Chapter 32: Chapter 32: Performing at the Palace Banquet, Someone Drowns in Jealousy
Under Mrs. Qiao’s astonished gaze, Ji Qingwu gritted her teeth and sat down.
"Brother, thank you."
Ji Changlin thought his sister’s fierce reaction was out of concern for him, and a warm feeling spread through his heart.
’What’s a little punishment like this?’ he thought. ’I could take another twenty strikes.’
"No need to be so formal with your brother." Ji Changlin’s mood brightened, and he returned to his courtyard to "recuperate."
On the second day after the Emperor performed the ancestral rites, a grand palace banquet would be held for the Imperial Family and all the court officials. This was a long-standing tradition.
Earlier that day, Mrs. Qiao had told her she wanted her to attend the palace banquet, adding that the man she’d been set up with would also be there with Mr. Qiao.
Ji Qingwu had shaken her head vigorously.
But now, she was genuinely worried about Yuan Heng and couldn’t put him out of her mind. ’Even just seeing him from a distance would be enough,’ she thought.
As the hour to depart for the palace drew near, Mrs. Qiao tried to coax her. "Xiao Wu, just come with Mother for a little while. You don’t have to do anything else. The spread at a palace banquet is the finest in all of Lin’an City—"
Before she could finish her persuasion,
"Mother, I’ll go."
*
The palace banquet was held in Jiyin Hall.
Mrs. Qiao had once again adorned Ji Qingwu’s hair with pearls and jade. A delicate pink lotus was painted on her forehead, and she had changed into a precious floral silk gauze dress. In the light, the folds of her skirt shimmered like moonlight on a snowy night.
Mrs. Qiao gazed at her "masterpiece" with satisfaction as she explained, "The banquet seating is divided into three sections: east, north, and south. The east is the place of honor, where the Emperor and Empress Dowager will sit. The palace concubines and the Imperial Family are at the North Seat, while officials of the fourth rank and above, along with their families, are at the South Seat."
Old Mrs. Ji had been unwell these past few days, so only the first and second branches of the Ji Family came to the banquet.
Upon entering the towering Jiyin Hall, Ji Qingwu was stunned by the national treasures filling the hall. The great bow hanging on the wall alone was likely the legendary Xuanyuan Bow, hailed as a divine weapon.
Mrs. Qiao led her to a long table in the south section.
The Emperor and Empress Dowager had not yet arrived, but the hall was already filled with dignitaries and their families from across the city.
The ladies were all exchanging pleasantries in low voices. A crowd of young ladies from prominent families surrounded Ji Qingyuan, who shot a triumphant glance at Ji Qingwu.
"This is my fifth sister. I’m sure you’ve all heard of her."
"Qingyuan, did she really marry a—"
Several people were whispering behind Ji Qingwu’s back. She acted as if she couldn’t hear them, a faint smile on her face as she watched the entrance.
A moment later, Qiao Menghan entered with another man. After he stepped through the door, the noise in the hall clearly subsided.
Ji Qingwu’s eyebrows rose, her eyes widening slightly. She had never seen a man who could look so...
...alluring in a white robe.
Others might look dashing and otherworldly in white, but this man was simply captivating. It was mainly because his features were so striking, possessing an androgynous beauty.
Seeing her staring so intently, Mrs. Qiao found that Xiao Wu’s reaction was just as she’d expected.
Beaming, she said, "Xiao Wu, this is the one your maternal grandfather and I picked out for you. Are you pleased?"
Ji Qingwu looked at Mrs. Qiao in astonishment. "He’s the brilliant scholar?"
’He’s talented and stunningly handsome—he really has it all,’ she thought. ’No wonder Mother said he was in high demand and rushed me to meet him.’
"This young man is Li Chengxun. His family is from Xianyang, a scholarly line as well. In a month, he’ll be taking the palace examination. Your maternal grandfather says his talent is astonishing and he’s sure to be chosen. His status will skyrocket then, Xiao Wu. You need to seize this chance."
Mrs. Qiao was making her intentions clear. Ji Qingwu stole a few more glances at him. She wouldn’t normally be so bold, but nearly every woman in the hall was staring at him.
Appreciating a handsome man was a universal pleasure, after all.
Ji Qingwu’s lips curled into a small smile, and suddenly her gaze met his as he looked over.
