EBE Chapter 284 Captive
Chapter 284 Captive
Although Zhou Chang also knew that Feng Suo's source of information must have come mostly from Concubine Qin Sun, he did not expect to hear such details.
"Study companion? And a brother?" Zhou Chang didn't feel anything, but Prince Yi was not so calm.
In Prince Yi Fengming's memory, he was a person who had no study companion.
The king opposite, under the influence of alcohol, became more and more high-profile, his eyebrows dancing with joy: "Change the wine, although this wine is sweet, it is not satisfying to drink. As for the dancers, dance and play the music more happily."
Sitting on the throne, Emperor Lin smiled indulgently, not feeling at all that Prince Xian was being rude, nor showing any sign of displeasure.
When I think about the fact that Prince Xian actually came with Emperor Lin just now, there is even less to say.
King Xian brought up some strong liquor and raised a cup to Emperor Lin: "Father, I have returned victoriously this time, but I have not yet presented you with a gift. I will give you a surprise at this New Year's Eve banquet today."
"Oh? What surprise?" Emperor Lin drank a few glasses of wine and felt a little tipsy.
King Xian clapped his hands and signaled for the things to be brought up.
Then, palace maids led dozens of women in "simple" clothes up.
Dozens of women entered in two lines, with handcuffs on their hands and shackles on their feet connected together front and back.
They all had their hair tied up in a single bun with a red wooden hairpin inserted into it, and their bodies were only wrapped in white veils, which could not cover much of the body and they had to use their hands to cover it up.
They entered the hall one by one and knelt silently. They all lowered their heads, bent their waists, and shrank their bodies. In the cold winter, even in the warm Mingde Hall, they were still shivering. I don't know if it was because of the thin clothes or because they were scared in such a situation.
"Father, there are a total of one hundred beauties presented by the Mirage Country. I have selected thirty of the better ones among them and present them to you, Father." King Xian raised his head and glanced at the white-clad woman kneeling on the ground, his pride evident in his words.
Emperor Lin was also dazzled. He opened his eyes wide and didn't know what to say for a moment.
In the Mingde Hall, except for behind the tent, there were only men, all of them were only interested in their bodies and were stunned by the sight.
When Zhou Chang saw this scene, he felt disgusted and anger suddenly rose in his heart.
A war is a war, win or lose, so why use women as trophies?
They neither participated in the war nor could they enjoy the fruits of victory, but if they failed they would become victims of the consequences.
This was exactly the effect King Xian wanted. He laughed out loud with his eyebrows and mouth. He drank the wine in his hand in one gulp and filled another cup to Emperor Lin: "Your Majesty has already rewarded me before, but I, your son, would like to thank you for your grace on behalf of all the soldiers."
"Okay, okay." Emperor Lin finally responded, raised his glass and took a sip.
King Xian drank the whole cup and continued, "It is said that the women of the Qimei tribe are the most beautiful, and the women of the Shen Kingdom are the most gentle, and they are all good at singing and dancing. The forty women selected by this son are all trained and good at singing and dancing. Let them help your father get drunk."
As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of bells and drums began to ring again.
The leader grabbed the shackles on the ground.
The women had obviously rehearsed beforehand, and they stood up one after another and began to dance, following the shackles on their feet.
Although they were not restricted on their hands, they were still shackled. When the music started, they dared not cover their bodies. They could only move with the drums and the sound of the shackles hitting the ground, swinging to the rhythm.
Zhou Chang found this scene both strange and terrifying. Looking around, he saw many people craning their necks, their eyes wide open, ready to move in their seats.
After the song ended, everyone in Mingde Hall was stunned for a long time.
After a while, Concubine Yi Gu, who was standing behind the pearl curtain beside the throne, spoke first: "They are so lewd and naked, and their clothes are really the sound of decadence and the sound of the country's demise. These women are too unlucky."
Gu Yan, Duke of Xu, also followed up immediately: "Indeed, I heard that although the women of Shen Nation appear docile on the surface, they are all trained to be spies since childhood. We must be on guard."
Prince Duan was the last to react: "Whether they are from the Qimei tribe or the Mirage Kingdom, these women are nothing more than prisoners of war and slaves, not even human beings. They don't even understand the etiquette and rules of our great country, let alone what shame is. How can we talk about auspiciousness or inauspiciousness?"
The Emperor seemed to have come to his senses and said, "Empress Yi said so, but it is also a token of Prince Xian's goodwill. Why not give it to the meritorious soldiers this time as a reward for their bravery in charging into battle over the past three years?"
What he pursued throughout his life was always money and treasures at the top, followed by beauty. But now that he was old, beauty was no longer within his reach, so he only cared about money and treasures, so he might as well follow Concubine Yi's wishes.
Prince Xian tilted his head, sounding disappointed, but since Emperor Lin had spoken, he didn't care and held the wine glass to express his gratitude: "On behalf of the soldiers, I would like to thank you for your kindness."
Prince Duan also regained some spirits. He followed the women of the Mirage Kingdom as they filed out, and he did not forget to taunt them: "The Mirage Kingdom must be so poor that they dared to provoke our Lin Kingdom. Now that my father is mighty, let's teach them a lesson. I think after this time, they will not dare to invade easily again."
As soon as he finished speaking, his followers naturally echoed him.
On and off the stage, everyone was either fawning or lustful. No one thought that the current situation was the result of the bloody battles fought by the soldiers at the front.
A group of poor women became slaves, and their miserable future fate can be imagined.
Zhou Chang could do nothing but drink another cup to "drink to drown his sorrows", but he could not help blurting out: "Haha, 'Poor bones by the Wuding River, still the man in the spring girl's dream.' It is also 'Since the battlefield, no one has ever returned. The soldiers look at the border town, thinking of returning home, their faces are full of sorrow.'"
She inadvertently recited some poems from her previous life, and the air froze.
Emperor Lin's face darkened, and everyone else looked at her.
"Ninth brother, don't spoil the fun." Prince Rong reminded quietly.
Feng Shuo was also beside him and pulled Zhou Chang's sleeve: "Brother Jiu, drink less."
After Zhou Chang drank a glass of wine, he suddenly felt a burning sensation in his stomach.
This pot of wine seemed to be stronger than the previous ones, so he poured himself another glass and drank it all in one gulp.
She had already said it, and under the influence of alcohol, she had to look at the emperor's face and said, "What a pity, what a pity. Although the war was won, the national treasury was also depleted. I am worried about my father. I don't know if this deal is worthwhile."
Emperor Lin's face looked even worse.
On the other hand, King Xian shook his big head and said disapprovingly: "What's the big deal? You are just petty. Every war costs money. So what if the treasury is all gone? We can just collect more money."