Chapter 30: Palace Banquet

Wan Tang felt a thump in her heart; she had long known that within the Imperial Palace there is an Empress Dowager who loves vegetarian fasting and chanting Buddha, and pays little attention to outside matters.

Except for very grand banquets, she is almost never seen.

She didn't expect that at their first meeting, she would immediately give Wan Tang a sudden show of force.

Wan Tang knelt on the ground, her face still bearing an unyielding, unflinching expression.

【It fits, the Empress Dowager is the most rule‑obsessed person. She is also the Empress's paternal aunt, a member of the Xiao Family.】

【Xiao Mingshu is the Empress appointed by the Empress Dowager; for this matter, she once had some unpleasant disputes with the Emperor.】

【Wan Tang is now in trouble; after careful calculation, it really is time for the female supporting character to exit the stage.】

Wan Tang felt a heavy weight in her heart, and lowered her head slightly.

"Mother Empress, this is Lady of Grace Wan, and your Subject has not yet had time to bring her to pay his respects to you," Chu Yunzheng stepped forward, unexpectedly defending Wan Tang.

"Emperor, now your lineage is dwindling; more newcomers are always welcome. Yet these newcomers should follow the rules—a palace maid being given a noblewoman's title is already a favor. How can she still come to places like this?"

Having said that, she glared at the Empress, with a hint of reproach: "You really are something; as Empress, you should manage the harem for the Emperor. How can you indulge him merely to please him?"

Xiao Mingshu lowered her head: "Mother Empress, I understand my mistake."

"It is just that the Emperor and Lady of Grace Wan are even affectionate; Lady of Grace Wan is also sensible, and I hope she can help the Emperor extend his lineage."

Xiao Mingshu spoke with clear logic, each sentence hitting the mark, pleasing everyone.

Chu Yunzheng's gaze toward Xiao Mingshu also contained a few more notes of approval.

The Empress Dowager shook her head helplessly: "Raise your head, let me have a look."

Wan Tang slowly lifted her head; her face, illuminated by the palace lanterns, appeared exceptionally graceful and otherworldly.

Her features were picture‑perfect, her skin like congealed butter. Yet the most striking thing was the deep‑red cinnabar mole at her brow center, like a drop of blood, adorning her fair forehead and standing out vividly.

The Empress Dowager's gaze fell on Wan Tang's face, and her previously calm expression instantly hardened.

Her pupils contracted slightly, and her fingers unconsciously clenched the Phoenix Throne's armrest, the knuckles whitening from the pressure.

That face was astonishingly similar to someone from her memory who could no longer appear, as if time reversed and the past resurfaced. The Empress Dowager's heart surged with intense emotions—shock, anger, and even an indescribable hint of fear.

Yet, at the moment she was about to lose control, her gaze landed on the red mole at Wan Tang's brow. The Empress Dowager inhaled deeply, silently recited a Buddha name in her mind, and strained to calm the turmoil within.

The Empress Dowager's complexion gradually returned to calm, but her eyes remained cold. She spoke slowly, her voice low and authoritative: "This kind of banquet is not for you to attend. Since you are here, stay."

She said so, yet she did not order her to rise.

Wan Tang could only remain on her knees.

Wan Tang bowed her head slightly, replying respectfully: "Thank you for the Empress Dowager's grace."

The Empress Dowager stared at her for a moment, then lightly nodded: "She is indeed sensible."

Having said that, she withdrew her gaze and said no more. Yet those seated felt the invisible pressure in the air, bowing their heads and daring not to speak.

The Empress, seeing this, quickly rose to smooth things over, smiling: "Empress Dowager, today is the Duanwu Festival; it's rare for everyone to gather, so shall we first drink a cup of realgar wine to ward off evil and disaster?"

The Empress Dowager slightly nodded, signaling everyone to raise their cups.

Only then did the crowd breathe a sigh of relief, raising their cups, and the atmosphere eased a little.

