Chapter 11 Entering the Palace for a Banquet, Everyone's a Villain
The Imperial Palace, Taiji Hall.
Tonight's banquet is a celebration of the great victory in the North, but beneath the surface, undercurrents are swirling. Everyone in the capital knows that the military power in the North is in the hands of the Regent, the Emperor is young, and the Empress Dowager is ruling from behind the curtain. This so-called celebration banquet is nothing more than a battlefield where various forces are testing each other.
At this moment, the Regent's carriage slowly drove into the palace gate.
Sitting in the car, Jiang Mianmian felt like a rice dumpling tied up tightly.
To prevent her from impulsively breaking a boulder with one hand or overturning a table with one punch again, Shen Jin specially arranged for someone to prepare an extremely elaborate, form-fitting palace dress with tight cuffs for her.
The dress was beautiful, the shimmering brocade accentuating her snow-white skin and slender waist, but the problem was—
[This is suffocating! Is this even human clothing? Is there a steel plate hidden in this waist belt? It's so hard to even take a breath! Shen Jin, you scheming man, are you afraid I'll eat too much at the banquet and embarrass you, so you physically sealed my stomach, right?]
[And these sleeves are so narrow, they can't even hide a chicken leg! Terrible! Absolutely terrible!]
Shen Jin sat beside her, closing his eyes to rest, listening to her resentful thoughts, and a slight, almost imperceptible smile appeared on his lips.
"arrive."
He opened his eyes, got off the carriage first, then turned around and reached his hand into the carriage.
Jiang Mianmian looked at the large, well-defined hand, sighed inwardly, and resignedly placed it on her hand.
As soon as I got out of the car, a somber and oppressive atmosphere hit me.
The majestic palace, like a lurking beast in the night, exuded a chilling aura despite its bright lights. The palace servants passing by kept their heads down and their footsteps were frighteningly quiet.
The powerful and influential, noble ladies, and young women from aristocratic families were walking towards the main hall in twos and threes. Although they all wore smiles, it was impossible to know how much sincerity and how much malice lay hidden behind those smiles.
Jiang Mianmian linked arms with Chen Jin, appearing obedient and compliant, but in reality, her inner radar was already activated, scanning the surrounding environment from all angles.
[Tsk tsk tsk, is this the Royal Palace instance? The map is huge, perfect for parkour.]
[The middle-aged woman in the red dress on the left has such fierce eyes; she looks like a tough character. Her fighting ability... well, maybe 0.5 geese.]
[Those girls on the right, faking their smiles, are practically wringing their handkerchiefs to shreds, still complimenting each other on their clothes. So hypocritical, so incredibly hypocritical. I suggest they just start fighting, like pulling hair.]
Shen Jin listened to her "combat power ratings" for the people around her, raising an eyebrow slightly.
0.5 geese? What kind of unit of measurement is that?
The moment the two appeared, they instantly became the focus of the entire event.
"The Regent has arrived—the Regent's wife has arrived—"
As the eunuch's shrill voice rang out, the previously noisy hall fell silent for a moment, and all eyes turned to him.
Those gazes contained awe, envy, curiosity, and undisguised malice.
Especially those noble ladies, their eyes were glued to Shen Jin and couldn't be looked away, but when they turned to look at Jiang Mianmian, their gazes turned into naked daggers.
If looks could kill, Jiang Mianmian would have been torn to pieces by now.
[Wow! Good grief, they're all villains!]
Jiang Mianmian whistled in her heart.
[Look at the level of hatred these women are drawing, it's off the charts! Shen Jin, you're such a heartbreaker, am I going to be riddled with holes by their stares tonight?]
But... can't you just let me watch this in peace with this bunch of weaklings? I just want to find a corner and quietly devour that plate of grapes that looks pretty good.
Shen Jin felt her grip on his hand tighten (actually, she wanted to reach for the snacks beside her), and whispered to himself:
"Scared?"
"This concubine...this concubine has never seen such a grand spectacle before, and my legs are a little weak." Jiang Mianmian immediately put on her dramatic act, snuggling into Shen Jin's arms.
[Scared? I'm calculating the escape routes in this hall! In case of a fight, that pillar is a good sniping spot, and the screen over there is perfect for ambushing people...]
Shen Jin: "..."
A sniping spot? Ambush?
What kind of military strategies are going on in his head, Princess?
