Bowing down to serve the powerful (Part 1)
Under the eaves, a cool night breeze brushed against my face, dispelling the warm fragrance that filled the flower hall.
Zhiwei leaned against the cold, vermilion pillar, let out a long sigh, and her tense nerves relaxed slightly.
“My mother is a very good person, relax, there won’t be any problems.” The warmth of Zhu Mingyu’s hand still lingered as Zhiwei opened and closed her palms, her cheeks still slightly flushed.
Being suddenly pulled along by Zhu Mingyu was something Zhiwei hadn't anticipated.
She still remembers the expressions on everyone's faces at the banquet.
Since it was a family dinner with few outsiders present, everyone's expressions were quite varied.
The first person to notice Zhiwei and Zhu Mingyu's actions was Cheng Yuzhi. She simply looked like she knew everything. When she saw that Zhiwei had noticed her gaze, she smiled slightly and met her eyes.
Zhu Sheng was more excited, as if he had discovered a secret. If Cheng Yuzhi hadn't covered his mouth, he probably would have exclaimed in shock.
Zhu Liji glanced at the two of them without saying a word, but he didn't show any disgust either.
Zhiwei breathed a sigh of relief.
Perhaps feeling shy, or perhaps sensing that the occasion was inappropriate, she used some force to try to pull her hand away from being tightly held.
"Her Majesty the Empress is still here..." Zhu Mingyu continued his forceful thrusts, so Zhiwei could only try to persuade him in a low voice. Zhu Mingyu was usually the most obedient to her, but for some reason, this time he was reluctant to stop.
Zhiwei's gaze swept over the Empress and found that she was still sitting upright in the main seat, carefully savoring a cup of tea.
Her entire demeanor seemed detached from the world, unless her eyes were fixed on Zhu Mingyu and Zhiwei's intertwined hands.
"With the new emperor's ascension to the throne, Father is busy discussing national policies with his ministers. He originally wanted to come and see you as well."
Zhu Mingyu whispered in her ear, "You know, our dynasty is very open about marriage alliances. As long as she is a woman from a respectable family, she can marry not only members of the royal family, but even the emperor himself."
This is true. The people of Da Zhao are open-minded, and women can divorce their husbands. Marriage is relatively free. Even the current Empress Shen Danxi is only the daughter of Zhu Mingyu's father's wet nurse.
“Therefore, I would like to let Father meet you first,” Zhu Mingyu said.
"See me?" Zhiwei was puzzled. "I only agreed to be with you the day before yesterday, so why..."
"Could it be..." Zhiwei finally realized that this banquet was actually a trap, and she was the "protagonist" being observed.
However, Zhu Sheng had been preparing for the sword dance at this banquet for a long time, so it didn't seem like a sudden idea.
Thinking about it this way, it can only mean that Zhu Mingyu had planned it all along. Regardless of whether Zhiwei accepted his proposal or not, he was going to introduce Zhiwei to his parents.
Zhiwei was a little angry. Although the two had known each other for some time, the relationships as partners, friends, and lovers were different.
She had only agreed to take the first step and try a new relationship because she was bewitched. How could Zhu Mingyu so bluntly lay this out in front of his parents?
What if the two separate again later...
Zhiwei felt a surge of anger, a nameless rage rising within her: "You're being disrespectful..."
"Zhiwei, I have never thought of being with anyone else forever except you."
The two spoke almost simultaneously.
Upon hearing this, Zhiwei was stunned for a long time. Zhu Mingyu's confession was too straightforward, just like the sudden fireworks, which exploded and shocked Zhiwei's heart.
The harsh words she wanted to say were stuck in her throat.
"But it's still too fast..."
"I just want them to know that the only person I love is you."
The two remained deadlocked, and the commotion gradually escalated.
Even Li Mingjing, who was sitting further down, was alarmed.
He had been savoring the aged wine with great interest, his face flushed and his nose flared wide. But when he noticed Zhu Mingyu's unusual behavior, he almost dropped his cup.
"This, this..." Li Mingjing nearly choked on the wine, coughing incessantly. Zhu Mingyu was born on the frontier and was the young master he had watched grow up; their relationship was exceptionally close, like brothers.
Now, Zhu Mingyu is openly taking the hand of a commoner girl in public. This girl happens to be his former cook in the military camp. Nothing could surprise this eligible bachelor more.
