Chapter 73: Palace Banquet Invitation, Final Stage
The autumn wind whirled fallen leaves through the corridors of Prince Duan's mansion, slightly warming the bright yellow invitation in Yun Zhi's hands. The four seal characters "Queen's Birthday Banquet" on the invitation were the final piece of the puzzle on her path to revenge. Liu Zhong had just returned from the palace, bearing her name and that of three key witnesses. They had been successfully added to the list of "Performing Attendants" and "Specially Invited Local Celebrities" for the birthday banquet, the latter a role she had assigned to the surviving Yun family generals.
"Young lady, Eunuch Li from the palace has already made arrangements. On the day of the birthday banquet, he will lead the witness into the palace through the side door to ensure that he can stand up at the critical moment." Liu Zhong lowered his voice and handed over a folded palace banquet seating chart. "Imperial Physician Xie is also ready. He will be disguised as the on-duty medical officer of the Imperial Hospital and will be on standby outside the palace, just in case."
Yun Zhi unfolded the seating chart, her fingertips tracing over the seats marked "Prince Duan" and "Prime Minister Shen"—Xiao Jin and Shen Qingyue would sit side by side in the front seats, while Prime Minister Shen would be among the officials, perfectly positioned to allow them to clearly see all the evidence and hear all the accusations. A cold glint flashed in her eyes as she folded the seating chart and tucked it into her sleeve. "Thank you for your hard work, Uncle Liu. Tell Imperial Physician Xie and the three generals to stick to the plan on the day of the birthday banquet and avoid any impulsive actions."
"Don't worry, young lady. I've already given you everything." Liu Zhong bowed and handed over a small brocade bag. "Inside this is a tinderbox and a small bottle of sleeping pills. They might be useful if you encounter an emergency."
Yun Zhi took the brocade bag, and her fingertips touched the outline of the hard object inside, and she felt a little relieved. She walked Liu Zhong to the courtyard gate and was about to turn back to the house when she saw the maid coming over with a food box. Her tone was a bit flattering, "Miss Yun, this is the osmanthus cake that the kitchen just made. He said that the prince specially left it for you."
Yun Zhi looked at the delicate sweet-scented osmanthus cake in the food box and thought of Xiao Jin's recent attitude. Since returning from the enclosure, he had shown her more "attention," occasionally sending her snacks with his maids and even stopping to watch her while she changed her dressings. However, this "attention" was based on her "obedience" and "suspicion" of Shen Qingyue, not sincerity.
She said lightly, "I understand, put it down." After the maid left, she poured the osmanthus cake into the stone trough in the yard and fed it to a stray cat passing by - she would not touch anything that belonged to Xiao Jin, just like his "tenderness", she would not believe it at all.
At this moment, in the main hall, Xiao Jin was looking at the list of guests for the palace banquet, his brows slightly furrowed. His eyes fell on the words "Performing Attendant: Yun Zhi". He looked up at Shen Qingyue beside him and asked, "Why is her name included?"
Shen Qingyue was playing with the jade bracelet on her wrist. Upon hearing this, she smiled nonchalantly and said, "It's just a position as a waitress at the banquet. Why should Your Majesty care? She is quite pretty. Having her serve at the birthday banquet will also show that our palace values her. Besides, she is just a criminal slave and can't cause any trouble."
She said this, but she was calculating in her mind - the birthday banquet was an important occasion for the royal family. If Yun Zhi dared to make a mistake or dared to be disrespectful to Xiao Jin, she could find an excuse to deal with her and eliminate the trouble forever.
Xiao Jin stared at the name "Yun Zhi" on the list, and a trace of doubt inexplicably arose in his heart - Yun Zhi had always been "obedient", so why would she suddenly want to attend the birthday party? But then he thought, she was just a criminal slave who wanted to "show off" at the birthday party. Plus, Shen Qingyue said it lightly, so he didn't think much about it and put the list on the table: "Forget it, since she's added, let her go. Just tell her a few words, don't be disrespectful at the birthday party."
"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I will tell her." A hint of pride flashed in Shen Qingyue's eyes, and she thought to herself - Yun Zhi, the day of the birthday banquet will be the day of your death!
In the evening, Xiao Jin finished his official duties and came to the west wing in person. Yun Zhi was sorting out old clothes. When she saw him come in, she quickly stood up and saluted: "Your Highness."
Xiao Jin looked at the scabbed wound on her arm and said casually, "Dress decently on the birthday banquet. There are a few new pieces of brocade in the storeroom. Have the maid pick one out and make you a new dress."
