To Be A Virtuous Wife

33

After the drinks and dishes were taken down, it was time for the tributes from each of the subordinate countries. Qu Qing Ju looked at the obedient diplomats and the matter-of-fact attitude of everybody else and suddenly understood what was "might is right"

As the taijian finished reading the pages of the lists that the diplomats presented, she found that those who had a larger tribute had faces with color and those with few tributes were full of poverty as though they wanted to kowtow to Qing De Emperor to express the helplessness they felt that they didn't have any more to offer.

When these diplomats retreated, it had been more than an hour. Qu Qing Ju held a teacup and had a new insight into Da Long Dynasty. This mighty dynasty, it was akin to a holy land in the eyes of the surrounding little countries. Because of this, the likelihood that there would be an attack on Da Long Dynasty in the next few decades was very small. It was then no wonder that Qing De Emperor had such a weak personality.

At this time, a heavy drum started. Qu Qing Ju saw the Emperor and Empress walk out of the Great Hall and kneel on the white stone platform outside the hall. As she followed everybody outside, she went into as daze as she knelt with Jing guifei. She listened as Qing De Emperor gave his prayers to the Heaven. He seemed to be begging for good weather in the coming year and a good fulfilling life for the citizens.

When the fireworks exploded above Qu Qing Ju's head, she finally woke up. Coincidentally, at this time the prayers of the emperor stopped. She supported Jing guifei to stand and retreat to one side. Then she heard the singing voices of the musicians and the chatter flow into her ear. She raised her head and saw the multi-colored fireworks in the sky. She couldn't help but blink her eyes, her eyes seemed sore and uncomfortable.

Jing guifei also stared in a daze at the fireworks before lowering her head and informing: "Emperor and Empress have already returned to their palace. It's late now. You should return too." Finishing, she took a palace maid's hand, "Ben gong is also tired."

"Mufei, erxi will take you back." Qu Qing Ju held Jing guifei's hand. She saw tiredness between her brows and took the cape that Mu Jin had prepared to wrap around Jing guifei.

"There's no need," Jing guifei looked at the red dress that Qu Qing Ju wore and her hand gently fell on the knot of the cape in front of her throat, "It's cold at night. You and Heng'er should return early. This isn't far from Zhong Jing Palace, ben gong will sit on the step-carriage." Finishing, she waved her hand and dismissed Qu Qing Ju, walking away with the support of a palace maid.

Qu Qing Ju stood for a while at the original spot before she let Mu Jin help her as she walked down the high white jade stairs. The long train of the dress flowed across the stone steps as though a stream of water had passed by.

At the bottom of the stone steps, the four He brothers stood mutually a few steps away. He Yuan's face was icy. Behind him was an expressionless Qin Bai Lu. The two of them originally didn't have many feelings between them but when the two had met, Qin Bai Lu acted as though she had been bullied. That was enough to make He Yuan flip his face so the two of them stood an arms-length away with mutually frozen faces.

Qin Bai Lu hated the fact that her popo had shamed her and was angry that He Yuan didn't treat her warmly. Originally she had been bullied and now she had to act according to He Yuan's temper so she felt even angrier. She didn't care what others though and just stood with a heavy expression.

Looking at her, He Yuan irritably moved aside his gaze. When he raised his head, he saw a crimson clad figure come down across the white jade steps. The white and red, under the light of the fireworks, had an unspeakable sense of beauty. He tried to regain focus. When the person came near, he found it was He Heng's wang fei. When he saw it was his brother's woman, he didn't look any more. He faintly moved his gaze away and turned to walk without another word. There evidently wasn't any desire to bid farewell to his brothers.