Chapter 62: The Twelve Beauties—Jia Yuanchun

After the military dance and music concluded, Chu Yan summoned the court dancers from the inner palace of the former Shun Dynasty to perform for his subordinate generals.

While enjoying the dance, they partook in food and wine.

"You should drink as well; there is no need to simply sit and watch," Chu Yan said to Jia Yuanchun and Empress Zhang, who were seated on either side of him.

Undoubtedly, this was the first time either of them had attended such a banquet. Ordinarily, they did not even meet with government ministers; at most, on New Year's Day or the Thousand Autumn Festival—which was the Empress's birthday—she would host a banquet for the noble ladies of the capital.

"Thank you, Your Highness," Jia Yuanchun said softly to express her gratitude. Only then did she raise the wine pitcher to pour a cup for herself, pick up her chopsticks, and taste the dishes before her.

Every now and then, the noble lords of the new dynasty cast glances in her direction, yet she felt neither flustered nor ashamed, for seated beside her was the Prince of Qian, who was soon to ascend the throne.

Majestic and domineering though he was, he did not subject her to the harsh demands of the former Shun emperors. Because of his presence, many of the rigid old rules of the palace had been broken. She no longer needed to strictly observe those tedious rituals; her only concern now was how to properly serve His Highness.

Just as now, the Prince of Qian had commanded her to share in the drinking, not to humiliate her, but out of genuine consideration for both her and Empress Zhang. Even when the Empress uttered those daring words back in the Linjing Hall, he had not grown angry.

True to his word, he did not hold grudges or punish others for their speech.

When the singing and dancing ended, the performers withdrew.

Chu Yan looked around the assembly and said, "Tonight was originally meant to be a celebratory feast, and I ought not to utter dampening words, yet before I ascend the throne and claim the imperial title, I truly wish to speak from the bottom of my heart to all of you."

The civil officials and military generals all set down their cups and looked over, waiting for the Prince to speak.

Chu Yan continued, "The camaraderie of the past need not be mentioned anew. We are good brothers who have been through life and death together. We raised the banner of rebellion, wandered through Lingnan, crossed the great rivers, captured Jinling, and launched the Northern Expedition to take the capital. Every hard-fought battle relied on our concerted efforts, and only thus have we reached this day!"

Lifting his wine cup, Chu Yan toasted them and went on, "Yet, in two days, I shall ascend the throne as Emperor, and you shall be enfeoffed as marquises and appointed as chancellors. From this moment on, a monarch is a monarch, and subjects are subjects. You shall hold noble titles and live in splendid luxury, while I shall possess the realm and become the Son of Heaven!"

"This is your first time being enfeoffed as marquises and chancellors, and it is also my first time being an Emperor!"

The company laughed, and the atmosphere eased somewhat.

Chu Yan chuckled as well. "Whenever a new dynasty is founded, it never escapes a few certain things." He glanced around at them and said, "The first of these is the execution of meritorious ministers!"

A chill swept through the air. The atmosphere before the Chonghua Hall grew solemn and tense, every face tightening.

Empress Zhang glanced at him, thinking to herself that this truly was "speaking from the bottom of his heart"!

Jia Yuanchun gently poured wine for him, lifting her gaze to look at this man who had conquered the realm and yet dared to speak of executing meritorious subjects right in front of his numerous subordinates.

Chu Yan said, "During the Western Han dynasty, Fan Kuai once saved Emperor Gaozu, yet years later, on the eve of his death, Gaozu sought to execute Fan Kuai. Prime Minister Xiao He chased Han Xin by moonlight, only for Han Xin to be ambushed and killed years later by Empress Lü and Xiao He and others. Even Xiao He, who had raised troops alongside Gaozu in Peixian, had to deliberately stain his own reputation just to preserve his life. Did they not share camaraderie with Gaozu?"

Chu Ming, Li Changjin, Xu Zhiyi, and the others all remained silent.

