Chapter 46 The way Xue Chan gazed upon the banquet was truly "equal distribution of favors"...

As darkness fell, the lights were lit in Yi'an Hall.

Grandma Qi sat high in the center, her eyes filled with tears as she stared at her youngest son kneeling before her.

"You...you still know how to come back..."

Jiang Shiyu raised his head and looked at his mother, whose hair had turned silver, and his eyes couldn't help but well up with tears.

He was always the youngest child, growing up under the care of his parents, older brother, and sister-in-law.

In my youth, I was carefree and loved to explore mountains and rivers. I once rowed a boat alone across a river in springtime, sipped wine in the misty rain of Jiangnan, watched the sunrise over the sea of ​​clouds on a snowy mountain peak, and rode a horse through the wind and sand at sunset.

Jiang Silang loved to joke. His originally gentle face had become resolute and rough after years of hardship, but his smile at this moment was much quieter.

Several years ago, his elder sister, who was the Empress, passed away, and he was in the midst of a purge outside the Great Wall. He could only kneel and kowtow for a long time on the hillside at sunset, facing the direction of the capital.

Jiang Shiyu knelt down and kowtowed, calling out once.

"Mother"

When Grandma Qi saw her young son, whom she hadn't seen for nearly five or six years, tears welled up in her eyes.

She choked up, unable to speak, and could only stand up shakily.

The mother beside her wanted to help, but Grandma Qi shook her head and refused.

She raised her staff and brought it down on the young child.

The moment the cane struck Jiang Shiyu, she felt as if her heart was being torn apart. She could only tremble slightly as she said, "So, you still remember that I am your mother. I thought you were prepared to lock yourself away in that remote place for the rest of your life. You didn't care about this family, or about me, your mother."

Jiang Shiyu raised his head, tears streaming down his face: "Mother."

Hearing his voice, Grandma Qi finally couldn't help but slowly squat down and hug the only child that God had left her.

The mother and son, who had not seen each other for a long time, wept bitterly. A moment later, a little person crawled out from under the table.

Holding the football, she stared blankly at the people in the room: "Father, Grandmother, why are you crying?"

Jiang Shiyu wiped away his tears, stepped forward and picked her up: "Ayao, your father is happy to see your grandmother again."

Jiang Yao nodded and showed him the football: "Dad, look, this is the football my second brother made for me, it's so beautiful."

"It is very beautiful," he replied with a gentle smile, then asked her, "Why do you hide in the house? That's not a good habit."

Jiang Yao muttered, "I didn't dodge, the ball just happened to be kicked into the goal..."

Grandma Qi said, "Alright, it's a rare opportunity for the whole family to get together, let's all go have dinner."

The Marquis of Wu'an's household was filled with people who had either died or passed away from illness; even when they gathered together, there were only about two tables of people.

Jiang Shiyu's return was a rare and joyous occasion. The group gathered together and celebrated happily until late into the night, a rare occurrence for them.

Jiang Yao was tired from playing and fell asleep on Jiang Shiyu's back. He carried her all the way back to the room, where the maids changed her clothes, washed her, covered her with a quilt, and then he sat by the bed watching her sleep.

Before long, Old Mrs. Qi also came in and sat down on the edge of the bed.

She gently patted the sleeping Jiang Yao, then, remembering something, sighed and said, "This is also a tragedy..."

Jiang Shiyu said, "Mother, Ayao is not a cursed child. Look how beautiful she is, how much she looks like her mother."

When Jiang Yao's mother, who died young, was mentioned, Old Mrs. Qi's emotions became even more complicated.

The emperor had arranged the marriage for Jiang Shiyu. The bride was already over a month pregnant shortly after marrying into the family.

She didn't know about it at first; Jiang Shiyu had kept it a secret very well, but she eventually found out anyway.

His wife was already pregnant on their wedding day. She died shortly after giving birth, entrusting the child to him on her deathbed.

Grandma Qi hesitated, but Jiang Shiyu knew what she wanted to say, so he said, "Blame me if you must."

"Even if there are a thousand faults and ten thousand mistakes, it is my fault that I failed to notice them in time and dared not disobey the imperial decree. This caused her mother to be separated from her sweetheart and forced to marry into the family. Moreover, what has the child done? Her mother married me, and she was born into the Jiang family and raised by me. She is my child."

