Chapter 219

The jewelry expert asked for permission before approaching the consort. The high-ranking lady placed the bracelet back in its original box before handing it to the court lady.

Once the expert received the bracelet, he began to examine it carefully. His somewhat astonished demeanor and sparkling eyes caused many to feel surprised. After a brief inspection, he set the box down, not daring to pick it up again for a second time.

"This bracelet is made from jade that is neither rare nor common. However, its value does not stem from the jade itself, but from the craftsmanship of the creator."

"After examining it, I found no traces of seams on the jade bracelet. This means that it is an extremely delicate piece of work. The creator of this masterpiece must have spent decades perfecting these details. Thus, the wearer will feel the smoothness of the jade, which won’t cause any cuts and won’t break easily, even after a hundred years of continuous use."

"And let’s not even mention the decorations on the jade. It seems that this piece has no carvings, which typically showcase the skill of the creator. However, this does not mean that the creator lacks skill."

"Look here, Your Highness. The details of the plum blossoms are exquisite and none of them are different. This means the creator must have prepared over a hundred pieces of these decorations to select the perfect four. Additionally, the diamonds on this piece are crafted with great skill; their facets and angles are all perfectly done. It’s not something that can be made easily"

The expert explained everything in one breath, describing the challenges of creating this piece. Just hearing these details, without further examination, made everyone understand that this item must be extremely valuable. It took decades for the creator to make it, how could it be cheap?

"As expected, it’s a piece of jewelry from the Du Region," was the final comment from the jewelry expert.

This statement expressed the highest level of admiration. Everyone already knew that jewelry from the Du Region was far superior to that from the Bai Region. This was because the Du Region had a more favorable living environment, allowing them more time to create many items.

In the Bai Region, there are very few who choose to become artisans because most people are preoccupied with their daily survival. Each meal is hard to come by. Although everyone calls the Red Earth City the true hell, the other cities are not much different.

Due to their rather arid environment, alternating between hills and valleys, their living conditions are far from ideal. Perhaps only the people in the capital and nearby areas do not have to worry much and might see some artisans among them.

Given the circumstances, it’s clear that it’s much more difficult for them. While the Du Region can produce over 100 artisans in a single day, the Bai Region might produce only one. This disparity significantly lowers the quality of Bai Region’s craftsmanship.

The consort of the Second Prince, the host of the birthday celebration, examined the details of the jewelry once again. Although she didn’t favor the two people from the Du Region, the piece had become incredibly precious. She then smiled happily.

“I really like this gift. Go and bring me two rolls of silk I’ve kept. Furen Mu has not been in the Bai Region for long; she probably doesn’t have many clothes.” With this gesture of favor, and to show respect to the Wang, she instructed her attendants to bring out the valuable silk she had stored in the palace.

The Wang nodded in satisfaction at her actions. He also contributed by giving something as a reward. It was a small sword that he used. He usually kept it with him. But when he gave it to Governor Mu, it was equivalent to showing his trust in the other party.

In the Bai Region, there are two beliefs regarding weapons: throwing a weapon signifies a challenge, while gifting a weapon signifies trust in the other party.

At the royal level, they do not give away weapons easily, as the recipient could potentially use them against the giver. But if they trusted someone deeply... the meaning would change; they were entrusting the person to protect them.

Seeing the Governor of the Red Earth City receiving such trust, everyone at the event took note of his increased significance. Moreover, they no longer underestimated him after realizing that Mu Heng and Yueqian were indeed on the same level as themselves.

Given the status of the Qin family head as a high-ranking noble, his daughter’s presence here also marks her as part of the elite. However, since they both came as foreigners, they were not assigned significant roles in the Region. Nonetheless, it was evident to everyone that it wouldn’t be long before the Governor of Red Earth City gained substantial power.

Hadn’t he just discovered a method to cultivate Ming Fa flowers? Moreover, he also managed to solve the epidemic problem in the Bai Region. Soon, he might help the Hu Region as well. If he could truly eradicate the epidemic, their status would surely elevate!!

"Thank you for your kindness, Consort," Yueqian said, as she had to stand up to receive the gift herself.

