Chapter 33 - Palace Banquet

 Nan Gongli suddenly turned his head to look at Ye Chuyan, and his eyes met with Ye Chuyan's in the air. He raised the teacup in his hand and nodded, and Ye Chuyan frowned slightly.

Pei Xiuyan noticed that Ye Chuyan's face was different and followed her line of sight to look at Nan Gongli, who smiled gently at Pei Xiuyan. Pei Xiuyan squinted at him slightly but did not respond.

After the previous emperor abolished the cabinet, the six ministries were directly under the emperor's control. Pei Xiuyan has been above the six ministries in recent years. Zhang Qingman, the Minister of Justice, is the official most favoured by the emperor. He sat below Nan Gongli. He did not bring his wife today but brought his eldest son, Zhang Jing, and his legitimate daughter, Zhang Xiuyu. Zhang Xiuyu sat there in a lost mood, her eyes a little absent-minded. Zhang Jing seemed to be comforting her, and the two kept talking in private with their heads down. After Zhang Jing consoled her for a while, his eyes were like a poisonous snake, gnashing at Ye Chuyan's body and smiling silently with his back teeth clenched.

"The emperor has arrived——"

A shrill eunuch's voice penetrated the hustle and bustle in the hall and reached every corner. The entire Hanyuan Hall fell silent in an instant.

Pei Ye walked in, wearing a golden five-claw dragon robe, a pearl crown and tassels, and a cinnabar mole between his eyebrows. His posture was like that of the Jade Emperor in the heavenly palace. Behind him followed several palace concubines, and the one in front was the Imperial Concubine Nan Gong Yuerong. She was dressed in a crimson palace dress, and her originally bright appearance was like a peony in full bloom, the best in the world. The women next to her were Pei Ye's favourite concubines. They stood beside Nan Gong Yuerong, and their appearance was much dimmer.

Everyone in the hall began to bow to the ground, and the momentum was shocking. "Long live the emperor——"

Pei Ye was in a very good mood today. He waved his hand to make everyone stand up, then lifted his robe and sat on the dragon throne.

Although Nan Gong Yuerong had not been canonised, she was in charge of the Phoenix Seal temporarily, and she was equal to the Queen. She sat on the Queen's Phoenix Chair, with several concubines sitting on both sides.

Pei Ye glanced at the whole audience, nodded, and said majestically, "Begin..."

The personal eunuch waved his whisk and sang, "Respectfully invite the Great Emperor Tianwu of Beirong--"

Everyone's eyes were all looking at the door of Hanyuan Hall.

When Na Sheng appeared with a dozen envoys, although some officials had seen Na Sheng's face, they couldn't help holding their breath when they saw him at this moment. He wore a black and gold fur robe with silver thread piping, which was unique to Beirong. He wore a purple fox fur shawl outside, and the huge fur collar blocked a little of his face. The strange double pupils rolled like flowing light under the bright candlelight in the hall, and there was a faint evil smile on the corner of his mouth. The whole person looked as evil and awe-inspiring as a ghost. Some timid palace maids had never seen a person with double pupils of different colours, and they were frightened and pale. 

He walked into the hall calmly, covered his abdomen with one hand, and bowed slightly.

"Beirong Na Sheng, meet the Great Emperor Yuan De."

Although his tone was not respectful, this greeting shocked all the officials. Na Sheng performed the envoy's etiquette! He lowered his posture so much that it turned out that he came to Dafeng to establish diplomatic relations!

Pei Ye said in a deep voice, "Emperor Tianwu is modest; please take a seat!"

The two words "please take a seat" confirmed Na Sheng's envoy's etiquette.

Na Sheng didn't seem to care, and under the guidance of the eunuch of the Ministry of Ceremonies, he sat opposite Pei Xiuyan.

Pei Ye was very happy when he saw this. He picked up the wine glass in front of him, walked down the high platform, and came to Na Sheng and said, "Emperor Tianwu came from afar to visit; it is an honour for Dafeng! This wine, I personally toast you."

Na Sheng raised his glass in return. After finishing the glass, the two people's eyes met, and they were looking at each other calmly.

Na Sheng raised his cup again and said loudly, "Bei Rong is willing to coexist peacefully with Da Feng and share prosperity! To show sincerity, Bei Rong specially offers thirty boxes of treasures."

