Mysterious mirror hanging high

Just as Jing Yu was considering whether to pull off the yellow jade pendant hanging from his waist to make up for the loss, an attendant dressed in the standard attire of the Third Princess's residence hurried into the hall, carrying a wooden food box. The Third Princess, Zhao Mingyu, who had been sitting upright, suddenly stood up, clapped her hands, and said with a smile:

"Father, my daughter's birthday gift has arrived!"

Jing Yu was shocked.

Are there any experts?

The third princess, Zhao Mingyu, has always been thoughtful and good at pleasing Emperor Zhao. Zhao Mingyang has been able to hold the throne of the Eastern Palace for many years, and Zhao Mingyu has made great contributions.

I wonder what's in this food box?

It can’t be some rare treasure!

Jing Yu licked his lips subconsciously.

The attendant also knew the rules and did not present the food box immediately. Instead, he opened the lid of the food box in the center of the hall.

"what?"

It wasn't just Jing Yu; almost all the guests sitting in the front row were puzzled.

Nothing else, the food box only contained a few loquats that were yellow with a slight greenish tint. Perhaps because they were just picked and washed in a hurry, there were even a few drops of water on the green and yellow skin of the loquats.

Now it is early summer, the season when loquats are ripe. Loquat trees are not uncommon in the imperial city. Sweet loquat fruits can be bought at any market, let alone these green fruits that are not yet fully ripe.

Zhao Mingyu lifted her skirt and walked slowly to the center of the hall. She gently picked up a loquat from the food box with her scallion-white jade hand and said,

"Father, today is your fifty-fifth birthday, a truly momentous occasion. I, your daughter, lack the wealth and insight of my fifth brother, who could have assembled the world's most skilled craftsmen to forge such a rare treasure as the Golden Ou Yonggu Cup. My two children are also mediocre, none of them exceptional... It just so happens that the loquat tree in the backyard of our mansion has fruit, but it's not yet fully ripe. I could only pick some now as a token of my appreciation for you, Father."

"That loquat tree was planted by my father and mother, you should still remember it, right?"

Strangely enough, after Zhao Mingyu said this, the originally calm Emperor Zhao suddenly closed his eyes, his chest heaving, his throat rolling, and finally he just exhaled lightly. When he opened his eyes again, everyone looked at him and saw that the eyes of this supreme old man were red.

All the ministers at the banquet were so frightened that they fell silent. The entire hall suddenly fell silent. Even Jing Yu, who had sharp ears and eyes, could only hear the sound of Emperor Zhao swallowing.

The queen standing by also seemed a little at a loss, not knowing what was going on.

"Of course I remember."

Emperor Zhao spoke slowly, his voice a little hoarse:

"Fifteen years! You were only thirteen that year, two years away from your marriage, but Zhaoyi..."

"Zhaoyi's time was running out, so I made an exception and held your coming-of-age ceremony two years early. I also built a separate courtyard on the edge of the imperial city for you to establish your residence."

"Later, Zhaoyi and I planted a loquat sapling together in the back garden. I remember you and Mingyang were standing behind me at that time!"

Emperor Zhao almost uttered the last few words with gritted teeth, and finally shed tears at this moment.

"I was still young then, and didn't understand many things. My mother's health grew weaker day by day, but she never showed it in front of her daughter... That day, my eldest brother stood beside her and secretly wiped away tears. I just thought it was my father scolding my eldest brother for state affairs again, and I felt a little strange."

Zhao Mingyang, who was sitting in the prince's seat, was already in tears at this time.

Zhao Mingyu's expression was calm, but Jing Yu could hear a hint of sadness in his voice:

"At the time, I felt that the opening day was just an ordinary day, and there was nothing special about it."

"I have always been a cold and aloof person. Not long after we opened the mansion, on the day our mother passed away, my eldest brother wept bitterly, but I couldn't shed a single tear."

