In the evening, Consort Dowager Hui and Li Huairou showed up at the empress’s birthday banquet on time. The rest of the concubines had already arrived; only the empress dowager, the emperor, and the empress had yet to come.
After a quarter of an hour, the empress dowager, the emperor, and the empress came. The emperor and empress supported the empress dowager on either side as they entered. It could be observed that they were a harmonious family.
Consort Dowager Hui stood up lazily and saluted.
After taking the seat, the empress smiled and exchanged greetings with Consort Dowager Hui. Li Huairou took the opportunity to look at the empress. The empress’s dress today was exceptionally different—not as high and mighty as usual, but a little more gentle and elegant. Her jewelry and clothes were not the fashionable styles in the palace.
Seeing the emperor’s eyes glance at the empress from time to time, Li Huairou vaguely understood something.
The empress had been persuaded by the empress dowager, planning to back down and take the sentimental route?
It was a pity that the empress dowager’s thoughts were destined to be useless. Compared to Su Wan’er, the empress was far worse. After all, the empress’s image was too ingrained beforehand, and Su Wan’er had a natural advantage on the sentimental route. Besides, Prince Qi was always a huge help.
The night banquet began—a beautiful scene of singing and dancing. However, Li Huairou felt a little disappointed.
The palace’s singing and dancing all looked the same after a long time.
Consort Dowager Hui felt the same. Leaning lazily on the chair and looking around boredly, she smuggled some refreshments behind her, to Li Huairou, from time to time.
Fang-momo felt a little helpless, so she could only stand in front, using her body to block the slight movements of the master and servant.
Between the singing and dancing, the empress dowager looked around. “Where is Prince Qi?”
Everyone looked at each other; yes, Prince Qi, it seemed that they hadn’t seen him since the beginning!
The emperor said, “Luo Fu, where is Prince Qi?”
The emperor’s personal eunuch, Luo Fu, was about to reply, when suddenly there was the melodious sound of a flute coming from the lake. Against the backdrop of the lake, the sound of the flute was particularly ethereal.
Luo Fu looked back and pointed at the lake. He smiled and said, “Your Majesty, His Highness is over there!”
It turned out that Prince Qi was standing at the highest point of the island in the lake, playing the flute as the night breeze blew by.
Everyone in the palace knew that Prince Qi was good at playing the flute. Prince Qi was now playing a song to celebrate the anniversary.
The empress thought that Prince Qi was ingenious to give her this birthday present, and she smiled. “Prince Qi has quite the heart.”
But the empress dowager noticed the strangeness. Seeing that the empress knew nothing, she could only curse “idiot” in her heart!
The song of celebration was over, and the emperor was about to speak.
The sound of Prince Qi’s flute suddenly turned, and then they heard the song of a fairy flying in the sky.
The emperor stopped talking immediately. He stared at the lake, seeming to fall into some memories.
At this moment, the empress also thought of something. She gave Prince Qi a fierce look, her face becoming gloomy.
Luo Fu looked at the lake. “Your Majesty, look!”
The bright moon was in the sky; the night breeze was blowing. A boat from seemingly nowhere floated on the lake, and a person wearing an azure shirt was dancing lightly on the boat. Against the sound of the flute, the dancer seemed to be a flying fairy from the sky.
Wanting to see the dancer’s face clearly, the emperor couldn’t help but take a few steps forward and walk to the railing. The cool terrace was entirely surrounded by torches, and so the night was as bright as day. It was a pity that the dancer was covered with a light veil, and no one could make out her appearance. Only a pair of clear eyes was visible; those eyes seemed to hold an enchantment, and the emperor was wholly attracted.
Luo Fu’s eyes were sharp, and he saw something strange. “Look, Your Majesty, the fish are all drawn in, and they wander around the boat! The ancients described the dazzling beauty that made the fish sink and the wild geese fall. This servant always thought it was just an exaggeration, but today I know that this happened for real!”
