TJAIP Chapter 19

“Does Lady Zhao still like the water lilies?” the Emperor asked upon seeing Gao Dezhong return.

“Your Majesty, Lady Zhao is very fond of the water lilies. She had the eunuch from the Taoyu Pavilion move them inside immediately,” Gao Dezhong answered honestly.

“Hmm,” Feng Jin nodded upon hearing this and waved for Gao Dezhong to retreat.

At the Empress’s banquet held at the Jingyang Palace for Shuguifei’s birthday, Zhuang Luoyan arrived at just the right moment, neither too early nor too late. She was not too noticeable among the other consorts and, after sitting next to a few women of similar rank, she started chatting with the consorts at her table.

“Lady Zhao looks especially well today,” Consort Jiang smiled as she spoke.

“You too, sister,” Zhuang Luoyan replied with a smile. Although she wasn’t sure whether Consort Jiang’s compliment was just polite or if there was another intention behind it, she didn’t want to speculate too much.

Yàn Guìfēi, seated at the head of the table, overheard their conversation and turned to look at Zhuang Luoyan, smiling as she said, “Lady Zhao truly does look well. Could it be that her birthday is approaching, and that’s why she’s in such good spirits?”

As expected, such seemingly pleasant remarks often hid sharp needles. Zhuang Luoyan found it hard to respond. She smiled at Yàn Guìfēi and said, “Today is such a lively occasion for Shuguifei’s birthday, and I’m quite shallow—I simply enjoyed the festivities and became a little happier. I probably gave you quite a laugh, sister.”

Yàn Guìfēi laughed, though the smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. “For Shuguifei’s birthday, we are all happy, of course.” With that, she turned her attention away, signaling she no longer wished to speak with Zhuang Luoyan. On the other side, Consort Jiang and Consort Wang exchanged a look but chose to ignore the subtle tension between the two women.

“The Empress has arrived.”

Zhuang Luoyan stood up, noticing the Empress in her phoenix robe entering. The golden edges of the robe shimmered in the candlelight. As the consorts paid their respects, Zhuang Luoyan followed and watched as the Empress adjusted Shuguifei’s seat to be closer to hers. Zhuang Luoyan lowered her gaze to the ground.

“Today is Shuguifei’s birthday. We are sisters, so there’s no need to be too formal. Let’s just enjoy ourselves,” the Empress said, supporting Shuguifei as she took a seat. After all the consorts sat, the Empress subtly signaled to He Yu, who understood and waved for the musicians waiting outside to come in and perform.

The first dance was dedicated to the Goddess Ma Gu, with the dancer’s body flowing gracefully, her movements delicate and captivating. Zhuang Luoyan, who had no talent for dance herself, enjoyed the performance deeply.

“This dance is indeed quite good, auspicious, and graceful,” the Empress remarked after the performance. “He Yu, reward the dancer!”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” the woman portraying Ma Gu bowed deeply in gratitude.

Seeing that the Empress had given a reward, the other consorts followed suit, offering their gifts. Zhuang Luoyan, too, was in a good mood and decided to join in with a small reward. She noticed the dancer appeared to be only about fifteen or sixteen years old, and she couldn’t help but feel that Shuguifei’s smile seemed somewhat stiff.

After enjoying some longan, its sweet flavor lifted Zhuang Luoyan’s spirits. After Ma Gu’s performance, the next group of dancers, holding pipa instruments, took the stage.

“Shuguifei’s pipa dance was renowned in the palace back in the day. These dancers may not be as good as her, but they should still be worth watching,” the Empress said before clapping her hands to signal the dancers to begin.

The pipa dancers were exceptional, their performance was so enchanting it almost made Zhuang Luoyan feel as though they were soaring through the air. She couldn’t help but wonder how beautiful Shuguifei’s dance must have been when she performed it.

As the pipa music played, Zhuang Luoyan was enjoying herself when suddenly, a sharp voice from outside pierced through the atmosphere.

