Joy of Life: I, a man, became the Queen of Northern Qi?

Chapter 179 Toast without eating
The next day, night.

There is no wind and the moon is bright.

Countless people headed towards the palace like ants returning to their nest.

Today's banquet hosted by His Majesty is the last formal banquet for Dongyi City and the Northern Qi delegation in Qing State. Just like the last meal for a death row prisoner, it must be sumptuous and take enough importance.

Although this negotiation resulted in the return of a piece of geographically important territory in exchange for an enclave, Your Majesty suffered such a great loss in the war that he might have intended to use this dinner to save face.

Therefore, the court officials all treated it with caution.

I just hope that we can send the two countries' envoys away safely.
Palace entrance.

After undergoing the inspection and avoiding the confrontation between the Crown Prince and the Second Prince, Fan Xian finally relaxed a little. Led by his sister, he walked in the palace with his eyes closed, familiarizing himself with the layout of the palace and recalling the direction of the road in his mind until he was about to reach the banquet hall.

Fan Ruoruo followed closely beside Fan Xian. Even now they had come this far, but her face was getting paler and paler, and she seemed a little nervous.

Seeing her brother walking with his eyes closed, she could no longer guess what he was planning. She could not help but whisper, "Brother, you must be careful tonight. This is a serious crime of treason!"

"I have confirmed that the eldest princess is behind all this."

Fan Xian spoke softly. He opened his eyes and looked at his sister, responding seriously, "Teng Zijing's revenge must be avenged. Perhaps we can find out some secrets about the eldest princess tonight?"

The layout of the imperial palace is not something that anyone is allowed to draw with pen and ink. This is a truth that even people who don't understand Qing law understand.

In this era, the inviolability of the imperial power has been deeply rooted in people's hearts. Even though my sister has been baptized by her own thoughts since she was a child and is considered the most "new era" woman today, she is still inevitably influenced by the imperial power. The most important thing is that my sister is worried about the safety of the whole family. If this matter is known to others, even with the relationship between my father and Emperor Qing, I am afraid that they will end up miserably.

Fan Xian smiled and patted his sister's head, comforting her: "Don't worry, I burned the map after I wrote down the route, so no one will know."

Fan Ruoruo had a very serious expression, but after her brother patted her on the head, her attitude immediately softened.

Although she was anxious and tears welled up in her eyes, she still covered her mouth and asked, "Did brother find out when he accompanied sister-in-law and aunt to the palace during the day?"

Fan Xian smiled, recalled what happened during the day, and said in a cold tone: "The eldest princess told me herself."

Fan Ruoruo shook off her shock and immediately thought of the contradiction.

The eldest princess is the mother of my future sister-in-law. My brother must be very sad being caught in the middle, right?
She quickly looked up and blurted out, "Does sister-in-law know about this?"

Hearing this, Fan Xian sighed, lowered his head and murmured, "Perhaps the princess still has a trace of conscience. Even if she clearly wants to kill me, she still doesn't want Wan'er to know!"

"It's okay. Who is your brother? He punched the Nanshan Kindergarten and kicked the Beihai Nursing Home! If you stand on the grave and shout, who will not obey? No one dares to breathe!"

"It's just a palace, not a dangerous place. It won't be a problem for me."

Fan Ruoruo's smile was a little forced. She really wanted to say that the joke was not funny and that her brother was talking nonsense again.

Although she was still worried and sad, she was still very happy that her brother did not hide it from her. She knew that although Fan Xian looked gentle, once he made a decision, he could not change it easily. His mind was like a cold and hard stone. She could not persuade him even if she wanted to. It was better to just let him go. If there was any consequence, they could just bear it together.

Under the gaze of Hong Sixiang outside, the two men walked into the palace silently, each thinking about their own thoughts.

After all, I am still a very selfish person.
Fan Xian sighed inwardly.

He shouldn't have told his sister about these things. He was just under sudden pressure and found someone to share the burden with.

He did not look for Lin Wan'er as a spiritual pillar, but for his sister who knew him best, and let her bear the pain. But apart from her, no one else could make him feel at ease, so who else could he talk to? After all, it was just a map of the palace. If Fan Xian really wanted to get it, with the support of the Supervisory Council, how could he not get it?

