Chapter 61 (Combined Chapter 2) The Night Banquet
"Miss, would you like to go out and take a look?" Jin Ye couldn't help but lift the curtain a little to look outside.
What's so interesting to see?
Xie Yushu didn't care at all. What Xie Jianing and Song Jie were saying was nothing more than those words from the original drama that evoked all sorts of memories from the past.
In fact, Xie Jianing was not a kind and innocent girl in the original drama at all. She was a female lead who slapped the female supporting character in the face and reclaimed her lost ground as soon as she returned. Her character was the most popular type of female lead right now: vengeful and deserving of a lot of respect.
Therefore, Xie Yushu understood very well that Xie Jianing would rather ruin Song Jie than let him fall in love with someone else.
She didn't want to get involved in this back-and-forth drama; she just wanted Song Jie to finish his business quickly and get on with his important tasks.
"Panpan, sit down." She picked up a piece of beef and teased Panpan.
Seeing that she really didn't care about Prime Minister Song, Jin Ye lowered the curtain and came over to comb her hair.
I had just finished combing my hair when I heard muffled coughing coming closer and closer outside the door.
Song Jie was helped in by Cang Shu. He looked terrible and seemed to be freezing. When he saw Xie Yushu had combed her hair, he hurriedly asked, "Are you leaving? Are you angry?"
He stepped forward to explain something to Xie Yushu, but only said half a sentence: He would never allow Xie Jianing to appear in his residence again.
Xie Yushu impatiently interrupted him: "I don't care about these things."
He stood frozen in front of her, many words stuck in his throat, and murmured, "I'm sorry for dragging you into this."
Xie Yushu wanted to make a sarcastic remark to him, but his gaze fell on his bare feet, which were already blue and purple from the cold.
Serves them right.
But she didn't say anything more outrageous. She only said, "If you recover, go to the palace to meet the emperor as planned. Tonight is the best time to make your move."
Song Jie swallowed back all the words he wanted to explain and report.
He originally intended to report Xie Jianing's requests to her in detail, but now it seemed unnecessary; she didn't want to hear them and didn't care.
She doesn't like him, so why should she care what he said to Xie Jianing?
"Okay." Song Jie sat down beside her and simply said, "Shall we have lunch together before I go to the palace?"
"It'll be dark by the time we finish lunch." Xie Yushu showed impatience again, but then looked at him and gave him a little something extra: "Once you've finished this, we'll have plenty of time to eat."
Without lingering any longer, he left with Jinye.
Song Jie wanted to get up to see her off, but his legs were too cold to feel anything, so he could not stand up. He had no choice but to instruct Cang Shu to take her.
Only he and Panpan were left in the room. He reached out and patted Panpan's head, saying self-deprecatingly, "I deserve it."
Panpan started whimpering, as if it was also reluctant to let her go.
Song Jie took another pill, and after a while, he changed his clothes and went to the palace to see the emperor.
Emperor Xiao Xu had just finished meeting with Pei Heng and the generals when he heard that Pei Heng had urgent business, so he summoned him directly to the Hall of Diligent Governance.
The palace doors opened, and Pei Heng led his soldiers out, brushing past Song Jie as he strode in.
He smelled a very faint fragrance on Song Jie. The fragrance was peculiar, a floral and fruity scent mixed with a slightly bitter medicinal smell. He clearly remembered smelling it on Xie Yushu, and now he smelled it on Song Jie.
Did he smell something wrong?
Pei Heng was unsure, so he paused and looked back at Song Jie. He was as thin as a skeleton, wearing heavy official robes, and looked as if a gust of wind could blow him over.
Every time he saw Song Jie, he was shocked. How could someone so ill still wield power and cause chaos?
#
The palace gates closed.
Only the Emperor and Song Jie remained in the Hall of Diligent Governance.
"Your Majesty, I have come to pay my respects." Song Jie propped himself up to do so.
His pale appearance was truly alarming, so Xiao Xu excused him from the formalities and asked him to sit down and talk. He was about to ask him how he was feeling.
