Chapter 39: The Emperor’s Birthday Banquet

Chapter 39: The Emperor's Birthday Banquet

Rongqian Hall.

A crowd of guests had assembled, all coming to celebrate the Emperor's birthday.

Chen Shuoan took one look around.

Oh my, there were even foreign envoys—golden-haired, blue-eyed foreigners.

The banquet was a flurry of clinking glasses and toasts, yet every pair of eyes gleamed with cunning and calculation.

Chen Shuoan stuck close to Chen Jingxian's side, getting thoroughly scolded by his father.

"Chen Gangpao came to the courtyard last night and immediately started chasing Facai around and biting everything in sight! If he's not gnawing on this wall, he's trampling that patch of grass. I can't raise him any longer, don't you dare dump him on me!"

Chen Shuoan's head was spinning—he never expected Chen Gangpao to be even worse at the Chen estate, causing chaos throughout the household.

"Dad, dear, where else can Gangpao go besides the Chen estate? You managed to raise me, so you can't just give up on Chen Gangpao."

Chen Shuoan pleaded with his father, tugging at his heartstrings with sound reasoning, coaxing a smile back onto Chen Jingxian's face.

"Hmph," Chen Jingxian stroked his beard, signaling the matter was closed. Spotting Liu Fengnian chatting with friends nearby, as if suddenly reminded, he said, "Minister Liu has a remarkable grandson. Yesterday I had a lengthy conversation with His Highness the Sixth Prince—his speech was warm and refined, his words well-reasoned and logical, not a whit inferior to the Crown Prince."

Chen Shuoan gave two proud snorts, as if he were the one being praised.

"I used to think the Sixth Prince was exceptionally talented but cold by nature, difficult to deal with. But yesterday changed my opinion of him entirely."

"How so?"

Chen Jingxian stroked his beard and said with satisfaction, "His Highness knelt for two hours in Elder Zhiqing's chamber yesterday, beseeching a jade bracelet to ward off misfortune—surely meant for someone important. This shows the Prince is a man of deep sentiment and loyalty."

Chen Shuoan: "..."

No wonder His Highness had been covered in gray dust last night—it must have been incense ash from the Elder's chamber.

A wave of warmth welled up in Chen Shuoan's heart. He thought His Highness was absolutely wonderful—even his foul temper now seemed endearing.

"I'll say no more on this. In half an hour, Prime Minister Su will lead all the officials and foreign envoys to offer birthday wishes to His Majesty. Once the officials have paid their respects, the banquet will begin. You youngsters shouldn't cause too much of a ruckus at the feast, lest you offend imperial dignity."

Chen Shuoan secretly flashed him a quick "OK" sign and nodded to show he understood.

The formal audience with the officials was long and tedious. Chen Shuoan and his buddies waited outside, standing on tiptoe to peek inside.

When he saw the Emperor secretly grab a pastry from the table and quickly stuff it into his mouth, he couldn't help but snort with laughter.

The Emperor's throne sat to the north, facing south.

To Yuan Zun's left sat a woman dressed in luxurious, dignified attire, wearing a phoenix crown—the epitome of a mother to the nation.

Chen Shuoan recognized her: this was the Empress, née Liu of the Yuan family.

And to Yuan Zun's right sat another woman, who looked about the same age as the Empress. She wore a magnificent purple robe, and a phoenix crown sat atop her intricately styled hair as well.

Chen Shuoan looked puzzled.

Zheng Yuanzhi beside him noticed his confusion and explained, "The one to His Majesty's right is the Grand Empress Dowager."

Before he could respond, Zheng Yuanzhi leaned in and whispered, "The Grand Empress Dowager is not the Emperor's birth mother. She was the celebrated talented lady of the Bai family in the capital, taken into the palace a year before the late Emperor's passing."

"The Emperor's birth mother died of blood stagnation, and half a year after Lady Bai entered the palace, he formally recognized her as his mother. When the late Emperor passed, consorts with children were sent to guard the imperial mausoleum, while those without were buried alive with him."

"But Lady Bai, on the very first day of the Emperor's reign, had her carriage arrive at Cining Palace and was installed as Grand Empress Dowager."

