Chapter 0148: Confidant

Chapter 0148: Confidant

Everyone rested first, and the evening would bring the banquet.

Since they were on the grassland, they naturally followed the local customs.

The Yuanzheng people love drinking, mainly because of the climate; drinking also helps to keep them warm.

When they arrived, they brought a large herd of cattle and sheep, which they grazed here; they would basically finish them before leaving.

Since they brought cattle and sheep, He Jingli couldn't come empty-handed.

Accepting their subordinate status, they couldn't accept it for nothing.

So, from small items like gold, silver, and jewels to grain, everything had to be given.

Of course, the Yuanzheng people didn't only bring cattle and sheep; naturally, they had other things.

In any case, everyone was very happy to meet this time.

Yunli returned to her tent, feeling quite tired, but unfortunately, she didn't have much time to rest.

She rested for a short while and then quickly changed clothes.

Before heading to the banquet, she had a few bites of snacks and drank hot tea.

It was almost time, so she hurried to the banquet.

The dinner was indeed lively.

This liveliness was real... very lively.

Because the Crown Prince directly called his own consort to perform.

Well, for the Yuanzheng people, this wasn't embarrassing; it was even honorable. Having one's woman sing and dance publicly was an embellishment.

Yunli herself agreed with this concept.

So, she watched with interest. The Crown Prince's consort wasn't young anymore; she seemed to be over thirty.

She was the Crown Prince's lawful wife, probably even older than thirty.

Her figure wasn't particularly slender, but probably because grassland women were good at riding horses and such, she didn't look bulky despite lacking the grace of a young girl.

Wearing a bright red dress with numerous braids on her head, she danced gracefully around the bonfire.

Someone played the horse-headed fiddle beside her, and a few girls followed her steps.

It's hard to describe, but she was very charismatic.

As the music ended, she held up the golden cup given by someone below: "I toast to Your Majesty."

Her Mandarin wasn't very fluent and sounded somewhat stiff.

He Jinyi smiled and said, "Good, Consort, I should drink it all."

He asked Meng Chang to take it over and drank it all.

The wine wouldn't go wrong because it was known beforehand that toasts would be made, and He Jinyi's attendants poured the wine.

After drinking, the Consort sat back down.

He Jinyi smiled and looked at his several concubines, "Since the Consort has danced, would you, my dear consorts, like to perform as well?"

Yunli took the lead, "Your Majesty, I'm willing."

He Jinyi was surprised because he understood that this woman wasn't one to seek attention.

But actually, Yunli just felt the itch to showcase her skills, spurred on by the Consort.

Yunli stepped forward and smiled at the Consort, "Thank you, Sister, for the dance. I enjoyed it very much. This time, I offer a song on the zither as a gift to you."

The Consort didn't understand, but after her attendants translated, she was delighted, "Thank you, it sounds beautiful!"

She hadn't even heard it yet.

Yunli smiled and sat at the center, tuning the zither slightly.

First, a soothing melody emanated from the zither, reminiscent of a mild breeze blowing over a summer night, carrying a hint of the coolness of the grassland.

The melody wasn't particularly flashy but was rather gentle and pleasant to the ear.

After about fifteen minutes, the music suddenly changed from tranquil to urgent.

Urgency transformed into fervor.

He Jinyi watched intently.

This melody, it was his first time hearing it, but others knew.

Like Qi Xiaohe, he paused for a moment.

This is... "The Broken Formation."

"The Broken Formation" is a piece of music from an unknown dynasty, inspired by a fragmented military formation, they say.

Some parts depict the clang of weapons, some the surging waves; it's a challenging piece.

It's also seldom favored by women.

It greatly tests one's skill, sometimes it's spirited and bold, like the horn blown by warriors marching into battle.

Other times it's melodious and deep, like the neighing of warhorses abandoned on the battlefield.

And finally, gradually, everything returns to calm; the fires of war are not yet extinguished, but there's no one left standing on the battlefield.

It's a war without victory.

The very last note, low but resolute.

Finally, it's over. Yunli stood up. "What did Sister think?" she asked the Consort.

She asked the Consort.

The Consort raised her thumb. "Excellent! Excellent!"

She urgently turned to say a few words to the attendant beside her.

The attendant hurriedly replied, "The Consort says she's never heard such music before. It feels like she's been in a battle; all she wants to do is drink."

Yunli smiled.

The Consort murmured a few more words, and the attendant promptly brought over a large cup of wine.

Yunli took it and raised her cup to the Consort. "Cheers."

The Consort understood and raised her cup. "Cheers!"

The two of them indeed downed a large cup.

"Hahaha, I never knew, my beloved consort possesses such spirit. Come, let me drink with you, my beloved consort," He Jinli chuckled.

Yunli didn't refuse and indeed drank another cup with He Jinli.

Then they sat down.

Naturally, everyone praised it; such music was rare. This Lady Qiong indeed has talent.

Qi Xiaohe was shocked to the core at this moment. When did his sister learn such music?

Perhaps the family didn't know?

The girls of the Qi family naturally learned music, chess, calligraphy, and painting since childhood, but this kind of music...

He tried to calm himself, after all, there were still people talking to him, all praising Lady Qiong's performance.

He had to smile and respond one by one.

Naturally, he couldn't say he didn't know, he could only say she learned it at home.

Yunli didn't think too much; she just wanted to, so she did.

She was amazed by the Consort, a woman in her thirties in ancient times, no longer sung praises.

But the Consort danced with great confidence. She liked it very much.

So she also became interested.

It was a truly enjoyable scene.

With Yunli's performance, the other consorts didn't embarrass themselves either.

Later on, it was the men's turn.

Yunli also began to enjoy the taste of roasted lamb. She didn't expect it to be delicious, but it turned out fine.

After all, it was prepared by the imperial chefs, and the flavor wasn't bad.

It's not too gamey, which is rare.

She had smelled the gaminess before, probably wafting over from the Yuanzheng people.

This banquet didn't end until late at night.

Yunli was assisted back. This time, she was truly drunk.

The alcohol wasn't too strong, but in the latter part, the Consort got tipsy and drank several cups with her.

Having had a few drinks before, Yunli hadn't drunk this much before, so naturally, she was a bit intoxicated.

However, while she might have trouble walking, her mind was clear.

She was assisted back to wash up and lay down, feeling incredibly sleepy.

Despite hearing that His Majesty had arrived outside, she didn't budge.

After He Jinli came in and saw her eyes red from drinking, he smiled and asked, "Had a bit too much to drink?"

"A thousand cups of wine are not enough when drinking with a bosom friend," Yunli's voice was hoarse.

"Hmm, that's a good saying," He Jinli remarked.

Yunli smiled, thinking to herself, "I am a Chinese treasure, of course it's a good saying."

"Consort, today you truly astonished me," He Jinli said.

"Consort again? Your Majesty must think I've never heard you say that before, right? Your Majesty is really stingy," Yunli spoke frankly.