Chapter 626: Chapter 216 Wildflower Dazzling Eyes_2

Lu Tong also knelt and bowed, and when he raised his eyes, he saw Emperor Liang Ming ensconced high in the hall from a distance.

This was the first time Lu Tong had clearly seen the legendary Emperor’s holy countenance.

Emperor Liang Ming appeared very young.

Just over forty, he was dressed in a bright yellow robe embroidered with colorful clouds and golden dragon patterns, his head crowned with a golden diadem from which strands of pearls hung, partially obscuring his imperial demeanor yet not diminishing his majestic aura in the least. His complexion was somewhat pale, lending the whole figure a tinge of melancholy.

Emperor Liang Ming raised his hand for everyone to dispense with the formalities and took his seat on the high platform. To his left and right were, respectively, the Empress Dowager, the Empress, and following behind were the Third Prince, the Second Prince, the Fourth Imperial Prince, and several princesses.

Lu Tong’s thoughts stirred slightly.

The Crown Prince, Yuan Zhen, was not among them.

She looked again towards Emperor Liang Ming’s background.

The royal family members were seated atop the small buildings above the Water Palace, where they had an excellent view over the entirety of Chang Le Pond and was also the best spot to watch the water theatrics.

Behind Emperor Liang Ming stood a young man.

Pei Yunmeng was adorned in a dark green brocade official uniform with a subtle pattern of Xuan eagles, wearing an official’s hat, with a figure as sharp as the beautiful silver-bladed knife at his waist, brimming with youthful vigor and sharp elegance. At a glance, he was indeed a standout.

In just an instant, Lu Tong understood that Pei Yunmeng was the Commander of the Palace Front Office, who naturally should be by Emperor Liang Ming’s side at any banquet ceremony, protecting the Emperor’s safety.

As she was thinking this over, her arm was lightly poked.

Lu Tong turned around and Lin Danqing gestured with her mouth towards the distant long seats, "Look."

Following her gaze, Lu Tong saw that not far from the high building, inside the lengthy hall, a young lady was sitting upright. Though her face was veiled, her grace and elegance were not diminished, immediately noticeable as someone of extraordinary birth.

Lu Tong paused slightly.

Qi Huaying was also in attendance.

At the long banquet table in the Water Palace, Qi Huaying sat poised beside Qi Yutai, her dress embellished with large, resplendent peonies which made her appear as the brightest and most eye-catching beauty at the table, attracting surreptitious glances from male guests in the distance.

Qi Huaying frowned slightly, feeling uncomfortable.

Even with her face covered by a veil and despite being secluded from strangers by the relationship with Qi Qing, with only Qi Yutai accompanying her, she still felt uneasy and unwilling to share the space with these varied and mixed individuals. Those admiring looks didn’t flatter her; they were but an irksome nuisance.

The lady lifted her eyes, but the people above the high building had not glanced in this direction from the beginning until the end.

A trace of disappointment flickered in Qi Huaying’s eyes.

She had seen Pei Yunmeng.

This Marshal Pei, accompanying the Emperor at his side, should have had an easy line of sight to notice her from his angle.

She had specially dressed up for the occasion today, choosing a gown that was both splendid and modestly elegant. When she took her seated position, she meticulously calculated every inch so when she sat down, her most beautiful profile would be clearly visible from above.

Perhaps now, it was not out of affection, but rather a hint of unwillingness—to always be the one who disdained others, where did the notion of not being deemed worthy by someone else first come from.

Unfortunately, despite all the male guests being astonished by her figure, when she lifted her sleeve to take a drink, she sneaked a peek upstairs with the cover of her long sleeves and felt deeply disappointed.

Pei Yunmeng stood uninterestedly, having not looked over at all.

He simply hadn’t noticed her.

Her pride felt doused with cold water, and her composed exterior was forced by an extra fraction. Meanwhile, Qi Yutai at her side, unaware of her current despondency, was conversing with others, seemingly in good spirits today.

Elsewhere, Lin Danqing was whispering in Lu Tong’s ear.

"You need to be careful."

"That Miss Qi usually doesn’t attend the ceremonial gatherings. Today, however, she is here all dolled up. I noticed earlier that she’s stealthily looked up at the building six or seven times. She couldn’t be eyeing the Emperor, right? That would be most intriguing," Lin Danqing straightened and sighed, "Love truly torments."

While the two of them were murmuring together, they didn’t see the young man on the high platform glance quickly in their direction and then swiftly look away.

Soon, the commotion started amongst the throngs on the red boats over Chang Le Pond. A Medical Officer at the side spoke excitedly, "Look, the water theatrics are about to begin!"

Lu Tong pulled herself back from her thoughts and looked out toward the distance.

Chang Le Pond was boundless. At the forefront lay a large boat where the Music Officer from The Ministry of Music first stepped forward to speak. Following that, the drummers at the shelter over the water began beating their drums, and amidst the intense drumming, dozens of small red boats scattered, aligning neatly along the banks of Chang Le Pond.

On each of these red boats, ten to twenty red-clad soldiers stood with large red banners attached to the boats’ prows, and beside them were several Tiger Head Boats with people dressed in green tunics and wearing long green scarves, all rowing in unison.

There were also two Flying Fish Boats painted meticulously with gold lacquer, with a group of performers in costume aboard waving drums and other musical instruments.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read