Chapter 1480: Key Figures Arrive

He Lingchuan turned to see a burly man dressed in a white and red brocade robe, still wearing three simple pure gold earrings.

It was Qu Ruhai, the Left Chief of Luodian.

Although the Yao Kingdom and Luodian were at odds, a great nation needed to show its grace. Thus, the Yao King had invited Qu Ruhai to a seat in the VIP section to observe the ceremony.

Qu Ruhai chuckled, "We've met three times in less than half a month, Lord He, we must be quite fated."

Once at the courtyard barbecue, once at Redfort, and today was the third time.

He Lingchuan replied, "Several exquisite residences in the second phase of Youhu Villa will be unveiled at Redfort the night after tomorrow, via a blind auction. Chief Qu, if you're interested, please come and lend your support."

He took the opportunity to promote his project while officials were gathered.

"What's a blind auction?"

He Lingchuan explained. Qu Ruhai slapped the table and laughed, "Aha, interesting! I'll definitely check it out."

He slapped the table so loudly that it clattered, a particularly rude gesture. The Yao officials glared at him, but Qu Ruhai feigned ignorance.

At that moment, the herald announced, "The Grand Regent has arrived!"

Qingyang had come.

The scene immediately quieted. Everyone turned to look at the palace gate.

Qingyang was in splendid attire today: a white gown, an elaborate headdress, cloud embroidery on her chest, and a palm-wide golden belt around her waist.

Her attire leaned towards off-white, with the inner and outer garments creating a rich layered effect. The moment she gracefully stepped in, the wind sweeping through Jade Spring Palace seemed to still.

The officials quickly bowed to her.

He Yang and seven or eight others followed closely behind her, walking with their heads held high.

Qingyang surveyed her surroundings, nodding with a graceful yet imposing smile to everyone. She walked to her seat, her gaze slightly lowered.

The Yao Kingdom had arranged her seat to the lower right of the Yao King, only half a step down.

She sat down, her expression unreadable, smoothly adjusting her sleeves. He Yang and the others stood still behind her, hands clasped behind their backs.

With the Grand Regent's arrival, Jade Spring Palace seemed to grow even cooler, almost freezing.

He Lingchuan also sat down, beside the newly promoted Grand General of the North, Yuwen Yong.

Whether intentionally or not, his seat was directly opposite Qingyang, allowing her to see him with just a glance down.

And Qingyang was looking at him now, her gaze profound and inscrutable.

This man was constantly creating noise across the lake, and he had dug up the essential path to and from Flower Scroll Island into a muddy mess, clearly intending to provoke her. Although it was at the Yao King's behest, this He Xiao was truly stubborn.

He Lingchuan felt her gaze and returned a friendly smile, appearing particularly handsome in the sunlight.

But this smile, to He Yang, was outright provocation. That He fellow was causing trouble across the lake every day; the Palace Mistress was lenient and didn't bother with him, but he was getting too bold.

He Yang secretly clenched his fist, producing two quiet clicks.

In such a noisy environment, Qingyang still heard it. Without looking up, she said softly, "What's the rush? It's not time yet."

That boy wouldn't be smug for much longer, He Yang thought, suppressing his anger. "Yes."

The Soul-Guiding Mirror in He Lingchuan's arms made a "tsk-tsk" sound. "He Yang looks like he wants to devour you. Did we offend him to death before?" It was just a minor skirmish at the groundbreaking of Youhu Villa, was such a small matter worth holding a grudge over?

He Lingchuan imperceptibly shook his head; it was just a petty rivalry.

But he could probably understand He Yang's psychology. Xi Yunhe had once said that when he devoted himself wholeheartedly to his master, he rejoiced in Qingyang's joy and raged in her anger. Qingyang didn't even need to speak; he would yearn to solve all the Palace Mistress's worries for her.

What was the difference between today's He Yang and the former Xi Yunhe?

Impulsive, passionate, capable, but arrogant, and wholeheartedly devoted to the Palace Mistress.

Hmm, this could be exploited.

He Lingchuan mulled over his plans internally, while on the surface, he chatted with Yuwen Yong. Before the birthday ceremony officially began, many officials approached their superiors to converse.

Both He Lingchuan and Yuwen Yong were surrounded by people. Yuwen Yong was a rising star, and many wanted to curry favor with him. Those surrounding He Lingchuan, however, were all inquiring about Youhu Villa and the Redfort blind auction.

At Qingyang's side, officials paid their respects. After smiling and bowing, exchanging a few pleasantries, the officials retreated quickly, not daring to linger too long for fear of inviting unnecessary misunderstanding. Only a few remained to converse with Qingyang.

Qingyang's expression was normal; she conversed with ease. She was nearly two hundred years old; what kind of situation hadn't she witnessed, what kind of awkwardness hadn't she experienced?

But her Qingwei guards, however, wore displeased expressions due to such cold treatment.

Not long after, the herald loudly announced:

"His Majesty the King has arrived!"

The supreme ruler of the nation had come.

The Yao King today wore a crimson-gold imperial robe and an elaborate crown, looking spirited and energetic.

That imperial robe was specially made by the Imperial Workshop for his fifty-ninth birthday, taking over seven months to complete. It was adorned with gold, jewels, jade, pearls, and clam shells, and embedded with seven arrays for subtle glow, dust removal, warmth, and weight reduction. Otherwise, this ceremonial robe weighed over fifty catties, and it would be a struggle for the Yao King to wear it.

The magnificent crown on his head was also exquisitely crafted with jade, gold netting, and red agate. But He Lingchuan's first impression was that it seemed a little small.

