ADENCPIFPM Chapter 4

The palace banquet was held in a spacious, brightly lit hall. Braziers burned within, keeping the chill at bay.

After entering, Chu Chen took his seat beside the Fifth Prince. Before long, the other princes and consorts arrived.

Chu Chen had already reviewed the memories of the original host to understand everyone’s status and characteristics in the Imperial Palace. Seeing them in person now, he couldn’t help but observe them more closely. Among the six princes of the court, the most outstanding was naturally the Third Prince, Chu Xiao. At twenty-seven, he possessed both exceptional looks and a remarkable bearing, sitting at the head of the princes with the unmistakable air of an heir apparent.

As for the other princes, the First Prince was frail, and the Second Prince’s Imperial Mother had died young, leaving them both with little presence.

The Fourth and Fifth Princes were both born to the Noble Consort. One appeared shrewd and capable, while the other was as dim-witted as could be…

Among the consorts attending today’s banquet were the Empress, the Noble Consort, Consort Rong, and the palace’s only male consort—Consort Ning. Consort Ning was the First Prince’s biological father and the sole male consort in the Great Chu Imperial Palace. It was said that his labour had been perilous, resulting in the First Prince’s lifelong frailty and illness.

Chu Chen scanned the room. The Noble Consort, dressed in a dazzlingly ornate gown, had effortlessly become the centre of attention. In contrast, the Empress, though dressed modestly, could not conceal her innate nobility. Consort Rong and Consort Ning presented a study in contrasts: one gentle and elegant, the other calm and composed.

“Oh, if it isn’t His Highness, the Sixth Prince, who fell into the lake just last night,” the Noble Consort remarked, her voice laced with a smile as she glanced at Chu Chen. She then affected a high-pitched, mocking tone. “To risk his life just to play with a male courtesan from Nanfeng Pavilion—how utterly reckless.”

Her words drew every eye in the room to Chu Chen.

Chu Chen, unfazed, simply smiled. “I should thank Fifth Brother for guiding me.

I’m not very familiar with such places.”

The Noble Consort shot him a glare and fell silent. ‘This Sixth Prince was always so soft and easy to bully,’ she thought. ‘How did he become so sharp-tongued overnight?’

“His Majesty the Emperor arrives!” the Chief Eunuch announced from outside the hall, his voice neither loud nor soft. Everyone rose to pay their respects.

Chu Chen stole a glance at the Emperor. He appeared to be in his fifties, exuding an air of majestic nobility and imperial authority.

“Today is a family banquet,” the Emperor said, helping the Empress to her feet. “There is no need for such formality.” The two of them then walked to the main seats and sat down.

Behind the Empress, the Noble Consort rolled her eyes, her expression one of smug confidence.

“It is a rare occasion for all the princes to be present today,” the Empress began. “His Majesty is also overjoyed by the victory report from the front lines. This is truly a day for celebration.” Upon hearing this, the Emperor exchanged a smile with her, their affection for each other plain to see.

The Noble Consort chimed in, “I haven’t heard a word about this victory report.

The Empress is certainly well-informed.”

Her tone was half-accusatory, half-coquettish. The Emperor, however, dismissed her remark with a wave of his hand. “I was the one who told her,” He explained.

“The Cangsui Kingdom has been defeated in the northwest,” the Crown Prince declared. “Our brave soldiers of Great Chu have upheld our nation’s prestige. This should serve as a warning to any wolves in the northwest or Northern Frontier who dare covet our lands.”

The Emperor nodded repeatedly in agreement. Raising a cup of wine, he announced, “Then let the first toast be to the soldiers of Great Chu!”

The court erupted in cheers. As the wine flowed, the tension in the room visibly eased.

“The Cangsui Kingdom and the Yao State have always been in league, eyeing Great Chu with greed for years,” the Fifth Prince whispered to Chu Chen. “They’ve finally learned their lesson. This should keep the Yao State in check for a while.”

