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At this moment, everyone at the banquet turned to look, but Consort Qian still did not realize her mistake. She arrogantly stared at Mu Junqi, who was sitting next to Mo Xiao Li, her face displaying unabashed pride. It wasn't until Mo Xiao Li's furious shout that she became aware, standing there like a statue.
"Why haven't you stepped down yet? Aren't you embarrassed enough?" The Empress Dowager could hardly suppress her anger and suddenly spoke up.
Consort Qian thought that the Emperor and the Empress Dowager were trying to smooth things over for Mu Junqi, so she boldly raised her head and respectfully said, "As everyone knows, the Empress's dance is captivating. Since we have a Foreign Envoy here, why hide it?"
The scene suddenly fell into silence, with all the officials looking over. Only then did Consort Qian feel a chill run down her spine, but she still forced herself to look at Mo Xiao Li. Seeing this, Mu Junqi finally spoke softly, "Today is to welcome the Nanyang envoy, but as the Western Yan Empress, my sister has made such a request. This Palace finds it quite difficult," she said with a gentle smile.
To Consort Qian's eyes, everything felt overwhelming; she felt cold sweat soaking her back. In her resentment, she momentarily forgot that today was different—the envoy was not qualified to witness the Empress's grace. Yet she had made her perform in front of everyone. Now it was too late for regrets; she could only kneel on the ground and stammer, "Consort... Consort has overstepped," before lowering her head.
Mo Xiao Li glanced at her disdainfully and signaled for her to leave. Then, as if nothing had happened, she turned to Yun Cheng and said, "I hope Wise King didn't find it amusing; I have prepared some programs for everyone to appreciate the grace of the women of Western Yan."
Yun Cheng sat elegantly beside a low table and smiled lightly at Mo Xiao Li's words. "Your Majesty is too kind. Since you have prepared programs, let me thank you on behalf of everyone," he said with a slight nod.
The banquet continued with lively festivities; the sounds of silk and bamboo filled the air as cups clinked and conversations flowed freely. However, anyone with keen eyes could see that everyone was bored stiff. The exchanges were merely polite pleasantries; although there were songs and dances, they were commonplace in the palace and only served to annoy rather than entertain. Yet the people from Nanyang seemed to be enjoying themselves thoroughly.
Amidst the clinking of cups, Mu Junqi felt increasingly irritated as she observed everything around her. Just then, Mo Xiao Li turned and noticed that Mu Junqi hadn't touched much of her food. "Empress, why do you look so gloomy? Do you find it too dull?"
Mu Junqi responded with a faint smile and whispered back, "Your Majesty worries too much; Consort finds it quite fascinating."
Upon hearing this, Mo Xiao Li spoke in a voice audible to both of them: "If the Empress finds it boring, how about I take you somewhere interesting?"
Mu Junqi's heart skipped a beat, but her expression remained unchanged as she replied calmly, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty; Consort truly finds this very interesting," before turning her gaze back to the dancing maidens on stage.
Mo Xiao Li smiled helplessly and explained a few words to Li Fusheng beside him. Ignoring Mu Junqi's resistance, he pulled her away quietly from behind. Just as they stepped out of Yun Jin Palace, Mu Junqi looked up at Mo Xiao Li with confusion and said, "What does the Emperor mean by this? We just leave the envoy at the banquet like this; it will be a laughingstock for the world." As she spoke, she pretended to pull him back inside.
However, Mo Xiao Li quickly pulled her into his arms, chuckling softly, and then whispered in Mu Junqi's ear, "Who told you that you don't like such occasions? I certainly can't let you feel uncomfortable."
"But..."
"No buts. Just be obedient, and the rest will be taken care of. I’ll take you to a nice place," Mo Xiao Li said gently while holding her close. To everyone else, they appeared sweet together, but only they knew what was truly in their hearts.
Tonight, due to the banquet, most people in the palace were at Yun Jin Palace. The journey was quiet without a sound, only the footsteps of the Imperial Forest Army on night watch could be heard as Mo Xiao Li tightly embraced Mu Junqi while walking.
After an unknown amount of time, they finally stopped at a palace. Mo Xiao Li covered Mu Junqi's eyes with his hand and whispered softly, "Don't peek." He guided her step by step inside. Although Mu Junqi was puzzled, she obediently followed him in.
Then Mo Xiao Li withdrew his hand and smiled, saying, "This is a gift for you from me, as an apology for earlier."
At that moment, Mu Junqi was completely immersed in the beautiful scenery before her. She was momentarily stunned as petals danced in the air under the moonlight, creating a mesmerizing sight that made it hard to look away. The fluttering petals surrounded her as if she were in a magnificent dream. The small courtyard was filled with Apricot Trees swaying gently in the breeze like little fairies.
A gust of wind blew through, causing pure white petals to fall like snowflakes in winter. The sight of the tree covered in white was intoxicating; closing her eyes felt like being enveloped in a beautiful dream as she felt the soft petals brush against her face.
Mo Xiao Li stood not far away watching Mu Junqi lost in wonder, smiling contentedly. To have her in this life was truly a great blessing from heaven. Looking back at her, he found that Mu Junqi had already stepped in front of him.
"How is it? Do you like this gift?" Mo Xiao Li asked casually while looking expectantly at Mu Junqi.
Mu Junqi clearly had not yet recovered from her earlier shock and simply gazed at him dreamily. It was undeniably touching; she had always thought he married her to restrain her father but had never deeply considered the true reason behind it. Now it seemed that this feeling was something she found hard to bear.
She slightly lowered her head, then raised it again, restoring her original expressionless face. She gently bowed and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty. This is truly beautiful. It's the first time in a long while that I feel cared for." After a pause, she continued, "But do you know what I truly think in my heart?"
Originally smiling, Mo Xiao Li immediately reached out to pull Mu Junqi tightly into his embrace, seemingly worried that she would disappear from his arms in the next moment. "Mu Junqi, you should understand how I treat you. But why have you not given me a chance all this time? Do you find all of this so amusing in your eyes?"
Mu Junqi quietly stayed in his embrace, remaining silent for a long time before saying, "I have seen everything you have done; it's all etched in my heart. However, love is not something that guarantees a return for what one gives."
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