Chapter 7 The Banquet He gently squeezed Jiang Zhiyao's palm.

As night fell, the banquet in the palace was filled with the clinking of glasses and lively conversation.

All eyes, though subtle, were fixed on Yan Zhenxi.

This was the first time Yan Zhenxi had attended such a large banquet since his incident.

Throughout the journey, even just standing next to Yan Zhenxi, Jiang Zhiyao could feel the gazes of others.

This made her feel very uncomfortable. Jiang Zhiyao secretly glanced at Yan Zhenxi and found that he was still as calm and composed as he was at the banquets, except that he was wearing an eye veil.

The banquet had not yet officially started, and the Emperor had not yet arrived; everyone was chatting amongst themselves.

Unlike the usual banquets where everyone would flatter Yan Zhenxi, his surroundings were now very quiet.

Occasionally, someone would come over to talk, but every sentence revolved around Yan Zhenxi's eyes, and they would sigh from time to time.

Jiang Zhiyao could clearly see the gloating in the eyes of the person who was talking to Yan Zhenxi right now.

Yan Zhenxi answered gently as usual, her smile clearly unchanged, and she seemed oblivious to the malice disguised as pity in her words.

As the malice in the other person's voice grew stronger, Jiang Zhiyao frowned, took Yan Zhenxi's arm, and interrupted the conversation for the first time, saying softly, "Husband, I'm not feeling well, I'd like to sit down first."

Yan Zhenxi, who was being pulled, suddenly paused for a second.

The person opposite him was also surprised for a moment, then Yan Zhenxi nodded slightly and said to the person opposite him, "I'm sorry, Lord Qin."

"Hahaha." The person opposite him chuckled a few times to cover up his laughter, as if he had also realized the inappropriateness of his words. "Lord Yan, please have your wife sit down first."

The palace maids led Yan Zhenxi and Jiang Zhiyao to their seats.

Unlike Yan Zhenxi's previous positions at the upper level, this time he was positioned near the entrance of the main hall, next to a large vermilion pillar that somewhat obstructed his view.

Yan Zhenxi sat down calmly, with Jiang Zhiyao sitting beside him, and the palace servants withdrew.

"His Majesty has arrived." It was the eunuch's high-pitched voice.

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!" Everyone bowed in unison.

The Emperor took the seat at the head of the table: "Rise."

The banquet then officially began.

Facing the Third Prince, the son whom the Emperor had not seen for a long time after winning a battle, the Emperor showed little joy, and was not as amiable as when he saw a general.

This clearly shows that the Emperor dislikes the Third Prince.

Some officials who had originally planned to chat with the Third Prince after the banquet gave up on that idea.

After rewarding the soldiers, the Emperor made a few polite remarks, then suddenly caught sight of Yan Zhenxi by the pillar. His expression immediately darkened slightly: "Who arranged the seating?"

The hall fell silent instantly, and a person stepped forward tremblingly.

"How did you arrange them! Minister Yan is my benefactor, how can he sit there?!" His tone was full of dissatisfaction.

Upon hearing this, Yan Zhenxi stood up, her movements a little hasty. As she walked out, she bumped into the corner of the table, making a rather loud noise.

Jiang Zhiyao subconsciously leaned forward to help him, but the next second Yan Zhenxi had already regained his balance.

"I am fine," Yan Zhenxi said respectfully to the Emperor. "My eyesight is poor, and I cannot appreciate the singing and dancing. This position is just right for me."

"Minister Yan is as understanding as ever," the Emperor said, then narrowed his eyes slightly, his cloudy gaze turning to Jiang Zhiyao. "And what about your wife?"

Under the gazes of all sides, Jiang Zhiyao tried her best to calm down, stood next to Yan Zhenxi, and raised her voice: "Your Majesty, I also think this position is just right."

His voice trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly.

Yan Zhenxi understood, and for some reason, he gently squeezed Jiang Zhiyao's palm through his wide sleeve.

Jiang Zhiyao suddenly calmed down and felt less nervous.

"Hahaha, that's good." The Emperor asked on a whim, "Minister Yan, isn't this marriage I've bestowed upon you quite good? You now have such a wonderful wife."

"By the way, what's your surname again?" Before Yan Zhenxi could answer, the Emperor's gaze turned to Jiang Zhiyao.

"My surname is Jiang."

"Jiang, you must take good care of Minister Yan." Before Jiang Zhiyao could answer, the Emperor continued, "Alright, let the banquet continue."

The singing and dancing resumed, and Yan Zhenxi and Jiang Zhiyao returned to their original seats.

