The princess is killing like crazy again

Xiao Yurong’s birthday was only a few days away and would arrive soon.

Emperor Xiao held a grand celebration for her, and only Xiao Yurong had a birthday as grand and grand as the Emperor's Longevity Festival.

Ning Rou was also among the invited guests. It was actually Xiao Yurong's birthday, and Emperor Xiao celebrated it almost like his own birthday.

Ning Rou was helped down from the carriage by the attendant. What she saw was a sea of ​​halls, corridors, pavilions and towers, with numerous lights scattered among them.

On the high platform in the palace, a huge glass lamp was lit, and on it were thousands of words densely written in the finest ink.

The colors of the glass lamps are flowing and colorful, the quality is crystal clear and dazzling, and the five colors are rolling, which is extremely gorgeous.

Ning Rou was inevitably dazed by such a grand scene, and asked, "There are so many lanterns, why weren't there when I came here last time for the Wanshou Festival? Was that glass lantern just lit as well?"

"This was all arranged by His Majesty and the princes," said the attendant.

The maidservant next to her was in charge of leading the way. Seeing this, she quickly explained, "Princess Rong doesn't like the dark, so your majesty ordered people to light lanterns tonight to illuminate the palace for the princess."

Upon hearing this, the Minister immediately looked at Ning Rou's face.

The maidservant was unaware of the discord and continued to speak: "Tens of thousands of lanterns are all for praying for the princess. His Majesty also had people write countless prayers on the Kongming lanterns, waiting to be released tonight, to pray for the princess."

"As soon as she said she didn't like the dark, her father and brother would light thousands of lanterns for her, and even write blessings on the lanterns to make them heard by the gods and make her happy..." Ning Rou murmured to herself.

"What did you say?" The palace maid didn't hear Ning Rou's mumbling clearly.

"Nothing." The attendant said quickly.

Ning Rou then asked, "So, that large glass lamp was also prepared by His Majesty and his men for the princess?"

"Yes." The maid said, "Princess Rong has been weak since she was young, so His Majesty asked the princess's relatives and friends to write prayer articles, all of which were thousands of words long. Then they were posted on the lamps and people were asked to watch over them, which was also a prayer."

Ning Rou said in despair: "Yes, no wonder Huo Zhao has been hiring craftsmen who can make colored glaze with huge sums of money. Her family members are all like this. Even Li Yaozhi..."

The attendant gently pulled her sleeve to remind her to be careful of the impact.

The maidservant was unaware of this and said, "Your Majesty has given us two hours of free time after the banquet and work because today is a good day."

She spoke in an excited tone, and it was obvious that she was very happy too: "We can also see the beautiful scenery of Kongming lanterns flying in the sky, all thanks to the princess."

"Yes, she is so lucky." Ning Rou laughed out loud, "Her family treats her so well. Even though she has a bad temper and never listens, they still love her. And what about me?"

No matter how obedient she was, no matter how hard she studied music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and women's etiquette, she was still no match for Xiao Yurong.

Xiao Yurong's father and brother lit lanterns to pray for her and illuminated the palace, which showed their deepest concern.

However, her father married her to an old man in order to get support from the temple and a real dowry.

Her brothers also treated her coldly, not caring about her future at all, but only caring about how much they could get in exchange for her.

In their eyes, she was not a daughter or a sister, but a commodity that could be given away at any time in exchange for honor and favor.

Xiao Yurong, however, did not have to worry about these things, she did not have to worry about anything. She did not have to worry about being sold as a daughter for fame and fortune, and she did not have to worry about whether her future would drift away like duckweed.

Why are there such lucky people in the world?

She was the only one behind bars.

Tears were about to fall, Ning Rou hurriedly turned her head away and took out a handkerchief to wipe them.

The palace maid looked confused and asked, "Madam, what's wrong? Did I say something wrong?"

"No, you didn't say anything wrong. It's just that when Madam saw this scene, she couldn't help but be moved and miss her family." The Shizhong hurried to smooth things over.

"So that's how it is." The maid smiled and said generously, "Madam, there is no need to be sad. I will definitely make you feel at home in the palace."

Feel at home? The Xiao Palace is Xiao Yurong's home, how could it be her home? Ning Rou smiled self-deprecatingly.

The attendant patted her shoulder and said to the palace maid, "Lead the way."

"Yes." said the palace maid.

The palace maid stood in front to lead the two of them. Ning Rou stood behind at a distance, feeling sad.

The attendant asked, "What's wrong?"

