I am the champion of palace intrigue, and even the proud prince bows his head in submission.

Chapter 520 Xie Jingxian: Coming-of-Age Ceremony

Late at night, at the Prince's Mansion.

Incense smoke curled from the burner as Xie Jing sat at his desk, his eyes lowered as he looked at the memorial before him.

Footsteps sounded outside the door, and the servant Qingbai entered, bowing respectfully.

"Young Master Jing, the Princess just sent over the schedule and guest list for tomorrow's coming-of-age ceremony."

Xie Jing took it, opened it, looked at it for a while, and then his gaze gradually drifted away.

Suddenly, he spoke up, "Go and investigate the Wuli tribe."

Qingbai was taken aback, not expecting him to bring this up suddenly, but he quickly nodded, "Yes."

the next day, early morning

The Prince's mansion was bustling with activity early in the morning.

Today is Xie Jing's coming-of-age ceremony. The gate is full of distinguished guests, and the mansion is bustling with visitors.

The vermilion doors opened very wide, and a golden wedding banner stretched from the front of the corridor all the way to the ceremonial hall.

Inside the inner courtyard, Xie Jing was dressed in a dark blue court robe, with a jade belt around his waist and a tall crown around his head.

He was as calm and composed as a pine tree, upright and impeccable, like the first frost covering a pine, dignified and solemn.

The ceremony was not yet complete, so it was inappropriate to make a noise, but whispers could still be heard from time to time among the crowd.

"This is Xie's second son? Truly extraordinary..."

"Most importantly, he enjoys the Emperor's deep favor. He is the Emperor's only tutor, and the Emperor is still young, so he often seeks his opinion on many matters. You should think carefully about such a position..."

"My second brother seems to have grown taller than he did a few days ago," Xie Jingchun said to Xie Jue in a low voice, arms crossed.

"Second brother has always been very tall," Xie Jue said with a grin, leaning closer. "I want to be just as tall and glorious when I have my coming-of-age ceremony!"

The two of them were whispering to each other.

Qin Jiuwei and Xie Yanli sat side by side in the main seat in the hall.

Qin Jiuwei was dressed in a light blue palace dress, with jade ornaments in her hair, and a smile on her face.

Looking at their children in the audience, their eyes were filled with undisguised joy and pride.

In the center of the auditorium, bells and chimes rang out in unison, and the guests stood solemnly.

The master of ceremonies called out the names aloud.

"The capping ceremony begins—"

Xie Jing walked slowly to the center of the hall, knelt down, his robes spreading out like ink paintings of mountains and rivers.

Xie Yanli stepped forward, wearing a dark blue round-necked robe embroidered with pythons.

He stood before Xie Jing, his gaze slightly lowered, and gently placed the jade crown on Xie Jing's head.

"From now on, you must be careful with your words and actions."

Xie Jing nodded, "Your son will remember."

Guests offered their congratulations with clasped hands, officials offered their blessings, and the sound of bells and chimes echoed in the hall, once again creating a solemn and dignified atmosphere.

After the capping ceremony, the guests chatted and laughed until evening before leaving.

The Prince's mansion quickly quieted down, and the family returned to the main courtyard to talk.

Xie Jing changed into casual clothes, a dark blue long robe with very faint embroidery, with only a few green bamboos faintly visible on the hem and cuffs.

"Second brother, why did you go to the cabinet too, just like Father?" Xie Jue asked while eating pastries.

"That's His Majesty's intention," Xie Jing said.

"His Majesty is more at ease entrusting power to you," Xie Yanli said at this moment.

There was no displeasure in his tone; he was simply narrating calmly.

Xie Jing practically grew up alongside the Emperor, so it's perfectly normal for the Emperor to trust him more.

The children are growing up and can now stand on their own.

Once Xie Jing has gained more experience, he can confidently hand over all power to him.

As the group chatted, footsteps suddenly sounded outside the door, and a servant quickly entered.

"Your Highness, a gift has been delivered to the door. It is so large that it took several of us to carry it into the hall."

"what gift?"

"I don't know, it was wrapped up very tightly. They only said it was a birthday gift for Young Master Jing."

Qin Jiu frowned slightly. "Bring it in and let us take a look."

A moment later, four servants carefully carried in a tightly wrapped object, as tall as a person, covered with an oilcloth.

Everyone in the hall became interested.

Xie Jingchun took two steps closer and whispered, "What is that thing? It's so tall!"

Nan Yin also looked up, but couldn't make out anything for a moment.

"Open it," Qin Jiuwei instructed.

As soon as the oilcloth was lifted, a refreshing woody scent wafted out, invigorating the senses.

It was a Buddha statue carved entirely from a single piece of wood, about five feet tall, with exquisite craftsmanship, and the folds of the robes, eyebrows, and expressions were all lifelike.

“This wood…” Xie Jingchun suddenly paused, then quickly recognized it.

"This is the camphor tree of the Southwest Cloud Ridge. It takes a thousand years to mature and is extremely difficult to harvest. The mountain people call it the tree that protects the mountains."

Qin Jiuwei moved closer, her fingertips lightly touching the wooden body, a look of surprise flashing in her eyes.

She had only seen this type of wood in books.

Xie Jing remained silent, his gaze fixed on the fragrant wood statue.

His brow twitched almost imperceptibly.

He knew who it was.

Sure enough, the next moment, the attendant whispered, "Your Highness, this gift was presented by the envoys of the Wuli tribe."

"The Wuli ethnic group? That Li Sheng who recently came to the capital?"

"Yes."

"Where is she?"

"She was not on the invitation list, so she was not allowed to enter."

Xie Jue had already gathered around the wood carving, circling it twice, and liked it more and more as he looked at it.

Hearing this, he looked up and said, "Then please invite her in quickly. She has brought a gift, and such an expensive one at that. We should at least meet her."

Xie Jue looked at the wood carving, blinked, and habitually began to calculate the price.

A whole piece of camphor wood, carved so well... it must be worth at least two hundred thousand taels of silver.

This lady is so rich.

Xie Jing remained calm, his fingers resting on the edge of his sleeve, gently stroking it, but he did not speak.

He also wanted to see what tricks she was going to play.

Soon, a servant led the person in.

The curtain was gently lifted, and Li Sheng slowly entered.

She wore a modified Uli ethnic costume, with a light blue satin base and delicate silver embroidery on the shoulders and neck, exuding elegance and grace.

Upon entering the hall, her gaze swept across the room.

Then it landed precisely on Xie Jing.

She glanced at him, her gaze neither serious nor indifferent.

Xie Jing was also looking at her, and their eyes briefly met in the air.

But soon, Li Sheng withdrew his gaze, took a few steps forward to Xie Yanli and Qin Jiuwei, and bowed solemnly.

"Li Sheng, daughter of the chieftain of the Wuli tribe, greets Prince Jing and Princess Jing."

Qin Jiuwei glanced at her a few times, her eyes filled with scrutiny, but her face still held a smile.

"No need for formalities, your gift was quite impressive."

"Your Highness is too kind. We mountain people don't have many things to offer, so we have to think of choosing larger items with stronger aromas so that people will remember them."

Li Sheng raised her eyes, her eyes sparkling. "If this can make the Princess's eyes light up, then it is the blessing of Chen Yu Xiangzhang."

Qin Jiu chuckled softly.

"How did you find that piece of wood? Is this kind of camphor tree that can only be found deep in the mountains?"

Xie Jue asked.