Chapter 6 Let's Play a Game
The sunlight was warm and gentle, but Shen You's back suddenly stiffened.
The familiar yet strange scent filled her nostrils, and she instinctively took a step back, widening the distance between them.
When he looked up again, his expression was cold. "Please speak frankly, Your Excellency."
The girl's skirt swirled in a gentle arc within the halo of light on the ground, and in an instant, it was some distance away.
Chu Xiao suppressed the gloom in his eyes before speaking, "The Dragon Boat Festival banquet in three days."
Emperor Ruiren, Qi Jincheng, will host a banquet in the palace on the Dragon Boat Festival. This news came from the palace a few days ago.
Shen You knew about this matter.
However, she never associated the palace banquet with the sachet.
At the Dragon Boat Festival banquet, all the officials and their families were present, and with so many people around, Shen You did not want to have too much interaction with him in public.
The hesitation in his eyes was very obvious.
Chu Xiao continued, "With more people around, fewer people will notice. Don't worry, you won't be discovered."
It was just returning a sachet, why did he make it sound like he was doing something shameful?
“No need,” Shen You pursed his lips again. “I will have Zi Teng accompany you back to the Duke’s Mansion. You can just give the sachet to her.”
She didn't want to go to the Duke's mansion, nor did she want to have any interaction with him at the palace banquet, and she certainly didn't want to remain entangled with him after failing to retrieve the sachet.
Therefore, sending Zifang to the Duke's mansion to retrieve it is the best approach.
But Chu Xiao didn't give her a chance, "I misspoke just now, I forgot that I have important things to do later."
This means that even if Zi Teng went to the Duke's mansion, she would not be able to get the sachet back.
Chen You felt a surge of frustration and a sudden sense of unease rose in his heart.
She glanced at him, uttered only the words "I hope Your Excellency will keep your word," and then turned and left.
Only one figure remained behind the screen.
When Shen You came out, his expression was not good. Zi Teng looked worried, but she didn't want to ask him directly.
Fang Qi was still there. Shen You said a few words to him, then lifted her skirt, stepped over the threshold, and left the teahouse.
Behind her, the man's gaze as he watched her retreating figure was filled with intense, unspoken meaning.
*
Three days later, the Dragon Boat Festival banquet will be held.
As night falls, the palace lights up, illuminating the majestic palace and even the darkest corners.
The palace has a wide and high dome, elegant and luxurious decorations, and exquisite carvings on the walls and columns.
Shen You, dressed in a light blue cloud-patterned silk dress, followed behind Shen Yao and Chen Qiurong, along with Shen Xiangning.
Shen Linhui studied under the tutelage of Master Ying Bo, and is now far away in Yuzhou, so he did not attend today's palace banquet.
The palace lanterns were bright, and inside the palace, eunuchs and maids were busy with their heads bowed.
As soon as the four entered, they saw that most of the seats were already occupied. The men were dressed in fine robes and the women were adorned with silk and jade, exchanging greetings and chatting happily.
A palace maid stepped forward and led the four people to sit down.
This commotion drew everyone's attention, and they all looked up.
Then, among the assembled young men and women, there was a figure whose whiteness was dazzling.
Shen You's dress today was extremely understated, with only two simple pearl hairpins in her hair, her eyebrows lightly drawn, and her lips slightly rouged. Apart from that, she had no other adornments, yet she still managed to capture the attention of most people.
With a slender waist and a beautiful face, she possessed an indescribable charm compared to sixteen or seventeen-year-old girls. With each step she took, the hem of her skirt rippled with patterns around her ankles, each movement graceful and captivating.
Shen You rarely attends palace banquets or banquets in various mansions, so her sudden appearance caused many people at the banquet to shift their focus of discussion to her.
The young ladies of various families were filled with envy and curiosity.
The young men glanced at her again and again, then remarked that Miss Shen's beauty had not diminished.
These gazes were so obvious, how could Shen You not know them?
She simply ignored it and sat down next to Shen Yao.
She doesn't initiate conversations, but she also doesn't ignore those who come to exchange pleasantries.
A young lady from an official family, who had just entered the palace, walked towards her and greeted her softly.
Shen You smiled politely, but as soon as she nodded, another person beside the girl gently tugged at her sleeve and whispered, "She's divorced. Don't get too close to her, or it'll be hard to arrange a marriage later."
The girl was taken aback, turned her head to look at Shen You again, smiled awkwardly, but did not say anything more to Shen You, and left with the other person.
Shen You was already used to this situation.
Her expression was indifferent, revealing neither joy nor anger, and she turned around and sat down again.
Shen Yao was exchanging pleasantries with the officials beside him and did not notice the commotion, but Chen Qiurong saw the whole thing clearly.
She looked displeased, but couldn't show it, so she could only force a smile and adopt the demeanor befitting a lady of the Marquis's household.
Meanwhile, Shen Xiangning glanced sideways at the woman who had spoken rudely to Shen You, her eyes filled with disdain. She then looked at Shen You, and seeing that she didn't care, she looked away.
The lively atmosphere at the gathering remained unchanged.
Because of Shen Youhe's divorced status, most of the unmarried young ladies from noble families were unwilling to come and greet her. She was happy to have some peace and quiet, sometimes lowering her eyes to drink tea, and sometimes looking at the busy figures of the palace eunuchs.
Not long after, noises came again from the palace gate.
She subconsciously looked up, then her eyes flickered slightly before she looked away.
The person who arrived was Chu Xiao.
The man wore a dark red brocade robe with narrow sleeves, his face was cold and handsome, and the jade buckle waist belt accentuated his strong waist. With a long stride, he moved with a chilling force.
