Do not lean against the west railing to lock in the clear autumn - Chapter 152
At the hour of Xu (7-9 PM), King Jinque arrived on time with his queen. After a round of greetings between the king and his subjects, the banquet began. As always, palace maids in colorful robes served fine wine and delicacies, while graceful dancers performed in the hall.
After several rounds of drinks, Prime Minister Ye suddenly stood up, bowed to King Jinque, and said, "Your Majesty, the ladies-in-waiting who are vying to be the Regent's Consort are waiting outside the palace. May they come up to compete?"
King Jinque nodded with delight, but Zinuo was quite taken aback, and I was also very surprised. When did they arrange such a thing? Even Zinuo was unaware of it?
Ye Xiang instructed the servants beside him to summon the new concubine to the palace. Zi Nuo looked up and asked King Jin Que, "Father, didn't you promise me that I could choose my own concubine? What is the meaning of your actions today?"
Zi Nuo's table was right below the Golden Sparrow King's. Although Zi Nuo's voice wasn't loud, the Golden Sparrow King could still hear him. The Golden Sparrow King laughed and said, "It is indeed right that you are allowed to choose your own concubines. Of all the ladies-in-waiting here today, whichever one you like, you can have."
Zinuo glanced at the Golden Sparrow King but said nothing more. It seemed the Golden Sparrow King had set a small trap for Zinuo with his words, and Zinuo had fallen into it without thinking much about it. I knew it; how could the Golden Sparrow King let Zinuo be so independent?
Zi Nuo gripped the wine glass tightly, looking at me anxiously: "Sister, I don't want any of the concubines today."
Taking the wine glass from Zi Nuo's hand, he laughed and said, "Let's see what kind of performances they have. Whether you choose or not, and how you choose, is up to you." If Zi Nuo really didn't want these court ladies, the Golden Sparrow King wouldn't force him too much, would he?
The hall had fallen silent sometime earlier. Looking back, a beautiful young woman in green stood gracefully on the red carpet. Whose daughter was she? I hadn't heard her when I was talking to Zinuo.
The melodious sounds of string and wind instruments filled the air, and the girl in green danced merrily to the beat, like a forest sprite flitting through the trees, bringing joy to the listeners. As she danced, she would occasionally glance at Zinuo, her eyes and brows conveying a shy, alluring charm. It seemed that despite Zinuo's unusual hair, his allure was considerable, especially with a glittering golden throne waiting for him to sit upon.
Following the girl in green, several more bright and beautiful young women appeared, displaying their talents in singing, dancing, poetry, music, calligraphy, and painting. It was truly dazzling, and one couldn't help but admire their versatility. However, most women of this era were probably like this; there was nothing new, and it all came down to who had the most profound cultivation.
The girls' performances added a youthful vibe to the New Year's banquet. After they finished performing one by one, King Jinque asked Zi Nuo with a deep smile, "My son, which girl do you think was the most outstanding? I'm going to reward her."
Zi Nuo stood up and gently shook his head: "These girls are all so beautiful and charming that I'm dazzled and can't tell who is better. Since Father Emperor wants to reward them, let him reward whoever he thinks is better."
After watching the performance, Zinuo had figured out a way to deal with it. Rather than denying it all, he decided to affirm it all. After all, King Jinque couldn't possibly accept all of Zinuo's gifts.
King Jinque smiled and shook his head, then said to everyone in the hall, "All of you ministers have raised such fine daughters. I find it difficult to choose just one. I will reward them all."
The officials in the hall and the group of shy young girls quickly bowed to express their gratitude. King Jinque looked at Zi Nuo with a deeper meaning in his eyes.
After the women received their rewards, they withdrew from the hall, and the banquet continued as usual. However, Prince Luo Chen said, "Father, the Holy Maiden has been kept hidden by you and the Imperial Preceptor. Now it's time to let us see the Holy Maiden's abilities, isn't it?"
“Your Majesty is right. Moreover, I have heard that Your Majesty and the Holy Maiden have a deep affection for each other. Why did the Holy Maiden not participate in the selection of the Imperial Concubines? Otherwise, Your Majesty would surely be able to judge who is superior today.” Prince Luo Hua also stood up, with a gentle smile.
The two brothers, who were practically locked in a life-or-death struggle before Zinuo returned, are now on the same page. Are you trying to sow discord between Zinuo and the Golden Sparrow King by speaking like this? And are you trying to provoke me?
King Jinque smiled calmly: "Since that's the case, Qingqiu, why don't you try your hand at acting? Come up and give it a shot."
Hesitantly stood up, looking at the Golden Sparrow King with great difficulty. What could I possibly offer as a performance? If it were before, perhaps I could have performed a sword dance, but now, in my frail state…
Seeing that I didn't move, Prince Luochen said again, "The Imperial Preceptor is so talented, has the Holy Maiden learned nothing?" His hostility was very obvious.
