Chapter 270
The originally dark-faced Crown Prince had now turned green with anger. What kind of decent person would go straight to the bridal chamber without even entertaining the wedding guests?
Wasn't that a reserved program for the dead of night?
The Crown Prince's cheeks puffed out in anger. He seriously suspected that Lord Artifact was deliberately smearing his name in front of the Lord Junior Preceptor.
It was rare for the Crown Prince to drop his poised facade and show his true temperament, which made the Crown Princess beside him find it quite amusing.
She gently squeezed his large hand, reminding him to mind his manners.
The Crown Prince took a deep breath, quickly adjusted his expression, and began to toast the guests with the Crown Princess.
He first toasted the Emperor, the Empress Dowager, and the Empress.
Next, it was Yue Fuguang's turn.
Yue Fuguang said, "Then I, the Junior Preceptor, wish the Crown Prince and Crown Princess to be of one heart as a married couple, and never doubt each other."
As Yue Fuguang's words fell, the crowd saw a faint, pale golden light spreading from her body. It was so subtle that if one did not look closely, they would think their eyes were playing tricks on them.
It seemed to have a life of its own as it emerged from Yue Fuguang and directly submerged into the bodies of Xie Zhiyan and Shen Junshu.
Hearing her blessing, both of them were exceptionally overjoyed.
Being in the royal family, being of one heart and never doubting each other meant that they were destined to be not only each other's closest family but also each other's most trusted political allies.
Now, seeing the golden light envelop them, both felt their bodies become remarkably lighter.
Xie Zhiyan and Shen Junshu exchanged a glance, both seeing astonishment and joy in the other's eyes.
Naturally, their expressions did not escape the crowd who had been paying close attention to this side.
After all, the Lord Junior Preceptor's blessing tonight was also one of the programs they were looking forward to, much more captivating than the dances in the hall.
Everyone, including the royal family, was speculating whether the Lord Junior Preceptor's blessing had other effects.
Otherwise, why would the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, who originally had somewhat exhausted expressions, suddenly radiate energy and look so vibrant right after the Lord Junior Preceptor spoke?
"Thank you for your auspicious words, Lord Junior Preceptor!" The two respectfully bowed to Yue Fuguang.
Yue Fuguang did not dodge or avoid it; she accepted it calmly with a smile.
After the two stood up, they took the wine handed over by the attendants and drank it in one gulp.
Yue Fuguang also took a sip of the fruit juice in her cup and pursed her lips. It was not as good as the beverages from the System Shop.
[Master, why didn't you wish them a harmonious union for a hundred years and the early birth of a precious son?]
[Too cliché! Besides, if I wish them a harmonious union for a hundred years, wouldn't they have to live to be over a hundred years old?
If a reigning emperor lives to be over a hundred, it is not a good thing for either the country or the family!]
Great Xia had the most say in this point. In history, those emperors who lived a long time did no small amount of harm to the court and the world!
Emperor Mingxi and the Crown Prince, father and son, complained in their hearts. If they could live to be over a hundred, they would gladly abdicate the throne to their descendants when they reached the proper age. Being a Grand Emperor was also a good choice.
Emperor Mingxi: They say an elder in the family is like a treasure. Would the Lord Junior Preceptor really not consider adding some years to his lifespan?
[As for having children, the Crown Princess is not yet eighteen, so there is no rush to give birth.]
Shen Junshu's lips curled up, her heart full of gratitude. With the Lord Junior Preceptor's words, the burden on her to quickly bear children for the royal family would be lightened.
Hearing the Lord Junior Preceptor's words, the Empress, who was eager to hold a grandson, and the Empress Dowager, who wanted to hold a great-grandson, both dropped the idea.
How could they forget that this person advocated for that... oh right, late marriage and late childbearing.
If they rushed their daughter-in-law or granddaughter-in-law to give birth too early, would it incur her displeasure?
After accepting the congratulations from the princes and princesses below, the Crown Princess stayed by the side of the Empress and Empress Dowager, while the Crown Prince walked down the high platform to toast the civil and military officials and the foreign delegations.