"Even a palace maid looks down on me." Ning Rou bit her lip and said, "I am not favored at home and have never seen such things. I have to fight for a long time before my father will take me to the palace banquet. I don't know what's wrong with these things?"

"No one looks down on you, madam, you are just overthinking it." The attendant didn't know how to comfort her and could only say it dryly.

Ning Rou twisted the handkerchief in her palm and bit her lips hard.

Suspicious? How could she be suspicious?

If she had not married him, she could have married a young man like Li Yaozhi who had all the royal power and wealth in his hands.

Thinking of this, Ning Rou became angry, shook off the attendant's hand and walked forward.

She walked straight in front of the palace maid, making her confused and bewildered. Then she looked at the attendant behind her, as if she understood something.

The palace maid smiled and said, "Everyone in and outside the palace is saying that although the Minister and the Madam are an old man and a young wife, they are deeply in love and the Minister loves the Madam very much. Now that I see her, it is indeed true."

"She's angry with me, so I'll go find her." The attendant could only force a smile and said.

The palace maid nodded, "Yes, sir, just walk a little further. The direction the lady is walking in front of you is where the palace banquet is. I will not disturb you any longer and will take my leave first."

The minister nodded and followed Ning Rou.

They arrived quite late, and many dignitaries had already taken their seats, and some had already started chatting and exchanging pleasantries.

Ning Rou looked around. All the important figures had arrived. There were even a few unfamiliar faces who looked to be from other races. The leader had an extraordinary bearing and a stunning appearance.

Even Xiao Yuxie arrived, and Li Yaozhi was there too.

Li Yaozhi's eyebrows were as calm as distant mountains, his eyes were as delicate as jade, and he sat alone at a table, waiting with his eyes lowered.

He has a gentle and calm temperament, yet he hides a sense of wonder, just like the fresh green in the forest when the fog breaks at dawn.

That's why countless girls in Yujing fall in love with him at first sight.

The same is true for Ning Rou, but Li Yaozhi is always polite and respectful to everyone. He seems gentle and respectful, like a spring breeze, but in fact he keeps people at a distance.

Even though she liked Li Yaozhi, and even though her father kept urging her to make friends with Li Yaozhi, unfortunately Li Yaozhi didn't even say a few words to her.

Ning Rou lowered her head and glanced at the aging attendant beside her, trying hard to suppress the irritation and hatred in her eyes.

Then the only ones left were Xiao Yurong, the protagonist of this birthday banquet, and the person sitting in the highest seat.

She snorted secretly. She wanted to see how Xiao Yurong, the protagonist of the palace banquet, arrived later than Emperor Xiao.

Just as I finished thinking this, the eunuch's announcement came from outside: "Your Majesty has arrived - Princess Zhaoyang has arrived -"

Next to Emperor Xiao was Xiao Yurong, and the two came together.

Xiao Yurong was dressed in gorgeous clothes, her red skirt falling on the brick steps, the peony flowers on her clothes were dazzling.

That extremely beautiful face was radiant and moving, and the red jade pendant between her eyebrows looked like a drop of blood, making her look even more charming and beautiful.

"Long live the emperor, and a thousand years of live the princess." Everyone present bowed and welcomed him respectfully.

Emperor Xiao sat on the chair and raised his hand, "Stand up and sit down."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Everyone stood up and took their seats.

"Come, Zhaoyang, sit here with your father." Emperor Xiao patted the seat beside him.

Xiao Yurong had been involved in many things that were condemned by the world, so one or two would not be a big deal.

So even though he knew that he would be criticized again, Xiao Yurong still went over and sat next to Emperor Xiao.

The banquet began with singing and dancing to celebrate the night, and dishes and wine were served to the table by palace maids.

Xiao Yurong glanced at a few foreigners at the table and raised his eyebrows, "Father, who are those people?"

"The leader of the forty-nine tribes in the Northern Kingdom is their leader, the leader among several leaders." Emperor Xiao lowered his voice, "He came to negotiate peace."

Oh——I see.

Xiao Yurong understood that although the forty-nine tribes of the Northern Kingdom were very strong in fighting, their development in other aspects could not compare to that of the Southern Kingdom.

However, their territory was cold and desolate. Once winter came, plants died, livestock froze and even their own people could not survive.

They sank deeper and deeper into the cold quagmire, until they had to do everything they could to stay alive before the cold winter came.

Plundering was their best and most skilled way, so they plundered the Chule border to obtain survival supplies.

Almost every time winter is approaching, there will be small-scale and large-scale fights. If you win, you grab survival resources, and if you lose, you just have a few fewer people.

Not afraid of death, not caring about life, but doing everything to survive.

