Chapter 310: Imperial Teacher Banquet

Taiji Hall.

Taiji Hall is the most magnificent building within the Imperial Palace, spanning twelve bays in width and fifteen halls in depth. The structure is ornate, with carved railings and jade masonry, exhausting the very limits of luxury. The roof adopts a single-eave, four-slope design with four layers of bracket sets supporting the eaves; its form appears simple yet is ingeniously crafted, a true combination of aesthetics and mechanics.

The banquet within the hall has already begun.

As the lanterns are lit, the hall is as bright as day. The sounds of strings and pipes are incessant, while palace maids and dancers weave through the crowd, offering wine to those before them.

The court ministers and the nobility have all arrived, each occupying their own area, chatting, drinking, and enjoying the song and dance, looking quite pleased. However, Yang Guang, who is meant to be on the dragon dais in the main seat, has yet to arrive. Yet no one finds this strange; it would be the real surprise if His Majesty were capable of being punctual.

Many who are familiar with the rules of imperial banquets have already cast aside all restraint after a few cups of wine, loudly flirting with the palace maids, even going so far as to grope them—utterly vulgar. A few guests attending for the first time are stunned, but they are quickly infected by the atmosphere and fully integrate into it, without the slightest sense of discord.

The Yuwen Clan occupies one of the tables.

The Clan Master, Yuwen Shang, holds a wine goblet and takes a shallow sip. His gaze sweeps over this absurd banquet, and he lets out a cold snort: "Back then, Yang Jian forced the Jing Emperor to abdicate and declared himself Emperor. Although his claim was illegitimate, he could still be considered a man of great talent and strategy, an unparalleled hero. He had countless capable men under his command and even amassed a substantial foundation for Yang Guang. But now, the court is filled with treacherous sycophants. Outside the martial world, rebel armies are rising everywhere; it is truly enough to make one sigh and wring one's hands."

"It is merely a case of those below following the example of those above. Only because there is a muddled ruler like Yang Guang can there be a court full of treacherous villains."

The one speaking is Yuwen Shiji, the younger brother of Yuwen Huaji. He is skilled in construction and once served as a minor supervisor for Yang Guang; the 'Shugang Ten Palaces,' including the Guiyan Palace, Huiliu Palace, and Songlin Palace north of Jiangdong City, were all built under his supervision.

Yuwen Huaji lets out a cold laugh: "It is precisely because of such a muddled ruler that Heaven has bestowed a golden opportunity upon our Yuwen Clan. Although there is no absolute certainty for today's operation, there is at least an eighty or ninety percent chance."

While speaking, Yuwen Huaji casts his gaze toward a middle-aged man not far away. This man has a handsome appearance and an imposing air, his eyes as sharp as a hawk's. Although his face is full of smiles, he always carries a lingering murderous aura that is completely out of place with the atmosphere of the banquet.

—Dugu Feng, Master of the Dugu Clan.

Although Dugu Feng's martial arts are not as good as Yuwen Shang's, he is still a thorny character and one of the variables in the Yuwen Clan's usurpation.

Dugu Feng seems to sense Yuwen Huaji's gaze; he turns his head to meet his eyes, a cold smile lingering at the corners of his mouth.

Where their gazes clash, it is as if bolts of lightning are exploding.

Although the Yuwen Clan and Dugu Feng are not exactly at daggers drawn, as the two great clans entrenched in Daxing, they have had many conflicts and contradictions.

Just at this moment, a loud crack of a whip sounds from the dragon dais, followed by a somewhat shrill, aged eunuch's voice:

"Silence! His Majesty arrives!"

The clamorous banquet instantly falls silent. The crowd of nobles and ministers hurriedly tidy their robes and caps, straighten their postures, and respectfully await the arrival of Yang Guang.

Wearing the Nine Dragon Robe, Yang Guang arrives on the dragon dais, surrounded by a crowd of eunuchs and female officials.

The nobles and ministers rise and bow to welcome him. Yang Guang waves his hand in a relaxed manner and says aloud: "Ministers, please rise."

