Chapter 28
The imperial palace banquet was brightly lit, illuminating the carved beams and painted rafters in a magnificent and resplendent manner.
Pei Yun leaned back on the throne covered with a black sable fur coat, his slightly slender figure wrapped in a dark cloak, seemingly blending into the deep shadows behind him. A faint smile played on his lips as his gaze lazily swept over the scene of clinking glasses below.
Inside the hall, envoys from various vassal states gathered in twos and threes, boasting with great enthusiasm about how their vassal territories were "full of granaries," "attracting merchants from all over the world," and "abundant in resources and prosperous in people." Their words were full of exaggerated praise, as if that tiny place was a paradise on earth.
In the third year of the founding of the Yuan Chu Kingdom, at the beginning of Emperor Gaozu Lingzhouwu's reign, the foundation was not yet stable, and the court was in need of capable officials. It was inevitable that the court would rely on the regional military governors and be less vigilant. Unexpectedly, these treacherous local officials, taking advantage of the remoteness of the capital, amassed their own armies, forged imperial seals and edicts, and brazenly declared themselves kings, calling themselves "Kings Conferred by the Emperor!"
It wasn't until the ninth year of the Yuan Chu reign that the court realized this colossal lie. However, by then the false edict had already deeply penetrated the hearts of the people, and a sudden denial would only make the emperor's authority appear weak. Furthermore, internal strife and infighting within the court, coupled with frequent external threats—the Northern Di and Western Rong tribes eyeing the court with predatory intent—left the court powerless to suppress these threats. This allowed these petty scoundrels to grow in power, effectively becoming "states within a state" occupying their own territories!
Yin Huaisi was also among them today, dressed in a dark green brocade robe, with a string of small silver bells hanging comically around his neck, jingling as he walked, making him look out of place. However, because he was known as the "direct grandson of Grand Secretary Qin," no one dared to speak ill of him to his face. Instead, he attracted many sycophants who came forward to chat with him.
After several rounds of drinks, the atmosphere grew increasingly lively. Suddenly, the Wu envoy, a burly man with a full beard and a protruding belly, slammed his fist on the table and stood up abruptly. He had clearly drunk quite a bit; his face was as red as a boiled shrimp, his eyes were blurry with drunkenness, and his tongue was slurred. He shouted in a loud voice, "Gentlemen... have you heard of a strange tale? The Queen of the Southern Frontier... is rumored to be a descendant of the Witch Clan!"
A gaunt courtier beside him, still savoring the graceful figure of the Hu woman who had just performed the dance, chuckled in a daze upon hearing this: "Lord Tang, are you out of your mind? What witch clan? That's just nonsense made up by charlatans! Did you take some opera troupe's performance seriously and bring it here to amuse yourselves?"
"Bullshit!" Tang Xiangxian's thick eyebrows shot up, his face turned purplish-red, and his voice suddenly rose, making the hall buzz. "You Yuan Chu people are like frogs in a well, ignorant and ill-informed. My Wu Kingdom is vast and rich in resources. How can your knowledge compare to ours? You Yuan Chu people have always been arrogant and ignorant. You insist that you don't exist if you haven't seen it. You are simply foolish!"
The skinny courtier was stunned by the scolding, then flew into a rage. He stiffened his neck and was about to jump up and yell back, but his colleague grabbed his sleeve and pulled him back to his seat. He could only glare angrily at Tang Xiangxian, his chest heaving violently.
Seeing this, Tang Xiangxian became even more smug, snorting loudly with his nostrils flared, and looked around with disdain: "Look at this, this is the character of the Yuan Chu people, ignorant! Cowardly! Timid as mice! Unlike my Wu king, who is truly brave and fearless, upright and indomitable!" As he spoke, he cupped his hands in a gesture of respect towards the direction of Wu, his eyes sweeping provocatively over Pei Yun on the throne.
All the officials of Yuan Chu in the hall were filled with anger, their gazes like knives piercing this arrogant fool. Pei Yun, however, remained leaning against the throne, his fingers under his black cloak lightly tapping the armrest, as if watching a carefully orchestrated farce, the smile on his lips deepening.
