The Slender Waist-Chapter 645 - 465 The Banquet Ceremony

The weather was still good during the festival.

The next day dawned with the rosy light of morning covering the sky, and there wasn’t a cloud in sight for thousands of miles.

It was Feng Yun’s first stay at the Pei Residence, and it wasn’t convenient to be as lazy as she was at Huaxi. She had instructed Xiaoman the night before to wake her early so she could get ready and pay her respects to Pei Chong, Pei Jue’s father.

In the past at the Feng Residence, there had been many rules, and there were stiff protocols for morning and evening greetings. Feng Yun had always followed them, but she had grown lazy as the lady of her own home at Huaxi and would avoid them if she could.

She was of the philosophy, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do," and tried to be considerate in all aspects.

Unexpectedly, on her very first morning greeting, Pei Chong gave her a generous gift.

"My legs aren’t in good shape, and I can be a bit wayward. You don’t have to come and greet me every day. Our Pei Family rose through military merit and doesn’t have the rules of those scholarly noble families. You don’t have to stand on ceremony in the future."

Having said that, he had a servant bring in a tray of gifts.

Inside were jewelries, accessories, gold, and silver—extremely lavish.

Feng Yun hurriedly expressed her thanks, her heart couldn’t help but soften.

In her previous life, she hadn’t been married to Pei Jue, and she had lived in the Grand General Residence, not the Pei Residence, so naturally she had neither the opportunity nor the possibility of speaking face to face with Pei Chong, let alone receive such high regard.

All this time, she hadn’t wanted too much contact with the Pei Family members precisely to avoid getting entangled in such worldly affairs...

Therefore, Pei Chong’s approach genuinely took her by surprise and pleased her.

The complicated formalities she disliked, Pei Chong disliked them too.

With his support, who in the Pei Residence would dare to gossip?

Even Pei Yao, her sister-in-law whom she had been worried about for a long time, turned out to be quite friendly.

Pei Yao lived in her maternal home and feared being disliked by her younger sister-in-law; therefore, she did not make things difficult for Feng Yun. Instead, she went out of her way to be agreeable, even sending the charming children Azuo and Ayou to call her "aunt" and "long aunt," which delighted Feng Yun...

Life in the Pei Residence was not as complicated with household affairs as she had imagined it would be in such a vast and deep courtyard...

However, the banquet prepared by the Empress Dowager in the evening was something Feng Yun could not avoid preparing for.

After noon, the servant girls became anxious, discussing what hairstyle to wear, what accessories to use, and what makeup to apply...

They were from the Feng Family, accustomed to such occasions, but that had been in Nanqi—Dajin’s customs could be somewhat different.

The servant girls worried so much about making a mistake that they were nearly beside themselves.

Feng Yun, however, was not the least bit anxious, leisurely warming herself by the fire and sipping tea, she lightly smiled and said:

"It’s just formal court attire in any case; how many variations can there be?"

Xiaoman said, "Still, we mustn’t be careless. My lady must remember how the wife of the Prince of Lugu was punished for wearing the wrong jewelry, leading to her husband being implicated and thrown into prison..."

Feng Yun looked at Xiaoman’s innocent face and smiled faintly.

"Then discuss it a bit more."

Wearing the wrong jewelry or clothes was always just an excuse.

To find fault, one needs no words...

But Pei Jue was no Prince of Lugu; not to mention she would not dress or accessorize incorrectly, even if she did, no one would dare utter an extra word.

In the past at Huaxi, when Pei Jue returned home on horseback every day, he was like any other husband, rarely discussing politics, and while Feng Yun knew he was extremely powerful, it was just an awareness.

Only when she saw the civil and military officials being extremely cautious and trembling in front of Pei Jue did she truly understand what it meant—that Pei Jue was just one step away from that supremely high position.

Everyone had to watch his face.

Including the Empress Dowager, the Young Emperor...

Thus, on this visit to Xijing, she also felt the underlying current of unrest beneath the apparent tranquility.

The military power and influence of Pei Jue were like a massive boulder pressing down on the imperial family and officials of the empire, all living in fear that the chord of harmony might suddenly snap...

Or rather, they feared that Pei Jue, unwilling to continue being "second only to one," might find an excuse to depose Emperor Tianshou.

-

Dressed carefully by the servant girls, Feng Yun looked at her reflection in the mirror and couldn’t help but curl her lips into a smile.

Her formal court attire, with minimal makeup, showcased her elegant figure, making her look even more graceful and gentle. Her lustrous black hair lightly coiled, and her fine steps revealed her majestic aura while radiating a captivating charm to the bone.

"My lady is truly beautiful."

Even those who served her every day could not help but sigh in admiration upon seeing the resplendently dressed Feng Yun...

Next to her radiant beauty, ordinary beauties would seem but pheasants before a phoenix, right?

Feng Yun flicked her court attire and said to the bronze mirror, "Let’s go."

-

Pei Jue was talking with his subordinates in the flower hall when he heard from the guard that the Princess had arrived and then turned around.

In the slanting sunlight of the late afternoon, Feng Yun walked gracefully up the steps, her skin like cream and her face like a lotus, the wide court attire trailing over the ground as if feathers caressing the water, stirring ripples in his heart...

The few men in the flower hall were stunned.

Pei Jue cast a glance at the expression on his subordinates’ faces and his eyes darkened slightly.

