late night song

Chapter 268
Gu Yuchu was promoted to a first-class military general and was the head of the country, so he was naturally invited to the birthday banquet of King Lao Ling. In addition, Wang Zhigen and Fan Yueqing also prepared generous gifts and came from Hehe to the palace with her to congratulate and pay homage.

She and Ling Buhuo agreed to keep a distance at the banquet and not to do anything excessive to make people gossip. After all, King Jingchuan was newly married, and the two of them had awkward statuses and already attracted attention.

And she herself had quietly moved out of the Prince's Mansion three days earlier and moved into the official residence in Yunjing.Although Ling Buhuo was reluctant, he couldn't defeat her, but he always climbed in through the window at midnight and stayed overnight and returned early.

On the day of the palace banquet, Gu Yuchu asked Xiang Jun of Jinxiu Tower to put on light makeup for him early. Then he wore the auspicious clothes when he entered Yuquan Palace, rode a golden-armored war horse, and led the Hehe delegation through Yunjing Taihua Road.

Her eyes were resolute, her spirit was high, and she was heroic. She didn't show any signs of being abandoned, which made the people watching who were familiar with the rumors a little disappointed.

After entering the Ziyan Palace, officials from all walks of life gathered together, accompanied by their family members who had official duties, making the originally spacious and empty palace bustling with activity.

This was not the first time for Gu Yuchu to participate in this kind of palace banquet, but this time her identity was different from before. She was no longer a concubine, nor was she just General Yuesheng. She was the Lord of Hehe and shouldered a special responsibility. Responsibilities and Mission.

She needed to get Wang Zhigen, Fan Yueqing and others to get acquainted with Beiling's important ministers, but she didn't know many of Beiling's ministers. If she was really polite, she really didn't know how to start. But what she didn't expect was that all of them The worries were completely eliminated because of Wang Zhiheng's far-reaching reputation.

Most of the civil servants in Beiling affectionately called Wang Zhigen his uncle and came to visit him. This made Gu Yuchu very puzzled. After greeting the officials, he asked the person involved and found out that the former bachelor of Beiling was Wang Zhiheng's fellow senior brother. , the two of them studied under the great Confucian scholar of Beiling. After completing their studies, they each returned to their country to teach and solve their doubts. Most of their disciples became famous and held important positions in the court. Scholars have always respected their teachers, so the status and weight of the two of them are naturally self-evident.

Fan Yueqing was also at home there. Generals always valued loyalty, filial piety and courage. He had fought side by side with the Beiling Tiejun, and with his fateful feelings, he could easily integrate into it.

Although most of the interactions in the officialdom were just for fun, Gu Yuchu also felt that it was better than the back-office banquets where they made sarcastic comparisons and made fuss over fuss. She was flanked by the two of them, and without having to say much, she became familiar with many people she had never interacted with before. A powerful minister, extremely relaxed.

Strangely enough, women accounted for half of today's banquet, but they did not interact with the male guests.

After Gu Yuchu walked around for a long time, he realized what was interesting about the royal banquet in Beiling.

There is a huge folding mother-of-pearl fan hanging in the middle of this huge palace. The fan is made of nanmu and the leaves are made of white mother-of-pearl with broken ice patterns. Other than that, there are no other decorations. Against the backdrop of colored lights, It's shining and very beautiful.

It is this folding fan screen that separates the male guests and the female guests. The men are on the left and the women are on the right. They can socialize independently without disturbing each other.

She was curious, thinking that Beiling had always been civilized and allowed women to fight in the hall and even serve as generals and ministers. But why did they bring out the idea of ​​the superiority of men and women during the banquet? Isn't it contradictory? !

She stared at the fan in deep thought for a long time until someone interrupted her.

"General Yuchi, what are you thinking about?"

Gu Yuchu turned around and saw that it was Ling Buhuo, so he replied: "Is there any explanation for this folding fan separating male guests from female guests?"

