He felt he owed her after all, and he would arrange a good marriage for her later, then he could wash his hands of the matter. Zhang Yu strode into Changning Palace, putting away all his thoughts about Song Shuhao.
When Empress Dowager Feng saw that it was him, she smiled and said, "Your Majesty, what brings you here today?" She then instructed Xue Liangyue, "Brew a cup of osmanthus tea, the one that Ahao prepared the other day."
"No matter how busy I am, I should still pay my respects to the Empress Dowager." After exchanging greetings with the Empress Dowager Feng, Zhang Yu sat down, then said, "I received news today that Prince Anping and his heir Zhao Jian will be arriving in Lin'an soon."
"The date is a little earlier than in previous years, but it's about right," Empress Dowager Feng said leisurely and unhurriedly. "This Prince Zhao seems to be quite old. His former wife has been gone for five or six years now, and he has not remarried. He is truly devoted. Prince Zhao is a handsome and talented man. Your Majesty should pay more attention to him."
Zhang Yu smiled faintly and nodded almost imperceptibly, which was taken as an agreement with Empress Dowager Feng. Xue Liangyue quickly brewed the osmanthus tea and then withdrew again.
Empress Dowager Feng knew he had a plan, so she only gave him a brief reminder. She took a sip of osmanthus tea and then smiled, saying, "Your Majesty, please have a taste. This osmanthus tea was made by A-Hao. Her skills are improving year by year."
Zhang Yu took a sip out of courtesy, put down the teacup, and said in a flat tone, "The tea-brewing skills are a bit lacking." He didn't offer any further comment.
“Ah Hao isn’t here. You know the Empress hasn’t been feeling well lately, so I sent her to deliver some nourishing things to her. If she were here, she could personally brew a pot, and I guarantee His Majesty would be full of praise.”
Empress Dowager Feng made a pointed remark, glancing at Zhang Yu's expression out of the corner of her eye, but failing to catch any of the expected changes. Zhang Yu seemed not to understand the implication in her words, and simply said, "That's a real pity."
·
Empress Shen, being ill, inevitably looked haggard. Song Shuhao arrived just as Empress Shen had finished her medicine and was resting, so she only glanced at her twice and asked the imperial physician Hongling, the head palace maid of Empress Shen, for her opinion. After staying for a while, leaving behind the things she had brought, Ahao took her leave.
On the way back to Changning Palace, they encountered Prince Ning, whom they hadn't seen for a while. Zhang Ye had something to say to Ahao and asked Lanfang to leave first. Once they were alone, Prince Ning simply smiled and asked, "Where's my osmanthus wine?"
"Your Highness is in a hurry? That's a time-consuming matter, as you know. It's almost finished. In a couple of days, I'll have Xiaodouzi lead someone to deliver it to the Ning Prince's residence. You can then have it stored in the wine cellar for a year."
"You're the most reliable person I know. I trust you to handle things. It's not that I'm in a hurry, even if I were, I wouldn't be able to drink it. It's just that Prince Anping and his son will be arriving in Lin'an in a few days. I'm not keeping the new ones in, and I'm reluctant to open the old ones, for fear of not having enough to entertain them."
These words flattered her, so Ahao replied, "This servant has always thought that my skills are not up to par, but I am grateful that Your Highness does not find them offensive. If we are talking about good wine, Your Highness is certainly not lacking in my humble skills."
Prince Ning smiled but didn't continue the conversation. Instead, he asked in a low voice, "I've heard some things, and I'm naturally curious. Don't lie to me, tell me honestly, what is your relationship with my brother?"
Upon hearing this, Ah Hao's smile faltered and vanished. Regardless of what had been said before, she knew that the Prince of Ning's question was merely a pretext.
She looked intently at Zhang Ye, neither questioning nor countering, and said, "When did Your Highness become someone who makes unfounded accusations?" Her tone was even calm, but this calmness made Zhang Ye sense her inner disappointment.
Recalling the two letters he received from Xie Lanyan, and hearing Ahao's words, Ning Wang, who already felt it was inappropriate to ask such a question, felt even more guilty and covered his mouth with his fist, coughing awkwardly.
"Oh, okay, I was just asking casually... don't take it to heart."
"Your Highness is too kind. This servant dares not accept such praise." A-Hao curtsied, and seeing that he had nothing else to say, she added, "The Empress Dowager is waiting for this servant to return and report. If Your Highness has nothing else to say, this servant will take her leave now."
Zhang Ye couldn't ask any more questions or linger any longer, so he had no choice but to let her leave, a bitter smile flashing across his face.
·
On September 12th, the sky was overcast and a cool breeze was blowing.
Prince Anping, Zhao Liang, and his heir, Zhao Jian, finally arrived in Lin'an. The emperor sent Prince Ning, along with a group of officials, to personally welcome them at the city gate, demonstrating the emperor's high regard for them. That evening, a banquet was held in the palace, where the emperor and his officials personally entertained them.
The following day, Zhang Yu again ordered a banquet to be held in the palace, but this time it could be described as a family feast. Aside from Zhang Yu, Zhao Liang, and Zhao Jian, the only other attendees besides Empress Dowager Feng and Empress Shen were a few concubines. Song Shuhao and Xue Liangyue were still serving Empress Dowager Feng.
Chapter 10 The Banquet
As soon as the banquet began, palace maids, their slender hands carrying various dishes and dressed in simple attire, filed in. The sounds of string and wind instruments immediately emanated from behind the curtains, resounding throughout the hall.
Dazzlingly dressed, masked dancers also flooded into the Penglai Palace, their light steps leading to an open space within the palace where they began to dance gracefully to the music. A lively and joyful atmosphere ensued.
