Chapter 37: Praise

Singing and dancing were essential at the royal banquet. After everyone had spoken and presented gifts, accompanied by the melodious music of the orchestra, several beautiful dancers slowly appeared on stage, their long sleeves covering their faces.

Chan Zhen sat at the top, watching with rapt interest. It was her first time appreciating a dance performance from this perspective. Even Chan Zhen had to admit that the dancers trained by the Imperial Music Bureau were no less skilled than herself. The finale, the beautiful woman in red, performed a stunning dance with long sleeves and a folded waist, commanding admiration.

When the music and dance ended, the stunning beauty in red bowed gracefully to the throne, her voice soft and gentle, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. I wish you longevity and good health."

Everyone looked up at the Imperial Concubine. Since she entered the palace, she has been the only one favored by the emperor. Both the former and the harem hoped that a new person would appear to break the current situation.

The Imperial Concubine's advantage lies in her youth and beauty, and His Majesty has probably grown tired of the elderly women in the harem. This dancer is an exceptional dancer. While not as gifted as the Imperial Concubine, she is equally charming and alluring, possessing a unique charm. Perhaps she could truly catch His Majesty's eye and earn a share of the Imperial Concubine's favor.

Chan Zhen calmly picked up the tea and took a sip, ignoring the gazes around her. She thought to herself that if His Majesty couldn't even resist the temptation in front of him, she would better give up as soon as possible.

"How did you learn these rules?" Chen Dingyao raised his eyelids slightly and said in a cold tone, "Seeing that my concubine is here, why can't you bow to see her?"

The woman's face turned pale, a hint of jealousy flashed in her eyes, and then she smiled again and bowed to Chan Zhen: "Your servant greets the Imperial Concubine."

Chan Zhen looked at her trembling body, as if he saw his former timid self. It was only because she was lucky enough to meet His Majesty that she did not fall into such an embarrassing situation.

"Stand up," she said with a gentle smile. She didn't give the dancer a hard time as everyone expected. Instead, she praised her sincerely, "Your long-sleeved, bent-waist dance is excellent."

Chan Zhen's specialty was the Green Waist Dance, which, like the Long Sleeves and Bent Waist Dance, emphasized lightness and grace, sharing many similarities in technique. Although she disliked those deliberately alluring dances, she saw this girl as her rare rival in terms of skill, and so her gaze shone with admiration.

"Thank you very much, Your Majesty, for your praise." The woman's face was filled with pride. She was the best dancer in the Jiaofang Bureau, so she got the chance to be the last to perform at today's banquet.

She had heard that the Imperial Concubine, now favored by the Emperor, had originally been a dancer presented to him during his southern tour. She believed her dancing skills were no less impressive than those of the Imperial Concubine, who came from a more rural background. Since the Imperial Concubine had been favored by the Emperor, why couldn't she be too?

She was definitely not the only one with this thought. The Princess of Yu, who had previously made a splash due to her pregnancy, chimed in with a smile, "I've heard that the Imperial Concubine is also a very good dancer, but I've never had the chance to see her. I wonder how she compares to this young lady?"

Her words were extremely offensive, comparing a first-rank imperial concubine with a dancer, and totally disregarding the favored imperial concubine.

Chan Zhen glanced at Princess Yu indifferently, somewhat puzzled by her stupidity.

She knew that she had ascended to the position of Imperial Concubine despite her merchant background, and that many of the princes and nobles present actually looked down on her status. However, she was currently in great favor, so how could anyone be so foolish as to publicly disrespect her? The fate of the virtuous concubine was still fresh in her mind. Could it be that Princess Yu thought that being pregnant with her eldest grandson was a golden ticket to immunity from death?

"Who the hell is she? How dare she be compared to the Imperial Concubine?" Chen Dingyao's expression darkened almost immediately, and he cast a cold glance at Princess Yu. "Have you learned all the rules? You are so disrespectful to your elders, you are unfit to be a wife."

The hall fell into deathly silence.

This was a reprimand that could not have been harsher, and the color instantly drained from Princess Yu's face.

Prince Yu couldn't sit by and watch his princess be publicly scolded, so he defended her, saying, "Father, your princess is pregnant for the first time, so it's normal for her to get emotional. I'll apologize to the Imperial Concubine on her behalf. I hope the Imperial Concubine will be magnanimous and forgive her for the difficulty of her pregnancy."

After he finished speaking, he looked at Zen Zhen with a pleading look.

Chan Zhen was almost held up by him. Prince Yu's words sounded as if she was petty if she didn't forgive Princess Yu, or even as if it was her fault that Princess Yu had any health problems because of this.

As expected of a child born by a virtuous concubine, even the kidnapping posture is exactly the same.

Although Chan Zhen didn't want to make things difficult for others, he was absolutely unwilling to be forced to say something against his will. His heart was filled with depression, and his brows were furrowed.

Suddenly, Chen Dingyao threw the cup in his hand in front of Prince Yu. After a crisp sound, the atmosphere in the hall froze.

The attendants held their breath and dared not even breathe.

His Majesty's voice was cold and stern: "Princess Yu doesn't understand the rules. You grew up in the palace and you don't understand them either? Yuan Che, you disappoint me so much."

"Your Majesty," the begging that Prince Yu had previously pretended to have was now genuine. He immediately knelt down and admitted his fault. "Your Majesty, I know I am wrong. I beg Your Majesty to forgive me."

He was in a state of panic. As a prince whose father had personally admitted to disappointing him, if he could not restore his image, he would be out of the game in the eyes of everyone.

