Seeing this situation, Ke Biping knew they were a step too late. Ke Biyou stood up, tugged at his father's hem, and was the first to kneel and offer congratulations. His younger brothers behind him looked at their kneeling elder brother, then at their standing father, and finally knelt down as well.
Ke Biping knew that if he continued to resist, it would be considered contempt of heavenly authority, so he also bowed.
The Emperor nodded happily, very satisfied with the support he saw. He did not show any displeasure towards the Ke Biping family, who were the last to pay their respects.
The struggles and conflicts in the hearts of others were unimportant to him; as long as the outcome was what he desired, that was enough.
"Good! Since all you ministers agree, this matter is settled. I declare that three days from now, a conferment ceremony will be held in the palace. The entire nation will celebrate together." The Emperor waved his hand grandly, decisively sealing the matter.
"Su Muqing, with her young brother Su Muxuan, thank His Majesty. May His Majesty live for ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand years." Su Muqing also brought the little bun over, and the two kowtowed to the Emperor seated at the top.
"Good children, rise quickly! From now on, you must address me as Father Emperor. Today, you will return to the palace with me to have your enfeoffment robes custom-made. The remaining matters will be handled entirely by the Regent."
"Your humble subject obeys your decree." Su Muqing thanked him and rose with Su Muxuan in her arms.
As she stood up, the voices of the officials offering their greetings arose. "Your humble subjects congratulate Princess Ning An with boundless blessings, and Prince Yongrong with boundless blessings."
Su Muqing offered a faint smile, slightly bowing in return. "Thank you, esteemed officials."
"All you ministers, rise as well!" After the Emperor finished speaking, he prepared to depart for the palace with Su Muqing and the others. The princes and officials also rose one after another and followed behind the Emperor.
As the group passed by the lawn, they saw the black bear and Feila lying there basking in the sun, looking bored.
The two creatures, upon seeing Su Muqing approach, immediately scrambled to their feet and rushed towards her. The eagle also swooped down from a large tree nearby, flying towards them.
"Quick, someone protect His Majesty..." Wang Defu, seeing the colossal creatures in front and above, was so terrified that his soul almost left his body. His voice cracked as he called for help!
The princes and officials also hid behind, but their cursed curiosity compelled them to secretly peek out. When had such fierce beasts entered the martial arts field? To put the Emperor in danger, Prince Ke Bite, who was in charge of this event, was likely in for trouble.
The guards drew their weapons and leaped forward to shield the Emperor and the others... Just as they were about to clash with the blades, the black bear and Feila quickly braked, and the eagle let out a "chirp," changing its flight direction and ascending back into the sky.
Seeing the palace guards rushing towards them with swords and sabers, Su Muqing, still holding Su Muxuan, didn't even have time to put him down before she swiftly leaped onto the black bear.
Holding the child with one hand, she waved her other sleeve, unleashing a gust of wind. This sent the guards' swords and sabers floating in mid-air, stopping their advance.
Seeing them halt, Su Muqing quickly explained, "Wait! Father... Father Emperor, please wait. These are the pets daughter has raised! The black bear and the eagle, and this is the divine dog Feila! They are all very gentle and would never harm anyone casually."
"No..." At the same moment, Ke Binah, standing behind, also jumped out of the line. He had intended to run to the black bear, but just as Su Muqing waved her sleeve, she accidentally blew him up as well, leaving him floating in mid-air.
Compared to Ke Binah, Su Muqing's seemingly effortless display made everyone present marvel even more. It turned out that this woman not only possessed a rare ultimate weapon but also possessed extraordinary martial arts skills.
Looking at her agility, even the young master of the Regent's mansion was no match for her. Considering the child in her arms and her young age, her internal energy was already so extraordinary. Had she been practicing martial arts since she was in the womb?
"Retire! These are the Princess's pets; do not startle them." The Emperor looked at the bear, as strong as a small mountain, with great interest.
Seeing the guards retreat, Su Muqing retracted her gust of wind and slid down from the black bear's body. Ke Binah landed, brushed the dust off his clothes, and quickly ran to Feila and the others.
The Emperor's eyes lit up as he looked at Su Muqing, appearing extremely excited. "So the Empress Dowager was telling me earlier that you had raised some very special pets. She was referring to these three?" Seeing that she could sit on the black bear, the Emperor's eagerness was almost bursting forth.
Su Muqing perceived the longing in the Emperor's eyes and tentatively asked, "Does Father Emperor wish to try?"
As soon as Su Muqing's words fell, some older officials, with more rigid thinking, stepped forward to criticize her. "What are your intentions, woman? His Majesty is of golden essence; how important is his dragon body! How can these beasts be allowed to approach him so casually? What if something goes wrong?"
"Alright! I really do want to try." The Emperor ignored the adults' words and directly followed Su Muqing to the black bear.