Song Jie did not sit down, but spoke directly: "Your Majesty, I have a way to get the Prince of Song to confess."
"What method?" Xiao Xu asked him.
Song Jie took two steps forward, almost standing in front of Xiao Xu, raised his eyes to meet Xiao Xu's gaze, and whispered, "Release the Prince of Song."
Xiao Xu frowned slightly: "Let him go?"
"Yes," Song Jie said. "Tonight, I will send someone to impersonate an assassin from the Lonely Pavilion to rescue the King of Song. You will order the Fourth Prince to intercept and capture him. My men will pretend to attack the Fourth Prince. If the Fourth Prince is not your bloodline but a pawn of the King of Song, he will surely save the Fourth Prince."
Xiao Xu gradually understood Song Jie's meaning; he wanted to use Xiao Zhen as a test.
"Your Majesty, rest assured, my men will certainly not harm the Fourth Prince," Song Jie assured him. "I only intend to trap the Prince of Song and the Fourth Prince in a dangerous situation. When they are about to die, I do not believe that the Prince of Song will not reveal the truth."
Xiao Xu looked at Song Jie. If he took this step, he and Xiao Zhen would be completely estranged.
There was a faint rumble of thunder outside the palace gate.
Xiao Xu didn't speak. He could actually refuse to acknowledge Xiao Dao as his son. With so many sons, it didn't matter if he had one more or one less. But he needed to know whether Xiao Zhen was the late emperor's son. He absolutely could not leave the late emperor's bloodline in this world.
Before the celebration banquet began, half of the Imperial Guards were withdrawn from the Alchemy Room, and Xiao Zhen was summoned to the Hall of Diligent Governance.
The night sky over Bianjing was covered with dark clouds.
"It looks like it's going to rain again." Zhenniang took a thicker cloak and draped it over Mengmin. The palace banquet was held in the garden next to Xuanwu Lake, and she was worried that Mengmin would catch a cold in the cool night air.
Meng Min looked better. She instructed Zhenniang to take out her favorite set of red coral jewelry and smiled as she put it on Xie Jianing, saying, "Jianing has fair skin, and red suits you very well."
Xie Jianing was somewhat surprised: "Wasn't this set of jewelry left to Mother by Grandmother? You yourself were reluctant to part with it, and now you want to give it to me?"
Meng Min smiled and said, "I originally planned to give it to you on your eighteenth birthday. You are my only daughter, so all the good things are naturally yours."
"What about Xie Yushu?" Xie Jianing asked jokingly.
Meng Min's smile froze for a moment, and she looked at her daughter and said softly, "Jianing, I have said that you are my only daughter. It has been so before, and it will be so in the future. Yushu will not take away your favor, nor will she take away everything that you have as the daughter of the Marquis of Yong'an. You will understand as long as you spend more time with her. She is not your enemy."
Xie Jianing's smile faded a little. She didn't like her mother always protecting Xie Yushu. If Xie Yushu didn't want to be her enemy, she should keep to herself and stay away from her people.
Someone lifted the curtain and came in; it was Xie Zhi'an.
Meng Min's face turned cold, not wanting Xie Zhi'an to step into her room, but her daughter held her hand and said, "It's been a long time since the three of us went out together as a family."
Not wanting to upset Jia Ning, she swallowed those harsh words.
Xie Jianing linked arms with both of them, just like when she was a child, hoping to ease the tension between her parents.
Even though they got into the carriage together, and Xie Zhi'an tried to please Meng Min, Meng Min was always cold and indifferent, and didn't want to talk to him.
After a while, Xie Zhian also got bored and fell silent.
The atmosphere inside the carriage became heavy. Xie Jianing tried several times to lighten the mood, but Meng Min's smile was forced.
She fell silent, unsure how to return to normalcy. Her father had already done as she had instructed, sending Ye Xizhu and her daughter out of Bianjing. He had done everything he could. Her mother neither wanted a divorce nor would she forgive her father…
She felt suffocated in the car, and none of the three spoke again until they reached the palace gates.
Xie Jianing heard Meng Jinyue's voice before she even got off the carriage.
