Chapter 70 [VIP]
Chapter Summary: Meeting.
The brocade, with its butterfly-wing blue phoenix and peony design and subtle gold thread patterns, felt very comfortable to the touch, but was also heavy. For a banquet, it was understandable that she, as the Empress Dowager, would wear elaborate and ornate attire. Her hair, styled in a high bun with a cloud-like incense burner, had been carefully styled for a long time, adorned with numerous kingfisher feather hairpins. Just as a palace maid was about to put kingfisher feather butterfly earrings on Yu Jing, she was stopped by her.
"Hang those red agate earrings," Yu Jing instructed calmly. The palace maid was taken aback. Yu Jing did have a pair of red agate earrings, but she had never seen her wear them before. She had assumed that Yu Jing didn't like them, so she was somewhat surprised that she suddenly brought them up.
"Yes." The palace maid curtsied and carefully picked up the earrings to put on Yu Jing's head. Whether it was her imagination or not, when she looked up again, Yu Jing seemed completely different, sharp and imposing. She looked just like she used to. The palace maid was startled and quickly lowered her head.
"Your Majesty, it's almost done," the palace maid said respectfully.
"Is that all?" Sheng Hua's voice echoed in her mind. Yu Jing frowned slightly, feeling a little annoyed. "Stop being so picky. I'll take you to see Su Siyang."
Sheng Hua snorted coldly and did not speak.
"Hmm." Yu Jing nodded gently. Just then, A Yu came in. "Your Majesty, it's getting late. The carriages are ready."
When Yu Jing stood up and faced A Yu, A Yu was completely stunned. No one knew that feeling better than A Yu.
"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager..." Ayu stammered.
"This girl has recognized me," Sheng Hua's voice rang out at the right moment. "You've taken over my body, have you treated A-Yu well?"
“Of course.” Yu Jing thought to herself, a smile playing on her lips as she walked up to A Yu and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Ayu came to her senses, shook her head and said, "Perhaps I didn't rest well last night, I was a little dazed."
"Let's go." Yu Jing took a step outside. Today, she seemed to be wearing something unusually heavy, and it was a bit difficult for her to walk.
It was relatively cool as night fell in the summer, though not as cool as inside the palace, where ice jars were kept. The weather outside was rather muggy, perhaps because it was about to rain. Yu Jing looked up at the horizon; there was no sunset, only a few dark clouds gathering on the horizon. Yu Jing boarded the carriage, which swayed and rocked as it headed towards the Imperial Garden.
They were a little late. As Yu Jing alighted from the carriage, she heard the sounds of string and wind instruments coming from a distance. It was probably summer, and to keep cool, the welcoming banquet was being held by the lake in the Imperial Garden. Yu Jing walked through the lush greenery and vibrant flowers, slowly approaching the center of the banquet.
"Her Majesty the Empress Dowager has arrived!" The young eunuch on duty announced loudly upon seeing Yu Jing approach. Everyone rose to their feet and bowed. Xie Xuan was among them; he had arrived long ago, and with the banquet already underway but Yu Jing still nowhere to be seen, he was quite worried. Hearing this announcement, he felt much more at ease. As he bowed, he subtly glanced up at Yu Jing.
The color of butterfly blue is not exactly bright, but it is quite eye-catching when worn by Yu Jing.
"Your subject, your concubine, your humble servant... greet Your Majesty the Empress Dowager." The voices of greeting rose and fell one after another. Yu Jing lazily glanced at them, her gaze first falling on Xie Xuan, and then on Su Siyang.
"Get up," Yu Jing responded, and slowly walked to the seat of honor.
"Thank you, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager." Xie Xuan stood up and looked at Yu Jing. He felt that Yu Jing seemed a little different, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what was different.
"I have something I'd like to say to Su Siyang," Sheng Hua continued.
"The job I accepted only allowed me to see him once, nothing else."
"It shouldn't be difficult for you to use my body to say a few words on my behalf, should it?"
Yu Jing was simple-minded and easily moved to tears. When she heard Sheng Hua say this, she thought it wouldn't hurt to say a few words, so she agreed.
"I'll meet him privately when I find an opportunity," Yu Jing thought, picking up her wine glass and taking a sip. Before she could put the glass down, A Yu came over.
"Just now, Lord Xie's servant came over and said he wanted to see the Empress Dowager after the banquet," Ayu whispered to Yu Jing. Yu Jing pondered for a moment, "I'm a little tired, so I won't see her."
Yu Jing hasn't figured out how to tell Xie Xuan yet, so she'll avoid it if possible.
"What, don't you miss your little lover? Why don't you go see him?" Sheng Hua said sarcastically.
"If you say another word, Su Siyang, I won't see you anymore," Yu Jing thought angrily.
Sheng Hua was rebuffed and fell silent.
"The great victory at Youzhou owes much to General Xie and Xie Xuan, which greatly pleases me." Qi Jin picked up his wine cup and stood up, and everyone else followed suit, standing up and echoing his sentiments.
After downing a cup of wine, Qi Jin's voice rang out again: "I have an imperial decree to issue."
Yu Jing glanced at Qi Jin sideways, a bad feeling creeping over her. After Qi Jin finished speaking, Xu Xinshu took the imperial edict from the eunuch behind him. It seemed that Qi Jin had prepared this edict long ago.