"You're always like this."

Jiang Shiyu smiled and said, "That's because Mother taught her well. Otherwise, why would you have kept everything a secret when Ayao was born, named her, and put her in the family genealogy? Like mother, like son."

Grandma Qi couldn't help but smile: "Well, well, it's all over now..."

Jiang Shiyu then asked, "Mother came to see me, not because of Ayao, right?"

She looked at him; the young man remained calm, his eyes lowered, still appearing serene.

"Tomorrow you will be attending a banquet at the palace. Are you ready?"

Jiang Shiyu's eyes flickered, and he said with a faint smile, "Although I have been outside the Great Wall for many years, I still remember etiquette."

"Etiquette," Old Mrs. Qi frowned, her face growing serious. "You know exactly what I'm talking about."

“It’s inevitable to feel sad when old friends meet again. But your old friend is no ordinary person. You and her…” Old Madam Qi couldn’t bear it, but she still said, “Shiyu, you must understand that even a single glance from you could make His Majesty feel like he has a fishbone stuck in his throat.”

"It's impossible for you anymore."

Grandma Qi was also heartbroken. She knew that every word she said was like tearing open his bloody wound.

But if it weren't for that...

The young man lowered his head, his shoulders relaxed, and his hands clenched the hem of his robe tightly under his sleeves. He said softly, "Mother, I know. From the moment I decided to accept the arranged marriage, I knew that I could never go back to her."

The flickering candlelight on the low table made his expression even more indistinct, as if he were both crying and laughing.

He let out a long breath, exhaling the sour feeling, before raising his slightly red and moist eyes.

"I just feel...I'm sorry to her..."

He choked up and couldn't say anything more.

If he had cleared out the enemy earlier, if he had discovered in time that Xue Chenghuai had been framed, then that military report could have been sent out sooner.

Xue Chenghuai will not be escorted to the capital, his wife will not die in childbirth from the bad news, and she will not...

But his sister told him: Shiyu, what's done is done, and there's no going back. Since that's the case, let's look forward.

He knew ten years ago that neither he nor she had done anything wrong; it was just that fate had played a cruel trick on them.

"mother......"

Jiang Yao, who was sleeping soundly, turned over and mumbled a few more words in her sleep.

"mother"

"mother"

Xue Chan, clutching the painting, ran towards the person sitting by the water. But no matter how far she walked or how fast she ran, her mother remained sitting there, neither too close nor too far.

Once she finally got close, she became timid again, took two steps back, and said earnestly, "Mother, I've made great progress lately, and I think I'll achieve it soon. Would you...would you like to take a look?"

The person sitting by the water didn't react or pay attention to her; instead, they stood up and walked into the water.

Soon, she walked further and further away, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't catch up.

Tears streamed down Xue Chan's cheeks.

"mother!"

Xue Chan suddenly opened her eyes and gasped for breath.

The ram's horn palace lamp by the bedside still emitted a faint, dim yellow light, and the small window behind it let in a hazy white glow. Only then did she calm down as if waking up, her face pale and tired.

It turned out to be just a dream.

She slowly closed her eyes and breathed slowly, and all the fear and pain gradually faded away, leaving only a deep weariness.

Yun Sheng gently patted her shoulders and back, and Chu Tao turned around to pour her a cup of tea and feed it to her.

"What time is it?"

"It's 3:45 AM now, and it'll be dawn soon. Let's sleep a little longer."

"No need, you have to attend the banquet anyway, get up."

"good"

The Qujiang Banquet is centered around Fuguang Pond, with separate tables for men and women on both sides of the lake, surrounded by curtains and screens, just within easy reach of those on the opposite bank.

Just a short walk and you'll see a group of bright and promising young people.

Simply put, spring is a wonderful season.

There are too many young women and men of marriageable age in the capital, and the emperor's several princesses are still unmarried.

Spring is a season that brings forth the spirit of spring.

The flower banquet is a rare and precious gathering.

Whether it's for finding a partner, showcasing one's talents, or pursuing fame and fortune, this is an excellent time and a wonderful occasion.

Xue Chan was engaged, so the matchmaking was not a very relevant matter to her, but she had another matter on her mind.

"well"

Xue Chan smiled and asked Cheng Huaizhu beside her, "You were reading the poem so well, why are you sighing?"

