Chapter 187: Paying Respects to His Majesty

Chapter 187: Paying Respects to His Majesty

At He Garden, the banquet was just beginning.

Palace maidens, their hair elegantly pinned high, were twirling and fluttering their long sleeves on the thickly carpeted floor. The sounds of silk and bamboo instruments echoed in the guests' ears.

Beautiful people, melodious music, and the warm, spring-like atmosphere filled the room, with snowflakes flying all around. The guests had not yet tasted their wine but were already intoxicated.

Prince Xiu, with his dignified appearance and calm demeanor, showed none of the arrogance typical of a royal prince. He raised his wine cup and offered a toast in several directions, "I am grateful for everyone's donations. I toast to all of you on behalf of my father and the people of Dingbei."

"Thank you, Your Majesty. Thank you, Prince Xiu." The guests toasted in return.

"Please, make yourselves at home and don't be formal."

Those who had been initially nervous gradually relaxed, and the atmosphere became lively.

Prince Xiu approached Xin You with a wine cup in hand, "I have long admired Miss Kou, and today I finally have the opportunity to offer a toast. I hope Miss Kou will do me the honor."

The guests toasted to each other while surreptitiously glancing in their direction.

They had not forgotten that a few days ago, at Princess Zhaoyang’s birthday banquet, Prince Qing had challenged Miss Kou to a drinking contest. Was Prince Xiu also going to challenge Miss Kou to a drinking contest today?

Tsk, tsk. Regardless of whether this was good or bad, the two princes who had established their own mansions outside the palace were both toasting Miss Kou. She was truly the only woman in the capital to receive such attention.

Holding their wine cups casually, the guests eagerly awaited Miss Kou’s response.

Observing the scene, He Qingxiao also thought back to that day.

After that day, it was said that Miss Kou could hold her liquor, but he knew she had been drunk.

Her drunken words still echoed in his ears: 'Lord He, why do you look better than usual today?'

Thinking of this, He Qingxiao couldn't help but curve his lips.

It was also because of Miss Kou’s words that, upon returning to the Changle Marquis Mansion that day, he looked at himself in the mirror for the first time.

The memory of being discovered by Aunt Gui while looking in the mirror was not a pleasant one. He Qingxiao pulled his thoughts back and tightened his grip on the wine cup.

Prince Xiu, who was usually low-key, why was he so enthusiastic towards Miss Kou today?

It is true that Miss Kou had donated the most among those present, but for Prince Xiu to pay such attention to a young lady seemed a bit excessive for someone of his status.

Yet, from Prince Xiu's expression, he seemed entirely sincere.

He Qingxiao slightly pursed his lips and watched quietly.

Xin You's gaze swept over the tray the palace maiden was holding and picked up the cup in front of her.

The seating arrangement for the banquet had been decided long ago, and the first drink served at her table was a fruit wine.

"Prince Xiu is too kind." Xin You raised her cup, lowered her eyes, and drank the fruit wine.

Prince Xiu drank the wine in his cup happily and spoke gently, "Miss Kou, please have more food. This honeyed venison is a specialty of the imperial chef. You might want to try it."

"Thank you, Prince Xiu." Xin You thanked him generously.

She had not interacted much with Prince Xiu and was unsure if his special attention was because she had donated the most or if Prince Xiu was naturally gentle and courteous to everyone.

Either way, it didn't really matter to her.

Prince Xiu nodded at Xin You and walked to the next table.

Seeing no further spectacle, the crowd quietly shifted their focus elsewhere.

"Miss Kou, I would like to propose a toast to you," a young girl at the same table said, raising her cup towards Xin You.

The girl had striking eyebrows that extended to her temples, giving her a heroic beauty. She introduced herself without a hint of shyness: "My name is Bai Ying. I attended the banquet on behalf of my mother, who was once a general under General Xu Da. She served him with great distinction."

Upon hearing this, Xin You immediately recognized the girl's identity.