"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: I govern the world with civil administration and quell rebellions with military force. General Xie Jin, the Defender of the Nation, is brave and skilled in battle… He is hereby granted the title of Marquis of Wu'an. This is the imperial decree!"
Xu Xinshu's voice was very sharp, poking at Yu Jing's ears again and again. Before Yu Jing could react, Sheng Hua's voice rang out: "Tsk tsk tsk, the emperor really is impatient."
Yu Jing suddenly snapped out of her daze. Qi Jin was actually stripping her of her power. The title of Marquis was a demotion in disguise. Xie Jin seemed equally bewildered, standing there for a moment before rising from her seat to kneel and receive the decree. Yu Jing watched Xie Jin return to her seat, her gaze inadvertently meeting Xie Xuan's. Xie Xuan's eyes held a mixture of surprise and resentful inquiry. Yu Jing's throat tightened, and she quickly looked away; she still felt somewhat guilty.
Halfway through the banquet, Yu Jing felt bored and, feeling guilty for being stared at by Xie Xuan, stood up and left the table first.
As Yu Jing walked along the corridor, the rain began to fall in a light drizzle without warning. Hearing the noise, she glanced at the lake surface, which was covered with tiny ripples.
"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager." A familiar voice sounded from behind. Yu Jing froze, instinctively wanting to step aside, but the voice was too close, leaving no way to avoid it.
"Do you need my help?" Sheng Hua asked.
"Okay." Yu Jing hesitated for a moment before agreeing. She thought Sheng Hua's help meant that he would teach her some words. But she didn't expect that her consciousness would become extremely weak the moment she turned around, as if she were trapped somewhere, and her body would also become somewhat out of control.
"Thank you, Lord Xie." She spoke, but it didn't sound like she was speaking.
Seeing Yu Jing leave her seat, Xie Xuan quietly slipped away to follow her. He had sensed something different about Yu Jing earlier, and now that she was in his presence, the feeling was even stronger. His words caught in his throat as he stared blankly at Yu Jing.
"What business do you have with me?" Sheng Hua asked leisurely.
"Your Majesty, I have something I wish to say to you," Xie Xuan said, staring intently at Yu Jing, his eyes slightly red. Yu Jing looked at him, a strange pang of sadness welling up inside her.
Sheng Hua glanced at A Yu, who understood and led the others away. The rain intensified, its sound like music hitting the lake. The distant sounds of string and wind instruments, however, subsided considerably.
"Queque," Xie Xuan called softly to Yu Jing.
"Insolence!" Sheng Hua shouted sternly, startling even Yu Jing.
"How dare you address me by my maiden name?" Sheng Hua retorted, enunciating each word with utter contempt and disdain.
Xie Xuan stared at Sheng Hua in astonishment, speechless for a long time. His eyes were red and brimming with tears. Red lanterns hung under the eaves, their dim candlelight reflecting on Xie Xuan's face. The first thing Yu Jing thought of when she saw it was the broken white porcelain vase.
"Queque, you weren't..." Xie Xuan was interrupted by Sheng Hua before he could finish his sentence.
“Things are different now.” Sheng Hua said, raising his hand to smooth the hair at his temple. “Lord Xie, you yourself said it was back then. What you liked before, you may not like now.”
Xie Xuan frowned but didn't speak. His eyes were full of suspicion as he looked at Sheng Hua, as if he knew something. Sheng Hua panicked for a moment and asked, "Are you questioning me?"
"Your Majesty, I dare not." Xie Xuan bowed slightly and cupped his hands towards Sheng Hua, saying, "Your Majesty, please forgive my offense."
"I don't want to hear what you have to say, Lord Xie. You may leave," Sheng Hua said impatiently.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I take my leave." Xie Xuan bowed and stepped back. After taking a few steps, he turned back and looked at Sheng Hua. Even from such a distance, Yu Jing could still feel the sorrow in his eyes.
After Xie Xuan left, Yu Jing reappeared.
"It seems your little lover knows you quite well, he recognized me at a glance. I'm not you," Sheng Hua teased. Having spent some time in the underworld, she no longer held the airs of an empress dowager. Now she knew her relationship with Yu Jing, so she spoke her mind directly.
"Next time, you'll have to say those harsh words to him yourself. Just let me say them, and he won't believe a word of it."
Yu Jing felt annoyed by Sheng Hua's words, so she simply took off her earrings and handed them to A Yu behind her: "Keep these earrings safe."
"Yes." Ayu assumed it was just a quarrel between the two of them and that Yu Jing was angry, so she carefully put the earring away.
"Xuan'er." Xie Ying saw that Xie Xuan had been away from his seat for a long time and had not returned, so she thought of going out to take a look. She did not expect that Xie Xuan was soaked in sweat and looked absent-minded.
Xie Ying hurriedly took out a handkerchief to wipe the rain off Xie Xuan's face, and said to the maid behind her, "Go to the banquet and tell Father that Xuan'er can't hold his liquor. I'll take Xuan'er back to the mansion first."
"Yes." The maid ran back. Xie Xuan, on the other hand, blankly followed Xie Ying into the carriage.
After getting into the carriage, Xie Ying asked directly, "Is Xuan'er worried about what happened at the banquet today?"
"Sister, I'm a bit confused right now, please allow me some time to calm down," Xie Xuan said.
"Alright, I won't ask anymore, sister," Xie Ying said, feeling sorry for Xie Xuan.
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