Su Lin’an was startled by the remark. He had indeed panicked just moments before, reacting purely on instinct. Yet now, compared to Jun Yichen’s unruffled composure, he felt like a mere clown strutting on a stage.
While he might not have possessed peerless meticulousness or towering political acumen, he was still the legitimate eldest son, cultivated with utmost care by the Prime Minister’s estate. And yet, the Seventh Prince, someone of a nearly identical age, had effortlessly reduced him to shambles with a mere three or four sentences.
This realization birthed a completely unprecedented terror within him toward the Seventh Prince.
It was that innate, crushing oppression possessed exclusively by those born to tower above others.
“This humble subject spoke out of turn.”
Watching the scene unfold beside him, Gu Ci felt the smile slip entirely from his face. He was hardly a fool; observing the reactions of Su Lin’an and his sister made it glaringly obvious that everything Jun Yichen had stated was the absolute truth. He had once believed that because he and Su Lin’an had grown up together, their shared history constituted a genuine bond, even if they weren’t the closest of confidants.
Turns out, even Su Lin’an had harbored hidden agendas against him all along.
What about, Jun Yichen, then?
By this point, Jun Yichen had naturally deduced the train of thought running through Gu Ci’s mind. He instinctively glanced sideways at him, catching the lingering trace of suspicion that Gu Ci tried and failed, to completely conceal.
His fingers tightened around his folding fan until the bones creaked, though Gu Ci offered no outward reaction. Instead, forcing a breezy, casual tone, Gu Ci laughed it off. “Well, since our guest didn’t show up today, Su Lin’an, you’ll have to make up for it next time by treating me to fine wine!”
Su Lin’an was momentarily taken aback, as if failing to comprehend why Gu Ci was actively throwing him a lifeline. Grateful relief washed over him as he offered a quick, appreciative nod. “Definitely, absolutely! The next time he’s in town, I’ll make sure he buys the young marquis a round of wine to apologize.”
Though Gu Ci kept up his cheerful facade, Jun Yichen could acutely sense the underlying stiffness in his posture.
Suddenly, a group of palace maids approached their pavilion. As they drew close, the lead attendant, an older, dignified woman, curtsied deeply. “This old servant pays respects to Your Highness the Seventh Prince and the Young Marquis.”
Stepping forward, Jun Yichen raised a hand in gesture. “Please rise, Nanny Gui. Does your presence here mean Her Majesty has specific instructions?”
Only then did the surrounding guests realize that the approaching attendant was none other than Nanny Gui, the personal confidante and head serving-woman to the Empress.
With a warm smile, Nanny Gui explained, “Her Majesty has prepared a banquet within the Hall of Fengyi and cordially invites everyone to partake in the meal.” Pausing briefly as if noting their lingering hesitation, she added, “His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, the Sixth Prince, and numerous other young lords and ladies are already in attendance.”
Jun Yichen felt a flicker of quiet surprise at the unexpected civility shown by Nanny Gui, but he maintained his gracious demeanor. “We thank you for the clarification, Nanny. Please, lead the way.”
At that, Gu Ci cast an unreadable, sidelong glance toward Su Jinyao trailing behind them, a working hypothesis already forming in his mind.
Within the original text, Su Jinyao was the undisputed female protagonist, while Crown Prince Jun Yixuan served as the male lead. According to the plot’s architecture, the two were meant to experience love at first sight during an imperial banquet—surely fate wouldn’t be quite so glaringly cliché?
No, absolutely not. He had to prevent them from locking eyes. If Crown Prince Jun Yixuan succeeded in wedding Su Jinyao, the political marriage would drive Jun Yichen into a spiral of agonizing obsession and unrequited madness. Following that trajectory, his own untimely demise remained an absolute certainty.
Weaving through the palace corridors, the group arrived at the grand Hall of Fengyi.
Subtly scanning the interior, Gu Ci noted that the seating was arranged in traditional separate columns for men and women. The male section was presided over by Crown Prince Jun Yixuan, while the female section was undoubtedly overseen by the Empress herself.
Given Gu Ci’s aristocratic rank, which towered well above most peer nobles, his designated seat was placed immediately beside Jun Yichen’s.
Once everyone had settled into their places, low murmurs of conversation rippled across neighboring tables. Listening to the overlapping exchanges, Gu Ci rapidly pieced together the underlying purpose of this plum blossom banquet.
The reigning Emperor currently had four surviving princes. Aside from the youngest, nine-year-old Prince Jun Yiyang, the remaining three had all reached the age of eligibility for marriage. Furthermore, several imperial princesses were fast approaching the threshold for betian negotiations.