Chu Yan continued, "When Li Shimin launched the Xuanwu Gate Incident with the support of Zhangsun Wuji and others, Hou Junji was among those five key contributors. Li Shimin appointed him as General of the Right Guards, enfeoffed him as a Duke, and inscribed his name in the Lingyan Pavilion—his fame and wealth reached the absolute pinnacle for a subject. Yet Hou Junji was eventually executed for conspiring with the Crown Prince in rebellion."

"As for the Ming Dynasty, it goes without saying; the meritorious ministers who died could fill a basket."

"Every meritorious subject in every dynasty met a different end; to speak of them in detail would take days and nights."

Chu Yan smiled. "Yet to my mind, it boils down to just three reasons: first, merits that overshadow the sovereign; second, mutual suspicion between monarch and subjects; and third, Sima Yi!"

"Sima Yi?!"

The civil and military officials looked at the Prince in bewilderment.

Chu Yan pursued, "I do not fear merits that overshadow the sovereign. The rebellious insurgent army was trained by me, and in several major battles, I led the charge personally. In terms of greatness of merit, I am number one! Even if you were to lead troops into battle again in the future, your achievements could never surpass mine."

Chu Ming smiled and said, "Your Highness is being overly modest. Even if all our meager contributions were combined, they would not equal half of Your Highness's."

Chu Yan laughed and resumed, "I am twenty-five this year, and all of you are older than me. Therefore, I have no worry that you might become a Sima Yi; it is certain that you will die first, and I shall die last."

Only then did the assembly understand what he meant by Sima Yi.

Chu Yan looked upon them. "Thus, in the coming decades of the new dynasty, if there is any slaughter of meritorious ministers, it will surely stem from mutual suspicion between the monarch and his subjects!"

Empress Zhang listened quietly, weighing his character in her mind.

He was a bandit king who had succeeded in rebellion, a man of formidable dominance, though for the most part, he concealed it behind a genial facade.

His words were spoken with candor, but whether they were true or false remained to be seen in his future actions.

Jia Yuanchun also listened in silence, occasionally pouring a cup of wine for him, though never pouring too much for fear of him drinking to excess. The Empress remained mute throughout, speaking only once to pour him a drink at the start, otherwise sitting quietly by his side.

After an unknown passage of time, the assembly rose, bowed in unison, and said in one voice:

"We subjects shall never fail Your Highness's grace!"

Chu Yan smiled and waved his hand at them. "All of you, go back to sleep. Tomorrow we reward the three armies, and the day after we offer sacrifices to Heaven at the southern suburbs!"

The company bowed once more, standing in place without moving.

Chu Yan stood up and departed the banquet alongside Empress Zhang and Jia Yuanchun. Eunuchs hurried forward to lead the horses over and bring sedan chairs before the two women.

Chu Yan gazed at their graceful, curvaceous figures beneath their magnificent palace gowns, then asked with a low, amused smile, "Tonight the moonlight is just right. How about our two beauties accompany me together?"

The eunuchs and palace maids following close behind all overheard these words, unable to help themselves from lifting their gaze to look at the Empress and the Noble Consort XianDe.

The Prince of Qian was bedding two imperial consorts in a single night once again; what marvelous spirits he had!

Empress Zhang wore a blank expression, though her fair hands clenched tightly into fists.

Jia Yuanchun's face flushed red; she lowered her head and murmured, "This concubine... is willing to serve Your Highness."

"Good!"

Chu Yan first grasped Yuanchun's hand, then reached out to stroke Empress Zhang's cheek, lifting her chin so she was forced to look directly into his eyes. He chuckled, "When I ask you a question, you need only answer yes or no. Could it be that if you refuse, I would force you or hold it against you?"

Empress Zhang was compelled to meet his gaze, her clear eyes filled with a mixture of shame and indignation. "If Your Highness desires this concubine, how could a mere fragile woman refuse?"

Chu Yan studied her eyes for a moment before releasing her with a smile. "I like your spirit."

An empress of a fallen state still held her head high, refusing to bow even when cornered by him, her majestic and beautiful face radiating an indomitable chastity.

Though the Empress lacked the ultimate loyalty to die along with her country, her attachment to her own life made her appear genuine and precious.