"Who said that? Auntie can ice skate, it's so beautiful, like flying." A childish voice rang out behind me. I turned around and saw Chu Chen, Gan Lin and Ruo Sheng looking at me helplessly.
"How did you get here?" Wasn't Chu Chen at Xiyang Palace? How did he end up here?
Chu Chen pouted, feeling wronged: "You all ran away, leaving me all alone. I secretly followed you here."
Gan Lin quickly distanced himself, saying, "I only just saw him acting suspiciously in the back."
He glared angrily at Chu Chen. "You think you're so great just because you've learned a little martial arts? You dare run around the palace like that? What are those guards even doing?"
However, now is not the time to question Chu Chen.
Luo Chen gave Ruo Sheng a wink, and Ruo Sheng understood and led Chu Chen away. Fortunately, Chu Chen's voice wasn't loud, and only a few people nearby heard it. Luo Chen glanced at the retreating Ruo Sheng and frowned slightly.
King Jinque stroked his beautiful beard and said, "There's no ice in Hanyue City for Qingqiu to carve. Let's think of something else."
Just as I was racking my brains trying to think of anything I could call a talent, Zi Nuo took a jade flute from a maid who came in and handed it to me. "Play the flute? It's been a long time since I've played it."
She took the flute, tested the sound, and finally said to the Golden Sparrow King, "Qingqiu is not talented enough to bear the name of the Holy Maiden. Today, I will play a tune."
King Jinque waved his hand and said, "As the holy daughter of the nation, how can she be like other women who indulge in romantic escapades? What the Grand Preceptor imparts is naturally the wisdom of securing the country."
The Golden Sparrow King's words saved my face. Luo Chen snorted and sat down with a smirk.
As I entered the hall, the melody of "Three Variations on Plum Blossom" began to play softly. There was nothing I could do; it was the piece I was best at playing. Even though it was out of place, I had no choice but to bite the bullet and play it.
In a daze, it seemed as if I were back in that garden where the red plum blossoms were in full bloom, playing "Three Variations on Plum Blossom" with him. It turns out that some things had already begun long ago, but I stubbornly refused to face them...
As soon as the piece ended, before she had even returned to her seat, a slightly mocking voice said, "So, the Holy Maiden knows this kind of vulgar music?"
Turning around, I saw a middle-aged civil official looking at me with disdain. It was he who had said those words. Luo Chen nodded slightly to him. It seemed things wouldn't end well today. Having failed to sow discord between Zinuo and the Golden Sparrow King, they were now using me as a scapegoat, trying to throw water on Zinuo. But how could this famous melody, long celebrated in another time and space, be considered vulgar music here?
He frowned and asked, "My lord, what is the meaning of 'the sound of a courtesan'?"
The middle-aged civil official sneered: "Everyone knows this is the signature song of Youlan, a famous courtesan of Youjing. Youlan refused to enter the Kunshan Marquis's mansion and had nowhere to turn. In order not to implicate her beloved Young Master Li, she played this song for him one last time before drowning herself in the lake. This song then spread throughout the brothels of various countries. I never thought that even the Holy Maiden..."
"You said, Youlan... drowned herself in the lake?" He abruptly interrupted her, just to hear that Youlan had drowned herself. Youlan, is she no longer here? To others, she was a woman of the world, but to me, she was a pure and beautiful orchid.
"Since the Holy Maiden knows this melody, how could she not know the story of Youlan? This excuse is rather clumsy." The middle-aged civil official still had that same fake smile.
"According to what Lord Wan said, he seems quite familiar with the affairs of the brothel. It seems that Lord Wan is a frequent visitor." Zi Nuo spoke coldly from the side. Lord Wan snorted and said nothing more.
Finally, with no one paying attention to the undercurrents here, I lowered my voice and asked Zinuo, "Youlan, is she really... gone?"
Zi Nuo nodded slightly, suppressing the sadness in her heart, and asked again, "When did this happen?"
"After Emperor Youjing Kangxuan died, the country was torn apart. Taking advantage of this, Marquis Kunshan led his troops to occupy Qingzhou and other places. Because he had seen Youlan before, he wanted to take her into his mansion as a concubine. However, Youlan only had eyes for Young Master Li and refused to comply even at the cost of her life." As Zi Nuo spoke, he carefully observed my expression.
"Was it that time he met Youlan?" That day, I even taught Youlan a song.
"Probably," Zi Nuo said, unsure.
"And what about Young Master Li?" It turned out that the one Youlan loved was the alluring Young Master Li, who was as beautiful as a flower.
"The Drunken Smoke Pavilion has been closed and its whereabouts are unknown."