The First Jasmine - Chapter 110
Chapter 110 - Night Banquet (1)
At the evening banquet within the palace, some people were filled with joy while others carried heavy worries.
Inside a dimly lit, exquisitely decorated palace, Noble Consort Liu trailed a cascading gown of snowy white brocade embroidered with dark silver phoenix patterns. Behind her, a palace maid carefully avoided the snowy hem on the floor as she pinned a silver butterfly tassel hairpin into the consort's sleek dark hair. Gazing into the crystal-clear bronze mirror, Noble Consort Liu stared blankly at her own snowy, ice-cold visage, her expression completely detached and ripple style.
"Your Ladyship, the Princess has arrived," a maid by her side reported in a soft voice.
A trace of faint warmth flashed through Noble Consort Liu's cold eyes. "Let her in." Moments later, a young princess dressed in goose-yellow robes walked in. She stood near the entrance, casting a timid glance at Noble Consort Liu before stepping forward and softly calling out, "Mother Consort..." Noble Consort Liu turned around, reaching out to pull the little girl toward her. Looking at the features that bore a striking resemblance to her own, she lowered her gaze to suppress the complicated emotions churning within her eyes, and asked in a gentle voice, "Ning'er, why did you come to Mother Consort's place at this hour?" The young girl looked up at Noble Consort Liu, whispering, "Elder Sister Changle said she is going to the palace banquet with the Empress Mother, and Ning'er wants to go with Mother Consort too." Noble Consort Liu paused slightly, frowning as she said, "You are still young. Tonight's banquet is to welcome the Northern Rong prince; you do not need to attend."
A mist of aggrieved tears welled up in the little girl's eyes. Elder Sister Changle was only one year older than her, yet the Empress frequently took her to palace banquets and played with her. In contrast, Mother Consort was never willing to take her along, nor was she ever willing to spend time playing with her. She knew deep down that Mother Consort did not like her... Seeing the stunned look frozen on the tender little face, Noble Consort Liu's expression softened briefly, but she quickly reined it in, saying in a cold voice, "Ning'er, are you even going to disobey Mother Consort's words? Go back!" Seeing the aggrieved and heartbroken expression on her daughter's face, she finally hesitated for a moment and said in a lower tone, "Return to your own palace. Later, I will have a senior matron take you to the banquet." The young girl raised a hand to wipe away the tears on her face, sobbing as she replied, "Sob... Mother Consort, please don't be angry, Ning'er won't go. Ning'er will go play with her younger brothers instead..." With that, she turned and stumbled away out the door.
Silence filled the hall. The senior palace maid attending Noble Consort Liu frowned and muttered quietly, "Your Ladyship, aren't you being a bit too..."
Noble Consort Liu turned around and said indifferently, "Say no more. Help me dress."
Seeing her attitude, the maid dared not urge her further. Glancing back at the empty doorway where the figure had long since vanished, she let out a soft, inward sigh. Compared to how the Empress treated the First Princess, the consort treated the Second Princess and even the two imperial princes far too coldly. If this continued, when the princes and princesses grew up, their emotional bond with the consort would inevitably suffer. Unfortunately, no matter how much advice she and the other maids offered, her Ladyship simply refused to listen. Left with no choice, she nimbly set to work tidying her mistress's appearance. Noble Consort Liu stood up, glanced in the mirror one last time, and turned around to say, "Let's go."
The night banquet proceeded with the usual displays of singing, dancing, and the clinking of wine goblets. Seated beside Mo Xiuyao, Ye Li could clearly feel a gaze fixed intently upon her from across the hall ever since they entered. Raising her eyes, she saw that the person seated opposite her was none other than the central figure of tonight's banquet: the Seventh Prince of Northern Rong, Yelu Ye. Seeing Ye Li look back at him, Yelu Ye arched an eyebrow and raised his wine cup in her direction. The unmasked, unbridled audacity in his gaze made Ye Li's heart sink with displeasure. Ever since her marriage to Mo Xiuyao—no, from as far back as she could remember—no one had ever dared to look at her with such presumptuous arrogance. Seeming to sense Ye Li's anger, Yelu Ye let out an amused smirk, turned his head away, and resumed conversing with the person seated next to him.
Ye Li calmly lowered her gaze, staring down at her own hands. Did Yelu Ye seriously think she was going to throw a tantrum right here on the spot?
