Once past the hour of You, the southern horizon was swathed in sweeping layers of sunset glow.
As the songs began and the music swelled, ten thousand bright lanterns twinkled like stars fallen from the heavens. The nightlife of Yun City had officially commenced. Inside the Imperial Palace, the welcome banquet for the Xilei delegation began to unfold, accompanied by a succession of songs and dances. The officials of the Four Bureaus and Six Offices had made excellent selections, alternating between the styles of Xilei and Nanxin, with a few Dongji dances and folk tunes interspersed throughout.
Hearing the unfamiliar melodies of Dongji, the Emperor of Nanxin glanced toward his sixth son’s empty seat. He beckoned Grand Eunuch Cai over and asked in a low voice, "Where is Prince Changle? Has he not arrived yet?"
Chapter 344