Clouds and Moon Shadow

Chapter 332 He was granted the title of King of Li, and was forbidden to covet it!

Looking at the smiling Gu Yuanen and the relatively calm old Duke, Gu Qingyue figured there was probably nothing unusual, which was good.

After Gu Yuanen sat down next to her, she lowered her head and told him what had just happened.

Gu Yuanen frowned instantly.

"His Majesty has arrived! His Majesty the Empress has arrived! His Crown Prince has arrived! His Prince Kang has arrived! All the princes have arrived!" Suddenly, the eunuchs' announcements came from the entrance of the main hall.

The once chaotic hall immediately fell silent.

As the chanting began, the emperor, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, and the empress, in a light gold phoenix robe, entered the main hall hand in hand.

Gu Qingyue looked over curiously.

The emperor was probably past fifty, and his every move exuded an aura of unassailable authority!

However, his skin tone was an unnaturally pale, his eye wrinkles were obvious, and his expression was somewhat gloomy.

But it's clear that he must have been a handsome man in his youth, otherwise he wouldn't have had a son like Mu Yun Chu, who is so beautiful he's almost otherworldly.

The Empress wore a light gold phoenix robe, her nine-tailed phoenix crown was dazzling and gorgeous, and golden tassels hung down her temples, making her look absolutely magnificent.

This empress was the successor empress whom the emperor made after the death of Mu Yun Chu's mother.

She was the birth mother of the eldest prince and the third prince.

I heard that the Empress is nearly fifty years old, but she is obviously very well-preserved.

Judging by appearance alone, she looks to be around forty years old. She has a calm demeanor, long and narrow eyebrows, and while not exceptionally beautiful, she is dignified and graceful, exuding an air of authority. Her beautiful eyes reveal a shrewdness.

Gu Qingyue was certain that this empress was no ordinary person and must be a very scheming individual.

A young man dressed in a bright yellow python robe followed behind the empress.

The young man was handsome and must be Crown Prince Mu Yunbai. He only glanced at the situation in the hall before keeping his eyes lowered.

Beside the Crown Prince was Prince Kang, dressed in a moon-white python robe.

He was sitting upright in a wheelchair, with a servant behind him pushing it.

Behind Prince Kang was a group of princes in various colored python robes.

The good looks of this group of men are truly unmatched; they are a feast for the eyes!

Sure enough, none of the royal children are ugly!

Looking at the princesses already seated, each one was bright-eyed and beautiful.

Last time at the Spring Appreciation Banquet, Gu Qingyue only saw two princesses, but this time, she saw a total of five!

This is still before she has been married off; I've heard that three princesses have already been married off.

In other words, this old emperor had more than a dozen sons and eight princesses!

"She's really good at having babies!" Gu Qingyue thought to herself.

However, this also shows that Mu Yun Chu's mother is indeed a kind and magnanimous person; otherwise, so many princes and princesses would not have been born and grown up safely.

Gu Qingyue took another closer look at the large group of princes walking in front of her.

Besides the princes she had seen at the Spring Festival banquet, there were several others she had never met before, including two who were quite young, around ten years old.

If we were to name a common characteristic, it would be that they are all tall and handsome.

Of course, among all the princes, Mu Yun Chu, dressed in a black python robe, was the most handsome and extraordinary in her eyes!

But now, looking at his cold expression and tall, slender figure, he is as handsome as an immortal.

Remembering his sometimes rascally domineering personality, Gu Qingyue smiled slightly.

Once the Emperor, Empress, and princes were seated, everyone rose to their feet, bowed, and shouted "Long live the Emperor!" The scene was so grand it was almost earth-shattering!

This was the first time Gu Qingyue had experienced the unique power of the emperor and the extraordinary aura of holding the empire in her hands!

Of course, there was more surprise and disbelief.

The emperor raised his hand, signaling everyone to rise.

After calmly delivering his opening remarks and welcoming the Nanzhao delegation, he waved his hand, signaling the chief eunuch beside him to read the imperial edict.

Sure enough, as expected, several imperial edicts followed.

The first decree was an imperial edict rewarding the generals of the Lizhou camp for their contributions in the Battle of Nanzhao.

