Chapter 84
Xiao Minghuang patted Ye Ruoshui's head and said softly:
"Don't worry, Ruoshui, I will bring Eunuch Wang with me to this banquet. With his protection, nothing unexpected will happen."
Mentioning Wang Jin didn't calm Ye Ruoshui down; instead, it made her even more unhappy.
"When His Highness was assassinated last time, Wang Jin was right there, and the assassin almost succeeded. Can he be trusted?"
Xiao Minghuang looked helpless. She found that Ye Ruoshui, this little girl, seemed to get stuck on some strange things.
It seems that Wang Jin still harbors a grudge against her after the last assassination attempt, and she hasn't gotten over it yet.
Lin Wanqiu quickly smoothed things over, saying:
"Eunuch Wang is a master of the Divine Sea Eighth Level Realm, which is higher than that of King Wu'an. He was careless last time, but he has learned his lesson and will not make the same mistake again."
"Don't worry, everything will be fine."
Xiao Minghuang also offered gentle words of comfort.
Under their gentle words, Ye Ruoshui finally felt relieved. She smiled and said:
"Your Highness, please be careful!"
"Rest assured!"
The words had barely left his mouth.
Xiao Minghuang dared not linger any longer, fearing that Ye Ruoshui would not be able to understand again, and hurriedly left.
Only Lin Wanqiu and Ye Ruoshui remained in the room.
The two sat facing each other, and the atmosphere fell silent for a moment.
Suddenly.
Lin Wanqiu's voice slowly rang out.
"Ruoshui, you should know that Her Highness is destined to become the ruler of a nation. Her stage is not limited to this corner of Great Xia; it may extend to all Thirty-Six Kingdoms, and perhaps the entire Southern Border will submit to her."
"Her Highness is too soft-hearted, especially towards you. She knows these things in her heart, but she can't bring herself to say them to you."
"But if we don't tell you, it might actually harm you in the long run, so I'll take the blame!"
As soon as she spoke, Ye Ruoshui's expression darkened, and her head drooped like a wilted eggplant.
Am I... being very willful?
[#-
Seeing Ye Ruoshui's remorseful expression, Lin Wanqiu's expression softened slightly, and she said gently:
"You are still young, and it's normal for you to be willful. But since we are His Highness's people, we can't just act on our own whims. We need to consider His Highness's feelings."
"Your Highness and we are one entity. Your Highness's benefit is our benefit, and Your Highness's loss is our loss. So, do you understand what I mean?"
"Ruoshui, it's time for you to grow up..."
Upon hearing this, Ye Ruoshui looked thoughtful.
A moment later, she raised her head, her eyes filled with determination:
"Sister Lin, I understand!"
"Okay! Good that you understand."
Hearing Ye Ruoshui's words, Lin Wanqiu breathed a sigh of relief, and a gratified smile appeared on her face.
Although Ye Ruoshui is willful, she has good character.
In this situation, it's enough to make her realize some things. That way, no matter what happens in the future, she can deal with it calmly and won't be willful anymore.
Only someone like Ye Ruoshui can truly become a strong person, instead of a child who always needs to be taken care of and who will fail at crucial moments.
That's about all for now.
Lin Wanqiu smiled and said:
"I've talked a lot today, so I won't disturb your rest any longer. See you later!"
Ye Ruoshui stood up.
"I'll take Sister Lin there!"
A day passed in the blink of an eye.
As evening fell, a large number of carriages and horses, numbering in the dozens or even hundreds, gathered in front of the Wu'an King's Residence's Mansion, creating a bustling and noisy scene.
One after another, magnificent and luxurious carriages slowly approached, stopped by the roadside, and the drivers dismounted, opened the curtains, unloaded the contents of the carriages and placed them on the ground, before driving the carriages away.
The carriage was filled with all sorts of precious treasures, including gold and silver jewelry, fine wines, silks and beautiful clothes, all gifts from the guests to King Wu'an.
Just as the clamor was deafening, a series of metallic clanging sounds rang out.
A large contingent of armored guards, marching in neat formation, escorted a magnificent and solemn carriage toward the Wu'an King's Residence.
Before and behind the carriage, graceful and pretty young girls carrying flower baskets stood indistinctly on either side.
At the head of the convoy, an elderly man with a wrinkled face and white hair rode forward on horseback. His whole being was as deep and unfathomable as a vast, moving ocean.
This massive team immediately drew everyone's attention upon their arrival, leaving them all wide-eyed and utterly astonished.
"Three thousand armored warriors clearing the way, guarded by experts at the Divine Sea Realm —who is this person? What a grand display!"
A local official said in shock.
The crowd was buzzing with discussion.
This group of people must be extraordinary.
At the same time.
The gates of the Wu'an King's Residence were wide open, and a burly figure strode out.
The figure, dressed in a blue python robe, was tall and imposing, with piercing, tiger-like eyes that exuded power and commanded respect. He was none other than the King Wu'an.
