Soon it was time for other vassal states to pay tribute. Every year at this time, many small countries would come one after another. Although they were all vassal states, the emperor and empress would attend the reception together every year to show mutual respect.
However, when the time came to attend the event this year, the Queen fell ill at an inopportune time, and had to give the opportunity to host the event to the virtuous Concubine Shen Qingwan.
If it wasn't for a special situation, she would definitely not give this opportunity to Concubine Xian. Concubine Xian was in the limelight and was favored by the emperor. Many people in the palace wanted to see her make a fool of herself, and the queen was very afraid of her. But because of this, she couldn't attend. If she didn't give this opportunity to Concubine Xian, it would be unacceptable to the emperor. She had to grit her teeth and make it convenient for Shen Qingwan.
The first country to pay tribute to the court this year was the Daluo Kingdom, and the envoys sent were Prime Minister Li Yi and Princess Hua Moer.
After they rested in the palace for two days, envoys from other countries arrived one after another. Seeing that almost all the envoys were present, Emperor Fu Yuheng arranged a banquet in the palace to welcome them.
At night, glazed lights flickered in the Qingchen Palace, and the brick-red tiles were illuminated by the lights, exuding a festive vibe, as if they were also celebrating the night.
A figure in bright yellow sat at the top of Qingchen Palace. Fu Yuheng, who always looked dignified without being angry, showed a faint smile for the first time. This period of time, known as the Hundred Dynasties Tribute, was indeed a great joy in the palace.
On his left was an elegant and noble beauty, wearing a purple dress, which made her look extraordinary. Her usually cold face was now smiling, adding a touch of gentleness. This was the virtuous concubine Shen Qingwan.
After everyone sat down, they stood up again and saluted to the two people on the main seat, saying: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Long live the Emperor!"
Fu Yuheng leaned back slightly and smiled cheerfully, "Dear envoys, there is no need to be polite. Please take a seat."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Following this, everyone at the table sat down in their seats.
"Today I am welcoming all the envoys. You don't have to be restrained, just enjoy the drinks." Fu Yuheng's majestic eyes slowly scanned the crowd below, and then said, "The Queen has caught a cold recently and cannot attend. I and Concubine Xian will receive you. I hope you can forgive me."
The virtuous concubine was calm and collected, and he was very confident in having her take over as the queen.
Upon hearing this, Shen Qingwan cooperated and revealed a generous smile. Her composure and calmness in the face of praise or criticism is not something that an ordinary woman can learn.
This back and forth made the envoys realize clearly that this virtuous concubine was highly appreciated by the emperor and must be no simple person. They all had their own plans for this situation.
At the beginning of the banquet, the envoys were still a little reserved, but gradually they were influenced by the atmosphere and became more casual, and some even drank too much.
At this time, the envoy of Daluo suddenly signaled Princess Hua Moer with his eyes. The girl had a pretty face and extremely fair skin. She bit her lower lip lightly, her eyebrows slightly wrinkled, as if she was hesitating about something.
But the envoy kept instigating her, so she chose to pick up a glass of wine and stood up.
Almost no one noticed her petite figure, but she had no chance to retreat. She could only blush and timidly say to the person on the throne while trying to raise her voice: "Your Majesty, I offer a toast."
The people who were still flattering each other below then noticed the woman in the corner, and all eyes were focused on her.
Shen Qingwan's gaze fell gently on her, revealing a faint smile.
Fu Yuheng glanced at her, then raised his glass and drank it all: "I'll drink it."
Hua Moer finally felt relieved. Just as she was about to sit down, she heard a light voice from the opposite side, which seemed to be a little drunk and teasing: "Is this the princess of Daluo Kingdom? She is so beautiful!"
The man opposite looked to be about thirty years old. He was obviously drunk and his words were very frivolous.
When Hua Moer heard herself being mentioned, she lowered her head even more. She was cowardly by nature and was not good at dealing with such occasions.
"It is said that the women of Daluo are good at dancing. I wonder if I can see the princess dancing today?"
Hua Moer was stunned for a moment, then looked up at her in disbelief, thinking that this person was very rude.
The man was still muttering, but Hua Moer remained silent. She didn't want to cause trouble, and even more so, she didn't want to cause unfriendly relations between the two countries.
Li Yi, who was standing by, saw that she really couldn't answer, and hurried out to explain, "How can the songs and dances of the Daluo Kingdom be compared with those of the Great Kingdom?"
The strength of Daluo Kingdom is relatively weak, and it has often been humiliated by other small countries. Unexpectedly, today, the princess would be bullied.
There was a pause on the scene. The man felt that he had lost face and begged Emperor Fu Yuheng to make the decision for him.
When Fu Yuheng was pondering how to solve this matter, the voice of the woman beside him emerged.
"Singing and dancing are divided by region, so there is no distinction between good and bad. It's just that different people who appreciate it have different opinions." Her voice was calm but carried the majesty of a superior. The smile on her face was still there, but it made people feel oppressed.
Shen Qingwan's voice instantly attracted everyone's attention, even Hua Moer, who had just lowered her head, couldn't help but look up at her.
Feeling that gaze, Shen Qingwan glanced at her and gave her a soothing smile, which made people feel at ease.
He added: "Besides, the princess of Daluo is also a girl in the boudoir, how can she dance openly in the palace?"
Shen Qingwan's words stunned the man, and he was speechless for a moment.
Seeing that the atmosphere in the hall was somewhat tense, she softened her tone, "Is it that our country's dance is not enough to satisfy the envoy?"
Although she said it as a joke, it sounded like a question.
If they continued arguing, the man would be in the wrong. He was not a fool, so he had to apologize dejectedly and continued to drink another glass of wine.
After this farce was over, everyone looked at Shen Qingwan with admiration, especially Li Yi and Hua Moer from Daluo Kingdom.
After the show, Li Yi went to find Shen Qingwan and thanked her respectfully, "Thank you, Concubine Xian, for helping the princess out."
She smiled gently, looked at Hua Moer with soft eyes, and said: "The Da Luo Kingdom and our dynasty have been friendly for generations. How can we let the princess be wronged and treated poorly in our dynasty? I have to ask the princess to forgive us."
Hua Moer repeatedly stopped, saying that she was not worthy of it. Shen Qingwan talked to the timid and weak princess in a gentle voice for a while, and then asked the palace maid to take them down to rest.
Fu Yuheng was also very satisfied with her performance today and couldn't help but praise her.
"Your Majesty, thank you for your compliment. I spoke without your permission and hope you can forgive me." Shen Qingwan did not take credit for the praise. She always remembered her status and never became arrogant because of her favor.
Fu Yuheng raised the corner of his mouth slightly when he listened. He just liked Shen Qingwan's calm personality. After all, she was a girl from a famous family, and ordinary people could not compare to her.
He was so happy that he gave half of the tribute to Shen Qingwan, and this action made many beauties in the harem envious.
Upon hearing the news, Xiao Shushen became extremely angry. She had wanted to embarrass Concubine Xian in public, but she didn't expect that she would take this opportunity to steal the limelight in front of the Emperor. Or she should have thought too little and didn't expect that Concubine Xian was also a powerful figure who should not be underestimated.