Li Chengxun, of course, recognized Mrs. Qiao. ’The young woman beside her must be the Ji Family’s Fifth Missy,’ he thought. ’She’s also the one I saw running in the corridor the other day.’
He watched as her smile slowly widened. Her face was like the bright moon, luminous when she smiled. The floral marking on her forehead made her look like a lotus fairy descended to the mortal realm.
Li Chengxun froze for a moment, captivated.
It was at this moment that Emperor Wu Su entered the hall.
A flash of bright yellow suddenly appeared before Ji Qingwu’s eyes. She didn’t have time to let her smile fade.
Just like that, she was caught off guard as her eyes met Emperor Wu Su’s.
As if she had been caught red-handed, Ji Qingwu’s heart skipped a beat.
’This man is no less handsome than Li Chengxun,’ she thought, ’especially with that fierce look, his eyes full of anger and his long brows furrowed. It makes you want to rip your heart out and let him trample all over it.’
A terrifying thought suddenly surged through her. ’I want to see him so angry he loses all control.’
But she quickly snapped back to her senses. This was the Emperor, a man who could have her head chopped off at any moment.
’Angering him might be satisfying for a moment, but my head would roll in the next.’
Their gazes met for only an instant before Ji Qingwu guiltily lowered her head.
After Emperor Wu Su sat down at the seat of honor in the east, those around him hardly dared to breathe.
Li Yuzong broke into a nervous sweat. His Majesty had been in a perfectly good mood earlier in the Diligent Governance Hall. He had even reviewed the guest list submitted by the Ministry of Rites with great interest, and after reading it, a faint hint of a smile had touched his eyes. ’So why did his mood sour the moment he arrived at Jiyin Hall?’
Princess Consort Wei, seated to his right, said little, simply lifting the wine pot to refill the Emperor’s cup.
The Empress Dowager, seated to the Emperor’s left, also sensed the oppressive aura radiating from him. She assumed he was still angry about yesterday’s dispute in court between the Ji Family and the Imperial Censor.
She had been both surprised and grateful that Emperor Wu Su had sided with the Ji Family, but it only worsened her impression of Ji Qingwu. ’That girl is nothing but a troublemaker, always bringing chaos to her family. As I thought, Qingyuan, who I’ve raised since she was a child, is so much better.’
The Empress Dowager spoke up. "Your Majesty has been so busy with state affairs lately; I can see you’ve even lost some weight. For tonight’s banquet, why don’t we invite some talented young ladies to perform and liven up the atmosphere?"
Emperor Wu Su did not object.
The Empress Dowager gave a meaningful glance to Ji Qingyuan, who was seated below.
Ji Qingyuan rose to her feet. She was deliberately dressed in a rose-red, fishtail-hemmed skirt embroidered with golden crabapple blossoms. She looked as vibrant as a red peony in a garden, her beauty rivaling even that of the peerless Princess Consort Wei.
"Your servant would be honored to perform a dance."
Ji Qingyuan had practiced this Qingping Dance for over half a year. She gently waved a feather fan with both hands, moving with the musicians’ melody, leaping lightly...
Ji Qingwu tapped her fingers lightly on the table. ’All those teachers Mother hired for me weren’t for nothing,’ she mused. She could tell the dance was beautiful but lacked depth. The dancer’s heart wasn’t "qingping"—clear and peaceful—so she couldn’t convey the majestic spirit of a golden age.
With Ji Qingyuan leading the way, the other young noblewomen came forward one by one to present their talents. Some painted or recited poetry; others played the zither or the flute.
Even Princess Consort Wei took the floor. She held the Snow Sword in one hand, her wrist twirling nimbly. The glint of the blade flashed in time with the drumbeats, like a sky full of twinkling stars.
Ji Qingwu nodded, entranced, and whispered, "Masterful."
’No wonder Princess Consort Wei is the Emperor’s favored concubine,’ Ji Qingwu thought. ’She’s not just a peerless beauty; the mastery of her sword dance is far superior to my fourth sister’s.’
But despite all the women’s performances, Emperor Wu Su’s expression did not soften. Instead, it grew darker and more sullen.
After all this time, Grand Steward Li finally figured out the source of the problem.
The Holy Emperor’s gaze kept drifting inadvertently to a certain spot in the South Seat—to the one audience member who looked the most carefree and at ease, completely immersed in the performances.