The banquet officially began, Silk and Bamboo Music rose, Dancers in colorful robes arrived, stepping with light steps. As Water Sleeves fluttered, the guests raised their cups, toasting and laughing merrily.

Wan Tang knelt at her seat, her legs already numb, yet she dared not move.

She lifted her eyes slightly, her gaze passing over the Dancers' fluttering skirts, quietly looking toward the Emperor on the main seat.

He was raising cups and chatting with several senior ministers, his expression pleasant, his demeanor full of imperial authority, yet he seemed to have already forgotten her existence.

A bitterness rose in her heart; her fingertips lightly clenched her sleeve cuff. She thought again, this is the emperor.

Is today's attendance merely a sign of favor? Or does it give Wan Tang a chance to fulfill her own words?

Having spoken up for her is already indulgence. Not to defy the Empress Dowager for a favored concubine, not to neglect the Empress—this is the exemplar of his imperial rule.

Wan Tang looked again; the assembly of princes and ministers still had to flatter and pay deference to a single person, showing great respect.

Xu Chengyuan had a few cups of wine, his face turning slightly red.

Even though he is only a general, he appears more imposing than the princes.

Wan Tang looked at her father, the dad who had never dared to call out since birth, and thinking of what would happen next, felt an inexplicable nervousness.

Lost in thought, she suddenly felt a sharp gaze sweep over her. Her heart tightened, and out of the corner of her eye she saw the Empress Dowager staring coldly at her, eyes like knives.

Wan Tang immediately lowered her head, daring not to look around, feeling a thin layer of sweat seep from her back.

The Silk and Bamboo Music abruptly ceased, the candlelight in the hall dimmed, as if only a hush remained between heaven and earth.

Suddenly, a melodious tune rose again, accompanied by a wisp of fragrance, and a graceful figure seemed to descend from the heavens, landing lightly in the center of the hall.

The woman was draped in light gauze, her veil half‑covering her face, revealing a pair of watery, bright eyes that, as they flickered, seemed capable of ensnaring souls.

She danced with fluttering steps, her sleeves flaring, like a startled swan's shadow, each step striking at the heart.

Emperor Chu Yunzheng's gaze was instantly drawn, unable to look away.

Chu Yunzheng's expression grew hazy, as if through those eyes he saw another person.

His gaze, from initial astonishment, gradually acquired an indescribable tenderness, even tinged with a hint of reminiscence and melancholy.

When the piece ended, thunderous applause rang in the hall, and everyone praised it enthusiastically.

The woman slowly raised her hand, lifted the veil, revealing her true face—it was Xu Luoyan.

【Here it comes, the heroine's most exciting scene arrives.】

【With Li Defu's help, Xu Luoyan finally broke free from the mesmerizing swan dance that had haunted the Emperor.】

【How well the dance is performed doesn't matter; the key is that the dance is identical, and that's enough.】

【With this, even if Wan Tang danced the "Phoenix Seeking Phoenix" a hundred times, it wouldn't matter.】

【Although the original work was altered, the Emperor's favor ultimately still belongs to the heroine.】

Listening to the barrage, Wan Tang's hand tightened. Is this Li Defu's method?

With just a slight move, can one make the Emperor forget everyone else, seeing only Xu Luoyan in his eyes?

Wan Tang's palms were drenched in cold sweat.

Chu Yunzheng had a moment of absent‑mindedness, his gaze lingering on her face. The chill in his eyes was replaced by warmth, a gentle smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as he softly said, "Yan'er dances quite well."

His tone was gentle, yet carried a barely perceptible hint of nostalgia: "I still haven't had enough."

Xu Luoyan lowered her head slightly, a faint blush spreading across her cheeks, and softly said, "Your Majesty, your praise is mistaken. To please the Emperor, I have trained day and night, and at last I have not disappointed the Emperor."

Xu Luoyan's tone carried a hint of coquettish petulance: "If the Emperor likes it, I can dance for the Emperor every day."

