Chapter 574 - Chapter 574: Chapter 574- A Great Humiliation
Chapter 574: Chapter 574- A Great Humiliation
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
“What is it?”
Su Qing was angry with her mother’s words and did not have a good tone towards the eunuch. The eunuch had long known the Empress’s temper and did not expect Su Qing to thank him or kneel to receive the imperial edict. She was someone who dared to lock the Emperor outside the door.
“The Japanese envoy has come to propose marriage.
“Propose marriage?”
This was interesting. Su Qing stood up.
“Let’s go and see who the person proposing to is.”
Xiao Zeyu only had two siblings, and Xiao Ying was already betrothed to the Third Prince of Tartan. The person the Japanese were proposing marriage to would be the Emperor.
Was this a honey trap?
When the eunuch saw the empress’ sullen face, he was so frightened that his heart was beating fast. He lowered his head and shrunk his shoulders as he followed behind Su Qing, who had a powerful aura.
“Qing’er, mind your words.”
Yang Ruxue caught up to her daughter to remind her that Xiao Zeyu was no longer the poor boy who had yet to conquer the empire. Qing’er always threw tantrums at him, and the Emperor would get tired of her after a long time.
“Mother, there’s nothing to pay attention to here.
Su Qing’s tone was oppressive, and she was increasingly annoyed with the Imperial Palace. It was as if everyone thought that she should bow and scrape to Xiao Zeyu. If he treated her a little better, she should be grateful.
No one remembered that she had fought for this empire with Xiao Zeyu! If she were allowed to live like what her mother said, she wouldn’t be a consort anymore. She would go home to farm and do business, living a carefree life.
In the throne room, the Japanese envoy and a masked beauty knelt on the ground and cheered.
Xiao Zeyu’s expression was cold. Just as Zhou Wen left, another Japanese came to trip him up. If Qing’er knew that the Japanese were here to present a beauty, would she lock him out again?
“Emperor, to express the wish of our two countries to get along well, our King of Dongying has specially offered his most beloved sister, Princess Lanting, to the emperor as his concubine.”
The Japanese envoy knelt there, speaking in awkward Chinese to Xiao Zeyu about the wishes of their King of Japan.
Princess Lanting knelt beside the envoy and secretly sized up Xiao Zeyu. When she came, she was still unwilling, but now, when she saw the handsome and powerful Xiao Zeyu, her eyes were filled with admiration.
To be able to spend the rest of her life with such a man who had both power and talent, her brother had done a good deed.
‘But why didn’t the emperor look at her?’ Lanting thought that she was more beautiful than others. The Emperor was uninterested in her because he had not seen her face.
She was confident that when the Emperor saw her appearance, he would be shocked and pamper her.
Xiao Zeyu looked coldly at the Japanese envoy,
“Forget about the marriage alliance. Go back and tell the King of Dongying to give up the city he seized from us.”
The Japanese envoy was embarrassed. This Emperor was not following the rules. Usually, he would be very polite to the envoys who came for the marriage alliance. However, he and the princess had been kneeling for an hour, and the Emperor did not even allow them to get up, let alone give them a seat.
When he mentioned marriage, he said war. He didn’t put Japan in his eyes!
He did not know how to answer this question. Besides, the King of Japan wanted more cities of the Great Tang Empire. How could he give up what he had snatched?
“Emperor, our Princess Lanting is good at singing and dancing. Why don’t we let her dance for the Emperor?”
The Japanese envoy was thick-skinned.
All men liked beautiful women. Princess Lanting was the number one beauty in Japan, and the Emperor would be amazed. The beauty trap was the best. Once the pillow talk was blown, the Emperor would never mention attacking Japan again.
This was also the Emperor’s delaying tactic. The Japanese were no match for the Great Tang, and it was said that no flies could survive wherever the Xiao Family’s army went. Thus, a marriage alliance was the best plan.
“No need. Take her back!”
Xiao Zeyu rejected it with a cold face. ‘It was already a blessing of mine to allow
you to return alive.’
“Jump.”
Su Qing’s cold voice rang out from the entrance of the throne room. She did not wait for any eunuch to go in and report this complicated etiquette. She wanted to change the rules.
She had to let all the officials in the court get used to the fact that she and Xiao Zeyu were equals.
Lanting looked at the entrance of the throne room, and a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, but it quickly turned into vigilance and jealousy.
Su Qing’s gaze fell on the Japanese woman, and a disdainful smile appeared on her face.
“The Japanese are shameless.”
Princess Lanting felt like she had been slapped in the face. She was scolded the moment she saw her. This was unbearable for her proud self.
But now, she had to endure it even if she couldn’t bear it. This woman dared to enter the throne room without reporting, so she must be the legendary
Empress Su Qing.
When Su Qing walked past Princess Lanting, she glanced at her from the side. It was just a light glance, but it made Princess Lanting feel like an iceberg pressed her down, and her entire body went cold.
This woman’s aura was so strong, as expected of the woman who helped the Tang Emperor conquer the empire. She was wild and arrogant.
Lanting didn’t want to admit that she was beautiful, and it was the kind of noble beauty that everyone had to look up to. She was as cold as the snow on a mountain, and one could only admire her but not profane her.
Her scent was delightful. The faint fragrance was as elegant as orchids. Coupled with her cold temperament, she was a woman that men liked to conquer.
She wasn’t wearing a palace dress. She was dressed in a green gauze dress, like an ethereal cloud. She didn’t need gold, silver, or jewelry to embellish her. She was already the focus of the audience. Her beauty was beyond compare, so beautiful that it made people feel ashamed of themselves.
Lanting subconsciously tensed up and got ready for battle.
Under the scrutinizing gaze of the assembled officials, Su Qing ascended the steps. She did not kneel before Xiao Zeyu; instead, she confidently made her way to the dragon throne and seated beside him. Times had changed. Once, even the Empress would have knelt before taking her place on the throne, but now Su Qing took her seat without a bow, not waiting for the Emperor’s permission.
Just when everyone thought that the Emperor would scold the Empress for not understanding the rules and punish her, they saw the Emperor’s dignified face reveal a smile after seeing the Empress. He looked at her dotingly. Not only was he not angry, he was even pleased that the Empress was sitting beside him.
Xiao Zeyu didn’t care about these formalities at all. Those were prepared for the officials, palace maids, and eunuchs. His Qing’er didn’t need to follow them.
After Su Qing sat down, she looked at Xiao Zeyu with a faint smile, “Emperor, since this Japanese dancer wants to dance for us, let her dance!” “Alright, if Qing’er wants to see, this husband will let her dance.
In front of Su Qing, Xiao Zeyu didn’t even say ‘zhen’ and addressed himself as ■husband’ like an average loving couple.
The ministers finally understood why the Emperor wanted to deal with Zhou Wen. In his heart, he only had eyes for the Empress. He submitted a memorial to let the concubine affect their relationship as husband and wife. If he didn’t deal with him, who would he deal with?
Hearing Su Qing’s words, Princess Lanting raised her head in anger. She was the princess of a country, yet this woman called her a dancer? This was a great humiliation, the first time she had suffered such humiliation since she was born.
Princess Lanting knew how to use softness to overcome hardness. She immediately looked up at Xiao Zeyu with tears in her eyes. She knew that her eyes were gorgeous, and her eyes were full of flirtatious emotions. But now, she was very pitiful. She said to Xiao Zeyu aggrievedly,
“Your Majesty, Lanting is a princess of a country. The Empress has insulted her like this. I beg Your Majesty to seek justice for Lanting..”