Chu Yan decided to spare her for the time being.

Tonight, he had not truly intended to take both of them at once. Whether it was Empress Zhang or Jia Yuanchun, each was worth savoring slowly.

One could not simply swallow the whole prize at a single gulp.

...

Returning to the warm chamber beside Linjing Hall, Chu Yan sat upon the couch with Jia Yuanchun. Bathed in the soft glow of the palace lamps, he looked upon Yuanchun's hibiscus-like, delicate face, feeling a sudden surge of high spirits.

Of the Twelve Beauties of the Red Chamber, he had already claimed one.

Furthermore, Yuanchun was the favored consort of the former Shun Dynasty.

"Your Highness..."

Jia Yuanchun lowered her head slightly, sitting obediently beside him with only half of her form resting on the edge of the couch. When Chu Yan gave her a gentle tug, she tumbled involuntarily into his embrace.

Yuanchun raised her head, seeing Chu Yan's face at close range, then lowered her gaze in shyness once more. Such intimate contact was something she had never experienced before.

Chu Yan was in no rush to consume her; instead, he chatted idly to ease her mind. "Did you find tonight uncomfortable? If it was unpleasant, you need not accompany me to banquets hereafter; I can have others attend instead."

Tonight was the victory banquet for taking the capital, which was why Chu Yan wished to have the two most important women of the imperial palace serve him. The Empress went without saying—without her, much of the pleasure would be lost—while Jia Yuanchun, as one of the Twelve Beauties, was someone Chu Yan also desired by his side.

Held around the waist by his arm, Yuanchun's body trembled slightly. She spoke in a soft voice, "This concubine merely poured wine for Your Highness; there was no discomfort." Then she smiled. "Your Highness is like the blazing sun hanging high in the sky; beside Your Highness, this concubine is merely like a firefly, appearing entirely unremarkable. The ministers paid me little heed."

She raised her gaze to look at him again. "Tomorrow night, this concubine is still willing to accompany Your Highness outside the city to serve you."

Chu Yan laughed, grasping her soft, smooth hand. "Good. As long as your heart is willing, that is enough."

There were only the two of them within the warm chamber. Nestled in his arms, Jia Yuanchun's body gradually relaxed. Leaning against Chu Yan, she murmured softly, "At first I felt somewhat apprehensive this evening, but upon witnessing Your Highness's breadth of mind and hearing your stirring words, I knew Your Highness had no intention of humiliating either me or the Empress."

Chu Yan chuckled. "Then you guessed wrong."

Yuanchun shook her head. "In my heart, those things do not count as humiliation. Your Highness acts with absolute openness... Ah!?"

She lowered her gaze to find the contour of a hand pressing against her palace gown.

Yuanchun's entire face flushed crimson.

With one arm still around her waist, Chu Yan smiled softly, "I did not know what Yuanchun held in her heart, so I simply wished to see for myself."

Jia Yuanchun was too embarrassed to speak.

Before long, both her body and mind were fully laid bare before Chu Yan. As he leaned down to kiss her, she slowly began to respond.

A short while later, Jia Yuanchun was carried to the heated brick bed within the warm chamber. Illuminated by the candlelight, her beauty as one of the Twelve Beauties of the Red Chamber was entirely revealed for Chu Yan to admire.

"Yuanchun, from now on you may rest easy as my consort; you need no longer walk on eggshells within these palace walls!"

Chu Yan said.

"This concubine... Your Highness. Mm, I obey... Your Highness's command."

Yuanchun's words came in fragments, her voice soon dissolving into breathless murmurs.

After an indeterminate stretch of time, Yuanchun managed to call out toward the outer room, "Baoqin, Baoqin, quickly, come inside!"

Baoqin, standing guard outside the warm chamber, heard the voice and thought she must be mishearing. She looked around, only to see the eunuchs and maids from the Changchun Palace pointing toward the door.

With no other choice, she pushed the door open and stepped in.

There she witnessed the most astonishing scene of her life: Noble Consort Yuanchun was being held and caressed by the Prince of Qian much like a little pet.

Before long, she took over her mistress's place.