[A beautiful women that captivates even the birds and beasts]
Being reminded by Luo Fu, everyone noticed the situation and left their seats. One after another, they stepped forward and took a closer look. It turned out to be true.
Everyone was surprised, and then they guessed who it was.
The empress dowager looked around the concubines and found the result in her heart. It was just that she didn’t know what role Prince Qi played in this matter.
At the end of the song, the emperor was overjoyed. “Luo Fu, have her come over.”
Luo Fu hurriedly ordered a little eunuch to invite the boat over.
The dancer’s boat came, but the school of fish followed the boat for a long time. When everyone saw it, they were even more surprised.
“Wan’er! It’s really you! Even the fish fell for you!” After a closer look, the emperor recognized the dancer as Su Wan’er. What shocked him was that Su Wan’er’s dance was very much like ‘her‘ dancing had been. Fortunately, Su Wan’er’s willingness to pay for such thoughts showed that she already wanted to understand.
[The deceased Empress Xiaoyuan, the emperor’s first love]
Ignoring what the emperor said, she walked straight to the empress, knelt down and said something like this: “This concubine’s dance is called ‘Fairytale Romance’, which is specially dedicated to the empress. The emperor and the empress are an immortal couple—the perfect couple—with love and affection between husband and wife.”
This was quite the platitude. Everyone knew the intention of Su Wan’er’s dance, but it was not easy to say anything clearly.
The same was true for the empress, but the pressure in the empress dowager’s pointed gaze made her unable to do or say anything.
“Concubine Ling truly has heart.”
It was just that the empress also felt very strange. Concubine Ling had always been arrogant and aloof, and she’d never bothered to use such methods to fight for favor. This time, how the times had changed! Was it because she’d been irritated recently, or was this her true self, and she used to pretend to be a pig to eat the tiger to confuse them?
[To act lower than what you actually are to achieve a certain aim during a particular point in time]
This was also the guess that the other concubines had secretly made.
At this time, Prince Qi also came over, but his face was full of embarrassment. “This son greets empress mother, and he greets brother emperor and sister-in-law.”
The empress dowager smiled and asked, “Heng’er, which arrangement is this?”
Before Prince Qi could explain, Su Wan’er stood up first and said, “I also ask the empress dowager to pardon this crime. It was this concubine’s own idea; His Highness did not know about it. Since this concubine entered the palace, she has always been taken care of by the empress. It’s just that the concubines are always sick, and the empress sympathizes with the concubines and allows them to take care of their bodies, so the concubines are not allowed to participate in the night banquets, and this concubine had no choice but to make this decision, which has nothing to do with His Highness.”
A little servant of Prince Qi also came out and added, “His Highness did not arrange the singing and dancing. He only planned three songs to celebrate the empress’s birthday: one is a song to congratulate the empress, one is the song of a fairy flying in the sky, and the last one is the everlasting reunion. And we do not know where Concubine Ling came from.”
As soon as this remark came out, the empress’s expression became a little ugly. Since when did Concubine Ling speak with a gun and a stick? Isn’t this plainly saying that she’s squeezing her out?
[There is irony/sarcasm hidden in the language]
However, the emperor fixed Su Wan’er with a surprised look. “Then, just now, Concubine Ling, was that dance yours?”
Su Wan’er nodded. “After this concubine came to the palace, she has always stayed indoors, and she has never discussed it with anyone in private.”
“Zhen only knew that Concubine Ling was full of poems and books. So it turns out that she is also good at singing and dancing. Concubine Ling, who knows how many surprises you have!” the emperor exclaimed with a smile.
[Zhen (朕) is used by the emperor in place of “I”. It is similar to the royal “we”]
Consort Dowager Hui was watching the play with great enthusiasm when she suddenly saw the momo beside the empress dowager winking at her. She pretended not to see it—why should I come out to make a scene! Not my problem!
Helpless, the empress dowager had to stand up. “Today is the empress’s birthday; don’t stand up, everyone. Sit down and talk!”
Everyone took their seats.
