Chapter 129: The Banquet Begins
Princess Yizhen stepped forward and took Lan Wu’s hand. “Look at you today—you’re truly beautiful.”
Even with just the outer robe wrapped around her, hiding the dress beneath, Lan Wu stood there, graceful and poised, her radiance outshining even the warm sunlight.
“Isn’t that right? We were just saying the same thing,” a few women beside her chimed in with smiles. They knew better than to offend this favored consort, even if they couldn’t befriend her. After all, she was the one held closest to Your Majesty’s heart.
“Why aren’t you going inside? Standing out here in the cold wind could easily make you catch a chill,” Yizhen said, then glanced at her teasingly. “That would cause quite a stir.”
Lan Wu understood her meaning perfectly and couldn’t help but clear her throat softly. Meeting the curious gazes of the ladies, she brushed it off, saying, “I just felt a bit stifled inside and came out for some fresh air. We’ll be in there for quite a while this afternoon.”
The New Year’s Eve banquet was always a lengthy affair, with drawn-out rituals and strict etiquette. The feast alone consisted of three separate courses.
It wasn’t that no one could leave their seat at all, but as long as Your Majesty remained at the head of the hall, no one dared to be absent for too long.
Lan Wu could say this with certainty because, in her past life, she had nearly dozed off during the New Year’s Eve banquet. Accustomed to taking afternoon naps daily, she was kept busy from morning onward on New Year’s Eve, and still had to stay up late for the vigil. Though the banquet had its amusing moments, the warmth of the hall only made her feel more drowsy.
Lan Wu admired Chu Mingheng’s ability to remain clear-headed even after drinking. She doubted most people in the hall could manage that.
No one dared to take her words as a complaint, even though they were true. After all, this was a palace-wide family banquet—who would dare speak ill of it?
“It looks like it’s almost time. Let’s head inside as well.”
“Yes, indeed.”
Princess Yizhen’s seat was right next to Lan Wu’s, so the two walked together for a while longer. Standing close, they spoke softly, yet their words were clear.
“You’ve fully recovered from your illness, haven’t you? I was so worried when I heard the news in my princess residence.” This was the truth. As a princess, Yizhen dared not involve herself in any serious matters. When she heard that Lan Wu had fallen ill that night, she paced anxiously in her residence, knowing that if anything happened to Lan Wu, she wouldn’t fare well either.
But it was late at night, and she couldn’t enter the palace. With no news of Lan Wu’s condition, she stayed awake the entire night, only calming down the next day when she heard Lan Wu was fine.
Lan Wu nodded. “It was just a minor cold. I rested for a few days and recovered fully. There’s no need for you to worry about me, Princess.”
Yizhen murmured an acknowledgment, then changed the subject to the cats. “How is Yun Gao? Wumei has grown quite plump in my residence.”
“Yun Gao has also gained quite a bit of weight. In the cold winter, she loves snuggling up to me.” Everyone liked Yun Gao—except for Chu Mingheng, who disapproved of this habit.
“You named that cat Wumei?” Lan Wu thought Chu Mingheng’s choice of “Mowan” for the cat wasn’t particularly pleasant, but now… it seemed “Wumei” and “Mowan” were equally unimpressive.
Yizhen nodded lightly. “Yes. You know, I was struggling to come up with a name for her. I went through all the classics but couldn’t find anything suitable. Just then, a palace maid brought me some plums—specifically, black plums. I immediately decided to call her Wumei.”
Chatting and laughing, the two entered the grand hall.
The main hall was warm, but Lan Wu did not immediately remove her outer garment. She waited a while before taking off her cloak and handing it to the palace maid behind her.
Today, nearly all the imperial concubines were present, except for Zhaoyi Wen, who was still ill.
Lan Wu’s seat was far too conspicuous, and many could not help but stare directly at her and Consort Shu.
Logically, Consort Shu should have been seated in Lan Wu’s place, as she held the highest rank in the palace, not to mention she also wielded authority over palace affairs.
The imperial concubines whispered among themselves, marveling at how magnanimous Consort Shu was to give such an important seat to Lan Wu.
Consort Shu, standing nearby, forced a smile, her teeth nearly gritted with resentment.
This seating arrangement was certainly not her doing. It was only when the concubines were about to take their seats that a palace attendant came forward to inform her that His Majesty had ordered her to change places.
Had she arrived later, she would have been publicly humiliated.
Even though few knew the truth now, it would surely be discussed after today.
Why must His Majesty treat her this way, showing her no face at all?
Noble Consort Li’s seat was below Consort Shu’s. She had spoken little since arriving and appeared much thinner. Her gauntness only accentuated her fierce demeanor, and seeing Consort Shu’s discomfort now, she could not help but smile inwardly.
Consort Shu and Lan Wu—they were birds of a feather, shameless creatures. One abused her power, while the other used seductive tricks to bewitch His Majesty. They both deserved to die!
The lower-ranking concubines were seated further back. Though their positions were set apart to ensure they could still see the performances in the center of the hall, those seated even further back were less fortunate—what they could see depended entirely on their eyesight.
The appointed hour was approaching, but Chu Mingheng had yet to arrive.
At that moment, Lan Wu noticed Princess Consort Wei, seated nearly four or five zhang away across the hall, lowering her head to wipe away tears.
On such an important occasion as the New Year’s Eve banquet, one should hold back tears even if overwhelmed. If seen, it could easily become a pretext for trouble.
But Princess Consort Wei was also a member of the Lin family. Was she crying at this banquet because the Lin family had been imprisoned?
Although the Lin family was in prison, His Majesty had not yet issued an edict. It was said that the Lin family members in prison continued to proclaim their innocence.
As Lan Wu pondered this, Princess Consort Wei across the hall had already stopped her tears. Those beside her had clearly noticed her weeping and offered a few words of comfort, reminding her that such occasions were not the place for tears and that being seen by palace officials could lead to trouble.
Princess Consort Wei, Lady Lin, had no choice but to cease her tears and softly express her gratitude.
Just then, footsteps echoed from outside the hall—imperial guards.
The arrival of the guards meant one thing—His Majesty was also here.
Sure enough, as Lan Wu looked toward the entrance, she heard the eunuch’s loud announcement: “His Majesty has arrived—”
Everyone in the hall rose to their feet, bowing their heads slightly, not daring to look directly at the emperor about to enter.
Then, the sound of footsteps grew closer, light and unhurried, as shoes tread upon the golden bricks of the hall. The emperor passed before the crowd, pausing briefly to glance at Lan Wu as he walked by. As he passed her side, a soft chuckle reached her ears, carrying a tone of delight and affection.
Only when Chu Mingheng gave the order to rise did Lan Wu straighten up, her face slightly flushed. She looked up at the emperor above her and glared at him without mercy before immediately averting her gaze.
Chu Mingheng might not care about appearances, but she did. For the two of them to exchange such meaningful glances in front of so many people would not bode well if word got out.
She then averted her gaze, pretending as if nothing had happened, and turned her attention to the flowers arranged on the table. The palace banquet was truly elegant, with fresh blooms even adorning the seating areas.
Chu Mingheng received that utterly unconvincing look of flustered annoyance, and seeing how quickly she retreated, he helplessly shifted his gaze away. After a slow glance toward the lower hall, he commanded, “Let the banquet begin.”