The Yao King's head was naturally on the larger side, making the crown appear undersized.

The moment he appeared, all the officials simultaneously bowed.

The Yao King walked steadily through the jade railings and green steps of Jade Spring Palace, approaching the tree and slowly taking his seat.

His seat was right under the old pear tree, where he could look up at its luxuriant canopy and the fragrant, snow-like blossoms. For all these years, he had sat here for every birthday celebration.

The Yao King looked down at the respectfully bowing officials, the palace still as opulent as ever. This was still his era of peace and prosperity, though now there was a Regent from Beijia beside him.

"Ministers, you may rise and be seated."

The old palace attendant behind the Yao King stepped forward and lightly struck the jade chime three times. The birthday ceremony officially began.

He first read out the achievements of the Yao Kingdom over the past year. The ornate prose was beautifully structured and perfectly balanced. In the text, the Yao Kingdom enjoyed favorable weather, a prosperous and peaceful populace, and was revered by all, an ideal realm on the Blazeford Plain.

Afterward was the Yao King's personal address.

He Lingchuan found it quite interesting, as it was essentially the Yao court's summary of the past year's work. However, the Yao King's speech was not lengthy, lasting only about two quarters of an hour, before moving on to the next step:

Presenting gifts.

Foreign envoys and officials offered gifts to the Yao King. Heralds and palace attendants would publicly announce each gift, making this a spectacular display where everyone competed to offer the most novel, precious, or interesting present.

The gift-giving segment also revealed many dynamics and details.

For instance, this time the Seven Allied Nations did not present gifts separately. Instead, Si Tuhe fully authorized a special envoy to deliver a generous tribute.

This action clearly demonstrated that the Allied Nations were now firmly united and presented a unified front against external threats. Their positions, actions, intentions, and movements were all consistent, thus the Allied Nations presented their gift to the Yao King as a single entity.

Seeing this gift, He Lingchuan felt reassured. Si Tuhe himself was capable and had grown rapidly, quickly winning over hearts and reuniting the Allied Nations after his father's attack. This was no easy feat.

The Yao King's expression remained neutral when he heard the list of gifts, but He Lingchuan knew that he did not wish to see a united allied force. After all, the rise of any new powerful force on the Blazeford Plain could very well be a challenge to the Yao Kingdom. The memory of the nine nations jointly attacking the Yao Kingdom over 160 years ago was still vivid.

He Lingchuan's gift was also conventional, neither shabby nor outstanding, simply fulfilling protocol. The Yao King calling him to Heavenly Waters City was certainly not because of his gift; both sides understood this unspoken fact.

So when the Yao King smiled, praised him a few times, and bestowed a reward, He Lingchuan knew it was a gesture made for Qingyang, who sat opposite him.

While foreign envoys presented their gifts, He Lingchuan asked Yuwen Yong, "His Majesty's crown is very exquisite, isn't it?"

Yuwen Yong simply said "Indeed," without elaborating.

However, Qu Ruhai, the Left Chief of Luodian, interjected, "That's a longevity gift bestowed by the Celestial God, probably given this morning."

He Lingchuan was surprised, "How do you know?" The first place the Yao King visited for his birthday ceremony was the Miaozhan Celestial God Temple. But how would a Luodian person know what the Celestial God had given the Yao King?

Qu Ruhai shrugged, "Every ten-year grand birthday, the Celestial God of Miaozhan bestows a crown upon the Yao monarch. The monarch then wears it to his own birthday ceremony. It's an unshakeable tradition; this year will be no exception."

He Lingchuan understood and thanked him. So that crown was from Miaozhan, and it was slightly small. Was the artisan found by the temple's apostles not skilled enough?

The Soul-Guiding Mirror in his arms chirped oddly, "Oh dear—too small, it won't fit well."

He Lingchuan couldn't help but smile. But such crowns were typically secured to the head with ties, so being a little small wouldn't matter.

In the common folk's celebration of the Yao King's birthday, rice and flour were distributed in various regions, temple fairs were held, and there were opera troupes and acrobats in the streets. The air was filled with the smoke of firecrackers, making it even livelier than the New Year.

Meanwhile, at Jade Spring Palace, the banquet had already begun.

The grand feast hosted by the Yao King for his guests comprised seventy-two dishes, including hot dishes, cold appetizers, soups, side dishes, fresh fruits, candied fruits, and pastries primarily based on flour products. The variety was dazzling and extensive, but each portion was very small, usually just enough for one bite.

After thirty-some dishes, He Lingchuan still felt a little hungry.

On the performance stage, there was a continuous stream of entertainment, including illusionary acts. Guests and officials enjoyed the performances while savoring the food, and there were frequent interactions and dialogues between the monarch and his subjects, creating an atmosphere of harmony and joy.

After two musical performances, they moved on to the much-anticipated interactive segment, one of the highlights of every birthday ceremony:

Martial arts for entertainment.

The Yao Kingdom prided itself on being founded on martial principles, and the tradition of their ancestors' nation-building could not be abandoned. Therefore, the Yao King's birthday celebration always included this reserved program.

This was a ceremonial performance, not meant to be a chaotic brawl like a marketplace fight. So, only duels were permitted; no group fighting.

In past Yao King's birthday ceremonies, there were clashes between warriors, and also duels between humans and exotic beasts. Some were pre-arranged, while others were spontaneous challenges—duels before the king were permitted on the spot. If a challenged noble was unwilling to fight themselves, they could send their guards or retainers in their place.

If no one was injured, it was called a harmonious affair.

If someone died in battle, it was called "opening the door to blood."