Last night, I was injured in a fierce fight with the Iron Judge. Although it did not affect today's action, the thrill of the fight was still unforgettable. In addition, I had to deal with the questions of the nobles in the palace during the day, and remember these complicated roads. Finally, I had a mental battle with the eldest princess for a long time.
It really drains your mind and makes you tired.

Even with Fan Xian's physical strength and willpower, he couldn't recover for a while.

(Ang Lee: My little brother is still a little short of it. Thinking back to the night he returned to the palace, that was exhausting!)
Unexpectedly, besides Yan Xiaoyi, Li Yunrui has such a sharpshooter under his command. Judging from the man's appearance and skills, he is 70% similar to Yan Xiaoyi. He should not be underestimated.

I guess this person is Yan Xiaoyi’s only son, Yan Shendu, right?

I heard that this person has a cultivation level above the eighth level and is also proficient in archery!
Yan Xiaoyi is still at the border. Fortunately, he was on guard when he grabbed Li Yunrui's neck. Otherwise, looking at that domineering and sharp aura, he would not be able to control it as freely as Yan Xiaoyi. The conflict would be intensified in an instant, thus affecting tonight's actions.

Fan Xian took a deep breath, looked at the lively scene around him, and murmured silently: This is really tiring, and I have to get drunk later~——
When the Iron Judge entered the hall along with several chief officials from the Supervisory Council, the entire hall suddenly fell silent.

No one spoke anymore. All eyes, whether they were filled with surprise or confusion, were focused on him.

The Iron Judge was still wearing the same outfit as last night, without a mask. This appearance naturally attracted attention. Not only did the palace maids look at him regardless of the rules, but even the women in the ministers' houses frequently glanced at him, unable to look away.
He simply glanced at where Fan Xian was and at Yun Zhilan, who was entering the hall with a sword behind him. Then, led by a shy maid, the Iron Judge slowly walked to his seat, patted his collar, and sat down gracefully.

At the far left end of the banquet hall, there were young ladies from various families, including Ye Ling'er.

She turned around and grabbed Fan Ruoruo, who was also a little dazed, and said, "Ruoruo, look, this guy is prettier than your brother!"

"Sister Ling'er, didn't you see that he came with the chief officers of the Supervisory Council? This man is not just stunning in appearance, he must be very strong in martial arts." Fan Ruoruo suppressed her surprise and returned to her normal look. She was born in the Fan family, what kind of handsome men had she not seen? Spending the whole day with her brother, her aesthetic immunity had long been trained to be super strong.
You know what, she has never seen a man who is much more beautiful than a woman!
As he spoke, he couldn't help but look closely.
Contrary to her usual behavior, after hearing what Ruoruo said about this man's high martial arts skills, Ye Ling'er had no intention of competing with him. Instead, she stared at the man deeply as if she wanted to memorize him completely without missing any details.

He even murmured, "I don't want to practice martial arts anymore. Let Brother Ye Wan take care of the revitalization of the family."

She thought of a possibility in her mind:
If the Ye family uses their power to pressure others, can they ask Dean Chen to agree to let this young man marry into the Ye family?
Facing the gazes of the crowd, the Iron Judge seemed calm and composed, looking like a gentle and refined scholar.

He did not hold a grudge against it, even though everyone around him was someone who deserved to be killed, but compared to the purpose of tonight, he could still temporarily endure it - he was reckless, but after all, he was also a part of Li Ang, so he naturally knew what was most important.

Seeing this, Fan Xian, who was sitting in the Ministry of Rites team, and Chen Pingping, who was at the front row, nodded slightly at the same time.

This man prided himself on not showing any murderous intent, and was a completely different person from last night. It seemed that he could still have a rational conversation, so he said no more and waited for the banquet to begin.

Suddenly, there was a loud sound of music and ceremonial music, and the large red lanterns hanging high up swayed gently, as if the assassination and war of the previous few days had never happened at all, and even the tit-for-tat negotiations could not affect this place at all. The hall presented a magnificent scene of prosperity.

