Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 110. Night Feast (1)
110. Night Banquet (1)
The royal palace bustled with a night feast, evoking joy in some and worry in others.
In the elegantly decorated, tranquil palace, Noble Consort Liu, clothed in a snow-white garment patterned with silver phoenixes, trailed her long regalia gently on the floor. A palace maid gingerly avoided the hems of the snow-white adornments on the floor, carefully inserting a silver butterfly tassel hairpin into her smooth, lustrous black hair. Noble Consort Liu gazed into the polished brass mirror at her own icy, beautiful reflection, her expression impassive.
"Your Highness, the princess has arrived," announced a maid softly.
A flicker of warmth danced in the icy gaze of Noble Consort Liu. "Let her in." Soon, a youthful girl dressed in goose-yellow garments entered. She hesitated at the entrance, observing Noble Consort Liu before advancing and softly calling, "Mother Consort..." Noble Consort Liu turned, reached out to bring the girl to her, and looked at a face that bore some resemblance to her own. She concealed the complexities swirling within her eyes, softly asking, "Ning’er, why are you here at this time?" The girl lifted her eyes to look at Noble Consort Liu, answering meekly, "Sister Changle said she would attend the palace banquet with the Empress, so I wanted to come with Mother Consort, too." Noble Consort Liu paused for a moment, then frowned slightly, saying, "You are still too young. This evening’s feast is being held in honor of the Prince of Beirong. You don’t need to attend."
Tears of grievance welled up in the girl’s eyes. Sister Changle was only one year older than her, yet the Empress often brought Changle along to banquets and parties. On the other hand, Mother Consort never took her along and hardly spent any time playing with her. She knew her Mother Consort didn’t like her... Seeing the silent tears that trailed down the girl’s tender face, Noble Consort Liu’s expression softened slightly, only to become impassive again. She commanded coldly, "Ning’er, are you also planning to defy your Mother Consort’s words? Go back!" Seeing her daughter’s aggrieved and heartbroken expression, she finally paused, then added quietly, "Return to your own palace, and I will arrange for your nanny to attend the palace banquet with you." The girl wiped away her tears and sobbed, "BOO HOO... Please don’t be angry, Mother Consort. Ning’er won’t go if I’m not allowed. I’ll go and play with my brothers..." She turned and stumbled out of the palace after speaking.
The palace fell quiet again. The head palace maid standing next to Noble Consort Liu whispered with furrowed brows, "Your Highness, weren’t you a bit too..."
Noble Consort Liu turned, her voice indifferent, "No need to say more; continue with my hair and makeup."
Seeing the consort’s determination, the maid dared not press further. She looked back towards the entrance, now empty, and sighed softly. Compared to Her Highness Empress’s treatment of the eldest princess, Her Highness is much colder towards the second princess and even her two princes. This will surely affect their feelings towards their mother when they grow older. Unfortunately, even if we palace maids try to persuade Her Highness, she won’t listen. The maid swiftly finished attending to her mistress’s appearance. Only after Noble Consort Liu gave herself a satisfactory look in the mirror did she say, "Let’s go."
At the night banquet, the familiar scene of music, dance, and lively feasting unfolded. Ye Li sat beside Mo Xiuyao, acutely aware of a gaze that had been fixed on her from the moment she entered the hall. Looking up, she spotted its source: Seventh Prince Yelv Ye of the Beirong kingdom, the key figure of tonight’s reception. Catching Ye Li’s glance, Yelv Ye responded by raising an eyebrow and lifting his wine cup in her direction. His audacious, displeased gaze made Ye Li’s heart sink, and she felt very annoyed. Since her marriage to Mo Xiuyao—no, it should be said that for as long as she could remember—no one had ever dared to look at her with such insolence. Yelv Ye raised an eyebrow with a smile, then turned his head to speak with the person sitting next to him.
Ye Li lowered her gaze, looking at her own hands. Did Yelv Ye really think she would lose her temper in public?
