Shaoguang Pavilion was already meticulously arranged. Dozens of rosewood long tables were set according to rank, with two embroidered stools behind each. The female guests were in the east, and the male guests in the west, separated by five meters.
Xie Lanyin’s seat was in the fifth row of the female guests, directly opposite Zhan Shuo.
Before long, a eunuch loudly announced, “Her Majesty the Empress arrives—”
Everyone in the hall rose simultaneously and knelt in welcome. Xie Lanyin knelt with bowed head beside her embroidered stool, her vision filled only with the hem of a bright yellow phoenix-patterned skirt slowly sweeping past, carrying the solemn scent of dragon’s saliva incense.
“You may rise,” the Empress’s voice was gentle yet held an undeniable majesty.
Everyone thanked her and rose. As she stood, Xie Lanyin subtly glanced at the main seat—Empress Shen sat regally on the Phoenix Throne, dressed in a bright yellow eight-roundel dragon and phoenix jacket and wearing a double phoenix holding pearl crown. Her countenance was dignified and graceful. She appeared to be only in her thirties, but was in fact thirty-seven, having managed the Central Palace for nearly twenty years. She had long since integrated the bearing of the Mother of the realm into her very bones.
The Empress’s gaze swept across the hall, pausing for a moment on Xie Lanyin before quickly moving on. She smiled and said, “The spring light is beautiful today. This Empress specifically asked the Imperial Kitchen to prepare freshly brewed peach blossom wine for spring. Please, everyone, try some.”
Palace maids filed in, serving fine wine and delicacies. As music began, the banquet officially commenced.
After three rounds of wine, the atmosphere at the tables gradually livened. Titled ladies whispered in twos and threes, discussing nothing more than clothes, jewelry, and their children’s marriages. Xie Lanyin sat quietly, taking small sips of the fruit wine in her cup, her eyes lowered and silent. Only her hands hidden beneath her wide sleeves—the raw rope marks on her wrists pulsed with a burning ache, making it difficult even to lift her wine cup.
Just then, Empress Shen, who had been watching everyone with a smile from the main seat, seemed to cast her gaze over inadvertently. She spoke gently, her voice not loud, but it caused the nearby tables to quiet down. “Is the Daughter of the Xie family present?”
All eyes instantly focused.
Xie Lanyin’s heart tightened. She slowly put down her wine cup, rose from her seat, and walked to the open space in the middle. She curtsied and bowed, “Your subject is here, awaiting Her Majesty the Empress’s imperial decree.”
The Empress looked at her, her smile graceful and warm. “I have long heard that Grand Tutor Xie’s granddaughter excels in zither, Go, calligraphy, and painting, a leading young lady in the capital. With such beautiful spring light today, I wonder if this Empress and everyone present might have the honor of witnessing Miss Xie’s talent?”
As her words fell, faint whispers of anticipation rose from the tables, along with more gazes of inquiry and scrutiny.
Xie Lanyin felt the stinging in her wrist more acutely. Playing the zither required even strength, and painting needed a steady wrist. At present, she would find it truly difficult. She was about to choose her words carefully, seeking a polite and graceful way to decline—
“Empress sister.”
A clear, smiling voice, just then, came from beside the Empress.
Everyone looked over to see Consort Qi leaning slightly, smiling softly at the Empress. “Miss Xie’s talent, let alone us, even His Majesty has praised it. However—” Her eyes fluttered, and she looked with a beaming smile at the solitary figure in the hall, then her tone shifted.
“Sister, you see, at today’s Spring Banquet, so many young princes and scions of noble families have come; it’s a time of vibrant youth.”
As she spoke, she gently pulled forward a charming young girl in a goose yellow dress who was standing behind her.
“How about giving my unworthy niece, Yue Wei, a chance to play a tune to liven things up for you, Sister, and everyone else? This child has practiced her zither for a long time and has been eagerly hoping for some guidance from Your Majesty.”
Many at the tables showed expressions of sudden understanding, yet also subtle intrigue. Consort Qi would actually speak up for Xie Lanyin?
Second Prince Xuanyuan Jingting, sitting in the male guests’ section, had already frowned when the Empress called Xie Lanyin’s name, unconsciously gripping his wine cup. Now, hearing his Mother Consort’s words, his tightly furrowed brows subtly relaxed, and a trace of satisfaction and understanding flickered in his eyes.
Upon hearing this, the Empress’s smile remained unchanged. Her gaze lightly shifted between Consort Qi and Xie Lanyin, then she smiled sweetly. “My sister is indeed more thoughtful. This Empress was negligent.” She looked at Xie Lanyin, her tone gentle, “Miss Xie, please return to your seat and rest. Just enjoy the music today.”
“Thank Your Majesty the Empress, thank Your Consort Qi for your consideration.” Xie Lanyin felt a slight relief in her heart, her face betraying no emotion. She curtsied again and calmly returned to her seat.
On the west side of the male guests’ section, Zhan Shuo picked up the green jade wine cup before him and took a shallow sip. The wine was clear and cool, reflecting a calm, scrutinizing gaze in his eyes. He had taken in the entire scene—the Empress’s sudden inquiry, Consort Qi’s perfectly timed “consideration,” Xie Lanyin’s momentary tension and swift recovery of composure, and the Second Prince’s fleeting relief and certainty.
With the rim of the cup against his lips, his gaze swept past the lotus-root pink figure who had already taken her seat behind the glazed screen. His thoughts drifted back to the Imperial Study an hour ago.
The Emperor’s questions, the caution of answering before the sovereign, and… behind that rosewood mica screen, almost imperceptible to ordinary people yet impossible for his ears to miss, the faint sounds of breathing and rustling fabric.
Someone was there. And, when he uttered the words “pure and unblemished,” that breathing had momentarily frozen.
Now, it was obvious who it was.
Zhan Shuo put down his wine cup, his fingertips unconsciously caressing the cool cup wall. By common sense, and even by the “reputation” and “dignity” most valued by the imperial family, a young noble lady who had encountered such a dangerous incident yesterday, regardless of whether she was ultimately “pure,” would already be tainted by an indelible shadow. The imperial family cherished their reputation most, often preferring to miss an opportunity rather than allow any potential flaw to be criticized in a future imperial concubine. Abandoning her would be the safest and most beneficial choice.
Yet, as it now appeared, the Emperor’s heart had not changed, and the Second Prince also persisted. This young lady of the Xie family remained the undisputed choice for the future Second Imperial Consort.
Behind this, of course, lay the intricate power dynamics of her background—a grandfather who was a leader of the “pure stream” faction, a maternal uncle holding military power, and the Xie family’s prestige with disciples and old acquaintances spread throughout the court. Each layer was a weighty bargaining chip.
But, perhaps there was more to it.
Power was a cold bargaining chip, but the living person before them was, in the final wager, that indescribable yet real human preference and stir of emotion.
Setting aside the intricate forces behind her, simply considering Xie Lanyin herself—her composed demeanor even after such a tribulation, her appearance of extreme purity and beauty, with eyes like a painting yet hinting at resilience, indeed… it was difficult to easily give up on her.
Especially for the Second Prince, who already craved both beauty and power.
Zhan Shuo withdrew his gaze and refilled his cup. The wine shimmered slightly, reflecting a deep contemplation in his eyes.