Free Web NovelChapter 53: Chapter 53: Encounter During the Street Parade, Drunk at the Lu Ming Banquet
In the Golden Throne Hall.
As the morning court session began, the herald announced the names.
The top three candidates of the palace examination, personally selected by the Emperor the day before, entered the hall under the watchful eyes of the assembled officials.
"Your subjects greet Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty, for ten thousand years!"
Emperor Wu Su’s gaze was heavy as he looked at the men kneeling in the hall.
Kneeling at the very front was the top scholar he had personally chosen yesterday.
Grand Tutor Qiao had not been mistaken. In terms of talent and ambition, Li Chengxun far surpassed his peers. The essays he wrote were magnificent and grand, and he was able to critically address the current ills of society.
’Since he has ambition and real ability, if he wants a high position, what’s the harm in giving it to him?’
’A tree that stands taller than the forest will be destroyed by the wind.’
’I just wonder how long he can last in the treacherous, ever-shifting world of the imperial court.’
"You may rise."
Upon hearing the command, Li Chengxun bowed and stepped to the side.
Seated high on his throne, Emperor Wu Su said, "A top scholar stands as a pillar of the nation, his presence embodying a million autumns. Do you understand the expectations I have for you?"
Li Chengxun stepped forward once more, prostrating himself and saying gratefully, "Your subject will certainly not disappoint Your Majesty."
After expressing his gratitude for the Emperor’s grace, the newly appointed top scholar began his ceremonial parade through the streets on horseback.
Li Chengxun wore a black gauze hat adorned with golden flowers and a bright red robe. He rode a red-maned horse with a golden saddle. Flag bearers and drummers cleared the way, surrounded by a large entourage, making for a grand spectacle.
The common people all came out to watch, eager to catch a glimpse of the new top scholar’s magnificent bearing.
"This top scholar is so handsome! I’ve never seen such a good-looking young man."
"Oh, don’t even think about it. This top scholar is about to become Princess Qingyun’s Prince Consort."
"If you ask me, the Emperor truly dotes on the Princess, to have chosen such a fine husband for her..."
Because the top scholar was so strikingly handsome, even knowing he was to become the Prince Consort, many young women were bold enough to throw fruit, filling his carriage.
The parade procession was here, and the road was packed so tightly with people that not even a drop of water could get through.
Two carriages had no choice but to pull over and stop, waiting for the crowd to pass.
They were the carriages of the Ji Mansion.
Old Madam Ji and her two daughters-in-law sat in the larger carriage at the front, followed by a smaller one for the young ladies of the family.
Ji Qingyuan lifted the curtain of the carriage window and glanced a few times at the man in the center of the crowd. freёwebnovel.com
She then turned her gaze to Ji Qingwu, who was resting across from her with her eyes closed.
Word always gets out.
She, too, had heard the rumors about her Fifth Sister and this top scholar. Such a talented and handsome potential husband had been snatched away by Princess Qingyun just like that.
She couldn’t stand seeing her Fifth Sister being more outstanding than her, and now that she heard she’d been abandoned, a sense of superiority welled up from the bottom of her heart, though it was mixed with a hint of sympathy and pity.
Today’s palace banquet was a grand affair—the Lu Ming Banquet, no less. The two of them were bound to see each other there.
Mrs. Qiao had spared no effort on Ji Qingwu’s makeup and attire. Even if you lose the man, you can’t lose face.
At this moment, Ji Qingwu was wearing a light turquoise, wide-sleeved, open-front blouse with a low neckline, tucked into a floor-length, balsam-flower-colored skirt.
Her hair was styled in an elegant double-looped chignon, adorned with a pearl hairpin featuring a three-winged oriole. A water-lily-shaped floral appliqué in a shade of mottled crimson was placed upon her forehead.
The blouse’s wide neckline revealed skin even more lustrous than the pearls in her hair.
’But even if she’s dressed to be breathtakingly beautiful, what’s the use? Who is it for?’
Ji Qingyuan pointed outside and said, "This new top scholar is indeed handsome, wouldn’t you say, Fifth Sister?"
Ji Qingwu, who had been feigning sleep with her eyes closed, would be lying if she said she wasn’t annoyed.
’What was it he said back then? That once he became the top scholar, he would marry her in a grand ceremony.’
’Now here he was, riding a tall horse with a large red silk flower pinned to his chest, making a glorious entrance into his official career. But the person he was going to marry was not her.’
Seeing that Ji Qingwu had no intention of responding, Ji Qingyuan dropped the curtain.