"Your Majesty has arrived."

An eunuch shouted loudly.

Afterwards, Emperor Qing and the Crown Prince's biological mother slowly walked over from the side. The former was majestic, while the latter had a friendly smile on her face like a mascot. They stood quietly in front of the dragon throne waiting for everyone to salute.

"Long live my emperor."

The mountains roared, and the ministers knelt and saluted. If we ignore the Iron Judge and Fan Xian's slight bow, Chen Pingping sitting in a wheelchair is full of solemnity. "Stand up."

After saying this, Emperor Qing turned into a statue, and the people below calmed down and breathed a sigh of relief.

The banquet process is similar and not much different from that of the Northern Qi Dynasty. It can be seen that there is indeed a sense of reference in it. Even some redundant and useless links are similar. This is the power of culture.

The opening was not completely over until Yun Zhilan from Dongyi City came out and promoted the friendship among the three countries.

The Queen smiled slightly, turned sideways and asked Emperor Qing: "This man is really arrogant. He never leaves his sword when he enters the palace. I wonder how the people below do things."

Emperor Qing had a gentle expression, but there was clearly a hint of disdain in his expression: "Si Gu Jian's first disciple, who can suppress his hatred and show his pride, is indeed a man of character. How could such a person not have the courage to hold a sword?"

This was also his permission. As everyone knows, Si Gu Jian's disciples always carry swords with them. This is an exception, otherwise Yun Zhilan would not be able to enter the venue with a sword.

The foreplay is over and the banquet officially begins.

Officials from various countries, regardless of their positions, chatted animatedly as if they were at a tea party, toasting each other frequently. As the deputy envoy in charge of receiving the diplomatic envoy, Fan Xian was naturally the first to bear the brunt and kept drinking.

The alcoholic beverage at the banquet was not Wuliangye, but just some yellow wine with a low alcohol content, so Fan Xian did not find it very intoxicating. He just pretended to be a little drunk and drank out the momentum of the Qing Kingdom, making the atmosphere even more tense.

His appearance of a young man drinking like a cow really scared the officials of the Ministry of Rites around him. Xin Qiwu couldn't help but remind him, "Master Fan, we should be polite, but please don't lose manners in front of the palace! There are envoys from other countries here. If you make His Majesty unhappy, it will be a serious crime!"

Fan Xian smiled in his heart, but he circulated the internal energy in his body to force the smell of alcohol to his face.

Suddenly, his eyes became blurry and his face turned red.

"It's okay, Lord Xin. Now that the mission entrusted by His Majesty is over, I am also happy. It's good to get drunk and relax. I will definitely not lose my manners in front of the palace and embarrass Daqing and make His Majesty unhappy!"

Xin Qiwu glanced up and saw that the emperor had no intention of speaking to stop him. Unfortunately, Prime Minister Lin was sick tonight, and Fan Xian's father Fan Jian was not there. Although he was the chief envoy for peace talks, he was at the same level as Fan Xian, so there was no way he could persuade him.

I don’t know what Lord Fan is thinking. Can’t you see the malicious and sinister expressions of the envoys from the two countries?

Suddenly, he was shocked!
Could this be Master Xiao Fan's response? Escape while drunk, what a good plan!

Thinking of this, Xin Qiwu gave up the idea of ​​trying to persuade him anymore and started drinking immediately. His attitude was even more aggressive than Fan Xian's!
The dragon throne was high up, and Emperor Qing just looked at the scene below, chuckling, and occasionally drinking a cup with the silent Zhuang Mohan, standing still like a mountain.

Yun Zhilan stood up, raised his glass and bowed respectfully, saying in a clear voice: "Your Majesty, I have something to say, but I don't know if I should say it or not."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Qing smiled slightly and said, "Today is a wedding banquet, so you can speak freely."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Seeing Fan Xian's drunken state, Yun Zhilan knew that this amount was far from the limit of a high-level warrior, so he continued, "Your Majesty, now that the three-party peace talks have been concluded, the officials who came to negotiate these days have worked very hard. I wonder if I can offer a toast to the officials of your country's Honglu Temple to prove the friendship between Dongyi City and Qing Country?"