Princess Yu had not expected that her impulsive words would affect the prince's image in the eyes of His Majesty. She was filled with regret and, regardless of her pregnancy, knelt down with Prince Yu to beg for mercy.

"I spoke carelessly and accidentally offended the Imperial Concubine. I beg for forgiveness." His Majesty's gaze was so terrifying that she didn't dare to beg for mercy, so she turned to the Imperial Concubine, hoping that the Imperial Concubine would soften her heart for once because she was a woman and was pregnant.

Seeing that they were all staring at the imperial concubine, Chen Dingyao became furious.

"I'm the one scolding you, so why are you all begging for mercy from the Imperial Concubine? Do you think she's soft-hearted and easy to bully?"

He thought he had done enough for the imperial concubine and that his importance to her was obvious enough, but these people still did not take her seriously. In that case, he simply praised the imperial concubine even more, so highly that they had to look up to her.

"Where is Song Ge?" he asked in a raised voice.

A handsome and strong man in his early twenties walked out from the table and said, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you!"

Chen Dingyao's eyes slowly swept over him, then looked around at the ministers at his feet, sneering, "I know that because of your humble origins, you have always ignored the Imperial Concubine, even though I dote on her so much."

Everyone was touched by what was said and lowered their heads silently.

Indeed, they thought that His Majesty was only temporarily infatuated with the Imperial Concubine. When the Imperial Concubine grew old and the Emperor's heart cooled, she would lose his favor and without any family to rely on, and she would just become another one of the ordinary people in the harem.

"I must tell you that the position that the Imperial Concubine holds in my heart is unmatched. Since the Imperial Concubine has no family to rely on, I will find a capable family for her."

Song Ge looked up in surprise, and had some guesses about the emperor's intention in calling him out.

He lowered his clenched fists, which trembled faintly. The Song family, a hereditary noble family for founding heroes, had begun to decline by his father's generation. Aside from the hereditary title of Marquis of Jing'an, no one held a prominent position in the court. He had earned a seat at court through military exploits, but restoring the Jing'an Marquisate to its former glory alone was a formidable task.

If Your Majesty really has that idea, the Jing'an Marquisate will directly ride on the Imperial Concubine's high ship and soar to the sky in the future. Even... if the Imperial Concubine gives birth to a prince in the future, the Jing'an Marquisate will be able to go even further.

He was not the only one who had this guess, but no one dared to believe that His Majesty would praise the imperial concubine to this extent.

"The imperial concubine and the Marquis of Jing'an's Mansion share the same surname, which means they have a great connection. I want to take the imperial concubine into the Song branch of the Jing'an Mansion. I wonder if Mr. Song is willing to accept her?" Chen Dingyao looked at Song Ge with a smile. Although he asked in his tone, he left no room for refusal.

Song Ge couldn't ask for more. "It is a great honor for the Jing'an Marquis Mansion to have such a fate with the Imperial Concubine!"

His mood was excited because he could finally live up to his father's dying trust and lead the Jing'an Marquis Mansion to revive, even if it was with the favor of the imperial concubine.

He was so wise that Chen Dingyao felt that he had a good eye and had not made a mistake in choosing him.

"Then I will let the Imperial Concubine recognize you as my brother and choose an auspicious day to move you into the Song family tree." He cast aside the coldness in his eyes and gently asked Chan Zhen beside him, "Is the Imperial Concubine willing?"

Zenzhen looked at her future brother. His Majesty had already discussed this matter with her, but she did not expect that His Majesty would finalize it so quickly in such a scene.

Song Ge was afraid that his military background would scare the delicate imperial concubine, so he tried to give her a gentle smile.

Chan Zhen felt a sense of peace at the kindness he sent her. She did have a biological brother, but like their father, he used her as a tool for personal gain. She had never felt any care from him, so accepting Song Ge was not difficult at this moment. She also trusted the man His Majesty had chosen for her.

She smiled slightly and said, "I'll have to trouble you to bear with me from now on."

Song Ge was an only child, and he had never imagined he would suddenly have a younger sister. This younger sister was not only innocent and delicate, but also a royal concubine whom His Majesty cherished and cared for. From every perspective, it seemed like he and the Marquis of Jing'an had struck it rich.

"I will definitely fulfill my duty as an elder brother. Your Majesty and Your Majesty, please rest assured!" He promised in a firm voice.

Chen Dingyao took Chan Zhen's hand and stood up, looking down at the ministers below: "Today is both my birthday and the day when the noble concubine establishes her clan relationship. It is truly a double joy. Pass on my decree, today is a general amnesty, and the whole world celebrates together."

Neither the Imperial Concubine nor the Jing'an Marquisate had any objections to this matter, and His Majesty was resolute. Even if some people were unwilling to see this situation, they could not raise any objections. Considering the Imperial Concubine's recent act of sacrificing her relatives for the sake of justice, and the people's praise of her virtuous character, some people have begun to wonder who is behind this.

The Imperial Concubine was already deeply favored by His Majesty, and now with the support of the Marquis of Jing'an, she was only one prince away from becoming Empress. His Majesty was in the prime of life, and the Imperial Concubine was also in the prime of life. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, a prince would surely be inevitable.

Concubine Shu, Concubine De, and the others leaned back in their chairs in near despair. They had fought openly and covertly for the position of Empress for over a decade, but in the end, they were no match for His Majesty's chosen one. It turned out that they didn't need to do anything extra; as long as His Majesty cared enough, he would proactively offer the best. But... after working so hard for over a decade, how could they accept this?