When it got dark a little later, Xu Qing and Xiao Ye got up to attend the dust-washing banquet.
The dust-washing banquet was held in the Zhou Palace.
Nowadays, the days are short and the nights are long, the sky is already showing twilight, and the newly installed palace lanterns cast a layer of mystery on the imperial city of Zhou.
Xiao Ye walked to the city gate and finally gritted his teeth and said: "Brother Xu, I really can't bear it anymore! Can we allocate some money to repair and decorate the imperial city after we go back?"
Xu Qing comforted him and said, "Brother Xiao, please be patient. Even if you build a house with colored glaze, we can build it now."
To say that it was not easy for the Chu State in the beginning.
The poorest among the three kingdoms was Chu. It was not willing to spend money on anything except military equipment.
On the basis of ensuring practicality, the capital city and the imperial city were able to save as much as they could. Naturally, they were not as good as Zhou State, and even worse than Zhao State.
Xiao Ye had never seen the world before, and had only been to grasslands that were not as good as Chu State. Naturally, he didn't have any ideas, but after visiting Zhou State, he really couldn't bear it anymore.
It would have been fine when he was poor before, but now that Chu State is rich, Xiao Ye naturally can't stand Chu State's decorations that are useless except for practicality.
Just when Xu Qing was about to step into the palace gate, he saw a person wearing a moon-white palace dress walking towards him. His steps were slow and unhurried. Although there were no other accessories around him, he was still quiet and moving.
Xu Qing was slightly startled when he saw the visitor: "Mingyue?"
Li Mingyue was just walking with her head down, but when she heard this familiar call, her whole body trembled slightly. She raised her head in disbelief and saw Xu Qing, her long eyelashes trembling slightly: "Mr. Xu."
Xiao Ye on the side looked at Xu Qing, then at Li Mingyue who was trying his best to suppress the surprise in his heart, and his face suddenly turned into a look of gossip.
Li Mingyue noticed Xiao Ye next to Xu Qing and felt slightly blessed: "I've met the Crown Prince."
When Xiao Ye heard Li Mingyue's voice, he had no choice but to put down his gossipy expression, cupped his hands and returned the greeting, "I've met the princess."
Xu Qing looked at Li Mingyue and said in surprise: "Mingyue is not in the palace?"
Li Mingyue said, "I left the palace to open my mansion a few days ago. It has just been repaired. I stayed in the mansion outside the palace for two days."
Li Mingyue's words made Xu Qing very curious. Emperor Zhou actually allowed Li Mingyue, a concubine princess or a concubine princess who could no longer be a concubine, to leave the palace and open a mansion.
Could it be that Li Xun has been sent to the fief?
Spy Shadow has not received any news recently about any of the Zhou princes leaving Beijing to join the feudal clan.
Xu Qing asked with curiosity; "What about Brother Li?"
Li Mingyue said: "Brother still lives in the palace."
Xu Qing became even more confused when he heard this. What trick was Emperor Zhou playing?
Why treat them differently?
At this moment, the third princess, who was led by two maids with lanterns in front of her, saw the scene in front of the imperial city gate. Especially when she saw Li Mingyue standing with two strange men, she couldn't help but walk over.
He said: "Isn't this sister Mingyue? She is flirting with a strange man here, and she is not afraid of causing gossip."
Li Mingyue immediately lowered her head and said, "The third princess has misunderstood... Mr. Xu is Mingyue's savior in the Chu Kingdom, and I came here to express my gratitude."
The third princess was surprised: "Oh? Are you two from Chu country?"
Xu Qing said: "The envoy of Chu State."
Xiao Ye said: "Deputy envoy."
The third princess couldn't help but smile when she heard what Xu Qing and Xiao Ye said: "It turns out that they are guests from the Chu Kingdom. I have seen these two in my father's imperial study before.
, Yining really admires you two."
Xu Qingdao: "It takes the whole country to do this, and we dare not take credit for it."