"General Yuchi is also a hero among women, so why is he so pedantic? What separates men and women with this folding fan is not the difference between men and women, but the front hall and the back house."

"What's the difference?!" Gu Yuchu glanced sideways at him.

"Oh, a woman has her own world, and a man has his own world. They don't interfere with each other. If a woman has the ability to plan things in the front office, she will naturally not be limited to this useless screen. Otherwise, why would you be placed here?!" Shan Mingxi added that she was wearing red clothes and had a phoenix hairpin in her hair, so anyone could tell that she and Prince Jingchuan were newlyweds.

Gu Yuchu suddenly turned around and saw that it was her. Then he realized that the man beside him was not Ling Buhuo, but Ling Ziyu.

"Thank you, King Jingchuan. Princess Jingchuan did not hesitate to teach me." Gu Yuchu abided by the etiquette and respectfully clasped his fists to express his thanks.

Shan Mingxi turned her head slightly and snorted. She really hated this woman's hypocrisy. She was completely disdainful in her heart. She just thought that her brother Buhuo was crazy and blind and fell in love with such a woman.

Gu Yuchu didn't have time to straighten up, but the huge folding fan in the hall happened to be folded up and raised to the ceiling. The female relatives on the right fully witnessed the scene just now, and they all stopped talking in a tacit understanding. The male guests were surprised by the female guests' reactions, and were also transferred. Attention, the entire banquet fell silent.

"You are my old subordinate. I didn't see you here to congratulate me on my wedding day with my princess. Now that all my military power has been transferred to the prince, General Yuchi doesn't need to be so polite." Ling Ziyu raised his lips when he saw this. With his eyes half-closed, he deliberately said loudly and in a panic, so that everyone present could see that he did not give face to his old love, and even more showed his love for Shan Mingxi.

Shan Mingxi never expected that this man would make trouble for her in such a way. Although she couldn't stand Gu Yuchu, she was unwilling to openly embarrass her, especially now that their identities and relationships were embarrassing to others, so she quickly poked her with her elbow. The proud Ling Ziyu reminded him not to cause trouble.

But most of the people present were people who did not take it too seriously to watch the excitement, and they were whispering to each other and sharing their unique insights on this matter with their acquaintances.

Not far away, Ling Buhuo's face sank when he saw his beloved being bullied. In addition, Wang Zhigen and Fan Yueqing were also unhappy. After all, the princess's humiliation was also the humiliation of He He.

Gu Yuchu raised her eyes and gave Ling Ziyu a sharp look. She knew that when she appeared today, everyone would have all kinds of speculations and concerns about her because of Prince Jingchuan's wedding, but she never expected that there would be such an internal fight.

"The prince is getting married. It doesn't matter whether his old subordinates are present or not. However, if the prince really cares so much, then today I and all the people here wish King Jingchuan a happy wedding, and fly with the princess, playing the piano and the harp together."

She used this method to return the favor and fight back.

Ling Ziyu squinted his eyes and looked at her for a long time, still raising the corners of his mouth, and then glanced sideways at Ling Buhuo. The atmosphere between the parties involved became more and more awkward, but the bystanders became more and more excited. In the end, it was Lao Ling who The presence of Wang and Princess Helan broke up the excitement.

When the male and female guests present saw that Princess Helan, who had not been seen for a long time, appeared next to the old King Ling again, they felt a little more thoughtful, but they had to put away their full words and bowed to the king, and then no longer separated their seats. Instead, they are settled in family units.

As a distinguished guest, Gu Yuchu occupied an exclusive seat in the front row, below Princess Helan. Wang Zhigen and Fan Yueqing sat in the seats behind her, facing the prince's seat parallel to the left side of the main seat.

Ling Buhuo stared at her from a distance. This dress he personally customized for her was the first time he had seen her wear it. It was so bright and handsome, which really pleased him.

How could Gu Yuchu not notice his gaze, but in order to avoid suspicion, she just pretended not to see him.