Chu Chen nodded perfunctorily, remaining silent. Judging by today’s events, the news of Cangsui Kingdom’s defeat had been known not only to the Empress but also to the Crown Prince long before. No wonder the Crown Prince had told him last night not to worry about the marriage alliance. The Yao State had proposed the alliance, and since Yao and Cangsui were closely allied, Cangsui’s defeat was as good as Yao’s own.

It seemed the marriage alliance was now unlikely to happen…

Unless something unexpected occurred in the subsequent battles.

“This is truly a momentous occasion! In that case, the Yao State’s request for a marriage alliance is surely hopeless now, isn’t it?” the Noble Consort remarked.

The moment she spoke, the smile in the Emperor’s eyes dimmed. The others at the banquet also wore varied expressions.

Everyone had been discussing the great victory, yet she had brought up the one topic that should have remained unspoken. After all, the Yao State’s request for a marriage alliance was a profound humiliation to Great Chu. The Emperor could not openly break ties with them, but privately, he must have been seething with hatred. Otherwise, he would never have arranged for the Yao State’s hostage to perform at the palace banquet in such a degrading manner.

“The Yao State is nothing but a land of barbarians,” the Crown Prince spoke up quickly. “Six years ago, they even sent us a hostage. How dare they have the nerve to propose a marriage alliance to Great Chu?”

The Noble Consort had already sensed the Emperor’s mood the moment she asked her question. Now, hearing the Crown Prince’s words, she understood at once and hurriedly added, “The Crown Prince is absolutely right.”

“Our Great Chu is wealthy and strong. Why would we need to resort to a cowardly act like a marriage alliance?” The Fifth Prince, hearing that the proposal was off the table, spoke up with “passionate fervour.” “Whether it’s Cangsui or the Yao State, we should just strike them down in one fell swoop and leave not a single soldier alive!”

The Emperor’s expression, which had slightly improved after the Crown Prince’s words, instantly darkened again upon hearing the Fifth Prince. Yet, the Fifth Prince remained completely oblivious, holding his wine cup as if ready to drink three more in a row.

Chu Chen glanced at Consort Rong, who sat opposite him. Seeing her sombre expression, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of emotion. The Fifth Prince had declared with such certainty that Great Chu was wealthy and strong and had no need for a cowardly marriage alliance. But he had forgotten that seven years ago, the dynasty’s only Ning’an Princess had been personally sent by the Emperor to Cangsui for a marriage alliance.

The seventeen-year-old princess had been sent away as a bargaining chip, securing seven years of peace for Great Chu.

Seven years later, war broke out between the two nations once more. No one knew what had become of the princess.

The Fifth Prince had spoken these words directly to the Emperor’s face, which was tantamount to slapping him. He was openly declaring that the Emperor of seven years ago had been a cowardly ruler, afraid to fight.

As the Emperor’s face turned ashen, his fury visibly mounting, the Fifth Prince still failed to realise he had overstepped.

Just then, Chu Chen spoke up. “Father, may we begin the banquet? I’ve already had a few cups of wine, and I’m getting hungry.”

The Emperor paused, his gaze falling on Chu Chen. The young man sat far behind the other princes, clad in a pale green robe that set him apart. Today, he wore a hair crown adorned with a jade hairpin of a similar shade, a colour that only enhanced his already striking features.

His eyes, as he looked at the Emperor, were clear and innocent.

Seeing him like this, the Emperor’s expression wavered, and he couldn’t help but think of Princess Ning’an, sent away seven years ago.

The Princess was also born to Consort Rong, Chu Chen’s elder sister. The siblings both bore a striking resemblance to their mother.

At twenty, Chu Chen looked much as the Princess had at seventeen. As the Emperor gazed at him, he felt as if he were seeing his only daughter. His annoyance and shame instantly transformed into guilt and longing.

“My son is hungry… Let the banquet begin,” the Emperor said, his gaze softening with affection as he looked at Chu Chen.

Chu Chen kept his head down, obediently eating without meeting his father’s eyes. Seeing his son’s unassuming demeanour, the Emperor felt a surge of emotion. A flicker of tenderness stirred in his heart for this son he had always neglected.