The third princess glanced at Li Mingyue and said: "Now that Mingyue is about to get married and become a woman, she shouldn't be exposed in front of others. Perhaps her father thought that Mingyue was about to marry far away, so he asked Mingyue to come here to attend the dust-washing banquet and see her for the last time.
If you two are not familiar with the world, just ask me."
When Li Mingyue heard what the third princess said, she looked at Xu Qing with a look of panic and wanted to explain, but then she lowered her head and her eyes dimmed instantly.
Xu Qing couldn't help but frowned when he heard what the third princess said: "What did the princess say? Mingyue is getting married?"
The three princesses were surprised and said: "Does it mean that Xu Zhengshi doesn't know? Sister Mingyue is the person appointed by the father to go to Loulan to marry the King of Loulan. The Zhengshi must also know that the two wars in Zhou Dynasty in two years have greatly depleted the national strength. If
If we can use the method of marriage to exchange for Loulan's submission, it is certainly worth it. Moreover, it is naturally beneficial to our country of Zhou to use a concubine to marry."
The third princess had just seen clearly that this Xu Zhengshi should be Li Mingyue's old friend in Chu State, and he was definitely not as simple as an ordinary savior.
The two of them were so close just now, and the emotions in their eyes were so rich. It didn't look like they wanted to repay the kindness of saving their lives.
Who is this Xu Zhengshi?
The dean of the State Business Academy of the Chu State was also a brave general who was granted the title of Xu by the Chu State. He was so knowledgeable that even the most powerful state of Zhao State was defeated by him.
He is both civil and military and can make money. I'm afraid you won't be able to find another man like him in the world.
How could she, Li Mingyue, a concubine, be favored by such an outstanding man?
The third princess couldn't believe that Xu Zhengshi could still value Li Mingyue so much after he learned that Li Mingyue was about to get married!
The third princess's words really surprised Xu Qing. He looked at Li Mingyue and asked, "Mingyue, what's going on?"
When Li Mingyue heard Xu Qing's words, she put her feet together and entangled her hands; "This... this is His Majesty's will, and Mingyue must abide by it."
Li Mingyue's voice was very low, and she didn't dare to raise her head to look at Xu Qing.
…
"What are you guys doing here? It's better to go in quickly. If word spreads out, others may think that we, the Kingdom of Zhou, have not treated us well." The Crown Prince of Zhou walked to the gate of the imperial city and said with a smile: "
I am very impressed by the deeds of the two envoys. It is really extraordinary to see the real person today, so please come in."
Xu Qing originally wanted to ask more questions, but he also knew that it would be inappropriate to ask more questions at this moment, so he had to enter the palace first with the Crown Prince of Zhou who claimed to be my own.
At the dust-washing party
Xu Qing looked at Li Mingyue, who was sitting opposite her with her head lowered and did not dare to raise it, with a complicated expression for a moment.
Emperor Zhou, who was sitting in a high position, said: "Yesterday I decided on the date of marriage between Zhou and Loulan, and today the envoys from Chu have arrived. It's really a double happiness."
Xiao Ye looked at Xu Qing, who had an incomprehensible expression, and Li Mingyue, who kept his head lowered. Then he turned to look at the Emperor of Zhou and said, "I didn't expect that Loulan, a vassal country, is also qualified to request marriage from your country. Then if our country of Chu wants to
If I want to propose marriage to your country, I wonder if your country would be willing to marry the princess to my country of Chu?"
Emperor Zhou smiled and said: "During the war on the grassland, my country of Zhou owes you a favor. If your country wants to marry my country of Zhou and become a good friend of the Qin and Jin Dynasties, I will marry my legitimate daughter, the third princess, to your country and your country."
The country has a good relationship with Qin and Jin."
The third princess couldn't help but feel a little shy when she heard the words of Emperor Zhou. The Chu State was the most powerful country in the world. If she could marry into it, she would definitely become the most glorious princess. Both the prince and the county prince were pretty good-looking.
He is handsome, and he is a general who has been granted the title of wolf king. He looks like he will not be in trouble if he marries anyone.
Xiao Ye immediately looked away when he heard Zhou Huang's words: "Let's forget her words."