Meng Jinyue was calling out in her loud voice, "Yushu, good Yushu, where did you get such a fine riding whip? Are you really giving it to me? How can you be so kind? I broke my promise not to give you the horse, and you're still giving me a riding whip."
Xie Jianing's already bad mood worsened. She helped her mother out of the carriage and saw Meng Jinyue holding Xie Yushu in her arms at the palace gate, talking to her in a coquettish manner.
Her aunt stood to the side watching the two of them with a big smile on her face.
The person Meng Jinyue used to hold should have been her.
How could her mother not see Xie Yushu as an enemy? Her family and friends, even Jin Yue who had always been affectionate towards her, had all been taken away by Xie Yushu.
As if sensing her emotions, Meng Min tightened her grip on her hand and immediately called out, "Jin Yue."
Aunt and Jin Yue then looked over at them.
Jin Yue immediately let go of Xie Yushu as if she had done something wrong, and walked towards her with an embarrassed expression, saying in a flattering tone, "Sister Jia Ning, you look really good today, and this red coral is also very beautiful. My mother never allows me to wear her outfit."
Xie Jianing saw the riding whip in her hand and easily recognized it as a trophy that Xiao Dao had captured on the battlefield, the riding whip of the enemy country's number one warrior.
She had seen Xiaodao playing with this riding whip. She had seen the pigeon blood ruby on the whip and liked it very much. She wanted to take a look, but Xiaodao wouldn't let her.
It now seems that Xiao Dao intended to bring the knife back as a gift for Xie Yushu, but Xie Yushu actually gave it to Jin Yue.
She really didn't understand what the relationship was between Xie Yushu and Xiaodao.
Seeing that she was looking at the riding whip, Yue assumed she liked it, so he raised his hand to show it to her: "Isn't it pretty? Yushu gave it to me. If you like it, you can borrow it to play with for a couple of days."
Jin Yue is still like a child, loving to play and make a fuss.
Xie Jianing didn't want to get angry with her, so she simply said, "I don't want Xie Yushu's things."
Jin Yue awkwardly withdrew his hand, wanting to say a few good words for Yu Shu, but afraid that Jia Ning would be even angrier.
Under the gloomy night, Xie Jianing and Xie Yushu looked at each other from a few steps apart. She could clearly feel that Xie Yushu was no longer the timid and cowardly concubine's daughter. Now, Xie Yushu stood calmly among the noble ladies of the royal family, and did not even come over to pay her respects to her father and mother.
Xie Yushu seemed to have become a different person.
“I really raised an ungrateful child.” Xie Zhian’s face darkened immediately. The wound on his forehead was still throbbing. He couldn’t help but whisper, “I should have sent her to the Ministry of Justice. The crime of filial impiety would have been enough to make her parade through the streets.”
Meng Min couldn't help but glance at him, wanting to speak up for Xie Yushu, but then she saw General Pei Heng walk over to Xie Yushu a few steps away, stand beside her and whisper something to her, and then look up at Xie Zhi'an.
Xie Zhian's arrogant demeanor vanished instantly. He put on a smile, cupped his hands in greeting to Pei Heng, and stepped forward to strike up a conversation with him.
Meng Min was disgusted by Xie Zhi'an's sycophantic attitude, and she did not follow him forward.
When Xie Yushu saw Xie Zhian approaching, he didn't even glance at him. Instead, he said to Pei Heng, "I find him disgusting. You deal with him yourself." He then walked straight past Pei Heng toward the palace gate.
Pei Heng's gaze followed Xie Yushu, then he turned to his mother, Li Huixian, who was standing cautiously, and whispered, "Second sister-in-law, go in with her. I'll be there shortly."
Li Huixian lowered her head and responded, following Xie Yushu's footsteps.
Xie Zhi'an stopped beside Pei Heng and couldn't help but say, "My daughter grew up with her mistress and was spoiled..."
Before he could finish speaking, Pei Heng turned his head to look at him.
Pei Heng was already tall, and decades of fighting on the battlefield had honed his strong back and shoulders. When he looked down at Xie Zhi'an, it was like a beast staring at a weak prey. Xie Zhi'an felt a chill for no reason and stopped talking.
