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Fan Xian, Zong Zhui, and Gao Da emerged from the crowd, presumably to enter the palace together.
Upon entering the outer city, Li Chang'an realized just how vast the Northern Qi imperial palace truly was.
Just then, a magnificent sedan chair stopped in front of Li Chang'an.
Shen Zhong cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness Prince Yong enjoys the same treatment as Mr. Zhuang Mohan in Daqi. Please get into the sedan chair."
Li Chang'an asked, "Lord Shen, His Majesty's request to see me is a private matter, but his request to see Fan Xian is a public matter. Shall we both go to the palace together?"
Shen Zhong said solemnly, "Your Highness is right, but it is an honor for Great Qi for Prince Yong to come to Great Qi."
"His Majesty has made special arrangements to ensure that Prince Yong is treated better than your country's delegation."
Li Chang'an didn't take Dou Dou's little scheme seriously at all.
If Emperor Qing wanted to punish Li Chang'an, he had plenty of reasons. If he didn't want to punish him, these were no big deal at all.
To make Emperor Qing indifferent to these things, all you need to do is do something that will make him care more, such as killing Shang Shanhu and Shen Zhong.
If Li Chang'an could successfully break through to the Grandmaster level, he would have the power to overturn the table and wouldn't care whether Emperor Qing was happy or not.
Li Chang'an politely asked Fan Xian, "Nephew Xian, would you like to come along?"
Fan Xian waved his hand decisively. Although he knew about his background, how could an illegitimate prince compare to a prince?
Li Chang'an got into the sedan chair steadily, while Shen Zhong, Fan Xian, Wang Qinian and others followed behind on foot.
Fan Xian hadn't expected the Northern Qi palace to be so large; it took him a full quarter of an hour to reach the main hall.
There are still hundreds of steps to climb before you reach the main hall.
Fan Xian exclaimed, "This palace is just too big!"
Shen Zhong said solemnly, "The rightful ruler of the world is in Northern Qi. Your Qing Kingdom's palace was even built based on ours!"
At this moment, Li Chang'an also stepped down from the sedan chair.
"With the emperor and his ministers becoming increasingly estranged and powerful ministers running rampant, your so-called orthodoxy will one day be overtaken by the Great Qing."
Fan Xian, as the chief envoy of the delegation, couldn't help but secretly give a thumbs up. He really dares to speak his mind!
Right in front of the main hall of the imperial palace, right under the emperor's nose, they actually said that the Northern Qi would be overtaken by the latecomers!
Wang Qinian quickly said, "Lord Shen, you seem to have forgotten the story of the Marquis of the Buttocks."
If you keep talking about orthodoxy, His Highness might leave you a poem!
Shen Zhong was a man who loved fame and power. He altered his official robes again and again, always complaining that they didn't fit him properly.
If you were like Wei Bi, being called "Marquis Butt-Eye" for over a decade, that would be unbearable.
With Li Chang'an's talent and reputation, any poem or lyric he wrote would surely be sung throughout the world.
"Your Highness, please have mercy! Our Emperor must be getting impatient. Please come to the palace immediately!"
In the main hall of the palace, Zhan Doudou sat high on the dragon throne. Behind the throne was a black curtain, behind which was Empress Dowager Wei, who ruled from behind the curtain.
"Prince Qingguo Yongqin has arrived!"
"Envoy Fan Xian from the Qing Kingdom has arrived!"
Li Chang'an had to admit that the main hall of the Northern Qi palace was indeed more magnificent and spacious than that of the Southern Qing palace.
The Northern Wei was a great empire that lasted for more than a thousand years. It was only after Ye Qingmei appeared that the Southern Qing rose to prominence.
The reason why the Southern Qing was able to break up the Northern Wei was largely due to Ye Qingmei's internal treasury economy and the intelligence of the Surveillance Bureau.
"Your humble servant Fan Xian greets His Majesty the Emperor of Northern Qi and presents the official letter personally drafted by His Majesty!"
After Fan Xian finished speaking, he knelt down respectfully and then held up the box containing the official letter with both hands.
Li Chang'an and Shen Zhong stood ramrod straight.
At this moment, Marquis Changning, Wei Bi, stepped forward and asked, "Your Highness, Prince Yong of Nanqing, why do you not kneel before His Majesty?"
Li Chang'an was looking at Zhan Doudou, who was elegant and noble, with a touch of heroism in her brows.
