On the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month, the Second Sage led all his officials to the plaza of the Taiji Palace to offer sacrifices to the heavens and end the new year.
A majestic procession of ceremonial guards was stationed in this enormous plaza that was several dozen li in circumference. The grand ceremony lasted from afternoon to evening.
During this time, the Emperor and the Empress sat side by side at the very front of the imperial tent. The Crown Prince brought along his younger brothers Li Xian, Li Xian, and Li Dan, the Prince of Zhou, and Li Dan, the Prince of Ji, to attend to them. The civil and military officials were arranged according to their ranks.
Because it was the eve of the new year, after the long sacrificial speech, there was a banquet of singing and dancing. Delicacies and delicacies were served to every table.
The Emperor intended to show off the merits of Yu Tian's submission. He had the Prince of Yu Tian and the Princess sit next to him. He also had Shan Chao, who had been particularly agreeable to the Emperor, sit next to him.
Shan Chao was not very enthusiastic about the banquets and dances of the palace. His gaze was downcast as he pondered over something. Suddenly, he heard the Emperor ask with a chuckle, "Why are you in a daze?
Is the food in the palace not to your taste? "
Several gazes were cast over from the surrounding officials' seats. They all had different expressions as they sized up this newly promoted celebrity.
The Emperor had asked in public, even noticing that Shan Chao had not touched his chopsticks. This was actually a sign of importance.
However, this question was rather subtle. If he answered yes or no, it would be easy to become a laughingstock in front of the other officials from aristocratic families.
"Many thanks for Your Imperial Majesty's concern." Shan Chao stood up and warmly replied, "Reporting to Your Imperial Majesty, the food is indeed not to my taste."
The Emperor asked with interest, "Oh?"
"This official has fought beyond the Great Wall for eight years. My eating habits are no different from those of the northwestern tribes. In the depths of winter, I often share strong wine with the soldiers to ward off the cold. As a result, I am not used to the palace wine. I hope Your Imperial Majesty will forgive me."
Shan Chao's reply was natural and smooth. He also faintly pointed out his difficult life on the frontier. The Emperor was immediately delighted. "Yes, it was Our negligence!
Someone, bring strong wine to General Zhongwu! "
The palace servants immediately passed on the order. After a short while, a new jug of wine was brought.
Shan Chao poured himself a cup of strong wine and downed it in one gulp. Bowing, he said, "Many thanks for Your Imperial Majesty's generous reward."
"Okay, okay."
The Emperor liked it very much, and on a whim, had someone pour him a cup of strong wine to drink. He smacked his lips and asked with a smile, "What do you think of this wine?"
"It has a mellow aftertaste. It is indeed a fine wine."
Shan Chao paused and changed the topic, "But compared to the coarse wine that I drank with my fellow soldiers in the barracks, it seems to lack some flavor. Your Majesty, please forgive me."
At that moment, everyone had the same thought — You've had enough!
It was one thing for him to act tough once in a while to win the Emperor's favor, but what was the meaning of this? If he had the ability, he should ask the Emperor to send him back to the Northwest to eat sand!
Little did they know that Shan Chao really wanted to return to the Northwest to fight.
There was no use for the leader of the army to stay in the capital. Only by fighting on the battlefield could one establish meritorious service and rise to the top. The Emperor seemed to have tasted this hint from his words. He immediately furrowed his brows and seemed to think for a moment.
"I want to drink too!"
Suddenly, a delicate and loud voice sounded. A little girl wearing a pink fox fur coat and a green hairpin squeezed to Shan Chao's side and frowned, "Give me that wine, give me that!"
Shan Chao was not prepared and picked up the little girl, "What do you want?"
"That wine!"
"Taiping!" Queen Wu poked her head out from the Emperor's side and said in a low voice.
Only then did everyone realize that this was the youngest daughter of the Emperor and Queen Wu, the Taiping Princess who was doted on by everyone.
Many years later, the Taiping Princess who would rule the world was just over eleven years old. She was at the age when she was the most arrogant and naughty. The wet nurse hurried over to coax her but she refused to listen. She made a fuss and asked for strong wine.
Shan Chao wanted to let her go, but in the chaos, no one could control this curious little princess. In addition, the Emperor laughed and tried to smooth things over. After a long struggle, Queen Wu and the wet nurse gave in. Shan Chao could only take a pair of clean chopsticks and dip them in the strong wine. As a result, the moment Taiping Princess took a sip, her eyebrows wrinkled into a bun.
