With a loud shout from the eunuch, the sound of the zither strings suddenly rose and echoed throughout the hall, ethereal and melodious.
The dancers poured into the palace and began to dance to the music.
The banquet began.
Emperor Jingyuan raised his cup first, said a few words of blessing to Pei Tang, and everyone raised their cups together.
Today, all those present were high-ranking officials and nobles of the court, and they were toasting and drinking, creating a very lively atmosphere.
Ji Rong was also seated among the officials.
His face was slightly pale, and he looked somewhat tired. He no longer had the manic and excited state he had shown that day, and he just silently drank his wine.
Ji Huaichuan sat behind him, watching his every move, afraid that he might be provoked and do something out of line.
He seemed to be overthinking it; Ji Rong was behaving very properly today.
It's unclear what medicine the imperial physician prescribed, but aside from being taciturn, Ji Rong seemed to have returned to normal.
Ji Huaichuan breathed a sigh of relief, but couldn't help looking at Jiang Wan again.
He had read the book "Strange Tales of Miao Territory" many times. The symptoms described were very similar to his father's. He believed that it was no coincidence that Jiang Wan had sent him the book.
However, the imperial physician diagnosed it as hysteria, a diagnosis that even Emperor Jingyuan confirmed.
The imperial physicians were highly skilled and treated his father with great care, so Ji Huaichuan had no reason to doubt them.
For some reason, he trusted Jiang Wan more.
This cousin appears young and beautiful, yet she possesses a calm and composed demeanor beyond her years, making her utterly convincing.
He had a vague feeling that there was something else going on with his father's unusual behavior.
Moreover, Jiang Wan sensed something but kept it from me.
Ji Huaichuan decided that he would definitely find Jiang Wan after today's banquet and get to the bottom of things.
As he was lost in thought, he suddenly saw a young eunuch hurrying into the hall, carrying a register of names in his hands.
"Reporting to Princess Zhaohua, all the congratulatory gifts have been counted and are presented for your perusal."
The palace maids behind him filed in, placing various congratulatory gifts in front of the hall.
They were just waiting for Pei Tang to take a fancy to one of them so he could appreciate it more closely.
In previous years, gifts that pleased Pei Tang not only won her favor, but also received rewards from Emperor Jingyuan and the Empress.
Pei Tang stood up and opened the booklet with great interest.
The gifts included antique ornaments, calligraphy and paintings by famous artists, and most of them hairpins and accessories, with glass products being the most common.
As Pei Tang flipped through the pages, she gradually lost interest.
She was tired of seeing the same things every year.
On the very last page of the booklet, she noticed a blank space and asked in confusion, "What is this? Why is there no signature?"
A palace maid picked out a gift box from the congratulatory gifts and presented it with both hands: "This is the item in the palace."
Pei Tang opened it and saw that it was a hairpin.
She was slightly disappointed: "I thought it was something else."
Although the glass butterfly at the end of the hairpin was exquisite, she had been used to using expensive jewelry since childhood and didn't find it anything special. She only glanced at it before casually tossing it aside.
Pei Tang turned around and said with a grin, "The coral saddle that my brother gave me is the most beautiful, as is the exquisite eight-treasure necklace that Father bestowed upon me. I like it the most."
The Empress chuckled: "You're so clever, you manage to offend neither side."
"The Empress Dowager was also asking, 'Where is your gift?'"
Pei Tang stretched out both hands, as if asking for it.
"Today is my birthday, you can't just leave without giving me anything, can you?"
The Empress shook her head and smiled, gesturing to the maid beside her to bring out a box: "Take a look, is this to your liking?"
Pei Tang opened it with great interest, and her eyes lit up instantly when she saw what was inside.
"My goodness, I have never seen such an exquisite nine-section whip."
Pei Tang immediately took it out, stroked it carefully, and smiled more and more, clearly loving it.
The Empress looked at her with eyes full of affection: "Since you like it, try it on to see if it fits."
Pei Tang looked at Emperor Jingyuan, who smiled and nodded.
One of the ministers chimed in, "We have long heard that the princess is a disciple of Master Chenyi and that her whip skills are superb. Today, we are finally able to feast our eyes on this beauty."
Pei Tang held the nine-section whip, its bamboo body as light as the wind and as supple as water, and he liked it more and more.
Upon closer inspection, it seemed that Takeuchi had concealed a hidden weapon, revealing a secret, which delighted her even more.
With a forceful swing of his right arm, the nine-section whip cracked in the air, its sound as sharp as striking jade.
Pei Tang couldn't help but praise him, and then brandished his whip in front of everyone.
Her movements were agile, her steps swift and unique, and her whip cracked fiercely, leaving onlookers in awe.
Jiang Wan looked at Pei Tang, who was as graceful as a swallow and full of spirit, and her eyes were filled with warmth.
Pei Tang had a passion for martial arts since childhood, and some court officials even impeached her for this, believing that she was unruly and willful and disgraced the noble status of the Princess of Dayong.
Seeing it with my own eyes now, I am truly awestruck.
This whip technique is no mere showmanship; even the military generals of the court might not be able to match it.
Many officials looked at her with new respect.
The military officers' eyes lit up as they looked on, proud that the Great Yong Dynasty had produced such a princess.
Even Ji Huaichuan was drawn to the scene, his gaze following Pei Tang's every move as he secretly pondered the profound mysteries of Master Chenyi's whip technique.
He was so engrossed in watching that he momentarily forgot about Ji Rong in front of him.
Naturally, no one noticed that Ji Rong, who had been silent all along, suddenly raised his head and his hands began to tremble slightly uncontrollably, as if stimulated by something.
As Pei Tang wielded his whip, the amplitude of his movements increased.
By the time Ji Huaichuan discovered it, it was too late.
Ji Rong suddenly stood up and overturned the table in front of him, causing the bowls and plates to smash on the ground with a loud cracking sound.
"Father!"
Ji Huaichuan was shocked and shouted out.
Ji Rong had already bypassed the crowd and rushed towards the center of the hall.
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