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墨書 Inktalez
Not long after, Lu Chen arrived at the palace, which had been completely renovated from the former Han Wangfu into a unique royal palace.
In comparison, Han Wangfu was merely a manor, looking no different from an ordinary mansion, with perhaps just a few more guards. The palace, however, was different; its architectural style and the layout of various halls were much more luxurious.
This could be clearly seen when comparing the current Jianzhou City Palace with the former Han Wangfu. Standing in front of the palace, Lu Chen couldn't help but smile mysteriously, feeling a mix of emotions inside.
After savoring the moment at the palace entrance, Lu Chen presented his invitation, and someone immediately went in to report. Shortly after, a eunuch came out to greet them and led Lu Chen and his companions deeper into the palace through several archways and halls.
At this moment, within the Korean palace, a morning court session was underway. Lu Chen and his group were led to a side area to rest. During the court session, Emperor Chu Mang specifically mentioned the visit of the Loyalty Duke from the Daiwa Dynasty to Korea.
Under the guidance of the eunuch, Lu Chen and his companions walked forward step by step. Being inside the palace meant that there were guards everywhere, creating an atmosphere of strictness and silence. Lu Chen and his group walked with their heads held high and chests out.
Just after passing through Chongyang Gate, they entered a corridor flanked by tall red walls. At that moment, a pair of maidservants approached from ahead.
Both maidservants were holding lanterns, and among them was a palanquin carried by several people, on which sat a young girl.
The girl appeared to be in her twenties, with delicate features. She wore a feathered headdress and a gauzy dress, clearly indicating her status as a princess. As their paths crossed, the procession suddenly halted.
"Grand Eunuch Li, since the morning court should have concluded by now, why are you not attending to my father but here instead?" A soft yet questioning voice came from within the procession directed at Grand Eunuch Li.
It turned out that the eunuch responsible for guiding Lu Chen's group was named Grand Eunuch Li, who served closely beside Emperor Chu Mang. He was usually tasked with attending to him. At this time, having presumably finished with the morning court, Grand Eunuch Li should have been by Chu Mang's side.
However, seeing Grand Eunuch Li at Chongyang Gate puzzled the young princess, prompting her inquiry.
Upon hearing her question, Grand Eunuch Li immediately dared not be negligent; he clapped his sleeves together loudly.
"Your Highness, I am here on His Majesty's orders to welcome guests. This guest is quite extraordinary; he is the Loyalty Duke from the Daiwa Dynasty. That is why His Majesty sent me personally to greet him," Grand Eunuch Li explained.
Since Grand Eunuch Li was somewhat far from Lu Chen, he felt bold enough to speak freely in front of the princess, thinking Lu Chen couldn't hear him. In reality, Lu Chen heard everything but chose not to confront the eunuch. He recognized who was sitting in the palanquin above.
"The guest from Daiwa Dynasty? I would like to see him," said the princess with interest in meeting someone from Daiwa Dynasty since it was merely a chance encounter on their path.
Lu Chen snorted coldly; this Chu Yuzhu had always been spoiled and was Emperor Chu Mang's only daughter with a naturally high status. She treated everyone with disdain. Even though Lu Chen was now the Loyalty Duke of Daiwa Dynasty in her eyes, he seemed insignificant to her. Lu Chen had long understood her temperament but did not wish to make things difficult for her.
"This? That might be a bit inappropriate, after all, this is a guest personally appointed by the Emperor. If I do this, it might be a breach of court etiquette." Grand Eunuch Li, upon hearing Chu Yuzhu's request, immediately felt distressed and didn't know what to do. Blindly asking Lu Chen to meet with Chu Yuzhu would certainly be disrespectful. However, everyone knew about the temper of the young lady Chu Yuzhu.
"Hmm? What do you mean? Just because he is my father's guest, I can't meet him? Grand Eunuch Li, you have quite the burden!" Chu Yuzhu was instantly angered by Grand Eunuch Li's words and looked ready to explode.
"Princess, please calm down. Allow me to ask first; if the guest has no objections, I believe the Emperor would not blame me if he found out," Grand Eunuch Li said after some thought, and then he started walking towards Lu Chen.
On Lu Chen's side, a group of over ten people had also stopped in place. Grand Eunuch Li surely thought that Lu Chen was unaware of their conversation, but in reality, Lu Chen had already understood everything clearly; nothing could escape his ears.
