Chapter 193: Chapter 156: Ringing in the New Year, a Beauty at His Side, and Another Grand Banquet of All Nations

After receiving the Golden Carp Dragon Pill from Xu Changqing, Lu Mingyuan bid farewell to the White-robed Celestial Master.

He then went to the Imperial Kitchen to get some minced meat and dumpling wrappers before returning to Qingzhu Hall.

Today was the Little New Year, and in a few days, it would be New Year’s Eve. It was a time to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new. Spring couplets, door gods—everything had to be prepared in advance.

In previous years, the New Year had always felt lonely. It was because he hadn’t truly integrated into this world yet, and he did everything with a sense of trepidation.

Now, if not for the lingering memories of his past life, he would have almost forgotten that he didn’t originally belong to this world.

What Xu Changqing had called his “strange fate” was based on this very point. While the effect of his “Hidden Qi” trait was a factor, the greater reason was that the body’s original birth chart did not belong to him.

The difference was naturally immense.

「Several days passed.」

On New Year’s Eve, they wrote spring couplets. The Imperial Palace had prepared plenty of red paper for them. The main gate, the courtyard gate, the bedchamber, and the side hall each needed a set, meaning Qingzhu Hall required exactly four sets of couplets in total.

Families gathered for reunions, and Cultivators from out of town had all returned home early.

Zi Yun, Hong Wan, Qi Muxue, and Huo Hongling each wrote a couplet. They all copied from a little booklet of spring couplets purchased from the market, with no particular flair.

Only Qi Muxue was different. She personally inscribed two lines of poetry, which emanated a cyan Literary Qi, imbuing the entire hall with good fortune.

Her calligraphy was the most elegant and proper, while Huo Hongling’s was vigorous and free-flowing, which came as a surprise to Lu Mingyuan.

But on second thought, Huo Hongling was the daughter of Marquis Wu. Her upbringing must have been excellent. It was impossible that she was illiterate or couldn’t write. For her calligraphy to be so impressive, however, was quite rare.

Hong Wan’s couplet was also surprisingly well-written. Recalling her past, she had been the daughter of a prestigious noble family, so her education was certainly no worse than the other two.

Zi Yun had volunteered to write two sets, but the results were less than satisfactory. Hong Wan playfully teased her, leaving Zi Yun quite disheartened. Fortunately, Qi Muxue comforted her, saying they were well-written, and Lu Mingyuan patted her on the head several times.

“This is fine. Spring couplets are just for good cheer. You don’t have to worry so much about how good the writing is.”

Only then was her wounded pride soothed.

Lu Mingyuan felt his own couplets were decent—not bad, but not great either. Qi Muxue, however, criticized him for having many incorrectly written characters.

’It must be because I’m still not used to the ancient script,’ he thought.

On the night of New Year’s Eve, Lu Mingyuan went to Yaoguang Palace for the reunion dinner. Palace Maids brought out a grand feast with a rich assortment of meat and vegetable dishes. They were a treat for the eyes, nose, and palate, and all the main courses had auspicious meanings.

The Imperial Chefs had truly outdone themselves, crafting dishes of such an incredible standard.

The previous year, Lu Mingyuan had not gone to Yaoguang Palace for the New Year. Firstly, he was trying to bide his time and conceal his strengths, and he was afraid of large crowds. He worried that others would notice something amiss with the Sixth Prince and that he would easily expose himself during conversation. Secondly, he was plagued by a sense of loneliness, feeling that he didn’t belong here.

Now, his acting skills had become more refined, and his mother had grown accustomed to his current self. With fewer worries, he decided to join in the festivities.

Besides relatives from the Qi Mansion and Marquis Wu’s Mansion, many Consorts who were close to his mother also came to share the meal.

Only his mother had such a privilege; other Consorts wouldn’t dare try to do the same.

Wang Zhaoyan sat in the seat of honor, with the heads of her in-laws’ families on either side. Lu Mingyuan and his two wives sat behind them on the sides.

Before the banquet began, they exchanged some New Year’s blessings.

Then, they began to feast.

During the meal, Hong Wan led a group of Palace Maids in a dance performance, and Qi Muxue, her fingers itching to play, accompanied them on the zither.

Lu Mingyuan swore he had never seen such a beautiful dance in his life.

’A dazzling flash of white… it’s all legs!’

’What was that saying again?’

’Songs and dances heralding peace and prosperity?’

’That doesn’t sound like a good thing.’

As far as Lu Mingyuan was concerned, he didn’t care about the state of the Great Yan Dynasty or its people. As long as he was happy right now, that was enough.

Lu Mingyuan raised his cup and drank, feeling that this was the pinnacle of life’s pleasures. Although he had lost his freedom, what could be more important than the happiness, safety, and well-being of his wives and family?

Only by him staying in the Cold Palace could the people around him be safe.

Once the day came when he was strong enough to protect everyone, the Cold Palace would become meaningless.

Princess Consort Ning was the best example.

Lu Yunqing was powerful now, wasn’t he? And yet, he could only watch as his own wife died horribly before his eyes.

’Beneath a Saint, all are but fleeting clouds.’

