This villain has become a ghost

The weather is not very good today.

But Ling Chaomian calculated and found that the weather in the next few days would be even worse, so he scheduled the banquet for today.

...But the most important thing is that I don’t know how long this sickly Nangong Mingzhu can hold on. If he dies early, he can be reborn sooner.

In the mountains.

Outside the palace, the sky gradually darkened. The tiles gleamed coldly in the afterglow of the setting sun, as cold as ice, and the emerald green pines and cypresses swayed in the wind.

The palace maids were busy shuttling between the corridors, pulling the heavy curtains tight to prevent the cold wind from invading, while the eunuchs were busy lighting fires in every corner of the palace to dispel the cold.

Inside the banquet hall, magnificent palace lanterns hung between massive mahogany pillars, emitting a luxurious glow under the bright blue sky. The floor was covered with a thick red carpet embroidered with intricate patterns. On either side, narrow tables were laden with a variety of delicacies, exquisite porcelain, silver, and jade.

The officials were dressed in official uniforms and sat upright, with either guards standing behind them or staff accompanying them as they sat down.

Nangong Mingzhu sat lazily on the highest dragon throne, supporting his head with one hand, his dark eyes casually looking at everyone present.

"The envoys have arrived—"

The envoys, led by Princess Chihe, walked into the banquet hall and performed the Daying etiquette to the emperor with a bit of awkwardness.

"Let us see your Majesty!"

Nangong Mingzhu's voice was slightly hoarse as he said, "No need to be polite, everyone, please take your seats."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

After Princess Murong Jin of Chihe took her seat, she glanced at Zhang Jing inadvertently, and saw that the guard standing next to him was Mu Huai, and the corners of her mouth curled up.

She turned her gaze to the emperor sitting high in the hall, and her eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a hint of surprise.

Nangong Mingzhu was wearing a purple-black fox fur cloak. Although his face was a little pale, he was incomparably handsome, and he exuded the majesty and noble temperament of an emperor.

The emperor of Daying, a descendant of a royal family, has such an appearance... which is truly rare in the world.

But... why is there no sign of the legendary His Royal Highness Prince Xuan?

Murong Jin took a sip of wine calmly, her beautiful eyes full of calculation.

In the corner of the banquet hall, musicians played melodious ancient music, and dancers in gorgeous costumes danced to the rhythm of the music.

Yue Liuyun watched the princess the entire time and sighed, "Oh my god, I'm so ignorant after all. There's such a beauty in the world..."

It's just like an elf in a fairy tale, anyone would be confused.

Nangong Mingzhu was speechless and glanced at her sideways.

Again.

You haven’t seen enough of the three thousand beauties in the harem, and even a princess from a foreign country can fascinate you. Wake up.

Yue Liuyun received his gaze and said, "Alright, alright, I'm just simply admiring and expressing my feelings..."

She is clear-headed.

"...Please note, nuclear energy ahead."

Originally, it was supposed to be a talent show prepared by the concubines themselves, a display of etiquette for Daying. It was enough, just a token of appreciation. After all, there was no need to pay too much attention to Chi Yu.

But no one knows which genius let Qiu Shuangwan appear first.

What’s surprising is that he and Luo Tong actually performed together.

Both of them were dressed very elegantly, with gorgeous dresses and beautiful faces, which made people unable to take their eyes off them.

The music played by the musicians became more lively, and Qiu Shuangwan and Luo Tong began to dance a duet.

Yue Liuyun: “…”

This music sounds so familiar.

Oh yes, it was the "Nepalese Divine Song". Whenever she passed by the square, she would always see a group of energetic aunts with confident smiles, dancing a very lively duet to the music.

Brother Liu, how did you convince Concubine Shu?

Yue Liuyun's mouth twitched wildly, and he missed Luo Tong who used to play the guqin elegantly and sadly.

The people present with ulterior motives did not think it was inappropriate. Some honest and uninformed ministers even thought it was quite novel.

Although it was nominally a banquet, few people actually paid much attention to it.

After the symbolic song and dance finally ended, Nangong Mingzhu raised his glass and said casually, "The envoys have come all the way to Daying. This toast is to you all."

The envoys all stood up and raised their glasses in return.

Murong Jin smiled slightly and said, "When I was young, I longed for the customs and people of Daying, but unfortunately I never had the chance to see it. Now that I have come to Daying, I find that it is indeed well-deserved."

Nangong Mingzhu gave Shen Yue a look. Shen Yue stood up calmly and said calmly, "Thank you for the compliment, Princess."

Seeing that the emperor was not interested, Murong Jin simply stopped being polite, bowed directly, and said straight to the point:

"We have come as a delegation to discuss peace with Your Majesty. Our armies have been engaged for a long time, and both sides are exhausted. Therefore, we earnestly request that Your Majesty sign a treaty to ensure that there will be no more fighting on the border."

At this moment, a gleam of light flashed in Wei Yanzhi's eyes. He gently put down the wine glass, first bowed respectfully to Nangong Mingzhu, and then nodded slightly to Murong Jin, with a barely perceptible sharpness in his tone:

"Your Highness, the conflict between Daying and Chiyu didn't start overnight. Peace is certainly desirable, but the grudges and hatred between the two countries cannot be easily resolved by a treaty."

All the ministers nodded, thinking that what they said made sense. After all, it was Chi Yu who was defeated, so they should offer sufficient conditions.

Murong Jin paused for a moment, then smiled broadly. "Your Excellency the Prime Minister is absolutely right. The conflict between our two countries is indeed complex. But no matter what, peace is what the people desire. Our country is willing to work with Daying with the utmost sincerity to establish a long-term solution."

Mu Huai gave Zhang Jing a look, and Zhang Jing immediately stood up and said, "Your Highness, His Majesty has always been concerned about the welfare of the people. If peace can be achieved on the border, it would be the best."

"...But your country must demonstrate sufficient sincerity, otherwise, this peace agreement will be difficult to achieve."

Diplomacy for the weaker side is always difficult, but judging from the surface, it seems that Shen Yue, Wei Yanzhi, and Zhang Jing are being aggressive and putting pressure on a weak princess.

However, the current development is exactly what she wants.

Murong Jin said calmly, "Your Majesty, rest assured. This time, the envoys have brought a letter signed jointly by the kings of the thirty-eight tribes of Chiyu."

"During the reign of the late emperor, Chiyu's army captured three cities in Wuzhou. If we negotiate peace now, we can return them all to Daying and promise to give them ten thousand taels of gold as... a dowry for the marriage."

The ministers were all shocked upon hearing this. The three cities' sincerity was indeed significant. However, they hadn't expected... Chi Yu's men had come this time with the intention of seeking a marriage alliance.

Sending Chiyu's princess to Daying is not a good thing for Chiyu, it can even be considered an insult. This princess... is actually willing to come to Daying for marriage.

Nangong Mingzhu's eyes shone, he put down the arm that supported his head, raised his eyebrows and looked at Murong Jin, his eyes filled with indifference, and repeated: "Marriage?"