For the Empress to mount such an elaborate gala, summoning eligible bachelors and maidens from every prominent noble house across the capital, her intentions were glaringly transparent.
Gu Ci glanced up toward the dais where the Crown Prince sat, noticing the heir’s gaze repeatedly drifting toward Su Jinyao’s table. A cynical amusement flickered in his chest; the Crown Prince had clearly utilized his intelligence networks to identify Su Jinyao in advance. For an ambitious crown prince aiming for the throne, securing the hand of the Prime Minister’s daughter meant capturing the unified backing of the entire civil bureaucracy.
Just as he was lost in thought, a warm voice broke into his focus. “A-Ci, this is your favorite crispy prawn, do try some.”
Looking down, Gu Ci discovered that a delicate porcelain bowl before him had somehow accumulated several shelled, perfectly prepared prawn tails.
He glanced sideways to find Jun Yichen watching him with a gentle, attentive smile.
“Thank you, Your Highness,” Gu Ci replied, returning a bright, genuine grin before picking up a piece and savoring its flavor.
In response, Jun Yichen continued selecting various dishes favored by Gu Ci, adding them steadily to his bowl.
The intimate exchange did not go unnoticed; sitting across the aisle, the Fourth Princess observed the scene with a darkening expression, her teeth sinking into her lower lip as a cold fury twisted her features.
Sensing a piercing glare, Jun Yichen casually raised his eyes toward the opposite gallery. Upon recognizing the Fourth Princess, the corners of his lips curled upward in a mocking, glacial smirk.
Everyone in the noble circles of the capital was well aware that the Fourth Princess nursed a notoriously obsessive, one-sided infatuation with Gu Ci.
Unable to stomach the affectionate display between the two youths any longer, the Fourth Princess slammed her wine goblet down, surged to her feet, and raised her voice. “Lord Gu! This princess proposes a toast to you.” Her eyes, however, flashed a pointed, venomous challenge directly at Jun Yichen.
A mild flash of surprise crossed Gu Ci’s face. Trying to dredge his memory, he realized he hadn’t crossed paths with this tyrannical, spoiled princess in quite some time, what on earth had possessed her to throw a tantrum now?
Even so, maintaining baseline courtesy, he lifted his cup and replied smoothly, “Your Highness honors me.” Just as he moved to tilt the cup to his lips, a slender hand intercepted him.
“A-Ci’s constitution does not tolerate alcohol well,” Jun Yichen murmured with an easy smile, deftly relieving Gu Ci of the goblet. “Allow me to drink this on his behalf.” Without waiting for a response, he downed the contents in a single, fluid motion.
Stomping her foot in sheer rage, the Fourth Princess hurled her cup back onto the table and sank heavily back into her seat, seething with bitter resentment.
Gu Ci shot Jun Yichen a look of quiet gratitude, feeling an unexpected warmth bloom in his chest. Yet, he completely failed to catch the fleeting, chilling shadow that flashed across the depths of the prince’s eyes.
Further down the line, Imperial Noble Consort Lin caught a subtle, directive glance from the Empress seated at the head of the hall. Nodding in silent acknowledgement, the Consort shifted her gaze toward Su Jinyao, who sat among the daughters of the high officials, and offered a soft, honeyed smile. “Your Majesty, I have long heard that Miss Su is celebrated throughout the capital for her exceptional literary talents. Might we humble our ears and invite her to share a performance, allowing us all to broaden our horizons?”
Hearing her name invoked, Su Jinyao managed to steady her fluttering nerves before rising gracefully to her feet. Sweeping into a refined curtsy toward the dais, she replied, “This subject’s daughter possesses only meager, clumsy skills and hardly merits Your Ladyship’s lavish praise. Still, I am willing to offer a brief tune on the qin. If my performance falls short, I beg Your Majesty and the Consort for their generous forbearance.” With that, she glided smoothly toward the qin stand recently erected by the palace attendants.
Resting her slender, immaculate fingers upon the silken strings, she struck the first chord.
The crisp, crystalline notes cascaded through the hall like the cheerful chirping of spring orioles, lively, vibrant, and overflowing with vitality. Suddenly, the tempo shifted, taking on the mysterious, shimmering brilliance of stars sprinkled across a midnight sky. Moments later, the melody transformed again into the gentle babbling of a mountain stream, every single note acting like a cooling droplet of water that sent gentle ripples across the listeners’ souls. At times weeping and plaintive, the music soared upward with breathtaking grandeur, stirring every heartbeat in the chamber.
As the final resonance faded into absolute silence, the entire hall remained frozen in a trance, every occupant seemingly paralyzed within the lingering majesty of the masterclass performance.