Pei Heng looked at his cold expression and said in a cold tone, "It is very inappropriate for Marquis Yong'an to discuss your daughter with an outsider like me in public."
Xie Zhian froze, standing awkwardly in place, unsure of how to react.
"Why is General Pei so protective of her?" Xie Jianing looked at Pei Heng with a cold smile beside her father: "Anyone who doesn't know better would think you're her husband."
Pei Heng frowned and looked at Xie Jianing: "Why does Miss Jianing resent her so much? As far as I know, she has no grudge against you."
Xie Jianing was speechless when asked the question. He simply couldn't understand. If Pei Heng were to return after disappearing for several years, and all his mother, aunt, sisters, and people who had admired him fell in love with a concubine's son, and that concubine's son had a face that resembled his and was imitating him, trying to take his place, wouldn't he resent it?
“She shouldn’t have coveted things that don’t belong to her,” Xie Jianing said softly.
"What is it that she shouldn't even be thinking about?" Pei Heng frowned even more deeply. "And who set those rules?"
He already had a fierce appearance, and the way he frowned and questioned her made him even more ferocious and creepy.
Xie Zhian instinctively shielded Jia Ning behind him, trying to ease the tension.
Fortunately, the Duke of England and his family got off the carriage and called out from afar, "General Pei."
Pei Heng glanced at the Duke of Yingguo, then turned around and greeted the Duke of Yingguo without further entanglement with Xie Jianing.
Xie Zhian breathed a long sigh of relief: "It's alright, Jia Ning. You can't reason with someone like him."
Xie Jianing pursed her lips, her eyes reddening from the night wind. Why did everyone think she was in the wrong? It was clearly Xie Yushu who had taken her place…
#
Under the cover of night, Pei Heng couldn't help but glance at the palace gate again, trying to find Xie Yushu's figure.
He had heard from Xiao Dao that Xie Yushu was having a hard time, and he thought it was just because she had married the wrong person and Pei Shilin treated her badly. But he never expected that even his father and relatives treated her so badly.
Since Xie Zhian gave birth to her, he should fulfill his responsibilities as a father. If Xie Zhian raised her as his daughter, why would Xie Jianing say such things?
No wonder Xiao Dao kept telling him that no one would stand up for Xie Yushu and that she had nowhere to go back, which is why Pei Shilin dared to humiliate her like that and treat her like a human being.
Pei Heng felt even more guilty towards her. He informed the Duke of Yingguo, wanting to go to the palace to find her as soon as possible, lest some idle people cause her trouble again.
The Duke of England patted him on the arm and congratulated him with a smile. He wanted to ask about Pei Shilin's resignation today, but he didn't want to ask in front of so many people, so he just asked, "Did Shilin come today?"
Pei Heng shook his head, and before he could answer, Zhang Ling, the son of the Duke of Ying, asked, "Has Madam Pei arrived yet?"
Zhang Youwei immediately nudged him.
Zhang Ling covered his arm, feeling unhappy. He, Xie Yushu, and Meng Jinyue were serious polo buddies. What was wrong with greeting each other when they met?
Pei Heng glanced at Zhang Ling. This kid was notoriously spoiled and spoke without restraint, so he didn't reply and took his leave to enter the palace gate.
They hurried inside, but did not see Xie Yushu. Instead, they saw Pei's mother sitting alone in her seat.
Worried that Xie Yushu might get lost, he asked Pei's mother, "Where is my niece-in-law?" The title felt too unfamiliar and awkward, but he couldn't very well call her by her given name.
"She was just here." But even her mother didn't know where she had gone.
Pei Heng looked around and found that Xiao Dao was not there either. He then knew that Xie Yushu was probably with Xiao Dao.
He couldn't help but frown. He repeatedly told Xiao Dao that before his origins were confirmed, he must keep his distance from Xie Yushu to avoid causing Xie Yushu unnecessary trouble. After all, this was a royal secret. Wasn't Xiao Dao afraid of arousing the emperor's suspicion by getting so close to Xie Yushu?