Finally, an old minister with white hair and a fiery temper could no longer contain himself. He stood up abruptly, pointed at Tang Xiangxian's nose, and cursed loudly, "Bah! You tiny, insignificant people, like monkeys in crowns, dare to call yourselves a nation?! You are nothing but a bunch of bastards with the filthy blood of the Xiongnu barbarians, looking like monsters that are neither human nor beast, yet you dare to bark and rave here, boasting of your bravery?! The tiny bed under the buttocks of your Wu family brat was only given to you by the Emperor of Yuan Chu. Now that you've had a few days of plenty, you've forgotten who you are? How dare you speak ill of the Celestial Empire! I spit in your face!"
This unrestrained and unconventional tirade was like igniting a powder keg. Seeing their old superior so reckless, several hot-blooded young civil officials were also swept up in their own fervor. They swarmed around Tang Xiangxian, spouting classical allusions and quoting ancient texts to refute his accusations of "ignorance and cowardice" in a refined manner. Their words were elegant, but their actions were anything but! One pulled at his belt, another tugged at his robe sleeves, and in the chaos, someone almost pulled off Tang Xiangxian's embroidered brocade trousers. The scene instantly became a chaotic mess!
"Outrageous! Outrageous!" Tang Xiangxian was both shocked and furious. He clutched his trousers tightly with one hand and frantically fended off the "helping hands" reaching out from all directions with the other, his face turning a deep purplish-red. He suddenly looked up and roared towards the throne, "Your Majesty! Is this the kind of 'land of etiquette' your country is, treating foreign envoys with such 'hospitality'?!"
Pei Yun finally made a move. He slowly picked up a cup of warm pre-rain Longjing tea, his slender fingers tracing the delicate celadon rim. He took a small sip, his posture as relaxed as if he were admiring flowers in his own backyard. He looked up at the disheveled Tang Xiangxian below, his smile gentle and harmless, but his voice clear and steady, drowning out the noise.
"Envoy Tang, please do not be offended. Yuan Chu's territory is vast, governing countless people. The affairs of the court are numerous and complex. It is common for officials to express their opinions and engage in heated debates due to their concern for the country. This is the norm and the source of the court's vitality." He paused, his tone carrying a perfectly measured "understanding." "Lord Tang has come from afar and may find such 'lively' behavior unsettling. Ignorance is no excuse." The last four words, spoken lightly, were like an invisible slap in the face, precisely refuting Tang Xiangxian's earlier arrogant statement that "Yuan Chu is ignorant."
He put down his teacup and looked out at the deep night outside the palace, as if with a touch of emotion: "Looking at the Wu Kingdom, with its small territory and sparse population, it must be much more leisurely, and naturally, such a 'lively' scene is rarely seen." He sighed slightly, his tone revealing a hint of the "difficulty" and "responsibility" of a young emperor. "Fortunately, I am still young and energetic, and can still manage these complicated state affairs."
Upon hearing this, the entire hall fell silent!
Everyone knows that the King of Wu is old and senile, and is overwhelmed by the struggle for succession among his ambitious sons. It is said that he is so angry that he is bedridden and on the verge of death! Pei Yun's words, ostensibly a humble self-deprecation about being young and overworked, are actually like knives.
First, he points out that the state of Wu is not "brave and fearless," but rather plagued by endless internal strife; then, he compares himself to being "young" yet "busy with affairs," highlighting the incompetence and foolishness of the Wu ruler; finally, the line "Fortunately, I am still young and can still work hard" is extremely ruthless! It's as if he's saying: Your old ruler can't even manage his own household affairs and is about to die of anger, how can he be compared to me?
Tang Xiangxian was struck dumb. His hands, which had been busy protecting his trousers, froze in mid-air. His face instantly turned from crimson to deathly pale, then from deathly pale to ashen, like a spilled palette. The immense humiliation and shock made him tremble all over. He suddenly twisted his body, using all his strength to shake off the few civil officials who were still pestering him. He staggered back a few steps and fell heavily onto his seat, as if his spine had been removed. His head drooped, and he could no longer make a sound.
Only his heavy, suppressed breathing remained in the hall, along with the delicate yet jarring tinkling of silver bells on a dark green robe caused by his vigorous movements.
Yin Huaisi laughed so hard he almost fell over, his limbs trembling uncontrollably. He picked up a white jade wine cup from the table, slowly sat up, and swayed slightly, slightly tipsy, to Tang Xiangxian's table, nearly spilling the fine wine in the cup.