The nobles in the capital all thought that they were barbarians who ate raw meat and drank blood, but the custom of having foreign girls and boys was prevalent.

The relationship between the two sides was very tense. One of the reasons why the Cui family stayed in Yinzhou was to guard the border and resist the attacks of the Hu people.

The two sides had just fought a war not long ago, and the forty-nine tribes in the northern kingdom were in disarray until Zuba, the leader of the Balman tribe, united the forty-nine tribes to form an alliance.

Come to negotiate peace, this has never happened before, this leader...

Xiao Yurong looked at their leader, Zuba, who had very obvious foreign customs and features, with deep eyebrows and a high nose bridge.

He was handsome, and the way he looked at people was like a wild wolf pacing on the grassland, quietly waiting for the moment to kill with a fatal blow. He was a combination of wildness and rationality.

But his thick curly golden-brown hair and emerald green eyes all revealed his alien identity.

Xiao Yurong pondered over the memories of his past life, but found that he did not seem to have a very deep impression.

Because the top priority at that time was to deal with Cui Ci Ning, and the forty-nine tribes of the Northern Kingdom seemed to have always maintained their previous way of survival.

Due to the endless civil war, the north was taken advantage of by them several times and a lot of supplies were stolen.

Zuba? It seems that Zuba still became the leader of the 49 tribes, but there was no such thing as peace talks.

"What does father think?" Xiao Yurong asked.

Emperor Xiao glanced at her and asked, "What do you think?"

"If he wants to fight, we can accompany him to the end. If he wants to talk, we are willing to negotiate peace," said Xiao Yurong.

Emperor Xiao nodded in agreement, "Not bad."

After receiving Emperor Xiao's signal, Xiao Yurong looked towards Zuba, who was also looking at her.

After making eye contact with Xiao Yurong, he did not feel like he was discovered. Instead, he stared at Xiao Yurong straightly, tilting his head, his emerald green eyes not blinking, like a wild beast.

"You don't like this song?" Xiao Yurong asked.

She didn't say a title, and just spoke without any context, making it hard to tell who she was talking to.

But Zuba answered her: "No."

Now everyone's attention was drawn and they began to whisper.

"These forty-nine tribes in the north are really full of barbarians. They can't even appreciate such elegant music."

"It's true that wild boars can't eat fine bran."

"What does the leader mean? Isn't he here to negotiate peace?"

"You don't even know the most basic respect. You have no rules. I think there's no need to continue the peace talks, right?"

Xiao Yurong, on the other hand, was very interested. "My Chu Le's music has always been famous, why does the leader not like it?"

Zuba said: "The music in the south is mostly decadent, and the actors and actresses are summoned day and night. There is no such music in my hometown."

There is no such sound in my hometown.

Xiao Yurong seemed surprised, "What's that noise over there?"

"The sound of weapons clashing, the howling of the cold wind, and... the crying of children." Zuba lowered his eyes and said.

Xiao Yurong remained silent.

Zuba raised his eyes and looked at Xiao Yurong, "We have a proposal for this peace negotiation."

"Oh?" Emperor Xiao became interested.

"Yes, yes, yes." The messenger behind Zuba spoke quickly, "We want to ask His Majesty the King of Chu to marry a princess. You and I will form a marriage between the north and the south. From now on, we will live in harmony and advance and retreat together."

"Marriage for peace?" Xiao Yuxie's face darkened.

"Yes." Zuba nodded and raised his hand towards Xiao Yurong, "I am willing to return the three cities of my former homeland and welcome the princess to the Shanshan Royal City as my Khatun."

The whole hall was in an uproar.

Return the homeland of the previous dynasty, these are three cities!

That was a relatively stable and prosperous city in the north. How could the leader of the Northern Kingdom be willing to pay the price for the princess' marriage?

Immediately, a minister knelt down and said to Emperor Xiao: "Your Majesty! The three cities of our homeland as a betrothal gift are enough to show that the leader of the alliance is willing to negotiate peace!"

"Yes, Your Majesty, this is a rare good thing for both the country and the Yu family."

"People have been fighting for so long. Now, there will be peace in the world! This is really a good thing for the people of both countries!"

"May your majesty live a long and healthy life, and he will naturally agree to this."

"Princess Zhaoyang hasn't discussed marriage yet, isn't this just right?"

Amid the noise, Zuba still stared at Xiao Yurong motionlessly, as if waiting for her response.

Xiao Yurong looked down and exchanged glances with him.

Emperor Xiao suppressed his anger and patted the armrest, "Shut up!"

He turned to look at Xiao Yurong, "Rongrong, tell me yourself."