Yuwen Huaji sits back down, holding his wine goblet. He glances at Yang Guang inadvertently and cannot help but feel his tiger-like body tremble; this muddled ruler Yang Guang seems completely different from the usual.

Yang Guang's appearance is actually not bad, but with his advancing age and indulgence in wine and women, he has long given people the feeling of someone on the verge of death—nothing more than a dying man.

But the current Yang Guang has recovered some of the dashing style of his youth, and he carries the aura belonging to a monarch, making Yuwen Huaji feel as if he has been transported back to the time before the three expeditions to Goguryeo.

At that time, Yang Guang may not have been an emperor for the ages, but he was heroic and spirited, possessing quite a bit of the demeanor of an enlightened ruler.

"What is going on with this muddled ruler..." The more Yang Guang acts this way, the more uneasy Yuwen Huaji and the others become.

The nobles and ministers sit back in their original seats one after another, having also discovered Yang Guang's abnormality. Not daring to return to their previous vulgar state, everyone sits upright, listening for the imperial decree.

Yang Guang sweeps his gaze downward and laughs: "Do my beloved ministers know why I have summoned you all here today?"

The nobles and ministers look at one another, their faces full of confusion, yet no one dares to answer casually, simply because the muddled ruler is temperamental; if the answer does not please him, being beaten with boards would be the least of their worries.

An official with a bulbous nose, narrow eyes, and a fat body stands up, his face full of smiles, and says in a flattering tone: "Your Majesty is the Supreme Sovereign, and your heavenly might is unfathomable. We are but mere mortals, how would we dare to guess the will of Heaven."

Everyone spits inwardly; this high official is none other than the Imperial Censor Pei Yun, who has no real talent or learning and only reached his current position through flattery and reporting only good news while concealing the bad.

"You fool." Yang Guang scolds him with a laugh, though he is not truly angry: "This banquet is called the 'Imperial Teacher Banquet,' and it is naturally held for the 'Imperial Tutor.' I was taken in as a disciple by a master yesterday, and today I am holding this banquet specifically for the 'Imperial Tutor'."

The crowd is confused, but none dare to defy Yang Guang, so they offer their congratulations one after another. Only Yuwen Huaji and the others are terrified, feeling an ominous premonition as they guess the identity of that Imperial Tutor.

"The Imperial Tutor has always had a slight reputation in the martial world; he is well-versed in astronomy and geography, and his cultivation is truly heaven-defying. He only arrived in Daxing yesterday." Yang Guang sits on the dragon dais and says with great interest: "I have already spoken so clearly; can you all guess the identity of the Imperial Tutor?"

"We do not know."

The old, cunning ministers present faintly smell something unusual and feel a sense of unease, not daring to speak at will.

"General Yuwen's intelligence has always been well-informed, and you are a man of extraordinary wisdom; I imagine you can guess the identity of the Imperial Tutor." Yang Guang casually raises a goblet of wine and takes a shallow sip, carrying a dashing and elegant air. After setting the goblet down, his gaze sweeps toward the Yuwen Clan's table.

A cold, murderous intent flashes in Yuwen Huaji's eyes, but it vanishes in an instant. He stands tall and proud, saying loudly: "Is the person His Majesty speaks of the 'Supreme Brilliance' Yu Liancheng?"

"Correct, it is indeed Master Yu. General Yuwen is truly clever." Yang Guang claps in praise and then says loudly: "Invite the Imperial Tutor into the hall."

Following the shouting of the Imperial Guard outside, a figure in black robes slowly walks in from outside the hall, followed by a young girl in yellow.

The girl is seventeen or eighteen years old, dressed in a goose-yellow dress, her slender, beautiful jade feet bare. She has a beauty that could topple kingdoms. As she steps into the hall, where the scent of wine is mixed with the fragrance of high-quality rouge, it is as if a fairy has come to attend a banquet at the Jade Pool.

But regardless of age or gender, whether noble, palace maid, or guard, everyone immediately fixes their gaze upon the black-clad figure in the lead, as if this person is a black hole capable of absorbing all the light around him.