Chapter 606: She Has Arrived

She has arrived.

She has finally arrived.

When she returned as the first princess of the Longyan Dynasty to hold the title of "Long," everyone in Longyan, everyone in Jinghua, had long been looking forward to her arrival.

Storytellers had already painted her as a fairy descended to earth, using all sorts of anecdotes to portray Longyang Princess as a rising star of the imperial Xie Family.

Naturally, Liu Zheng had a hand in fueling this.

Naturally, there was the "praise-to-kill" from the Crown Prince, Xie Fang!

But her military achievements in the Western Regions Construction Corps were also real and truly formidable.

In the Longyan Dynasty, a princess's carriage is still a Phoenix Carriage. "Clearing the Purple Forbidden City to return in a Phoenix Carriage"—this is the treatment a princess ought to have; even in the inner palace, a princess's status is higher than that of some concubines. As long as one is a titled princess, in theoretical status, one can be mentioned in the same breath as an empress. Of course, actual power is another matter.

Under the gaze of the countless people at the scene.

Amidst the environment where that unique musical movement began to play, a Phoenix Carriage slowly approached from afar.

The formation for receiving a wandering princess back to the palace was not small.

After all, this is the Emperor's own blood. In a feudal dynasty where universal values favor men over women, the Longyan Dynasty did not treat its royal women as tools for political marriage like other dynasties. Because in the history of the Longyan Dynasty, there had once been a Female Emperor. No one would look down on women or discriminate against women.

"Respectfully welcome Longyang Princess back to the palace!"

"Her Highness the Princess, may you live for a thousand years, a thousand years, a thousand thousand years!"

"A thousand years, a thousand years, a thousand thousand years!"

The entire crowd knelt down with a boom, the momentum immense.

The Phoenix Carriage moved slowly amidst the music.

Finally.

It slowly arrived at the foot of the steps of Baohe Hall. Served by several palace maids and eunuchs, Xie Chan, dressed in purple phoenix coronet and ceremonial robes, radiating nobility, appeared before the world for the first time.

After being meticulously adorned, Xie Chan, at first glance, left everyone present dumbfounded.

Beautiful!

Too beautiful!

Xie Chan herself was already stunningly beautiful. Her appearance was of a very grand, noble type, and her body proportions were perfect. Her eyebrows were like distant mountains, her eyes like autumn waters, and her features were so exquisite that one could not help but marvel at the Creator's magic. A dimple on her face, visible even without smiling, was refreshing to the heart, making people watch, entranced.

At this moment, she held her hands together—this was the etiquette of the Longyan Dynasty—which immediately highlighted the noble temperament that seemed to be born within her.

"My God!"

"Is she this beautiful?"

"Wasn't it said she had three heads and six arms?"

"This, this, this..."

The entire crowd almost gasped out loud.

Beautiful.

Truly beautiful.

Even a man like Liu Zheng, who was used to seeing Xie Chan, felt his heart flutter involuntarily.

Not to mention Tie Mucheng and Mizuno Masashige.

In Tie Mucheng's eyes, a sharp light flashed.

Mizuno Masashige, even more so, could not suppress the trembling of his entire body.

He wanted this woman!

He must take this woman back to their Wa nation!

Only the men of the Wa nation were worthy of such a perfect woman!

It was not just the men.

The women at the scene were also stunned by Xie Chan's appearance at this moment. This included the group of concubines in the inner palace, as well as the princes and princesses, including Li Xuanya from Joseon, who was also watching Xie Chan without blinking an eye at this time.

Is this the princess of the Longyan Dynasty?

Her entire body was adorned with treasures. As she walked from afar, one could smell the rich yet not pungent fragrance on her. Every step she took seemed to be nobility, seemed to be charm.

Under that melodious music, she followed the steps, slowly arriving at the foot of the stairs.

It is her appearance...

It is her appearance!

Xie Tianyao, standing at the highest level, could not help but become excited as he looked at Xie Chan's appearance.

Zhai Qing'er!

That woman who once haunted his dreams.

That woman who was abducted by Xie Xuan, making him so angry he vomited black blood.

At this moment, in Xie Chan, he saw nothing but the shadow of Zhai Qing'er's peerless beauty.

Every time the princess ascended a step, the ritual official would chant once.

The entire crowd would follow by kneeling and shouting in unison once.

When she reached specific steps, different feudal superstitious activities were performed...

Finally.

Under the anticipation of the masses, Xie Chan finally arrived before Xie Tianyao.

"Good, good, good!"

"Good, good, good!"

Xie Tianyao looked at his daughter from a close distance, as happy as if he had gained a daughter in his old age, and could not help but laugh out loud. Excited, he almost wanted to reach out and hug her, but fortunately, the Grand Eunuch nearby reacted very quickly and pulled him back.

Under the reminder of the ritual official, Xie Tianyao calmed down and nodded.

Nearby, palace maids and eunuchs brought over a golden basin.

Washing one's hands at home signifies returning to one's roots.

After Xie Chan appeared, she had actually been observing this emperor of the Longyan Dynasty the entire time.

Her state of mind was, in fact, the most complex one present.

She was originally a carefree princess of the Dayuan Kingdom. She had a father and mother who doted on her. Then, following Liu Zheng's conquest of the Western Regions, everything changed. It turned out that her father was not her father, and she was not her father's daughter...

Was her father this domineering Longyan Emperor before her eyes?

Talking about bloodlines connecting, extraordinary tacit understanding, or telepathy—that was a bit fake. But when she looked at this old emperor, there really were no particularly hateful emotions growing within her. Perhaps it was because the way he looked at her was too excited, too doting, too... loving?

Was she...

His daughter?

Was she the daughter of him and her mother?

Is this fate?

Blood relations cannot be deceived; from the day she entered Jinghua, people from various departments came to find her and performed many tests... blood-dripping paternity tests, and so on; it had been confirmed from multiple aspects that she was the genuine daughter of Xie Tianyao, the Longyang Princess of Longyan.

Thinking this, she still finished washing her hands and knelt down.

She performed the three kowtows and nine prostrations.

"Good, good, good!"

Xie Tianyao finally could not hold back; he stepped forward and helped her up. Although this did not conform to the rules, people could understand it.

"Quick, call him!"

A palace maid nearby reminded Xie Chan.

Xie Chan's red lips trembled; she hesitated for a moment, but under Xie Tianyao's expectant gaze, she softly called out, "Father..."

This call.

The music throughout the venue started up again.

"Longyang Princess, hear the decree!"

Grand Eunuch Zhou stretched his throat and roared.

The entire venue knelt down once more.

"By the grace of the Emperor, the decree says: Happening upon My Christmas Ceremony, the return of Longyang Princess to the inner palace is the fortune of Longyan..."

"Bestowed with the title of 'Longyan', fiefdom of Cheshi, and granted the income of..."

The entire venue was in an uproar.

The entire venue was shocked.

This was not just a titled princess, but a princess with a fiefdom?

What was the old emperor trying to do this time?

A princess with a fiefdom!

In the history of the Longyan Dynasty, this had only happened once.

Yes.

That was the one and only Female Emperor!