The emperor burst into a hearty laugh and said, "Last time I received a letter from Minister Wei, saying that you couldn't make it back for the Empress Dowager's birthday.没想到,竟然赶回来了。"
Prince Yu looked respectful. "Your servant wanted to enjoy the scenery of the Great Zhou along the way. Also, I thought I couldn't miss the Empress Dowager's birthday. Brother Hongmiao took me on a water journey, covering hundreds of miles a day. We arrived in the capital yesterday. I'm finally able to attend this grand feast. It's truly a great blessing for me!"
Shi Ning'an narrowed her eyes and sized up the people on the upper seats. The crown prince seemed to have just received the news and was wearing a meaningful smile. The eldest prince looked rather cold. He sized up the crown prince from time to time, then glanced in the direction of the Rong family. Finally, his gaze fell on the third prince, and his eyes seemed to be filled with venom.
Did the third prince take a gamble in this life and show himself actively?
After Prince Yu flattered the emperor, his Mandarin of the Great Zhou was not very good, and his polite words were stuttered. But the more so, it seemed the more sincere, which made the emperor extremely pleased.
Rong Jian and the others soon received the news. It turned out that in the battle against the Northern Qi, although the news didn't spread widely, General Zhou had really suffered a setback. It was the first time he had been defeated in a battle against the Northern Qi and returned. Coincidentally, after Wei Hongmiao suffered a setback last year, he traveled around the mountains and rivers and had a very good relationship with the northern generals. At the critical moment, it was Wei Hongmiao, with the title of a commander of a thousand soldiers, who led his thousand soldiers to break through the siege.
It was said that Wei Hongmiao even shot an arrow from a hundred meters away and hit the enemy general's forehead. He was truly a divine archer, and the Northern Qi army was defeated without a fight.
As for this prince of the Northern Qi, he voluntarily surrendered. He told the Great Zhou all about the turmoil in the royal family of the Northern Qi and asked for the Great Zhou's support for his ascension to the throne on the condition of vassalage for a hundred years.
The emperor was happy, and the rewards came like flowing water. Wei Hongmiao not only regained his glory but was also conferred the title of a fourth - rank general of might and loyalty. You should know that Rong Heng had been on the battlefield since childhood, leading troops and defending Wuyun, the most difficult place in the Great Zhou. Now he was only a fourth - rank general.
Wei Hongmiao's comeback naturally made Rong Heng grind his teeth.
Shi Ning'an gently touched his arm and whispered, "Cousin, you can compete with him now."
Rong Heng's expression relaxed. Indeed, just now when he saw Wei Hongmiao provoking his cousin, he was unhappy and wanted to take action. But he thought that as a general, it was not kind to bully an ordinary person. Now that they were both generals of the same rank, one was a general of might and the other was a general of might and loyalty. He really wanted to see which one was the real general.
Then Prince Yu presented the birthday gift he had brought from the Northern Qi. Two servants carried an object covered with a big red cloth and walked mysteriously onto the hall.
Rong Sui was standing behind the crown prince. Seeing this, he immediately stepped down and stood in front of the emperor's table.
Perhaps he blocked the emperor's interest. The emperor laughed and said, "A Sui is being too cautious."
Rong Sui tightened his lips and stepped aside. "In front of the emperor, no matter how cautious I am, it's not excessive."
The emperor was in high spirits, so he didn't blame him anymore. He just focused on looking at the gift covered with the red cloth, wondering what kind of rare treasures it would be.
Not only the emperor but also everyone in the hall was extremely curious because of this mystery. They even wanted to lift the red cloth themselves and have a good look.
When Prince Yu lifted the red cloth, there was a cage inside. There was a kitten in the cage, but it didn't look like an ordinary cat. Although it was as soft and cute, its tail was long and thin with sparse fur, and there was even a hint of domineering between its eyebrows.
A cat?
Everyone was a little disappointed.
When the kitten let out a soft meow, everyone relaxed. It was just a kitten! Was it that the Northern Qi couldn't even come up with a better gift?
Rong Sui subconsciously looked in Shi Ning'an's direction and saw her shaking her head nervously. He quickly stepped forward to stop the emperor who was about to step down to take a closer look at the cat.
Before he could say anything, Prince Yu stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and said, "Your Majesty, please don't get close."
The emperor let out an "oh" and asked, "Is there any mystery?"
Prince Yu smiled and explained, "It's my recklessness. This cat is a sacred object in the Northern Qi. There are only about a dozen of them in the whole Northern Qi. I thought this kind of sacred object would be the most suitable birthday gift for the Empress Dowager. But when I came to the Great Zhou, I realized that my vision was as short - sighted as a frog in a well. It turns out that there are all kinds of animals in the Great Zhou, and this cat is not rare at all."
Such self - deprecating words made the emperor even more amiable.
Rong Jian's face darkened, and he whispered, "The emperor is not old yet. Why is he becoming more and more muddle - headed?"
This meant that the emperor was being careless and was about to go and look casually. What if the enemy had a plan? The emperor might not be able to defend in time.
The Princess Zhaoming had now learned a lot from Shi Ning'an and was extremely cautious. She quickly coughed to hint to her father - in - law not to talk nonsense.
Rong Jian frowned but finally shut his mouth.
Prince Yu continued, "However, this cat is not an ordinary one and cannot be played with. Your Majesty, don't be deceived by its cute and docile appearance. In fact, some people and things use their extremely innocent appearance as a guise, but inside they hide their sharpness and are extremely cunning."
Shi Ning'an was a little confused. Why did Prince Yu always seem to glance in her direction when he said these words? Was she just seeing things?