“He…they!” Li Mingjing stammered, pointing at the two men.
Jiang Qin, who was sitting next to him, pressed his hand down and politely poured him another glass of wine: "General, drink slowly."
"I have some newly brewed osmanthus wine in my residence this year. Although it's not very strong, it's incredibly fragrant and a rare delicacy. If the general is interested, he's welcome to come to my residence to taste it together..."
"We must go!" Li Mingjing was a simple-minded and thick-headed man. When he heard Jiang Qin mention the fine wine, his attention immediately shifted, and he forgot what he had just seen.
From Zhiwei's perspective, Jiang Qin and Li Mingjing's interaction was clearly visible. Jiang Qin even gestured for her to be quiet, which made her even more flustered.
Zhiwei was so embarrassed that she had her other hand tightly gripping the hem of her skirt: "I'm going out to relieve myself."
This was the only reason she could come up with.
——
Zhiwei recalled everything that had just happened, and her mind went blank.
As she tried to sort out her chaotic thoughts, a deliberately suppressed complaint, accompanied by rustling sounds, came from the stone steps not far from the colonnade.
"I told her I wasn't going, but Siyu keeps nagging me. Even pretending to be sick couldn't get me out of it. My life is so miserable..."
Zhiwei leaned forward curiously to look.
On the stone steps sat a young woman in brocade robes. She wore a primrose-colored palace dress, her hair was slightly loose, and she was adorned with several pearl hairpins.
The woman was extremely beautiful and charming, with willow-leaf eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, a delicate nose, and cherry lips.
Even the little face that scrunches up in anger is full of life.
Wan Zhen'er was holding a delicate hibiscus cake, breaking it into pieces and stuffing it into the mouth of a palm-sized black jade turtle at her feet.
The turtle stretched its neck and slowly nibbled on the crumbs of pastry.
"Little Ah Shou, eat more. Only when you're full will you have the strength to pretend to be sick with your sister..." Wan Zhen'er's voice was sweet and soft, and she really didn't sound sick at all.
What stunned Zhiwei even more was that she reached into her wide sleeve with her other hand and pulled out a small bag wrapped in bright yellow silk.
Unravel the silk, and there lies a perfectly intact, exquisitely crafted old ginseng root.
It's probably been a hundred years...
Without hesitation, Wan Zhen'er broke off a small piece of ginseng root and placed it on the shell of the tortoise Ashou, coaxing it like a child: "Come on, Ashou, this is good, it's a hundred-year-old ginseng. If you eat our Ashou, you can live a thousand years, even longer than that damned prince!"
"That's quite outrageous!" Zhiwei felt a cold sweat break out on her back.
"Your Highness, Consort!" A voice interrupted Zhiwei's thoughts.
A round-faced maid with a serious expression appeared behind Wan Zhen'er.
He seemed to have been holding back for a long time, and finally couldn't bear it any longer, so he let out a low growl, with veins throbbing on his forehead.
Siyu stepped forward and snatched the valuable ginseng root without any hesitation: "If you continue to waste things like this, I will go and tell General Wan tomorrow that he doesn't need to go through the trouble of finding tonics for you anymore. I will cut off your 'patient' ginseng soup and see what you will feed this beast then!"
“Ah Shou is not a beast…” Wan Zhen’er retorted with wide eyes.
Siyu poked Wan Zhen'er's smooth forehead with a finger, the force quite strong: "You still have the guts to mess around here."
"My dear concubine, if you're going to feign illness, at least make it convincing." Siyu sighed, speechless. "When you slipped out just now, you ran faster than a rabbit! Even though you were sitting at the very back, not in the spotlight, do you really think Your Highness and His Highness are blind?"
Concubine?
Zhiwei pricked up his ears. The current emperor and empress were deeply in love, and the empress was the only one in the harem. Today was also a family banquet, and no princes or nobles were invited.
Zhu Mingyu has no family, so this concubine can only be Zhu Liji's second wife.
In the Great Zhao Dynasty, the principal wife and secondary wives were considered wives, while the rest were considered concubines.
Zhiwei had heard about Zhu Liji while she was in the mansion; he was not obsessed with beautiful women, but he was not devoted to any one person.
Aside from Cheng Yuzhi, whom he married in his early years, Zhu Liji also married a concubine two years ago, who was his only secondary wife, Lady Wan.
