sovbooks Chapter 386 The Emperor sends his wife off
Chapter 386 The Emperor sends his wife off
The Imperial Palace.
A banquet has already been set up in the main hall.
A row of low tables, black and polished to a shine, reflected images of people, were set out, and were filled with dishes featuring the specialties of Dongli.
Lin Chen sat down on the far left, leaning back in his chair, looking rather lazy.
Although Liu Shengxiong was seated at the head of the table, his aura was clearly inferior to Lin Chen's, and he appeared cautious.
Liu Shengxue and Liu Sheng Piaopiao sat on either side of Lin Chen, while Lan Fenghuang and the other girls sat behind Lin Chen.
Miyamoto Takeshi and Yagyu Jubei sat opposite him, and the rest were representatives of civil and military officials.
Yao Yao and A Yue picked up food with their chopsticks incredibly fast, their mouths stuffed full, their cheeks bulging like hamsters.
Lan Fenghuang held her wine glass, sipping slowly, watching the two of them with a helpless smile on her lips.
Da Shuang and Xiao Shuang ate their meals in small bites, their manners ingrained in their very bones.
Lingbo, as always, treated her as if she were invisible.
After a few rounds of drinks, the atmosphere gradually warmed up.
Holding a sake cup, Liu Shengxiong smiled broadly and kept urging others to drink:
"Your Highness has a great capacity for alcohol, another cup please!"
"Your Highness, your might shakes the world; I, the humble prince, offer you a toast!"
"Your Highness possesses exceptional talent; your martial arts prospects are truly promising!"
The flattery came one after another, each one different, like a machine gun.
Lin Chen accepted all drinks offered, emptying his glass in one gulp, a smile always on his face.
No matter what Liu Shengxiong said, he smiled and nodded, "Hmm," "Okay," "Drink."
After several rounds of drinks, Lin Chen put down his glass, looked at Liu Shengxiong, and suddenly asked:
"Your Majesty, are there any evil cultivators causing trouble within the Eastern Territory?"
Liu Shengxiong's hand holding the wine glass paused slightly, a hint of unease flashing in his eyes, but he quickly recovered, shaking his head with a smile:
"No, no, although Dongli is small, it is well governed."
The people live in peace and contentment; no one picks up lost items on the road, and doors are left unlocked at night.
Lin Chen looked at him, smiled, and didn't ask any more questions.
But his gaze swept across Liu Shengxiong's face, catching a glimpse of unease in that instant.
He glanced at the person below him again.
Yagyu Jubei's hand holding the sake cup trembled slightly, and the sake sloshed in the cup, almost spilling out.
Miyamoto Takeshi's expression remained normal, but his fingers tightened around the chopsticks, and his knuckles turned white.
Lin Chen saw all of this.
He picked up his glass and continued drinking, his smile deepening.
The banquet continued, and the singing and dancing continued.
The dancers, dressed in the traditional attire of Dongli, were dressed in bright and colorful clothes and held fans in their hands as they danced gracefully in the hall.
The movements were slow and gentle, like practicing Tai Chi.
The fan opened and closed, making a "clattering" sound, which, combined with the melody of the shamisen, sounded quite pleasant.
Lin Chen leaned back in his chair, watching the song and dance performance with a blank expression on his face.
But his fingers tapped lightly on his knees, one tap at a time, as if he were keeping time or counting something.
Yagyu Yu leaned closer, lowered his voice, and looked mysterious:
"Your Highness, I have another token of my appreciation, and I would like to ask that you accept it."
Lin Chen raised an eyebrow: "What's your intention?"
Yagyu Yu smiled and clapped his hands.
Applause echoed through the hall, and the singing and dancing stopped.
The dancers stepped aside, knelt on the ground, and bowed their heads.
The palace doors opened, and several women entered.
Leading the way was a woman in her thirties, dressed in a gorgeous bright red kimono embroidered with golden phoenixes, the long train of which rustled on the ground.
Her hair was piled high, adorned with several jade hairpins that shimmered with a warm glow under the lamplight.
She has a beautiful face, fair and radiant skin, and a mature charm that only a young girl can possess.
She had a great figure; although the kimono was loose, the sash around her waist accentuated her slender waist.
The curves above and below are clearly outlined, with the right curves forming the perfect shape – any more would make it look too plump, any less would make it look too thin.
Her walking posture was unique; her steps were small, but each step was steady, and her waist swayed slightly, like a willow swaying in the wind—it was indescribably beautiful.
When Liu Shengxue and Liu Sheng Piaopiao saw her, they were both stunned.
Liu Shengxue's wine glass fell to the table with a "clatter," spilling wine all over the table.
Liu Sheng Piaopiao's mouth opened slightly, and her eyes instantly reddened.
That was their mother—Yama Ryoukoya.
Shan Lingkongya walked up to Lin Chen, stopped, clasped her hands in front of her, and slightly bent her knees, performing a Dongli-style salute.
The movements were so graceful, as if they had been practiced a thousand times, and every angle was just right.
"My name is Shan Lingkongya, and I greet Your Highness." Her voice was soft, like a spring breeze brushing across a lake, neither too loud nor too soft.
Liu Shengxiong stood up, smiling as he introduced the situation, a hint of pride in his voice:
"Your Highness, this is the young prince's beloved concubine, Shan Lingkongya."
Xiao Wang wanted her to serve the prince for a few days, to fulfill his duty as host.
Your Highness, rest assured, since Kong Yazi became pregnant with Piaopiao, she has not been touched by a man for a full nineteen years.
The hall fell silent instantly, so quiet that you could hear the candles burning and the petals falling outside the window.
Liu Shengxue's face turned white, as white as paper.
The wine glass in her hand fell to the ground with a "clatter" and shattered into several pieces, splashing wine onto her skirt, but she didn't react.
Liu Sheng Piaopiao's eyes reddened, tears welled up in them, her lips trembled, and she wanted to say something but couldn't utter a word.
She glanced at Yagyu Yu, then at Yamarei Sora, and finally lowered her head, biting her lip tightly. Tears finally fell, pattering onto the table.
Lan Fenghuang's hand, holding the wine glass, froze, hovering in mid-air, motionless.
Yao Yao dropped her chopsticks on the table, her mouth agape.
Ah Yue opened her mouth wide, and the sashimi in her mouth almost fell out.
Da Shuang and Xiao Shuang exchanged a glance, then lowered their heads, their faces turning red to their ears.
A glint of light flashed in Lingbo's eyes, and her fingers twitched slightly.
Lin Chen squinted at the woman in front of him.
Shan Ling Kongya knelt before him, her head slightly bowed, her long eyelashes casting a fan-shaped shadow beneath her eyes.
Her skin is very well-maintained; a woman in her thirties looks like she's in her twenties.
She had a long, slender neck and delicate collarbones. The neckline of her kimono was slightly open, revealing a section of her fair and smooth skin.
Lin Chen admitted that he did feel a unique sense of excitement and impulse.
It is a primal, more instinctive impulse.
It is a possessive desire for mature women, a yearning for the forbidden, and a secret, stimulating longing behind the words "someone else's wife".