The two walked to the very front of the main hall.
Logically, the regent, being of high rank and great power, should naturally sit first, below the emperor. The princess, as a member of the family, would usually sit slightly behind, or with the other noblewomen.
Jiang Mianmian was preparing to sneak away and find an inconspicuous corner to hide in.
Unexpectedly, Shen Jin suddenly pulled her with a forceful wrist and dragged her to the seat next to him.
"Sit here."
He said it without any room for argument.
The entire audience erupted in uproar.
That position is on par with the Regent! This is not only a sign of favor, but also a public declaration of Jiang Mianmian's status!
As soon as Jiang Mianmian's bottom touched the mat, she felt like she was being pricked by needles.
[Big brother! What are you doing?! You're putting me on the hot seat! How can I sneak a bite to eat while sitting next to you? How can I cross my legs? How can I pick my nose?]
[Are you using me as a shield? To fend off all those unwanted suitors? Shen Jin, you're so insidious! I want a raise! I want extra chicken legs!]
Ignoring the shocked gazes of those around them, Shen Jin slowly poured her a cup of tea and said in a voice only the two of them could hear:
"Didn't the princess say that this group of people are 'weaklings'? In that case, they can sit next to me and help me... block the evil aura."
Jiang Mianmian: […Damn! This jerk can actually hear my thoughts? No, it must be a coincidence! He's using reverse psychology!]
Just then, a loud singing voice rang out:
"The Emperor has arrived! The Empress Dowager has arrived!"
Everyone stood up and bowed.
Jiang Mianmian also stood up and secretly looked up.
The young emperor, Shen Xingchen, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, walked ahead with a stern face, his expression still bearing traces of childhood innocence. He looked no more than seven or eight years old, with clear eyes, yet he had to put on a dignified air, making him appear both comical and pitiful.
Following behind him was the Empress Dowager, a beautiful woman who appeared to be in her thirties. She was extremely well-maintained and exuded elegance and nobility, but the shrewdness and calculation in her slanted eyes made one feel very uncomfortable.
[Is this the little emperor? He's quite cute, like a chibi figure. But that expression is so full of bitterness and resentment; he'll easily get wrinkles at such a young age.]
[Is that the Empress Dowager? The legendary old witch who's supposedly my stepmother Liu's cousin? Tsk tsk, all that jewels, doesn't she worry about getting neck pain? Her eyes are unfocused, her forehead is dark—she looks like she has hormonal imbalance and menopausal syndrome.]
Shen Jin paused slightly in his bowing motion.
Chi-style figurines? Menopause?
Although he couldn't understand it, his intuition told him that if the Empress Dowager heard such comments, she would probably faint on the spot.
Everyone took their seats.
The Empress Dowager sat behind the beaded curtain, her gaze passing over everyone and landing on Jiang Mianmian, who was standing next to Shen Jin.
"This must be the Regent's wife."
The Empress Dowager's voice was languid, carrying a condescending air of authority, "I've heard that the Princess Consort is frail, and that she was exempted from the morning and evening greetings on the second day of her marriage, and even her homecoming was accompanied by the Prince. Seeing her today, she is indeed a... 'delicate' person."
The sarcasm in those words was obvious even to a fool.
This is an insult, implying that she is spoiled and arrogant and doesn't know the rules.
The atmosphere inside the hall froze instantly.
The noble ladies, who were already jealous of Jiang Mianmian, all revealed gloating expressions. The Empress Dowager has made her move; let's see how this sickly girl handles it!
Jiang Mianmian was about to stand up and pretend to be dead (crossed out) to feign weakness and reply.
Unexpectedly, Shen Jin spoke first, his tone indifferent, without even lifting his eyelids:
"Your Majesty flatters me. Mianmian is indeed unwell, and the imperial physician says she needs to rest. I am exempting her from formalities for the sake of the royal family's offspring. After all... if my princess were to become ill, this important matter of having children would be delayed."
"puff--"
Jiang Mianmian almost spat out the mouthful of tea she had just taken a sip of.
[Ahem! Shen Jin, do you want to hear what you're saying? "Having children"? That's a terrible excuse! We haven't even consummated our marriage yet! Are you making a suggestive joke in public?]
[However... looking at the Empress Dowager's expression, like she'd swallowed a fly, I just can't help but laugh. Shen Duidui is online, leaving no grass standing!]
