Royal Consort Tai told Ying Luo not to provoke Gu Zezhi, that the Lord of Duan had military power. Gu Zezhi may not be the eldest, but he was still the Lord of Duan’s formal son. He was also well-appreciated by the emperor, so it was still hard to say who will inherit the Lord of Duan’s household in the future.
With Gu Zezhi at Qin Gui’s back, don’t even mention how Qin Gui did not even touch her with the whip today. Even if she did scar her a little, she would only be able to swallow down her anger.
Who asked Ying Luo to provoke Qin Gui first? She was the one in the wrong no matter who looked at it!
Thinking back to what her mother said, Ying Luo’s eyes turned back.
But in the end, she still endured it. With her head held high, she walked to her own seat.
Very soon, more and more people gathered in the hall, and everyone gradually arrived.
After the appearance of the emperor and his empress, everyone rose to pay their respects before sitting down one by one.
As the melodious sound of bamboo flutes rose, the banquet began, and the hall was filled with laughter and conversation.
Qin Gui was drinking juice and feasting on roasts, watching the entertainers dance with their silky sleeves in a relaxed mood.
Today’s dinner was prepared from the game that was hunted, so it was mostly mountain delicacies.
The women were eating elegantly while the men were bolder than usual. Each of them was filled with praise for the delicious food. What they were eating was not just food, but also honor. That their own prey could be shared at the palace banquet represented the highest honor for them.
The eyes of the men, especially those who have hunted wild boars, wolves, and the like, were glowing with enthusiasm.
After three rounds of wind, the dancing girls retired, and Second Prince Gu Jing stood up suddenly, attracting the attention of the people in the hall.
Gu Jing cupped his fists towards the emperor before saying aloud, “Father Emperor, this humble son has good news to report. Prince Yelu has promised to gift 500 Turkic horses to the Great Qi.”
As soon as these words came out, a clamor broke out across the hall.
Turkic horses are the prized horses of Northern Yan. They were extremely precious, and also the very weapon that allowed them to dominate the northern grasslands. They almost never gave them up to other countries, let alone a full 500 head of them.
Some of the generals were astonished. With these Turkic horses, the Great Qi will be able to breed their own Turkic horses and even improve the breed. In a few years, the Great Qi’s cavalry will become even stronger.
Gu Jing quickly swept his eyes around the ministers and generals, feeling even more complacent to see the surprise and delight on their faces.
These 500 Turkic horses are the “deposit” that Yelu Luan gave him to show his sincerity.
As the Great Qi’s imperial son, Gu Jing naturally knew the significance of these horses for the Great Qi. With this as a greeting gift, his father would not be able to let go of the horses even if he knows that Yelu Luan had other plans in mind.
Sure enough, he heard the emperor speaking in a cheerful tone. “For Prince Yelu to offer us such an immense gift, our Great Qi can not be more thankful.”
Yelu Luan followed the flow and stood up.
“I heard from the Second Prince that the emperor is very fond of our Turkic horses. Since our countries are no longer at war, I thought of sending 500 Turkic horses to show our sincerity.” Yelu Luan cupped his fists to the comity of their nations. “Once our Country of Yan enters into an official marriage alliance with the Great Qi, we will send another 500 Turkic horses as the bridal gift.”
Another commotion erupted. 500 Turkic horses for a bride was a generous offer.
Thinking back to the previous emperor, he had once offered an enormous price per head of horse during his reign from the black market dealers of Northern Yan, but due to the strict management Northern Yan had on their horses, he was able to get no more than 50 horses.
The courtiers looked at the emperor with anxious eyes, especially the military generals. They couldn’t wait for the emperor to agree to this exchange immediately. With that, they will be able to get 500 prized horses…Add on another 500, that would make 1000!
However, the emperor wasn’t too keen on the “peace” topic and instead said indifferently, “We offer a toast to Prince Yelu for these horses as a token of Our appreciation.”
A chamberlain filled the jade cup in the emperor’s hand with wine, and the emperor drank it all in one gulp.
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