At the beginning of the banquet, all the officials raised glasses to congratulate the old king Songhe Changchun, and the Beiling dynasty will last forever.Afterwards, all the prefectures and regions expressed their loyalty and respected the king individually.The old King Ling was a man who liked to drink a lot, but as he got older, his old illnesses recurred. King Fucheng advised him not to drink too much, just as long as he wanted to.

But Ling Ziyu said that the sincerity of the officials should not be let down, but since the king has the dragon body as the king, it would be better for King Fucheng to drink on his behalf.

King Fucheng, an old fox, naturally understood the propriety of these words, and quickly refused on the grounds of transgression, saying that he was just an idle prince, how could he be lucky enough to inherit the admiration and reverence of the emperor from all the people and officials.

Ling Ziyu gave a ghostly smile, and then suggested that it would be most appropriate for the prince to drink on his behalf. Firstly, the prince has deep blessings and shares the same bloodline with the old King Ling. Secondly, the prince must inherit Beiling's destiny sooner or later, which can better convey the dynasty's wishes. The respect and trust of the Minister of Humerus, thirdly, the prince is extremely talented, and the Three Thousand Cups are unrivaled, so he must be the one to take on such an important task.

Old King Ling loved drinking. Now he was not in good health and could not participate, but it was good to see the excitement, so he agreed immediately.

Ling Buhuo glanced at Ling Ziyu fiercely and didn't say a word, but he couldn't refuse.

"What are you doing? Do you think he is like you?" Shan Mingxi gritted her teeth and whispered.

"What? Are you feeling distressed?" Ling Ziyu deliberately teased.

"Want to die?!" Shan Mingxi threatened with a fake smile.

"Hongluan Zhang Nuan is almost like life and death in a dream."

Ling Ziyu was not serious and whispered in Shan Mingxi's ear. He didn't tell the truth until his thigh was pinched: "Who made him think that I, the prince, was easy and happy in the past? Now let him experience it for himself."

Each government took turns to toast, and each toast was more sincere and loyal than the last. Beiling's wine vessels were deeper and wider than those of other countries. Although Ling Buhuo's drinking capacity was not inferior to that of his younger brother, he still drank dozens of glasses without stopping. Unusually sober.

In addition, that woman Gu Yuchu ignored him. Since the banquet started, she had not looked at him several times except for the polite toast from the representative He He. His unhappiness made him even more drunk.

Prince Ling used to be a romantic man, but the finger marriage no longer existed. This revived hope in the hearts of the official ladies who had had ambiguous contact with him. A few bold ladies in the boudoir took advantage of the opportunity to wish the emperor a birthday. Taking the opportunity, he took the initiative to invite him to have a drink with him. The unconcealed expression of affection between his eyebrows and his smile during the toast almost made Gu Yuchu lose his temper when he looked at it.

Although she knew which girls were not targeting Ling Buhuo himself, Ling Buhuo's attitude of not rejecting anyone made the jealousy in her heart leak out without any trace.

Fortunately, the initiator, Ling Ziyu, who was watching the fire from the other side, had nothing to gain. Whenever a noble lady raised a glass, his legs would be picked up by Shan Mingxi fiercely under the table, until Ling Buhuo drank all the wine.

After the routine toast, treasures from various places were brought to the palace like flowing water and presented one by one. Old King Ling was in a happy mood and was constantly rewarded. Among them, there were two special gifts that made him very happy. One was Old King Ling. A real-life interpretation of the favorite legendary ancient painting "Eight Immortals Rejoicing at the Hukou", written by King Fucheng.

The second is the ethereal and majestic group dance of Chang'e dancing with swords to the moon, from Princess Helan's Mansion.

It has to be said that the people who know Old King Ling best are his brothers and sisters.

In the eyes of outsiders, the singing and dancing are beautiful but cliched. King Fucheng's gift is more novel, but King Lao Ling rewarded Princess Helan with a royal horse farm, and also granted Ji He the title of Princess Jiaxing. Compared with the ancient painting "Tiangong Dou Le" awarded to King Fucheng, it is much more valuable. It can be seen that Princess Helan won the holy heart of King Ling even more.

