Chapter 914
Chapter 914 Coming to Collect the Debt
Lin Mengya and Qinghu were well prepared, so they would not be tricked like before.
“You’ve found his fatal weakness. The Emperor is capable but too greedy. Although Prince Yu is his son, the former is a man of a broader outlook. So, it is OK to let the Emperor step down from the throne and hand the country over to Prince Yu.”
Qinghu had learned to restrain himself after meeting Lin Mengya, so he was no longer as unscrupulous as before.
But he looked down on those greedy people from the bottom of his heart and was not interested in power at all like her.
Therefore, Lin Mengya was not surprised to hear him say such unscrupulous words.
She showed a smile because great minds thought alike.
Because of their special identities, the palace banquet to welcome them was very grand.
Before it started, Long Tianyu felt a little restless while sitting in his seat.
He stared anxiously in the direction of the door with his black eyes as if he wanted to make a hole in the darkening sky with his gaze.
Long Qinghan leaned back lazily in his chair, thinking Long Tianyu looked funny now.
“Don’t worry, your wife will not escape. Now that she’s Princess Rongan, your wish will be fulfilled again, right?
Although he had grown up together with Long Tianyu, it was the first time he had seen him behave like this.
He thought it was interesting, so he couldn’t help teasing him.
But he was surprised by Lin Mengya’s ability inwardly.
Finally, when Long Tianyu was anxiously waiting, a purple figure slowly walked over from not far away.
It was getting dark now, so the palace maids were leading the way for her with palace lanterns in their hands.
The group of people looked exceptionally beautiful in the light of the lanterns. After the palace maids entered the hall gracefully, the young duke of the Nation of Lintian and Princess Rongan appeared in front of all people.
Long Tianyu had been restless, but now, he calmed down.
She was right in front of him. The look in her eyes was gentle, and her figure was soft and graceful.
They kept looking at each other. Even though they were in front of so many people, they did not have any scruples at all.
It was within Long Tianyu’s expectations. After all, his wife had never cared about those rigid rules.
Under the guidance of the servants, Lin Mengya and Qinghu took their seats.
Of course, Qinghu sat in the male guest seats where many other men were accompanying him.
But there were only some wives of the princes, imperial concubines, and princesses around Lin Mengya.
At a glance, she knew the Emperor wanted all the other women to serve as a foil to her.
So, all the women were clustered around her.
She guessed the young talents on the opposite side would try their best to attract her attention today.
It was normal for them to have such an idea, but unfortunately, she had long decided whom to marry.
She exchanged glances with Long Tianyu when the other people did not pay attention.
She wanted to soothe him and tell him not to be anxious. After all, she wouldn’t run away.
Then, she lowered her head and looked at the wine glass in front of her, pretending to be a well-behaved lady from a noble family.
It was also because the peacocks on the opposite side had gone too far.
No matter how well-dressed the other princes were, Prince Yu was always the most outstanding.
She really had keen eyes.
“The Emperor and the Empress have arrived…”
As the voice of the eunuch rang in the hall, everyone’s attention was attracted by the two people coming in from outside.
They were both wearing bright yellow clothes. In the main hall, even the Crown Prince could not wear bright yellow clothes.
And this couple was the real rulers of Dajin.
Everyone kneeled to them except for Qinghu and Lin Mengya. Because they were foreign guests, they just needed to bow to salute.
The Emperor seemed to be in a good mood, so he let the others get up as soon as sitting on his throne.
“Please sit down, everyone. Even though we’re welcoming honored guests today, the people present are family, so there’s no need to restrict your proper activities.”
While everyone else in the hall was thanking him for his kindness, Lin Mengya did not show much respect in her seat.
When she raised her head, she inadvertently met the Emperor’s eyes.
There was no shock in his eyes. Obviously, he had already known her real identity.
That was not surprising. He had managed to hide in the predicament and quickly controlled the entire Dajin after escaping. So, he must be more scheming and smarter than ordinary people.
However, he shouldn’t have suppressed the Lin family without gratitude.
It might be normal for an emperor to do such a thing.
But Lin Mengya was just a woman, so she could not forgive him broad-mindedly.
“Duke Fuyuan and Princess Rongan, you’re both my honored guests. Have you gotten used to living in my palace?”
The Emperor had not expected the pampered princess to be Long Tianyu’s former wife.
He knew Lin Mengya was a princess of the Nation of Lintian. But she used to be a married princess, so he had thought her clout was limited.
So, he hadn’t expected two brothers of the Zuo family to pamper her so much.
They had even ceded twelve counties as her dowry.