"Your Majesty~" Wang Defu's legs felt weak with fear, but seeing the Emperor approach, he could only tremble and nervously step forward to serve.
"Your Majesty... think thrice!" Some officials, whose legs trembled as they walked, also knelt down one after another in fear.
As if he couldn't hear the adults' words, the Emperor strode towards the black bear. "How should I communicate with it? Or should I climb up myself?"
"No need, daughter will help you up!" As Su Muqing spoke, she embraced the Emperor with one arm and lifted him off the ground.
She safely placed the Emperor on one of the black bear's shoulders. Ke Biyou's eyes widened as he saw the bear's paw, as large as a fan, wave towards him, pushing him further in to prevent him from falling. Once the bear had adjusted the Emperor's position, Su Muqing, holding the little bun, sat on the other side.
Lu Yuzhi, seeing that the two were settled, took out his bone flute and began to play. The eagle flew low from the front, grabbed his clothes, and tossed him into the air, then turned and caught him steadily, circling above the black bear.
The Emperor, who had just mounted the black bear, was instantly captivated by the eagle in the sky. This one seemed even more majestic... but riding the black bear was also quite majestic! He would ask Muqing later if the eagle could take him for a few flights!
Ke Binah and Wan Yan'er, seeing them all settled and ready to depart, became anxious and jumped and waved vigorously below. "Brother Lu, Muqing, take me with you!"
"Me too, me too!" Wan Yan'er also jumped excitedly.
Lu Yuzhi glanced at them and then patted the eagle's back. "Take them along too!"
The eagle circled twice in the sky, then swooped down, grabbing Ke Binah's arms with its claws. It even changed its grip mid-air, holding him by his waist.
This perilous action made everyone below's hearts skip a beat. If this young master were to fall, the Regent's mansion would be holding a banquet...
Once Ke Binah had a firm grip, the eagle turned back and directly clasped Wan Yan'er's slender waist with its claw, then flew into the sky. Now that everyone had found their places, the procession began.
The eagle flew in the sky, the black bear chased on the ground, and Feila ran alongside the black bear.
"What are you all standing around for? Hurry and chase..." Wang Defu, seeing the three "pets" run off, and even taking the Emperor with them, screamed shrilly, urging the guards behind him to pursue.
What followed was a spectacle for the citizens gathered outside the martial arts field, an unprecedented and most unusual scene in the imperial palace.
First, a large bird flew overhead. This bird was truly enormous! Its wingspan, when spread, was nearly as wide as the road. It flew quite low, so at least the citizens standing on the ground could see that in addition to holding one person in each claw, another person was sitting on its back.
After the great bird passed, the citizens immediately saw their Emperor, wearing a bright yellow dragon robe, sitting on a massive beast. Not only that, but a strange animal, as large as a horse and resembling a wolf but not quite, ran beside the beast.
Not long after the beast ran off, a group of guards on horseback, with solemn expressions, came chasing after it. Soon after, a long procession of carriages also rushed forward as if their lives depended on it.
Wang Defu, being the chief eunuch accompanying the Emperor, traveled by carriage. How could he possibly ride a horse like this?
He originally rode a horse himself, but after only a few steps, he fell off. Fortunately, the guard commander quickly rescued him, and then he was carried like a chick and placed horizontally on the guard commander's horse. Wang Defu, with his mouth full of dust, felt utterly miserable!
...
Another person feeling miserable was Ke Binah, dangling in mid-air. He couldn't understand why the eagle refused to let him ride on its back. Every time it carried him, it held him like this with its claws.
The black bear looked clumsy, but it was quite fast when running, even blowing the Emperor's coronet askew. Su Muqing's sharp ears caught the sound of horses' hooves from behind. She checked the space's detector and found dense black dots following them, likely the guards and officials.
She patted the black bear's arm. "Taishan, wait for them ahead for a while! Otherwise, they'll get anxious."
The black bear heard Su Muqing's words, slowly reduced its speed, and then began to walk with large strides. However, Feila, who had been running with all its might, didn't manage to brake in time.
Seeing the black bear in front slow down suddenly, it couldn't react in time, twisting its head and sticking out its tongue to look at the people and the bear behind. With a "duang~" sound, Feila veered off the main road and crashed into a pile of grass by the roadside.
Su Muqing couldn't help but press her forehead! Truly worthy of being the "big fool" among the three husky idiots! This was what was called a high-quality, high-quality big fool!
Despite her thoughts, Su Muqing quickly dismounted from the black bear's shoulder. She handed the little bun to the black bear to hold and ran over to check on Feila. She had seen its neck was twisted, and she hoped it hadn't broken its neck.