Pei Heng sat down, but he was somewhat uneasy. He was worried that Xiao Dao and Xie Yushu would be discovered, but he was also unsure whether he should go to find Xiao Dao and Xie Yushu.
Fortunately, Xiao Dao and Xie Yushu returned one after the other shortly after.
Xie Yushu sat down beside him and Pei's mother. He didn't want to overthink it, but he still noticed that Xie Yushu's lipstick had faded considerably.
He couldn't help but look up at Xiao Dao in the vice-general's seat opposite him. He saw that Xiao Dao's lips and cheeks were as red as if he had been drinking, and his eyes were looking at Xie Yushu through the crowd.
It's so obvious, is he afraid others won't notice that he likes Xie Yushu?
Pei Heng glanced coldly at Xiao Dao, hoping he would restrain himself. Xie Yushu was still Pei Shilin's wife, and Xiao Dao's background had not yet been investigated. The Emperor had already sent people to keep an eye on Xiao Dao, so he shouldn't get too close to Xie Yushu.
Xiao Dao seemed to notice his gaze, and lowered his head to be more discreet.
Pei Heng poured tea for both his mother and Xie Yushu.
Xie Yushu was very close to him, and he could easily smell her unique fragrance, a bitter medicinal scent mixed with the aroma of peaches, which reminded him of his childhood when his mother, before she passed away, always had a bitter medicinal scent on her.
His mother would sit at the table watching him eat peaches, laughing at the mess he made, and wiping his hands and dirty face with a handkerchief over and over again. The fragrance on the handkerchief was just like Xie Yushu's fragrance.
He couldn't help but look at Xie Yushu again. She sat there without looking at anyone, and had no expression. He wondered what she was thinking.
She likes Xiaodao, right? Why doesn't she get together with Li and Xiaodao?
Palace lanterns lined the shores of Xuanwu Lake, making the entire garden as bright as day, even under a gloomy sky.
Xie Jianing hadn't seen such a lively scene in a long time. Her old friends, who were once close to her, surrounded her, showing concern for her and asking where she had been all these years.
She seems to have returned to being the adored and doted-on Xie Jianing she once was, and this is what she deserves.
Zhang Youwei leaned close to her and whispered, "It's good that you're back. I would rather he liked you."
Xie Jianing knew that "he" referred to Song Jie. She looked at Xie Yushu again, feeling a surge of anger in her heart. Even if Song Jie didn't like her anymore, Xie Yushu wouldn't get her.
She wanted to see whether Song Jie would break his promise to her tonight or disappoint Xie Yushu.
However, even after the banquet began and Emperor Xiao Xu arrived with Consort Zhang Youyi, Xie Jianing still did not see Song Jie, and even the Fourth Prince was absent.
"Why didn't Prime Minister Song come?" Zhang Youwei asked her softly, as if she always assumed she knew Song Jie's whereabouts: "Is he seriously ill again?"
Xie Jianing could only sneer. He probably wasn't seriously ill; he was just unable to keep his promise and was deliberately avoiding it. Coward!
"Why isn't the Fourth Prince here?" Zhang Youwei looked left and right but couldn't find Xiao Zhen. "Strange, are they both sick?"
Xie Jianing's heart, which had finally lifted, sank back down again. Why couldn't everything go as she wished?
The air seemed to suddenly become stuffy, and Xie Jianing felt inexplicably dim and inconspicuous.
The main characters at the victory banquet were Pei Heng and his soldiers. When the Emperor mentioned the Crown Prince of the County, he also called Xie Jianing, saying that it was a miracle that she was able to return safely.
Xie Jianing stood up to thank the Emperor, but before she could say anything more, the Emperor's gaze shifted from her to Pei Heng and then to Xie Yushu.
"Why haven't I seen the third-ranked scholar whom I personally selected today?" the Emperor asked with a smile.
Pei Heng looked at the Emperor with a puzzled expression. He had clearly informed the Emperor this morning about Pei Shilin's resignation and investigation, so why was the Emperor asking the question when he already knew the answer?