"It was just that in early summer this year, I was sitting alone under the loquat tree planted by my father and mother. Looking at the tree full of loquats, I suddenly remembered the person who planted the tree that day. I shed a lot of tears, perhaps because I missed him a little."

"Later, I thought of picking some loquats for my father to try, but unfortunately, the fruits were not fully ripe."

"It should still be a little sour."

Emperor Zhao closed his eyes again, his eyelashes trembling. His already wrinkled right hand clenched and unclenched, and he asked in a hoarse voice:

"How are the loquat trees growing now?"

Zhao Mingyu gently stroked the corner of his eye with his robe sleeve and said softly:

"Now it is as tall and majestic as a canopy."

"Good, good... He's a accomplished talent." Emperor Zhao said with emotion:

"Mingyue's birthday gift is very much to my liking."

"cough……"

After Zhao Mingyue presented the gift, everyone looked at Jing Yu and felt that he was in a dilemma. Among the seven royal heirs, only the sixth prince had not presented a gift!

Feeling a few vague glances coming at him, Jing Yu remained thick-skinned and calm. He wiped the grease from his fingers, stood up slowly, walked to the center of the hall, and bowed.

"Your Majesty, I respectfully wish you a long and healthy life!"

"Sixth brother, have you also prepared a birthday gift this time?" Emperor Zhao was in a good mood and asked jokingly.

"Your Majesty, I have not prepared any birthday gifts." Jing Yu said righteously.

"This..." All the guests at the table were stunned. Why was he so arrogant without any gifts?

Crown Prince Zhao Mingyang also wanted to smooth things over: "Father, my sixth brother must be very busy with schoolwork, so he really doesn't have any free time..."

"Oh? Sixth brother, how did you do in this year's exam on political theory and military strategy?" Emperor Zhao snorted.

"Your Majesty, I am ranked second in political theory and third in military strategy!" Jing Yu puffed out his chest and spoke in a louder voice as he talked about his schoolwork.

"Bing lower, Bing middle, is this the result of not having any free time?" Emperor Zhao's expression was not happy. "Have you studied seriously?"

"Father, I always get dizzy when I read those boring books. But what my elder brother said about me being busy is true. I did encounter some obstacles in my martial arts training recently, but I just broke through them a few days ago."

"Ha, could it be that a martial arts master is going to emerge in my royal family?" Emperor Zhao did not take Jing Yu's words to heart, and just regarded it as his perfunctory excuse.

"I have now truly reached the level of a second-rate expert in the martial arts world!"

"A fourteen-year-old second-rate master?" Wu Juecheng, who was sitting below Emperor Zhao, opened his eyes and looked up and down at the Sixth Prince of Zhao.

"Your Majesty, the Sixth Prince's entire body is filled with concentrated Qi and blood, and his lower body is extremely stable. He truly possesses impressive martial arts skills." Wu Juecheng said slowly, "However, second-rate martial arts masters in the martial arts world are no ordinary cabbages. Their every move exudes Qi and blood, imbued with the thundering sounds of tigers and leopards. When they strike, victims are often killed or seriously injured. Does the Sixth Prince possess this ability?"

"I'm just looking for Master Wu's guidance!" Jing Yu said loudly.

"Haha, you're coming for me!" Wu Juecheng laughed and looked at Emperor Zhao: "Your Majesty?"

"Master Wu has the reputation of being the best master in the world. If he could give this rebellious son some pointers, he would benefit greatly throughout his life." Emperor Zhao still had doubts in his eyes as he spoke slowly.

As soon as Emperor Zhao finished speaking, Wu Juecheng jumped down from the table in an instant, touched the ground with one foot, and landed lightly in front of Jing Yu.

Good body skills!

Jing Yu secretly admired in his heart. From his point of view, Wu Juecheng's lightness skill was among the best among the martial arts masters in the mortal world. The reputation of being the best master in the world was not just an exaggeration!