The person stopped at the door of the room for a moment but didn’t come in and left quickly.
Su Muge stepped forward and opened the door. After looking around and making sure that no one was around, she left the room quickly.
When she returned to the main hall, it was still very lively.
“Mumu, why are you away for so long?” Zhao had come back to her seat. Seeing that Su Muge’s hair was a little messy, she reached out to fix her hair.
“Well, it’s too cold outside, and my feet are too frozen to move.”
“The Emperor, the Empress, and the Emperor’s mother are arriving…”
Hearing this, the people in the hall stepped forward to kneel and salute.
Su Muge raised her head slightly. The Emperor’s mother was wearing a dark golden phoenix robe, with the golden phoenix’s head on her collars and its tail swaying with the tail of her robe. She was about 60 but looked as young as the Emperor. With light eyebrows, she was still holding a string of green beads in her hand, seeming to be a spiritual person with inner peace who had seen through the vanities of the world.
She noticed that a delicately dressed woman was holding the Emperor’s mother, but she couldn’t see her face clearly.
The Empress was also wearing a phoenix robe, but her robe was bright red. The two fire phoenixes were opposite to each other as if they were soaring straight up into the sky. The colorful phoenix coronet on her head was too dazzling to look at.
The Empress had a full forehead and a slightly wide jaw. From her appearance, she was indeed not as charming as Concubine Qin, but she was more dignified than her.
Xia Hourui in a bright yellow dragon robe was held by the Empress to sit on the dragon throne.
“Get up.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
“Your Majesty.”
As soon as everybody sat down, a guard rushed in and knelt in the palace with a panicked look.
“What’s up?”
“It’s, it’s …” The guard hesitated in speaking with flickering eyes.
Xia Hourui asked impatiently. “What?!”
“Your Majesty, I found Second Prince not very well in the side hall.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s, it’s …”
“Father, let me go and see.” Xia Houzhen stood out in time.
The Empress looked at Xia Houzhen softly. “Your Majesty, let Zhen’er go and see.”
Concubine Qin sitting behind the Empress frowned and gave a glance to her maid, who knowingly left quietly.
“No, I’ll go in person to see what he has done!”
“Your Majesty, the road is slippery in snowy days…” Concubine Qin was afraid that Xia Houkun had done something outrageous and said hurriedly.
“I can’t walk on a slippery road?” Xia Hourui put on a stern face.
“No, I, I …”
“Let’s go.”
The Empress kept her countenance, stepped forward to hold Xia Hourui up, and walked out of the hall.
The people in the hall looked at each other without knowing what to do.
Both the Emperor and the Empress went out. Although the Emperor’s mother was still sitting inside, it was improper for them to stay inside.
When someone stood up, others followed up. But not everyone followed them out. At least Su Muge had no interest in watching live sex show.
Su Muge picked up the glass of wine on the table and sniffed it. At the banquet, all the wine for women was fruit wine, with a hint of fruity aroma. Su Muge couldn’t drink much wine, so she just took a sip.
As she raised her eyes, she felt someone looking at her. She looked up slightly and met a pair of beautiful eyes.
The woman didn’t seem to expect that Su Muge would look at her. After being in a daze for a moment, she nodded at her with a smile.
Su Muge raised her eyebrows slightly. From afar, she could find this woman a rare peerless beauty at a glance. Moreover, she was standing next to the Emperor’s mother and was very close to her. Su Muge couldn’t help wondering who could marry such an outstanding woman with beauty and background.
Su Muge withdrew her gaze and put down the wine glass, predicting the time when Xia Hourui would come back.
“Your Majesty, don’t be angry. Don’t hurt your body.”
When Su Muge counted one hundred in her heart, there were a series of messy footsteps outside the hall, followed by the consolation of the Empress.
A group of people walked into the hall with different looks. They must have watched an unspeakable big show.
Xia Hourui was so angry that his chest undulated up and down, and Concubine Qin followed him with lowered head and red eyes.
“I’m so, so mad!”
“Your Majesty, Kun’er must have been framed up. Otherwise, how could he do such a thing?! Your Majesty, please investigate it.” Concubine Qin collapsed at Xia Hourui’s feet while crying sadly.
Those who didn’t follow up had no idea what had happened.
“Father, I must have been framed up. Father, please believe me.” Xia Houkun had dressed up and knelt in the hall. People with sharp eyes could see the traces of romance on his neck.
“Okay, tell me, who has framed you up?!” Xia Hourui asked with his eyes widened; he couldn’t believe him at all.
“It’s, it’s …” Xia Houkun began to search Su Muge in the hall quickly and finally found her. He stared at. “It’s…”
“Do you think you can be so unscrupulous since I have granted you a marriage? What do you think of the imperial palace? Can you be allowed to act so arrogantly here?!”
Before Xia Houkun could finish his words, Xia Hourui interrupted him sharply and made everyone in the hall stunned on the spot!