The guests who didn't know the truth raised their glasses in agreement, but Ling Buhuo didn't look happy at all. Instead, he was extremely disgusted. Even Ling Ziyu, who loved dancing and music, looked sullen. The two brothers looked at each other indifferently, showing off their aunt's ulterior motives. Know everything.

Gu Yu couldn't see the beauty of the Eight Immortals at first, but she was very familiar with this dance. She could dance some of the specially choreographed and eye-catching moves. After all, this was the only sword dance she knew how to do, and teaching her this The person dancing was none other than Master Le Shui from Sanxing Academy, the biological mother of Ling Buhuo and Ling Ziyu, the first wife of King Ling, and the deceased queen of Beiling!

Princess Helan was obviously very satisfied with the result. She was very aware of the regrets in her imperial brother's heart, so she used some means to play with the emperor's feelings and restored the Sacred Heart. This was the last thing in her hands. This card is also the key to her return to the top.

"Congratulations to the princess for being so generously rewarded by your Majesty. Your Majesty is so thoughtful. I really admire you." Gu Yuchu really couldn't bear the thought of someone making a fuss about other people's wounds and pain, and it also involved Master Le Shui, whom she respected, so she used congratulations to treat her well. made some sarcasm.Princess Helan's face looked terrible, but she still picked up the wine glass decently and took the glass with no good intentions. She replied: "I am neither as rich as Princess He and the enemy of the country, nor am I as indifferent as General Yuchi. It’s just a matter of seeking good luck on this good day that everyone is celebrating.”

"Such a good fortune is not something ordinary people can ask for casually. The princess is so smart and ingenious that she is too modest."

Princess Helan didn't answer any more, and she didn't even drink the glass of wine. She placed the glass of wine on the table without hesitation and forced a smile for a second.

In a simple round, Gu Yuchu returned the favor to himself and the two brothers Ling Buhuo and Ling Ziyu. Shan Mingxi on the side held her nose and snickered. This was the first time she appreciated Gu Yuchu's artificial flattery.

"I would like to toast His Highness the Crown Prince. It's hard work on behalf of the government." Ling Ziyu pretended to toast with care, but in fact he was celebrating Gu Yuchu's beautiful counterattack just now.

"Since you know that your brother is working hard, you should come back early to help. Don't shirk your official duties just because you are newly married." Old King Ling said using this topic.

"My son, I accept the order. In fact, Ming Xi often urges me to help the prince more. However, the prince is obsessed with official duties and forgets to sleep and eat. My father should pay more attention to him."

"It's different to have a daughter-in-law!" Old King Ling touched his beard and sighed with a smile, "The prince is busy with government affairs. It seems that everything in the prince's house needs a mistress to take care of it. What do you think, prince?"

"That's exactly what I meant!" Ling Buhuo responded.

"Then I will ask the inner palace to select a candidate for the Crown Princess for you tomorrow."

"You don't need to worry about the marriage of your son and I. I already have the person I like."

When he heard that his son had a sweetheart, Old King Ling looked as usual, but did not answer the question.

"Father, why don't you ask which family the girl is from?!" Ling Ziyu became interested and hurriedly pierced the window paper.

"General Yuesheng." Before the old King Ling could react, Ling Buhuo answered without asking any questions. His tone was firm and his voice was so loud that it could be heard clearly by everyone present.

Prince Ling's unthinking confession made the whole place go into an uproar. Everyone stared at Gu Yuchu. She herself felt chills on her back from being stared at and sighed softly.

It seems that today the two brothers are planning to roast themselves on the fire. If one side is not burnt enough, they have to turn it over. It is really enough.

In fact, she has no objection to the marriage proposal.Even if a decree comes down not long after the happy event of Prince Jingchuan's palace, it doesn't matter. There is no need to care about what other people think.

But this occasion was different.

