Chapter 92

The New Year’s Eve palace banquet is a laborious affair. Not only must every sip and bite be in accordance with the Emperor’s mood, but one must also remain constantly vigilant, lest a hidden blade be unknowingly aimed at their back.

This kind of covert scheming was especially prominent among the concubines and court officials. In comparison, the noble offspring who had just been starved in the side hall, including Rong Tang, at least had some time to eat.

Inside the hall, songs and dances were being performed, and Emperor Renshou was occasionally chatting with a few of the state’s pillars. Rong Tang ate a few morsels to fill his stomach before turning his head and asking Ke Hongxue, “Why are you sitting here?”

In the main hall, seats are arranged according to rank, seniority, and status.

Since this banquet included the ministers, few concubines from Emperor Renshou’s harem attended. Apart from the Empress, who occupied the main seat, only the concubines who had borne sons were present.

Although Lady Fang was merely an imperial concubine, as the Seventh Prince was still young and required his mother’s care, she occupied a place on the eastern side.

The seating arrangement consisted of two rows. Duanyi, being an elder, sat closest to the Empress Dowager, at the head of the concubines’ table, allowing for conversation as needed.

The four concubines filled two rows, with the princes seated behind them taking up three rows and a total of six seats, with those older in front, the younger behind.

Next came the ministers. The front row was reserved for high-ranking officials, while their sons sat in the row behind.

As for Ke Hongxue and Mu Jingxu—one a Tutor of the Imperial Academy, the other a Junior Minister of the Court of Justice—neither of their ranks should have qualified them for this table.

When Tutor Ke heard this, he smiled, unfurling his fan despite the cold, and pointed his chin forward, saying, “Do you know what ingredients were used for this meal?”

Rong Tang gave him a puzzled look.

Ke Hongxue listed them off: “Abalone from the Western Sea, sea cucumbers from the Northern Sea, mushrooms from Lingnan, snow lotus from Northern Xinjiang… even the thousand one hundred wild pheasants used for the soup were all supplied by my family. Now, why do you think I’m sitting here?”

Rong Tang: “……”

He quietly lowered his head, took a sip of the “Buddha Jumps Over the Wall” soup, and slowly savoured the taste of wealth.

Ke Hongxue laughed out loud, while Mu Jingxu glared at him and offered an explanation to Rong Tang, “Don’t listen to his nonsense. It was Grand Tutor Ke who was invited, but as he’s too elderly to venture out in the winter, and Uncle Ke is still in Jiangnan and hasn’t returned to the capital, that’s why he’s sitting here.”

Ke Hongxue neither confirmed nor denied it, instead smiling as he ladled soup for his senior.

Su Huaijing casually asked, “And why is Excellency Mu sitting here?”

Mu Jingxu’s voice faltered slightly, sensing that Xiao Qi was setting him up.

Sure enough, as soon as Su Huaijing spoke, Ke Hongxue smiled and said, “The eunuch who sent the invitation said to bring family along. What’s wrong with me bringing my senior?”

Su Huaijing gave a slight smile, shook his head, and said nothing, calmly placing more food on Tangtang’s plate. Meanwhile, half of Tutor Ke’s arm was pinched blue by the ever-cold Lil’ Bro Mu.

“Hiss—” Ke Hongxue winced in pain but still wore a cheeky smile as he asked Mu Jingxu, “Is the food to your liking? How about you come to my place tonight? The kitchen’s stocked with plenty of supplies—enough to last you through the winter.”

Rong Tang quietly drank his soup, thinking that if he so much as glanced in their direction, he might end up being dragged to the Court of Justice by Mu Jingxu for interrogation.

Halfway through the banquet, the guests offered their best wishes to the Emperor for a long life, to Concubine Yi for a safe pregnancy, to Marshal Xia for good health, and to Senior Official Zhang for continued vigour in his old age.

After the pleasantries, the conversation finally turned to them.

