Chapter 61: Banquet

Evening.

When Chu Ming arrived at the Linjing Palace, he happened to run into two magnificently dressed, dignified and majestic imperial concubines, who were also heading toward the Linjing Palace accompanied by numerous court ladies in palace skirts. Upon seeing him, the two imperial consorts halted their steps.

Chu Ming cupped his hands and bowed to them from a distance before entering the Linjing Palace.

The person accompanying him was puzzled and asked, "Those two are merely concubines of the Shun Dynasty. What is your status now? Why bother bowing to them!"

Chu Ming, however, shook his shake his head and replied, "They are concubines of the Shun Dynasty, but they are also concubines of the Prince of Qian. How can I not show respect? Besides, the Prince will be hosting a banquet for us shortly, and their arrival now surely means they will attend the banquet with the Prince later to pour wine for him."

Hearing this, his companion suddenly understood and immediately regretted not showing them proper respect.

"Announce Chu Ming's audience!"

After waiting inside for a while, Chu Ming was finally summoned by a eunuch.

Although the Prince of Qian had not yet ascended the throne, all protocol had already been arranged according to that of an emperor. Chu Ming adjusted his attire in front of a mirror before going in to pay his respects.

Empress Zhang and Jia Yuanchun had also entered the Linjing Palace, waiting in a small side room.

Back in the inner court of the Shun Dynasty, their relationship had been merely ordinary. Staying in the same room now, they had little to say. They simply exchanged a few casual words before reading books and waiting for the summons from the Prince of Qian.

This wait lasted a full hour. The bright moon hung high in the sky, and they had no idea how many groups of people had come and gone in the Linjing Palace. They could only hear the Prince of Qian, seated within the main hall, laughing or scolding, handling state affairs with unconventional freedom.

After yet another group of people left, Xia Shouzhong finally came to summon them, his face wreathed in smiles as he said, "Your Ladyships, His Highness summons you."

Jia Yuanchun and Empress Zhang exchanged a glance, put down their books, and also adjusted their appearances in front of the mirror before stepping out.

Upon entering the main hall, they saw the tall figure leaning leisurely in a chair and drinking tea.

Empress Zhang wore a blank expression, her inner thoughts unreadable, while Jia Yuanchun, recalling how the Prince of Qian had stroked her cheek just yesterday, felt a sudden heat rise to her face as she lowered her head and stepped forward lightly.

"You're here?"

Chu Yan looked at the two dignified and beautiful concubines and chuckled. "Have you kept you waiting long? I was just discussing with them the matter of rewarding the three armies tomorrow. The silver is not enough, so we need to think of a way to gather some more in the city. Rewards are still best distributed in silver!"

Jia Yuanchun glanced at the cold Empress Zhang, then turned to Chu Yan and said gently, "The Prince labors for affairs of state; it is only right for us concubines to wait."

Empress Zhang remained as cold as ever.

Chu Yan stood up, walking over to her with a wide smile. Dressed in a round-collared robe and standing nearly eight feet tall, he towered a head above Empress Zhang—who wore the bright yellow phoenix robe—almost overwhelming her with his presence.

Empress Zhang still did not utter a sound, turning her head away as a look of bashful anger gradually surfaced on her face.

Jia Yuanchun, standing to the side, also kept her head lowered.

Chu Yan smiled and said, "Do you feel that I am humiliating you again tonight?"

He had ordered the two of them to pour wine tonight, revealing their true faces to a crowd of newly established dynasty's nobles. This was vastly different from the custom of Shun Dynasty women never stepping outside their chambers, and in their eyes, it was a profound humiliation.

Empress Zhang spoke up, "The Prince used a mighty army to conquer the realm, forced the Emperor of Shun to step down from the imperial dais, and made the nine-fold palace gates bear the surname Chu. Why should I, a mere woman, be spared?"

Chu Yan replied, "That is true. However, I have always respected people of integrity."

Extending a finger toward the hall doors, he said, "If you walk out today, I will send you out of the palace and allow you to spend your days accompanied by the dim oil lamps and ancient Buddha in a temple!"

Jia Yuanchun did not dare to speak, lowering her head as she wondered whether she should persuade her.

Empress Zhang slowly raised her head, her clear eyes fixing upon him. "I am already a bird in the Prince's cage, a fish in his net. Where is there to escape?"

Chu Yan laughed heartily, abandoning the banter. Reaching out, he grabbed each of them by the hand and led the two dignified beauties out of the hall doors before finally releasing his grip.

"Let the Empress and the Virtuous Imperial Consort board their sedans!"

Xia Shouzhong and other eunuchs had been waiting for a long time. They brought over the Empress's bright yellow satin-curtained phoenix sedan adorned with golden phoenixes and pearls, and the Virtuous Imperial Consort's golden-topped, yellow-embroidered phoenix sedan.

However, the Emperor's imperial carriage was nowhere to be seen.

Jia Yuanchun looked over and saw him leap onto the back of a fine steed. Mounted on the horse, he appeared even taller and more majestic.

Inside the phoenix sedan, Empress Zhang lifted the curtain and glanced at him as well.

The procession passed through the Qianqing Gate, crossed the Rear Left Gate, and arrived before the Chonghua Hall.

"Your subjects pay homage to the Prince!"

