Chapter 47: Night Banquet

  As they spoke, they had already arrived at the Hanhai Palace in the capital of Hanhai Country. Hu Zhongren looked out through the window curtains of the carriage and saw that the palace was brightly lit, with lights shining like daylight at the entrance. He took a look at Liu Qingqing, who was still fast asleep. He lovingly patted Liu Qingqing's cheek and said softly, "We've arrived at Hanhai Palace, Qingqing, wake up."

  The willow trees stood still, and the meeting with Duke Zhou continued. The carriages stopped outside the palace gate, where a yellow-robed official loudly announced: "His Majesty requests that the courtesan and honored guest meet at the Anle Palace. Please dismount carefully."

  Hu Zhongren pinched Liu Qingqing's nose, making it hard for her to breathe. She suddenly woke up with a start. Seeing Hu Zhongren's eyes shining in the dark, and hearing people talking outside, she mumbled: "We're here? So soon?"

  "Get yourself tidied up, I'll go down first." Hu Zhongren got off the car first. Liu Qingqing rubbed her face and took a deep breath before getting off as well.

  The lights shone brightly, and Liu Qingqing was still wearing the clothes she had performed in. The silver tassels on her outfit sparkled like flowing water under the light, earning admiring glances from the people waiting to greet them. As both of them got out of the car, Huang Meng's manager extended his hand, making a welcoming gesture.

  The gloomy and hazy head of Liu Qingqing was blown by the night wind, and she became much more awake. She leaned on Hu Zhongren's side, and the two of them entered the Hanhai Imperial Palace under the crowd's escort, heading towards the Anle Palace. A maid came forward, slightly bowed to Hu Zhongren and Liu Qingqing, greeted them with a smile: "Honored guests please go to the Anle Palace first, Flower Charmer asks you to follow me to the side hall to change clothes."

  When Hu Zhongren and Liu Qingqing arrived at the Anle Palace, the King of Hanghai and his queen, as well as the high-ranking officials, were already seated at the banquet. The King and Queen of Hanghai had both slept soundly during the day and looked refreshed and spirited. Even Hu Zhongren was seeing the King of Hanghai for the first time. At his advanced age, he had a kind face and did not look like the warlike emperor people said he was, but rather like a smiling Maitreya Buddha in a Buddhist temple. The queen beside him was elegant and refined, with a gentle beauty that still lingered despite her middle age. Next to the king was a man in his thirties, who looked handsome and refined, dressed in attire fitting for the Prince of Hanghai, Duanmu Jing. Beside the queen sat a beautiful woman whom Hu Zhongren did not recognize - this was Princess Duanmu Lan of Hanghai, who had participated in the flower competition today.

  "Hu Zhongren stepped forward and bowed deeply: 'Your Majesties, the King and Queen, a humble greeting from Hu Zhongren, a guest from afar.'"

  The King of Hanhai extended his hand in greeting, "Guest from the Heavenly Dynasty, hello! Please sit down quickly! You must have had a hard journey! Let me introduce my family and ministers to you. This is my queen, this is my son Jingmu." It turned out that the one standing beside him was indeed Prince Jing.

  Hu Zhongren bowed to her, then sat down on one side. Liu Qingqing changed into the attire of the Princess of Hanhai, with a fish-shaped crown on her head and a veil of the same yellow hue attached behind it. Her whole body was clad in red, with a tight-fitting low-cut dress that accentuated her waist, and a fishtail-style skirt that trailed on the ground. Over her red clothes, she wore a golden-threaded cloak. Under the dim light of night, she shone with an air of mystery.

  Everyone was stunned. The mermaid-like girl swam in the middle of the ocean.

  Liu Qingqing walked steadily to the center of the hall, her right hand pressed against her chest, and slightly inclined forward, performing a greeting ceremony of the Hanhai Kingdom. The King of Hanhai hurriedly stood up with a smile and said: "Good daughter, please get up quickly and sit down beside the Queen."

  Liu Qingqing smiled slightly: "Thank you, Your Majesty." With a gentle swaying motion, she seemed to be dancing like a willow in the wind. The male guests stared at her with wide eyes, while Princess Lan frowned, hating Liu's coquettish and showy behavior.

  Looking at Liu Qingqing sitting beside her, chatting and laughing with the queen, Princess Lan felt both hatred and jealousy. She came up with a plan: "Tonight, we've already seen the elegance of the flower girl. I'd like to dance with the flower girl to make up for the regret that my father and mother didn't come to watch the performance at the Smoke Flower Building." Liu Qingqing's outfit was tight-fitting, wrapping around her legs, unlike the princess's skirt which had a loose hem.

  Liu Qingqing stopped chatting with Wang Hou, and with a flash of autumn waves, she swept the entire scene. Hu Zhongren stroked his nose with his hand, and his fingers shook slightly, hinting to Liu Qingqing not to respond, thinking don't make a fool of yourself.

  Liu Qingqing seemed to have ignored his hint, and accepted the challenge!

  Duanmu Lan had learned the ultimate skill in Tianchao, and was quite confident that she would win the title of Huakui. However, Liu Qingqing's skills surpassed all the others, and with a stroke of genius, she combined the performances of the four of them together, stealing the show and leaving Duanmu Lan embarrassed in front of her parents. Tonight at the night banquet, she must make a comeback. Therefore, she had put in extra effort and made preparations.

