The Eternal Beauty of the City of Wealth

The next morning, Zixuan was still asleep when he vaguely heard someone knocking on the door.

"Princess, princess, it's time to get up."

The maid's voice reached her ears, and Zixuan opened his eyes dazedly.

After waking up from a nap, he stretched out his body and asked lazily, "What's the matter?"

"Princess, it's time for you to get up. The Queen has asked me to invite you to the dining hall for dinner."

Zixuan lazily got out of bed and opened the door. Immediately, six palace maids came in quietly, carrying toiletries in their hands.

These six people were her personal maids, who usually served her in her daily life.

An older female official lowered her head and said softly, "Your Highness, let us help you wash up."

"Well," Zixuan responded, and washed his hands and face in a bronze basin.

Just as she was about to take something to brush her teeth and rinse her mouth, she hesitated and retracted her outstretched hand.

How do I use this toothbrush? she muttered to herself.

I saw a small wooden stick as long as chopsticks, with something like cotton cloth tied to it.

She remembered that this was the toothbrush she usually used to brush her teeth.

She paused, then reached out to take the toothbrush and salt water, recalling how she usually brushed her teeth, and began to brush gently.

Oh, it’s so frustrating. The toothbrush and toothpaste in the space are better. It feels cool and refreshing when I brush my teeth.

Well, I won’t need these tomorrow morning, so I’d better go to the space and wash up.

After she rinsed her mouth and dried her face, she slowly said to the maids, "Starting tomorrow morning, you won't have to help me wash."

"No one is allowed to enter my bedroom without my permission. You can wait in my side hall at other times. I will call you if there is anything."

The maids were stunned for a moment, looked at each other, and then fell to their knees on the ground.

She said in panic, "Princess, Your Highness, have we done something wrong to make you unhappy? Do you want us to serve you anymore?"

"Your Highness, if we have done anything wrong, please punish us. Please don't chase us away, Princess, wuwu..."

Zixuan held his forehead. These little girls had such poor comprehension skills: "Stop crying!"

Then, she coughed lightly and said, "This princess has no intention of driving you away. Just obey my orders."

"Also, from now on, inside and outside the palace, don't ask about anything you see or hear, and don't talk about it. Anyone who dares to disobey will be beaten!"

After Zixuan finished speaking, he looked at them coldly with a majestic look.

"Yes, yes, we dare not. We obey your command."

The maids spoke in fear, and kowtowed repeatedly. Zixuan raised his hand: "Okay, get up!"

The maids quickly got up from the ground, dressed Zixuan in mourning clothes, combed his hair, and put on a white flower.

After finishing the preparations, he led her slowly towards the dining hall. When they arrived at the dining hall, the queen was already waiting there.

Zixuan bowed slightly and said, "Mother."

"Xuan'er, hurry up and have your meal. After dinner, we still have to go to the Council Hall to discuss some matters with the ministers."

Zixuan agreed and began to eat slowly with the queen.

The breakfast was OK, but the saltiness was a bit bitter.

After the mother and daughter finished their meal, they were surrounded by maids and guards and walked into the council hall.

The ministers, dressed in heavy mourning, saluted and then knelt in their seats.

Afterwards, the queen asked the ministers, "My lords, have all the arrangements for the king's funeral been completed?"

Doctor Yuan Huan stood up, bowed deeply, and said, "Your Majesty, I have completed the task. The funeral bell has rung."

"The death notice has been sent to all parts of Lai State. The governors and magistrates of all counties and prefectures are on their way back to the city."

The queen nodded gently after hearing this. At this moment, the eunuch's voice suddenly sounded outside the hall.

Report! A eunuch hurried into the hall, knelt on the ground, and said loudly: "Your Majesty, the King of Qi has sent a special envoy to summon you, and he is already outside the hall!"

The queen nodded and stood up again, waving her hand towards the ministers. "My Lords, follow me to see the special envoy and receive the summons."

Then, she glanced at Zixuan again, "Xuan'er, follow your mother!"

After saying this, he hurried out of the hall, and the ministers followed him in a hurry.

As soon as they left the hall, they saw a team of about two to three hundred people slowly walking towards the hall.

The queen immediately pulled Zixuan and walked towards the team.

At the front of the team, two people hurriedly came up to them and bowed deeply, saying, "I, Crown Prince Guang, Prime Minister Yan Ying, greet Queen Lai."

The queen raised her hand slightly and said, "My two envoys, there is no need for formalities. You must have been very tired on this journey. What is the king's decree? Please read it out quickly."

Okay, the two of them agreed and took out the imperial edict.

First, Yan Ying stepped forward, slowly opened the silk cloth, glanced at the crowd, and everyone knelt down in unison to listen to the announcement.

Yan Ying coughed lightly and read slowly, "...I am shocked to hear that Lord Lai has passed away. It is like a thunderbolt in a clear sky, or like the Yangtze River flowing backwards."

"Alas, your passing has left me heartbroken and unable to sleep. I used to treat Lord Lai like a brother. Your passing is like losing an arm to me."

"Your passing away is like the severing of my wings. Alas, my words are finite, but my feelings are endless. Do you know this? Do you not know this? Alas, how sad..."

"Because I am in poor health and cannot go to offer condolences in person, I have specially sent Crown Prince Guang and Prime Minister Yan Ying to offer condolences on your behalf."

"The following burial objects are granted: ten pairs of jade bi, twenty bronze vessels, and fifty various pottery, cups, vases, and silver objects."

"The number of maids and attendants buried with the deceased is fifty each, and one hundred soldiers. This is my order."

Before Yan Ying finished reading, there was already a sound of weeping outside the palace. Zixuan also covered his face with his robe and sobbed softly.