The Empress Dowager's face darkened as expected. She tried to use the rules to intimidate him, but Shen Jin countered with the issue of offspring. The imperial family of the Daqian Dynasty had few heirs, and Shen Jin himself was still childless—a reason that no one could refute.
"The Regent is truly... incredibly considerate," the Empress Dowager said through gritted teeth.
The banquet officially began.
The atmosphere was peaceful and prosperous, with melodious music filling the air.
But Jiang Mianmian soon discovered that this so-called celebration banquet was simply a large-scale "nitpicking session".
First, the wife of the Minister of War came over with a wine cup, saying she wanted to toast the Princess, but in reality, she was subtly mocking the Jiang family for their poor upbringing of their daughter. Then, a certain princess took the opportunity of praising Jiang Mianmian's beautiful clothes to ridicule her lowly birth (although she was the eldest daughter of the Prime Minister's family, she was still a subject in the eyes of the royal family).
Jiang Mianmian maintained an awkward yet polite smile throughout, but in her heart she had already cursed the ancestors of these people for eighteen generations.
Are these people crazy? Did I dig up their ancestral graves or steal their rice? Why are they all targeting me?
[That Minister's wife, you're laughing so hard your dentures are about to fall out, and you're still pretending to be familiar with me?]
[Princess, do you know your hairpin is crooked? And look at you, stop staring, or Shen Jin will never be yours.]
As Shen Jin dealt with the toasts from the court officials, he listened to the "real-time commentary" beside him and found that this dull and scheming banquet had become lively and interesting.
Especially when the princess tried to lean on him, Jiang Mianmian's inner monologue, "Get out of here! Get out of here! Get out of here! Monsters and demons, get out of here!" almost made him burst out laughing.
Just then, something unexpected happened.
A spirited woman dressed in red suddenly stood up from her seat.
She is Zhao Hongying, the granddaughter of the Duke of Zhenguo. She grew up in the military camp with her father from a young age. She has a fiery personality and has always secretly loved Shen Jin. She is a well-known "tough girl" in the capital.
"I have long heard that the princess comes from a scholarly family and is both beautiful and talented."
Holding an unsheathed sword, Zhao Hongying strode to the center of the hall, her gaze defiantly fixed on Jiang Mianmian. "Since today is a victory celebration banquet, it's no fun just drinking. Why don't we invite the Princess to demonstrate some of her talents, so we can broaden our horizons and see what kind of extraordinary woman could captivate the Regent so much!"
The entire room fell silent instantly.
This is blatant provocation!
Everyone knows Jiang Mianmian is notoriously sickly; forget about talent, even speaking loudly is a problem. Making her perform in public is just embarrassing her.
The Empress Dowager curled the corners of her lips behind the beaded curtain, showing no intention of stopping it.
Shen Jin's eyes turned cold, and he was about to refuse.
But then I heard a voice from beside me:
[Talent? You want to see talent?]
[Sure, my specialties are—breaking a boulder on my chest! Splitting bricks with my bare hands! Eating noodles while doing a handstand! Which one do you want to see?]
[Or how about I give you a live dissection demonstration? We haven't finished that roast chicken yet, I can show you how to remove a whole chicken carcass in three seconds!]
Shen Jin: "..."
He stopped Jiang Mianmian's hand, which was about to slam her hand on the table, and said in a low voice, "Don't be impulsive. There are no big rocks here for you to break."
Jiang Mianmian: [...]
"Miss Zhao is too kind." Jiang Mianmian took a deep breath, stood up, and delicately adjusted her temples. "I have been frail since childhood and am not good at singing and dancing. If I were to force myself to perform, I'm afraid it would offend everyone's eyes. However..."
She changed the subject, looking innocently at the sword in Zhao Hongying's hand, "I see that Miss Zhao is very dashing, and must be a master of martial arts. Why don't you perform a sword dance to entertain me? I... am somewhat knowledgeable in music, and would like to play a tune on the zither for you, Miss Zhao. What do you say?"
[Hmph, you want to see me make a fool of myself? No way! I may not be able to play the guqin, but I can play whatever I want! As long as I'm thick-skinned enough, you'll be the ones embarrassed! I'll use my ear-piercing magic to cleanse the souls of you mortals!]