Yun Zhi lowered her eyes and spoke in a gentle voice, "Thank you for your grace, Your Highness. However, I am of low status, and I am afraid that it would be inappropriate to dress too flamboyantly. I'd better wear old clothes."
She deliberately acted "sensible" to make Xiao Jin more at ease. Xiao Jin nodded, "Alright, you can do whatever you want. On the day of the birthday banquet, stay by my side and don't run around."
"Yes, I'll remember that," Yun Zhi bowed and watched Xiao Jin leave. Only after he disappeared at the end of the corridor did she stand up, walk to the wardrobe, and open the bottom drawer. Inside was a plain, coarse cloth dress, the "battle suit" she had specially prepared for the birthday banquet. She would wear the simplest of clothes, stand in the most magnificent palace, and uncover the truth with the most decisive means.
For the next few days, the palace was filled with the bustle of the pre-birthday banquet. Maids busied themselves preparing gifts, servants cleaned the courtyard, and Shen Qingyue spent her days in her room, trying on her newly made finery and chatting and laughing with the visiting noble ladies, looking like the proud "favored concubine of Prince Duan."
Yun Zhi, on the other hand, remained on the sidelines. Besides changing her dressings and organizing her plans, she would stroll through the courtyard, observing the goings-on in the palace. She saw Prime Minister Shen's men sneak into the palace and converse with Shen Qingyue; she saw Xiao Jin's secret guards patrolling the palace, turning a blind eye to these unusual movements. Xiao Jin's "suspicions" about Shen Qingyue were ultimately no match for his years of "trust," nor the power of the Shen family.
The day before the birthday banquet, Liu Zhong came again to report: "Miss, there seems to be some movement from Prime Minister Shen's side. I heard that he had some documents sent to the Prime Minister's residence, and it seems that he is destroying something."
A sharp glint flashed in Yun Zhi's eyes. "He's scared. Tell Doctor Xie to wait outside the palace gate half an hour early tomorrow. Have the three generals arrive early as well, in case Prime Minister Shen suddenly changes his mind and prevents the witness from entering the palace."
"I'll do it right away!" Liu Zhong left in a hurry.
Yun Zhi walked to the window and gazed at the sunset. It dyed half the sky red, reminiscent of the blood that splattered the ground when the entire Yun family was beheaded. She raised her hand and gently stroked the seat chart on her sleeve, silently muttering to herself: Father, Mother, Brother, and my unborn child, tomorrow, I will avenge you and clear the Yun family's name!
She fished out the sharpened dagger from beneath her pillow, rubbing it repeatedly in her hand. The dagger's cold gleam reflected in her eyes, revealing no fear, only determination. Tomorrow's birthday banquet would be her final battleground. Either she succeeded in revenge, or both she and her enemies would perish together. There was no turning back.
At this moment, in the main hall, Xiao Jin was watching Shen Qingyue trying on her gorgeous dress for the birthday banquet, with a gentle smile on his face. Shen Qingyue nestled in his arms, her tone tender, "Your Highness, at tomorrow's birthday banquet, I will make sure everyone knows that your Highness loves me the most."
Xiao Jin hugged her, his eyes full of doting, but he didn't notice the calculation that flashed across her eyes, nor did he notice the cold gaze of Yun Zhi outside the window. He also didn't know that tomorrow's birthday party would not be Shen Qingyue's "glory moment", but the beginning of the collapse of his faith and the destruction of the Shen family.
As the night deepened, the palace gradually quieted. Yun Zhi hid the dagger in her brocade pouch and lay in bed, unable to sleep. She rehearsed every step for tomorrow in her mind: how to perform, how to produce evidence, how to bring out witnesses, how to respond to the emperor's questions, how to deal with Xiao Jin's reaction...
Every step was clear and every possible contingency was prepared. She knew that tomorrow's palace banquet would be a war without the smoke of gunpowder, and she must win.
When the sky turned pale, Yun Zhi stood up, changed into the plain coarse cloth dress, hid the invitation, seating chart, and copies of evidence one by one, and finally touched the dagger in the brocade bag, took a deep breath, and pushed open the door.
Outside the courtyard, Liu Zhong's men were already waiting there, whispering, "Miss, the car is ready, it's time to go to the palace."
Yun Zhi nodded and followed him out of the west wing. Sunlight shone through the leaves, but it couldn't reach the coldness in her eyes. She walked step by step towards the palace gate, towards the final stage that would witness all the truth and revenge.
At that moment, preparations for the imperial banquet were underway in full swing at the palace. A red carpet stretched from the palace gates to the main hall, lanterns hung throughout the courtyard, and civil and military officials were about to arrive. The royal family was also ready. A grand birthday banquet, a shocking accusation, was about to begin.
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