Even the infants still nursing were held by their wet nurses, waiting to present birthday gifts to their father, Emperor Mingxi.
[Master, it doesn't matter much to us who becomes emperor. I've found several islands overseas. If the Great Yan Dynasty truly fails, we'll set sail.
These people fighting to the death won't hinder us from living a good life.]
"You make a good point. It really doesn't matter who's emperor. If things go south, we'll leave. Can't we last another eighty years?"
Emperor Mingxi: Here we go again, here we go again! The little celestial lord wants to abandon me once more!
The officials dared not look at Yue Fuguang, instead fixing their hopeful eyes on Yu Chongshan: their gazes were filled with the silent plea, take me with you, take me with you!
Yu Chongshan: Would you all take a look? Am I the one who gets to make the decisions here? I'm still begging my granddaughter to take me along, how would I dare bring you all, a bunch of deadweight.
Emperor Mingxi watched the silent exchanges between his ministers, feeling exasperated. Was there no one who wished to live and die with the Great Yan?
Amidst everyone's complicated emotions, the imperial family members, led by the princes and the grand princess, began presenting their gifts to Emperor Mingxi.
Jade artifacts, rare curios, exotic birds and beasts—Yue Fuguang used the eunuch's melodiously cadenced recitation of the gift list as a side dish for her meal.
This gift-giving segment was quite different from what she had imagined; she couldn't even see the actual items!
Did that mean the set of twelve Flower Goddess-themed glass tea ware and the Jiangxiang-style liquor she had prepared for Emperor Mingxi were prepared in vain?
Yue Fuguang glanced at the Crown Prince at the head of the hall, hoping he was clever enough not to forget to properly display the glass products.
Soon, the gift list moved on to the officials'. Being shrewd individuals, and to showcase their integrity as incorruptible officials, not a single one offered anything excessively valuable.
They all focused on refinement, ingenuity, and uniqueness. For instance, the great calligrapher, Official Yan Hongyan, simply presented a piece of his own calligraphy, and Emperor Mingxi seemed quite pleased.
At that moment, a procession of maidservants entered, each carrying a tray with several exquisite glass cups. The cups held crimson "Rouge's Intoxication" and amber-colored plum wine.
The faint smile playing on the Crown Prince's lips made it clear this was his special arrangement.
Seeing the one red and one yellow cup of wine before them, everyone present couldn't help but secretly marvel.
Yue Fuguang also very fittingly joined in, picking up a glass cup for a closer look.
The red liquor was named "Rouge's Intoxication." Regardless of how it tasted, its appearance was exceptional.
The red wine liquid, held in transparent, delicate little glass cups, cast a faint red hue under the lamplight. This red glow intertwined with the amber light spots illuminated by the cups containing the amber plum wine.
It lit up the faces of the people before the tables. The wine might not intoxicate, but people could become intoxicated by the sight!
Whether one was drunk on the wine or on the cups holding it, only they themselves knew.
What seemed utterly ordinary to Yue Fuguang appeared, in the eyes of others, as these utterly transparent, crystalline cups—simply breathtaking.
Seeing the atmosphere was ripe, the Crown Prince rose and said, "Father Emperor, among today's gifts, there are two rather special ones. Your son thought you might wish to open and see them now."
Upon hearing the Crown Prince's words, Emperor Mingxi raised an eyebrow. "Since the Crown Prince says so, We really must take a good look at these special gifts."
Seeing the emperor's agreement, the Crown Prince immediately waved a hand. "Bring them up quickly."
Following his words, it was not delicate, beautiful palace maids who entered, but two sturdy guardsmen who strode forward steadily, each holding a tray.
Seeing their demeanor, the crowd grew even more curious. What required strong guards to present?
When the two guards reached below the jade steps, the Crown Prince personally took the item from one of them and steadily ascended the jade steps, one step at a time.
"Father Emperor, please first look at this first gift, the birthday present from the Junior Mentor."
As he spoke, he lifted the red silk cloth covering the tray.
What was revealed was an exquisite rosewood box.
Emperor Mingxi chuckled and looked toward Yue Fuguang, proclaiming loudly, "A gift from Fuguang? Then We must see what treasure lies inside!"
This box was specially made by the Crown Prince according to Yue Fuguang's requirements. Following the Crown Prince's guidance, Emperor Mingxi opened several key points.
Except for the base, all other sides of the box opened up, and the contents within were suddenly revealed to everyone's view, completely unobstructed.
The moment Emperor Mingxi's gaze fell upon that set of exquisitely beautiful tea ware, the leisure in his eyes abruptly tightened. Then his pupils slightly dilated, rippling with disbelief.
The faint smile originally on his face froze for an instant, before slowly broadening across his features.
His face, no longer young and handsome, brightened somewhat, reflecting the light refracted by the glass.
The moment Emperor Mingxi opened the box, to everyone else in the great hall, it seemed as if all the light in the room and their very eyes converged upon those twelve crystalline pieces.
It reflected everyone's faces in a dazzling array of colors; they could see nothing else.
Emperor Mingxi instinctively leaned forward, yet his neck unconsciously drew back—a bodily instinct to retreat before extreme beauty.
The ministers below the jade steps and the members of the foreign delegations seemed to transform into long-necked geese in an instant, straining their necks toward the jade steps.
Their lips parted silently as if to exclaim in admiration, but they forgot to make a sound, the impulse turning into a slow, deep intake of breath suspended in the air.
Emperor Mingxi's right hand, suspended in the air, unconsciously reached toward one of the glass teacups. His index finger and thumb gently stroked its surface—the cool, smooth touch was even more delicate than the finest porcelain.
He walked slowly around the tea table, his gaze sliding from the teapot's fluid curves to the teacup's thin rim. With every change in angle, the glass refracted different halos of light—sometimes clear as morning dew in deep mountains, sometimes flowing like sunset clouds—beautiful and pure.
Emperor Mingxi dared not imagine how joyful he would be, drinking tea from this set!
And silently in his heart, he declared the Twelve Flower Goddess tea set the most satisfying gift Emperor Mingxi had received today.
A flicker of slyness passed through Yue Fuguang's eyes. The expressions of everyone present, including the emperor, upon seeing her tea set, pleased her.
The advertising effect was excellent. Seeing their stretched necks and the look of awe and greed in their eyes, practically wishing they could grow eyes on the tea set itself, she could foresee the glassware selling like hotcakes later.
Whispers of discussion reached Yue Fuguang's ears from many around her. Besides praising the tea set's beauty, most were inquiring about its origin.
Yue Fuguang chuckled inwardly. They pretended to whisper, yet their voices were just loud enough to reach her ears. If they claimed it wasn't intentional for her to hear, she wouldn't believe it!
Yue Fuguang remained unmoved, merely giving Yu Chongshan a meaningful glance. Such matters were for the adults to handle; she, a mere child, wouldn't trouble herself with such concerns.
One could say Yue Fuguang slacked off when conditions allowed, and created conditions to slack off when they didn't.
Thinking of slacking off, she picked up another osmanthus cake and took a bite. She had already requested leave from Emperor Mingxi for tomorrow, so she wouldn't have to attend the morning court session and could sleep in all day at home. The thought alone made her happy.
