maidservant

Chapter 39: The Celebration Banquet is Beautiful, but the Prince Has No Intention to the Princess's Grace

It's late summer, and the heat still lingers. The air is filled with a parched heat, as if even time has been frozen in this sticky heat.

Suddenly, a cool breeze swept by, and a fine autumn rain began to fall. The raindrops, with a hint of coolness, sprinkled on every inch of the palace and into everyone's heart, instantly dispelling the annoying heat and making everyone feel refreshed.

Amidst this joyful atmosphere, the thrilling news of victory spread throughout the palace. Lin Xiao had led his men in a bloody battle on the frontier, achieving a surprising victory that ended the war two months earlier than anticipated.

The Empress also confirmed that she was pregnant with a prince. This news was like a dazzling light that penetrated the layers of gloom, and the palace and the outside world celebrated.

The emperor was delighted. He had been on the throne for just over a year, and the country was in a state of disrepair. Two years earlier, it had suffered from famine, and the treasury was not full. The war ended more than two months early, saving the treasury a considerable amount of money.

So he immediately ordered Lin Xiao to return to Beijing and hold a grand celebration banquet in the palace.

Inside Liuhua Palace, the master and his servants were also discussing Lin Xiao's victorious return to the court, their hearts filled with joy.

"But, Your Majesty, I am a little confused. Since it is a celebration banquet, you can just summon the princes and ministers. Why are most of the people summoned this time the ministers' children? Apart from a few young and newly married men, most of them are unmarried men." Yunshan said.

Lin Yu jokingly said, "Perhaps our Majesty is in a good mood and wants to be the God of Marriage."

Here, the emperor was having dinner in Concubine Cui's palace and discussing the details of the banquet.

"This celebration banquet must be completed properly," said the emperor.

"Although the purpose is to celebrate General Lin's success, I actually want to use this opportunity to gather the descendants of ministers from different factions and try to ease the conflicts between them."

Concubine Cui nodded and said respectfully while serving the emperor food, "I understand."

Seeing that she was still cold towards him, the emperor only said that his younger sister, the eldest princess Zong Zheng Chaohua, was also of marriageable age, and took this opportunity to let the princess meet him, and then left.

The ladies-in-waiting from the Imperial Food Bureau and the Imperial Ceremonial Bureau worked hard all day until the banquet finally arrived. The lights were ablaze, and the palace was ablaze with splendor. The Emperor and Empress sat at the center of the banquet hall, their gaze calmly scanning the crowd.

The queen was pregnant. Although she dressed up carefully, she still couldn't hide her tiredness. She smiled slightly, and her dignity revealed the tenderness of a soon-to-be mother.

On the left, the concubines sat down in order. They were all dressed up pretty and charmingly, wearing gorgeous clothes and exquisite jewelry. Their every frown and smile were so beautiful that they could captivate the whole country.

The eldest princess was particularly eye-catching. She wore a gorgeous crown and a large, delicate peony flower in her hair. Her unique posture showed her noble status, and she exuded an air of grace and luxury.

Turning to the right, the unmarried sons of the capital's aristocratic families were all dressed in their finest attire. These talented young men wore beautifully tailored brocade robes, some plain and elegant, some vibrantly colored. Every detail betrayed their family's heritage and the importance they attached to this banquet. The exquisite embroidery on their robes shimmered delicately under the light. They stood tall and proud, their every gesture brimming with confidence and grace.

Lin Xiao, the star of the banquet, sat at the forefront of the young talent. He wore his hair tied high in a ponytail, his features radiating a heroic spirit. His sharp features framed a resolute face, brimming with the aspirations of a young man.

After Lin Xiao took his seat, the other young masters followed suit. Sitting next to Lin Xiao was his cousin, Li Song, the eldest son of the Minister of the Central Secretariat and a scholar of the Hanlin Academy.

Compared with other young men, Li Song's dress was not ostentatious.

He wore a long, tie-dyed robe with subtle floral runes, one collar turned up, the dark lines of the pattern faintly visible in the light and shadow, exuding a restrained elegance. His hair was held in place with a single jade hairpin, devoid of any elaborate adornment. Yet, his every gesture exuded a natural nobility. His movements were graceful and composed, his smile gentle as jade, and his unique scholarly spirit fully revealed. He was truly a peerless young master, possessing a unique charm among the other young masters.

As soon as Li Song took his seat, he was keenly aware of a gaze directed his way. He subconsciously raised his eyes and met Yunshan's gaze.

At that moment, time seemed to freeze.

At one glance, Yunshan's cheeks instantly flushed uncontrollably, like the gorgeous sunset glow on the horizon. The words Li Song once said to her kept echoing in her mind: "Miss, if one day you leave the palace, will you be willing to spend your life with me?"

Her heartbeat quickened suddenly, like the beating of a drum. Young secret crushes are hard to conceal. In panic, Yunshan lowered her head, her long eyelashes trembling slightly. The Guanyin mole on her forehead, like a frightened butterfly, seemed about to flutter away with her throbbing heartbeat.

Lin Xiao took in this glance, and the corners of his mouth lifted unconsciously, his eyes filled with a smile. He thought Yunshan was shy because of seeing him, and even the air around him became lighter. He placed his touch on Yunshan with a gentleness that surprised even Lin Yu, but then, realizing something was wrong, he quickly moved away.

During the banquet, the Queen praised the peony on the eldest princess's head, saying that the flower was extremely gorgeous, just like the eldest princess, and both were treasures of the country.

Upon hearing this, Cui immediately proposed to use "flower" as the order and perform the game of flying flowers to add a bit of elegance to this lively banquet.

The eldest princess started by saying, "Flowers near high buildings hurt the heart of the visitor," and then a nobleman said, "I meet you again in the season of falling flowers."
Then the pace quickened, making the banquet exceptionally exciting:

"The shadows of flowers brush against the wall, I wonder if it's the beautiful lady coming."

"When the flowers bloom, they should ask each other, they are not the old owners of the village."

"The purple road and the red dust blow against my face, and everyone says they are going to see the flowers."

"I am too lazy to go back to the Jade Tower and the Golden Palace, but I am drunk in Luoyang by planting plum blossoms."

The emperor's face was filled with smiles, and his eyes were soft as he looked around at the harmonious scene before him. Everything was just as he had hoped. He looked at Cui with some joy, his eyes full of approval.

Cui keenly caught this look and immediately returned the greeting respectfully, with an appropriate and humble attitude.

At this time, the eldest princess opened her red lips and said, "Today, all the young masters have shown extraordinary talent and learning, which is truly admirable. How about we increase the difficulty a little bit? From now on, the orders we will face will no longer be based on works by famous masters, but will all be original works created on the spot."

Her words were gentle but carried an unquestionable air, instantly raising the spirits of everyone present.

The eldest princess started with a line: "The moon shines over the flower path, illuminating my quiet thoughts." Everyone applauded but no one responded to her line, almost bringing the atmosphere to a standstill.

Li Song saw this and stood up to answer: "Flowers reflect the blue sky, my heart is far-reaching; clouds cover the green hills, my ambition is soaring to the clouds."

The next few sentences became a double act between the two. In a moment of excitement, the eldest princess raised her glass to toast Li Song. The emperor, observing his sister's actions, understood.

　Everyone~ From February 2th to February 18nd, this novel will be participating in the ranking. Please read the two newly updated chapters every day. This "reading rate" is very important to me! Thank you! ~~~
　　(End of this chapter)