Chapter 47: To take in, to bring into the harem?
The atmosphere of the banquet was relaxed and joyful amidst the exquisite songs and dances performed by the Jiaofangsi (a type of entertainment venue).
After several rounds of drinks and dishes, everyone enjoyed the imperial delicacies, chatting and laughing in hushed tones, and admiring the graceful figure dancing in the center of the hall.
Lin Yan was completely absorbed in the viewing, and kept discussing it quietly with her family.
Just as the music ended, the dancers bowed and withdrew, and the music paused, Consort Ning, sitting at the head of the women's section, suddenly spoke with a smile: "Today is His Majesty's birthday, a day of universal celebration, and it is truly lively. In my opinion, although the programs of the Imperial Music Bureau are good, they are ultimately just commonplace things."
As she spoke, her loving gaze swept over the young ladies below, who were dressed like delicate spring flowers: "The daughters of the noble families present here must all be talented and beautiful, with kind hearts and gentle minds. They usually remain hidden in their chambers and are rarely seen. On this auspicious occasion, if any young lady is willing to step forward and display her talents, whether it be playing the zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, singing, dancing, or poetry, it will not only add color to His Majesty's birthday banquet, but I will also reward her handsomely."
Upon hearing this, the expressions of many people in the hall instantly became subtle.
Lin Yan paused upon hearing this. Weren't the performances at the Imperial Music Bureau quite good? Professional team, consistent quality. What was Consort Ning's motive for suddenly having the young ladies of various families perform their talents?
He was a little bewildered and subconsciously looked up at Xiao Che on the dragon throne.
Xiao Che's previously relaxed brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, clearly indicating that he was not interested in this sudden suggestion.
He was about to speak, probably intending to politely decline, since it was not in line with his usual style.
However, Consort Ning seemed to have anticipated his refusal. After speaking, she stood up with a smile and casually strolled to the side of the throne, standing right to Xiao Che's left.
She naturally placed her hand lightly on Xiao Che's arm, which was supporting the dragon throne, in an intimate manner, as if she were just a loving elder.
"What does Your Majesty think of my idea?" She leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice so that only a few people nearby could faintly hear her, her face still bearing an impeccable gentle smile.
Xiao Che had to swallow back the words that were on the tip of his tongue.
He turned his head to look at Consort Ning, his eyes filled with helplessness.
Consort Ning and his birth mother were like sisters. Before her death, his mother solemnly entrusted Consort Ning to take good care of him. He always remembered this kindness and treated Consort Ning with great respect and courtesy.
At this moment, Consort Ning seemed to be seeking his opinion, but the seemingly gentle touch of her hand actually carried a force that did not allow him to immediately refute it.
Xiao Che could even feel the slight pressure from Consort Ning's well-maintained nails through her clothing.
He pursed his thin lips and was about to speak again when Consort Ning's hand on his arm twisted it with a very subtle force!
Xiao Che: "!!!"
How could Consort Ning do such a thing?!
The emperor's body stiffened for a moment.
That twist was quite forceful, carrying a strong reminder and a hint of reproach, as if to say, "How dare you disrespect me?"
All of this happened very quickly, and most of it was concealed by Consort Ning's wide sleeves and seemingly intimate demeanor.
But Lin Yan, who had been secretly observing Xiao Che's reaction, caught Xiao Che's subtle change in expression and extremely faint gasp in that instant.
Xiao Yu, who was below, was obviously very familiar with his mother's tricks. Upon seeing this, he suddenly shuddered, quickly picked up the empty bowl and pretended to drink soup, wishing he could bury his whole face in the bowl.
If you pinch your elder brother, you can't pinch me, okay?
Lin Yan was secretly delighted.
He truly hadn't expected that the arrogant Xiao Che would be so easily manipulated by Consort Ning. As for Xiao Yu, his demeanor was quite practiced, suggesting he had been disciplined by his mother quite a bit.
However, after he had his fun, he still didn't quite understand the deeper meaning behind Consort Ning's actions.
It wasn't until his father, sitting next to him, subtly whispered the answer in his ear while raising his cup: "Yan'er, what are you looking at? Consort Ning is selecting women for His Majesty. If any are exceptionally talented and have a pleasing appearance, they might be brought into the harem!"
Upon hearing this, Lin Yan's smile instantly froze.
To take in, to bring into the harem?
Choosing a concubine?
An extremely sudden and inexplicable emotion suddenly seized Lin Yan.
It felt like something had suddenly bumped into my heart, leaving a dull, astringent, and empty feeling. The good mood I had just enjoyed while watching the song and dance and eating delicious food vanished in an instant.