When she reached it, she saw Feila sprawled on the ground like a dead dog, its tongue sticking out incredibly long. It was covered in dry branches and wild grass, looking like an exhausted stray dog. Su Muqing was relieved to see it was fine. It seemed it wasn't hopelessly foolish.
The guards behind them galloped closer, and upon seeing the streak of imperial yellow, they finally breathed a sigh of relief. The guard commander wasn't paying attention, and Wang Defu fell off the horse again, landing flat on his face.
"Eunuch Wang, are you alright?" The guard commander dismounted and helped Wang Defu up.
Wang Defu, who had been helped up, was still disoriented. "Why have we stopped? I'm fine, hurry and continue chasing!"
"Eunuch, no need to chase, His Majesty is right there."
"Where? Oh my goodness! Your Majesty~ Why didn't you wait for this humble servant!" Wang Defu looked up in the direction the guard commander was pointing, suddenly affected a squeaky voice, and then stumbled towards the Emperor.
However, as he neared the black bear, his speed significantly decreased, and his legs trembled even more. He wondered if this beast was carnivorous or herbivorous. Would it slap him if he rushed over so carelessly?
As he mustered the courage to approach and was about to urge the Emperor to dismount, the black bear suddenly bent down, bringing its face very close to the Emperor's. The bear's breath, puffing onto his face, made Wang Defu unable to open his eyes.
"Little Fu Zi, you come up and try too! It's especially fun." The Emperor, with his arm around the black bear's neck, called out to Wang Defu with great excitement, clearly not wanting to dismount.
"This, this servant... no, no, dare not... Ah~" Before Wang Defu could finish speaking, the black bear scooped him up with its large paw and placed him on the other shoulder.
"Alright, alright... stop making noise. Taishan won't harm you. See, I'm not afraid at all. If you keep crying like this, it might just throw you down." The Emperor, hearing the screaming beside him, couldn't help but comfort Wang Defu.
Upon hearing the Emperor's words, Wang Defu forcibly stopped screaming. He buried his head in his chest, partly because he dared not open his eyes to look down, and partly because as a mere servant, how could he sit at the same height as the Emperor? This could cost him his head!
This time, the guards walked ahead to clear the path. The black bear had two people on its shoulders and a child in its arms. Su Muqing flew onto Feila's back, and the group then proceeded towards the imperial palace.
As they were about to enter the city, they slowed their pace considerably to avoid causing unnecessary panic. By the time the procession entered the West City Gate, a crowd of onlookers had already gathered nearby. The Emperor was in high spirits today, sitting on the black bear and constantly waving to the people.
For many, this was the only time they would see the Emperor in their lives. They spontaneously knelt on the ground, continuously shouting, "Long live His Majesty, long live, long live!" Their excitement was beyond words, only expressible through kowtowing.
Fortunately, the main gate of the imperial palace was wide enough, and the black bear swaggered in through the main gate under everyone's gaze. It should be noted that only a very few people could enter through the main gate; most had to enter and exit through the side gates.
For example, Su Muqing, under normal circumstances, could not enter or exit through the main gate. However, due to the special circumstances of the day, riding Feila, she directly entered the main gate following the black bear. The soldiers on either side did not dare to stop them.
Lu Yuzhi was even more direct; sitting on the eagle's back, he flew directly over the imperial palace. The soldiers guarding the city walls, seeing the young master clutched in the eagle's claws, were already dumbfounded, so no one stopped him.
The Emperor allocated a spacious courtyard in the inner palace to Su Muqing as her residence, even allowing her to name it herself. This was an unprecedented favor within the imperial palace.
Upon hearing this, other concubines felt intensely envious. If their wombs had been more accommodating and they had given birth to a child for the Emperor, perhaps this honor would have been theirs today. However, fortunately, the Emperor was adopting her as a daughter; if he had other intentions, perhaps...
What surprised these concubines, however, was the Empress's attitude. She was unexpectedly broad-minded; seeing the Emperor adopt a daughter did not seem to displease her in the slightest. It was likely that the palace would become more lively from now on.
Su Muqing and Wan Yan'er arrived at their new courtyard. Although the Emperor had sent people to clean it, upon entering, it was evident that no one had lived there for a long time. Palace maids and eunuchs were still tidying the finer details and corners.
For the black bear, the palace gate was too low. Even with its head lowered, it could not squeeze through. Seeing Su Muqing and the others enter the courtyard, the black bear grew anxious and suddenly leaped, landing heavily on the open space within the courtyard.
"Crackling..." A series of cracking sounds echoed. The bluestone tiles beneath the black bear's feet had already shattered into dust. The surrounding bluestone tiles met the same fate, with the entire area covered in fine cracks.
The palace maids and eunuchs cleaning in the courtyard, who were in the process of bowing to Su Muqing and the others, suddenly felt a violent tremor. Then they...
"Ah..."
"Ah..."
