MYUFPC CHAPTER 34
The princess might be embarrassed.
The Emperor's birthday was fast approaching.
His Majesty's birthday fell on the nineteenth day of the tenth month, a time when winter had already set in and the weather had turned slightly chilly. As the banquet was to be held at night, the temperature would be even colder. Thus, Jiashan had specially donned a fiery red, gold-threaded long jacket over her apricot-colored round-necked gown.
With her raven hair, almond eyes, and porcelain skin, the crimson hue was exceptionally flattering. Under the gentle moonlight, her oval face was illuminated with a radiant smile.
Within the palace, the rules were strict. Only on rare occasions when the emperor celebrated with the people were outer court officials permitted to enter the palace to join in the festivities.
Besides the male officials, there were also high-ranking noblewomen and influential family members who would come to the palace at such times to gather with the women of the harem.
The separation between men and women in current dynasty was not as strict as past times. The current emperor was a benevolent man who treated his female relatives with great warmth. He had not arranged for separate seating for men and women but instead had the noble ministers and female relatives seated on either side of the lower seats.
Naturally, the emperor sat at the head of the main seat. Zhuang Fei and Jing Fei, who jointly managed the six palaces, sat on the left and right sides respectively. As the most senior and oldest princess among the younger generation, Jiashan was seated at the head of the princess's row. At this moment, the difference between Zhao Youze and Zhao Youcheng became evident.
Although everyone knew that the fourth prince suffered from congenital blindness, making it highly unlikely that he would ascend the throne, he was the eldest legitimate son. As long as Zhao Youcheng had not been established as the crown prince, Zhao Youcheng's status would forever be subordinate to his.
Therefore, among the princes, Zhao Youze was currently the leader, while Zhao Youcheng, despite being the eldest crown prince, could only rank second.
Jiashan and Zhao Youze were seated opposite each other. Seeing her younger brother merely burying his head in his food after reciting the birthday greetings with everyone else, she couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy.
She had only mentioned the matter of Physician Kong to Pei Yuantang when she had asked for his help, and she had not told anyone else. Even Yuan Kang, she had not revealed a word.
One reason was that she feared gossip and unnecessary trouble. The other was that she was afraid of giving everyone false hope, especially Yuan Kang, who was still so young.
But thinking of how Yuan Kang had repeatedly expressed his desire to see and how he wanted to use this ability to protect her, Jiashan grew increasingly eager for the arrival of Physician Kong.
By now, the banquet was halfway through, and the atmosphere was very lively. To celebrate her father's birthday, Jiashan had also drunk a few cups of fruit wine. Her tolerance for alcohol was moderate; she wouldn't pass out after just one cup, but she wasn't particularly good at it either. She had a fatal flaw – she tended to blush easily when she was slightly tipsy.
After a few cups of wine, Jiashan began to feel a little tipsy, and her cheeks were flushed.
Sitting next to Jiashan was Qinghe, a daughter of Jing Fei. Qinghe turned her head and, seeing Jiashan's flushed face, she pulled Jiashan's sleeve with some concern and said, "Royal sister, are you drunk? Should we go and change your clothes and sober up a bit before coming back?"
Jiashan was still conscious, but she felt a little dizzy. Perhaps she was bringing over some experiences from her previous life. At the age of fifteen, she naturally couldn't drink as much as she could at twenty-four.
The banquet hall was crowded, and the air was stuffy.
Jiashan glanced at the lively crowd and her father, who was chatting with the ministers at the head table. She nodded and said, "I'm going to go for a walk. If Father asks, you know what to say?"
Qinghe, who was only ten years old, seemed much more mature than Shu Xian, perhaps because she had spent a lot of time with Zhao Youze and Jing Fei..
Qinghe nodded obediently and said thoughtfully, "I know. Don't worry, Royal Sister. I'll be here."
Jiashan smiled reassuringly and patted Qinghe's shoulder before leaving.
As she left, two people, coincidentally, got up one after the other. Pei Yuantang was seated next to several Hanlin lecturers. Although his family background was good, his current official position was ordinary, so his seat was not very conspicuous. After exchanging greetings with his colleagues, he left on his own.
Shu Xian, on the other hand, was sitting right next to Qinghe. Seeing Jiashan leave first, a flash of resentment crossed her eyes. Just as her mother was still entertaining the noblewomen outside the palace and had no time to attend to her, Shu Xian turned to say something to Huian and immediately followed Jiashan.
Jiashan had not gone far. The banquet had not ended yet, and this might be the last birthday she would celebrate with her father before her marriage. She had to see it through to the end.
In a small, prepared side room, Jiashan took off the long jacket that was slightly damp with wine and changed into a crabapple purple blouse.
Su Yu took the clothes Jiashan had changed out of and said with a smile, "Although there is a breeze at night, Your Highness has still worked up a sweat. Luckily, we prepared a change of clothes. It would be bad luck to catch a cold if you went back like this at night. Your Highness is about to get married, and it would be inauspicious to fall ill."