Before anyone could react, Shan Chao quickly covered her mouth with his hand.
"Pfft!" The next moment, the little princess spat out all over his palm.
Even Queen Wu could not help but laugh. She hurriedly ordered someone to bring a wet cloth to Shan Chao to wipe his hand.
At this moment, Taiping Princess finally felt a little embarrassed. She pinched the corner of her clothes with a red face and shyly climbed down from Shan Chao's arms. She was too embarrassed to even look at him and hurriedly ran to her mother's side.
The Emperor smiled and said, "General Zhongwu is amazing. Taiping has met her nemesis."
Everyone around them clapped and laughed. Only Queen Wu seemed to have thought of something and her expression slightly froze.
Beside Queen Wu, Xie Yun seemed to be unaware of everything around her. Her eyes were fixed on the numerous dancers in the hall. She did not even react to Shan Chao's gaze that was fixed on her.
The Emperor was about to say something when an official from the Honglu Temple suddenly walked in and whispered a few words into the ear of the official.
The official had a difficult expression. After a moment of hesitation, he finally nodded. He turned around and bowed to the Emperor and Queen Wu. Then he went forward and quietly said a few words.
"Oh?
Tubo presented a letter of credence? "The Emperor frowned and said," Let me see it. "
The official presented a thick scroll sealed with sheepskin. The Emperor personally took it down and leaned toward Queen Wu. He spread out the sheepskin and saw the thick ink at first glance:
"… Smart, agile, dignified, and virtuous. Therefore, I want to marry Taiping Princess and have an eternal relationship …"
It was the Lunar New Year and Yu Tian had just come to pledge his allegiance. How dare Tubo ask for a political marriage?
A cold light flashed in Queen Wu's eyes, "Your Majesty!"
"How dare you, Tubo! This matter must not be allowed!"
The Emperor closed the scroll and said in a deep voice, "But it's not easy to refuse. Let me think of a foolproof explanation …"
Then he suddenly paused and looked to the left.
Taiping Princess had just broken free from the nanny's hand and ran to Shan Chao's table. She arrogantly nodded at the large piece of roasted beef.
This roasted beef was specially made according to the style of the Great Wall. It was a large piece of beef sprinkled with spicy spices and roasted over a fire. It was different from the traditional taste of the Tang Dynasty. When eating it, it needed to be cut into small pieces with a silver knife.
Shan Chao saw that she wanted it, so he picked up the silver knife and pointed at the beef and asked, "I'll cut a piece for you to try."
"I'll do it myself!" Taiping Princess took the silver knife from his hand and cut off half a piece. "Ah!" She said, "Why is there blood!"
"It's eaten like this."
"How do you eat if there's blood?"
"It's so tender."
Taiping Princess held the piece of beef in front of her eyes and bravely observed it for a while. She nodded and said, "Well, if it's not tender, I'll punish you for the crime of deceiving the Emperor!"
Then she put it into her mouth, chewed, and swallowed. After a while, she blinked her big watery eyes and said, "Although it smells fishy, it's indeed tender. I won't punish you!"
The Emperor smiled slightly and looked at them thoughtfully. Queen Wu stared at the Emperor's expression. An absurd and terrifying thought suddenly rose from the bottom of her heart.
"He's a handsome guy." When the Emperor talked about Shan Chao after the Pilgrimage of Mount Tai, he once joked, "If Taiping was a few years older, she could choose a husband based on that model …"
Queen Wu's fingers that were holding the armrest of the chair suddenly tightened. She almost trembled as she said sternly, "Your Majesty!"
But the Emperor didn't seem to hear the fear in her words to stop him. Just as the words "Your Majesty" came out of his mouth, he had already laughed and said,
"General Zhongwu?"
Shan Chao stood up and said, "I'm here."
Queen Wu suddenly turned around to look at Xie Yun. Xie Yun didn't know what the Tubo letter was about. She raised her head and frowned slightly in suspicion.
Beside him, Yang Miaorong, who was usually singing and dancing, seemed to have noticed the change. She asked softly in confusion, "Xie Yun?"
"You just returned to the capital. There's no one in the manor who cares about you. Isn't it a bit too lonely?"
The Emperor smiled wholeheartedly and pointed at the dancing girls not far away. "I'll introduce you to two beautiful singers in the manor. What do you think?"