Lin Yan subconsciously looked at Xiao Che again.
Even though Xiao Che said he didn't want a harem, he couldn't deny that he was the emperor.
It was common for emperors to have three palaces and six courtyards.
Even if Xiao Che himself didn't care, the fact that the vast harem was empty would make others care on his behalf.
The ministers of the previous dynasty who submitted a memorial to Emperor Xiao Che, requesting him to select concubines and enrich his harem, were concerned.
Even the current Empress Dowager Ning cares.
He understands the principles.
But……
Lin Yan lowered his eyes and stared at the plate of crystal dumplings on the table in front of him, and suddenly felt that they looked a little boring.
Even an emperor like Xiao Che, who he considered quite free, could not ultimately escape the constraints of this era.
He was a little sad.
Lin Yan was startled by the inexplicable sadness in her heart and quickly shook her head, trying to shake off this strange emotion.
Stop! Stop!
Lin Yan, wake up!
You are just an insignificant grain of sand in the torrent of history, what can you do?
On his high seat, Xiao Che slightly withdrew his arm from Consort Ning's "clutches," and helplessly rubbed his temples. Consort Ning's pinch was genuine.
He glanced at the crowd below, which had instantly become tense yet expectant, especially the young ladies and their families who were clearly starting to straighten their clothes, smooth their hair, and whose eyes were shining. He sighed inwardly.
He knew that Consort Ning meant well, and it was also a common practice.
From both a public and private perspective, he seemed to have no reason to refuse outright in such a public setting and offend the Dowager Consort. Moreover, the Dowager Consort Ning's intentions towards him were genuinely those of an elder, and nothing more.
"What the Empress Dowager says... is very reasonable." Xiao Che finally spoke, his voice devoid of emotion, restoring the composure of an emperor. "Today is a festive day, and we are celebrating with all of you. If any young ladies are willing to perform and display their talents, it would be the icing on the cake. So... let's do as the Empress Dowager wishes."
Consort Ning's smile grew even more satisfied and kind: "Your Majesty is wise."
With this decisive blow, the atmosphere in the hall instantly became even more heated, filled with an indescribable tension and anticipation.
Ministers with daughters of marriageable age exchanged glances, their minds racing.
Almost as soon as the emperor finished speaking, a young girl dressed in a pale yellow brocade dress and wearing a red gold and jeweled hairpin stood up first, walked lightly to the center of the hall, and bowed gracefully: "Your subject, Zhao Wanru of the Yongjia Marquis's Mansion, wishes Your Majesty a long life. I am not talented, but I wish to compose a poem to add to the festivities of Your Majesty's birthday banquet."
The young lady from the Marquis's mansion moved so quickly, as if afraid of being beaten to it, with a confident yet shy smile on her face.
Xiao Che nodded indifferently, his tone flat: "Granted."
Lin Yan was initially somewhat absent-minded. Upon hearing the words "reciting poetry," he subconsciously felt that this skill was easy, low-cost, and quick to produce results.
Then, Miss Zhao cleared her throat and began to recite: "Have you not seen—the Yellow River's waters come from the sky, rushing to the sea never to return..."
Lin Yan: "!!!"
He suddenly raised his head, his eyes widened instantly, his mouth slightly open, and he almost dropped the wine glass he was about to take a sip to calm his nerves and smashed it on the table!
Yellow River?!
This poem… its magnificent momentum, its familiar way of beginning…
Lin Yan's heart began to pound wildly, and an absurd yet terrifying thought struck his mind like lightning—
Holy crap! A fellow villager?!
Is Miss Zhao from the Yongjia Marquis's mansion a time traveler?!
Did he also come from that world with the Yellow River and Li Bai?!
However, after the initial shock came immense terror, and Lin Yan wished he could rush up and cover her mouth!
Hey fellow villager! What are you doing, fellow villager?
Is this how you memorize poems?!
Don't you consider the occasion?!
What is this place? The Emperor's birthday banquet! Below him sits a group of highly learned old scholars and members of the Hanlin Academy!
Don't you even look at the backdrop?!
This is the Great Yu Dynasty! There's no Yellow River! There's no Li Bai!
You start by saying "The Yellow River flows down from the sky," and then you go on to say "In the bright mirror of the high hall, I grieve for my white hair."
And then what? "Everyone has their own unique talents"? "Even if you spend all your money, it will come back again"?
Believe it or not, an old man might jump out at you any second and ask, "Where is the Yellow River?", "Who wrote this poem?", "Why have I never heard of it before?"