She was not the protagonist of this banquet, but she took the spotlight and put words under other people's tongues, as if she was deliberately attracting attention. Thinking of this, she suddenly became angry.

Old King Ling remained silent, and there was silence everywhere.

Ji Huan, who was sitting in the seat behind Princess Helan, couldn't help but feel a little anxious when he thought about his mother's plan. He didn't care whether it was appropriate or not, and said, "I heard that General Yuesheng is the eleventh princess of Hehe and is related to Emperor Dongqi Jing." Engaged."

Princess Helan turned around and glanced sharply at her unfulfilled son. Ji Huan was so frightened that he quickly shut up.

"Since Hehe has surrendered, the marriages between the old dynasties are not counted. Even if they are counted, it will only be counted after Beiling nods." Seeing the ugly look on the prince's face, King Fucheng came to the rescue and said.

King Lao Ling swept the audience and remained silent, showing no sign of approval for the marriage.

"My sister still remembers that Hehe also married Beiling. If it hadn't been for the Battle of Yuxi and Princess Ran Ying died for her country, I'm afraid she would have married Beiling and become the crown princess."

Seeing Old Prince Ling's attitude, Princess Helan found the right opportunity to mention Prince Ling's short-lived marriage to Princess Hehe. Firstly, she affirmed Hehe's reconciliation with the two countries, and secondly, she wanted to disgust Gu Yuchu.

Mentioning Lan Ye, Gu Yuchu secretly clenched her fists. No matter how others used her as a raft, she could endure it, but Lan Ye could not.

Everything today was all caused by Ling Buhuo's impulsiveness. She really didn't want to guess what his intentions were, and she just felt that her heart was getting more and more uncomfortable.

"I want to marry General Yuesheng, why are you making an article about the past?!" Ling Buhuo saw that the topic had changed, and he noticed Gu Yuchu's displeasure, and became angry. He frowned and spoke coldly.

Princess Helan didn't want to offend the prince, but she really couldn't just watch the marriage settle, so she took a gamble. Now that she had angered the prince, she felt bad, so she could only put her tail between her legs and say nothing more.

King Lao Ling was silent, the prince was angry, King Jingchuan watched the fire from across the bank, and the atmosphere of the entire banquet became tense.

"Your Majesty, I have something I don't know whether to say or not." At this time, Wang Zhigen suddenly stood up and broke the silence.

"Student, please speak." Old King Ling still gave him face and replied politely.

"After the Battle of Yuxi, Hehe was ruined and his family was destroyed. Only with the protection of Beiling could he survive day and night. The Lejia Dynasty fell, and there is no need to mention the past." Wang Zhigen first raised Beiling's supreme position and used the Lejia Dynasty to The destruction wiped out the so-called marriage and eliminated the criticism of the eleventh princess from everyone and even the world.

But it was not easy for him to mention these things. Even though he couldn't calm down, he had to let go of his family, country and world that no longer existed. Wang Zhigen felt sad in his heart. He paused for a while and then said: "Of course, General Yuesheng is not only Being just a minister of Beiling is also the last dignity in the hearts of Hehe people. It is a blessing in life to be favored by General Yuesheng and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. However, in addition to being in love with each other, a good relationship also pays attention to the expectations of the public. If it is necessary to overcome the public opinion It’s really unnecessary to wait until you get the cause and effect, or to endure the criticism and grievances and go passively.”

In just a few words, Wang Zhigen made He He's attitude toward the marriage very clear. How could Gu Yuchu not understand how protective he was as if he was a close relative or elder in every word? He lowered his head and smiled, feeling extremely touched in his heart.

"What the academic said is absolutely true. I was the one who was abrupt." Ling Buhuozhi responded with a respectful bow. When he raised his eyes, he unconsciously glanced at Gu Yuchu, trying to figure out her attitude.

"The prince's marriage proposal involves the foundation of the country. If it is decided, there is no need for others to comment. But before that, even if the prince is interested, he must first ask General Yuesheng about his wishes before discussing it."