The Emperor already had the idea of granting a marriage, but this question was set up very shrewdly. It depended on what kind of person Shan Chao was. Would he smile and nod his head to express his gratitude?
Or would he refuse on the spot and say, "If the Xiongnu aren't destroyed, how can a real man lead a family?"
The people around didn't understand, but they all looked over at the same time.
Shan Chao was also stunned. He then cupped his hands and looked directly at the Emperor on the golden throne. "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty. However, I don't dare to accept it."
Queen Wu's expression changed. She repeatedly signaled Xie Yun with her eyes, indicating that he should quickly think of a way to change the situation.
The Emperor's expression also changed, but there was a bit of sincere joy. "Oh, why?
Since you're young and unmarried, I have an idea … "
"Because I'm already engaged," Shan Chao said. "Therefore, I've failed to live up to Your Majesty's kindness. Please forgive me, Your Majesty." He then bowed deeply.
There was complete silence. The Emperor and Queen's expressions suddenly became very interesting.
Xie Yun's fingers that were holding chopsticks suddenly stopped. Yang Miaorong looked at her.
"You … what engagement do you have?" The Emperor was astonished. "When and where was it set up?"
"Your Majesty, this engagement was set up when I was wandering in the desert. It's been more than ten years now.
Although I haven't married because of various reasons, regardless of the vicissitudes of life, this official only remembers that one person in my heart. I hope that one day, I can openly go and marry her. This wish will not change until I die. "
Shan Chao stood up, took a deep breath, and said clearly, "Therefore, I can only refuse Your Majesty's kindness."
The banquet continued. There was singing and dancing outside, but the atmosphere in front of the small Emperor's tent was strange and tense.
Xie Yun's fingers couldn't help but tremble. After a short while, there was a light slap. He put the silver chopsticks back on the table, stood up, and left the banquet.
The Emperor looked at Shan Chao, as if he couldn't understand why the son-in-law he had just set his eyes on had left in the blink of an eye.
He originally had some doubts about this young general who didn't come from an aristocratic family. He wasn't sure in his heart, but after knowing that he was engaged, he regretted it even more. He couldn't help but ask, "My dear official, are you so sure?
After all, it was an engagement from many years ago. What if that girl is married or dead? "
"He's not dead."
Shan Chao smiled and said, "If he's married, I'll just wait for the person he married to to die and then remarry."
The Emperor had always liked to boast about his deep feelings. If it was any other time, he would definitely praise and reward him. He might even treat him as a close friend. However, the other party refused to marry his own daughter, so he was a little embarrassed. After a while, he could only tactfully say, "My dear official, you're too stubborn!"
"General Zhongwu is an upright person. That's why he's so stubborn."
Queen Wu didn't miss the opportunity to say, "Your Majesty, the matter in Tubo isn't too urgent. After the New Year, you and I can think of a way. Why do you have to rush to a conclusion?"
"…" The Emperor only knew that Queen Wu thought that the age difference between Shan Chao and the little princess was too big. In front of so many people, he couldn't say anything. After a while, he waved his hand and sighed, "Forget it, forget it. General Shan, I was just asking for nothing. You can sit down."
Shan Chao finally admitted his mistake. He glanced at Queen Wu, who couldn't hide her relieved expression, and quietly sat back down behind the table.
No one knew the reason for this short interlude. Soon, the palace servants came forward to remove the remnants of the banquet and replace it with wine, fruits, and snacks. Then, they played the Chinese flute and bamboo flute. The dancers also changed their makeup and came forward to dance.
Shan Chao said that the wine was too heavy and he wanted to go for a walk. He apologized to the Emperor and Queen and turned to leave the banquet.
The back garden of Taiji Palace was relatively quiet. The flower pond in the garden had long been frozen. Only the pine and cypress trees could be seen in the snow.
Shan Chao's footsteps made a slight crunching sound as he stepped on the snow. He turned around the veranda and suddenly stopped in his tracks.
He didn't know when, but his throat was pressed against the cold blade of a sword. Looking at the end of the blood trough, he saw a slender and powerful hand reaching out from behind him. The knuckles were as white as ice.
"…" Shan Chao's expression changed slightly. The corner of his mouth hooked up into an extremely faint smile.
"I only said a few words of my heart. Master, is there a need to use weapons against the disciple you personally raised?"
Under the veranda, separated by the flower pond, a slender and elegant figure turned around from the other side of the stone pillar. She looked up and saw the two people in a deadlock. She suddenly stopped in her tracks.