The group continued chatting and laughing, as if what had just happened was nothing more than a minor incident, but Jiang Zhiyao was no longer interested in the banquet.

Jiang Zhiyao let out a soft breath. To be honest, this was the first time she had ever seen the Emperor.

But unlike what she had heard before that the Emperor liked Yan Zhenxi, Jiang Zhiyao felt that the Emperor clearly disliked Yan Zhenxi, and even disliked him very much.

Yan Zhenxi sipped his tea absentmindedly.

The banquet was just as boring and annoying as he had imagined.

His Majesty has always disliked the Yan family, which is understandable. What person in power would like to have even a little bit of their power taken away by others?

The Yan family's reputation is simply too great.

On the surface, the imperial decree to bestow a marriage upon Yan Zhenxi was meant to make amends, but the emperor issued it because he was suspicious of the relationship between Yan Zhenxi and the third prince.

Although the Third Prince and Ji Wanqing were only close friends in private, and no one knew about it except for a few close acquaintances, the Emperor, who had long held a high position, always liked to be in control of everything, so he was naturally aware of the relationship between the Third Prince and Ji Wanqing.

As for the marriage decree, the emperor did not specify the name when he wrote it, which was to leave some room for maneuver. Ji Tonghai's beloved daughter's reputation was known throughout the capital, and the emperor did not want to have too much of a rift between himself and his ministers.

This imperial decree of marriage was mostly a test, to see if Yan Zhenxi would make any move.

But he really didn't expect that Ji Tonghai would love his daughter so much that he would rather risk defying the imperial decree than let his daughter marry into that family.

Furthermore, although it was Jiang Zhiyao who married into the family, it was still a good thing for the eldest son of the Yan family to marry a woman with no background or power.

No matter how many powerful forces the Yan family has allied with, at least on the surface, they won't gain any more allies because of his marriage.

Therefore, the Emperor turned a blind eye to Jiang Zhiyao's act of marrying in place of him.

As for Yan Ciying, the second young master of the Yan family, His Majesty is quite happy to help him control the Yan family. Such a foolish person will probably ruin the Yan family on his own in no time.

-

After the banquet, Jiang Zhiyao completely relaxed as she sat in the carriage returning to the Yan residence.

At this banquet, she not only didn't enjoy much of the singing and dancing, but she also barely ate any food.

Because the food would be cold long before the emperor finished speaking, we could only pick up our chopsticks after that.

Inside the cramped carriage, Jiang Zhiyao's stomach rumbled.

Jiang Zhiyao's face flushed red instantly.

Yan Zhenxi chuckled softly, which made Jiang Zhiyao feel even more embarrassed. She wished she could jump out of the carriage right now.

"I'm a little hungry. There's a delicious wonton stall up ahead. Do you want to come with me?" Yan Zhenxi asked Jiang Zhiyao with a smile.

"Okay," Jiang Zhiyao agreed; she was genuinely hungry.

Not long after, the carriage stopped.

At the street stalls, the laughter and chatter of the stall owners and customers mingled with the rising steam in the air. Jiang Zhiyao found the atmosphere here even more appealing than the banquets in the palace.

Before long, two bowls of wontons were served.

The thin, white skin wraps around the pink meat filling, and the soup also contains some seaweed and a few small shrimp floating on the surface.

Spring nights are still a bit chilly, and looking at the fragrant and comforting food in front of her, Jiang Zhiyao couldn't help but feel her mouth water.

Seeing Yan Zhenxi slowly scoop up a spoonful of soup with a ladle, Jiang Zhiyao also tasted a spoonful of soup first.

Hmm, Jiang Zhiyao's eyes lit up a little. It tastes so good, so fresh.

Jiang Zhiyao scooped up another wonton and ate it. The savory taste kept assaulting her taste buds, and it warmed her body in her stomach. Jiang Zhiyao felt that this bowl of wontons was much tastier than the delicacies at the banquet just now. Of course, it could also be because she was hungry.

After eating one wonton after another, Jiang Zhiyao had already eaten more than half of the food.

Jiang Zhiyao looked at Yan Zhenxi. There was still a lot left in his bowl. He ate slowly, and even at a street stall, using wooden chopsticks and cheap bowls and plates, he still exuded a sense of elegance.

The oil from the wontons made his lips look rosy and glistening. Jiang Zhiyao stared at them for a while before looking away, then turned her gaze to his delicate and handsome face.

"He's so handsome," Jiang Zhiyao thought to herself countless times.

