Chapter 452 - 452 Prince Rui (2)
During the three days of waiting, Shen Miao listened to Jingzhe and Gu Yu as they told her what had happened in the past two years. However, what surprised her was that the Exiled Immortal Pawnshop in the capital closed not long after Shen Xin went to Spring City. For some reason, it only reopened a few days ago. It was said the owner of the shop went on a long trip and just came back.
Knowing that Shen Miao was back, Feng Anning got someone to send her a letter. She said that she wanted to look for Shen Miao personally, but since they would meet at the banquet, there was no need to make this trip. In addition to Feng Anning, Su Minglang also sent her a letter. The handwriting was very bad. Reading the letter, Shen Miao couldn’t help but laugh.
In the blink of an eye, three days passed, and it was time for the tribute.
The Ming Qi tribute was a big matter for the entire dynasty. Early in the morning, the bell and drum of the south mountain rang.
The peddlers on the street were all talking about this matter. However, the commoners could not enter the palace. They could only listen to the sounds and movements outside the palace wall. Most of them were envious of the officials. The families of the officials could enter the palace. If the officials were more powerful, they could even attend the banquet.
The grandness of the banquet gave people the illusion that it was a prosperous era. The common people were always very simple. They could only see what was in front of them and felt that Ming Qi could really last for generations. Only a few smart people could understand that Ming Qi was far from being stable as it was faced with both internal and external conflicts.
Shen Xin’s carriage stopped at the entrance of the palace. A eunuch, who had been waiting outside, led them in. Luo Tan looked around curiously, her head pressed down by Shen Qiu to prevent her from bumping into the nobles in the palace. Luo Ling, on the other hand, looked very calm, although this was his first time in the palace. He behaved in a way befitting a future general.
When it was time for the ceremony, most of the civil and military officials had arrived. The sound of drums, music, and cannons shot into the sky.
The emperor and empress sat high in the main seat. Shen Miao looked up. Emperor Wen Hui was wearing a dragon robe, and his expression was dignified. He looked no different from two years ago. However, if one looked carefully, they would find that he was walking with the help of his personal eunuch. His footsteps were not as steady as before.
Fu Xiuyi stood at the side with the princes. Being the youngest and most outstanding among the nine princes, he attracted the attention of many high-ranking officials and women present. Fu Xiuyi had finally reached the point where he could not even hide his brilliance. Probably the other princes would no longer dare to take him lightly.
Shen Miao also looked at Fu Xiuyi, but her gaze landed on the green-robed man behind Fu Xiuyi. That person had a different aura and looked nothing like the other officials. He was Pei Lang.
Pei Lang was standing not far behind Fu Xiuyi. On such an occasion, the fact that Fu Xiuyi was willing to bring Pei Liang along meant that he trusted him very much. As if sensing her gaze, Fu Xiuyi suddenly turned his head to look at her. Shen Miao’s gaze lingered on him for a moment before turning around.