Chapter 68

Chapter Sixty-Eight: You Can’t Afford to Compensate Me Upon hearing that the Emperor, the Empress, and the Sovereign of Ye Kingdom, Chu Chaoci, had arrived, Ling Jiayue no longer had time to change her clothes. She hurriedly joined everyone from Dayi in bowing and saluting. “Long live Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty! Long, long live Your Majesty! May the Empress live a thousand years, a thousand years, a thousand thousand years!” The envoys from Ye Kingdom also bowed to Chu Chaoci in greeting. “Long live Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty! Long, long live Your Majesty!” Accompanied by Empress Su Wanrong, Mu Yuye slowly walked to the Dragon Throne and sat down. Su Wanrong took the seat beside him, while Mu Yuye had a special seat arranged below for Chu Chaoci. Once the three of them were seated, Mu Yuye waved his hand and said, “You may dispense with the formalities. Rise.” “Thank you for Your Majesty’s gracious favor.” Only then did everyone rise. After everyone had taken their seats, Empress Su Wanrong, as the mother of the nation, spoke. “The reason I have arranged today’s peach-blossom banquet is to give the eligible young men and women of Dayi and Ye Kingdom an opportunity to find someone they favor. There is no need for everyone to be so restrained.” “Thank you for the Empress’s gracious favor.” Everyone rose once more to offer their thanks. “That will do. Sit down,” Su Wanrong said. “Empress, I see that these young people are all rather constrained. Why don’t we have some singing and dancing first, to liven things up?” Mu Yuye suggested. “I had already made preparations.” As the Empress spoke, she gave a meaningful glance to the chief palace maid beside her. The chief palace maid clapped her hands, and a group of beautiful singing girls came forward to perform. The musicians also began to play, and the dance was truly breathtaking. Chu Chaoci, however, sat in his chair with little interest. He had already accomplished the purpose of his visit to Dayi. His attendance at the peach-blossom banquet now was merely a matter of going through the motions. If he could, he would have returned to Ye Kingdom long ago to prepare for the mining operations. No—first, he had to mine the mineral deposits scattered throughout Dayi. Chu Chaoci narrowed his eyes as he thought about it, looking thoroughly satisfied, as though all the mineral deposits had already been mined. Sitting in his chair, Chu Chaoci swayed his head with an absent-minded expression. Every movement he made was seen by Mu Yuye. Mu Yuye asked, “What is it? Is the Sovereign of Ye Kingdom dissatisfied with the singing and dancing of Dayi? Are the dancers of Dayi inferior to those of Ye Kingdom?” “Sovereign of Dayi, you jest. I am merely unable to hold my liquor. How could it have anything to do with the dancers?” Chu Chaoci replied. “That is good, then. I hope the Sovereign of Ye Kingdom can enjoy himself.” Mu Yuye raised his wine cup and offered a distant toast to Chu Chaoci. “Certainly, certainly.” Chu Chaoci also lifted his wine cup in response. When Ling Jiayue saw Chu Chaoci, the last remnants of reason in her mind were swallowed by rage. The moment she saw him, she remembered her father and Older Brother, who had died unjustly, as well as the Liuhuo Army and the entire Ling family. She clenched her fists until they creaked. Unfortunately, she had no power to take revenge at present, so Ling Jiayue could only suppress her fury for the time being. Mu Yuheng noticed her tiny movements. He became even more certain that Ling Jiayue was the former Empress of Ye Kingdom whom he had once captured. Once Mu Yuheng had confirmed Ling Jiayue’s identity, his heart filled with pain for her. He knew how proud she had once been. Yet her enemy was right before her eyes, while she had suffered every kind of humiliation and been driven to take her own life. Now, Chu Chaoci was sitting here, but Ling Jiayue could not take revenge with her own hands and even had to hide from him for the time being. Mu