Cheng Huaizhu stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the flowing calligraphy on the wall: "I just feel sorry for the person who wrote this poem."

"Huaizhu, be careful what you say," Xue Chan whispered a reminder.

At this time, there were too many people coming and going in Silou, and it was possible that a careless remark might cause some trouble and offend the emperor's authority.

Cheng Huaizhu immediately shut her mouth, quietly glanced around, and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that no one had noticed them.

This was not the first time Cheng Huaizhu had attended the Emperor's Qionglin Banquet and Flower Banquet.

Six years ago, she was invited here because her brother, Cheng Qingpei, had achieved the third-highest rank in the imperial examination. At that time, she was ten years old. It was then that she saw Deng Run, the eldest daughter of Vice Minister Deng, on the Shisi Tower, winning first place with her essay "Ode to Dongyang," which surpassed all the other scholars.

That year, Cheng Huaizhu copied "Ode to Dongyang" by hand and sent it to her with a letter. Half a year later, in another letter she sent, there was only paper stained with tears.

Cheng Huaizhu was somewhat disappointed and hugged Xue Chan's arm tightly.

Xue Chan gently patted her, glanced back at the wall with the inscription behind her, sighed softly, and pulled Cheng Huaizhu down from Shisi Tower.

The two arrived quite early, and the four departments and six bureaus were already waiting in various places.

At this time, many families who were supposed to attend the banquet had not yet arrived, and even the emperor and his concubines had not arrived.

As soon as they went downstairs, they found a place to sit and drink. Xue Chan sat at a low table, and someone else sat down beside her.

"Why are you just sitting here drinking?"

She looked up and saw Fang Youxi sitting down with a smile, while Xiao Yangjun gave her a gentle smile.

Xue Chan said, "The wine in the palace is always more precious than that outside the palace."

Xiao Yangjun laughed and said, "Stop drinking, let's go take a look. Such a rare gathering, we should see more handsome young men."

Xue Chan smiled faintly: "I am already engaged, why bother with this?"

Fang Youxi pulled her up directly: "So what if you have an engagement? Can't you even take a look? I don't believe that God can send down a thunderbolt."

Cheng Huaizhu loved to join in the fun, and the three of them, pulling and tugging at each other, dragged Xue Chan along, chatting and laughing, towards the pond.

Although separated by reed curtains and screens, there were no strict boundaries. The girls would often quietly lift the curtains in twos and threes to peek at the young men from various families and the newly appointed scholars by the Fuguang Pond.

Young men would also walk back and forth, their eyes taking in the flowing skirts and cloud-like hairpins.

The group held hands and drew closer, only peeking out from behind the screen when they were as close as they could get.

Xue Chan glanced around briefly. Perhaps because this place had such a beautiful view, many beauties were hiding there, and their shy yet bold conversations could be clearly heard.

"Look, look, that one in the blue robe is the heir of the Earl of Mingyi. And that one in light purple is this year's top scholar, Shen Zhe. I heard that although he comes from a poor background, His Majesty greatly appreciates him. His talent and appearance are both first-rate."

The girls giggled and encouraged each other.

Since Xue Chan didn't recognize them, she simply looked at whoever they pointed to.

Although I was forced to come, who doesn't like good-looking people?

Xue Chan's gaze swept from one place to another, and her mood improved considerably. She turned around and settled on the center.

The emperor sat in the middle, with Jiang Ce standing behind him, holding a sword across his hand.

Jiang Ce gripped the hilt of his sword, his gaze fixed on the screen beneath the apricot blossoms, revealing a long, light blue shawl.

He had seen Xue Chan long ago.

At first, she was quite happy. But when her gaze fell on herself, she thought, "Sure enough, I am too beautiful. She can't help but come and see me."

To everyone's surprise, Xue Chan looked at this person one moment and that person the next, her eyes and smiles conveying a sense of "equal favor" and "universal love for all beings."

Before Jiang Ce could even show his displeasure, the two screens collapsed with a "bang" due to the jostling between them.

The crowd followed the sound and saw only falling apricot blossoms and shyly departing girls.

Jiang Ce stared at Xue Chan, who was running the fastest. She grabbed one of them with each hand, and they disappeared in a flash.

This person is really something, always knowing how to run away.