The voices of many people rang out from outside the curtains. Empress Zhang lifted the curtain again to look, seeing that under the moonlight, around a hundred rebel generals were kneeling together before the Prince of Qian. Hundreds of eunuchs and court ladies serving tonight were also kneeling together to welcome the arrival of the Prince of Qian.

And this Prince of Qian... sat astride his tall horse, accepting their kneeling kowtows.

"Rise."

Chu Yan reined in his horse, looked up at the bright moon hanging high in the sky, and smiled at them. "Tonight's moonlight is just right. There is no need to go into the hall. How about all of you drink and converse freely with me under the moonlight?"

Inside her sedan, Jia Yuanchun also looked up at the moon, seeing it shining like silver in the vast, high sky with scattered clouds—truly a fine night for appreciating the moon.

Li Changjin smiled and said, "The Prince is in such high spirits! We are naturally more than willing to accompany the Prince in viewing the moon!"

"Good, we shall drink right outside the hall!"

"You eunuchs, quickly bring out the wine and food!"

The generals shouted their approval one after another. A hundred or so eunuchs and court ladies hurriedly entered the Chonghua Hall, carrying out tables and chairs to set up a banquet anew outside the hall.

After Chu Yan took his seat, the others sat down one by one. Empress Zhang and Jia Yuanchun accompanied him on his left and right, while other young court ladies served beside the generals, pouring wine for them.

Beside Chu Yan, Lady Zhang, the former Empress of the Shun Dynasty, picked up the wine flagon with slender, delicate hands, lowering her gaze as she poured a cup of wine for him before gently setting it down.

She swept her eyes around the gathering and noticed that none of these rebel generals seemed curious about the presence of herself and the Imperial Consort; they treated it as a matter of course, knowing full well that the Prince of Qian would summon women to accompany him during feasts.

No wonder.

"Come!"

Chu Yan raised his wine cup toward them.

Chu Ming, Li Changjin, Xu Zhiyi, Ma Ji, Su Dingbian, Wu Xin'an, and nearly a hundred other generals and civil officials all raised their cups.

Chu Yan smiled and said, "This first cup of wine is to celebrate our conquest of the realm and the founding of a new dynasty!"

His voice was clear and resonant. Not only did the hundred-odd generals hear it distinctly, but even the hundreds of eunuchs and court ladies serving nearby heard every word clearly.

Empress Zhang and Jia Yuanchun, accompanying him on either side, both cast surprised glances at him.

"To the Prince!"

The assembly raised their cups in salute to Chu Yan, then drained the wine in one go. After finishing, they could not help but laugh out loud.

The vast rivers and mountains had already been conquered by them; what troubles remained at this moment? They might as well indulge themselves to the fullest and drink heartily!

Jia Yuanchun also extended her soft jade hand to pour the second cup of wine for Chu Yan.

Dishes were brought out one after another, their rich aromas spreading and making the mouths of those who had waited so long water.

Chu Yan said, "A banquet is incomplete without music. Bring out the drums and instruments!"

Arrangements had already been made in advance. Large drums, bronze cymbals, jie-drums, and other military instruments were carried over and placed around the perimeter.

Looking at the subordinates and friends who had conquered the realm with him, with beauties accompanying his sides, and knowing that the Rongguo Mansion held many more beauties familiar to him from his past life waiting for him to meet, Chu Yan felt his spirits soar. He smiled at Chu Ming in the seat of honor on his left and said, "Play the *Song of Breaking the Array*, and fetch my sword for me. Tonight, to celebrate the army's breakthrough of the capital, I shall perform a sword dance for the generals!"

The crowd was struck with dismay, and Empress Zhang and Jia Yuanchun also looked at him in disbelief.

Chu Ming hurriedly persuaded, "Your Highness, you are now the master of all under heaven; how can you still be as unrestrained as before? Why don't Changjin and I perform the sword dance in your stead!"

Li Changjin immediately stood up and smiled, "I learned a sword dance from the Prince back in the day, and I shall step forward to perform it for everyone to watch!"

Seeing that everyone was stopping him, Chu Yan had no choice but to let the matter drop.

Official banquets of the Shun Dynasty did not feature singing and dancing, viewing such things as decadent music and habits.

But Chu Yan cared nothing for such conventions.

He still remembered his first battle of life and death: to boost morale on the eve of the battle, he had recalled the drum music from his past life and some stage sword dance performances he had watched. Modeling it after Li Shimin's *Music of the Prince of Qin Breaking the Array*, he had created the *Song of Breaking the Array* and played it personally to demonstrate that there would be no retreat in tomorrow's fight to the death.

Ever since then, many soldiers in the army had learned it from him, mastering the sword dance and melody he created.

Under the gaze of everyone, Chu Ming and Li Changjin—one a civil official, the other a military man—stood in the center holding swords.

The stirring drum music gradually rose, and the two danced with their swords. Chu Yan and the generals joined in chanting along with them, their heroic and powerful voices filled with a stern, martial aura that resounded throughout the Shun palace.

The court ladies and eunuchs stood at attention all around, their gazes firmly captivated by this scene.

When had the Shun palace ever witnessed such uninhibited disregard for protocol, with a ruler and his subjects drinking and singing merrily together?

Empress Zhang sat on Chu Yan's left, watching quietly before turning her head to look far away in the direction of the Wangjiang Tower to the west.

"He is truly such a heroic figure... Your Majesty, you did not lose unjustly."