16 – The Birthday Banquet Three
The Shen family had arrived, led by the Shen grandfather and grandmother, accompanied by Shen Rouyun.
Shen Baisong of the Shen family had been exiled to Qiongzhou half a month prior—a remote place at the ends of the earth, where even surviving the journey was uncertain.
Seeing Shen Qiu host such a grand birthday banquet, Shen Rouyun felt a bitter taste in her heart. They were both daughters of the Shen family—why such a disparity?
Her father and brother held military power, and she had married a man of high status and influence. If he were some wretched old man, it might have been bearable, but he was not. Not only was he handsome, but he was also the youngest Duke and the most favored by the emperor.
And what about her? Her father had been exiled, her birth grandmother was a concubine with no say in the Shen family, and her mother was equally unwelcome. She hadn’t even been invited to her own niece’s banquet and had to beg her grandfather to bring her along.
Watching Shen Qiu laugh and chat among the ladies and young misses, carrying herself like the mistress of the house, Shen Rouyun grew more and more resentful.
The Shen grandparents were invited to the Hall of Glory and Majesty, where they chatted with Old Duke Ye and Xiao Taijun.
Before the main banquet began, guests mingled in small groups—some drinking tea and chatting, others admiring flowers or playing parlor games popular among women.
As the banquet time approached, Xiao Taijun sent someone to fetch the Duke. He was the guest of honor, and his absence would be unseemly.
But the messenger returned empty-handed, forcing Xiao Taijun to go herself.
Upon entering the Old Duke’s bedroom, Xiao Taijun scolded him, “What are you doing, half-alive and half-dead? You never showed such fear even facing millions of troops on the battlefield. What’s so shameful about meeting an old friend?”
Growing angrier as she spoke, she paced back and forth before suddenly pulling a hairpin from her head. Turning to the Old Duke, she said, “Ye Xuan, I’ll ask you one last time: Will you get up or not?”
The Old Duke remained motionless, his eyes vacant and expressionless. Xiao Taijun pressed the hairpin against her own neck and declared, “If you don’t take a single step today, I’ll drive this pin in. Dying would be better than being tormented by you like this!”
Without hesitation, she made to thrust the hairpin deep, but a sudden sharp pain in her hand sent it clattering to the floor. Staring at the ring that had knocked the pin from her grasp, Xiao Taijun’s tears fell silently.
The Old Duke’s voice trembled with fear as he pleaded, “Hong’an, don’t push me like this!”
Xiao Taijun kept her eyes on the ring, not looking up. “Do as you wish. If you want to stay like this forever, I won’t stop you. Everyone says Ye Xuan, the Guardian Duke, is a great hero, the backbone of the Great Yin Kingdom. But from what I see, you’re not even that—you can’t face what’s already happened. You’re worse than a common farmer.”
“Enough. I’ll consider the Ye Xuan I knew—like my son and daughter—already dead, fallen in battle. That would be better than watching him hide away at home, too afraid to step outside.”
With a bitter laugh, Xiao Taijun walked slowly toward the door. Watching her aged, desolate figure retreat, the Old Duke finally let his tears fall.His wife should have been the one most devastated by their children’s deaths. How could her pain be any less than his, having carried them for ten months? Yet he remained like this, making her disappointed and heartbroken time and again. He had left all the external storms for her to face. He had failed her, yet made her bear everything on his behalf.
The main banquet was arranged in the garden, where the abundance of trees and water made it cooler.
Ye Chen received a message from Xiao Taijun saying there was no need to wait for the Old Duke, as she would be arriving shortly.
Ye Chen sighed and murmured to himself, “Grandfather, oh grandfather, grandmother has suffered more than you, yet she still shields you from the storms and constantly caters to your emotions. Do you truly not intend to stand up again?”
Just as the main banquet was about to begin, Xiao Taijun arrived step by step, supported by her maid and leaning on the dragon-headed cane bestowed by the late emperor.
Shen Qiu’s eyes warmed at the sight, and she quickly stepped forward to take the maid’s place, holding Xiao Taijun’s hand tightly as if to impart some strength.
Xiao Taijun felt this, responded to Shen Qiu’s gesture, and smiled at her to indicate she needn’t worry.
Just as Xiao Taijun was about to take the host’s seat to accept birthday greetings on behalf of the Old Duke, a resonant voice announced: “The Old Duke has arrived!”
All eyes turned toward the voice to see a middle-aged man dressed entirely in black pushing a wheelchair. Seated in the wheelchair was Old Duke Ye Xuan, wearing a black jade thumb ring on his right hand and holding a string of Buddhist beads in his left.
Before Ye Chen could react, everyone chorused, “Greetings to the Duke!”
Ye Chen witnessed this scene—such reverence was reserved for his grandfather alone. Though others addressed him as Duke too, it was merely out of respect for his grandfather.
Though he held the title of Duke, he had neither military achievements nor scholarly honors to his name—his only qualification being his grandfather’s legacy. In this life, he remained merely a prominent young master of the capital.
As the Old Duke passed by Xiao Taijun, he extended his hand and said, “You’ve worked hard. Come up with me!” Shen Qiu smilingly placed Xiao Taijun’s hand into the Old Duke’s.
The Old Duke was then wheeled to the main position, where he faced the crowd and raised his hand. “Honored guests, this old man has arrived late and begs your forgiveness. Please bear with any inadequacies in our hospitality.”
“Today marks my seventy-eighth birthday. My grandson and his wife have shown great filial piety by organizing this banquet. Your presence brings great honor to our Duke Manor.”
“As you all know, my grandson has now inherited the title. I ask for your continued guidance and support, and offer my gratitude here.”
“Due to my limited mobility, I shall not dine with everyone. My old friends, would you care to join me in the Hall of Glory and Majesty? Let’s leave this place to the younger generation.”
Several white-haired elders followed behind the Old Duke as they proceeded toward the Hall of Glory and Majesty. In a corner, a man standing with his hands behind his back nodded with a smile and said to his companion, “Let us return to the palace. It seems the lad has achieved his purpose for this birthday banquet.”
As the crowd watched the Old Duke depart, Ye Chen announced, “The banquet now officially begins. An opera troupe will perform this afternoon, followed by fireworks in the evening. Please enjoy yourselves to the fullest, and should you need anything, do not hesitate to find me.”
“Let the banquet commence!” With his words, maids and servants began serving dishes and pouring wine.In the afternoon, some ladies and young misses who wished to rest were escorted to the guest courtyard. Many male guests had drunk a bit too much and were settled in a reception area in the front courtyard, while the elderly were uniformly accommodated in the rear courtyard of the Hall of Glory and Majesty.
The afternoon featured two opera troupes—one for men and one for women—invited for entertainment. Amid the chatter and laughter, Shen Qiu watched contentedly, feeling pleased that everyone’s enjoyment reflected her successful hospitality.