Chapter 1877: 1865: Fermentation

Chapter 1877: Chapter 1865: Fermentation

A glint of darkness flashed in the eyes of the King of the Grasslands, yet his face maintained a doting smile, as if no matter what Qi Le said, he would take it gladly.

Instead, he expressed concern: “I’ve heard that you summoned the people of the Great Chu Diplomatic Mission, after all, the main envoy this time is the only bloodline left by your sister. I am worried that seeing relatives will remind you of the sadness of the Qi family, so I came to check on you.”

Truly a considerate gesture.

But Qi Le simply lowered her eyelids with a calm expression, not speaking.

The King of the Grasslands had been married to Qi Le for many years and naturally knew this was a sign of her being in a bad mood. His heart skipped a beat as he glanced at the maids serving nearby, but remained silent.

He only consoled her by patting her hand: “The banquet is about to begin, we should get up. If you truly miss them, you can summon them a few more times while they are in Wang City!”

Speaking, he extended his hand towards Qi Le.

Qi Le then rose gracefully, placing her hand in the palm of the King of the Grasslands. This most noble couple of the grasslands, hand in hand, proceeded towards the banquet under the escort of the crowd.

As Qi Le got up and walked out, Bi Zhu received a signal and wisely fell behind. Waiting until the King of the Grasslands and Qi Le’s entourage had gone far, she clapped her hands.

Soon, a figure emerged silently from the shadows. Bi Zhu whispered a few words of instruction, and the person nodded, taking the order and leaving.

Only then did Bi Zhu hasten to the banquet.

When she arrived, most people were already present, but the King of the Grasslands and Qi Le, who had left earlier, were still not there.

Worried about being too late, Bi Zhu quickened her pace, and by the time she sat beside Prince Muhal, she was slightly out of breath.

Muhal glanced at Bi Zhu with concern, making an inquiry with his eyes.

Bi Zhu shook her head subtly while wiping sweat, not revealing any disturbance, and Muhal lowered his eyes, quickly resuming conversation and laughter with the other princes around.

After a while, under the attention of everyone, the King of the Grasslands and Qi Le finally arrived slowly.

The sky had already darkened, but along the way, torches were lit, illuminating everything brightly.

Qi Le walked in the firelight, causing the previously bustling banquet to suddenly quiet down.

For a moment, everyone present, whether the nobles of the grasslands or the Great Chu Diplomatic Mission, stood up to greet the couple.

When the King of the Grasslands and Qi Le approached and headed to their seats, everyone discovered, to their surprise, a beautiful woman from the grasslands following behind the King of the Grasslands.

This beautiful lady was not unfamiliar to anyone; she was the Third Queen, previously out of favor, but somehow recently regained the favor of the King of the Grasslands. It’s said that the King often kept her by his side.

Unexpectedly, she enjoyed such favor that she was brought to this occasion.

It should be known, for many years since Queen Ah Lan married the King of the Grasslands, in such gatherings, as long as Queen Ah Lan was present, no other queens would appear in public.

This was an unspoken rule everyone agreed upon—would it be broken today?

The female nobles of the grasslands who envied Queen Ah Lan earlier, now felt equal amounts of sympathy for her.

Those who once resented this enchantress from Great Chu for captivating their men, unable to get her, and turning into sycophants behind her, now felt incredibly pleased, thinking she finally had her comeuppance, and that justice prevailed.

More men, particularly those who adored Queen Ah Lan, upon seeing the Third Queen entering behind, instinctively looked at Qi Le with concern.

Qi Le’s expression remained serene and elevated, seemingly unaffected by the scene.

After sitting down, with a wave of the King of the Grasslands, the Third Queen naturally sat beside him, coquettishly pouring him wine.

The King of the Grasslands said something that made the Third Queen giggle endlessly, the two flirting openly as if no one else were present.

Throughout the hall, aside from the conversation between the two, others remained silent, their eyes shifting between the King of the Grasslands and Qi Le.

Qi Le’s demeanor conveyed a kind of indescribable weariness and indifference, her gaze did not even cast in that direction. Night wind rustled, stirring her hair and robe.

Under the lamplight and torch illumination, her eyes remained calm and collected, nothing seemed to catch her attention. In the eyes of the crowd, she seemed to transcend the earthly realm, almost ethereal.

Many felt a jolt inside, inexplicably filled with a foreboding sense of unease.

Looking toward the King of the Grasslands not far away, he seemed oblivious, still jesting with the Third Queen.

Only then did everyone suddenly realize, unknowingly, a chasm had formed between the King of the Grasslands and Queen Ah Lan.

There were those who felt heartache, those who clapped their hands in approval, those feeling empathy from shared misfortune, and those with restless endeavors.

Various thoughts slowly fermented under the cover of night.

Bayar’s eyes reddened, glaring at the King of the Grasslands and the Third Queen, he couldn’t help but mutter fiercely, “Why is that bitch out? Isn’t this a slap in the face to the Queen?”

Fortunately, in the past few months, after being tormented by Wang Yongzhu, he was no longer as impulsive as before. Though furious, he still restrained himself, secretly gritting his teeth, determined to find a way to avenge Queen Ah Lan.

He looked at Queen Ah Lan with heartache, only lamenting that he couldn’t embrace her to offer proper comfort.

If he were her husband, he would cherish and love her more than his own life; how could he neglect her for another woman?

If Wang Yongzhu knew Bayar’s feelings at this moment, he couldn’t help but give a thumbs up, praising him, “Brother, you sure are bold for daring to covet a woman as ruthless and shrewd as Qi Le; are you seeking a long life?”

Unfortunately, she didn’t know, not even Bi Zhu, seeing her son act this way, only thought he was speaking up for Qi Le out of respect for Qi Le’s kindness since his childhood in the palace.

Qi Le paid no attention to these undercurrents below, merely waving her hand lightly, signaling the beginning of the banquet.

The atmosphere thus became lively; flowing mare’s milk wine and all kinds of meats were served.

Beautiful female slaves, with long flowing sleeves, danced joyfully to the accompaniment of Morin Khuur, Hu Jia and other instruments, reviving the slightly frozen atmosphere into a vibrant one once more.

The King of the Grasslands also seized the moment to raise his cup, everyone together drank a toast and exchanged formal pleasantries, such as welcoming the Great Chu Diplomatic Mission and hoping for lasting friendship between the two nations.

Everyone below, whether nobles of the grasslands or people of the Great Chu Mission, cooperatively stood up, raising their glasses to partake in the toast.

Fu Jian then promptly stood up, respectfully and courteously extolling the achievements of the King of the Grasslands, emphasizing the strong intention for friendly ties between the two nations, and on behalf of the Great Chu Mission, offered the sincerest blessings to the King of the Grasslands.

This immediately enlivened the atmosphere.

The banquet on the grasslands was all about eating meat in large chunks and drinking wine from big bowls.

Hearing the Great Chu Mission speak so pleasingly and with the King and Queen overseeing, everyone felt free.

Status-conscious officials in charge of diplomacy on the grasslands began mutual compliments.

As the praises were exchanged back and forth, they raised their wine bowls to find someone they favored visually to drink heartily with.

Prince Muhal felt a bit inclined as well, contemplating for a while, then carrying his wine pouch, moved towards the Great Chu Mission.

Originally, he intended to have a drink with Song Chongjin, but was intercepted by Fu Jian, after only a few exchanges, they felt an immediate kinship, sharing four to five bowls of wine, they patted each other’s shoulders, wishing they could pledge brotherhood here and now.