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墨書 Inktalez
After enduring nearly an hour in front of the bronze mirror, Mei Shuang finally heard her maid, who had been fussing over her head, say "Alright" just as she was about to fall asleep. Mei Shuang felt as if she had been granted amnesty, but when she opened her eyes, she was startled by the unfamiliar woman reflected in the mirror, instantly wide awake.
With a towering hairstyle, bright red lips, and two patches of unblended rouge on her cheeks, she looked just like a character from a play, with such a stark difference in aesthetics that it was a waste of cosmetics and even more so of herself.
Mei Shuang sighed, "I'll do it myself."
At dusk, after a busy afternoon, Xiao Luo emerged from the Hall of Governance and headed straight for the back garden. From a distance, he saw Mei Shuang gracefully walking towards him accompanied by her maid, just coming out of the back garden.
Aside from her light yellow gauze dress, there seemed to be no other changes. Xiao Luo frowned in displeasure; did she not know what day it was?
However, as Mei Shuang approached against the setting sun, her gait was light and airy. With the gentle breeze flowing through her long hair and flowing garments, she resembled a Celestial Maiden, exuding an ethereal charm.
As she got closer, Xiao Luo noticed that Mei Shuang did not have her usual plain appearance; she was wearing makeup. On her flawless white face was only a hint of blush. Although subtle, the makeup still conveyed a sense of dignity and vitality.
Seeing the emperor's gaze lingering on her face, Mei Shuang worried that she had not met the maid's standards and quickly explained, "Your Majesty, this is called 'nude makeup,' commonly known as 'transparent makeup'..."
"Nude makeup?" Xiao Luo furrowed his brow; it was a new term. However, to be honest, despite its strange name, it was quite pleasing to the eye—fresh and natural with a hint of feminine fragrance that was indeed refreshing compared to the vulgar scent of heavy cosmetics.
The banquet for the Exotic Envoy was set in Changqing Hall.
Changqing Hall had always been the venue for hosting foreign envoys. It was grand and atmospheric, with every detail reflecting the essence of Central Plains culture. At this moment, it was adorned with lights and decorations, bright as day.
From afar, they could hear the melodious sound of Silk and Bamboo Music. For a moment, Mei Shuang felt dazed; this music sounded so familiar. Looking at the man beside her gave her an almost surreal feeling.
Suddenly feeling her hand gently taken, she felt as if she had returned to her wedding day when this very man had once held her hand...
"May Your Majesty be blessed."
A clear and crisp greeting, like that of a yellow oriole, startled Mei Shuang, who was still in a daze. As her spirit returned to her body, she quickly withdrew her hand from Xiao Luo's grasp. Upon focusing her gaze, she saw a young woman dressed in exotic attire, gazing at Xiao Luo with sparkling eyes. Of course, she did not forget to assess the woman who had just been holding hands with this imposing emperor. At first glance, there was an immediate sense of astonishment.
With the soft touch suddenly gone, Xiao Luo felt empty-handed and immediately displeased. He glanced sideways at Mei Shuang, who looked as if she were stealing away, and huffed slightly through his nose. "Princess, please rise."
Princess? Mei Shuang looked in surprise at the sweet-faced princess, whose hair was styled high and secured with three long pearl hairpins. Her outfit was a creamy white base adorned with large, peculiar patterns resembling facial masks.
In fact, she appeared to be no more than twenty years old; however, this attire aged her by at least seven or eight years, giving off a rather mature vibe.
Mei Shuang nodded slightly at the princess before following Xiao Luo away, unaware of the thoughtful gaze directed at her from behind.
When Xiao Luo entered the grand hall, the foreign envoy and court officials, along with several concubines led by Consort Chen, were already present. Upon seeing Xiao Luo enter, they immediately stood up and paid their respects to the emperor.
Naturally, their attention did not overlook the beautiful woman accompanying Xiao Luo.
Among the many gazes were expressions of surprise, envy, and curiosity; most were speculating and eager to know the identity of this woman.
If she were the Empress, she certainly would not be dressed so simply. If she were anyone else, how could she accompany the emperor so openly?
As Xiao Luo walked toward the throne in the center of Changqing Hall, Mei Shuang felt as if she were under a five-hundred-watt spotlight. The short distance made her mouth dry and her eyes twitch slightly.
However, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed an unusual gaze coming from one direction. She turned her head slightly and met the eyes of its owner.
The other person seemed to have anticipated that she would look over; when they caught sight of Mei Shuang turning her gaze, a hint of meaning flickered at the corners of their lips.
At that moment, Mei Shuang felt a flash of recognition—how familiar this person looked!
Her gaze only briefly met Mei Shuang's before it shifted away, as Xiao Luo had already stopped and turned to sit on his dragon throne. She was guided by Li Gonggong to the first available seat on Xiao Luo's lower right side.
As she sat down, everyone present understood that this woman, even without wearing the Empress's attire of the Great Qin Empire, held a status equivalent to that of the Empress; in fact, she might very well be the Empress.
Mei Shuang did not feel anything amiss as she took her seat; she simply thought the position was too forward and somewhat unfamiliar. Especially under everyone's gaze, she felt a bit uneasy.
However, since she was there, she decided to make herself comfortable. As she settled in, she noticed her neighbor, Consort Chen, sitting beside her. A thought crossed her mind: why was her position even more prominent than that of Consort Chen, who ranked highest in the palace? She quickly realized the implication of Xiao Luo's words from yesterday.
