Night has fallen, and the palace halls are brightly lit. Every now and then, groups of two or three palace maids and eunuchs can be seen hurrying by carrying various palace lanterns, bringing a touch of vitality to the dull palace.
Zhang Chao led Liuli and the others through a winding path, eventually arriving at the Imperial Garden.
In the winter, only a few evergreen plants and a few winter chrysanthemums carefully cultivated in the palace flower room were in bloom, which prevented the Imperial Garden from being too desolate.
The newly built Moon-Viewing Terrace stands in the center of the Imperial Garden. Upon arriving at the terrace, one first sees nineteen nanmu pillars, each as thick as a water bucket. These pillars were crafted from the entire trunks of nineteen carefully selected nanmu trees, each over thirty years old. The pillars are painted a deep brown, and exquisitely carved by skilled craftsmen are adorned with magnificent and beautiful patterns, inlaid with gold and jade, which gleam brilliantly under the lamplight.
Nineteen pillars, each about two zhang tall, together support a circular wooden platform with a diameter of over fifteen zhang. The platform is about one chi thick and is also made of individual pieces of nanmu wood. The entire platform is painted in the same dark brown as the pillars, which conceals the gaps between the nanmu wood, making the platform appear as a single, solid piece.
There are three wooden staircases around the platform. One is due north, and the other two form a symmetrical triangle with the one due north. The wooden staircase due north was reserved for the emperor.
Liuli followed behind Zhang Chao, looking around as she climbed the wooden steps to the Moon-Viewing Platform. The platform was surrounded by an exquisitely carved wooden railing, with three gaps at the three staircases. The railing was about a person's height, with interconnected lotus flowers carved in the center. Except for the lotus flowers, the rest of the railing was painted dark brown, while the lotus flowers themselves were painted pink, making them indistinguishable from real lotuses at first glance.
The outer perimeter of the fence is surrounded by nine thinner nanmu wood pillars, which together support a jeweled roof with octagonal eaves. The roof is covered with golden glazed tiles, and a palace lantern hangs from each eave. Each lantern is decorated with a painting of a lady by skilled craftsmen. Some of the women in the paintings are playing the zither or the pipa, some are embroidering, some are weaving, and some are enjoying flowers in twos and threes. All of them are exquisitely beautiful.
On the north side of the Moon-Viewing Terrace stood a long table, behind which was a wide armchair covered with a thick mink carpet. One sitting on it would sink completely in, undoubtedly extremely comfortable. Liuli's gaze was fixed on that armchair; if Yu Ke hadn't been holding her arm tightly, she probably would have already run over and tried it out.
Looking at the wooden platform, there were six smaller tables and chairs placed on the east and west sides. The armchairs behind the tables and chairs were also smaller and were not covered with mink carpets, thus distinguishing them from the tables and armchairs facing north.
It was a cold winter night, and the place was even colder because it was high up. So several stoves were placed on the wooden platform, with a small stove next to each table.
When Zhang Chao and Liu Li came up, there were already three people sitting behind the three tables on the west side: Prime Minister Liang Shen at the head of the table, Jade Prince Xuan Yuanhao at the middle table, and Liang Yihan, the young master of the Prime Minister's residence, at the outermost table.
Originally, Liang Yihan had not been summoned to this banquet by the emperor. However, due to the Jade King's repeated petitions and the emperor's eunuch Xue's repeated praise of him, even Zhang Chao suggested that Liang Yihan attend. In Zhang Chao's opinion, Liang Yihan had displayed extraordinary intelligence since childhood, and he had disappeared for twenty years in search of immortality. It was uncertain whether he had achieved his goals, and this banquet would provide a good opportunity to observe him.
As soon as Zhang Chao arrived, the many palace maids and eunuchs who were serving on the Moon Gazing Platform hurriedly bowed and said in unison, "Greetings, Lord Zhang."
Zhang Chao chuckled, his expression gentle, and said, "No need for formalities, please rise."
"Thank you, Lord Zhang."
Then, Xuan Yuanhao, Liang Shen, and Liang Yihan stood up one after another. Xuan Yuanhao and Liang Shen bowed and greeted him with smiles, "Lord Zhang."
Zhang Chao first bowed to Xuan Yuanhao and said respectfully, "Greetings, Your Highness, the Jade King."
The Jade King was a prince without real power, while Zhang Chao was a powerful minister who held immense influence in the court. The fact that he could be so respectful to the Jade King shows that Zhang Chao was truly good at putting on a show.
Xuan Yuanhao was surprised and quickly helped Zhang Chao up, saying gently, "Lord Zhang, there's no need for such formalities."
"Thank you, Your Highness." Zhang Chao stood up, cupped his hands in greeting to Liang Shen, and said with a smile, "Lord Liang."
Liang Shen was about sixty years old, of medium height, slightly hunched, with a face full of wrinkles and graying hair, but his spirit was still quite good; he was robust and vigorous. When he looked at Zhang Chao, a hint of disgust could be seen deep in Liang Shen's eyes, but he concealed it well. He gestured towards the table on his left and said with a smile, "Lord Zhang, please take a seat."
"Okay, okay." Zhang Chao replied repeatedly, turning to look at Liang Yihan, who was staring at Ahua behind him with some surprise. Zhang Chao followed Liang Yihan's gaze to Ahua, a hint of doubt creeping into his eyes. He subtly withdrew his gaze from Liang Yihan and smiled, "This must be Yihan, right? Twenty years have passed since we last met, and Yihan has grown into a handsome young man!"
"Not bad." Liang Shen turned his head and glanced at Liang Yihan, who was in a daze. He quickly and quietly tugged at him, saying, "Han'er, quickly pay your respects to your Uncle Zhang!"
"...Yes!" Liang Yihan came to his senses, bowed deeply, and said in a deep voice, "This nephew greets Uncle Zhang. May Uncle Zhang be well."
Zhang Chao helped Liang Yihan up and said with a smile, "Yihan, don't be so polite, please sit down."
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