Although she could still sleep during court sessions, is sleeping while sitting really the same as sleeping while lying down?
As the days grew colder, she thought, maybe she could request leave to attend every other day, or perhaps the morning court could change its time, or she could simply arrive a little later.
Having made up her mind, she gave Emperor Mingxi three choices and let him pick for himself.
Though she said it was his choice, Yue Fuguang could guess with her kneecaps which one Emperor Mingxi would select.
While she was lost in these random thoughts, another stir arose in the grand hall. Only after admiring the Twelve Flower Goddess tea set did the emperor turn his attention to another box placed on the table.
Yue Fuguang had been 'generous' with her gifts, presenting him with two at once. The glass tea set was already a top-tier treasure, so even if this other item wasn't quite its equal, it surely wouldn't be too far off.
Repeating the same box-opening ritual, without even needing a reminder from the Crown Prince, Emperor Mingxi skillfully opened it himself.
Looking at the two sea-blue wine bottles on the platform, Yue Fuguang smiled knowingly. She didn't drink wine, nor did she understand it, but in terms of appearance, the bottles from a certain 'Blue' brand were quite beautiful.
The shapes of "Mengzhilan" and "Haizhilan" resembled the common vase styles of the Great Yan dynasty. Especially after the system had erased all the extraneous characters on them, the translucent bottles with their bright blue hue became even more simple and elegant. These were two bottles she particularly liked.
Emperor Mingxi also thought Yue Fuguang had gifted him two vases even more beautiful than sapphires, but after the Crown Prince whispered a few words in his ear,
the fine wrinkles at the corners of Emperor Mingxi's eyes gradually smoothed out. His focused expression even took on a hint of a pilgrim's piety.
What kind of exquisite wine could possess a white so clear and transparent as water?
Gently stroking the bottle, he felt conflicted about whether to open it now.
Emperor Mingxi wanted to show off properly in front of his ministers, especially the foreign envoys, but he was also somewhat reluctant. After all, there were only these two small bottles, and it seemed their flavors were slightly different.
He... the supreme Son of Heaven, for the first time, felt the pained reluctance of parting with something.
Such fine goods—if they were finished this time, who knew when he might get more? The little immortal lord's things were not easy to come by.
Emperor Mingxi stole a glance at Yue Fuguang, the gift-giver, and saw the petite figure looking back at him with a faint, knowing smile. The emperor's own smile stiffened for an instant.
Although Yue Fuguang said nothing, the unspoken threat spoke volumes.
Emperor Mingxi was certain that if he dared to hoard these privately now, he might start tomorrow without ever tasting those delicious vegetables and fruits from the glass greenhouse again!
Emperor Mingxi very much wanted to say a few ceremonial words, like bestowing wine upon his ministers and the envoys, but one look at the wine bottles told him that even if he wanted to put on such an act, he couldn't possibly stretch it that far.
Even distributing both bottles wouldn't be enough for everyone present to have a drink.
This was also Yue Fuguang's deliberate design. How could everyone having a share highlight the wine's preciousness and rarity?
The distribution of the wine would depend on Emperor Mingxi's own preferences and wisdom. As the saying went, it wasn't something for a child like her to worry about.
Over there, those who received the wine were marveling at the purity of the small cup of liquid. Lips touching the tiny sip, they closed their eyes to savor it carefully—the wine was mellow, subtly fragrant, with a long, lingering aftertaste.
Without exception, faint smiles of appreciation, intoxication, or rapture appeared at the corners of their mouths.
Those who looked utterly enchanted were the military officers and the people from the Northern Li and Western Qiang nations. Yue Fuguang noted this mentally; these were her biggest potential customer base.
Especially Western Qiang and Northern Li—these two fat sheep, her blade was already sharpened!
The ministers who didn't receive any wine could only gaze enviously at their colleagues savoring it with closed eyes. Some even secretly stretched their necks, nostrils flaring, trying hard to breathe in the rich aroma of wine drifting in the air.
This wine distribution also reflected each official's standing in Emperor Mingxi's heart, much like that time when fruits and vegetables were distributed among the imperial harem.
Favor and disfavor were quite evident.
Observant individuals noticed that those who received wine were almost all the same group who frequently 'fell ill,' including even Wu Yong, the recently promoted son of Minister Wu, who got a small cup.
Some couldn't help but speculate about the emperor's intentions—did their Majesty have a preference for 'ailing' ministers?
Should they perhaps also 'fall ill' someday?!
When these people opened their eyes again, their gazes had softened into spring water, silently fixed on the scant wine remaining before them.
Minister of War Huo Ying felt some regret. In a moment of greed, he hadn't restrained himself and drank too much, too much!
What was left in this tiny porcelain cup, no thicker than his thumb, wasn't even enough for one mouthful!
Quite a few shared the same thought, especially Wei Shouyi and a few others, who had downed theirs in one gulp. The potency was somewhat fierce, almost blasting through the crown of their heads!
Some of the civil officials with low alcohol tolerance already had flushed faces, feeling blissfully light-headed as if floating on clouds.
Just as the wine was flowing and the atmosphere was perfect, Yue Fuguang, who had been munching on osmanthus cake, had switched to poria cake. She had just taken a small bite when suddenly someone outside the hall shouted loudly, "Be careful!"
Yue Fuguang thought to herself, here it comes. Was the classic plot point of 'assassin attack' at the emperor's birthday banquet finally about to begin?
So the 'assassins' hadn't chosen the moment of a dance performance, but when everyone was a bit tipsy. Clever planning!
Some people might already be feeling weak in the limbs, probably unable to run, let alone pick up a sword to resist.
Oh, right, in this grand hall, aside from the guards, no one carried weapons.
Quite a few had been felled by her tiny cup of wine. My fault, my fault!
Yue Fuguang looked around but couldn't find any handy weapon, so she gave up. Anyway, with the system here, no one could harm a hair on her head.
Besides, an 'immortal lord' wielding a stick would be quite undignified!
Curiously, she looked up and out. In the hall, anyone still somewhat sober was also craning their necks to see. It was unclear if they were truly too drunk to grasp the situation or simply couldn't get up from their seats.
In any case, these people were either sitting or half-lying in their places, with no one thinking to get up and find a safe spot to hide for a while.
Only around Emperor Mingxi had the guards already formed a human wall.
Yu Chongshan wanted to pull Yue Fuguang behind him, but she waved him off with a refusal.
What a joke! Did she have no face to save?
An 'immortal lord' hiding behind a mortal in danger—forget about breaking character, even her gradually acquired 'immortal lord' image and pride wouldn't allow such a thing.
Knowing there was no real danger and not seizing the chance to show off would be a waste of this perfect opportunity.
Yue Fuguang glanced at the few 'show-off artifacts' she had pre-selected in the system's shopping cart and instantly felt at ease!
Speaking of which, it had been a dozen breaths since that shout of "Be careful," so why was there only the increasingly chaotic noise from outside, with no 'assassins' charging into the hall yet?
In TV dramas, didn't assassins usually strike during a toast or a dance performance?
What kind of operation was this 'fighting their way in from outside'? Were assassins in this ancient martial world really that bold?
Fighting through a bloody path just to see you—thinking about it felt so thrilling!
Yue Fuguang quietly clenched her small fist, secretly cheering the assassins on!
Just as her anticipation peaked and still no one appeared, leaving her feeling deflated, another shout came from the hall entrance, "Be careful! It's getting inside!"