Due to his outstanding achievements, the Grand Commander of Lizhou was promoted to General Zhenyuan.

Meanwhile, Jin Zhongyan, the former deputy general of Rongyuan, was promoted to the new Grand Commander of Lizhou.

In addition, among the many names, Gu Qingyue also heard that Gu Yuanming had been promoted to the rank of Xuanwei General, a fourth-grade official.

Throughout the entire process, no news of any reward for Mu Yun Chu was heard.

Gu Qingyue took a breath, feeling indignant for Mu Yun Chu's many years of risking her life. She clenched her fists, waiting for the imperial decree to arrive, wondering if there would be a reward for Mu Yun Chu.

After announcing the imperial edict of rewards for the battle of Nanzhao, a junior eunuch brought over a tray, which the senior eunuch then read aloud.

Sure enough, there's no smoke without fire!

The third prince was enfeoffed as the Prince of Ying, the fourth prince as the Prince of Zhen, the fifth prince as the Prince of Jing, the sixth prince as the Prince of Sheng, and so on.

Unexpectedly, one of the imperial edicts was specifically for Mu Yun Chu.

He was enfeoffed as the King of Li, with Lizhou as his fief, causing an uproar.

According to royal rules, Mu Yun Chu was not yet of legal age and should not have been granted the title of king. However, the emperor made an exception to reward him for his contributions in the battle of Nanzhao, and specially granted him a fiefdom and the title of king.

However, the imperial edict did not mention whether he would take up his post.

Gu Qingyue couldn't help but look towards Mu Yun Chu's position.

After receiving the imperial decree and expressing his gratitude, Mu Yun Chu returned to his seat with steady steps.

He placed the imperial edict beside him, poured himself a glass of wine, and drank it all in one gulp.

His expression remained indifferent and unmoved.

Gu Qingyue's lips twitched.

This guy!

Gu Qingyue looked around and found that there were quite a few women staring at Mu Yun Chu just like her. Looking at those little faces that were either infatuated or shy, she suddenly felt a little itchy to touch them!

Hey, he's already mine, don't even think about it!!

Gu Qingyue thought angrily.

Gu Qingyue looked away and lowered her head. Wait, what did she see next?

In the instant she lowered her head, she saw the location of the Nanzhao envoy across the street from the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.

Yue Zhiqi was looking at Mu Yun Chu's direction with a strange gaze.

Gu Qingyue was puzzled. What did this mean? What mischief were they plotting?

Before she could figure it out, she heard a murmur of conversation around her.

Especially the officials from the faction of the Third Prince and the Fifth Prince, their shock and dissatisfaction were so palpable that even Gu Qingyue, sitting in the crowd, could sense it.

Gu Qingyue listened to the whispers around her and looked up at the emperor sitting above her with his eyes slightly lowered.

The emperor's expression was cold, and a gloomy aura hung between his brows.

Is this a genuine promotion based on Mu Yun Chu's merits, or is it a deliberate attempt to put him in the spotlight and divert the attention of the court officials?

Gu Qingyue frowned deeply.

"Your Majesty the King of Chu, on behalf of Nanzhao, I congratulate all the princes on this joyous occasion."

While she was stunned, Gu Qingyue heard Yue Zhiqi's voice.

"To congratulate the princes on their joyous occasion, my younger sister, Princess Lianfu, wishes to perform a dance as a token of my congratulations."

"Approved," the emperor's somber and indifferent voice came from above.

A moment later, the sounds of string and wind instruments began.

The hall, which had been buzzing just moments before, gradually quieted down.

Princess Lianfo had already changed into a fiery red gauze dress, her jade arms faintly visible, her slender waist wrapped with several small golden bells, and she was barefoot. Her face was covered with a veil of the same color, her long hair cascading down, and she held a wooden sword in her hand, clearly preparing to practice swordsmanship.

As Princess Lienfeld stepped into the center of the stage, gasps of surprise rose and fell.

Clearly, this outfit cleverly highlights Princess Lianfu's strengths, making her look like a fairy descended to earth, breathtakingly beautiful!