"Greetings, King Wu'an!"
A group of guards and servants from the Wu'an King's Residence stood in front of him.
King Wu'an simply waved his hand, ignoring his servants.
As they stepped out of the gate, many guests also paid their respects to King Wu'an.
"Your Highness, it has been many years since we last met. How have you been?"
This was a powerful expert at the Divine Sea Realm stationed in the city. He had been friends with King Wu'an for many years and they were like close confidants. He cupped his hands and smiled.
"My old friend, please forgive us, we have distinguished guests visiting today, let's cut to the chase!"
The King Wu'an merely cupped his hands in greeting, his pace undiminished, and he bypassed the city lord at the Divine Sea Realm, heading straight for the convoy.
Seeing this scene.
Everyone present was greatly shocked.
"That's a seasoned expert at the Divine Sea Realm who has guarded a city for many years. His status is no different from that of Imperial Family Enshrined. How could King Wu'an treat him with such contempt? Just who is in that carriage?"
"Even the princes are not worthy of such condescension from the King Wu'an. Could it be that His Majesty himself is in the carriage?"
Everyone present made guesses, but no one could figure it out.
It was around this time.
"Gentlemen, I've thought of a possibility. Could the person inside the carriage be the rising star, Princess Ziwei?"
Upon hearing this, the noisy atmosphere immediately paused.
Most of the people present were not locals of the capital; they had come from all over the country to attend the banquet, so they were not familiar with the situation in the capital.
Upon hearing the words "Princess Ziwei," someone looked puzzled and asked:
"May I ask, Your Excellency, which imperial heir is Princess Ziwei?"
Someone laughed:
"Your Excellency is truly ignorant. Princess Ziwei is, of course, His Majesty's only daughter, the Ninth Princess Xiao Minghuang."
It was around this time.
King Wu'an walked up to the carriage.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the King Wu'an, whose body was as imposing as an iron tower, suddenly knelt down.
He knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in a respectful gesture, and said:
"Your subject, Prince King Wu'an, Xu Jingwei, respectfully welcomes Princess Ziwei to the banquet!"
The words had barely left his mouth.
The atmosphere in the entire room froze!
Everyone present gasped in shock.
King Wu'an actually knelt down before Princess Ziwei in the carriage!
This news is absolutely shocking!
"Has King Wu'an already sided with Princess Ziwei?"
"The Second Prince clearly has the best chance of winning right now, so why would he kick the Second Prince aside and pledge allegiance to Princess Ziwei?"
"Why would King Wu'an, a seasoned official who has seen it all, do something so unwise? Could there be some hidden reason behind this?"
Just as everyone's attention was drawn to this scene, on a terrace in the Prince's mansion, the Second Prince lightly waved his folding fan, his eyes filled with sinister intent. He sneered and muttered to himself:
"To destroy someone, you must first drive them mad. This prince's tactic of flattery to kill—I wonder if you can withstand it..."
Xiao Minghuang had seen everything that was happening in the outside world.
Although they had guessed before they came that the King Wu'an might try to win her over, they never imagined that the King Wu'an, a powerful expert at the Divine Sea Seventh Level Realm, would kneel down in front of her carriage in front of everyone.
This is undoubtedly a declaration of allegiance.
This almost completely disrupted all her expectations and preparations.
However, Xiao Minghuang remained calm and composed.
The curtain was drawn back by a maid, revealing the outside world.
The King Wu'an knelt on one knee in front of the chariot, his imposing head bowed, symbolizing his offering of loyalty.
She slowly rose, stepped out of the carriage, her expression calm and serene, exuding an air of dignified elegance and nobility, and said in a gentle voice:
"I am here today solely for the banquet, and this is a private matter, not a public one. King Wu'an's gesture of courtesy is truly excessive!"
"Propriety must not be disregarded; Your Highness, I thank you!"
King Wu'an stood up, a humble smile on his face, and said...
From the expression on King Wu'an's face, Xiao Minghuang couldn't discern anything and had no idea what this man was up to.
"Today's banquet is destined to be anything but peaceful..."
Xiao Minghuang murmured to herself.
Next, Xiao Minghuang followed King Wu'an to her seat.
Since there was still time, there weren't many guests. There were only about ten tables set up in the main hall.
However, there were over a hundred tables set up in the courtyard.
Clearly, the princes and princesses feasting inside the palace were all important figures of both status and power.
Other officials who lacked power or held low positions could only make do in the open.
However, even when they were dining in the courtyard, they were all in high spirits, as if they had received some great blessing.
As everyone knows, apart from the Emperor Xia, the King Wu'an wields the most power in the entire Great Xia.
Nearly half of the officials in the court were from the patronage of King Wu'an.
But this great figure, with unparalleled strength, power, and status, actually knelt down before Princess Ziwei.
One can imagine how shocking what just happened was for everyone present.