At the male banquet, besides Prince Ding, there were only two other princes: Prince Zhou's Fu Xiu'an and Prince Jing's Fu Xiuxuan. The Crown Prince was in poor health and would not attend such an occasion. Both Prince Zhou and Prince Jing were born to Concubine Xu Xian, and both were exceptionally talented. Prince Zhou was outgoing and arrogant, while Prince Jing was reserved and shrewd. Both also coveted the throne. Everyone knew that the Crown Prince's frail health would eventually lead to a new crown prince. Concubine Xu Xian was already deeply favored by the Emperor. In comparison, Prince Ding's mother, Concubine Dong Shu, was much more low-key. If it weren't for Prince Ding's considerable talent, he wouldn't even be able to secure his position among the Four Concubines.
In a previous life, Prince Zhou and Prince Jing were embroiled in a struggle for the throne, but they relaxed their vigilance against Prince Ding. Firstly, Fu Xiuyi was close to the Crown Prince, constantly accompanying him and personally seeking precious medicinal herbs for him. The Empress was quite pleased with Fu Xiuyi, which led everyone else to believe that Prince Ding was merely his lackey. Secondly, Fu Xiuyi was aloof and disdained involvement in court affairs. Furthermore, Concubine Dong Shu was a cautious person, spending her days chanting Buddhist scriptures and practicing Buddhism. Without the support of her powerful natal family, she didn't expect Prince Ding to cause any trouble.
But in fact, the one who finally sat on the throne was Fu Xiuyi, who they thought would not be able to cause any waves.
Shen Miao picked up a leaf card at the side and played with it. Just like this leaf card, Fu Xiuyi had been dealt a bad hand since birth. Everyone thought he was out from the beginning, but they didn't know that he had never thought about using the cards in his hand. His cards were all in the hands of others, and all he had to do was snatch them away.
"Why don't you react?" Seeing her silence and no love for Fu Xiuyi in her eyes, Feng An Ning felt a little strange: "Don't you like him?"
Shen Miao raised her head and glanced at her.
Feng An Ning was startled. The sharpness in that look made her heart chill, and she felt an urge to kneel down. She didn't know where this feeling came from, but she instinctively knew that what she had just said had upset Shen Miao. She paused and said, "Actually, I don't like him that much either. How could there be such a perfect person in the world? It seems unreal."
This time, Shen Miao took a rare, serious look at Feng An Ning. She hadn't expected this spoiled young lady to be able to see this. How many people were infatuated with Fu Xiuyi's appearance? If Fu Xiuyi was willing, there wouldn't be a single girl in this room who wouldn't be smitten with him. So, there was actually this one person who was so different from everyone else?
She said slowly: "It seems that you have a lover."
"You, what nonsense are you talking about?" Feng Anning's face flushed red. "Don't accuse a good person."
Shen Miao stopped talking to her. She didn’t have the heart to ask about the little girl’s worries.
She naturally has her own things to do.
With people coming and going, the invitations to the Chrysanthemum Banquet have almost been collected and it’s time for everyone to arrive.
Beneath the chrysanthemum field at Yanbei Hall, a massive platform had been erected. Despite its theatrical-like decor, it didn't seem vulgar, for the late emperor had once offered sacrifices to the heavens there. It was a platform imbued with the aura of a true dragon. Chess pieces were placed on either side, and soldiers in formal attire, with red scarves tied around their heads, were loudly beating drums.
The rumbling sound of drums resounded through the sky, and the musicians plucked the long zither. It was a song called "Song of the Wise Men", which meant that the royal family was eager to seek talents. Today's test was to select the wise and capable for the Ming Dynasty and choose the real generals of the country.
The music and drum beats were vivid and captivating, carrying a uniquely inspiring and magnificent quality that made one's heart surge with emotion. Most of those present were young men, their blood boiling at the moment, and they were almost completely mesmerized by the music, eager to showcase their talents to the public, pursue a bright future in Ming Qi, and leave a lasting mark in the history of the Ming Qi royal family.
Even the girls couldn't help but express their excitement. Although they couldn't enter the imperial court and become officials like the boys, their fathers and brothers were pillars of the nation. Their families were established and proud of this. They, too, basked in the imperial favor, their hearts overflowing with gratitude.
While the entire audience was shrouded in excitement and piety at the emperor's grace, there was only one person whose eyes were cold and indifferent, without a trace of emotion on his face.
Shen Miao's gaze fell on the person playing the piano in the center. This was what the Mingqi royal family loved the most, to arouse the young men's patriotism and use them to work for the corrupt royal family. However, in the end, once the country was pacified, these men who sacrificed their lives for the country rarely had a good ending.
When the cunning rabbit dies, the running dog is cooked. Every time a new emperor takes office, he will eliminate the old ones. Especially those ministers who have experienced the dark days of the succession struggle and witnessed the dirty dealings and bloodshed of the royal family. How can the royal family let them rise step by step with confidence?
These inspiring melodies would only become death songs in the future. And these young men, now immersed in the desire to serve their country, would only die under the treacherous oppression of the imperial family and become innocent victims.
She couldn't save the whole world, but she could save her own people.
Shen Miao lightly raised her hand, and the hem of her right hand instantly brushed across the edge of the table, sweeping the bowl of clear tea to the ground. With a "pa" sound, a crisp sound echoed in the venue. It should have been inaudible, but compared with the rhythmic music, it was like forcibly pulling up one of the silk threads in a neatly arranged array, messing up the others.
With a "bang", the rhythm of the music was disrupted.
As if waking from a dream, Feng An Ning came back to his senses in an instant, only to see Shen Miao leisurely picking up the teacup on the ground and smiling slightly: "Sorry, my hand slipped."
The musician who was beating the rhythm and plucking the strings on the stage suddenly felt his brain explode and he almost fainted from the pain.
This kind of music, which Mingqi had learned from an imported Westerner, had a somewhat bewitching quality. It could slightly stir up people's emotions, and since it was a war song, it amplified their fighting spirit and loyalty. If the piece were played once, some loyalists might become blindly loyal.
The terrifying nature of this music was only witnessed by Shen Miao after she became empress. The Ming Qi royal family used this music to seduce the young, encouraging them to sacrifice their lives for them. When the Xiongnu invaded, the royal family sent a large number of imperial guards to guard the capital. When recruiting new soldiers for the border, they had these musicians play drums on stage, and large numbers of young men, some before they even reached marriage age, joined the army without hesitation.
After being interrupted by Shen Miao, the musicians' energy was running out. The final piano music no longer had the passion and enthusiasm of the previous time, but was just an ordinary playing. The crazy passion and enthusiasm present gradually dissipated, and everything returned to calm.
But Shen Miao's actions just now still attracted the attention of some people. At the men's table, Fu Xiuyi and Pei Lang looked over.
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