If Yan Zhenxi weren't blind now, Jiang Zhiyao probably would never have dared to stare at him like that in her entire life.

Jiang Zhiyao has always loved beautiful things since she was a child.

I like beautiful flowers and trees, I like pretty pastries, I like beautiful clothes, and I like beautiful and exquisite jewelry.

But she could never have it; she could only watch from afar.

When she was a child, she saw the most beautiful flowers in the garden of that mansion, but she was not allowed to go in and could only see them from afar a few times.

Was it really the most beautiful flower? Jiang Zhiyao didn't know. She only saw its color, such a large and intense color that rushed straight into her field of vision.

The clothes worn by the servants in the mansion, whom they called the Second Miss, were also very beautiful, with delicate embroidery and colors as vibrant as the flowers.

Their hair buns are so pretty! Jiang Zhiyao loves to secretly look at the tassels hanging from their hairpins, swaying back and forth, and the glittering gems on them, sometimes dazzling in the sunlight.

She knew this since she was a child, which is why things with bright colors are expensive.

Jiang Zhiyao initially liked the second young lady as well. She was very beautiful, and with her pretty clothes and jewelry, she looked even more beautiful. So Jiang Zhiyao would sometimes secretly go to see her.

However, the second young lady didn't like her. Once, she discovered her and called her "Sister Jiang Zhiyao," coaxing her over. Then, she grabbed Jiang Zhiyao's hair and questioned her about why she was entitled to the title of the eldest young lady of the mansion.

Jiang Zhiyao was puzzled, wondering if she was also a young lady, before she belatedly felt a stinging pain on her scalp.

After that, Jiang Zhiyao stopped going to see her and no longer liked to secretly leave the courtyard where her mother was.

What's so special about the flowers in the garden? The little flowers blooming in the cracks of the stones in the yard are just as beautiful.

What's so great about clothes with fancy embroidery and flamboyant colors? The clothes my mother makes are also very beautiful. Although they are simple, they have a cute little dog that my mother embroidered especially for her.

What's so great about hairpins with tassels? The rapeseed flowers that my mother grows look beautiful in my hair too. My mother always praises me, saying that I look like a little fairy when I wear them.

But Jiang Zhiyao felt that her mother was the fairy, who would gently sing lullabies before bedtime, cook delicious food, and always smelled of soap. She was a fairy specially given to her by heaven.

Although she has good things, Jiang Zhiyao sometimes thinks that it would be even better if she had those pretty things.

If she were pregnant, she would dress her mother and herself in the most beautiful, brightly colored clothes, and adorn their heads with a multitude of pretty hairpins.

Jiang Zhiyao thought to herself, looking forward to growing up.

But her mother didn't make it through the winter when Jiang Zhiyao was twelve.

Jiang Zhiyao stood there blankly, watching over her mother, unwilling to let anyone take her away, but it was no use.

She spent three months without her mother in that courtyard, three months she least wanted to recall.

Afterwards, a nanny whom Jiang Zhiyao did not recognize arrived. Upon seeing her, she cried and hugged her, then took her to the Ji residence.

Things gradually got better, and Jiang Zhiyao got beautiful clothes and jewelry. But sadly, she found herself afraid to wear brightly colored clothes or wear pretty and gorgeous hairpins in her hair.

Even with her mother's protection and companionship, the ridicule, malice, and material deprivation she experienced in her childhood still haunted her.

The saddest thing is that her mother is gone. Sometimes when Jiang Zhiyao sees a beautiful piece of silk, she immediately thinks that it must be very suitable for her mother, but then she vaguely remembers that her mother is gone.

Jiang Zhiyao always felt that these beautiful things wouldn't belong to her forever, and even if she got them, it would only be temporary. Besides, she felt that she was not worthy of these beautiful things.

Just like Yan Zhenxi, even though they were so close, Jiang Zhiyao knew clearly that there was an insurmountable chasm between them.

Yan Zhenxi sat upright before her, exuding an air of refined elegance. The veil that had been tied behind her back was lifted by the evening breeze, and Jiang Zhiyao saw the moon in the sky through the flowing fabric.

To her, Yan Zhenxi was like a flower in a mirror or the moon's reflection in water.

It was a bold and beautiful dream.

If she tries to catch the moon's reflection in the water, she will only end up drowning.

But she still longed for that bright moon, consciously indulging in it, even knowing that she would eventually be shattered to pieces.

Jiang Zhiyao gently shook her head, pulling herself out of her thoughts, and quietly ate the remaining wontons in her bowl.