Chapter 255 Shooting Willows
The Empress Dowager was not polite at all, "You have been Empress for so many years, and you don't even understand such a simple principle? Do you want to complain about how the Emperor and I have mistreated you in front of all the officials and relatives?"
The Empress's fingers, hidden in her sleeves, unconsciously clenched into a fist. Since becoming Empress, she had never been humiliated in public like this before. Yet, the person who was making things difficult for her was the Empress Dowager, her mother-in-law.
Even a mother-in-law in an ordinary family cannot speak back, let alone an empress dowager who gave birth to an emperor.
The Empress could only force herself to appear humble and fearful, and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty is right. It was my oversight. I thought that I had recovered and there was nothing seriously wrong."
The emperor and crown prince, who were nearby, overheard the conversation between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. However, the emperor himself was unwell, and the Bai family had recently angered him, so even if he heard them, he couldn't be bothered to care.
Qi Jun glanced at his mother without showing any emotion before saying, "Grandmother, please try this newly served Eight Treasure Vegetarian Duck. It's made by a chef named Duan from the common people, and it's much more flavorful than ordinary vegetarian dishes."
With her grandson smoothing things over, the Empress Dowager didn't look at the Empress's embarrassed expression anymore. She nodded with a smile and, to her great respect, took a bite of the vegetarian duck in front of her.
The Empress Dowager, a devout Buddhist and vegetarian for many years, had grown accustomed to the various vegetarian dishes prepared by the imperial chefs, and her palate had become increasingly discerning. Now, tasting the culinary skills of a commoner, she found it both novel and delightful, and exclaimed in high spirits:
"The selection of consorts is late this year, but there's no rush. We'll select one principal wife, two secondary wives, and three to five concubines for you and Huan-ge'er. It will be just right to get married after your coming-of-age ceremony."
When the Empress Dowager suddenly brought up this topic, the families of the civil and military officials below immediately pricked up their ears, trying to contain their excitement.
Is there going to be a talent show this year? It seems things are really different now that the Empress Dowager is back.
Three years ago, the imperial concubine selection was canceled because the harem was not lacking in concubines and the national treasury was not very full. It was thought that since it was already summer this year, there would definitely be no more imperial concubine selection. But unexpectedly, there was such a good thing.
Most of them have daughters of marriageable age, ranging from fifteen to nineteen, and most of them are unmarried. The reason is obvious—
The princes, especially the crown prince, are almost all of marriageable age. The Eastern Palace doesn't even have a concubine or maidservant. It's a natural battlefield for the girls. Whoever can win the crown prince's favor and have the eldest son or daughter will be invincible in the future harem.
Once you enter officialdom, you'll find yourself wanting to climb the ranks, especially since everyone here is an official of the fifth rank or higher. If you could become the crown prince's in-laws, you'd be taking another leap forward. Even better, you could become the maternal grandparents of the next crown prince... No one could resist such temptation.
"Grandmother, I do not wish to choose a Crown Princess too early. As for concubines and maids, the Eastern Palace does not need them."
Upon hearing the Crown Prince's words, the hearts of the officials and their families below were in their throats.
The Crown Prince was not a figurehead with no real power. From the time he began participating in politics at the age of ten, except for the first few years when he was mainly learning and familiarizing himself with the subject, few people could influence his decisions later on.
He is a qualified future monarch, intelligent and benevolent, yet also decisive and aloof.
Just because you don't want to now doesn't mean you won't want to later. It's not too late to settle down if you meet someone you like.
Qi Jun: “Selecting candidates is a waste of resources and manpower. Currently, the North and South are merely lying low and waiting for an opportunity. They may not completely submit. If war breaks out again, the cost of food and supplies will be enormous. I hope Your Majesty will reconsider.”
The Empress Dowager calmly replied, "Even if you don't want it, there are plenty of imperial relatives in their prime. Let them choose. In any case, I have already given the order. I will personally oversee this selection process, so you don't need to worry about it."
Only then did the officials and their families feel completely relieved.
With the Empress Dowager's words, even if their own daughters are not fortunate enough to enter the Eastern Palace, they can still compete for the position of principal or concubine in other royal families. Besides the princes, there are also some dukes and heirs who have not yet married a principal wife!
There was an undercurrent of tension surrounding the talent show at the banquet, but Qi Yuxuan paid no attention to it.
She was distracted by what the Crown Prince had said about the Lin family of Lancheng and what Xie Tingzhou had said about the Xie family and Prince Duan. She kept thinking about it until the banquet ended and everyone moved to the Imperial River to prepare for the willow-shooting game.
Last year, Qi Yuxuan missed the willow shooting game. She only knew that the game involved taking a three-foot-long green willow branch, peeling off the bark to expose the white inner core, hanging it on a wooden frame with a gourd hanging from the end, and shooting arrows with eyes closed. The person who hits the gourd gets the lowest place, the person who pierces the gourd gets the second place, and the person who breaks the willow branch gets the highest place.
However, in the past, few people could come out on top; most of them would hit the gourd but couldn't even pierce it with their arrows.
After all, that gourd was only the size of a palm, round and slippery, so how much force would it take to shoot it through completely? Not to mention that the willow branch was as thin as a thread; if a gust of wind happened to blow by, and you shot it with your eyes closed, it would all miss.
Across the river, rows of wooden frames have been erected, on which dozens of small gourds of similar height and size are hung with slender white willow branches, swaying gently in the summer afternoon sun and breeze.
Zheng Yanling came over at that moment.
"What a wonderful day it is today that even the Crown Prince is here."
The young soldiers of the Qilin Guard and several major military camps had already signed up to participate, but unexpectedly, the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince also wanted to join in the fun.
In previous years, such festivals were mostly attended by young soldiers with little rank, as the rewards for ranking were generous and it would also give them a chance to shine in front of the emperor and their superiors, making them a little bit famous. The crown prince was also sensible and never took away these soldiers' good opportunities to stand out.
Qi Yuxuan, unaware of the background, casually asked:
"Didn't the Crown Prince go before?"
Zheng Yanling thought about it carefully, "I went once when he was fifteen. I was still young then, and I only remember that he won first place... while the young general who shot the willow branch with him confessed that he cheated by secretly opening his eyes, so he shot the willow branch. The prince then won the only first place."
Qi Yuxuan was taken aback: "So... that's why the Crown Prince stopped shooting willows later?"
Zheng Yanling shrugged: "I don't know about that. Hey, look! They've gone to get their bows and arrows!"
Dozens of young men, with their backs to Qi Yuxuan and her group, faced the willow branches and gourds on the opposite bank of the Imperial River and began to draw their bows.
Even though the figures were facing away from each other and their clothes weren't exactly everyday attire that highlighted their status, Qi Yuxuan still recognized the figure in black as the Crown Prince at a glance.
His back had become much broader at some point, and the leather belt inlaid with twelve jade plaques made his shoulders appear even wider and his waist even narrower. Standing among dozens of soldiers from military camps, he was in no way inferior in terms of his tall stature, dignity, and imposing presence.
Qi Yuxuan quietly shifted her gaze and landed on the fourth prince, Qi Huan, who was a few people away from the crown prince and dressed in a prince's robe. Compared to his elder brother, the crown prince, this prince, who was not yet fully grown, was tall and thin but not strong enough, obviously because he had neglected martial arts training.
She silently shifted her gaze back to the Crown Prince.
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