Amidst the laughter and chatter, a flash of brilliant imperial yellow appeared. In an instant, the air fell silent. Everyone rose and knelt, heads bowed in hushed anticipation as the Emperor and his retinue of consorts made their way to the center of the highest observation deck.
“We welcome Your Majesty and Her Majesty the Empress! We welcome the Noble Consort and Consort Shu! We welcome the Fourth and Sixth Princesses!”
Today, only the Empress and the two high-ranking consorts—Noble Consort and Consort Shu—accompanied the Emperor as his primary guests. Following them were several younger beauties and ladies-in-waiting, the Emperor’s recent favorites, who left a trail of delicate perfume in their wake.
Xie Yuechan felt a distinctly hostile gaze burning into her for quite some time. As the two princesses, flanked by their attendants, passed by her side, a sharp, cold huff drifted down from above her head.
It was no secret among the social circles that the Sixth Princess was infatuated with Gu Jingan. It seemed she had officially added Xie Yuechan to her personal blacklist.
“Everyone, rise,” the Emperor commanded. He seemed to be in high spirits today, his deep voice carry a note of genuine pleasure. “Is everyone accounted for?”
“All present, Your Majesty! With such a grand occasion today, surely you must offer a prize to stir our blood? Let us humble subjects have a look and see what treasures you’ve brought!”
The speaker was the youngest son of the Marquis of Dingbei, young General Song. Because his mother, Princess Zhaoyang, was the Emperor’s own sister, he had always been bold in the presence of the throne.
Naturally, the task of livening up the atmosphere fell to him; no one else would dare speak to the Emperor so casually—not even the Crown Prince.
“You brat! There’s no prize for you today!” the Emperor barked with a laugh. No longer hiding his surprise, he gave a slight wave of his hand.
A line of flowerpots, shrouded in red silk, was carried out by eunuchs and placed firmly in the center of the clearing below the stands.
“These are rare curiosities, a tribute from the Western lands,” Consort Shu’s lazy voice rang out, nonchalantly emphasizing the value of these seemingly humble objects. “Forget Bianjing—I suspect there isn’t a soul in the entire Great Qi who knows what these truly are.”
Her description successfully piqued everyone’s curiosity.
As the hour drew near, the drumbeats below grew more frantic, the rhythm blurring into a singular, thunderous roar as the drummers poured their souls into the cowhide skins. At the stroke of nine, the drumming stopped abruptly.
To the rhythmic chants of the attendants, the three princes emerged from the western pavilion, each leading their team of twenty-odd men.
“Oh!” A soft gasp escaped from one of the young ladies in the stands. Though hushed, it echoed the fluttering hearts of every woman present.
The sight was nothing short of spectacular.
First came the team of the youngest, Prince Ning. He had recruited students from the Imperial Academy—mostly the sons of mid-ranking officials. It was a calculated move; all twenty-five men in his line were strikingly handsome and remarkably eye-catching.
The Prince himself, clad in sharp riding attire that accentuated his broad shoulders and long legs, caused more than a few girls to flush crimson.
The Crown Prince’s team, however, had all donned white scholar’s robes. As the sunlight broke through the clouds, reflecting off the water like molten gold, the sight of a troop of young, dashing men in snow-white silk was ethereal. Their wide sleeves and long sashes caught the wind, making them look like celestial beings descending to earth.
Xie Yuechan’s eyes swept across the line, and she instantly recognized Gu Jingan. Even in a uniform, he stood out from the rest. She had to admit—the scholar’s robes suited him far better than his official court attire. He looked aloof and untouchable, as if he might drift away on a breeze at any moment.
She caught him glancing toward the section reserved for the Gu family ladies. Their eyes nearly met, and for a split second, her heart skipped a beat.
In comparison, Prince Zheng, who had played it safe by filling his team with veteran military officers, seemed far less dazzling. After all, no young lady wants to come out for a rare day of excitement only to stare at the same weathered, grizzled faces they see among their own elders at home.
