Chapter 328

Chapter 328 The Empress Dowager opened with the phrase "it's the thought that counts," which was likely a subtle way of expressing disappointment at how meager the gifts from the Xia Dynasty were. In the eyes of those in power, gold was the least valuable of all things. A pure gold Buddha statue didn't even carry as much weight as the Ten Thousand Blessings painting personally crafted by Ritualist Hui. Claiming it had been enshrined at Huguo Temple for many years—who knew whether that was true or false? Coming from such a distance, the Empress Dowager could hardly send someone all the way to verify whether the Xia Dynasty had indeed enshrined such a Buddha statue at Huguo Temple. The Empress Dowager had spoken kindly, even attempting to smooth things over for the Xia Dynasty, but she had inadvertently revealed her true feelings. Sure enough, the moment the Empress Dowager finished speaking, the expressions on the Xia Dynasty delegation's faces turned sour. Before the Sixth Prince of Xia could offer a word of explanation, a person dressed in distinctive foreign attire suddenly rose from the side, speaking with great excitement: "Congratulations to Her Majesty the Empress Dowager on her birthday! Our Luosha Kingdom has also prepared generous gifts for the Empress Dowager and the Emperor of the Yu Dynasty. Please do take a look." Xie Run was momentarily taken aback at the mention of "Luosha" before realizing that the person in foreign dress seated beside the Xia Dynasty envoys was not from Xia at all, but rather a messenger from Luosha Kingdom, a small neighboring state of the Yu Dynasty. Because they were all unfamiliar faces seated close together, everyone had mistakenly assumed they had arrived together with the Xia Dynasty delegation. The Luosha envoy clapped his hands with a beaming smile, and soon a row of pigeon's blood rubies, each the size of a palm, was brought forward. The larger a pigeon's blood ruby, the rarer it was—one the size of a palm could serve as the centerpiece stone of a phoenix crown. Searching the entire treasury of the Yu Dynasty, one would find no more than three such pieces. While Luosha Kingdom did produce these stones in abundance, stones of such exceptional quality were still quite rare. Sending an entire row of them at once showed that their "sincerity" was truly genuine. Not only was the Empress Dowager pleased, but the Emperor was extremely satisfied as well. After all, these gifts were presented right in front of the Xia Dynasty envoys. Following that, the Luosha envoy presented numerous precious jewels and ornaments, laid out in dazzling array upon the table, a sight too rich to take in all at once. Even Xie Run inwardly marveled at Luosha Kingdom's extravagance, though such a display would likely deal a blow to the Xia Dynasty's dignity. After presenting the gifts, the Luosha envoy said with a smile, "This final gift is offered on behalf of our king to the Emperor of the Yu Dynasty. We humbly ask that Your Imperial Majesty not disdain it." The Emperor's eyes were filled with delight, the dark expression he'd worn after being dragged into trouble by his mother completely vanishing: "Of course." Suddenly, the unfamiliar sound of stringed music began to play, and a woman in a flowing red dance dress embroidered with golden threads swayed forward. This birthday celebration had been arranged to suit the venue—there was no raised stage for opera or dance, so only an open space had been cordoned off for performances. The woman in red had an alluring figure and skin as white as snow, her face half-veiled. Her skirt swayed with her dance movements as she slowly stepped into the center of the open space. Her dancing wasn't particularly outstanding—there were even a few missteps—but the enchanting charm she exuded was especially captivating. There was a hint of nobility and sharpness beneath that allure, giving her a quality that ordinary dancers lacked. Combined with the fact that this dance was unique to Luosha Kingdom and rarely seen in the Xia Dynasty, she drew thunderous applause from the entire hall. When the dance ended, the Luosha envoy stepped forward to introduce her: "This is Miye, the most beloved youngest daughter of our Luosha Kingdom's sovereign." "Following our king's command, I have specially presented Princess Miye to the Emperor of the Yu Dynasty, hoping only that Your Imperial Majesty will see the sincerity of our Luosha