A cool hand wrapped around hers. Looking up, Ye Li met Mo Xiuyao's gentle, caring eyes. He chuckled softly, "Don't be angry, my wife. Later on, this Prince will pluck his eyeballs out for you as compensation." Ye Li rolled her eyes at him and muttered, "He is the Northern Rong King's most favored son. If you pluck his eyeballs out, won't Northern Rong and Great Chu go to war?" Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow and smiled lightly, "Who said we have to do it inside Great Chu? Once we go to Northern Rong, I'll still find a way to dig out his eyes to appease my wife." Ye Li shook her head. "It's fine. As long as you go to Northern Rong and return safely, we shouldn't stir up extra trouble." Gazing deeply into her eyes with a look of utter delight, Mo Xiuyao whispered, "Are you worried about me, my wife? Your husband is truly overjoyed." Ye Li couldn't help reaching out to pinch him; ever since the lantern festival night, this man had grown increasingly fond of putting on an act, constantly shouting "wife" and "husband" from morning till night.
The intimate exchange below was naturally seen clearly by Mo Jingqi seated above. His once-handsome features twisted slightly. Turning his head, Mo Jingqi smiled at Noble Consort Liu and the Empress, saying, "The Prince and Princess Consort of Ding have been married for over a year now, yet they remain as deeply devoted as ever." The Empress took a sip of wine from her goblet and smiled faintly. "His Majesty is right. The deep affection between the Prince and Princess Consort will surely become another celebrated tale in the capital." Mo Jingqi nodded with a smile, then looked toward Noble Consort Liu. "What do you think, my beloved consort?" Noble Consort Liu's face was like snow, her expression cold and distant. "Her Majesty speaks the truth." Seated below Noble Consort Liu, Consort Wang glanced up at the consort, then down at the Prince and Princess Consort below, and covered her mouth as she giggled, "I heard that back in the day, Elder Sister Liu and the Prince of Ding were childhood sweethearts..." Before she could finish, Mo Jingqi's gaze shot toward her like a sharp arrow. Consort Wang's heart skipped a beat; realizing she had said the wrong thing, she panicked and floundered, completely at a loss for what to do. The Empress frowned and said coldly, "If Consort Wang cannot handle her liquor, she should drink a little less instead of spouting nonsense." Consort Wang's face burned with humiliation, yet she knew the Empress had just bailed her out of trouble. She hurriedly muttered an acknowledgment, lowered her head, and dared not utter another word.
"Your Majesty!" Down below, Yelu Ye suddenly stood up and addressed Mo Jingqi on the dais in a ringing voice, "My country's Crown Princess passed away from illness at the beginning of the year, and His Majesty the King, mindful of the diplomatic ties between our two nations, promised that an imperial daughter of Great Chu would be welcomed into Northern Rong with the full ceremonial rites of a Crown Princess. This humble prince wonders if he might have the honor of meeting my future sister-in-law."
The moment Yelu Ye made this declaration, an uproar swept through the entire hall. Going across in a marital alliance to become a consort of the Northern Rong King or the wife of some prince was as different from becoming the Crown Princess of Northern Rong as heaven and earth. Putting aside those who lacked foresight, even those who had long seen through the true nature of this alliance could not help feeling a stir of temptation. What were daughters in an aristocratic family meant for? Alliances, trading for short-term benefits or political leverage. After all, nobody could expect to maintain a relationship permanently relying solely on a single woman, right? Even knowing that a woman sent in a marital alliance wouldn't have an easy life in Northern Rong, if the benefits were substantial enough, sacrificing a single daughter was entirely worthwhile. Ye Li was somewhat surprised and turned to look at Mo Xiuyao. Mo Xiuyao smiled faintly and said in a low voice, "The difference between being welcomed with the rites of a Crown Princess and being formally installed as Crown Princess is vast. Who says northern nomads are purely straightforward and martial, completely incapable of political schemes?"
Dawn broke in Ye Li's mind—of course. For a moment, she had forgotten that imperial houses across all nations used official golden registers, and even Northern Rong, regarded as barbarians, had something similar. Without being formally recorded on the golden register, it was just like failing to enter the ancestral hall or family registry in Chu society. Forget being married with the rites of a Crown Princess; if the title wasn't made official, it counted for nothing. Ye Li recalled the rumor Mo Xiuyao had leaked about Yelu Ye personally selecting candidates. They weren't letting him pick ordinary consorts or princesses, but since it concerned a Crown Princess—the future Empress of Northern Rong—it was only reasonable that he get a preview, especially given that Great Chu genuinely lacked any available biological princesses to offer. Ye Li shot Mo Xiuyao a look that was half-smile, half-mockery, openly ridiculing him for trying to steal a chicken only to lose the bait he used to lure it. Mo Xiuyao didn't mind; since Great Chu had to marry off a woman to Northern Rong anyway, and since Yelu Ye dared to generously promise the position of Crown Princess, he didn't mind letting the man narrow down and select someone to his own satisfaction. "My wife, you had better start worrying about Miss Hua. If Yelu Ye is allowed to pick personally, there is a seventy percent chance he will choose Hua Tianxiang." If he found out about the close relationship between Hua Tianxiang and A-Li, that seventy percent chance might even rise to ninety percent.
