TFSRITA Chapter 48

Whoosh—everyone who had been kneeling stood up.

Chancellor Yan raised his wine cup high and proclaimed, “Your Majesty, I offer a toast to you. On this Mid-Autumn Festival, I wish our Great Qian to flourish like a sea of blooming flowers.”

Jiang Wende carefully handed over a freshly filled cup of wine.

Ji Yecheng accepted it, raised the cup indifferently, and downed it in one go.

Chancellor Yan did the same, though he maintained a scholar’s reserve, covering his mouth with his sleeve as he drank. Yet, the irony in his eyes was unmistakable.

Back when the emperor had just ascended the throne, his methods were excessively brutal. At that time, many officials had knelt in protest, but Ji Yecheng had truly ordered them to be held down, forcing them to kneel until the next morning. The imperial physicians were on standby, but most of the protesters were scholars, weak in the constitution, and unused to such punishment. One by one, they fell ill—some with lingering conditions, others bedridden for a time.

Since then, no one dared to openly oppose Ji Yecheng. After all, if their lives were at stake, no amount of lost personal interests would matter.

Everyone soon became obedient.

So, this time, when Ji Yecheng spoke, those who had almost forgotten their lesson stood up without hesitation.

The young ladies of noble households, who didn’t fully understand the situation, were dumbfounded, their fear of the emperor deepening once more.

Because Ji Yecheng seemed to be in a foul mood, the banquet paused briefly. However, under Chancellor Yan’s lead, the atmosphere quickly revived. Some officials offered him toasts to make amends, while others, knowing they had lost the emperor’s favor, started chatting with one another.

At this time, even the families of concubines would come forward to offer wine.

Other than the imperial consorts, concubines of lesser rank, like the Zhaoyi, were present as well, but they sat in the back, nearly invisible.

However, once the gathering became lively again, few remained in their seats. Most began mingling, and chatting with one another, and even the concubines stood up to find their families.

Yan Qing, following a subtle signal from Chancellor Yan, rose and made her way to a small pavilion used for resting.

Chancellor Yan followed close behind. Once they were away from the noise, his eyes reddened. “Dear, is everything alright in the harem? Why have you grown so thin?”

“Father…” Yan Qing cautiously called out.

Her throat still hurt a little, and her voice sounded rough like sandpaper scraping against wood.

Chancellor Yan was alarmed. “What happened? Zhu Yin, explain!”

Zhu Yin, already warned by Yan Qing, didn’t tell the whole truth. She gently reassured him, “Miss was sick some time ago, and her throat hasn’t fully recovered. She also lost her appetite after the illness, which is why she’s thinner now.”

But in truth, her throat had been injured, making it difficult for her to eat properly. She had been constantly ill, which was why she had lost weight so quickly.

Chancellor Yan listened to this simple explanation, but something still felt off. Unable to pinpoint the problem, he could only look at his daughter with pained eyes. His large hand gently reached out, stroking her head as he softly said, “It’s my fault for not being more capable. I’ve let you suffer. You’re already an imperial consort; I’ll work harder to make sure you become empress. Once you adopt a child in the future, don’t worry about anything. No one will dare mistreat you. If they do, just tell me…”

Yan Qing couldn’t speak much, nor did she want to. The sound of her rough voice reminded her of the agony of Ji Yecheng choking her, pulling her closer and closer to the abyss.

Her eyes welled up, her nose and the corners of her eyes stinging. Tears made her eyes shimmer, and she smiled sweetly as she nodded obediently.

Her father was kind, so kind to her.

Wrapped in his care, Yan Qing felt warmth fill her heart. But this sense of comfort wasn’t just hers; it came from deep within this body—an instinctive mixture of gratitude and guilt.

Chancellor Yan sighed as he gazed at his gentle daughter. He asked Zhu Yin more questions about her time in the palace, and only after receiving satisfactory answers did he let her return.

“Don’t think too much. Always look ahead,” Chancellor Yan said as he left, hands behind his back.

Yan Qing nodded, standing there for a moment in the cold breeze before rejoining the lively scene.

In the imperial garden, lanterns burned brightly, with candles lit one after another.

Suddenly, Yan Yin approached with a cup of wine in hand, her face blushing with a shy smile. After a simple bow, she made her way toward Yan Qing.

Concubine Xian remarked in surprise, “The daughters of the Yan family are all so beautiful.”

Concubine De, feeling sour, muttered, “Too bad she’s already been cast aside.”

Concubine Xian just smiled without responding.

Yan Yin heard them but inwardly sneered. Not everyone wanted to be an imperial consort, and Emperor Ji couldn’t give her what she desired.

She glanced at the two concubines, pretending to be bashful. “Your praise is too generous, Your Highness.”

Then she turned to Yan Qing. “Sister, a toast to you from your little sister.”

With that, she handed one of the two wine cups she was carrying to Yan Qing.

This cup had originally been intended for her by Miss Chang and Miss Li, who now looked on, pale-faced, glaring at each other in mutual blame.

Even a fool could see that if anything happened to the imperial consort, they would both be in deep trouble.

Yan Qing had just returned and hadn’t seen what had happened earlier. Yan Yin, smiling softly, looked the same as always—gentle and sincere.

But Yan Qing didn’t accept the cup.

She simply stared at her.

Under that piercing gaze, Yan Yin’s fingers clenched tighter around the wine cup, and her smile grew a bit strained. “What’s wrong?”

Yan Qing glanced at Zhu Yin and pointed to the cup.

Understanding, Zhu Yin became alert. She took the cup and inspected it. At first, she thought to herself that the second daughter of the Yan family surely wouldn’t be bold enough to do something reckless.

However, when her nose caught a scent unlike that of wine, she immediately stepped forward, raised her voice, and declared, “Your Majesty, this cup has been tampered with.”