novelraw Chapter 1084: Truly a Blunder
Chapter 1084: Truly a Blunder
After a round of pleasantries, Prince Jin finally felt at ease.His attitude towards the Fifth Prince softened slightly.
"Let’s go inside together!" Prince Jin said indifferently.
The Fifth Prince quickly responded.
"Yes! Father, please go ahead!"
His attentive and diligent attitude pleased Prince Jin greatly.
They entered the main hall.
The civil and military officials of the Great Chu Dynasty greeted them respectfully.
Zhao Junyao’s demeanor was as warm as a spring breeze, matching the room’s atmosphere.
Prince Jin was at a loss for a reason to express any dissatisfaction.
He pondered inwardly:
The Great Chu Dynasty seemed courteous but was full of deceit, always seeking an opportunity to cause trouble.
Even minor affairs like welcoming the envoy delegation could be made unpleasant.
Truly sinister and cunning.
Why shouldn’t he do the same and let them taste some discomfort too?
In their words, this was ’using their own methods against them’!
Prince Jin took a deep breath.
He masked all traces of displeasure on his face, replacing it with a friendly expression.
After more polite exchanges,
Zhao Junyao waved his hand.
Ornately dressed female dancers floated in, leaving a fragrant breeze in their wake,
wearing the most beautiful sheer outfits, swaying their graceful waists as they danced to the elegant court music.
They resembled colorful butterflies fluttering through a spring garden.
In the main hall, music and dance flourished, with revelry and toasts creating a lively atmosphere.
After a few rounds of drinks,
Prince Jin raised his cup to Zhao Junyao and said,
"I toast to the Emperor of Great Chu with this cup!"
"Oh?" Zhao Junyao raised an eyebrow.
With a look that invited an explanation.
Prince Jin continued,
"I have only one daughter, Hai Feng, whom I’ve cherished like a precious jewel since she was young!"
"Since she got married, the thought of her being so far from me has left me restless and yearning, to the point of illness!"
"Today, having finally seen her and finding that she has been well cared for in the Great Chu, I, as her father, am relieved!"
"It’s all thanks to the considerate care of the Emperor of Great Chu and the Fifth Prince. I toast to the Emperor of Great Chu!"
With that, he raised his cup to Zhao Junyao and downed it in one go.
Zhao Junyao grinned confidently.
"It is what we should do!" He said and also drank his cup in one gulp.
Prince Jin praised him emphatically.
"The Emperor of Great Chu has good drinking capacity!"
Zhao Junyao didn’t want to be outdone and smirked lightly.
"Likewise!"
On the surface, there were drinks and dances aplenty, while beneath, there were sharp exchanges and mutual traps.
After several rounds of back-and-forth,
Prince Jin finally realized that his verbal skills could never match Zhao Junyao’s.
Grumbling internally about the ’scholarly bunch’, he reluctantly conceded defeat.
But he comforted himself internally.
’If I can’t win with words, as long as my martial prowess is superior!’
’Royal power and wealth can’t be safeguarded with smooth talk; the real deal still lies in who has the tougher fist!’
With that thought, Prince Jin felt somewhat reassured.
The banquet went on.
In the second half,
Prince Jin tried another tactic to annoy Zhao Junyao.
One moment boasting about how many gifts he brought to the Great Chu Dynasty,
Another moment bragging about the bravery of Western Xia’s warriors and the strength of their steeds.
And then going on about the unmatched beauty and allure of Western Xia’s women, distinct from those of the Great Chu Dynasty, and so on.
As he spoke these words,
Zhao Junyao maintained an expression of ’whatever makes you happy’.
But at the last remark,
Zhao Junyao nearly spat out his tea.
"Great Chu’s Emperor! I have meticulously chosen over a dozen beautiful women from Western Xia as a gift to the Emperor of Great Chu!"
"This is a token of my heartfelt sincerity!" You absolutely must accept~
Prince Jin spoke with such earnestness, as if eager to prove his loyalty and boldness.
Zhao Junyao found himself at a loss for words to refuse.
Exchanging women as gifts between foreign nations was not unusual and was quite common.
There were gifts for ministers, as well as for emperors.
The Western Xia Kingdom, as a great nation, offering beauties to the Emperor of Great Chu was not considered presumptuous.
So... it was reasonable and appropriate.
Zhao Junyao couldn’t find a reason to refuse.
Yet he felt stifled inside!
He didn’t even want the fine ladies of his own country, let alone foreign ones...
It really felt like avoiding one trouble only to run into another, the more he thought, the more perturbed he became.
What would he say to Qingqing...
Throughout the second half of the banquet,
Zhao Junyao’s mind wandered.
Prince Jin noticed as well.
Yet, try as he might, he couldn’t understand why the Emperor of Great Chu was displeased.
He turned to quietly discuss with his confidants for a long time.
Eventually, they all agreed.
’The Emperor of Great Chu must be dissatisfied with the perceived lack of value in Western Xia’s gifts!’
’He’s uneasy because his own leaving gifts would appear too cheap and make him feel at a disadvantage!’
Upon realization,
Prince Jin began to disdain Zhao Junyao.
’To think the Great Chu Dynasty still claims to be the leader of all nations, the Celestial Empire!’
’If even the emperor is so stingy, how good could the common people be!’
’The grandeur of this Capital City must just be a facade for face value!’
’Heh, indeed, bookish learning misleads the nation, turning everyone into fools, making the entire Great Chu Dynasty appear broke and shabby!’
Feeling more disdainful by the minute, Prince Jin began to regret marrying Fengfeng over.
Alas! What a blunder!
After a brief moment of regret,
He decided to leave a few of Western Xia’s warriors by Fengfeng’s side.
First, to properly teach his grandson martial arts,
and secondly to protect Fengfeng.
Married into the Royal Family, she would inevitably face grievances, having protection nearby would give him peace of mind!
Prince Jin was extremely pleased with his decision.
The smile on his face broadened significantly.
However...
Zhao Junyao was not in the mood to deal with him.
After another few rounds of drinks, everyone was slightly drunk.
Conversations became more frequent, and the atmosphere grew livelier than before.
Each person, with flushed faces and slurred speech, engaged in small talk in groups of threes and fours.
Seeing that there was nothing pressing,
Zhao Junyao used the excuse of important matters to pat his back and leave.
Only leaving behind a few older princes from the Royal Clan, along with several princes including the Fifth, Sixth, and Little Seventh, as well as ministers to keep company.
After all, Prince Jin was merely a prince. In terms of seniority, the Royal Family’s older princes were present, so the hierarchy was intact.
In terms of status, several of the Great Chu Dynasty’s commandery princes were present as well, so he wasn’t really slighted.
In summary,
Zhao Junyao had fulfilled his duties as a host and didn’t need to constantly accompany him!
Moreover, speaking in different dialects for more than half a sentence was bothersome, and he couldn’t be bothered with it!
...
At the banquet.
After Zhao Junyao’s departure,
Prince Jin felt an entire sense of relief, as if the most troublesome person had finally left.
He began speaking and acting without much thought.
Fueled by alcohol, he blurted out everything he should and shouldn’t have said.
The gist of his words was:
The citizens of the Great Chu Dynasty all had this scholarly air about them, unable to lift or carry.
The men lacked the demeanor of men.
As for the women, don’t get me started, only whining and being a nuisance!
As he vented, Prince Jin felt utterly refreshed.
However...
He could speak, but others weren’t mute either.
His remarks were swiftly rebutted by the Seventh Prince.
Zhao Junyan sneered.
"Men not like men? Prince Jin has quite the audacity!"
"Though I am unworthy, I am willing to have a match with the warriors of Western Xia..."