From his initial training in the border military camp, to his later concealment of his abilities after the Marquis's mansion fell into disaster, and finally to his rebellion, planning his actions, and killing the enemy on the battlefield.
Chu Xiao is twenty-eight years old this year. Compared with those pampered young masters, he has a more obvious solemnity and hormones that come from someone who has tasted blood on the edge of a knife.
Even though Shen You doesn't want to have much contact with him now, nor does she want others to know about their past relationship, she still has to admit it.
Chu Xiao, whether it's his facial features or his demeanor, perfectly matches her preferences and standards.
It was in the wind and snow that she first saw that cold and tough face, and she could never forget it.
but...
They have no relationship anymore.
The discussion at the table gradually focused on him, mostly consisting of praise.
Now that Chu Xiao is the Duke of Zhenguo, there are many people who want to flatter and curry favor with him. However, he usually keeps a stern face. Those people come forward with fawning smiles, but can only return with sullen smiles.
At that moment, the high-pitched voice of a palace attendant rang out from inside the palace.
"His Majesty has arrived!"
"The Empress has arrived!"
Everyone stood up and knelt down to pay their respects.
Emperor Ruiren, Qi Jincheng, and Empress Ye Mingyu emerged from the inner palace, their bearing as majestic as dragons and phoenixes, every movement exuding imperial majesty.
Between the two was the little princess Qi Zhaoyan.
Qi Zhaoyan is only four years old this year. She is a small girl wearing a pink palace dress, with two small buns on her head decorated with tassels. She has a round face and a pair of big, bright eyes that blink curiously as she looks at everyone in the hall.
"Rise."
"Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty."
Qi Jincheng and Ye Mingyu sat down at the head of the table, and the little princess sat down next to Ye Mingyu.
Everyone then got up and returned to their seats.
Over the past four years, Qi Jincheng and Chu Xiao fought side by side. Ye Mingyu, who came from a military family, had been by Qi Jincheng's side since he began to conceal his true strength. The two had a deep bond.
Shen You sat in the second row, watching Qi Jincheng on the dragon throne talking to Ye Mingyu with his head down, which made her smile.
The little princess looked up at her parents with curiosity, blinked, and smiled.
Qi Jincheng then covered her ears and whispered a few words in Ye Mingyu's ear.
The eunuch stepped forward and read out the Emperor's decree.
"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: On this auspicious Dragon Boat Festival, let us rejoice with the people and celebrate this joyous occasion together, so as to make this a historical record."
"Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty."
From this point on, the palace banquet officially began.
Inside the magnificent palace, there was fine wine and delicious food, lively conversation and laughter.
Emperor Ruiren, Qi Jincheng, is twenty-six years old this year, and is about the same age as Chu Xiao. If the older ministers have good memories, they should still remember that when the ancestral emperor was alive, the two of them often practiced martial arts together.
Having weathered the storms of the old emperor's reign, and with Chu Xiao saving Qi Jincheng's life on the battlefield several times, the relationship between the two is no longer that of an ordinary ruler and subject.
More like brothers.
Princess Qi Zhaoyan was clearly very familiar with Chu Xiao. She stepped down from Ye Mingyu's side, holding a cup of milk, and went to offer it to Chu Xiao.
Chu Xiao's expression softened for once when he looked at her. He didn't refuse the young girl's kindness and formally clinked glasses with her.
"Uncle Chu, you're all alone. Yan Yan will keep you company."
Actually, her father and mother were chatting away, oblivious to everyone else, and no one paid any attention to her.
Chu Xiao glanced at Qi Jincheng and Ye Mingyu, then looked down at Qi Zhaoyan, "It's probably because the princess herself finds it boring."
Qi Zhaoyan, though young, was quite precocious. "Uncle Chu, why do you deny it?"
"I overheard Father urging you to get married just a few days ago."
Chu Xiao raised an eyebrow and tapped her forehead. "Eavesdropping is not the behavior of a gentleman."
Qi Zhaoyan smiled, her eyes crinkling, "Yan Yan is a child, not a gentleman."
She glanced around the room and said, "There are so many beautiful ladies here today. If you feel embarrassed, Uncle Chu, Yan Yan can help you."
Chu Xiao followed her gaze, but did not linger anywhere else. Instead, his eyes fell directly on the light-colored figure in the second row below.
"Did Uncle Chu use incense today? Yan Yan smells a very special osmanthus fragrance."
Qi Zhaoyan continued talking, but Chu Xiao had no interest in listening to her anymore.
In his sight, the slender figure had already stood up and walked out of the palace.
That was their agreement.
At the end of the hour of You (5-7 PM), she waited for him in the deserted corridor outside the palace, where he would return the sachet to her.
Since Chu Xiao entered the palace, Shen You's mind has been elsewhere from the banquet.
All she could think about was getting the sachet back from him later.
After several rounds of drinks, the singing and dancing continued as usual.
Since it was a palace banquet, Qi Jincheng didn't stand on ceremony. Officials and nobles rose to their feet, clinking glasses and creating a lively atmosphere.
When a palace maid saw that Shen You's cup was empty, she stepped forward to pour her some more wine.
Shen You looked up at her and asked softly, "What time is it now?"
The palace maid replied respectfully, "It will be almost 7 PM."
Shen You pursed her lips, tilted her head back and drank the wine in her glass, then lifted her skirt and stood up, walking out into a corner where no one was watching.
Chu Xiao also stood up and whispered to Qi Zhaoyan, "Princess, please forgive me, I must stay away."
After saying that, he left.
Qi Zhaoyan watched his departing figure, her large, clear eyes darting around, a sly smile playing on her lips.
She turned back to Qi Jincheng's side, nestled on Ye Mingyu's lap, and said coquettishly, "Father and Mother, banquets alone are so boring."
"Yan Yan suggests we play a game."
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