Jiashan glanced at her and smiled slightly, saying, "It's not as if it's right away. There are still nearly three months to go."
"Three months will pass quickly," Dancui chimed in, smiling. "Before you know it, the New Year will be over, and then it will be the day of Your Highness's wedding. The people from the Ministry of Rites will have to work non-stop during this period."
Su Yu helped Jiashan tidy up her hair, which had been slightly disheveled by the wind, and said curiously, "I don't think I saw Zhan Daren at the banquet today."
Jiashan applied lipstick in front of the mirror and said calmly, "He is on duty at the Jinwu Guards today. Now that he holds two positions, he must be busier than before."
"I see," Dancui nodded. "Your Highness remembers the days when Zhan Daren is on duty so clearly."
Su Yu chuckled.
Jiashan turned her head and gently pinched Dancui's cheek until Dancui whispered, "I was wrong," before Jiashan said, "You naughty girl!"
Dancui giggled.
As the three of them walked out of the small room, they ran into Shu Xian, who had been waiting for a long time.
Shu Xian was still accompanied by the two palace maids from that night. When Jiashan saw them, she pretended not to see them and didn't even bother to pay them any lip service.
She pursed her lips and calmly gestured for Su Yu and Dancui to lead the way.
Su Yu said, "Please make way, Your Highness. The Eldest Princess is going out."
Shu Xian looked at her coldly, her eyes filled with a hint of anger. "Why should I make way?"
Su Yu smiled and said, "The Eldest Princess is both the eldest and the legitimate daughter. No matter how you look at it, it is you who should yield to the Eldest Princess. There's no reason for the princess to yield to you."
Shu Xian, being shorter than Jiashan, had to tilt her head slightly to meet Jiashan's gaze. Shu Xian raised her head defiantly and, bypassing Su Yu, walked over to Jiashan. She gritted her teeth and said, "You only have a good mother and a slightly higher birth than me."
"If I had your background, I could get everything I wanted. The man I wanted to marry could also belong to me! Instead of having someone else snatch him away!"
When she said the words "snatch him away," Shu Xian's emotions were clearly very agitated, and she was barely able to maintain her outward composure.
Her eyes were slightly red.
Jiashan looked at her incredulously at first, and then she shook her head lightly. "Judging by your appearance, who has snatched away your love?"
"It couldn't be me," Jiashan exclaimed in mock surprise.
She gently adjusted the white jade hairpin in her hair, turned her head, and said leisurely, "To snatch someone's love, the other person must also love you. Being self-deluded is not love."
Shu Xian's eyes flashed with anger. She spat out, "You're the one who's self-deluded."
"You're so foolish," Jiashan said lightly, as if Shu Xian was not even worth considering as an opponent. "And so pathetic."
Shu Xian's expression turned ashen. She opened her mouth to say "Don't you dare say that about me," she said.
"Then, let me tell you something else," Jiashan smiled, her eyes sparkling.
Perhaps because she had drunk some wine, Jiashan was bolder than usual. She smiled and said clearly, "I not only have a good mother. I also have a good father and a good brother. And in the future—"
Jiashan paused deliberately and said clearly, "I will have a good husband."
"What do you have?" Jiashan tapped her shoulder. "You only have jealousy."
Shu Xian's eyes were filled with impulsive resentment as she glared fiercely at Jiashan. The two palace maids, fearing that she would cause trouble and displease the Emperor on the Emperor's birthday, quickly grabbed Shu Xian by her arms.
Shu Xian's hands were held, but her gaze never left Jiashan. Jiashan said, "Go back and learn more from your mother before you come and shout at me again."
Shu Xian's tears streamed down her face silently.
Jiashan was not at all intimidated by her tears. In fact, she looked down on someone who couldn't even control their own tears in front of an enemy.
She passed by Shu Xian and turned away.
The two palace maids advised Shu Xian, "Your Highness, let's go back to the banquet. We've been out for so long, and if her highness finds out that you came looking for the Eldest Princess, she won't be happy."
Shu Xian wiped away her tears and, biting her lip, chose a path completely opposite to Jiashan's to go back.
However, it wasn't just Jiashan and Shu Xian's palace maids who had overheard this conversation. There was a small pond to the left of the small pavilion and an artificial hill to the right.
At that moment, a person was sitting by the pond, and two people were hiding on the artificial hill.
After hearing what Jiashan had said, one of the people on the artificial hill quietly asked the other, "Daren, are you going out?"
A hint of a smile appeared at the corner of Zhan Yue's eyes. Thinking about Jiashan saying "she will have a good husband in the future," a radiant glow appeared on his delicate side profile.
Zhan Yue's thin lips curled up. "If I go out, the princess might be embarrassed."
The man replied, "Yes," but he thought to himself: The princess is so outgoing, she doesn't seem like someone who would easily be embarrassed. Perhaps the Daren is afraid to go out and is trying to frame me.