Kingdom!" At such occasions, both sides typically had already reached an understanding behind closed doors. The Emperor laughed heartily and said with satisfaction, "I accept the Luosha Kingdom's sovereign's goodwill. Since she is a princess of the Luosha Kingdom, I would not treat her shabbily." The Emperor paused in thought, as if deliberating what rank to bestow upon the Luosha princess. Below, the hearts of the harem consorts all began to race. Naturally, they worried that the Emperor might grant too high a rank. Who could be pleased if a Luosha princess of unknown temperament suddenly appeared above them with a lofty position? Especially those above the Nine Concubines—many clutched their handkerchiefs nervously. The Emperor gave a hearty laugh. "I hereby bestow upon Luosha Princess Miye the second-rank Fei title, with the honorific name 'Li.'" The moment the Emperor's words fell, the palace gained a new Consort Li. Seeing the tide turning against him, the Sixth Prince of Xia seized the opportunity to step forward as well. "This time, when we were dispatched to the Yu Dynasty, His Majesty entrusted us with a mission—to bring Princess Cirui and Princess Chenghuan to the Yu Dynasty and present them to His Imperial Majesty the Emperor." The moment the Sixth Prince finished speaking, the Empress, seated behind the Emperor, nearly jumped to her feet in shock. The Emperor swept a glance in her direction, and the Empress barely managed to suppress the shock in her heart. Yet a surge of fury slowly welled up within her, nearly overwhelming the calm rationality she prided herself on. Below, the Sixth Prince of Xia continued: "The Xia Dynasty and the Yu Dynasty have been allied for nearly a century. Now, our Xia Dynasty's Princess Ci'en is fortunate enough to be the Empress of the Yu Dynasty, a beloved couple revered by all the people—a tremendous blessing for both dynasties." "Yet even in this perfection, there is one shortcoming: heirs." "When I departed, His Majesty repeatedly urged me to convey his deep regret. Now, by presenting these two princesses, we hope to make amends for this shortcoming and jointly foster harmony between our two dynasties." Princess Ci'en was the title bestowed upon the Empress before she married into the Yu Dynasty. For the first decade or so of her life, the Empress had been a princess without a formal title, addressed only by her birth order. Later, when she married into the household of the then Prince Jing and became Princess Consort Jing, aside from the days surrounding her wedding, almost no one ever brought up that title again. Now, for the sake of her own schemes, Xia Dynasty first publicly brought up the matter of the Empress having no sons, then raised the words "offering daughters," practically trampling the Empress's dignity into the mud—and all while expecting her to willingly let herself be drained. The Empress had to summon an immense amount of strength just to restrain her emotions. Xia Dynasty was set on sending the two princesses into the Emperor's harem. Fearing that the Emperor might marry them off to other members of the imperial clan, they made a point of specifying when offering the women that they were being presented to the Emperor himself, and no one else. Even if the Emperor refused to accept them, out of consideration for Xia Dynasty's face, he would not casually marry them off to others. Such blatant, naked intentions were like a sharp sword piercing the Empress's heart, while simultaneously exposing an ugly face for all of Yu Dynasty to see. Not to mention Xie Run—even Lady Lu, who usually delighted in harboring her own little schemes, felt a sense of injustice on the Empress's behalf. The Emperor's smile did not waver: "I have seen the sincerity of the Xia Dynasty Emperor. But the Empress has labored diligently for years managing my harem, and I am deeply gratified and quite satisfied." "I am still young, and I have sons and daughters by my side. I have never felt any lack in matters of progeny. I do thank the Xia Dynasty Emperor for his kind intentions." The Sixth Prince of Xia Dynasty had truly come bearing a mission. Upon hearing the Emperor's refusal, he quickly said, "Before I came, my Imperial Father gave me strict orders to ensure the harmony and friendship between Xia and Yu are maintained." "Of the two princesses sent here, one is the Empress's own younger sister, and the other is my Imperial Father's most beloved."