As he walked to each table, the ministers stood up and offered their blessings one after another.
The Crown Prince was drinking wine, cup after cup. Yue Fuguang saw his face start to turn red, but he showed no signs of drunkenness. Was this the legendary thousand cups without getting drunk?
When toasting the foreign delegations, Xi Yuanshan said, "This King congratulates His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
He drank the wine in his cup in one gulp and continued, "Western Qiang presents these congratulatory gifts: one treasured sword, ten fine steeds, a hundred pelts, and a thousand heads of cattle and sheep. May our two countries be on good terms forever."
An attendant brought forward a long box and opened it; inside was a sword.
The scabbard was decorated with precious stones. The Crown Prince picked up the sword, took a look, and handed it to the eunuch behind him.
He cupped his hands and said, "Many thanks to His Majesty the Emperor of Western Qiang, and I ask Prince Yi to convey my gratitude on my behalf."
When it was Northern Li's turn, the gifts sent were also horses, cattle, sheep, and pelts.
However, the bow and arrows they gifted were quite exquisite. The Crown Prince tested the bowstring and praised, "A fine bow."
Seeing this, the system could not help but complain again, [Master, the emperors of these countries are too stingy.
It is the grand wedding of a nation's Crown Prince, and they only send this little stuff?
Just one of Master's prescriptions could instantly crush them! Little Zhu seriously suspects that these people embezzled the gifts along the way!]
[Little Zhu, the items they brought have a gift list and a state letter. No one can forge that; it's just that their emperors are stingy!]
[And that nonsense about the two countries being on good terms forever, the monarch and officials of Great Yan actually believed it. Little do they know, the others have been preparing for years to annex Great Yan.
Only the emperors of Great Yan, generation after generation, just guard their own little patch of land and never think about expanding their territory and fighting outwards. What a bunch of losers!]
Emperor Mingxi, the good-for-nothing, and Xie Zhiyan, the future good-for-nothing, exchanged a glance from afar. Both caught a fleeting look of disgust in the other's eyes.
The fragile little boat of their father-son bond could capsize at any moment!
Hearing the Divine Artifact start cursing again, the civil and military officials ignored whether they were usually political rivals. They simply grabbed whoever was next to them and began offering toasts.
They looked like they were trying to get drunk as quickly as possible so they wouldn't have to hear a thing.
Shen Junshu, who was accompanying the Empress Dowager and the Empress, felt a little nervous. She looked worriedly toward the Junior Preceptor.
The Empress seemed to notice her concern and just smiled, patting her hand.
One couldn't tell at all that her own husband and son were currently being scolded.
Empress Xu thought: So what if they get scolded a bit? The Divine Artifact isn't wrong!
The Empress Dowager thought: The Divine Artifact's scolding is harsh, but its salvation of Dayan is just as real!
Although the Divine Artifact was a bit erratic, with the Junior Preceptor keeping it in check, nothing would go wrong.
"Little Zhu, you are too caught up in appearances! As the saying goes, you reap what you sow. The monarch and officials of Dayan are addicted to comfort, so naturally, they will die in comfort."
Die in comfort! Die in comfort! These words struck the hearts of the Dayan monarch and officials like a warning bell.
It also shattered their recent restlessness and complacency. Especially after seeing the high-yield seeds growing so well across tens of thousands of acres of fertile land, it had been inevitable for them to become a bit smug and inflated.
Some had even grown slack, forgetting that the sharp blade of national subjugation still hung over their heads.
Surrounded by four other nations, Dayan was nothing but a piece of fat meat. The other nations' desire to destroy Dayan had never wavered.
How was the struggle between nations any different from the struggle for power and interests between people?
Looking at the diplomatic missions from the other countries, they appeared respectful on the surface but were actually arrogant.
In the hearts of the Dayan monarch and officials, the seed of fighting back and expanding their territory suddenly burst with vitality. A great tree named Unification began to take root and sprout in their minds.
"Huh, System, why did I suddenly get twenty thousand more points?"