The emperor didn't suspect anything and asked repeatedly, "Oh, do you mean this cat is extremely cunning?"
Prince Yu nodded, motioned for the emperor to step back, and then put on a thick glove, opened the cage, and reached in. The kitten was extremely docile. It rubbed its furry head against Prince Yu's hand and then softly lay on his hand. No matter how you looked at it, it was a cute and adorable pet.
When Prince Yu picked up the kitten and stroked it gently for a while, the kitten suddenly stood up, showed its claws, and stabbed at Prince Yu's eyes.
But Prince Yu was well - prepared. He held a small hammer in his other hand and hit the kitten with it. The kitten was in pain and softly lay on Prince Yu's hand, then let out a soft meow, as if begging for mercy.
Everything happened in an instant. The emperor was stunned and asked, "Did it attack for no reason? Is it not domesticated?"
Ordinary wild and undomesticated cats also attack people, but they don't know how to attract people's attention by their appearance, and they usually only attack when they are attacked. They don't usually attack actively under normal circumstances.
Prince Yu put the cat back into the cage and then explained, "Your Majesty, I raised this cat myself since it was not weaned. It's been three years now, and it is domesticated. This cat is a kind of leopard cat. It doesn't grow big. It has a pure and innocent appearance, but in fact, it is extremely fierce. Its teeth and claws are sharp weapons and are poisonous. Although the poison on it is not very strong, if one is injured by it and not treated in time, one will suffer."
The emperor had never heard of this and was extremely surprised. He walked around the cage and really couldn't see that the little kitten in the cage was the same animal that had moved so swiftly just now.
He turned to look at Rong Sui and asked, "A Sui, have you seen this thing?"
Rong Sui shook his head. "Your Majesty, I haven't."
The emperor was a little disappointed but thought it was something rare, so he commented, "It's something rare. Does Mother like it?"
Compared with the emperor's enthusiasm, the Empress Dowager was a little uninterested, but she still nodded politely. "I like it very much. But this thing is fierce. I'm afraid I can't raise it."
The emperor said, "Send it to the garden and let the animal trainer raise it. When Mother wants to see it, she can just go there."
The Empress Dowager said appropriately, "Prince Yu has put his heart into this. Tell me what you want, and I'll reward you."
Prince Yu bowed and said, "A birthday gift should not be rewarded. But there are so many beautiful things in the Great Zhou. I've been dazzled along the way. I've also heard Brother Hongmiao tell me about the customs of the Great Zhou. I'm really admiring. Since the Empress Dowager asks, I'll be so bold as to ask for something."
He turned his face slightly and looked at Shi Ning'an with a smile.
Shi Ning'an's heart skipped a beat. She subconsciously held Mrs. Shao's hand beside her. Then she looked at Rong Sui in a hurry, but Rong Sui seemed not to notice at all. He was protecting the emperor back to the main seat.
The Empress Dowager nodded slowly. "Just say what you want."
Prince Yu said loudly, "Along the way, what I've seen most are the beautiful women of the Great Zhou. Whether they are village girls or noble ladies in the capital, they all have their own charm. I'm twenty - two years old and haven't married yet. I want to marry a beautiful girl from the Great Zhou as my principal wife."
Rong Feichi whispered, "The princes of the royal family of the Northern Qi can marry four principal wives, and the number of concubines is not fixed."
The Princess Zhaoming was surprised. "Four principal wives?"
Rong Feichi nodded. "Yes. If he becomes the king in the future, all his principal wives will be great wives, and there is no distinction between legitimate and illegitimate. This Prince Yu is the son of the fourth great wife of the king of the Northern Qi. He is also a legitimate son and can inherit the throne."
The Princess Zhaoming was a little indignant. "Other foreign kings marry the noble ladies of our Great Zhou with the etiquette of a princess. They marry them as the principal wife, and no one else can surpass them. This prince is really bold."
Rong Feichi shook his head. The Rong family loved their daughters very much and would choose carefully when marrying their daughters as the principal wife. If it was just one of the principal wives, they would be extremely reluctant. Fortunately, the emperor knew the Rong family's temper. This prince's principal wife would definitely not be Ning'an.
Prince Yu then said, "I've heard that the Great Zhou is different from the Northern Qi. If I get the one I love, I'll definitely regard her as my principal wife, and this wife will be the first. In the future, if I have other wives, they will all be in the side positions."
Only then did the emperor nod in satisfaction and ask, "Has Prince Yu taken a fancy to anyone?"
Prince Yu's gaze swept from the princess on the upper seat to the princesses and county princesses on the lower seats, and finally settled on Shi Ning'an's face. He said, "I've traveled thousands of miles to the capital this time and seen many beautiful women of the Great Zhou. But I'm rather picky about love. If she's not the most beautiful one, I won't be willing."
The crown prince spoke up at the right time. "Grandmother, Father, what Prince Yu said really resonates with me. The position of my principal wife is still empty because I think the same as him. I always want to choose the most beautiful one."
Only then did Shi Ning'an dare to look up and saw that Rong Sui had returned to the crown prince's side at some point.
The Empress Dowager always liked the crown prince. Hearing this, she laughed. "What the crown prince said is a bit childish. One should marry a virtuous woman. Beauty is just something to add to the good. You are the crown prince. How can you only look at appearance?"
The crown prince was obedient. "Grandmother is right. I was thinking that in half a month, it will be the grand selection day. Since the prince of the Northern Qi is here, why not let Prince Yu choose a suitable principal wife on that day just like me?"