AUBTN -Chapter 349 The Princess Will Stay at Yuyuan

“Pff—cough cough cough—”

An old Hanlin Academy scholar sitting in the front row of the civil officials suddenly broke into a violent coughing fit. He clutched his mouth tightly, his aged face turning the color of pig liver.

His grizzled beard, like a ragged mop caught in the wind, trembled uncontrollably.

Beside him, the Minister of Revenue desperately covered his face with his sleeve, his whole body shaking so hard it looked like he was having a seizure.

The military officials’ side was even worse.

The hot-tempered commander of the imperial guards had already buried most of his head into a wine jar as large as a basin.

His shoulders shook up and down, and from the jar came muffled “kuku-kuku” sounds like the cackling of a goose.

Although the officials of the Great Wei usually fought each other to the death in court politics, in matters of sarcasm they were absolutely united against outsiders.

This… was not praise at all.

It was clearly pointing at the noses of the Eastern islanders and saying: You idiots with your chins up in the air, spouting nonsense—do you really think we can’t see through your rotten schemes?

Yet those Eastern “country bumpkins” were actually treating it as a timeless masterpiece and bowing in gratitude like crazy.

The entire hall was filled with an extremely strange atmosphere—everyone wanted to laugh, but had to desperately hold it in for the sake of imperial dignity, or they’d probably laugh themselves into internal injuries.

“Help me… hahahahaha! I can’t take it anymore!”

Yu Qing had completely given up on controlling her expression, clutching her stomach with both hands, tears streaming down her face from laughter.

“It’s insane! Wanwan, you’re a genius! Those little ba**s are treating it like treasure—this is killing me! ‘Immortal through the ages’? If they go back and get someone who actually understands Chinese to translate it, will they all commit seppuku?”

At the front of the military officials’ seats.

Lu Yan raised his wine cup to hide his expression, but his sharp eyes were also full of suppressed laughter, the corners of his mouth twitching upward uncontrollably.

Even when he glanced at his mortal enemy Shen Jue, he felt that the eunuch suddenly looked much more pleasant today.

And the instigator, Su Hewan, still sat properly on her cushion, holding a tea cup, sipping it slowly and gracefully.

As if that earth-shattering “peerless poem” had nothing to do with her at all.

Shen Jue looked from afar at her fox-like pretence and downed the remaining wine in his cup. As his throat moved, a low laugh finally slipped from his lips.

Tonight’s Longevity Festival… was truly, wonderfully entertaining.

The young emperor bit his lip, barely stopping himself from laughing out loud in this grand assembly of foreign envoys.

He took a deep breath and forcibly smoothed the corners of his mouth.

“Excellent poem! Reward! Heavy reward!”

With a sweeping gesture, the young emperor’s hearty laughter finally burst out openly:

“Today, the court and the people rejoice together! My Great Wei and all nations share deep friendship—everyone, drink and enjoy yourselves to the fullest!”

“Long live His Majesty! Long live! Long, long life!”

The officials of Great Wei felt as if they had been pardoned. They quickly used their sleeves to cover their faces while bowing in thanks, their shoulders still shaking uncontrollably.

This round… Great Wei had absolutely won big.

For the next half hour, things finally calmed down.

The foreign envoys who had just been arrogant and scheming now no longer dared show the slightest trace of contempt or probing.

Each of them became obedient as lambs, rising to toast one another, flattering words flowing endlessly.

The latter half of the banquet proceeded in an unprecedentedly harmonious atmosphere.

As night deepened, the imperial banquet finally drew to a close.

According to protocol, after the banquet ended, foreign envoys were to be escorted by officials of the Ministry of Rites to stay at the Sifang Guesthouse, specially prepared for visiting dignitaries.

However, just as everyone stood up preparing to take their leave, an abrupt and flamboyant figure suddenly stepped out from the Western Regions delegation.

The princess from the Yue clan of the Western Regions, Yue Sha.

She was completely different from the gentle and reserved women of the Great Wei.

Her hair was braided into intricate plaits, studded with dazzling gemstones of various colors. Beneath her deep-set features were a pair of emerald-green eyes, as vivid as fine jade.

She wore Western Region attire. As she walked, the small golden bells around her slender waist rang out in crisp, pleasant chimes.

This Princess Yue Sha had only just arrived in the capital. The moment she saw Shen Jue at first glance, she was utterly struck in admiration.

She had gone to great lengths to inquire about Shen Jue’s residence.

At this moment, she was staring straight at Shen Jue beneath the imperial throne.

“Your Majesty the Emperor.”

Princess Yue Sha placed her right hand over her chest and slightly bowed. In fluent official Great Wei speech, she said loudly, “Yue Sha has long admired the prosperity and culture of Great Wei. Seeing it today, I am even more enlightened.”

She paused, then suddenly shifted her gaze to Shen Jue.

“Especially His Highness the Regent. His literary talent, military prowess, and unmatched strategic mind are truly enough to inspire admiration in Yue Sha!”

As soon as these words fell, the ministers who had just been preparing to leave all stopped in their tracks.

Every single ear in the hall perked up at the same time.

Drama! Absolutely big drama!

Princess Yue Sha continued, “This trip of mine is precisely to learn the etiquette and culture of Great Wei. While the Four Quarters Residence is fine, it still lacks the scholarly atmosphere of literati and gentlemen. I humbly request Your Majesty to grant me permission to stay temporarily at Yuyuan, so I may closely seek guidance from His Highness the Prince and learn the elegance of Great Wei’s poetry and literature!”

Silence.

The Great Wei officials exchanged glances.

Was this Western Region princess… mentally blown foolish by desert winds?

Go to Yuyuan?

That place—once in, rarely out, where even passing dogs were said to be skinned alive—the residence of the former Eastern Depot tyrant turned Regent?

And she still wants to seek guidance in poetry and literature from that living Yama who kills without blinking?

Most importantly, who in the capital didn’t know that Yuyuan now housed a princess consort whom Shen Jue cherished like a treasure?

The young emperor raised his brows slightly upon hearing this.

His eyes rolled around. First, he glanced at Shen Jue seated upright behind the table, expressionless—but whose entire aura had already turned cold enough to form ice shards.

Then he looked toward the female seats, where Su Hewan sat calmly, as though she were watching a play.

The young emperor immediately made up his mind.

He said gleefully, clearly enjoying the spectacle, “Granted!”

With a hearty laugh, he didn’t even give Shen Jue a chance to object and struck the final decision: “Since Princess Yue Sha has such a desire to learn, how could I refuse the goodwill of a friendly nation? Regent, you must properly receive the princess and not disgrace the hospitality of Great Wei!”

With a single sentence, all of Shen Jue’s avenues for refusal were completely sealed off.

Shen Jue slightly narrowed his phoenix eyes, darkness and irritation surging within.

He slowly stood up, flicked his sleeves, and his voice was cold with no trace of emotion: “This minister… obeys the decree.”

At the moment he lowered his head, he keenly sensed a gaze from the right.

Lu Yan sat there holding a wine cup, legs spread casually, a clearly unhidden look of schadenfreude on his face.

That expression clearly said: Shen Fox, so you have today too.

Shen Jue’s molars clenched faintly. The veins at his temple throbbed.

On the female seating area.

Yu Qing’s eyes widened so much that the half-wedge of orange in her mouth almost fell out.

She turned in disbelief to look at Su Hewan.