Lu Mingyuan admitted that he should have tried to prevent this from happening. Lu Yunqing was his good brother, but at the time, he truly had no idea that Xun Yu had made such a move.

Otherwise, he would have given him a warning.

He had originally intended to help Lu Yunqing ascend the throne. But when he learned that the first thing the kid would do after becoming emperor was to clear his name and get him out of the Cold Palace, that idea vanished into thin air.

’Let nature take its course. He’s on his own.’

’I won’t get involved.’

Later that night, Lu Mingyuan had expected another evening of sharing a large bed together. However, both Qi Muxue and Huo Hongling used their “monthly red” as an excuse, saying they wanted to spend time with their parents.

There was nothing he could do. He couldn’t very well stop them from being filial, could he?

And so, he returned to Qingzhu Hall alone.

’Tomorrow is the annual Ten Thousand Nations Banquet,’ he mused.

Representatives from all nations would come to court, and there would be a grand Demon-Slaying Assembly. As a Prince of the empire, he had to attend.

’But can this year’s Ten Thousand Nations Banquet compare to last year’s?’

After all, the Great Yan Dynasty had been plagued by disasters this year, and its national strength was not what it used to be. War had broken out in the Northwest Three States, and the amount of silver poured into it each month was colossal. The national treasury was strained. They had barely set off any fireworks this year, making for a frugal New Year. His mother had even told him that none of the Consorts in the entire Harem dared to be extravagant or wasteful!

The Demon-Slaying Assembly was not like a poetry competition; its scope was much broader. It wasn’t just a simple gathering, but a declaration by the major dynasties against the Demon Race. Victory in battle was paramount, the younger generation was required to participate, and the prodigies of the Three Religions would all grace the event with their presence.

The night had grown deep.

As Lu Mingyuan passed the adjacent palace hall, he saw a beautiful woman in red, staring blankly out the window.

The winter moon was cold and clear, its light like fine silk.

Under the moonlight, Princess Consort Zhao’s figure was breathtakingly stunning.

’Damn it, how could I have forgotten about my sister-in-law at the banquet tonight?’

’Leaving my sister-in-law to guard an empty room?’

Lu Mingyuan shook his head to himself. ’In all those years, did my predecessor not sleep with enough courtesans from the Music Bureau and the brothels?’

’To ignore such a beautiful sister-in-law and not make a move… it’s a sin, a true sin.’

Even Lu Mingyuan, who had seen countless beauties, couldn’t help but take a sharp breath at the sight of Yang Yingchan’s profile.

’Beautiful. So beautiful.’

Yang Yingchan’s grace was incomparable to any other woman’s.

On a sudden impulse, he knocked on the hall’s door.

“Come in!”

Yang Yingchan’s voice called out.

He immediately entered the main hall. The air was filled with the faint scent of sandalwood. The room was dark, with only the bedchamber lit by candlelight.

Guided by the faint candlelight, he walked into the bedchamber.

There, he saw Yang Yingchan sitting alone beside a tea table on a soft, brocaded couch. Beneath her red gauze robes, the alluring curves of a mature woman were visible.

Lu Mingyuan’s gaze traveled upward, starting with a pair of fair, jade-like feet peeking out from her silk skirt. They were elegant and shapely, with slender, delicate toes, so exquisite they resembled the finest jade porcelain in the world, making one want to hold and admire them.

Then came the curve of her legs, leading upward to her particularly full hips and cinched waist. Needless to say, what lay above was just as spectacular. Her figure was perfectly proportioned, with enchanting curves.

’I used to think the descriptions in novels were just fiction,’ Lu Mingyuan thought. ’But now I see that women like this truly exist.’

But at this moment, Yang Yingchan was holding a shaggy white dog with a moon-shaped marking on its forehead. It didn’t seem like an ordinary animal.

’When did she get a big white dog?’

“Sister-in-law, when did you get a dog?”

Cradling the dog, Yang Yingchan replied softly, “Just recently. I felt the hall was a bit too quiet, so I asked for a Moon Dog. It’s not a rare breed. It was raised on the Moon Spring of Jade Toad State, so it’s quite intelligent.”

Lu Mingyuan noticed her hair was wet; she must have just finished bathing. Her lovely hair was damp and hung loose, and her face was flushed a rosy pink from the hot water.

She possessed an undeniable charm.

“Brother-in-law, is there something you need?” Yang Yingchan glanced at Lu Mingyuan, her tone a little timid. She clearly didn’t dare to offend him.

“Sister-in-law, am I some great Demon? Am I that scary?” Lu Mingyuan asked, amused.

“Yes.”

Yang Yingchan’s eyes glistened as she nodded earnestly.

Though it was a world of ice and snow outside, the room was heated by coal-fired floor warming and clusters of braziers. The hall was quite warm. She seemed a little hot; her cheeks were flushed, and a fine layer of sweat glistened on her skin under the candlelight.

Her dark hair fanned out over the soft pillow, creating a kind of untamed beauty.

“Your Highness?”

Yang Yingchan called out again, only to find Lu Mingyuan standing there in a daze.

[Zen Heart triggered. Venerable Purple Destiny – Nine Orifices Exquisite, Refinement Level increased to 25%.]

Only then did Lu Mingyuan snap out of it.

He had been completely captivated.

…

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