  Watching Duanmulan dancing on the stage with a fluttering and ethereal beauty, Liu Qingqing secretly admired her to the point of prostration, thinking: "Damn it! The ancient song and dance are really up to standard. If I hadn't encountered someone like me who is a master among masters, this princess would be the undisputed queen of flowers, number one! Unfortunately, you're out of luck, running into me. You can perform whatever you want, but if you want to surpass me, you'll have to perform after me. But I'm from modern times, and I know your dance, while you don't know ours. Ah, sister, you're really pitiful."

  Although I sighed with regret in my heart, I had already gotten off the stage myself.

  A perfect match.

  The King of Han and the nobles were stunned. They applauded, their hands numb; they cheered, their voices hoarse. Hu Zhongren's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally fell back into place. He thought to himself, "My Qingqing, you still have surprises for me after all."

  Liu Qingqing coordinated with Duan Mulan, performing together. As soon as Duan Mulan finished the move, Liu Qingqing immediately replicated it, and the same perfect movement was also performed smoothly.

  Duanmulan danced until she was exhausted. Liu Qingqing took the opportunity of being close to Duanmulan and whispered: "Princess, just let me have this one chance, I need this identity with you. If you are willing to lower your head, I will definitely thank you heavily."

  Duan Mulan's momentum had reached its peak, and now she was at a loss for what to do next. Her skills had already been showcased, and continuing to dance would only lead to embarrassment. The best option was to take advantage of the situation and make a quick exit. She gave Liu Qingqing a fierce stare before floating off the stage. Liu Qingqing returned the favor with an equally intense glare before exiting in the opposite direction. Then, she quickly walked over to Duan Mulan, took her hand, and they re-entered the stage together, bowing and thanking everyone for their applause, covering up Duan Mulan's mistake so that no one noticed: everyone thought it was just a cleverly designed move by the two of them.

  Princess Lan had no choice but to pretend to agree, and together with Liu Qingqing, they toasted the king. The King of Hanghai was extremely pleased, and hastily invited the two people to his side, offering them wine.

  In the large bowl, there was a fragrant amber liquid. Princess Lan covered her sleeve with her hand, blocking everyone's gaze, and drank it all in one gulp. Liu Qingqing wore a tight-fitting dress, she held up the large bowl with both hands, and drank it all down with a loud "gulp". After finishing, she turned the bowl upside down, indicating that it was empty, and her whole body radiated a refreshing energy, without any trace of elegance. Hu Zhongren had long been familiar with Liu Qingqing's true nature, and remained calm and composed, but everyone else didn't know how to react to the flower queen, and for a moment, no one spoke. However, Liu Qingqing seemed very at ease. She personally poured wine for the king and queen, "Your Majesties, please accept my blessings, I wish the kingdom of Hanhai prosperity and longevity, and I wish you both long life, happiness, and good health!"

  King of the Vast Ocean laughed, "Thank you, Huakui, for making such a contribution to our country!" The queen said, "Thank you, Huakui, for bringing us such a rich and wonderful audio-visual feast!"

  The two supreme beings with high status and heavy power did not show any signs of anger, and Hu Zhongren's heart finally calmed down. He drank a cup of wine in peace, only to see Liu Qingqing walking towards King Jing again.

  "This handsome guy, shall we have a drink? You're really handsome, I like you so much!" As soon as Liu Qingqing's voice fell, Hu Zhongren said loudly: "Qingqing, don't be rude! This is King Hanhai's Prince Jing, how can you do this?" In fact, he was a bit worried that Prince Jing had been staring at Liu Qingqing throughout the banquet, and he was afraid that Prince Jing would take a liking to her, so he spoke out to stop her. Prince Jing said gently: "It doesn't matter, I quite like the simplicity and naturalness of the flower girl, not artificial."

  Liu Qing's eyes sparkled as she raised her wine cup: "I also like Jing Wangzi." As soon as these words were spoken, ambiguity arose, because in the country of Hanhai, when a woman spoke to a man in this way, it was undoubtedly a proposal: "I am willing to spend a night with you." Because it had always been the women who chose the men, in Hanhai, men only needed to provide financial support, and that was enough. Women just needed to make their choice. Facing the noble Jing Wangzi, if he agreed, Liu Qing would have no way out.

  Hú Zhōngrén's nerves immediately sprang up, you foolish egg! You're going to die if Jing Wangzi agrees, I'd like to see how you'll handle it!

  The King of Jing looked at his father, the King of Hanhai, who was still smiling slightly, without any extra expression. However, the King of Jing saw a hint in his father's gentle smile and raised his cup to toast with Liu Qingqing and Hu Zhongren, finishing it in one gulp. He then said in a warm voice: "Thank you for your kindness, but a gentleman does not steal another man's love. I know that Hu Shao came all the way from afar to Hanhai for the sake of the flower queen, so I cannot accept her good intentions." Everyone applauded and praised the King of Jing's noble character.

  Liu Qingqing was confused, looking at Hu Zhongren's anxious expression, and upon hearing the King of Jing's words, realized that his own words had caused a misunderstanding. He didn't want to interact with the King of Jing, he just simply liked men and enjoyed eating tofu. He glanced around nervously, comforting Hu Shao. Hu Zhongren was normally not expressive, but today, because of Liu Qingqing's several slips of the tongue, revealed his inner thoughts, and we have to say that love can be quite harmful.

  Duanmu Lan also brought over a cup of wine, smiling sweetly: "I too like your elegant demeanor, guest. I wonder if you can spend **a night with me?" This was an ordinary invitation in the country of Hanhai, but Hu Zhongren felt quite embarrassed.