Ye Li frowned slightly. "Then I must trouble the Prince to make sure the Northern Rong prince understands the importance of selecting a Crown Princess with a noble imperial background."
Mo Xiuyao shook his head and chuckled softly, "If Yelu Ye were the Crown Prince himself, he might choose a woman of imperial lineage, but he is selecting on behalf of Crown Prince Yelu Hong. While Hua Tianxiang isn't of imperial blood, she is the Empress's own niece, so her status is hardly low. Furthermore, doing so carries a high probability of driving a wedge between the Emperor and the Hua family. Bear in mind that while Elder Duke Hua no longer fights on the battlefield, his influence within the military remains immense. Once Hua Tianxiang marries into Northern Rong, the Hua family will be of zero help to Yelu Hong." Lowering her gaze in deep thought for a moment, Ye Li looked up and asked, "What if we let him know that once Tianxiang becomes the Northern Rong Crown Princess, she is very likely to become a major asset and pillar of support for Yelu Hong?" Mo Xiuyao massaged his brow in thought and smiled. "That... might actually work, provided we can fool Yelu Ye."
Mo Jingqi was clearly taken aback by Yelu Ye's sudden proclamation. It took him a moment to recover before he smiled, "Is what the Northern Rong prince said true?"
Yelu Ye replied with an expression of utter sincerity, "Naturally it is true. This humble prince came here personally by royal decree to welcome the Chu princess; surely that is enough to demonstrate our sincerity?"
A flash of calculation crossed Mo Jingqi's eyes. Turning his gaze toward Ye Li, who was sitting to the side whispering with Mo Xiuyao, he said, "Princess Consort of Ding, this matter was originally placed in your charge. Do you already have suitable candidates in mind for the alliance?"
Inwardly, Ye Li cursed Mo Jingqi for being a cunning fox. She had clearly submitted the list of candidates that very morning—what was the meaning of Mo Jingqi acting completely oblivious now? Standing up, Ye Li replied respectfully, "Reporting to Your Majesty, we do indeed have several candidates. Before entering the palace, I already had someone submit a memorial to Your Majesty; presumably, Your Majesty has simply been too swamped with state affairs to review it yet." Yelu Ye looked at Ye Li with a smile, raising an eyebrow as he said, "Since the candidates haven't been finalized yet, this humble prince dares to ask if he might participate in the selection." Didn't you people claim this prince wanted to personally choose the alliance princess? Well then, this prince will pick one out for you to see. However... the person in charge of this is the Princess Consort of Ding. What a pleasant surprise this turns out to be... Yelu Ye thought, happily plotting as he gazed at the woman opposite him.
"Reporting to Your Majesty, the Northern Rong prince is, after all, a foreign man. Doing this would impair the pristine reputations of our Great Chu maidens," stood up an official whose own daughter happened to be among the candidates. Leaving aside whether she'd get chosen, if she were selected and sent off to Northern Rong as Crown Princess, she might never be seen again for the rest of her life; and if she wasn't chosen, his daughter's reputation would be completely ruined, destroying her prospects of ever marrying well.
"A nation's Crown Princess is a matter of grave importance after all. It is only natural for the Northern Rong prince to care; we just need to exercise a bit of caution," Noble Consort Liu, who had remained seated silently all this while, suddenly spoke up.
The Empress could not help frowning as she cast a sidelong glance at Noble Consort Liu. On an occasion like this, for a mere noble consort to pipe up uninvited when the Empress hadn't even spoken—no matter how favored she was—was a clear breach of protocol. Mo Jingqi cast a somewhat surprised look toward Noble Consort Liu. Her expression remained as cold and aloof as ever as she sat upright beside Mo Jingqi, acting as though she had said nothing at all. Gazing at his beloved consort, Mo Jingqi thoughtfully raised an eyebrow with a smile. "Since my beloved consort says so, let it be as the Northern Rong prince requested."
Yelu Ye bowed with a smile. "Many thanks, Your Majesty."
Mo Jingqi smiled. "It is all for the sake of bilateral relations between our two nations; the Northern Rong prince need not stand on ceremony."