Now, Lin Mengya’s identity was extraordinary.
Since they had sent her here to get married to his son, she must be an official princess of the royal family.
Fortunately, he was experienced, so he didn’t feel embarrassed when facing her.
“Thank you for your hospitality, Your Majesty. Although it’s not as comfortable as home, we’ve adapted to the new environment.”
Qinghu said after getting up. His words were arrogant, but his move showed the elegance of a noble.
What he had said sounded a little harsh, but he had a smile on his face as if he was joking.
So, both the Emperor and the other people could do nothing about it.
The Emperor smiled faintly, acting as if a magnanimous elder.
“That’s good. I hope you feel at home here. Don’t hesitate to tell me if there’s anything you’re not used to.”
The Emperor acted like a gentleman, so Qinghu could not make things difficult for him after hearing his words.
Both of them would stay in Dajin. Lin Mengya would get married here, and Qinghu would replace Zuo Qiuyu as the hostage.
Correspondingly, the Emperor of Dajin would also send a hostage with enough weight to the Nation of Lintian soon.
These princes were trying their best to impress Qinghu and Lin Mengya not only because they wanted to marry the princess but also because they wanted to make friends with Marquis Fuyuan.
Even though he had lost his power when becoming a hostage, it was said that the Emperor of the Nation of Lintian trusted him very much.
If any of the princes was chosen as the hostage, his life in the Nation of Lintian would be much better as long as Marquis Fuyuan put in a good word for him.
It sounded virtuous to be a hostage for the country, but in fact, a hostage was just a worthless chip.
Therefore, Lin Mengya and Qinghu were absolutely in the limelight at the banquet today.
And Long Tianyu was staring at her fascinatedly all the time.
Even though she was thick-skinned, she couldn’t help blushing when being stared at by such a passionate gaze.
What the hell? Why didn’t he try to avoid suspicion at all?
Fine! Since they had done all the things they should do, it would be too late to avoid suspicion now.
But before Lin Mengya could react, she felt someone staring at her with an extremely vicious and cold look.
So, she raised her head and looked at the Empress.
Although the Empress was not an idiot, she was much less smart than her husband.
So, she was just a little confused now and uncomfortable when seeing Long Tianyu and Lin Mengya flirting.
Hmph! She wouldn’t let anyone else get the princess if her son couldn’t marry her.
Unfortunately, Lin Mengya had come to the palace to collect the debt.
The Empress and the Emperor both owed the Lin family a lot, so both of them must pay the price this time.
Seeing Lin Mengya look at her straightforwardly, the Empress felt more disgusted with her.
When a hint of coldness suddenly flashed across her vicious eyes, no one knew what she was thinking about.
Seeing this, Lin Mengya showed a look of mockery as if she were fighting back.
She wanted to make the Empress angrier, so she stretched out her little hand and gently lifted her veil.
After the veil was removed, her charming face was finally exposed.
As expected, she heard a lot of gasps in shock. So, she showed a smile on her red lips, looking cold but charming.
“Lin… Lin Mengya!”
The Crown Prince, who had been unwilling to give up his sinister designs, was obviously more shocked than anyone else, so he shouted out.
As soon as he finished speaking, all the people at the banquet fell silent.
Almost all of them were staring at her in horror as if they had seen a ghost.
Only the Emperor on the throne and Long Tianyu had complicated looks in their eyes, harboring different thoughts.
But Lin Mengya did not look surprised at all.
She picked up the wine glass from the table and said softly as if she were telling a joke,
“Lin Mengya? Are you talking about my cousin who died young? No wonder my parents often say that I look like her. Unfortunately, I will never have a chance to meet her now. It seems that we’re really alike.”
In the quiet hall, her words sounded exceptionally clear.
Seeing her calmly teasing the people with evil intentions after the Crown Prince had exposed her identity, Long Tianyu raised his eyebrows and smiled proudly.
Look! This was his woman.
When she was lying, she still sounded confident and righteous.
“You’re lying! You’re Lin Mengya!”
The Crown Prince had a bad conscience, but his informant had seen Lin Mengya being buried.
Moreover, his men had gone to check on her corpse in the name of condolence at the funeral.
How could she… How could there be two people so alike in the world?
The Crown Prince was suddenly at a loss for what to do next.
“Your Highness, I don’t understand what you mean. I’m Princess Rongan of the Nation of Lintian. Although I look like my cousin, it is impolite of Your Highness to mistake me for a dead person, right?”
When she glanced at him, the look in her eyes was cold but charming.
Long Tianyu suddenly felt jealous for no reason and wished he could veil her face immediately.