"Ah... there's a monster!"
Following this, a long series of screams echoed throughout the courtyard. After much commotion, Su Muqing's earnest appeasement finally calmed the palace maids and eunuchs somewhat.
Upon hearing Su Muqing tell them to withdraw, everyone scattered like the wind to attend to other matters. It seemed her appeasement had not been very effective.
"Let's go! This place needs to be repaired. Next time, don't be so rushed. I'll tell you how to enter after I've scouted the path. Otherwise, if you keep jumping in like this every day, how much of the ground will you ruin?" Su Muqing patted the black bear and negotiated with it as they walked.
On the first day of their stay, the large entrance to this courtyard was already marred by a huge pit. If she didn't remind it again, the black bear would likely turn the entire imperial palace into a beehive within a few days! The black bear also felt it had been too reckless; it hung its head low as Su Muqing spoke to it.
The eagle carried Lu Yuzhi to the front hall. He was currently in the Imperial Study with Ke Binah, waiting for the Regent to return to discuss matters of weapon instruction.
Starting tonight, he could not stay in the palace. After the discussion was concluded, they would return to the Regent's mansion to rest.
Before the few of them could even get comfortably seated, the Emperor directly ordered all the ingredients to be moved to Su Muqing's courtyard. This was because earlier in the day, Ke Bite had casually mentioned that they had eaten a new flavor of food at his residence yesterday, a taste that was truly unforgettable.
The Emperor felt a pang of longing upon hearing this. He hadn't even tasted a bite of the food his daughter had personally made, yet Ke Bite had already enjoyed it. Therefore, before the group began their discussions, the Emperor had ingredients delivered directly to Su Muqing, his intention clear: he also wanted to taste yesterday's delicacy!
Seeing the pile of ingredients before her, Su Muqing couldn't help but chuckle. But with her father making the request, what could she do? Fortunately, Ha Ke had also come to the palace; otherwise, it would be inconvenient for her to retrieve items from her space while in the palace.
Su Muqing sent Ha Ke back to the Regent's mansion to bring two grills and barbecue tools to the palace. She and Wan Yan'er, along with the palace maids, began to wash the ingredients.
By the time the Emperor and the others had finished their discussions, it was already half-past six in the evening. When they arrived, Su Muqing and the others had already prepared many skewers.
Seeing that the order for the evening had arrived, Su Muqing handed over the skewer preparation to others. She then went to the prepared grill, ready to start grilling skewers.
Ke Binah, upon seeing the grill, couldn't resist the urge to try. Before he could step forward, his father grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and pulled him to sit at the table and wait.
It was a joke! With Ke Binah's toxic cooking skills, the Regent truly feared that once he presented his grilled food, it would be mistaken for an assassin and be chopped down.
A while later, the Empress and the Empress Dowager also arrived. Su Muqing first served the two ladies a portion of chilled dessert. The moment they tasted it, they were instantly captivated by its flavor. Cold, sweet, smooth, fragrant, and springy, it offered an indescribable sense of comfort as it slid down their throats.
Although no dessert was prepared for the men, Su Muqing secretly took out two bottles of a very famous 52-degree baijiu from her previous life. She poured the liquor into a clean wine jar. The saying "good wine needs no bush" proved true. As soon as the wine was poured, the people sitting in the courtyard smelled its long, mellow fragrance.
"Where is this wine aroma coming from? This scent makes me feel a little tipsy." The Emperor twitched his nose, searching for the source of the wine's fragrance.
"This humble brother also smells it. It seems to be coming from Muqing's side." The Regent also twitched his nose in the same way.
"Your noses are too amazing! Here, this is a small jar of wine prepared for you. This wine is very potent, so don't drink too much too quickly." Su Muqing smiled and placed the wine jar on the table, adding a reminder.
As soon as they opened the wine jar, they eagerly took a small sip. The taste... was exceptionally mellow. A sting of spiciness entered the mouth, and after passing through the throat, there was a pleasant aftertaste. It was truly fragrant and irresistible!
When Su Muqing brought out the grilled skewers, the Emperor, Empress, and Empress Dowager were unsure how to eat them. Ke Bite directly reached out, took a skewer, blew on it casually, and began to devour it.
Seeing that he had finished several skewers in no time, although his actions were somewhat unrefined while eating this novel food, his expression indicated that the taste must be excellent.
The Emperor, seeing this, took a skewer for the Empress and the Empress Dowager, and then took one for himself. The three of them, following Ke Bite's example, blew on the skewers lightly and then put the ingredients into their mouths.
The novel flavors exploded in their mouths, as if dancers were performing on their tongues. They were not only savory and crispy but also slightly spicy and numbing.
The three of them looked as if they had discovered a new continent, their eyes widening involuntarily. Then, they began to bury their heads in the skewers.