Compared to Cheng Yuzhi, who came from a family of minor officials, Wan's background was quite impressive.
The Wan family is a family with a long history of military achievements. In this generation, Wan Qi, the eldest son of the Wan family, is even more outstanding. Not only is he handsome, but he also has superb martial arts skills. He was appointed as a general before he turned thirty. He can be said to be the most dazzling family in the capital.
Unfortunately, this most dazzling figure lost his wife early in life and remains a widower to this day.
His most beloved concubine was Wan Shi, the illegitimate daughter of the Wan family and the current Crown Prince's secondary consort.
As for the rest, Zhiwei knew nothing about it.
This was also the first time she had ever seen Madam Wan.
Lady Wan was usually unwell, and Cheng Yuzhi, being considerate, exempted her from the morning greetings. Apart from her own courtyard, Lady Wan never went out.
"Such a beauty," Zhiwei thought to herself inwardly.
Siyu was still speaking: "Get up quickly! The banquet is not over yet, what is the meaning of you staying here? If Her Majesty the Empress sees you like this again, I will... I will stew you and this beast together into soup."
Never having seen such a master-servant relationship, Zhiwei was momentarily terrified by Siyu.
Wan Zhen'er stood up, her small mouth pouting high.
She covered her forehead, her almond-shaped eyes instantly filling with tears, making her look even more pitiful.
"Siyu, you're so fierce! You've changed! You weren't like this when you were in the General's Mansion. I'm going to tell my brother that you've bullied me again."
"Telling the general won't help!" Siyu gritted her teeth, glancing again at the tortoise slowly munching on the cake crumbs, her face full of frustration.
"Get up now! Do you really want me to 'invite' you back?" She emphasized the word "invite" and her eyes were fierce.
Wan Zhen'er snorted and stood up slowly under Si Yu's piercing gaze, looking just like a little wife being bullied by a bully.
"Pfft..." Zhiwei couldn't help but let out a very soft laugh.
The master and servant turned around instantly.
Wan Zhen'er looked at Zhiwei with teary eyes, feeling embarrassed that her predicament had been exposed.
Siyu glanced at Zhiwei warily, her eyes sharp.
Zhiwei immediately suppressed her smile, lowered her eyes, and curtsied, saying, "I have disturbed Your Highness, the Consort."
When Wan Zhen'er saw Zhiwei's face clearly, she blinked her almond-shaped eyes, seemingly finding her unfamiliar. Seeing her respectful attitude, she thought, "We're both lazybones in this world."
Just as Wan Zhen'er was about to make a move to get closer to her, Si Yu grabbed her arm and half-dragged her back, urging in a low voice, "Grandma, let's go! It's really too late!"
As Zhiwei watched the two walk away, this little incident eased her previously oppressive and heavy heart.
——
When Zhiwei returned to the flower hall, the atmosphere at the banquet was frozen solid.
The music had stopped sometime earlier. All eyes were now focused on the small open space in the center of the banquet hall.
Zhu Sheng gripped the small wooden sword, which was clearly too heavy for him. His face was pale, sweat beaded on his nose, and his movements were noticeably slow and stiff.
He was trying to make a spinning thrust, but he lost his footing.
With a "thud," the wooden sword flew out of his hand and hit the smooth ground with a crisp yet piercing thud.
The small body froze on the spot, at a loss.
Zhu Liji sat upright, the white jade wine cup in his hand resting at his lips, his gaze fixed on the fallen wooden sword.
Zhu Liji's gaze was deep and cold, devoid of anger, yet more suffocating than any anger—an undisguised disappointment and indifference.
The air seemed to freeze under that gaze, and Cheng Yuzhi's hands, resting on her knees, instantly clenched the handkerchief, her knuckles turning white.
She was about to get up, but was stopped by a reassuring look from the Empress.
Shen Danxi put down her silver chopsticks, a gentle smile appearing on her elegant face. She was about to speak up and smooth things over, gently letting this embarrassing scene pass by.
Hahahaha!
Suddenly, a loud, abrupt laugh, laced with sarcasm, came from outside the door.
All eyes turned sharply toward the source of the sound.
A red figure, like a burning flame, walked in unhurriedly through the silence.
The newcomer, dressed in a striking and intense vermilion red dress, said leisurely, "It seems that the Great Zhao dynasty is facing a lack of successors."
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