Chapter 66
His Majesty the Emperor, though speaking casually, said he wanted to see more young faces so that he himself would feel younger. Since it was the Qixi Festival banquet, the old fogies didn't need to join the fun. The younger generation of the court were all present, and those who considered themselves not old enough to be "antiques" were also trying to get a drink by pretending to be "young."
Qiu Baiji was not yet an "old-fashioned" man, but he held no official position and was not young. Therefore, he consciously excluded himself from the list of those who could attend the banquet and stayed at home to enjoy his time with his wife. Thus, at this palace banquet, Lin only held the title of the young mistress of the Marquis's mansion.
As the officials and their families entered the inner hall, the dazzling lights, like golden fireflies, were lit one after another, and by the time the guests were seated, the room was already brightly lit.
A long, scarlet felt carpet with gold trim was spread out in the center of the hall, one end connecting to the hall door and the other leading to the imperial table under the plaque of the main hall.
Dozens of tables and desks were placed facing each other on both sides of the red carpet, arranged in order from the palace gate to the throne.
Needless to say, the seating arrangement is also very particular.
Lin Yi didn't understand the intricacies of the situation, so he simply sat down with Xie Chengnan.
In Anguo, the title of Marquis is not considered a rank, but rather a super rank, ranking second only to the royal bloodline. However, Xie Chengnan has not yet been officially enfeoffed as a marquis, and the Yong'an Marquis's Mansion has long lost its real power since Xie Yanzhe's death. Therefore, Xie Chengnan did not move forward, but chose a position that was not too far back, about four or five tables away from the emperor.
By the time Lin Yi sat down, most of the guests had already chosen their seats.
Each table can accommodate 2 to 3 people. Some of them are not yet married and do not have family members with them. They can choose to share a table with others or sit alone, such as Princess Chun'an and Zhan Xian.
Sitting opposite Lin Yi and the others was Minister Lu, a third-rank official, and his only daughter, Lu Yanran.
Princess Chun'an sat before them, and further ahead were the various princesses and princes, both born of concubines and legitimate children. As for the first seat before the emperor, it was naturally reserved for the current crown prince, Gu Shu'an.
In contrast, at the very back of the palace gate, the female protagonist Zhan Xian sat all alone.
She sat quietly before the table, wearing the dark red gown that Lin Yi had sent her overnight. Her attire was extremely simple, with only her red lips contrasting with the color of her dress. She was not conspicuous among the colorful clouds adorned with jade and pearls around her.
Lin Yi noticed her, but she didn't look at him. She kept her head down the whole time, ignoring everything around her.
Lin Yi glanced at her discreetly, silently planning his next move.
She had just asked Xie Chengnan, and the emperor was old and in poor health recently, so he didn't have the energy to last the whole banquet. Even if he were to come, he would only appear at the end of the banquet.
Prior to this, the Imperial Noble Consort Shu and several other concubines who were quite prestigious in the harem attended on her behalf.
The system issued three tasks for the palace banquet: humiliate Zhan Xian, poison Gu Shu'an and frame Zhan Xian, and an additional task: "Make everyone remember you." In fact, as long as Lin Yi completed the first two tasks flamboyantly enough, she would successfully make everyone remember her.
But if she wanted to leave the palace banquet alive, she couldn't make the first two things public. Instead, she had to complete her villainous mission before the emperor arrived.
The emperor dislikes Zhan Xian, and if Lin Yiruo humiliates her in front of him, it might provoke him to take action against Zhan Xian and also draw the emperor's extra attention to her. After the emperor arrives, it's best to remain silent about anything related to Zhan Xian and minimize her presence as much as possible.
Lin thought to himself that he had even thought of this for the female lead, which was incredibly thoughtful. He hoped that she would appreciate it this time and at least not die as tragically as in the original story.
In the original novel, Qiu Qingye and Ye Zhenzhen are accomplices. Ye Zhenzhen first pours scalding hot tea on Zhan Xian, and the two incite the other noble ladies in the group to ridicule the drenched heroine. When the emperor arrives, Qiu Qingye suggests that the ladies attending the palace banquet showcase their talents, ostensibly to "add some elegance and liveliness to the banquet." Qiu Qingye is skilled in playing the zither, while Zhan Xian, having grown up practicing martial arts, possesses none of the skills typically reserved for young ladies. In the original novel, Zhan Xian reluctantly performs a sword dance, only to be mocked by Qiu Qingye, who says, "Practicing martial arts at a palace banquet is utterly unrefined; it looks like you're about to kill someone." The emperor is displeased and grows increasingly dissatisfied with Zhan Xian.
Furthermore, Qiu Qing also bribed a palace maid in the imperial kitchen to deliberately poison the Crown Prince's food, and then warned him just before he ate it. The Emperor was furious that someone dared to poison the Crown Prince's food and vowed to investigate thoroughly. This led him to discover the Zhan family's keepsake that Qiu Qing had deliberately left behind. The Crown Prince defended Zhan Xian, leading to a heated argument with the Emperor, and the meeting ended badly.
The above describes Qiu Qingye's actions at the palace banquet in the original book. He was courageous and resourceful, and although there were some plot holes that might seem illogical to readers, the story progressed step by step and, overall, fit the style of a vicious villain. Lin Yi called it the "Trilogy of Initiation."