"Good!" Chu Yunzheng said without the slightest hesitation, agreeing outright.

He thus, in front of everyone, pledged his favor to Xu Luoyan.

"Good!" Xu Chengyuan set down his cup, was the first to cheer, clapping his hands.

The people seated below all echoed, praising Xu Luoyan's outstanding dancing skill.

Wan Tang watched with a cold eye, a trace of bitterness rising in her heart. Xu Luoyan's dance was drawing the Emperor's soul away. Xu Chengyuan's "good" referred to the tightening war in Bei Mo, tangled with countless threads from the Former Dynasty.

The Empress Dowager neatly concealed her displeasure, shifting her gaze from Xu Chengyuan to Xu Luoyan.

She spoke earnestly: "Noble Consort, do not only focus on pleasing the Emperor; seeing your affection with the Emperor makes me very happy as well."

"But you must still prioritize the Imperial Heir; do not indulge in frivolity. I am still looking at you, urging you to soon bear children for the Emperor."

Ten years of favor and still no child; Xu Luoyan's face turned as pale as ever.

But the Empress Dowager's words were all well‑meaning, and with the Emperor's scorching gaze, she also blushed, shyly replying, "Yes, Empress Dowager."

The Empress Dowager nodded slightly, casually glanced at Xu Chengyuan, and kindly said, "Noble Consort, you may not have seen your own family for a long time. General Xu is here today; Noble Consort, go offer a toast to your father."

"Thank you for the Empress Dowager's grace." Xu Luoyan expressed profound gratitude.

Her face radiated the pride of being favored by the Empress Dowager and the Emperor as she walked toward Xu Chengyuan; when she passed Wan Tang, she gave Wan Tang a provocative glance.

Wan Tang's legs were both sore and painful. The cruel thing was that she had to kneel and watch the father‑daughter reunion.

A cold sneer rose in her heart.

The war in Bei Mo grew ever more intense; if this father‑daughter pair kept behaving so ceremoniously, they might be giving them all the face while failing to see the danger, and no one would know who ends up the unlucky one.

Xu Chengyuan was in high spirits tonight, drinking a bit too much and feeling dizzy. A young eunuch stepped forward, supporting him to a side to sober up.

Xu Luoyan sat beside the Emperor at that moment, her face full of happiness. Immersed in regaining favor and basking in the limelight, she paid no attention to the Emperor's subtle changes.

"Wan Tang, now, fetch me a drink." The Emperor handed an empty wine vessel to Wan Tang.

The wine vessel was fragile, and Wan Tang took it carefully.

Xu Luoyan hummed, "Don't you hurry? Lady of Grace Wan is very familiar with such tasks performed by a servant."

Wan Tang turned a deaf ear.

Li Ping'er helped Wan Tang to stand, but Wan Tang gently pushed her hand away and whispered, "It's no trouble."

Li Ping'er wanted to speak but held back; in such a setting she had no place to speak, and she stood aside in tears.

Enduring the sting in her knee, Wan Tang hobbled out of the banquet, her gaze fixed on the tall backdrop ahead.

Xu Chengyuan moved with a wind‑like stride, exuding a chilling aura. He stood by the pond, feeling the cold wind, rubbing his temples.

He shouted to the nearby eunuch, "Step aside."

The eunuch immediately replied, "Yes," and hurried away.

When no one was around, Wan Tang quickened her pace, enduring the pain as she chased after him, gripping the wine vessel tightly and softly calling, "General Xu, please wait."

Xu Chengyuan's steps halted; he turned slowly, his gaze slicing like a blade toward her, anger surging across his face.

Wan Tang, however, pretended not to see, a slight smile at the corner of her mouth. Today, not only to fulfill her promise to the Emperor, but also to hear some answers from his mouth.

Wan Tang spoke calmly, her voice so light that only the two of them could hear, "It's been ten years, Father—how have you been?"