Chen Shuoan nodded in vague understanding—so that was the connection.

He looked away from the Grand Empress Dowager, searching for the Sixth Prince.

Yuan Qi sat at Yuan Zun's lower left, with the other princes seated on either side, Yuan Qi at their head.

Chen Shuoan scanned past each prince until he finally spotted Yuan Rang, seated across from the Seventh Prince, Yuan Rui.

Yuan Rang seemed to sense something. He turned his head slightly, and his narrow, phoenix-shaped eyes met Chen Shuoan's gaze directly.

A smile spread across his face as he stared at Chen Shuoan without so much as a blink.

Seeing that Yuan Rang had noticed him, Chen Shuoan raised his left hand above the crowd and waved enthusiastically, bursting with excitement.

Soon, he felt another pair of eyes on him.

He followed the gaze—and found it came from the Grand Empress Dowager.

She smiled gently at him, with kind, gentle eyes and an approachable air, her face still bearing traces of her once-legendary beauty.

Just then, the officials finished their audience, and everyone was allowed to take their seats.

Chen Shuoan, a modern college student who had never witnessed such a spectacle, eagerly grabbed Zheng Yuanzhi and picked a seat, finding this even more entertaining than village feasts.

Zheng Yuanzhi sat down beside him and said, "We're still young—we can't fully grasp the intrigues of this banquet, only see the surface. Look over there: the Marquis of Wanhe from Shuobei has also come to offer birthday wishes. Do you really think he came just for that?"

Chen Shuoan's cheeks were stuffed full of food—adorable but utterly clueless: "Then why else?"

"In recent years, fighting has flared up again in Shuobei. The skirmishes are small but numerous, and the Marquis of Wanhe is thoroughly fed up, always advocating for crushing the Xiongnu once and for all. But the court won't agree, so it keeps being put off."

"This year, with natural disasters striking, the court has already cut taxes again and again, yet the state coffers remain empty. Where's the money to fund border wars?"

"Shuobei is plagued by constant unrest. The Marquis puts down one uprising only for another to flare up. Provisions, military supplies—none of it comes free. Is the Marquis supposed to fund his own troops out of pocket? Then what's the court even for?"

Listening, Chen Shuoan started to realize the seriousness of the situation.

"But the treasury really has no money. Why is that? What happened to the money from previous years? Where did it all go—does anyone even know? Look, the Marquis is already consulting with the Minister of Revenue. By the looks of it, this is about to reach the Emperor's ears."

"I don't know much about court affairs, and this is only the tip of the iceberg—yet it already seems rotten to the core." Zheng Yuanzhi picked up the wine flask on the table, poured himself a cup, and downed it in one gulp, the burn searing bitterness into his chest.

Chen Shuoan chewed the pastry in his mouth, suddenly finding it tasteless.

Bells and drums resounded together, elegant music soared, and the hall was resplendent in every corner.

Yuan Zun rose to his feet, facing the assembled officials as he drank the first birthday toast.

The banquet had begun.

Beautiful women danced and sang, playing flutes and plucking strings. The hall glittered in golden splendor as officials, amid the melody of pipes and strings, offered birthday wishes to His Majesty, blessing him with robust health and longevity matching the heavens.

Yuan Zun took Liu-shi's hand and stood before the golden imperial throne with majestic, regal bearing. At his feet, all the officials bowed low, radiating the dignified grandeur of imperial authority.

It was as if this nation were as prosperous and powerful as it appeared on the surface.

The banquet featured a dazzling array of performances and exquisite dishes.

The guests were chatting merrily, laughing and smiling, making it all look like one big, happy scene.

Chen Shuoan looked at the smiles on these people's faces and could feel the undercurrents stirring beneath the surface.

Everyone seemed busy with their own agenda, and even around him, several officials had gathered to share their own views.

The Emperor, beaming with delight, downed his last cup of birthday wine.

This seemed to mark the end of this transactional feast, and instantly the ministers gathered together.

They all congratulated the Emperor, wishing him blessings as vast as the Eastern Sea and longevity without end.

May the realm enjoy peace and prosperity.