“The Crown Prince has been married for years, yet he hasn’t lost a bit of his youthful flair!” the Emperor remarked, squinting at the lake as he shared a smile with the Empress.
Before the Empress could respond, a flirtatious female voice let out a soft giggle. “Indeed, Your Majesty! With the daughters of so many noble houses gathered here today, why not take the opportunity to select a secondary consort for His Highness? It would save the Empress so much future trouble and exhaustion.”
The Crown Prince was seeking a secondary consort?
Because the Gu family was seated not far below the imperial dais, Lady Quan’s suggestion reached Xie Yuechan’s ears as clearly as it did Old Madam Gu’s. Beside the Empress, the Crown Princess’s expression stiffened for a fleeting second. She stole a glance at the Emperor, gauging whether he would actually entertain the idea.
“Today is not the day,” the Empress stated firmly.
Surprisingly, Consort Gu immediately chimed in to support her.
“Setting aside the fact that such a crowded event is a breeding ground for gossip, the Crown Princess has only just been diagnosed with a pregnancy. Even the Prince himself doesn’t know yet. To rush into choosing concubines now would be a messy affair—people would mock the Eastern Palace for being so desperate for servants.”
The Empress’s intervention was expected, but the Crown Princess hadn’t anticipated Consort Gu speaking up for her. She felt a sudden surge of guilt mixed with gratitude; after all, she had only recently played a part in undermining the Consort’s own nephews.
Finding herself shut down by both high-ranking women, Lady Quan fell silent, twisting her handkerchief with a look of aggrieved submission.
The Emperor finally spoke, his voice warm and kind as he addressed the Crown Princess. “A-Ning.”
The Crown Princess moved to kneel, but the Emperor raised a hand to stop her. “You are carrying my first grandson. Your health is the priority; there is no need for such formalities.”
“This pregnancy marks the Prince’s first child,” the Emperor continued. “He is still in the dark, and I suspect he’ll be quite the happy fool when he finds out. I believe it’s time to grant him a few days of leave to stay home and care for his wife and child.”
The Crown Princess offered a modest smile. “Your Majesty’s words make me look forward to it as well. However, I fear His Highness won’t be able to rest just yet. He has been working tirelessly on the Kaifeng floods and is set to depart for disaster relief any day now.”
“That is true,” the Emperor sighed. At the mention of the disaster, the festive mood in the stands turned solemn for a moment.
Out on the water, the gap between the three dragon boats began to widen. The Crown Prince held a steady lead, followed closely by Prince Zheng, while Prince Ning’s team lagged far behind.
Xie Yuechan watched for a long while, her brow furrowed in confusion. She couldn’t wrap her head around how a boat full of professional soldiers, rowing with all their might, could possibly be losing to a group of fair-skinned, slender scholars—and yet, no one else seemed to find it odd.
It seems, she thought, that the first rule of flattery is having a thick enough skin to make the impossible look natural.
Still, she had to admit: youth was a beautiful thing. As the men rowed, the rhythmic pull of the oars occasionally revealed the lean muscle of their arms beneath those wide sleeves. Xie Yuechan let her imagination run wild, picturing the subtle play of veins and sinew beneath the silk.
Caught up in her internal cheering, she completely forgot about her earlier moment of eye contact with Gu Jingan. However, while she screamed inwardly, she kept her face perfectly composed. Her quiet, ladylike behavior left Old Madam Gu and the rest of the family utterly baffled; they had come prepared for her to cause a noisy scene, and her sudden grace felt entirely out of character.
Predictably, the Crown Prince’s team took the top prize. Aside from the usual rewards of gold and jewels, everyone’s eyes were fixed on the “Western curiosities” draped in red silk. Because they were so rare, each member of the winning team received only one pot.
At Young General Song’s boisterous urging, the Crown Prince laughed and yanked the red silk away, displaying the prize for all to see.
“Oh! What on earth is that? What is it called?”
“Look at those fruits! They’re as red as lanterns, yet shaped like a crescent moon.”
“How exotic!”