Chapter 579 It Would Be Strange if There Was No Trouble

However, many people present had seen her before, so they naturally knew that this was the birthday girl today, the Empress Dowager.

Speaking of the Empress Dowager, she was also a legendary figure. It was said that she was not loved by the previous emperor in her early years, but she was very skilled in the harem and gave birth to two sons, both of whom were very promising. One of them was the current emperor, and the other was Prince Rui.

Now that the Empress Dowager has reached her old age, she has all the glory and wealth in her body, and holds the royal power. She can be said to be the most powerful woman in the entire Yunyuan Empire.

With the support of Prince Rui, the Empress Dowager sat on a green sandalwood chair in the middle of the high platform, looking radiant.

Looking at the crowd of guests below the high platform, the Empress Dowager looked quite satisfied and said, "My dear ministers, welcome to my birthday banquet today."

"You are too kind, Empress Dowager."

"I wish you a happy birthday every year."

All those who came to participate in the birthday banquet presented birthday gifts to the Empress Dowager in the form of families and forces.

Su Chen had nothing to do with this part, because he was attending the birthday banquet as an individual and did not need to present birthday gifts.

Su Chen leaned back in his seat and watched the families and forces take turns to present the birthday gifts they had prepared like a stream of water.

The Guan family was in the front row, and the birthday gift they presented was a coral tree from the North Sea, presented by a senior member of the Guan family. This coral tree was worth at least 10 million taels of silver, which naturally attracted everyone's amazement.

Looking at the Queen Mother's expression, she nodded slightly, and seemed quite satisfied.

However, Guan Fan's expression did not look very good. He sat next to Su Chen, sighed and said, "His Majesty the Emperor did not show up today."

Su Chen looked in the direction of the Hall of Supreme Harmony. The door of the Hall of Supreme Harmony was indeed closed, and no one could be seen inside through the hollow windows.

Guan Fan looked worried. He whispered, "The emperor has not been in good health recently. He didn't even show up for the empress dowager's birthday. It's really worrying."

"Duke Guan, is the Guan family on good terms with the emperor?" Su Chen asked.

Guan Fan nodded, "The Guan family has always had a good relationship with the emperor. So when Prince Rui went to the black iron mine to look for trouble, I suspected that it was Prince Rui's own idea, not the emperor's."

"If Duke Guan is worried about the emperor's health, why not ask Concubine Guan?" Su Chen said.

"I think so too. Wait a minute and find a chance to ask Qiyun." Guan Fan nodded.

As the two were talking, they suddenly heard a loud voice resounding throughout the venue: "The Lin family wishes the empress dowager good fortune and longevity. Please accept the Lin family's gift."

The Lin family's gift envoy, while saying auspicious words of birthday congratulations, presented a jade Buddha of the same height to the empress dowager with a smile on his face.

"Hiss~ This jade Buddha is a treasure left by the previous dynasty. It is said that it contains the martial arts will of the peerless and powerful. Just placing it in the living room can nourish the mind, strengthen the body, make the cultivation more pure, and prolong life!"

"Oh my God, this jade Buddha is worth at least 30 million taels of silver. The Lin family is really generous."

"Being able to present such a luxurious birthday gift is enough to prove the financial strength of the Lin family. This time, the Lin family's handwriting can be said to be better than the Guan family."

The queen mother was radiant and full of joy. She also looked very surprised by the birthday gift from the Lin family.

Su Chen noticed that Prince Rui, who was beside the queen mother, exchanged glances with the Lin family's gift envoy, and both sides looked tacitly understood.

"Does Prince Rui have a good relationship with the Lin family?" Su Chen asked Guan Fan.

Guan Fan nodded and said, "Prince Rui and the Lin family have always had a good relationship. It is not an exaggeration to say that the Lin family is a force under Prince Rui."

Su Chen shook his head. In the Yunyuan Empire, the prince's power is too great. Not only does he control the tiger talisman of the imperial guards, but he also has his own forces. If this continues, it will be strange if there are no problems.

To put it bluntly, Prince Rui is equivalent to the vice emperor. If there are two emperors in one country, there will be trouble.

However, Su Chen knew that he didn't need to remind Guan Fan of these words. Because Guan Fan has been sitting in the position of Duke for so many years, he has long been an old and cunning existence. Even if he didn't remind him, Guan Fan knew these words in his heart.

After a full hour.

The birthday gift presentation session ended.

Among all the birthday gifts, the most eye-catching one is naturally the jade Buddha sent by the Lin family, which completely compares to other birthday gifts.

Even the East China Sea coral tree worth more than 10 million taels sent by the Guan family seems to be eclipsed in front of the jade Buddha.

The discussion about the Jade Buddha lasted for a long time before it died down.

Then, teams of colorful palace maids presented a stream of delicacies.

All the tables were gradually filled with a dazzling array of delicacies, each of which was amazing.

Many people present had never seen such a sumptuous royal feast in their lives, and their appetites were excited and their mouths were watering.

"It really is worthy of the name of the emperor.