Lin Yi wondered how she could get the system to approve the mission, achieve the aforementioned effects, and avoid offending the male and female leads. The answer was impossible; she could only minimize the animosity. This was why she had Xueya deliver clothes and a letter seeking reconciliation overnight.
Regardless of whether Zhan Xian believed the letter's contents after reading it, the conclusion of the palace banquet would confirm that Lin Yi hadn't lied to her, demonstrating his sincerity in seeking reconciliation. Lin Yi didn't make a big show of going to Zhan Xian, nor did he reveal Xue Ya's identity; instead, he let Zhan Xian suspect and discover it herself. Lin Yi knew that only such anonymous, selfless, and quietly devoted kindness could truly win the heroine's heart.
Lin Yi looked around. For some reason, she didn't see Ye Zhenzhen at the palace banquet. Perhaps it was because she stopped being on good terms with her after transmigrating, thus altering the original plot. Across from her, Lu Yanran, wearing the orange dress she had snatched from Lin Yi's hand, scratched her neck a few times, making faces. Minister Lu scolded her and slapped his hand away, so Lin Yi could only stubbornly endure it. It seemed she was completely unaware of the even bigger surprise that followed.
The guests were all seated, and the dishes were being served one after another. The palace banquet had not yet started, but it should be soon.
The timing is perfect.
Lin Yi leaned close to Xie Chengnan's ear and whispered, "I'm leaving for a bit. No matter what happens, don't worry about it."
Then, ignoring the latter's surprise, he got up and left his seat.
Today she wore a flowing blue and pink brocade dress, the subtle star and moon patterns on the hem shimmering silver in the lamplight as she moved. Lin Yi slowly walked towards the palace gate, the hair ornament in her hair swaying gently, seemingly able to drift into one's heart.
As she passed by, the conversations gradually subsided, and people unanimously focused their attention on this much-talked-about young mistress of the Marquis's mansion.
Xie Chengnan frowned as he watched Lin Yi leave, completely unable to guess what this woman was up to.
—Until she stood before a table.
"Why is Miss Zhan sitting so far away? I've been looking for her for ages," Lin Yi said coquettishly.
A faint look of confusion crossed her face, as if she were genuinely naive and puzzled.
But the word "naive" doesn't fit Qiu Qing at all. Anyone could see that she was deliberately humiliating Zhan Xian—her former rival in love, who had come to pick a fight with Zhan Xian again.
Zhan Xian glanced at her, but didn't say anything or make any other move. She then lowered her eyelashes again, ignoring her as if she were air.
The silence in the hall lasted only a moment. No one came forward to stop Qiu Qingye's actions, and soon the chatter resumed. The guests continued to whisper among themselves, but this time the conversation was mostly about the old grudges between Qiu Qingye and Zhan Xian.
Lin Yi felt the gazes directed at her and clenched her fists—she was still a little nervous, but that didn't stop her from continuing her flawless performance.
When everyone saw that Qiu Qingye, who was known for her bad reputation, was being deliberately ignored and provoked by Zhan Xian, they all thought that she was about to lash out. But then Qiu Qingye spun around, her hem tracing a graceful arc, and asked with a smile, "Miss Zhan was exiled to a remote place, so why did you come back?"
She picked up the wine glass on Zhan Xian's table, sniffed it lightly, and put it back in its place: "Could it be that you miss the imperial wine bestowed by the palace? Or is it... that life outside is too hard, lacking in money and resources, and not worthy of the life Miss Zhan wants?"
Zhan Xian looked at her coldly, her icy gaze capable of freezing the air into ice flowers. "I am not as particular as Miss Qiu; gold and silver are useless to me."
Lin Yi couldn't help but tremble when she met that gaze, quickly masking it with a light laugh. "Oh? Miss Zhan is truly aloof, making a comeback without using any money. That's true—" No one echoed her, so Lin Yi nodded to herself, "How can a convict deserve a decent monthly salary?"
These words are undeniably malicious, as sharp and biting as a poisoned silver needle, piercing straight into people's hearts.
A guilty person. Zhan Xian remained expressionless, but her hands on her knees suddenly tightened, and her shoulders trembled slightly, as if she was about to break down.
Those who heard this had different expressions. Some who knew about the past looked at Zhan Xian with pity and sympathy, some were confused and puzzled, and many more watched coldly, which refreshed their understanding of Qiu Qingye as "arrogant and unruly".
Lin Yi continued speaking as if no one else was around: "Can the words 'start over' really be accomplished with just empty words? Today, all the officials' relatives and friends are here, some old and some new. Why don't we all help you out?"
As she spoke, she reached for the sachet hanging from her waist, but found nothing. After changing her clothes today, she had given the sachet to Xie Chengnan in order to match his civil and military robes, while the one she wore around her waist was Xie Chengnan's white jade!
At this crucial moment, how could we let him down? Lin shouted without turning around, "Xie Chengnan—"
Xie Chengnan, who was engrossed in watching the show from his seat, was suddenly called out by name, which puzzled him.
Lin Yi turned his head, half of the arrogance he had shown when facing Zhan Xian dissipated, and he looked at him with a helpless and innocent expression from a distance, but his words were full of self-righteousness: "Give me the money!"
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