Seeing this, Rong Jiangyu picked up the wine cup on the table and said to the dozens of people present, "Today, on the one hand, I'm glad you could all come to this banquet to have a little get - together. On the other hand, it's because of the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty who has come from afar."
Hearing this, Rong Xun looked up and saw that Rong Jiangyu was now smiling and quietly looking at him.
At the same time, a person came from afar. This person was dressed in white, walking like a lotus - blossoming woman. Her face was rosy and she looked extremely beautiful.
However, when everyone took a closer look, they realized that this was Wen Ruxue, whom they hadn't seen for a long time.
And beside her was Artum, who had often clashed with Tang Youyou before.
Seeing the two of them coming together, Rong Jiangyu remained expressionless. If they had come before, he might have had something to say, but for them to come today was undoubtedly to cause trouble.
Everyone knew that Rong Jiangyu was an emperor who had suddenly ascended to the throne, while Artum was the god of war from the previous dynasty. The reason he hadn't been touched was that he held military power.
One wrong move, and this man might even force the emperor to abdicate.
Rong Jiangyu's face was stiff, but he still gritted his teeth and forced out a smile. "What wind has blown General Artum here?"
His perfunctory flattery didn't sit well with Artum. Then he looked at the empty seat that should have been Rong Xun's and casually sat down.
In an instant, the air seemed to freeze. The civil officials whispered to each other, while Rong Jiangyu fixed his eyes on Wen Ruxue, who had a good appearance.
Rong Jiangyu asked, "I wonder who the young lady beside General Artum is..."
Artum just glanced at the person beside him, motioning for her to sit beside him. As Wen Ruxue walked over, she said generously, "I'm a concubine of the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. I came here today with the emperor's permission. I hadn't seen my godfather for a long time, so we talked for too long and I forgot the time. That's why I came with my godfather."
In her words, she mentioned her godfather twice in every three sentences. It was obvious that having a godfather gave her confidence.
Tang Youyou leisurely picked up the wine pot and filled her cup again. The mellow wine slipped between her lips and tongue, and the sweet taste spread, making her head feel drowsy.
But she wasn't drunk yet, though she wasn't far from it.
Seeing this, Rong Xun sneered, "If you can't hold your liquor, stop touching the cup. Otherwise, someone might take advantage of you and you'll end up wronged."
Rarely did Rong Xun say something that made Tang Youyou feel comfortable. In a moment of excitement, Tang Youyou wanted to drink to her heart's content.
That was just her way. The more someone didn't want her to do something, the more she wanted to do it.
At the same time, her mind was filled with Wen Ruxue's words just now. Wen Ruxue had said that she came here because Rong Xun had brought her.
For a moment, she felt a tightness in her chest. Facing Rong Xun, whom she had once had a good impression of, she suddenly found him annoying.
Tang Youyou yanked away the big hand that Rong Xun had secretly reached out under the table and looked away on her own.
Wen Ruxue beside Artum saw their affection for each other clearly. She knew very well that this so - called Young Master Tang was actually Tang Youyou in men's clothing.
But at this moment, Tang Youyou didn't know that Wen Ruxue had already regarded her as a thorn in the flesh. Wen Ruxue looked at all the women present, and each of them cast an admiring look at Tang Youyou.
Seeing this, she picked up the wine cup on the table and toasted Rong Jiangyu on the upper seat. Her words were full of respect, but a hint of calculation flashed in her eyes that didn't show real smiles.
She smiled and said, "Now that the Khan Emperor has just ascended the throne, it's a time for the dragon to rule the world. Among the people here, I just saw a very handsome young master. I wonder who he is?"
Hearing this, Rong Xun fixed his eyes on Wen Ruxue, but Wen Ruxue directly avoided his gaze and stood there seriously, waiting for Rong Jiangyu to speak.
Seeing Wen Ruxue's insistent question and not wanting to offend this general in front of everyone, Rong Jiangyu forced a smile and said, "This is a distinguished guest I just found today. I plan to make her the Inspector - General of the Western Regions today."
He paused for a moment, as if feeling that his words were not comprehensive enough. Then he spoke again to explain, "So, I invited Inspector Tang here today to bring good luck for the marriage alliance with the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty who has come from afar and also to bring good luck for the Western Regions."
Tang Youyou looked at Rong Jiangyu, who was scheming, with a half - smile. She knew exactly what kind of person he was. He was just making full use of her. More importantly, he just wanted her to stay in the Western Regions obediently.
These official positions were just to deceive her.
Thinking of this, Tang Youyou had to stand up. She stood up straight, looking straight at Rong Jiangyu without looking sideways, and said respectfully.
"Thank you for your kindness, Khan of the Western Regions. Although you have just ascended the throne and your foundation is not stable, and you are in urgent need of talents, there's no need for you to promote me out of the blue like this. It doesn't make sense either emotionally or rationally."
Tang Youyou didn't want to get involved with this man too much. Moreover, these people were eager to find her mistakes and pull her down from the high position. So she would never give them such a chance. She chose not to climb to the high position!
She was actually a woman. If this was discovered, it would be a crime of deceiving the emperor! Even if she had six heads, it wouldn't be enough to be beheaded.
Tang Youyou's refusal embarrassed Rong Jiangyu, but Rong Jiangyu seemed to have expected that Tang Youyou would stage such a scene. His embarrassment only lasted for a moment.
But his words were aggressive.
"Inspector Tang, do you want to disobey the imperial order on this happy day, or do you have something to hide? If you can't give me an explanation today, I'm afraid I can't keep you."
Looking at Rong Jiangyu, who was making a mountain out of a molehill, Tang Youyou answered seriously, "Your Majesty, I'm just a commoner from a poor family. I don't have the ability to handle affairs in the court. So, Your Majesty, please don't give me this official position. I really can't take it."
On the other side, hearing this, Wen Ruxue also stood up. Without waiting for Rong Jiangyu to speak, she looked at Tang Youyou and smiled.
"May I ask, Young Master Tang, how long have you been in the Western Regions?"
Tang Youyou tilted her head and looked at Wen Ruxue in front of her. Just like before, she had no good impression of her.
She replied, "Less than a month."