“The Emperor has arrived!”

The music ceased, the dancing stopped, and the consorts ceased their polite exchanges. Even the Empress stood to greet him.

Feng Jin entered the Empress’s hall, his gaze sweeping over the array of beautiful women in the room. He smiled faintly, “You need not be too formal, my consorts.”

After helping the Empress sit, he took his place at the head of the table. The consorts, no longer as relaxed as before, sat back down, but this time, with a much more reserved air.

Zhuang Luoyan, quietly eating longan, didn’t try to draw attention to herself. She sat demurely, ensuring she wasn’t the center of attention.

“Today is Shuguifei’s birthday, and I thought I’d come to take a look,” Feng Jin smiled at Shuguifei, then handed out a large number of rewards.

The other consorts, both envious and resentful, smiled and exchanged well-wishes. They could only pretend to be content, though what they truly felt remained their secret.

The Empress brought a wine cup to Feng Jin. He took a sip, then looked at the dancers still standing silently by the side. “Why don’t you continue as you were before?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” the dancers bowed and began once again. Feng Jin watched for a while before putting down his cup and commenting, “This dance is still not as good as Shuguifei’s.”

The Empress chuckled and replied, “Shuguifei’s dancing was indeed unique. For these young girls to dance with even a fraction of her grace, they must have worked hard.”

“Hmm,” Feng Jin nodded. “If we’re talking about dancing, Shuguifei is the best, and Yàn Guìfēi is second.” He then rewarded Shuguifei with another cup of wine but did not extend the same to Yàn Guìfēi.

Zhuang Luoyan watched as Shuguifei hesitantly drank the wine, her face slightly flushed. She couldn’t help but feel that the Emperor’s wine, when offered as a reward, must be drunk even by those who didn’t drink, simply because of its significance.

After listening to more music, Feng Jin’s gaze swept across the consorts, landing on Zhuang Luoyan. She was quietly eating longan, her expression relaxed and carefree, which gave off a feeling of tranquility. He couldn’t help but look at her a little longer.

Having finished most of her longan, Zhuang Luoyan wiped her hands with a handkerchief and focused on the music. Although she didn’t fully understand the meaning behind the ancient melodies, she still appreciated the beauty of the voices.

“This longan is quite good,” Feng Jin said, breaking a piece off and popping it into his mouth. He turned to the Empress and said, “Let each of us have another plate of longan.”

The Empress nodded in agreement, and soon, each consort had another serving of longan.

Zhuang Luoyan smiled as she continued to peel the longan and listen to the music. She glanced at the Emperor and, seeing no one paying attention to her, reverted to the techniques she had used in past banquets. She ate slowly, but when the moment came, she was quick to finish.

Having drunk a few more cups of wine, Shuguifei, her face slightly flushed and her eyes dreamy, watched the musicians perform. She thought back to when she had amazed the Emperor with her pipa dance. Now, with so many new women entering the palace, she couldn’t help but wonder if the Emperor had forgotten her over time.

After the banquet, Feng Jin helped the slightly tipsy Shuguifei to leave, and the other consorts quietly bade their farewells.

The Empress sat in the phoenix seat, looking around at the empty room. Her eyes fell on the plate of longan the Emperor had mentioned. It hadn’t been touched much.

“I’m tired. Let’s go,” the Empress said calmly, standing up and leaving after giving one last glance at the plate of longan.

“Your Majesty, the Emperor has sent you some fragrant pears. He says they will help cool you down,” Ting Zhu said, entering with a food box containing four fragrant pears.

Zhuang Luoyan was momentarily surprised, then understood. In the hot weather, eating pears would indeed help cool her down.

Seeing her mistress pleased, Yun Xi began peeling one of the pears. As she did, she thought to herself that after eating so many longan, Zhuang Luoyan’s body might be prone to heat, so eating a pear would be a good remedy.