This imperial gift was given to her. If she didn’t get up to accept it, it would be seen as a breach of etiquette, and worse, she might be perceived as not valuing the gift, potentially leading to punishment.

As she had to walk to the front from her inconspicuous seat in the back, she drew everyone’s attention. Mu Heng, who had been looking for his wife, could not see her initially. Upon seeing where she was seated, his face darkened slightly.

The atmosphere around him affected the Wang, as they were seated close to each other. The Wang had pulled Mu Heng to sit near him, and although they weren’t seated right next to each other, Mu Heng was just one seat away from Master Gui Zhong.

A mocking smile appeared on the Wang’s face. It seemed his previous actions were not enough to make his stance clear. But as the Wang of the Region, he couldn’t make any more overt moves.

His exaggerated recognition of the gift brought by Mu Heng had already been a conspicuous display. If he were to ask for a better seat for Mu Heng’s wife, wouldn’t it be seen as inappropriate by others?

Nevertheless, refraining from meddling in this matter was also a way of teaching his nephew a lesson. It hinted at how influential Mu Heng and his wife would become in the future.

Many people wanted to curry favor with them even more. By that time, the Second Prince and his consort would finally realize how narrow-minded they had been. In the eyes of someone as experienced as he was, those with keen insight would gain advantages, while those with limited vision might end up disappointed.

Mu Heng and his wife possessed extraordinary cultivation methods. They had even turned Red Earth City into a paradise. He had heard that the city could now grow its own vegetables and had begun raising rabbits for meat as well.

This rapid development should become a focal point in the future. Especially since the Red Earth City, situated between the Bai Region and the surrounding tribes, was an area where food was scarce. If the Red Earth City could truly become a paradise, it would attract many people.

Not only could Red Earth City become a significant city between the Regions, but the knowledge they possessed could also spread widely. Simply studying their cultivation methods and disseminating the results throughout the Regions could change the impoverished state of the Bai Region.

The merits of these two people would only increase in the future, and the next leader of the Region must pay close attention to this. As the Second Prince competing for the throne, he could not remain ignorant forever.

After Yueqian accepted the royal gift, she returned to her seat. This time, however, there were no more gossip about her and her husband, nor any talk about the Wang. They should have realized that Yueqian was truly the Wang’s person. Moreover, she had spoken disrespectfully about him earlier. Yueqian could guess that they were now probably drenched in sweat.

The celebration continued. After the gift-giving ended, it was time for the beautiful women to perform.

Many attended the event specifically for this reason. Normally, men and women should not be close, and opportunities to meet were rare. Young women were often hidden away in their manors, waiting for matchmakers to come to them. Many ended up marrying men they didn’t want, while others succeeded in attracting attention. The way to attract attention was to showcase their talents at these formal banquets.

The display of talents by these beautiful women was no different from seeking the attention of onlookers. Many, even those already betrothed, had to perform to win favor, just like the two concubines who had been preparing their performances since before the gift-giving stage. These concubines did this to stand out once more in the eyes of the Second Prince, their husband.

Some men accepted many women into their households, often forgetting that some women in their manors were left neglected.

Without the opportunity to perform and attract attention, they were like ghosts in the manor, living without presence or meaning. Some accepted this fate, while others could not let go.

With the involvement of family power struggles, they wanted their daughters, sent as political links, to gain favor. Even if the daughters were unwilling, in the end, they had to sacrifice for their families.

The concubines started the performances, claiming to honor the consort, whom they regarded as a sister in the family, with abundant blessings. Yueqian had no special interest in anyone until a eunuch announced the next performers.

"Next is the performance of Concubine Ji and Concubine Ping, featuring the Dance of the Sword Under the Heavenly Light."

The music began with a stirring melody, capturing everyone’s attention. As the curtains opened, Concubine Ping Hong was revealed, elegantly playing the guzheng.

She sat on a slightly elevated platform, surrounded by court ladies scattering flowers, creating a beautiful and captivating scene. As the tempo intensified, the figure of Concubine Ji Yao appeared. She performed a sword dance, moving with grace and power, resembling a goddess of swords, harnessing the forces of heaven and earth in her performance.