She continued, talking to herself, "If you ask me, no matter how handsome this top scholar is, he still can’t compare to *that* man."
It was rare to find a woman not captivated by Li Chengxun’s face. Ji Qingwu’s eyelashes fluttered slightly.
’There’s someone even more handsome?’
Ji Qingyuan had seen grander spectacles, and she began to reminisce.
She said smugly, "Back when the Emperor was still General Dingbei, after he returned to the capital upon quelling the Dongque rebellion, all the women in the city wanted to see the great hero. The scene was out of control. Countless flowers and fruits were thrown, and some even threw..."
She suddenly stopped, a hint of shyness on her face.
Ji Qingwu stopped pretending to be asleep.
Hearing her stop halfway through the story, she opened her eyes and asked curiously.
"Fourth Sister, what else did they throw?"
Ji Qingyuan covered her mouth and whispered, "Bodice-covers."
Ji Qingwu pictured the scene...
The valiant Great General, astride his warhorse, his silver armor as cold as frost.
And yet, hanging from it was a young woman’s brightly colored bodice-cover.
Comparing that image with the current stern-faced King, Ji Qingwu pressed her lips together, trying hard not to laugh out loud.
The gloom in her heart instantly dissipated quite a bit.
What should have been a journey of over half an hour ended up taking an extra hour due to all the stops and starts.
This banquet was a large-scale event, specially set up in the southern corner of the Imperial Garden.
The musicians were already prepared. As the guests arrived one after another, the sounds of mouth organs, reeds, and all manner of string and bamboo instruments filled the air endlessly.
The Ji Family was the Empress Dowager’s maternal family, so apart from the Imperial Family and their clan, their seats were the closest to the front. The men and women were seated separately at the banquet, with a twenty-foot-wide aisle between them.
This location was near the Lotus Pond, and the fresh fragrance of the flowers was carried over by the breeze.
On her way here, Ji Qingwu had seen the pond full of lotuses from a distance, their green leaves stretching to meet the sun—a truly beautiful sight. The ones in the palace were more meticulously cared for, the varieties were better, and the seed pods grew even larger than those outside.
’I suddenly have a craving for some fragrant lotus seeds.’
Ji Qingwu stared into the distance in a daze, not even noticing when the Empress Dowager and Princess Qingyun had taken their seats.
It wasn’t until a commotion rippled through the guests and murmurs arose that she was brought back to the present.
She looked over and saw Li Chengxun appear at the entrance, dressed in a red robe with a jade belt at his waist.
His face was beaming with success and pride, an expression he couldn’t hide even if he tried.
Through the crowd thronging around him, Li Chengxun’s gaze fell instantly upon the woman seated at the far right of the front row.
Ji Qingwu did not immediately look away.
Suddenly recalling what Ji Qingyuan had said, she lowered her head, lightly raising a delicate hand to hide the smile playing on her lips.
The balsam-flower-colored skirt complemented her gentle and enchanting features.
What truly struck the heart was the shy grace of that lowered gaze...
For a moment, Li Chengxun was lost in a daze.
Only after everyone was seated did Emperor Wu Su arrive at the banquet.
Today, because he was hosting his ministers and guests, Emperor Wu Su was not wearing his golden crown.
Instead, he wore a black gauze hat with a bamboo frame and gold-thread embroidery, a plain gauze robe with large sleeves and a black cross-collar, and a narrow, crimson silk belt from which hung a nine-cauldron jade pendant. The attire made him appear even more noble and handsome.
At the Lu Ming Banquet, the most meticulously prepared dish was venison. It was not just a dish, but also a symbol of the Emperor’s immense grace and his high regard for talented individuals.
Ji Qingwu’s mood was average, but her appetite was not.
And since there was venison, wine was an essential accompaniment.
The venison was delicate, tender, and juicy. She ate it in small bites, and before she knew it, she had also finished a small cup of wine.
In contrast, Ji Qingyuan, beside her, had barely touched her chopsticks, nor had she touched her wine.
Ji Qingwu leaned over, her eyes fixed on the wine and venison on the table before her sister, and called out softly, "Fourth Sister."
Seeing her fixed gaze, Ji Qingyuan assumed she was hiding her sorrow and wanted to drown her sorrows in wine, so she pushed the plate and wine cup over to her.
Ji Qingwu poured a cup. The clear liquid carried a sweet, mellow aroma.
She parted her lips, about to drink.
But unexpectedly, several figures suddenly appeared before her.