She was completely unprepared!
Mei Shuang forced a smile as she sat down and raised her eyes, only to meet the gaze of the man across from her once again.
This time, she remembered; he was the man she had encountered at the bow of the boat while returning to the palace with Nangong Nuo. At that time, he had been elegant and refined with his feather fan and silk scarf. However, today his attire resembled that of the princess from earlier, indicating they were likely together.
To her surprise, he was actually the main guest for tonight's banquet—the Exotic Envoy!
He clearly recognized her as well and offered her a slight smile.
Mei Shuang's heart skipped a beat; it seemed inappropriate to greet a stranger in such a setting. Thus, she chose to pretend not to recognize him and lowered her gaze.
The sound of silk and bamboo instruments ceased as Xiao Luo began his address as the ruler of a nation.
This was Mei Shuang's first experience hearing an official speech. She did not expect Xiao Luo to be so eloquent; his commanding presence combined with his calm demeanor made each word resonate powerfully. His humor did not detract from his authority, causing the foreign envoys who understood Chinese to nod frequently with smiles on their faces.
Mei Shuang listened intently, marveling at the beauty of the Chinese language, which truly captivated her heart.
Suddenly, Xiao Luo said, "I know that some of the envoys from Yamataikoku do not understand Chinese, so I will have my court officials translate my words accurately for you all."
Yamatai? Mei Shuang felt a jolt in her eyelids. Damn it! Today, Xiao Luo invited her to this banquet, which was purely a trap!
Previously, she had worried a lot about the Eastern Kingdom opposing Yamatai, but she didn't expect the people from Yamataikoku to be so close, less than ten feet away.
She couldn't help but secretly rejoice; fortunately, when the other party smiled at her earlier, she didn't respond. She must not let them recognize her.
While she was still in shock and relief, a court official standing behind Xiao Luo translated his words. The fluent Eastern Kingdom language caught her attention. Upon closer inspection, she realized that it was none other than the man dressed in male attire, Shijieyu.
After the speech, Xiao Luo raised his wine cup and invited everyone to drink together.
Mei Shuang lifted her cup, and as she waved her wide sleeves, she caught a glimpse of the envoy across from her actually raising his cup towards her.
Oh no! I’m trying hard to pretend I don’t know you, and yet you insist on acting like we’re acquainted.
Feeling disgruntled, Mei Shuang downed the wine in her cup. She didn’t expect it to be a bit spicy; as she forced it down, her face turned red. The key point was that she caught a glimpse of a smile at the corner of the other party's lips.
Setting down her cup, Xiao Luo smiled and said, “The envoy from Yamataikoku, Anriyan, what are your thoughts on your visit to Purple Dawn City?”
Anriyan stood up, his gaze calm. He spoke in fluent Chinese, “I have heard that the Great Qin Empire is vast and populous, with its citizens living in peace and prosperity. The governance of the Empress of the Great Qin Empire is commendable, bringing blessings to the people of the world. In these past few days of touring the capital, I have been deeply impressed; it is truly beautiful,” he paused slightly, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over Mei Shuang, “and the people are even more beautiful.”
Though his gaze lingered on her face for just a moment, its depth and unspoken meaning made Mei Shuang's eyelids flutter; she nearly dropped the spoon in her hand.
She tightened her grip and lowered her eyes. The subtle motion of tightening her hold on the spoon did not escape Xiao Luo's notice; he nodded slightly.
Anriyan sat upright, and the young princess beside him was equally unyielding, standing up to directly confront Mei Shuang. Although she wore a bright smile, her words flowed fluently in Mandarin without a hint of hesitation. "I have heard that the Central Plains produce beauties, and having just seen the Emperor's consorts, each one is as lovely as a flower. To see the person accompanying the Emperor is truly astonishing. I wonder if the Emperor has had the fortune to make her acquaintance?"
In an instant, everyone's gaze shifted towards Mei Shuang in response to the Exotic Princess's words.
Mei Shuang felt a rush of heat to her face; the sensation of being in the spotlight returned. She felt as if she were sitting on pins and needles, her eyes could only turn towards Xiao Luo on the dragon throne.
Inside, she was anxious enough to jump up. She feared that Xiao Luo would introduce her with phrases like "this is my Empress" or "this is my future Empress." In short, no matter how Xiao Luo introduced her, she hoped he would not mention "Empress."
However, Xiao Luo seemed not to hear her at all. He leisurely picked up his teacup and took a sip before gently placing it down. His gaze turned to Mei Shuang as he spoke, "Princess Ziqing, do you know my Great Qin Empire's Empress?"
"Empress?" Princess Ziqing frowned, looking at Mei Shuang as if in disbelief. "I have heard that the Great Qin Empire is wealthy; why does the Empress dress so poorly?"
As soon as Princess Ziqing's words left her mouth, many people gasped in shock. Several court officials were ready to roar at this impolite foreign girl. Damn it, does she not understand etiquette?
Even Anriyan frowned upon hearing this and cast a disapproving glance at Princess Ziqing. Unwillingly, Princess Ziqing sat down but felt wronged inside. From their first meeting, she had been infatuated with the valiant Empress of the Great Qin Empire. She never expected him to hold hands with this woman; it made her feel utterly miserable.
However, some people found joy in the words of this ill-mannered princess, such as Consort Chen and others sitting beside Mei Shuang.
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