As Grand Eunuch Li approached and stood before Lu Chen, he said, "Marquis, our princess wishes to meet you. I wonder if it would be convenient for you. The Emperor is still in morning court and likely busy; perhaps the princess could meet with you first and accompany you for a stroll to enjoy the scenery. What do you think?" Grand Eunuch Li spoke reasonably and earnestly.
It was clear that Grand Eunuch Li was trying his best; he didn't want to offend either side and simply wished to quietly serve as a eunuch.
However, Lu Chen's attitude was resolute; he simply stated two words: "Not meeting." Lu Chen refused to see Chu Yuzhu, which made her anxious.
"Grandfather, what do you take me for? I came to meet your Emperor, not your princess. Please understand the situation and don't disrupt the etiquette. If this happened in our Daiwa Dynasty, heads would have rolled by now."
Lu Chen spoke with righteous indignation, leaving Grand Eunuch Li speechless and unable to retort.
Lu Chen's argument was sound; he had come at the invitation of Emperor Chu Mang to the Western Seven States. To directly go meet a princess was inappropriate. If word got out that such a thing happened in the palace while the princess was unmarried, it would be a laughingstock.
Without caring about Grand Eunuch Li's expression any longer, Lu Chen simply ordered his people to leave and walked straight ahead.
As he passed by Chu Yuzhu, he deliberately concealed his appearance so she couldn't see him, which infuriated her even more.
On Chu Yuzhu's side, there were too many people in the narrow alleyway, making it difficult to turn around quickly. Even if she wanted to chase after Lu Chen now, it was too late. Soon after, Lu Chen and his group completely exited the alleyway. After a while, Grand Eunuch Li finally caught up.
At this moment, Grand Eunuch Li looked flustered and worried; it was evident that he had been scolded by the princess and had nowhere to vent his frustration. He wore a stern face in front of Lu Chen and was clearly cursing him internally for being ungrateful.
However, Lu Chen couldn't be bothered to argue with him. Such a eunuch had been castrated long ago and had lost all masculine aura; he was merely effeminate and comparable to an ordinary woman. If Lu Chen were to argue with him, it would be beneath his dignity.
Afterward, Lu Chen and his group arrived at a courtyard that resembled a private club. Under Grand Eunuch Li's arrangement, they temporarily rested there for a while with good tea and water served without any negligence.
Before long, they set off again towards Weiyang Palace—the palace where Emperor Chu Mang resided. It was also where court meetings were held and where ministers gathered to discuss state affairs regularly; its significance was immense.
Lu Chen and his companions moved forward step by step, maintaining a calm demeanor. Before long, under the guidance of Grand Eunuch Li, they arrived at Weiyang Palace. A eunuch outside shouted loudly to announce their arrival.
Immediately, Lu Chen entered the palace with two or three people, while the others waited outside. Lu Chen walked with his head held high and chest out, moving through the palace where ministers from Korea lined both sides, their eyes scanning him like venomous snakes.
Lu Chen looked up at Chu Mang, who was seated on the dragon throne. He appeared almost unchanged, except now he wore a Dragon Robe and a Crown, looking much more imposing than before. Lu Chen paid his respects and presented the invitation letter along with a list of gifts to Chu Mang.
"This is the Loyalty Duke from the Daiwa Dynasty, but he seems a bit older than expected; he is completely different from what I imagined," Chu Mang said from the dragon throne, somewhat surprised. His expression was one of shock; Chu Mang was naturally dull-witted.
Nearby, other ministers were discussing among themselves, expressing disbelief that Lu Chen looked too old to be the Loyalty Duke of the Daiwa Dynasty and the Grand Marshal of the Army. This was hard for them to accept, and there was certainly an element of discrimination involved.
Lu Chen understood that he was visiting in a private capacity for diplomatic purposes and had not arranged for any grand display; this was something he personally rejected. He preferred not to indulge in extravagance and favored a low-key approach.
"Your Majesty, a person's age does not signify much. Was there not a Champion Marquis in the Former Han Dynasty? He was granted a title at seventeen; besides, I am already in my twenties—what is so surprising about that?" Lu Chen stated firmly in front of the civil and military officials of the Han Dynasty, his tone resolute and showing no signs of weakness.
Although this was the palace of the Han Dynasty, Lu Chen's presence was commanding; he intended to intimidate others.
As soon as Lu Chen finished speaking, there was an uproar among the court; even Emperor Chu Mang was taken aback. They had initially hoped to ridicule Lu Chen.
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