"You may leave now. Make sure to double-check the list of soldiers’ deaths and injuries, and don’t miss a single person."

The subordinates realized their mistake and responded, "Yes, sir."

Pei Jue added, "For those missing, treat them as casualties for the purpose of compensation."

The subordinates nodded repeatedly, then hesitantly bowed and said, "We’ll obey the command!"

The men filed out one after another.

As Feng Yun entered, she paused slightly, and they stood to one side to pay their respects, not daring to raise their eyes for another glance.

Feng Yun returned the greeting and walked over to Pei Jue’s side.

"My lord, it’s about time."

Pei Jue grunted, his gaze sweeping over her, his voice slightly hoarse.

"Jiu You, order the carriage to be prepared."

-

Although it was called a banquet to welcome and purify the Young Emperor, the Empress Dowager’s feast represented the earliest standards of Dajin. Not only was the ceremony grand and formal, but it often concealed political affairs, and the courtiers treated it with the utmost caution.

When Pei Jue led Feng Yun into the palace, the courtyard outside the main hall was already filled with waiting courtiers.

Braving the piercing cold wind, they had been waiting a long time, until the arrival of the Prince of Yonghuai, when they then entered the hall with him.

The music for the rituals began, and the guard of honour was imposing.

Pei Jue, with Feng Yun in tow, marched straight in.

The Empress Dowager was dressed in court attire, adorned with a phoenix crown, displaying a warm countenance with a smile on her lips.

Yuan Shangyi sat upright without moving, his small face tightly drawn.

"Your servant pays respects to Your Majesty, and to Her Highness the Empress Dowager."

Pei Jue led the bowing, and Feng Yun followed suit.

The courtiers who followed closely behind were like carved from the same mold— all neatly greeting and bowing deeply.

"Please rise quickly." The smile on Empress Dowager’s face had remained from beginning to end, presenting her as a person of approachable warmth.

"Dispense with the formalities." Yuan Shangyi also raised his hand in gesture.

He was already very adept at this.

He was like a well-trained puppet in the hands of adults, knowing when to say the right words and perform the right actions.

Feng Yun thanked them for their grace and looked up at him.

Yuan Shangyi was looking at her as well.

Those pitch-black eyes seemed to hold countless unspoken words.

She smiled slightly and took her seat at the top of the left side, along with Pei Jue, soon attended by two or three palace maids.

The courtiers took their seats one by one, exchanging pleasantries out of politeness.

Feng Yun sat upright, smiling appropriately, silently responding.

Throughout the banquet, the music of strings and bamboo instruments never stopped, toasting continued incessantly, a river-like procession of exquisite delicacies, and beauties with faces as colorful as flowers dazzled all who looked upon them.

Just by this scene alone, it felt as though one was immersed in a prosperous capital, making it hard to imagine that this was in an era of great turmoil...

After three rounds of wine, Feng Yun had heard plenty of flattery and praise directed at Pei Jue; but in the end, there was nothing fresh in their words—just sycophantic and excessively flattering.

She couldn’t sit still any longer.

Having drunk much tea, she now felt the urgent need to relieve herself.

She whispered to Pei Jue before slipping away from the banquet to change.

The palace was decorated with lights and lanterns everywhere during the festival night, brilliantly lit, catching the eye.

"How beautiful."

As the maid expressed her awe, Feng Yun also squinted her eyes, ascended the stairs, and looked out from the railing.

The high palace walls and the splendor were like a dream.

This palace, having endured through several dynasties, destroyed and rebuilt in wars, still stood proudly under the starry sky, majestic and powerful, incomparable to the imperial palace of Nanqi...

But what a pity...

The strong Qin and powerful Han are all things of the past.

In this current moment of peace and festivities, who can tell when it will all be swallowed in the smoke of war?

Only that faraway moon in the sky, eternal and unchanging, ever present, watches this world in solitude as one era of splendor and decadence after another falls to dust...

Feng Yun gazed up at the moon.

Without having drunk wine, she suddenly felt somewhat intoxicated.

"Who’s there? Who is it?" Xiaoman suddenly spoke up, pulling back her wandering thoughts.

Feng Yun turned, looking towards the shadows of the shrubbery where a small figure hesitantly stepped out.

"It’s me... It’s us."

"Your Majesty?" Feng Yun was startled to see him alone and paused, "Where is Dong Bai?"

Yuan Shangyi said, "He’s over there, keeping watch for me."

He’s learned to have others keep watch?

Feng Yun found it slightly amusing, but the laughter didn’t come out.

As an emperor, the most revered being under heaven, wanting to see someone but having to sneak around...

"Ayuan." Her heart ached for the child, and her voice softened unconsciously as she crouched down, opening her arms toward him.

Yuan Shangyi hesitated for a moment, then rushed into her arms with joy like a bird returning to the forest, crashing heavily into Feng Yun’s embrace, hugging her tightly as a child who had not seen his mother for a long time would.

"My lady, I’ve missed you so much. I wish to be with you every day."

After the new year, Yuan Shangyi would be seven years old.

But due to his frailty since childhood, he was thinner and smaller than children his age, feeling like a stick of kindling when held, so light that with a little pressure, the spine’s bones could be felt through his back.

As Feng Yun held him, she thought of Queque.

Each embrace, each thought.

With each thought, a fresh wave of sorrow.