A cool hand took hers. Ye Li looked up to meet Mo Xiuyao’s tender, concerned gaze. Mo Xiuyao smiled gently, "Don’t be angry, my love. Later, I’ll gouge his eyes out for you." Ye Li rolled her eyes at him and muttered, "He is the most favored son of the King of Beirong. If you gouge his eyes out, wouldn’t that start a war between Beirong and Great Chu?" Mo Xiuyao quirked an eyebrow, chuckling lightly, "Who said I have to do it in Great Chu? When we get to Beirong, I’ll still find a way to get his eyes and make it up to you, my wife." Ye Li shook her head. "It’s nothing. Just focus on returning safely from Beirong. We shouldn’t stir up more trouble." Mo Xiuyao gazed at her, his face filled with delight. "My love, are you worried about me? Your husband is truly overjoyed." Unable to resist, Ye Li pinched him. This man, ever since that night’s lantern festival, had become increasingly fond of putting on airs. He was constantly calling her ’my love’ or ’wife’ all day long.
Emperor Mo Jing, seated above, clearly saw their interaction. His originally handsome face twisted slightly. He turned and smiled at Noble Consort Liu and the Empress. "It has been over a year since Prince Ding and Princess Consort Ding married, yet they seem as deeply in love as ever." The Empress sipped her wine and smiled faintly. "Your Majesty is right. The deep affection between Prince Ding and Princess Consort Ding will surely become another celebrated tale in the Capital City." Emperor Mo Jing nodded with a smile. "The Empress speaks truly. My beloved consort, what are your thoughts?" Noble Consort Liu, her complexion like snow and her expression cold, replied, "Her Highness the Empress is correct." Wang Zhaorong, seated below Noble Consort Liu, glanced at her, then at Prince Ding and his wife below. She covered her mouth and giggled foolishly. "I heard that Noble Consort Liu and Prince Ding were childhood sweethearts..." Before she could finish, Emperor Mo Jing’s gaze shot towards her like a sharp arrow. Wang Zhaorong’s heart skipped a beat. She knew she had misspoken and was so frightened she was at a loss, completely flustered. The Empress frowned slightly and said faintly, "If Wang Zhaorong cannot hold her liquor, she should drink less and stop talking such nonsense." Wang Zhaorong’s face turned somewhat unsightly, but she knew the Empress was helping her out of the predicament. She quickly assented and lowered her head, not daring to speak further.
"Your Majesty." Down in the hall, Yelv Ye suddenly stood up and spoke loudly to Emperor Mo Jing on the dais, "Our kingdom’s Crown Prince’s Princess Consort passed away at the beginning of the year. In recognition of the friendship between our two nations, my father, the King, has promised to welcome a Princess of Great Chu to Beirong with the rites due to the Crown Prince’s Princess Consort. I wonder if I might have the honor of meeting my future sister-in-law?"
When Yelv Ye’s words rang out, the entire hall was in an uproar. Marrying into Beirong to become a concubine of the King of Beirong or a consort to one of the princes was vastly different from becoming Beirong’s Princess Consort for the Crown Prince. Even those who had already seen through the implications of this marriage alliance couldn’t help but be moved. What were daughters of noble families for? For marriage alliances, to exchange for short-term benefits or connections. After all, who could truly expect to maintain a relationship long-term based solely on one woman? Even knowing that a woman sent for a marriage alliance would not have an easy life in Beirong, sacrificing a daughter was entirely worth it if the benefits were sufficient. Ye Li was somewhat surprised and turned to look at Mo Xiuyao. Mo Xiuyao smiled faintly and whispered, "The rites for a Crown Prince’s Princess Consort and being formally instated as the Crown Prince’s Princess Consort are worlds apart. Who said the people of Beirong, known for their honesty and bravery, aren’t capable of scheming?"
Ye Li suddenly understood. For a moment, she had forgotten that imperial families in all nations, including the supposedly barbaric Beirong, had something like golden registers—similar to not being entered into the ancestral hall or on the family-tree registration among the commoners of Great Chu. Never mind being welcomed with the rites of a Princess Consort; even if one were married with the rites of an Empress, it wouldn’t count without being formally registered. Ye Li recalled the rumor Mo Xiuyao had spread about Yelv Ye wanting to personally select his bride. They wouldn’t let him choose an ordinary imperial concubine or a princely consort, but for their Crown Prince’s Princess Consort, the future Queen of Beirong, it would be unreasonable not to let him see her beforehand, especially since Great Chu currently had no presentable princess to offer. Ye Li glanced at Mo Xiuyao with a half-smile, openly mocking him for his scheme backfiring. Mo Xiuyao didn’t mind; Great Chu had to send a woman to Beirong anyway. Since Yelv Ye dared to generously offer the position of Princess Consort for the Crown Prince, he didn’t mind letting Yelv Ye choose from a range of candidates himself. "My love, you should worry about Miss Hua. If Yelv Ye chooses personally, there’s a seventy percent chance he’ll pick Hua Tianxiang." If he knew Hua Tianxiang and Ah-Li were close, then the seventy percent probability might even rise to ninety percent.
