The Mid-Autumn Festival is a day for family reunions and one of the most important festivals of the year in the Zhou Dynasty.
This day is also the time when the moon is at its fullest in the year.
According to tradition, the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet starts at noon. First there is a banquet, and then there are the necessary banquet programs such as singing and dancing. In the evening, the banquet was moved to the garden, where they ate delicious mooncakes and admired the moon.
The emperor was in a very good mood and specially allowed Wei Yan, Imperial Physician of Zhou, Taoist Yu and others to attend the banquet. Yang Wei, the commander of the Royal Guards, and Sun Yi, the deputy commander of the guards, were also present. In addition, there were several officials who came with the prince and grandson, and there were quite a few people at the banquet.
It was inconvenient for the concubines to sit at the same table as the men, so they sat at two other tables, separated by screens.
Wine and delicacies, changing glasses, creating a lively atmosphere.
Ling Jingshu took Wei Yan's advice in mind and took a specially made detoxification pill before going to the banquet. The same is true for Concubine Wei Xian. At the banquet, Concubine Wei Xian barely touched any wine and had very few dishes in her mouth.
As a female officer, Ling Jingshu had to wait until her master finished eating before eating. He pretended to move his chopsticks twice and stopped eating.
"Why do you only eat so much?" Xinyun, who was standing next to him, asked with concern: "Is the food not to your taste?"
Ling Jingshu concealed a smile and said, "I probably have some cold and stomach discomfort, so I really can't eat."
I'm sorry for Xinyun's concealment. However, there are some secrets that she really shouldn't know.
Xinyun did not doubt that he was there, and gave Ling Jingshu a sympathetic look: "On normal days, you and Concubine Xian would just tell you to go back and rest first. Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the banquet will last until evening. We all have to be there at any time. I'm waiting on you, I can't get away from you. Just be patient for now."
Ling Jingshu hummed casually and glanced around calmly.
It's quite tiring to have your nerves so tense all the time.
However, the banquet was unexpectedly peaceful. Except that everyone was in high spirits and drank a little too much, there was no sign of any trouble.
It's like clenching your fist and preparing to punch it out with all your strength, but the front is blank and blank, with no clue of the target. While secretly feeling happy, he felt inexplicably depressed and annoyed.
…
After the banquet, everyone followed the emperor to the main hall.
This place has already been arranged.
The emperor sat high on the dragon chair, with the prince and King Yan sitting on the left and right, and the emperor's grandson sat below the prince. Next, there are the positions of the concubines in the palace.
Concubine Wei Xian had the highest rank among the concubines and was also the most favored one. She sat at the same table as Princess Anya.
Ling Jingshu stood behind Concubine Wei Xian to serve her, so she was quite close to the emperor's grandson.
Wei Yan, on the other hand, sat at the end of the table with Dr. Zhou. There was a enchanting dancer between them, and they could barely see each other's faces.
At this time, it is not the best time to look at each other in the air and convey affection.
Ling Jingshu quickly calmed down, lowered her eyes, and concentrated on serving Concubine Wei Xian's tea.
The emperor's grandson's eyes drifted over indifferently. Seeing that Ling Jingshu had no reaction, he twitched his lips with self-mockery. He quickly looked away again.
"I would like to drink a glass of wine to my father. I wish my father a long life and good health." King Yan picked up the wine glass and said in a loud voice.
The emperor's face was radiant and he responded with a smile: "Okay, I will drink this cup with you!"
His eyes were so kind and his tone was so gentle.
The prince's heart sank slightly.
It's one thing to know, it's another to see it with your own eyes.
King Yan has worked hard in front of the emperor this year. Not only did the emperor not dislike King Yan because of the abolition of the queen, but he also loved and trusted him more and more. If this continues, King Yan may really be able to compete with him based on the emperor's preference.
Ah Yao is right! King Yan, who is a serious problem in his heart, cannot be kept any longer. As long as there is a suitable opportunity, we must get rid of him...
After the emperor and King Yan drank wine, they looked at the much thinner emperor grandson and sighed: "I didn't expect that the Jiang family was so unlucky and left so early. Ah Yao, I know you Sad and sad. However, no matter how sad you are, you can’t torture your body.”
At the mention of Jiang Rongyue, the emperor's grandson trembled slightly and his expression darkened.
"Brother Lin has lost his mother. As a father, you should take special care of your children in the future." As the emperor said this, he couldn't help but think of Empress Jiang who died young.
The daughters of the Jiang family are born with wealth, but they are all beauties with poor fortunes.
At that time, Empress Jiang was lucky enough to become the empress of the main palace, and she saw her son being crowned the crown prince before she closed her eyes with peace of mind. Jiang Rongyue was even more pitiful. She risked her life to give birth to a child and then left.
The emperor's grandson responded in a low voice, with a look that seemed sad.
King Yan hypocritically consoled him: "Ah Yao, you have to cheer up quickly. Otherwise, father, ****, will worry about you."
The grandson of the emperor raised his head and looked at King Yan: "Thank you, Uncle Sixth Emperor, for reminding me. I know the importance of this point in my heart. I will never miss important court affairs because of this. Uncle Sixth Emperor still puts his mind more on the emperor's grandfather. With the careful company of the Sixth Uncle, the imperial grandfather's dragon body is getting better day by day. My father and I can also focus all our thoughts on the court."
The last two sentences are soft yet thorny.
King Yan's eyes flashed slightly, his smile did not diminish, but he snorted coldly in his heart.
At this moment, the melodious and soft music stopped, and the charming and colorful dancers quickly retreated. Instead, there was a burst of passionate drums and music, which was refreshing.
Two rows of women holding long swords entered the main hall and danced the long swords in their hands to the sound of drums. These women are all young, delicate, and vigorous.
After watching many enchanting songs and dances, this unique sword dance is eye-catching.
The emperor's grandson narrowed his eyes slightly and was secretly cautious, pressing his right hand on the handle of the knife at his waist.
Ling Jingshu held her breath subconsciously.
These young women dancing swords are all unfamiliar faces!
Each one of them was very skilled, and the sword flowers were drawn out from the long sword, which dazzled everyone who saw it. Especially the one who leads the dance, his movements are neat and crisp, and he clearly has special skills!
This sword dance was arranged by King Yan!
If there is a top master among them, and he suddenly takes action to assassinate...
The emperor's eyes flashed with approval, and he praised with a smile: "What a sword dance! These women all seem to have unfamiliar faces. Where did the emperor find them?"
King Yan glanced at the emperor's grandson who was waiting for him with a cold look on his face, and a meaningful smile appeared on his lips: "Return to my father. This sword dance was specially ordered by my son to rehearse and dedicated to my father. These women are all Most of the ones carefully found by my sons have some skills. Therefore, the sword dance is particularly beautiful. I wonder if my father likes it?" (To be continued)