“I heard you fell into Changning Lake last night?” the Emperor asked.

Chu Chen, with a mouthful of food, nearly choked as he hurriedly swallowed.

The Emperor immediately commanded, “Go, fetch a bowl of sweet soup for the Sixth Prince.”

The attendants scurried to obey. Around the table, the other guests exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of surprise and disbelief. No one ever expected Chu Chen, the most unremarkable of them all, to stumble into the Emperor’s favour so completely.

Only Chu Chen knew that his actions today were not accidental, but deliberate.

He had gauged the Emperor’s mood and taken a gamble, using his sister—whom he had never even met—as his play.

He had his reasons. The Crown Prince had previously asked him to keep the Emperor happy, which surely meant the Crown Prince had his own agenda. So, now that the opportunity had presented itself, Chu Chen naturally wouldn’t let it slip. Besides, by stealing the spotlight, he could also irritate the Noble Consort. Why wouldn’t he do that?

“Father, last night I was a bit careless after drinking and accidentally fell into the water,” Chu Chen replied properly. After speaking, he glanced at the Noble Consort and the Fifth Prince. The Noble Consort remained unfazed, but the Fifth Prince flinched visibly.

The Emperor nodded. “My son is sitting too far away. I can hardly hear him.

Someone, move the Sixth Prince’s table next to mine.”

The rest of the guests were stunned.

‘This is a bit much,’  they thought. ‘Even the Crown Prince doesn’t get this kind of treatment.’

“Father, if you wish to hear me speak, I can visit you later after the meal,” Chu Chen said with a shy smile. “It’s just that… I heard the Ministry of Rites has arranged songs and dances for entertainment, and I can see them more clearly from here.”

No one expected Chu Chen to refuse, and they were all utterly astonished.

But Chu Chen saw through the situation perfectly. Sitting beside the Emperor during the meal would bring him no benefit; instead, it would only cause the Crown Prince embarrassment and draw unnecessary attention. By making an excuse to decline, he wouldn’t offend the Emperor. On the contrary, it would leave the Emperor feeling a sense of loss—this was the legendary art of “playing hard to get.”

‘Men are such creatures,’ Chu Chen thought. ‘If you give them everything they want all at once, their interest will fade. Only by dangling the prize just out of reach can you keep them longing for more…’

“Very well,” the Emperor said, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. “If my son wishes to see the songs and dances, I will have them arranged first.”

With a glance from the Emperor, the nearby attendant understood immediately and relayed the order. Moments later, the musicians from the Ministry of Rites entered the hall. After bowing to the Emperor and the assembled guests, the lead musician announced loudly, “On this auspicious Lantern Festival, the hostage prince of Yao State has specially prepared a song for Your Majesty and all Your Highnesses and Graces.”

“Excellent!” the Emperor said, his smile widening. “The hostage prince of Yao State is truly thoughtful.”

The Imperial Princes and concubines nodded in agreement, but no one dared to show too much enthusiasm. The Emperor had been so volatile today that everyone was a little frightened.

Chu Chen, however, was quite curious about this hostage. He wanted to see what this man, rumoured to be incomparably hideous, actually looked like. He turned his gaze toward the palace entrance and saw a tall, straight figure enveloped in the spring afternoon sunlight, which still carried a hint of chill. At first glance, the man seemed to emerge directly from the light.

The man stopped at the palace doors. Because he was backlit, his features appeared blurred from inside the hall, giving him an almost ethereal quality.

“Why do you not come inside?” the Emperor asked.

“Your Majesty,” the man outside replied, his tone neither humble nor arrogant,

“on this auspicious Lantern Festival, Your Majesty’s entire family is reunited. I fear

I might disturb your peace, so I shall perform my song from outside the hall.”

The hostage’s voice was slightly deep, lacking the bright resonance of a young man.

Chu Chen couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. ‘This child must have suffered much grievance to be so mature at eighteen. How pitiful…’