Marrying the Crown Prince

During the morning court session, Zhou Zhou was unaware of what had happened. He only knew that because of the peace talks, the princess and prince of the Western Qin Kingdom were no longer prisoners, but were instead packaged up and sent to the Western Qin Kingdom's envoys by Li Ziyan.

The details of the peace talks have not yet been released, but a palace banquet has already been arranged.

This was the first time Zhou Zhou had ever arranged such a large banquet.

It's impossible to follow the old ways now, because we're really not as wealthy as we used to be.

But you can't be stingy either, or the people of Western Qin will laugh at you.

In short, it's about splitting one unit of silver into three parts, using the least amount of silver to create the biggest spectacle.

In the sweltering heat of midsummer, even though the palace banquet was held at night, the room remained hot after sunset. If it were to be held indoors, ice would be essential.

Therefore, Zhou Zhou directly arranged the palace banquet to be held on the open-air platform.

It happened to be the 17th of every month, the moon was round and bright, candles and kerosene lamps were lit, lanterns were hung under the eaves, and mosquito repellent incense was also put on, which was quite good.

This lantern was no ordinary lantern. Zhou Zhou had obtained it from artisans who made a living by making lanterns by selling information to them through small vendors.

Inexpensive and aesthetically pleasing are one aspect; another is to take this opportunity to slightly improve the lives of ordinary people.

In addition to these, Zhou Zhou also avoided the large amounts of meat and fish served at the banquet.

Because the palace banquet was held at night, most people had already eaten, and they disliked the hassle of changing clothes, so most people only took a couple of bites before putting down their chopsticks.

Therefore, food was the most wasted item at palace banquets.

Since that's the case, Zhou Zhou simply canceled the hot fish and meat dishes and just prepared some cold dishes, snacks, and fruits to go with the drinks.

The fruits are all seasonal and local. Do you want to eat lychees from the south?

The people of Yunqin are not worthy!

What about the lychees that were sent as tribute from the south?

Zhou Zhou had prepared the items in advance and delivered them to the residences of the court officials.

With everything prepared, Zhou Zhou calmly pulled the ledger out of the child's mouth.

When a child loses their teething toy, they pout and start to cry.

Just as Zhou Zhou was hesitating whether to put the thing back in his mouth or let him cry, the wet nurse picked him up and gently coaxed him.

The little one's two wet nurses were very attentive, and with their help in taking care of the child, Zhou Zhou could say that things were very easy.

With everything arranged, she stood up and decided to go to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to discuss the matter with Li Ziyan and see if any details needed to be modified.

She boarded the sedan chair and swayed as she arrived at the entrance of the Imperial Study.

"This servant greets Your Majesty the Empress." Chang Yi bowed deeply when he saw Zhou Zhou approaching.

When Li Ziyan was handling government affairs alone in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Changyi would serve him there.

Now that he's standing here, it's likely that some officials are discussing something with Li Ziyan inside.

It is worth mentioning that Wei Yi, who used to serve the late emperor, volunteered to leave after the late emperor's burial—to guard the late emperor's tomb.

He knew that a new emperor meant a new court.

Now, by voluntarily abdicating, I can leave the palace in style; if I continue to beg and refuse to relinquish the throne, I may not even have the chance to live a peaceful and comfortable old age.

Returning to the entrance of the Imperial Study, Zhou Zhou nodded, signaling Chang Yi to get up.

"Why aren't you inside serving? Did someone come over?" she asked, knowing the answer already.

"Your Majesty," Changyi replied, "it is General Chen, the third young master of the Zhaoqing Marquis's residence."

Chen Muchuan, the third son of the Zhaoqing Marquis's family and the young General Chen, is Liu Jingyuan's husband.

Zhou Zhou's breath hitched when she thought of Liu Jingyuan.

Chang Yi noticed her slight absent-mindedness, quickly lowered his eyes, and bowed, "Your Highness, shall I go in and inform her?"

Just as Zhou Zhou was about to say it wasn't necessary, Li Ziyan's voice came from inside, "The Empress? Come in."

Chang Yi opened the door, and Zhou Zhou stepped inside.

When Chen Muchuan saw Zhou Zhou arrive, he stood up and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, may Your Majesty live a thousand years."

"General Chen, there's no need for such formalities. Please rise."

Putting aside the relationship between Zhou Zhou and Liu Jingyuan, Zhou Zhou couldn't possibly make things difficult for the entire Zhaoqing Marquis's mansion, given how much they had sacrificed for this war.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Chen Muchuan stood up.

Looking at his face, Zhou Zhou still felt a little reluctant.

Chen Muchuan, formerly known as the most handsome man in Kyoto, was so handsome that the saying "In ancient times there was Pan An, and now there is Chen San" became popular.

Now, he has a ten-centimeter-long scar on the left side of his face.

The scar, like a deep ravine, red and purple, covered his face, ferocious and terrifying, telling a painful story.

This scar, like a venomous snake, meanders and crawls up his face, mocking him madly at that time—how powerless and insignificant he was.

His other half of his face remained stunning: sharp, deep-set eyes, a high, straight nose, and tightly closed lips—every feature was perfectly sculpted on this exquisite half of his face.

Extreme ugliness and extreme beauty converge on the same face.

The stark contrast is incredibly tragic, and the impact is simply too strong.

Not to mention that Zhou Zhou had only met him twice, those guys in the court saw Chen Muchuan every day, yet they still couldn't keep their expressions unchanged.

Chen Muchuan's report was only a little bit long, so after Zhou Zhou came in, he finished up the rest and left.

Watching his retreating figure, Zhou Zhou took a deep breath, mustered his spirits, and handed the prepared document to Li Ziyan, saying, "The banquet program is ready; please take a look."

Li Ziyan took it...

Things were changing rapidly, and soon the palace banquet arrived.

At the palace banquet, Princess Zhang Siwu of the Western Qin Kingdom stepped forward.

She raised her hand and picked up the wine cup. "Even far away in Western Qin, I have heard that the Empress, who serves His Majesty Emperor Chen, is a woman of unparalleled beauty and grace."

"I used to think it was just people spreading rumors and making jokes."

"Now that I see her in person, I realize that Her Majesty the Empress is indeed as beautiful and radiant as the rumors say."

"Your Majesty, I would like to offer you a toast."

After saying that, Zhang Siwu drank the wine in her glass in one gulp.

Zhou Zhou picked up his wine glass, took a small sip, and responded.

This matter naturally displeased Zhang Siwu.

She immediately said, "Your Majesty, I have drunk the wine in my cup in one gulp. Shouldn't you respond to me in the same way?"

Zhou Zhou raised his eyes, his expression indifferent. "Princess, you may not know this, but in the Chen Kingdom, the one who offers a toast should drink the entire cup, while Your Excellency may drink with you, or you may choose not to."

The implication is that you are inferior and I am superior.

Zhang Siwu gritted her teeth, but had to admit that what she said was right.

After all, Zhou Zhou is the daughter of a great nation, and the only one who can be on equal footing with her is the Queen Mother of Yun Qin.

Despite her illustrious military achievements, she ultimately couldn't overcome the superior's words, "Of humble birth, she is unfit for great responsibilities."

She truly hated these arrogant people!

Zhang Siwu waved her sleeve forcefully, and the long sleeve fluttered, finally revealing the jade pendant that had been hidden by the sleeve.

Zhou Zhou, with her sharp eyes, noticed it instantly.

There are some people, things, and thoughts that, even after you've thought them through, you still can't help but ask them out loud.

She knew it was impulsive and irrational, but some people and some things just couldn't be calmed down.