Lin Yan's father was an official in the Ministry of Works. His family had a geographical record of the Great Yu, which he had worn out. The largest river system was called the Cangjiang River, the next largest was called the Yunhe River, and further down were the Luoshui River, the Qingchuan River, and so on...
Anyway, there's no Yellow River!
Lin Yan felt a cold sweat break out on his back. He stared intently at Miss Zhao in the center of the hall, who was still reciting poetry with great self-satisfaction and immersing herself in the poet's heroic sentiments. He wondered what he should do if Miss Zhao were to give herself away later.
With so many Tang and Song poems, why choose the iconic Yellow River?
If all else fails, why don't you memorize a passage from the "Songs of Chu"?
Artificial respiration is needed...
Lin Yan could even sense that some of the ministers around him, especially the old scholars from the Hanlin Academy, had frowned slightly and exchanged puzzled glances. They were clearly surprised and curious about this unprecedented yet astonishing poem.
Oh no, oh no, oh no… Lin Yan wailed inwardly, wishing he could learn the divine skill of telepathic communication on the spot: Stop memorizing!
Lin Yan was so nervous that her hands and feet turned ice-cold, and she subconsciously looked at Xiao Che again.
Xiao Che remained seated, his face expressionless, seemingly listening intently.
But Lin Yan inexplicably felt that there seemed to be a hint of amusement hidden deep in His Majesty's eyes.
Is it just my imagination?
Zhao Wanru was clearly unaware of the impending crisis. Completely immersed in the heroic spirit of the poet Li Bai and the display of her own "talent," her voice grew clearer and her demeanor more confident: "...Heaven has endowed me with talents, which will surely be put to use; though a thousand pieces of gold are spent, they will return! Let us feast on roasted lamb and slaughtered oxen, and drink three hundred cups of wine in one go..."
Many young men in the hall were mesmerized by the poem, finding it magnificent, unrestrained, and unlike anything they had ever heard before.
However, the elderly scholars of the Hanlin Academy, with their white hair and beards, frowned more and more deeply.
Finally, when Miss Zhao recited with great enthusiasm, "Since ancient times, sages and worthies have all been lonely, only drinkers have left their names," an old scholar surnamed Sun could no longer contain himself and interrupted her.
"Miss Zhao, please wait."
Zhao Wanru was immersed in the imagery of "Prince Chen once feasted at Ping Le, drinking ten thousand cups of wine and indulging in merriment" when she was suddenly interrupted. She was taken aback and asked, "I wonder what advice this old gentleman has for me?"
Sun Hanlin stood up, first bowing to Xiao Che on the throne, and then looked at Zhao Wanru with sharp eyes: "I just heard the poem you recited, Miss. It was magnificent and novel in its conception. It is truly rare. However, I have a question and hope that you can enlighten me."
Here it comes!
Lin Yan's heart tightened, and her bottom involuntarily lifted slightly off her seat.
Sun Hanlin slowly asked, "Miss, which river in our Great Yu does the Yellow River mentioned in your poem refer to? I only know the Cangjiang River, Yunhe River, Luoshui River, and Qingchuan River, but I have never heard of a Yellow River. Since this water can come from the heavens, it must be extraordinary. I wonder which prefecture it is located in, where it originates, and which sea it flows to?"
"Uh..." Zhao Wanru's confident smile froze instantly, and a hint of panic flashed in her eyes.
The Yellow River? Isn't the Yellow River just the Yellow River? What else could it be?
But looking at Sun Hanlin's serious and inquisitive gaze, and at the increasing number of questioning glances from around her, she suddenly realized—there might not be a Yellow River here!
Cold sweat broke out on my forehead instantly.
"This, this..." she stammered, her eyes darting around, "The Yellow River... it, it might be a rather ancient river, with different names... perhaps, perhaps it's another name in ancient books..." Her voice grew softer and softer as she spoke, and she became less and less confident.
She's just a sixteen-year-old high school freshman, what could she possibly know?!
It's just that I'm performing according to my parents' current demands. Isn't that how it's always been?
Another scholar, Li, also stood up, stroking his beard, and said, "Oh? An alternative name for an ancient book? I wonder which ancient book it is? I pride myself on being well-read, but I have never seen the name Yellow River in any classic text. Furthermore, Miss's poem, 'The bright mirror in the high hall reflects the sorrow of white hair, which is as black as silk in the morning and as white as snow in the evening,' is quite evocative. But who are these Master Cen and Master Danqiu?"
One question after another rained down on Zhao Wanru like a machine gun.
How could she possibly answer all that? When reciting poetry, all she thinks about is how cool she looks; who cares about the annotations and background!
She blushed instantly, sweat beaded on her forehead, and stood there swaying precariously, on the verge of fainting to escape reality.