Her skin was fair and translucent, and her bright eyes, which she pretended to be serious, were also staring at Li Chang'an.
Name: Zhan Doudou
Age: 18 years old
Realm: Lower Eighth Rank
Talents: Political maneuvering (eighth rank), poetry and prose (seventh rank)
Abilities: Strategy (Seventh Rank), Politics (Sixth Rank), Politics and Prose (Fifth Rank)
Emotion: 80
Such a high emotional value, even higher than that of the crabapple tree with which we had physical intimacy.
It seems that Zhan Doudou is an artistic young woman, and in the original novel, she was also a big fan of Dream of the Red Chamber.
Li Chang'an said frankly, "When I was enfeoffed as a prince at the age of five, I was exempted from kneeling before the emperor. In fact, I owe this to Marquis Changning."
Upon hearing this distressing news, Wei Bi couldn't help but retort, "You are exempt from kneeling before the Emperor of Southern Qing, but this is Great Qi!"
Li Chang'an said, "Wei Bi, it is not I who requested an audience with Your Majesty, but Your Majesty who invited me here."
"His Majesty, as the host, hasn't even spoken yet, so why are you in such a hurry?"
"I wonder if it's the Zhan family who's in charge here, or you, the Wei family?!"
This statement is incredibly bold. The young emperor, whose surname is Zhan, and the empress dowager, whose surname is Wei, are at odds in the court. Li Chang'an's words are clearly a double entendre.
Li Chang'an's words immediately silenced Wei Bi, who glared at him and obediently returned to his post.
Zhan Doudou glanced at the official document and then put it back in its place.
"Your Highness Prince Yong, you certainly have a sharp tongue."
"A man of your talent, who is exempt from honor in Nanqing, will certainly receive more than just exemption from kneeling in my great Qi."
"Someone, prepare a seat for His Highness Prince Yong!"
As soon as these words came out, the whole hall was shocked!
Li Chang'an had already noticed that no one was sitting in the Northern Qi court.
Unlike the Southern Qing court, Lin Ruofu, Qin Ye, and Chen Pingping attended court sitting down.
The ministers of Qi looked at each other in disbelief, utterly shocked!
The young emperor of Northern Qi actually bestowed a seat upon a prince from an enemy state during the court!
"Your Majesty!"
"Your Majesty, this is extremely impolite!"
"Your Majesty, we must not let Nanqing look down on us!"
After the chaos and commotion subsided, Zhan Doudou suddenly said in a deep voice, "Could it be that what His Highness Prince Yong said is true?"
"Can't an emperor surnamed Zhan make decisions in this court?!"
Zhan Doudou's voice was clear and melodious, and she glanced at the curtain behind her, seemingly unintentionally.
Two soft coughs came from behind the curtain, but no one spoke.
Li Chang'an didn't stand on ceremony and plopped down on the chair that the eunuch had brought over.
Empress Dowager Wei and the young emperor, you acted so well! I admire you both!
As soon as Li Chang'an settled down, Zhan Doudou indeed asked about Dream of the Red Chamber.
"Your Highness Prince Yong, when will the sequel to Dream of the Red Chamber be written, which has been on hiatus for five years?"
This absurd question once again shocked the court officials!
The young emperor is being too ridiculous! The envoy from Nanqing is still kneeling, why are you asking about the Dream of the Red Chamber?
The civil and military officials whispered among themselves, deeply believing that Zhan Doudou's words and actions were inappropriate.
Li Chang'an saw that Shen Zhong just touched his nose and didn't say anything.
"Your Majesty, do you also read Dream of the Red Chamber?"
Zhan Doudou said excitedly, "Of course I watched it!"
I buy every single issue of *Stone Age* magazine!
"It's just that you suddenly stop writing when you get to the crucial part!"
This is keeping me up at night, why not update it quickly!
Just as Li Chang'an was about to speak, he noticed that Fan Xian had unconsciously shifted his position.
"Your Majesty, our envoy is still kneeling. Why don't you let him get up first?"
Upon hearing this, Fan Xian stared at Li Chang'an with eyes full of gratitude.
However, Zhan Doudou said, "If Your Highness continues to update Dream of the Red Chamber, I will let Fan Xian rise to power."
Li Chang'an said with some difficulty, "This matter is indeed a bit difficult."
The chapters after the first eighty in *Dream of the Red Chamber* are all superfluous additions; the true content may have been censored by a certain dynasty.