Even now, Prince Ning, Zhang Ye, who was supposed to be present, has still not shown up.
Emperor Zhang Yu sat firmly in the head seat of the hall, with Empress Dowager Feng and Empress Shen seated to his left and right respectively. Song Shuhao and Xue Liangyue stood diagonally behind Empress Dowager Feng, occasionally serving her food and refilling her wine.
Before they knew it, several rounds of drinks had passed. The robust Prince Anping, Zhao Liang, though past forty, along with his heir Zhao Jian, toasted Zhang Yu. The two stood up and raised their glasses to Zhang Yu, Zhao Liang, sporting a grey-black goatee, immediately speaking.
"This old minister is already so old, and my health is declining year by year. I don't know how much longer I can serve Your Majesty. But if Your Majesty does not mind, this old minister will do my utmost. I only wish Your Majesty boundless blessings, that the country may be prosperous and the people at peace, free from internal troubles and external threats! This old minister drinks first as a sign of respect!"
After saying this, Zhao Liang took the lead and drank it all in one gulp, and Zhao Jian followed suit, finishing his drink just as decisively.
Zhang Yu's gaze was sharp, and he stared at her with a smile, but he only casually played with the white jade wine cup in his hand without making any other movements. He said, half-jokingly and half-seriously, "Prince Anping, you are mistaken. I heard that you shot and killed a tiger less than two months ago. Your skills are probably no less than those of General Nie."
Even though it was meant as a joke, it was undoubtedly a direct attack on Zhao Liang's empty words, and it was somewhat sarcastic.
The General Nie that Zhang Yu mentioned at this time was none other than Nie Zhiyuan, the elder brother of Consort De, Nie Shaoguang. Nie Zhiyuan, who was twenty-seven years old, was recognized by the entire court as having outstanding martial arts skills, especially in riding and archery. He was an expert archer who could hit a willow leaf from a hundred paces away.
Upon hearing this, Empress Shen, seated beside Zhang Yu, momentarily lost her smile. She glanced at Nie Shaoguang, who was conversing with Consort Feng Hui below, before quickly resuming her previous posture by adjusting her sleeves. Nie Shaoguang noticed her gaze, but her smile only deepened, seemingly unconcerned.
Zhao Liang laughed heartily, his fingers twitching slightly as he held the wine cup. His tone and expression remained composed as he said, "Your Majesty is all-knowing and surely knows that this old minister called upon twelve helpers. Your Majesty is too kind to this old minister. For this old minister's good fortune, this old minister will offer Your Majesty three more cups."
He was more concerned about the hunting incident Zhang Yu had mentioned. Even though it wasn't a secret, the fact that the emperor possessed this information was unexpected. This young emperor was becoming more and more difficult to deal with each year. Lost in thought, Zhao Liang downed three more cups of wine.
Zhao Jian stood beside Zhao Liang, remaining silent throughout, and drank three more cups. He was slightly taller than his father, Zhao Liang, and bore a striking resemblance. Although only twenty-five, he possessed a handsome and refined appearance, impeccably dressed, and his age did not diminish his charm but rather added to his mature allure.
Unlike Zhang Yu's aura that seemed to keep people at a distance and command respect, Zhao Jian's presence made people feel inferior and inferior to him, making him seem unapproachable and causing them to be somewhat cautious when interacting with him.
Xie Lanyan sat among the concubines, her expression indifferent, not engaging in conversation with anyone. She was unwell and could only drink tea instead of wine. Watching the comings and goings on the steps, her gaze occasionally swept over the silent Zhao Jian, but she ultimately blinked lightly, concealing her thoughts, and casually ate the food laid out by the palace maids.
"Your Majesty, I am late."
The Prince of Ning's voice suddenly rang out, and Xie Lanyan, who had been keeping her head down for a long time, slowly raised her head and looked at Zhang Ye, who was bowing to Zhang Yu, Empress Dowager Feng, Empress Shen and others in front of her through the dancers.
Zhang Yu and Zhao Liang had just exchanged a few more drinks in secret. Zhao Liang had already drunk those three cups when Zhang Ye finally arrived, albeit late, but at just the right time. His appearance instantly reversed the potentially awkward atmosphere.
After exchanging greetings with everyone, the imposing Prince Ning immediately smiled and said, "Your Majesty has hosted a banquet for Prince Anping and Prince Zhao. My lateness is my fault; I have indeed neglected my guests and should punish myself. If Prince Anping and Prince Zhao do not mind, may I first drink three cups of wine as a penalty?"
Zhao Liang repeatedly said he dared not, but Prince Ning had already taken the wine cup handed to him by a palace maid. He smiled, raised the cup to Zhao Liang and Zhao Jian, and drank it all in one gulp. Zhao Liang then asked Zhao Jian to drink with him, and they drank three cups together before stopping, just like Prince Ning, which was quite enjoyable.
After one round of drinking, Prince Ning finally took his seat, and everyone continued drinking, still enjoying themselves immensely. Zhang Yu didn't say much, so Prince Ning tried to mediate, but it didn't diminish the lively atmosphere or the overall enthusiasm.
Seeing that Empress Shen seemed to be indulging in too much drinking, Empress Dowager Feng, remembering that she had just recovered from an illness, couldn't help but offer her some words of advice. Zhang Yu heard Empress Dowager Feng's words, looked over, and also said to Empress Shen, "You should take better care of your health." After a moment's thought, he added, "The osmanthus tea I had at the Empress Dowager's earlier tasted quite good; Your Majesty should drink some tea instead."