"allow."

No one knew what Yun Zhilan was going to do. Even the Northern Qi officials watched coldly and did not join in the fun.

Seeing the lively atmosphere, the Crown Prince wanted to say something in response, but when the words came to his lips, he saw the Second Prince sneering silently, and he was startled and just kept silent.

Everyone raised their glasses, and after everyone in the hall drank one cup together, Yun Zhilan said, "I want to toast this second cup of wine to your country's deputy envoy, Mr. Fan Xian!"

"I heard that my two useless disciples both died at the hands of Master Fan. I also want to see if your country's young heroes are really worthy of their reputation!"

After saying this, Yun Zhilan turned around, holding the wine glass, and looked at Fan Xian seriously.

As soon as these words were spoken, the harmonious atmosphere in the hall disappeared, leaving only surprise and discomfort. Such an abrupt turn actually brought about a hint of tension in the atmosphere.

Everyone knew that Yun Zhilan's beloved disciple had died. Even though the peace talks had ended and the matter was settled, there was still a big knot in their hearts that had not been removed. While they understood each other a little, the officials of Qing State could not help but get angry. Didn't you initiate the assassination? You deserved to be killed for being inferior to others. How could you use this as an excuse to provoke them?
Fan Xian was slightly startled, feeling vaguely uneasy.

He thought to himself that what was to come would eventually come, and spoke with a hint of coldness, "Then I wonder how Master Yun would like to toast with this glass of wine?"

"It's very simple."

Yun Zhilan took out his sword with its sheath, threw the wine glass at the end of the sheath, and said in a deep voice: "As long as Lord Fan takes the wine glass and drinks it, this glass of wine will be considered as a toast."

At the same time, the matter of killing the disciple also disappeared!

Some people may think that Yun Zhilan is impulsive and does not know when to advance or retreat, but the swordsmen of Dongyi City have always been straightforward and do not know how to be tactful. Moreover, his disciple was killed, which is such a serious matter. How could he easily swallow his anger?

It would be fine if it was just a martial arts competition, but this time he was obviously being used by Princess Nanqing. Not only was the information the other party provided about Fan Xian inaccurate, but it also caused Qing to send troops to attack Northern Qi, and finally forced him to lose Dongyi City and pay compensation!

All the grievances and grudges are caused by this person.
If given the chance, he would also take revenge on Li Yunrui!
"Your Majesty, is it possible to agree?"

“Hahahaha.” Emperor Qing laughed loudly. He did not rush to respond to Yun Zhilan. Instead, he turned his head to look at Zhuang Mohan beside him and said, “What do you think of this, Mr. Zhuang? My palace has not been so lively for a long time.”

Zhuang Mohan had always been a famous scholar. Hearing this, he just followed Emperor Qing's gaze and looked down, filtering out the noisy discussions. He looked at the handsome young man in the field. For some reason, the face of Queen An flashed through his mind, and he asked curiously, "Is that young man the poet and sage Mr. Fan who has become famous recently?"

The young people nowadays really make us feel sad about their own aging.

Not only did Da Qi have Queen An, but there was also the youngest ninth-rank saint in the court; in the Southern Dynasty, Fan Xian won such a great reputation with just three poems. Zhuang Mohan had also read his book "A Red Mansion". Although he was proud of his own background, it would be useless for Zhuang Mohan to write such a masterpiece without relevant accumulation.

He raised the wine in his cup to toast Emperor Qing from afar, saying, "Drink to victory!"

Emperor Qing understood what he meant, which to some extent represented the attitude of Northern Qi. He was slightly annoyed. After drinking with Zhuang Mohan, Emperor Qing said loudly, "Fan Xian."

Fan Xian tried his best to maintain his demeanor and replied respectfully, "I am here."

"I'll let you drink this glass of wine!"

Ordering him to drink means he must drink it?

Reluctantly, Fan Xian smiled cheerfully towards Yun Zhilan. His elegant and calm face naturally won everyone's favor:
"Toasting is good, but drinking a penalty is even better!"

(End of this chapter)