Prince Lao Ling stood on the steps of Wang Zhiheng and warned those who tried to make false arguments. He then gave He He enough face and allowed Gu Yuchu the right to live on his own, but he also ended the topic and did not want to mention it again tonight.

At this point, Ling Buhuo's two purposes behind today's impulse have been fully achieved.

Although the marriage contract between He He and Dong Qi cannot be said to be an obstacle to him, it still requires a reasonable explanation. However, this explanation is too serious and inappropriate to be announced in a formal official document. King Lao Ling may not agree with it. It was mentioned in the hall, but it was difficult to talk about the disputes in the back house.

Therefore, he took advantage of this formal but not so formal occasion, in front of dignitaries and their family members, to take the initiative to lock in his marriage, and then used Wang Zhigen's invitation and Old Ling Wang's approval to reveal Hehe's old past. Turn the page, and no one will dare to use it to make comments from now on.

Everyone present could clearly understand what Old Ling Wang said, and everyone turned to listen to the music calmly, as if nothing had happened just now.

Only Ling Ziyu, who didn't mind the trouble, regardless of what his father planned, or whether his eldest brother wanted it or not, slowly raised his glass and drank to himself, and continued to say: "In my opinion, the time and place are favorable today, Prince. It is better to ask clearly about this and save General Tuzeng Yuesheng from trouble."

"Prince Jingchuan is newly married and doesn't care about political affairs. He is too lenient in his idleness." Ling Buhuo knew that he was deliberately stirring up trouble and retorted unceremoniously.

"I am also concerned about being confused. I did not consider His Highness the Crown Prince's face. I really shouldn't have punished myself with a drink." Ling Ziyu didn't take it seriously and drank it all with a smile.

When King Lao Ling saw his two precious sons fighting openly and secretly, he did not say anything to stop them. Instead, he silently stared at Gu Yuchu, who was sitting firmly on Mount Tai. His meaning was very clear.

Gu Yu couldn't hide for the first time, so he had no choice but to raise a glass to the chairman as if nothing happened.

"I would like to offer you another drink. He and the people will receive the blessings of Beiling and be able to recuperate and live in peace and contentment. However, the road is long and long. The three-year inheritance period has not yet expired. I will do my best to protect this side."

This was the answer she felt was the safest after careful consideration.He only mentioned business matters and nothing else. It seemed to express his attitude, but it seemed that he didn't. Others couldn't find fault, but he didn't take into account someone's feelings.

Although Ling Buhuo didn't expect her to respond on the spot, since the words came to this point, the hope in his heart had still sprouted, but her basin of cold water caught him off guard, and the glass of wine in his hand made him even more Unable to refuse, he glanced sideways at this woman who had no fear of disturbing his mind. He felt uncomfortable in his heart, and finally raised his glass in despair and drank it all.

"General Yuesheng worked hard and focused on the overall situation. It seems that he has no time to take care of his own life-long affairs." Ling Ziyu took the trouble to over-interpret the meaning of their words, for fear that others could not hear or understand clearly.

Gu Yuchusheng swallowed his anger and rolled his eyes, too lazy to pay attention to him.

Ling Buhuo's face was ashen and his eyes were cold.

"If you don't speak, no one will think you are dumb." Shan Mingxi couldn't help it any longer, gritting her teeth and threatening the man next to her.

"What the madam said is that I will shut up now." Ling Ziyu smiled and tilted his head to show weakness. The situation he wanted to mess up was already done, so there was no need to say more.

After that, the banquet was as usual. In order to adjust the atmosphere, King Fucheng proposed a drinking order. King Lao Ling became interested again and always participated in it. Others were not allowed to let others offend intentionally. Otherwise, they would be severely punished. If they won, they would be rewarded.

The guests were eager to have a try after getting the order. The result of such excitement was that Ling Buhuo took the place of Old Ling Wang and drank one glass of the fine wine. He was already in a depressed mood and did not shirk. He would not settle for one drink after three drinks.

(End of this chapter)