Yuheng decided that he would protect Ling Jiayue throughout this banquet. At the very least, while Ling Jiayue lacked the power to take revenge, he could protect her from Chu Chaoci’s sharp edge. The other person who did not want Ling Jiayue to be discovered by Chu Chaoci was Murong Xi. Unlike Mu Yuheng, Murong Xi wanted to prevent her discovery so that he could kill Ling Jiayue in secret. Murong Xi could sense that Chu Chaoci still had feelings for Ling Jiayue. Ever since they had set out for Dayi, Chu Chaoci had called Ling Jiayue’s name in his sleep. This left Murong Xi deeply alarmed. Although he knew that Chu Chaoci had long wanted to exterminate the entire Ling family and the Liuhuo Army, Murong Xi himself had fanned the flames behind the scenes. He was terrified that one day Chu Chaoci would remember everything and punish him. Therefore, he would never allow Chu Chaoci to meet Ling Jiayue. Ling Jiayue looked at Chu Chaoci coldly. She truly could not sit there any longer, so she said to Madam Liu, “Mother, I’m going to change my clothes first.” Madam Liu nodded in agreement and instructed, “Danyun, Lingxue, go with Miss Ling to change her clothes. Be careful and watch over her closely.” “Yes, Madam,” Danyun and Lingxue replied. Mu Yuheng also gave Feng Yan a meaningful glance. Murong Xi signaled his personal guards as well, and Ling Yuwan prepared to rise from her seat. Just as Ling Jiayue was about to stand, the Censor’s Wife passed by her and accidentally spilled wine onto her dress. Pretending to be startled, the Censor’s Wife loudly exclaimed, “Oh my, Miss Ling, I’m truly sorry. Since you were going to change clothes anyway, I’m sure you won’t blame me.” The Censor’s Wife’s loud voice attracted the attention of many people, and Chu Chaoci also looked over at the sound. But with that single glance, his heartbeat lost its rhythm. Is it you? Have you returned? Chu Chaoci asked himself this inwardly. Although he had eliminated the Ling family and the Liuhuo Army with ruthless methods, after Ling Jiayue had leaped to her death, his heart had begun to ache. Only then did he realize that he had fallen in love with the woman he had used. At this moment, seeing Ling Jiayue filled Chu Chaoci with joy. Yet he also felt that this Ling Jiayue was unlike his former Empress, Ling Jiayue. This girl, just sixteen years old, was at the height of her beauty. Looking at her, Chu Chaoci felt as though he had returned to the time when he had first met his former Empress, Ling Jiayue. While Chu Chaoci was still immersed in the shock of seeing Ling Jiayue, Murong Xi and Mu Yuheng both frowned. They knew that things had gone terribly wrong. They had done everything they could to conceal Ling Jiayue, yet the Censor’s Wife’s loud cry had caused Chu Chaoci to discover her. The Censor’s Wife had offended both Mu Yuheng and Murong Xi without realizing it. Instead, she was congratulating herself over having spilled wine all over Ling Jiayue, completely oblivious to the furious looks the two men were directing at her. Ling Jiayue had been drenched in wine and had not even had time to lose her temper when the Censor’s Wife continued, “I heard long ago that Miss Ling is knowledgeable and reasonable. Surely you won’t hold such a small matter against me. At worst, I’ll compensate you with a new outfit.” Seeing her precious daughter bullied right before her eyes, Madam Liu could not possibly tolerate it. She immediately lashed out. “The Censor’s Wife certainly has an impressive sense of authority. You spilled wine all over my daughter and think that giving her a new outfit will settle the matter? When did the people of my Ling Residence become people you could bully as you pleased?” The Censor’s Wife stubbornly retorted, “It was only a little wine spilled on her dress. Why are you making such a fuss, Madam Ling? I’ll send you a few new outfits another day.” Ling Jiayue could no longer be bothered with Chu Chaoci. She looked coldly at the Censor’s Wife and said, “I’m afraid you can’t afford to compensate me for this outfit.”