Chapter 142 - 142: Making Her Willing (3)
Apart from a few young princes who did not attend, the Second Prince, Li Dan, the Third Prince, Li Jing, the Fourth Prince, Li Yi, the Fifth Prince, Li Yi, and the Sixth Prince, Li Ye, were already seated at the top.
Bai Xianyu looked over without batting an eyelid. All of them had very genial expressions, and there was nothing unusual about them. Even Prince Kang and Li Jing, who had been living in chaos previously, looked refreshed.
When she retracted her gaze, she met another gaze.
Xie Xingyun had already taken his seat at some point in time. Today, he was wearing the dark red embroidered robe with auspicious cloud patterns that she had tied for him the other day. His jade crown was tied around his hair, and it was his usual high ponytail. This style always made him especially handsome, adding to the unruliness of a young man.
His gaze also landed on her with a deep meaning.
The girl was wearing a light blue and silver frost color white fairy dress with wide sleeves. Her figure was slender, like a fairy under the moon. Her every frown and smile was so beautiful that she did not seem to belong to the mortal world.
Xie Xingyun slowly restrained the restlessness in his heart and drank the wine in his hand in one gulp.
“Greetings, Your Majesty. Greetings, Empress Dowager!”
The crowd rose in unison and bowed. “Long live the Emperor, long live the Empress Dowager!”
“There’s no need for formalities. Rise.”
Emperor Wu Xuan sat down, and the Empress Dowager sat at the side. She had a head of white hair, and her posture was kind.
There were also two women sitting beside Emperor Wu Xuan. One of them was Empress Li, who was now in charge of the harem. She looked very haggard, and her thick makeup could not hide her illness. On her right was a man in plain clothing with a medicine box on his right.
As for the other woman, she had a plump and soft figure, and her brows were full of arrogance.
It was Li Changning’s mother… and also Fifth Prince’s mother, Noble Consort An.
Bai Xianyu could not help but feel sympathy in her heart when she saw Empress Li’s sickly appearance. She could not even attend such a birthday banquet without taking medicine.
Empress Li had given birth to Emperor Wu Xuan’s eldest son and eldest daughter. They were the Eldest Prince and the Eldest Princess.
Unfortunately, the eldest son died prematurely, and the Eldest Princess was sent away for a marriage alliance for peace. They had not seen each other for many years. Although she was known as the Empress, she was walking on thin ice.
“Everyone, don’t be restrained. Just treat it as an ordinary family banquet.”
Everyone said, “Yes.”
The eunuch in charge walked in front of Emperor Wu Xuan and asked in a low voice, “Offer the Gifts!”
There was an order to the offering of gifts. They walked to the front according to the order on the list of gifts.
The first was the Second Prince, Li Dan. He was dressed in green and bowed respectfully. “Greetings to Father and Great-Grandmother.”
“Rise.”
“The gift I prepared for Great-Grandma is a cloak made of the fur of an extremely rare mysterious ice fox. Great-Grandma’s body is of the cold constitution, wearing this coat, you’ll not be cold again.”
The Empress Dowager nodded repeatedly. “Not bad. Dan’er is very considerate.”
It was only after the imperial family’s relatives had offered their gifts that it was the turn of the important ministers to offer theirs.
“Next, the Kingdom-Stabilizing General’s Manor, Bai Xianyu.”
As the eunuch’s voice sounded, the gaze of everyone at the entire venue shifted to Bai Xianyu.
The dress she was wearing glistened brightly under the moonlight. Her long sleeves fluttered in the wind, making her look dazzling. Her eyebrows were exquisite, and the curve of her lips was just right.
Everyone on and off the stage was stunned for a moment by this dazzling person.
“This Miss Bai is so beautiful. 1 almost couldn’t recognize her.”
“When she was young, one could tell that she was a perfect beauty. Now, she’s just blooming. Speaking of which, Bai Xianyu should be turning 15 soon…”
The elders were all looking at the kid.
As for the other women, they could not take their eyes off Bai Xianyu. Teenager girls loved to look beautiful.
“This dress is too beautiful. Why haven’t 1 seen this material before?”
“I think it has been processed to become like this. 1 wonder which shop has such good craftsmanship.”
“Isn’t that simple? I’ll ask her when the banquet is over!”
Even Noble Consort An was stunned by her dress.
Although she was not as beautiful as Bai Xianyu, clothes were everything. If she had clothes like hers, she would probably be able to please the emperor even more.
Most of the women in the harem served with their beauty. When their beauty declined, they were abandoned.
Bai Xianyu bowed respectfully and got someone to unfold it. It was a Hundred Years Painting.
The Empress Dowager’s eyes revealed a satisfied expression. When one was in their twilight years, they hoped that they could only live for a long time. “These words are not bad. Did you write them yourself?”
“Reporting to the Empress Dowager, it was written by me.”
“Not bad. I like it very much. Look at the reward.”
The eunuch in charge bowed and smiled. “Yes!”
Li Changning narrowed her eyes and winked at Qiao’er, who was standing opposite her.
Bai Xianyu stood in the middle of the stage and bowed to receive the reward. “Thank you, Your Majesty. Thank you, Empress Dowager, for your reward.”
At the same time, Qiao’er calmly changed a cup of hot tea for Bai Xianyu before doing the same to the person beside her.
Bai Xianyu received the reward and placed a pair of jade ruyi by the table before picking up her tea..