Even Su Muge couldn’t understand his words for a while.
Su Muge was sure that she was not the one to be seen with Xia Houkun. She was also sure that that Xia Hourui had only granted her to marry Xia Houkun. At least she was the only one known to everyone to be granted to marry Xia Houkun!
What did he mean by his words?
While everyone was in a daze, Su Jingwen was also brought up.
Just now, Minister An and Madam An had also followed Xia Hourui to check the situation. Now, their looks were very bad, and Su Lun was also very sullen.
She was escorted by palace maids and knelt beside Xia Houkun. Compared to Xia Houkun’s panic and anger, she was rather content with her wish fulfilled, even if she didn’t show it.
“Father, father …” Xia Houkun was also stunned, but he didn’t dare to say anything. Wasn’t his fiancee Su Muge?! When did it become Su Jingwen?!
“Su Jingwen, how dare you to be so unscrupulous without any female virtues?! Today, I’ll demote you to be the concubine of Second Prince. Do you know your mistake?” Xia Hourui spoke again, confirming everyone’s guess.
Some people were still puzzled. What was going on? Was the second Miss Su instead of the eldest Miss Su that had been granted a marriage?
The concubine of Second Prince!
Although it was not as perfect as she had expected, it had been quite a good result for her. It was a marriage personally granted by the Emperor after all. “Thank, thank you, Your Majesty.
Xia Houkun stared at Xia Hourui in a daze. Xia Hourui narrowed his eyes, and Xia Houkun came back to his senses. “Yes, I know my mistake. Thank you, father.”
When Xia Hourui granted the marriage at first, he didn’t make it clear in the imperial edict which Miss Su was granted. Everyone subconsciously thought it was Su Muge. Now seeing the situation, Xia Hourui meant to grant Su Jingwen a marriage?
No matter whether it was Su Jingwen originally, it was her now anyway!
Su Muge felt it amusing somehow. She had been thinking about how to refuse the marriage with the death-free golden medallion. But now it seemed that someone had helped her accidentally.
Looking at Su Jingwen’s smirk on her face, she really wanted to congratulate her and send her blessings.
But … who had deliberately led her to that room?
“Your Majesty, the King of Jin is back, the King of Jin is back!”
“Hurry up! Let him in!”
“Let the King of Jin in …”
With Xia Houmo’s return, all the people turned their attention to him. Xia Houkun and Su Jingwen returned to their seats and sat down.
Su Muge suddenly looked forward to his return and stretched out her neck to see him.
Xia Houmo, in silver armor, strode in. The silver armor reflected a dazzling cold light as he walked in, revealing his incomparable power.
Xia Houmo stepped forward and knelt in the hall. “Father, grandmother, pay my respects to you.”
Xia Hourui was very delightful. “I’m very pleased that you have returned with this victory. But you mustn’t let up arresting Xia Housheng. He can make no more waves!”
Xia Houmo had confiscated Xia Housheng’s troops. Without the help of soldiers and horses, Xia Housheng seemed to have lost his limbs. Under their rigorous search, he couldn’t make any great waves in the Chu. Xia Hourui was very satisfied with this.
“You’ve made great achievements again, and I must reward you greatly this time.”
“It’s my duty, father.” Xia Houmo’s voice was low, without much emotion.
Hearing Xia Hourui’s words, the Emperor’s mother revealed a smile on her indifferent face. “His Majesty is right. Mo’er should be greatly rewarded indeed. On the way back to the capital, Mo’er has protected me day and night without rest.”
The Empress listened to the Emperor’s mother with her smile slightly stiffened on her face. Xia Houmo had protected her along the way. Xia Houzhen had no credit at all?
Xia Houzhen just looked like Xia Houmo gently as if he didn’t know the profound meaning.
“Well, your grandmother has told me after coming back that you have grown up and should get married now. I have neglected it before. So today, I’ll grant Su Muge, the eldest truth-born daughter of Su Lun, to you as your wife. Your wedding will be held in three months.”
“Uh, cough …” Su Muge had almost choked to death by her saliva!
Why the Emperor was so enthusiastic about granting her a marriage?!
The marriage suddenly granted by the Emperor made everyone stunned.
With unusual emotions in his dark eyes, Xia Houmo kept his countenance. “Father, thank you for granting me the marriage.”
“Mumu …” Zhao pulled Su Muge.
Su Muge could only stand up, walk to the middle of the hall, and kneel beside Xia Houmo under the gaze of everyone.
“Your Majesty, thank you … for granting me the marriage!” Well, they had suddenly become a couple from partners!
Su Muge couldn’t figure out her feelings at present. At the thought of Xia Houmo, she would have an inexplicable emotion in her heart, which was hard to explain.
“Hahahaha, well, well, get up! Now, let’s begin the banquet.”
Su Muge stood up and abruptly met Xia Houmo’s deep and dark eyes; suddenly, she felt her heartbeat accelerated.