The faces of the Marquis of Yongjia and his wife were already ashen, and they wished they could disappear into the ground.
The atmosphere inside the hall became extremely awkward, and whispers began to circulate.
Lin Yan was extremely anxious.
[Oh no! She's really going to be exposed! How could this silly girl not have made any contingency plans?! Where's that essential fabrication skill for time travelers?!]
【What should I do? What should I do? Should I try to save her? How? Should I tell her it was a poem I dreamt about yesterday that I told her about? No, no, this is too much trouble for me!】
[Oh well, let's try anything! We can't just watch her get arrested, can we? She's from the same hometown, after all!]
Lin Yan steeled his resolve, abruptly stood up, bowed to the throne and the assembled ministers, and tried to keep his voice steady: "Your Majesty, Your Excellencies, please allow me to presume to speak."
All eyes immediately turned to Lin Yan.
Xiao Che's gaze also fell on him, his eyes deep and unreadable.
Lin Yan braced himself, his brain racing, and began to make up a story on the spot: "This humble official may know something about the Yellow River that Miss Zhao mentioned."
Lin Yan took a deep breath: "When I was young, I once obtained a tattered ancient scroll at the home of my friend Yuwen. It was unsigned and dated. The handwriting on it was messy and incomplete. It seemed to be a record of strange tales and geographical anecdotes by some wandering sorcerers or down-on-their-luck literati. It vaguely mentioned that in the far west and far north, there was a vast river. Because the soil in the basin was yellowish and the river water was turbid, it was called the Yellow River by the local people."
Above, a hint of amusement flickered in Xiao Che's eyes.
Lin Yan, still trying to find excuses for his fellow villager, didn't notice Xiao Che's gaze: "The water's surging force truly possesses the grandeur of something descending from the heavens. As for Master Cen and Danqiu Sheng, they must be the reclusive, wine-loving hermits and their dwellings recorded in that ancient scroll, living on the banks of the Yellow River. I was young then and only read it as a collection of strange tales, never truly believing it. Moreover, that ancient scroll was later destroyed, perhaps because the servants at home didn't recognize it, so there's no way to verify it. Only today, hearing Miss Zhao recite it, did I realize such a coincidence? Perhaps Miss Zhao also has a similar collection of books at home? Or perhaps she heard these fragments of anecdotes from elsewhere, was moved by their heroic spirit, and thus incorporated them into her poem to congratulate Your Majesty?"
Lin Yan's words, including phrases like "torn ancient scrolls," "wandering sorcerers," "extreme west and extreme north," and "already destroyed," practically screamed "I'm making this up."
Several senior scholars frowned upon hearing this, finding it hard to believe.
Sun Hanlin wanted to ask for more information about the ancient book, but Xiao Che, who had been silent all along, suddenly chuckled softly.
The laughter wasn't loud, but it instantly silenced everyone's discussions and doubts.
Xiao Che's gaze swept over Lin Yan, who was so nervous he was almost jumping up and down, and then glanced at Miss Zhao, who was on the verge of tears.
"I see. Though we live in different places, we share the same moon and sky. The world is vast and full of wonders. Since there are ancient records, it is a connection. Miss Zhao's ability to adapt ancient ideas is ingenious. Today is a time for celebration, so there is no need to be too concerned with historical research."
Xiao Che paused for a moment, then immediately concluded: "The poem is good, Miss Zhao, thank you for your thoughtfulness, I'll reward you."
Then, without waiting for anyone to speak, he waved his hand and said, "Go back and sit down."
Once the emperor has spoken, who would dare to question him?
Even though Sun Hanlin and the others still had a million questions in their minds, they could only swallow their words and sit down reluctantly.
The Marquis of Yongjia and his wife felt as if they had been granted a pardon. They quickly pulled their daughter, who was almost collapsing, back to their seats, their backs already soaked with cold sweat.
Zhao Wanru sat down, still shaken, and secretly glanced in Lin Yan's direction, her eyes filled with gratitude and lingering fear.
Lin Yan finally breathed a sigh of relief, feeling her legs go weak, and slowly sat back down.
[My goodness! I'm terrified...]
Lin Yan wished he could kowtow to Xiao Che a few times at this moment. If Xiao Che hadn't stopped him, he probably would have made up even more stories in front of many people.
It would be bad if Zhao Wanru found out that he was also a time traveler.
Fellow villager, I'm only helping you this once, but you absolutely must be careful in the future.
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Author's Note: Don't think badly of Xiao Zhao. She's just a high school student who transmigrated to ancient times, unlike Xiao Lin, who's been a seasoned office worker for years. [heart emoji]
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