Zhao Hongying was taken aback, then overjoyed: "Good! Then please enlighten me, Your Highness!"
In her view, the mere fact that Jiang Mianmian was willing to step onto the stage meant defeat was already a loss. Musical skills? Everyone in the capital knew that Zhao Hongying's sword dance was unparalleled; no matter who provided the music, they would only be a foil!
Soon, palace servants brought in a guqin (a seven-stringed zither).
Jiang Mianmian walked to the zither, sat down, took a deep breath, and placed her hands on the strings.
The entire audience held their breath in anticipation.
Shen Jin picked up his wine glass, his fingers tightening slightly. He suddenly felt a surge of anticipation; what exactly was this "ear-piercing, bewitching sound" she had mentioned?
"Zheng—"
A piercing noise, like fingernails scraping a blackboard, suddenly exploded in the hall.
Everyone: "!!!"
Is this what you call having a smattering of musical knowledge?
Immediately afterwards, Jiang Mianmian's fingers began to dance wildly across the strings. Completely haphazard, without rhythm, purely for the purpose of creating noise.
However, her expression was one of utter rapture, as if she were playing a masterpiece, "High Mountains and Flowing Water."
In her mind, a passionate background music was playing:
Boom boom boom! Boom boom boom! My love is the vast horizon! Flowers are blooming at the foot of the rolling green hills! What kind of rhythm is the most swaying? What kind of song is the most joyful?!
[Sister Zhao, don't just stand there! Jump up! Get hyped up to my rhythm! This isn't sword dancing, it's square dancing! Ready—Go!]
Zhao Hongying gripped her sword, frozen in place.
How...how is she supposed to dance like this?
This has absolutely no rhythm! It's just like randomly fluffing cotton!
But Jiang Mianmian didn't care at all, and got more and more into playing, even encouraging Zhao Hongying with her eyes: Dance faster! Don't stop!
Zhao Hongying gritted her teeth and swung her sword twice, but almost strained her back from the sudden change in tone.
Inside the main hall, everyone's expressions were utterly distorted.
The Empress Dowager clutched her chest, feeling a throbbing pain in her head. The young emperor's mouth gaped open, and the chicken leg he was holding fell onto the table. Shen Jin…
Shen Jin lowered his head, his shoulders trembling violently.
He was smiling.
He listened to the stirring song "The Vast Horizon is My Love," watched Jiang Mianmian's serious yet haphazard piano playing, and saw Zhao Hongying's expression, which was more like crying.
This was the most absurd, noisiest, yet also the happiest palace banquet he had ever attended in his more than twenty years of life.
"Zheng—!!!"
With a final, deafening sound like a snapping string, Jiang Mianmian placed her hands on the strings, ending this earth-shattering and awe-inspiring "divine song."
She stood up and calmly bowed to the already disheveled Zhao Hongying: "Miss Zhao's dance is indeed superb. I'm just offering this as a starting point, and I'm making a fool of myself."
Zhao Hongying: "..."
Was that supposed to be a way to get the ball rolling? You threw a brick right in my face!
The entire venue was deathly silent.
After a long pause, Shen Jin clapped first, his voice clear and firm: "Good."
Seeing that even the Regent had applauded, the crowd, though feeling inwardly disgusted, could only offer scattered applause: "Excellent... excellent musical skill..."
[Hehe, done! Now no one will dare make me perform anymore, right? If anyone tries to force me, I'll play for three days and three nights!]
Jiang Mianmian sat back down smugly and casually picked up a grape and popped it into her mouth.
Just then, the little emperor, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke, his eyes sparkling as he looked at Jiang Mianmian:
"Imperial Aunt... what was the name of that piece of music just now? I found it... quite novel, and it made my... blood boil."
Jiang Mianmian was taken aback.
[Wow! This little emperor has unique taste! He actually likes "The Most Dazzling Ethnic Trend"? Looks like this kid has the potential to be a square-dancing grandma.]
She smiled slightly and said mysteriously, "Your Majesty, the name of this piece is... Phoenix Legend."
"Phoenix Legends..." the little emperor murmured to himself, "What a great name! Truly grand and majestic!"
Shen Jin could no longer hold back. He turned his head, drank the wine in his glass in one gulp, and concealed the smile that was about to burst from his eyes.
This seemingly treacherous banquet was completely derailed by this unpredictable "salted fish".
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