Ye Li frowned slightly. "Then, Prince, please make an effort to make the Prince of Beirong understand the importance of choosing a Princess Consort from a prestigious imperial family background."
Mo Xiuyao shook his head and smiled softly. "If Yelv Ye himself were the Crown Prince, he might choose a woman of imperial birth. But he’s choosing for Yelv Hong. Hua Tianxiang isn’t from the imperial family, but she is the Empress’s own niece, and her status is not low. Moreover, there’s a high chance it could drive a wedge between the Emperor and the Hua Family. You know, although Old State Duke Hua no longer commands on the battlefield, he still holds great prestige in the military. And once Hua Tianxiang marries into Beirong, the Hua Family will be of no help to Yelv Hong at all." Ye Li lowered her eyes in thought for a moment, then looked up and asked, "What if we let him know that Tianxiang, as Beirong’s Princess Consort, could potentially become a great asset to Yelv Hong?" Mo Xiuyao touched his forehead, pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, "That... might be feasible. It just depends on whether we can deceive Yelv Ye."
Emperor Mo Jing was clearly taken aback by Yelv Ye’s sudden words. After a moment, he recovered and smiled. "Is Prince Yelv serious?"
Yelv Ye looked sincere as he replied, "Naturally, I am serious. I have come personally, under my father the King’s orders, to welcome the Princess of Great Chu. Is that not enough to demonstrate our sincerity?"
Emperor Mo Jing’s gaze flickered. He looked at Ye Li, who was quietly speaking with Mo Xiuyao, and said, "Princess Consort Ding, this matter was originally under your supervision. Do you have any candidates in mind?"
Ye Li inwardly cursed Emperor Mo Jing’s cunning. She had already submitted the list of candidates that morning. What did he mean by feigning ignorance now? Standing up, Ye Li said respectfully, "Your Majesty, there are indeed a few candidates. Before entering the palace, I had already ordered someone to present the list to Your Majesty. Perhaps Your Majesty has been too busy with state affairs to see it yet." Yelv Ye watched Ye Li with a smile, raising his eyebrows as he said, "Since the selection hasn’t been finalized, I boldly request to participate." Didn’t you all say this prince was to personally choose the Princess Friendship? Well, this prince will choose one for you to see. However... the person in charge of this is Princess Consort Ding. What an unexpected delight... Yelv Ye looked at the woman across from him, his mind joyfully scheming.
"Your Majesty, Prince Yelv is, after all, a man from a foreign tribe. Allowing this would damage the reputation of the young ladies of our Great Chu." A minister, whose daughter was on the list of candidates, stood up and said. Never mind whether she’s chosen or not. If chosen to go to Beirong to be the Princess Consort for the Crown Prince, one would likely never see her again for a lifetime. If not chosen, then his own daughter’s reputation would be completely ruined. How could she marry in the future?
"The matter of choosing a Princess Consort for a nation’s Crown Prince is significant. It’s understandable that the Prince of Beirong is concerned. We just need to be careful," Noble Consort Liu, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly spoke.
The Empress frowned and glanced at Noble Consort Liu. In such a setting, for a Noble Consort to speak out before the Empress had said anything was a breach of etiquette, no matter how favored she was. Emperor Mo Jing looked at Noble Consort Liu with some surprise. Noble Consort Liu remained seated beside Emperor Mo Jing with her usual cold expression, as if she hadn’t said anything at all. Looking at his beloved consort, Emperor Mo Jing thoughtfully raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Since my beloved consort has said so, then let us proceed as Prince Yelv suggests."
Yelv Ye bowed with a smile. "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Emperor Mo Jing smiled. "It is all for the alliance between our two nations. Prince Yelv, there is no need for such ceremony."