Luo Fu immediately arranged a seat for Concubine Ling, and under the emperor’s instruction, he directly arranged Concubine Ling’s seat to the place closest to the emperor.
After that, no one wanted to appreciate the singing and dancing. Everyone present knew that Concubine Ling was the biggest winner tonight. Apart from Concubine Ling, the emperor’s eyes could no longer see anyone else.
However, the other concubines were jealous. But, thinking about the empress, their hearts were also at ease. You know, the empress had lost face tonight!
The smile on the empress’s face was decent, but the veil in her hands had been torn apart.
After the birthday banquet was over, although the emperor went to the empress’s Fenglai Pavilion, he only barely saved the empress’s reputation. But one could still see that the emperor had ordered Luo Fu to give Concubine Ling many rewards. It could be observed that although the emperor was not there, his heart was beside Concubine Ling.
Su Wan’er had fallen out of favor before, and even when she arrived at the summer palace, she lived in the most remote and narrow Lanyue Pavilion. Now that she’d suddenly regained favor, the House of Internal Affairs said that it was too late to change places, but still rearranged the Lanyue Pavilion in the shortest possible time.
Su Wan’er looked upon the renewed Lanyue Pavilion, still expressionless. Yingyue and the others were happy.
Immediately afterwards, Luo-gonggong, who served beside the emperor, came and brought a lot of rewards from the emperor.
“My lady Concubine Ling, other things are fine, but this one needs this slave to hand it personally to you.” Luo Fu smiled, exchanging glances with Huixin, who was next to Su Wan’er.
“What is so good as to make gonggong so cautious?” Su Wan’er chuckled lightly.
“My lady, take a look.” Luo Fu opened the box.
Su Wan’er saw that it was a concentric knot and felt a little bit sorrowful in her heart. If this concentric knot had been given earlier, she would have been very happy. But now, it wasn’t that she didn’t like it or didn’t understand the emperor’s thoughts; it was only that she no longer dared to pin all her emotions on the emperor.
“Gonggong, please thank the emperor for me. I like it very much.” With a thousand regrets in her heart, Su Wan’er held the knot, but she was moved and delighted on the surface .
“Well then, this slave will take his leave,” Lou Fu replied with a smile. Then he looked around. “My lady, ths Lanyue Pavilion is too small. This slave will make the imperial household arrange another place for you tomorrow.”
“No need to bother. I think this place is good and clean,” Su Wan’er said with a smile.
“Oh, that would make my lady suffer from injustice. Besides, this is too far away from the emperor’s Tianyi Pavilion,” Luo Fu said.
“If you have the heart, it’s not far away.” Su Wan’er bowed her head.
Luo Fu muttered a few times, then suddenly clapped his hands. “My lady’s words are right. As long as the emperor has the heart, it’s not far away. Then, my lady should rest early, and this slave will take his leave.”
After sending Luo Fu away, Su Wan’er didn’t even look at the pile of rewards on the table. “Just put it away. Forget it, hang this concentric knot at my bedside!”
All nodded heartily.
Yingyue whispered, “My lady, why didn’t you agree to change places? Here is too small, and it’s near the water—although it’s cool, there are a lot of mosquitoes.”
“Isn’t the House of Internal Affairs already arranging for fine yarn? Hasn’t the inside of the house been smoked too?” Su Wan’er softly answered. Su Wan’er insisted on living here because she had to firmly remember this feeling—the feeling of being isolated and helpless, bullied by anyone. She had to always remind herself not to repeat the same mistakes.
But Yingyue thought that Su Wan’er refused to move away from Lanyue Pavilion for the convenience of meeting with Prince Qi. After all, Lanyue Pavilion was only separated by water from the lake island on which Prince Qi lived. In the past, in order to discuss big plans, Prince Qi would quietly come to Lanyue Pavilion every night in a small boat.
How hateful. She has been favored again—why bother hooking up with the prince?!
Yingyue’s heart was nearly filled with jealousy.