After speaking, an envoy beside him handed over a white jade box, which contained a list of treasures. The eunuch beside Pei Ye took it with both hands.

After a moment of surprise, Pei Ye shouted, "Good! Good! Emperor Tianwu cares about the people; I should respect him!"

Na Sheng's intention is so obvious that there seems to be only one possibility. He came to seek peace because his foundation was unstable after he ascended the throne, so that the country could recuperate. It's ridiculous to want to exchange peace for thirty boxes of jewels.

After the two drank three cups together, Pei Ye did not continue to discuss the establishment of diplomatic relations. He turned back to his dragon chair and said loudly, "Let's start the banquet!"

Pei Ye's words made all the officials present start to think about it. Some generals hoped to establish diplomatic relations through this. Dafeng and Beirong have been fighting for so many years, and the people are living in poverty. The people in the border areas are displaced, and the soldiers died on the battlefield. Now they finally look forward to the day of the truce. Some people hope to continue fighting because war brings with it a series of follow-ups such as military service, taxation, food and grass, cloth, and consolation money for sacrificed generals. The court officials whispered to each other.

Na Sheng glanced around calmly, his thin lips curled up, as if he were an outsider.

The palace banquet began in such an atmosphere. The sound of the pipa, the dancing girls twisted their waists, and the singing and dancing in the Hanyuan Hall were prosperous.

Ye Chuyan saw Wu Mu sitting opposite her at a glance. He has been silent since he came, bowing his head and not saying a word. Several idle royal disciples next to him seemed to be very interested in him and poured him one cup after another. He accepted everyone, and his face soon turned red.

Although Ye Chuyan felt distressed, she did not dare to show it, fearing that Pei Xiuyan would notice something unusual and even more afraid that her efforts would fail. She had no choice but to pretend to be virtuous and help Pei Xiuyan pour wine.

Pei Xiuyan looked at the part of Ye Chuyan's neck that was exposed when she lowered her head to pour wine and could not help but tighten his throat. Ever since Ye Chuyan almost froze to death in Zhao Yujiao's yard that day, his feelings towards Ye Chuyan seemed different. He had not yet figured out what his feelings towards Ye Chuyan were.

"This dance is too boring. This emperor has brought a dancer with him who would like to perform a dance." Na Sheng sighed, and everyone in the hall focused their attention on him.

The dancing dancers were so scared that they knelt and trembled.

Pei Ye raised his eyebrows, and the eunuch said, "The prospective Beirong dancer enters the hall."

After the eunuch shouted, three people walked in from outside the hall. A sturdy and strong man carrying a big drum who was nine feet tall and had a ferocious appearance. There was also a pair of twin dancers wrapped in gauze, with high noses and blue eyes, extremely charming, bare feet and arms, and bells tied to their feet, and the bells rang pleasantly when they walked.

Some civil officials hurriedly closed their eyes. They had heard that the customs of Beirong were open, and the Beirong dancers exposed their shoulders and feet in public, which was really insulting and even more unbearable than prostitutes in brothels.

Pei Ye was very interested. "I am looking forward to it."

Na Sheng hit three palms in a row, and the strong man began to beat the drums. The drums shook the sky, like thunder exploding in the ears. The two dancers threw away the gauze around their waists, and the gauze seemed to have grown muscles and bones. The dancers held the gauze in their hands and killed each other, using dance instead of martial arts. Each move was amazing, with a beauty that combined murderous aura and tenderness, accompanied by the sound of drums, which made people's blood surge. This was a dance that the people of Dafeng had never seen before. The civil officials who had just despised it all stared at it.

After the dance, Hanyuan Hall was silent.

Pei Ye was the first to cheer, "Good! Beirong's dance is indeed extraordinary."

Na Sheng stood up and said with a smile, "This time, I actually have a selfish motive for dancing. I heard that there is a woman in Dafeng who dances with swords unparalleled in the world, and I also want to see it."

When Na Sheng curved his eyes, his double pupils looked even more strange under the light, and his smile made people feel cold in their hearts.

For a moment, everyone couldn't help but look at Ye Chuyan. Ye Chuyan's sword dance is unmatched in Kyoto, and everyone knows this.