During the years when Emperor Xingyuan was establishing his rule, Empress Xin had always stood by his side, setting an example for many women. In those turbulent times, several female generals rose to prominence. Unfortunately, these women either perished in battle, retired due to injuries, or married and left the military. None remained in the court. Among them, General Bai was the most famous and accomplished.

Though rarely mentioned in public, Xin You had heard tales of General Bai.

After the establishment of Great Xia, General Bai lived in seclusion due to her old injuries. She gave birth to a daughter while unmarried, causing quite a stir at the time. Many ministers angrily submitted petitions requesting that her title be revoked, but Emperor Xingyuan refused.

It was said that Empress Xin had placed a dagger before Emperor Xingyuan, declaring that if anyone dared to suggest stripping General Bai of her honors, she would raze their estates.

It was also said that in the years before Empress Xin left, few officials and nobles took concubines, partly to avoid displeasing the empress and partly because their wives were fierce and ready to wield a blade.

Bai Ying looked to be about twenty, still dressed as an unmarried woman.

Xin You raised her cup: "I am Kou Qingqing. I propose a toast to Miss Bai."

Thinking of how Miss Bai's mother had once shared drinks and conversation with her own mother, Xin You couldn't help but feel a sense of affection for the young girl.

Sensing Xin You's goodwill, Bai Ying drank her cup of wine in one gulp.

In reality, she wasn't as calm as she appeared. When she picked up the cup, she had been worried about the embarrassment of being rejected.

Being a person with an unknown father, she had experienced condescension from others her whole life. While people were courteous on the surface, many looked down on her in their hearts, and some even said unpleasant things to her face.

She simply thought that the generous Miss Kou, who had donated fifty thousand taels, was remarkable. Not speaking to someone at the same table would have been regrettable.

"Miss Bai, what do you usually do? If you have free time, feel free to visit Qingsong Bookstore."

Bai Ying nodded.

Although she wasn't a fan of storybooks, she decided to buy all the ones published by Qingsong Bookstore and read them thoroughly.

Seeing this from a distance, He Qingxiao couldn't help but smile.

Miss Kou seemed to have made another new friend.

After the third round of wine, the atmosphere was lively when a sudden announcement interrupted: "The Emperor has arrived—"

The crowd froze, and many dropped their chopsticks in surprise, quickly kneeling and exclaiming, "Your Majesty."

Emperor Xingyuan entered the hall, surrounded by attendants. The warmth that greeted him made him squint. A splendid cloak covered in snow was taken by Chief Eunuch Sun Yan and handed to a nearby attendant.

Prince Xiu approached: "Father."

Emperor Xingyuan nodded slightly, his gaze slowly sweeping over the crowd, seeing a mass of bowed heads.

"The Dingbei earthquake has been weighing heavily on my mind, especially considering the suffering of the people. Fortunately, with your generous contributions, the disaster victims in Dingbei have been able to get through these hard times. Please rise. I came today to personally see the benevolent people of our capital."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." As many rose, some quietly wiped their eyes, and a few were trembling in excitement.

Good heavens, just donating money allowed them to see the Emperor. If there was another opportunity like this, they would donate again!

Upon seeing the expressions of these individuals, Emperor Xingyuan could easily guess their thoughts, and a faint smile appeared in his eyes.

He had come this time driven by curiosity about Miss Kou. If he could encourage these wealthy families to contribute generously in the future, it would be a welcome bonus.

"I have heard that the individual who donated the most to disaster relief is Miss Kou, the proprietor of Qingsong Bookstore," he said.

As soon as Emperor Xingyuan said this, some particularly wealthy merchants felt remorse.

Had they known that donating fifty thousand taels would earn them a mention by the Emperor, they could have donated as well.

"Why wasn’t this mentioned earlier?"

Meanwhile, Duan Shaoqing felt differently about it: Why did the Emperor mention her as the owner of Qingsong Bookstore instead of her being the niece of Duan Wensong?

Leaving aside the thoughts of others, a response was required when mentioned by the Emperor. Xin You stepped forward and bowed. "This humble subject, Kou Qingqing, pays my respects to Your Majesty."