He turned to Tang Xiangxian, a meaningful smile playing on his lips: "Brother Tang, I wonder where you found this information. It must have been swallowed whole without fully digesting it." He raised his head, his voice carrying a hint of arrogant confidence: "Legend has it that the bloodline of the descendants of the Witch Clan's gods is naturally capable of dissolving Ice Jade Powder. If one drinks it, not only can one achieve immortality and ascend to heaven, but one's appearance will also remain forever youthful, and one's skin will be radiant!"
Although Tang Xiangxian's face remained unchanged, his ears had already perked up. Upon hearing this, the foreign envoy sitting next to him had a glint in his eyes and could not contain his eagerness, so he leaned forward and asked, "Is what Young Master Qin said true?"
Yin Huaisi slammed his wine cup down on the table with a loud clang, splashing wine everywhere. He swayed, casually lifting his elaborate brocade skirt, and almost collapsed back onto the cushion at the table. He waved his hand impatiently, heavily drunk, saying, "I told you it's just nonsense from a play. How can I tell the difference between truth and falsehood?"
An eerie silence instantly descended upon the banquet, broken only by suppressed breathing and the soft clinking of glasses, as if countless thoughts were secretly colliding and scheming. A few moments later, some noise was barely restored, but the attendees' eyes flickered with distraction amidst their laughter and conversation. The banquet thus ended hastily amidst this unspoken undercurrent of tension.
As the night deepened and the dew grew heavy, all was silent. Amidst the upturned eaves and brackets of the inn where envoys from various countries were staying, several robust carrier pigeons with glossy black feathers lay quietly in wait. At this moment of utter stillness, the pigeons were startled, took flight, and, carried by a gust of cold night wind, swiftly disappeared into the boundless darkness.
Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the candlelight shone brightly, yet it couldn't dispel the chilling atmosphere. Yin Huaisi stood stiffly before Pei Yun, his face ashen. Suppressed rage burned in his eyes as he spat out each word through clenched teeth, "Ling Zhouchong, this is the last time! From now on... I will never do such a heinous thing for you again!"
Pei Yun, behind the imperial desk, seemed oblivious. He slowly picked up a yellowed ancient book from the desk, ran his fingertips over the slightly rough pages, and then carefully placed it deep inside the carved dragon bookcase beside him. His movements were composed, but his voice was as cold as a knife, precisely cutting into the other person's deepest wound.
"The Xie family of Gusu, though living far from the court and detached from worldly affairs, still possesses a century-old foundation and intricate network of connections. With a little investigation, the truth behind Xie Qilan's tragic death will be as clear as a mirror. Back then, Qin Songdai, to escape the Xie family's entanglement, knowing full well that the King of Southern Xinjiang hated him to the bone, still abandoned Xie Qilan, who was traveling with him, in the desolate lands of Southern Xinjiang, and then used you to impersonate her... Xi Xiao." He uttered the name, his voice tender like a lover's whisper, "If it weren't for Wu Lingwei risking her life to plead for her, how could Xie Qilan have survived until now? Even if the head of the Xie family could tolerate the murder of his daughter, how could Old Madam Xie, who cherished Xie Qilan like the apple of her eye, let it go? If it weren't for me covering for you and mediating, the entire Qin household would have been in chaos long ago!"
The last trace of color drained from Yin Huaisi's face in an instant. Her body swayed slightly, like a candle flickering in the wind, barely able to stand. Seeing this, Pei Yun's lips curled into a deeper sarcasm. "Wu Lingwei protected you, treated you like her own flesh and blood, and yet you indirectly pushed her to her death, and now you even want to harm her only bloodline… You say I'm heartless and insane?" He sneered, "Then what are you?"
His words fell like a heavy hammer.
"Clang—!" A piercing, cracking sound suddenly rang out, and the silver bell around Yin Huaisi's neck shattered, scattering tiny silver fragments everywhere. He seemed to have all his strength drained away by the sound of the shattering, his head drooping low, his dark hair falling down to cover his pale face.
The hall was deathly silent, with only the occasional crackling of the candlelight. After a long while, the bowed head slowly rose, and when those eyes reappeared, the grief and despair within had been completely frozen by a chilling coldness, leaving no trace of emotion, only an abyss-like, merciless stillness.
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