He didn't see the Emperor's gaze fixed on Xie Yushu until he saw Xie Yushu standing up to answer.
Even though Pei Heng stood up first and replied, "Pei Shilin is under investigation at the Ministry of Justice."
The Emperor did not look away, but simply waved his hand for Pei Heng to sit down, and then said, "Madam Pei, you made a contribution at Yuqing Temple before, and I have been thinking of rewarding you with something. What do you want?"
All eyes were on her, wondering why the Emperor would suddenly call out such an inconspicuous woman.
Only Xie Yushu knew that her current 51 points of "charm value" would inevitably draw the Emperor's attention.
Before she arrived at the banquet, she knew this scene would unfold, and she was prepared to see what effect 51 points of popularity would have.
She stood up, bowed, and replied, "This humble woman has only done what she should do. I dare not claim credit, much less ask for reward."
Her eyes were downcast, half of her face hidden in shadow.
But the Emperor's gaze remained fixed on her, as if admiring a flower, and he said to her, "What I deem appropriate is appropriate. Just tell me what you want."
She wants the title of county princess and the title of prefectural princess. Will the emperor grant it to her?
Xie Yushu slowly raised his head, met the Emperor's gaze, and said with a smile, "Can I have whatever I want?"
Xiao Xu met her unwavering gaze and his heart trembled. She was not exceptionally beautiful, but her eyes shone like stars and exuded a vibrant energy. Few dared to look him in the eye like that. She was not afraid of him, like a fledgling animal, naturally fragrant.
He couldn't help but smile at her, his tone softening as he asked, "Tell me what you want?" He added, "Come closer and tell me." He wanted to see her face clearly.
Even someone as oblivious as Pei Heng sensed something was amiss; the Emperor's gaze didn't seem to be directed at his concubine.
Xie Yushu walked around the low table, stepped forward confidently, and stopped in front of the Emperor's long table.
The palace lanterns shone brightly, illuminating her eyes and brows. Her fragrance filled the stuffy air. Xiao Xu smelled that scent again, the same scent as Su Su when she was young, like morning dew and honey. He hadn't smelled it for a very long time, and he was so captivated by the fragrance that he was somewhat dazed.
Until Xie Yushu gently smiled and opened his mouth, saying, "This humble woman desires..."
A thunderclap suddenly echoed across the sky, its deafening sound startling Xie Yushu and everyone else present.
Lightning flashed across the dark, cloud-covered night sky, and Pei Heng suddenly stood up and saw faint flames rising from the western palace.
From the firelight came a cacophony of sounds of fighting and shouts of people crying out that the fire had started.
"The fire has started." Xie Yushu looked in the direction of the fire. Had Song Jie started making his move?
Her heart started pounding, unsure whether it was excitement or nervousness.
Pei Heng, who was seated, suddenly sniffed in a certain direction and exclaimed, "Protect the Emperor!"
Before Xie Yushu could react, a dark shadow darted out from the tall bushes not far away, swooping down like a vulture towards the Emperor behind her.
She smelled a strong stench of blood and heard someone call her name, Yu Shu.
It was the sound of a knife.
She didn't need to look to know that Xiaodao would rush towards her and would save her first.
Her heart pounded wildly, and she immediately turned and rushed towards the Emperor, crying out, "Save the Emperor!"
The moment she lunged toward the Emperor, she felt someone stumble and fall against her back.
It's a knife.
Xiao Dao instinctively shielded her from behind, reaching out to grab the blade that was about to stab her. The blade sliced through his palm and plunged into his chest.
Pei Heng, who had rushed over, knocked the assassin away with a palm strike and engaged in a fierce battle with him.
Before Xiao Dao could even look at his own chest, he immediately turned around to look at Yu Shu, only to see the emperor, who was lying on the dragon throne, holding Yu Shu in his arms.
The old, thin hand cradled Yu Shu's face as he asked, "Are you hurt?"
Xiao Dao's heart clenched suddenly, burning like fire. How could such an old man's hands be worthy of touching her! He should have just killed that old bastard!
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Author's Note: I've added an extra chapter! Praise me, praise me~
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