imprisoned and reported to his brother Gu Moran before rushing over. The two men were stunned and obviously hadn't recovered from their shock.
At the palace gate, Gu Moyan finally caught up with Gu Moxi. Seeing that one of his feet had already stepped on the stool, he quickly reached out to stop him. He was actually pleading for the man and woman just now. After all, they were the children of an official family. They couldn't just die like that. Well, the real reason was that he was curious why his second brother did this. One had to know that Gu Moxi would never be so straightforward in the past.
In the end, Gu Moyan was in a mess after getting the answer. He stared blankly at Gu Moxi's carriage as it ran far away, unable to react in time. She dirtied Xi 'er's ears.
Compared to the corruption and bribery of the officials of the Ministry of Personnel, the crime of a man and a woman harassing the Imperial Palace was obviously not as influential. Firstly, it was not good for the social atmosphere. The two families involved and the Imperial Palace did not spread the news. Secondly, the autumn examination was followed by the Ministry of Personnel. This bit of news could not cause any waves. Instead, the upcoming arrival of the envoys of the two countries became a sensational topic.
The Mid-Autumn Festival and the emperor's birthday were two joyous events that caused the entire Shengyang City to boil. Items related to the Mid-Autumn Festival were displayed at home. Red lanterns were hung high, mooncakes of various colors were placed on the table, and the fragrance of osmanthus filled the garden. Lantern riddles were passed on, and young men and women were affectionate. Old and new couples came hand in hand.
The Mid-Autumn Festival was a full moon festival, and it was also a festival for young men and women in the city to express their feelings for each other and marry each other. With the meaning of the full moon, they looked forward to finding a perfect future. On that day, the people of the city would go out to play. In short, it would be many times more lively than usual.
The envoys of the two kingdoms arrived at Shengyang City today. King Jing, Gu Mo Xi, brought the relevant officials to welcome them at the city gate. The commoners lined the streets to welcome them. From afar, the envoys of the two kingdoms could be seen gradually approaching. The bright red flags engraved with Jun and Yuan on the left and right sides were the most eye-catching. Then, the leaders rode on tall horses.
The news said that the person sent by Jun Shengguo was the First Prince, Jun Moxie. His mother was a lowly palace maid. There was once when Jun Shengguo was drunk. The mother and son didn't have a good life in the palace. They were often bullied by other concubines and princes. However, Gu Mo Xi felt that this person wasn't simple. How could a person who could survive in such difficult conditions not have the ability to protect himself?
The Prime Minister of the two dynasties, Sima Xiang, had been sent by the Sacred Yuan Kingdom. He was an honest and loyal official, and his talents and methods were not inferior to the old Prime Minister of the Sacred Yuan Kingdom. He was highly valued by the young Emperor and was regarded as the pillar of the court along with the War God General Leng Yiran. He was invincible in both literature and martial arts. Furthermore, Sima Xiang's disciples were all over the court, so he had great power. However, Gu Moxi did not think that he was a threat. Obviously, if any Emperor would allow his subjects to pose a threat to him, the young Emperor would definitely suppress them.
They were followed by more than ten carriages. Apart from the officials who came to congratulate them, there were also congratulatory gifts covered in red silk. Soldiers in plain clothes were silently protecting them.
When the group entered, Gu Mo Xi rode forward and after greeting the envoys of the two countries, she led them to the posthouse to rest. On the way into the city, the people were jubilant and discussed the news they knew. In the posthouse, Gu Mo Xi settled the envoys and went into the palace to report to her Imperial Brother.
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