Nobody would likely believe it if I said this out loud. Either they'd think I was crazy or they'd burn me alive as a monster.
Images of tragic figures burned to death or drowned in a pig cage flashed through her mind. Feng Jin shivered, shook her head vigorously, and cast these thoughts aside. She took a deep breath, steadying herself.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Ling Mo Han asked, noticing Feng Jin's pale complexion.
"No, I'm just a little tired. Let's go to the banquet. We shouldn't leave and be caught with our hands in the cookie jar again."
Feng Jin fabricated an excuse and walked ahead.
She would find a suitable opportunity to explain everything to Ling Mo Han.
At the banquet, music and dancing filled the hall, a scene of peace and prosperity. Emperor Xuan Wen, having learned of the gunpowder invention, was in high spirits and drank several cups of wine, his smile never leaving his face.
"Your Majesty seems to be in good spirits today. Is there any happy news?" The Empress, having been married to Emperor Xuan Wen since they were youths, understood him very well.
"I am overjoyed to see that Dong Chu is at peace and that Chen Yi's health is much improved. Naturally, my heart is full of joy."
Emperor Xuan Wen's smile reached his eyes, making everyone he looked at seem pleasant.
"It makes my heart happy to see Your Majesty so pleased. My niece has rehearsed a song and dance. May I have her perform for Your Majesty's entertainment?"
"Very well, it is permitted."
The Empress had calculated that Emperor Xuan Wen was in a particularly good mood. As long as her request was not excessive, he would grant it. Now, it all depended on whether Liu Meng Han's performance could truly please His Majesty.
Dressed in a moon-white dance skirt, Liu Meng Han gracefully entered and began to dance to the flowing notes of the zither.
She had rehearsed this dance for over a month, waiting for this very moment to make her mark. This was her only chance.
As the dance concluded, the audience, still captivated by the music, erupted in praise.
"Excellent, truly excellent! Someone, reward her!"
Emperor Xuan Wen praised with a look of approval and then turned to the Empress, "The Empress has taught her well."
"Your Majesty is too kind. It is her good fortune to be able to elicit a smile from Your Majesty. Han'er, step forward and speak."
Granted permission, Liu Meng Han stepped forward, knelt, and bowed, "This subject's daughter greets Your Majesty and congratulates Your Majesty on a long reign."
"She is knowledgeable, disciplined, gentle, and virtuous. Excellent... it is not easy for the Liu family to raise a woman like you."
Emperor Xuan Wen's words, though sounding like praise, were filled with deep mockery.
He was ridiculing the entire Liu family for their arrogance, lack of virtue, and incompetence.
The Empress's expression flickered momentarily before she regained her composure, maintaining her smile.
"Your Majesty, how can you generalize? Is the Empress not also a daughter of the Liu family? The Empress's virtue and kindness are evident for all to see. I believe this young lady is truly like the Empress, diligent, virtuous, gentle, and courteous."
The Imperial Consort smiled meaningfully, her gaze towards the Empress filled with a profound challenge.
"My sister speaks wisely..." The Empress pursed her lips tightly, her hand clenched into a fist beneath her sleeve, but her gentle smile remained.
"The Empress is indeed gentle and virtuous," Emperor Xuan Wen murmured, raising his wine cup and taking a drink.
The Empress took a deep breath, not letting anger cloud her judgment. She had not forgotten her true purpose. "Your Majesty," she said with a smile, "Yan Xi and Han'er look so well-matched together, a match made in heaven. These two children have had feelings for each other for some time. Your Majesty must not delay their marriage. Why not bestow a marriage upon them soon?"
"As the saying goes, establish a career after marriage. Once Yan Xi is married, he can settle down and serve Your Majesty better, remaining loyal to Dong Chu and serving the nation."
As the Empress finished speaking, she cast a warning glance at Chu Yan Xi, signaling him to step forward quickly.
Chu Yan Xi struggled internally for a long time. His clenched fist slowly relaxed. He took a deep breath, a gentle smile on his lips, and knelt before the Emperor. "Father, this son is fond of the Liu family's daughter. I beg Father to bestow a marriage upon us."
"Your Majesty, you must not impede the children's marriage," the Empress reminded him.
Emperor Xuan Wen tapped his fingers on the table twice and said in a deep voice, "The Liu clan's daughter shall be bestowed in marriage to the Third Prince, Chu Yan Xi. The Ministry of Revenue is ordered to prepare the wedding..."
"This son (this subject's daughter) kowtows to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty reign for ten thousand years!"
Chu Yan Xi and Liu Meng Han knelt together, speaking in unison.
The Empress was the happiest that their marriage had been decided. She had finally chosen a daughter-in-law she was pleased with.
"Both of you, rise!" Emperor Xuan Wen waved his hand, his gaze sweeping over the few individuals before finally resting on the Empress.
"Your Majesty, I toast you," the Empress said, raising her wine cup and drinking it down in one gulp.
"Your Majesty, why do you only drink with the Empress and not with me?" the Imperial Consort immediately seized the opportunity to entangle Emperor Xuan Wen, refusing to let him be alone with the Empress.
"Very well, I shall drink with my beloved consort."
The Empress glared at the Imperial Consort with hateful eyes, as if she could pierce through her.
What a bitch, she couldn't stand it if she wasn't bothering His Majesty for a single day.
Sitting below, Feng Jin cautiously observed the movements of the three figures on the high platform.
People said three women made a great fuss. In her opinion, the Empress and the Imperial Consort together were a magnificent palace intrigue. Their back-and-forth was akin to a battlefield, leaving Emperor Xuan Wen to be caught in the middle, torn between them, and forced to cater to them both. It was truly not easy!
It seemed Emperor Xuan Wen was also a good actor. These three were destined to put on a grand show.
Feng Jin watched with an expression of relish, quietly awaiting the unfolding drama.
"Drink some soup. Don't always eat solid food," Ling Mo Han said, placing a bowl of hot soup in front of Feng Jin.
"The Third Prince isn't happy about getting married either. Look at his face, as if everyone owes him money."
Feng Jin's focus was always uniquely peculiar.
"That's true. Look at his sullen face. It's almost as if he dislikes Liu Meng Han," Lin Yu Wei chimed in.
"The Third Prince has always favored Feng Ruo Yan. Now, the woman he loves can only be a concubine, yet he has to marry a woman he doesn't love as his primary wife and pretend to be affectionate. Anyone would feel terrible in this situation."
Feng Jin actually felt a bit of pity for Chu Yan Xi at this moment. As a prince, he had to force a smile and appease a woman he didn't love.
Moreover, the woman he thought was his true love, Feng Ruo Yan, only wanted to use him to ascend to the position of Empress.
Thinking about it now, the Third Prince was truly quite pathetic.
"Sister Feng Jin, your words make it sound as if the Third Prince is a courtesan selling his smiles," Lin Yu Wei mused, finding it increasingly strange.
"Malleable."
Ling Mo Han listened to their conversation, his expression growing darker by the moment.