Emperor Renshou set down his wine cup, his sharp gaze sweeping across the hall, and said loudly: “Has that boy from the Ke family come today? Why haven’t I seen him?”

Hearing this, Ke Hongxue immediately put down his bowl and chopsticks, stood up, and greeted Emperor Renshou: “Wishing Your Majesty peace. This humble servant is here.”

“You may sit,” Emperor Renshou waved a hand dismissively, and asked, “How are Grand Tutor and your father?”

“My grandfather and father are both well. Before I entered the palace, my grandfather repeatedly reminded me to convey his respects to Your Majesty. Although Your Majesty extended an invitation, my grandfather was unable to attend due to ill health. He is most fearful of this, and begs Your Majesty’s forgiveness.”

“Aai! What offence?” Emperor Renshou asked with a laugh, “Grand Tutor is elderly now. He took great care over my education in my youth. Now that he is aged and unwell, how could I punish him over such a trivial matter?”

Rong Tang, having lost his appetite, set down his bowl and chopsticks, and sat quietly. Su Huaijing took the opportunity to clasp his hand, silently rubbing it in a gentle gesture.

Rong Tang turned to glance at him but saw no trace of displeasure on his face.

—He’s always so good at hiding it.

Rong Tang lowered his eyes, pressing down the ache in his heart.

After tonight, the calendar would turn to the tenth year of Qingzheng, and everyone in the hall, enjoying the songs, dances, and wine, would soon face their destined paths.

In spring, the Third Prince, Sheng Chengxing, would once again hold his flower-picking festival, and the Fifth Prince, Sheng Chengli, would leave the palace to establish his own household. In summer, Concubine Yi would give birth to a son and be promoted to Noble Concubine. Half a month later, the Fourth Prince would fall ill from heatstroke and pass away. In autumn, Earl Wukang would rebel, the Second Prince would be exiled, Senior Official Zhang would retire and return home, Noble Concubine Yi would be demoted, and the Eighth Prince would be adopted by the Empress. In winter, the southwest governor, Zhang Baoshan, would be executed for embezzling military funds, leaving his father-in-law, Marshal Xia Jingyi, without his trusted lieutenant. The Third Prince’s faction would suffer a serious blow.

By the end of that year, the Second Prince would be demoted to a commoner, the Third Prince’s influence would wane, the Fourth Prince would be deceased, and the Fifth Prince, Sheng Chengli, would emerge as the dominant force within the palace.

It was also in that autumn that Su Huaijing joined the Imperial Censorate. In the winter of the same year, his exceptional handling of the Zhang Baoshan case earned him great favour from Emperor Renshou.

The drama of the twelfth year of Qingzheng would eventually come to a close, with all the conflicts of the eleventh year laid bare. Yet in the tenth year of Qingzheng, the capital would be like a deep, unseen river, where even the slightest step would drag you into a whirlpool, consuming both body and soul.

Returning to the banquet, the songs and dances continued, the wine was fragrant, the concubines were harmonious, and the officials dutifully performed their roles. Ke Hongxue responded to Emperor Renshou’s question with neither humility nor arrogance: “Thank you for Your Majesty’s great kindness—”

But Emperor Renshou interrupted: “Don’t be in such a hurry to thank me. I heard from the Second Prince that you contributed greatly to managing the flood in Jiangnan?”

As soon as these words were spoken, the sound of clinking cups and toasts in the hall quieted a little. Rong Tang lifted his head and glanced at Sheng Chengming from a distance.

It had been six months since they parted ways in Suzhou in July, and this once rash prince had been tempered by time in the court. The naivety and recklessness that had once marked his face had faded, replaced by a steadier, more mature bearing.

But as soon as Sheng Chengming met Rong Tang’s gaze, he paused for a moment, then gave a polite nod in greeting.

Rong Tang returned the nod and was just about to look away when his eyes were caught by another pair, dark and inscrutable.

He frowned, intending to look closer, but Su Huaijing leaned in and whispered softly in his ear, “Tangtang.”

Immediately, Rong Tang pulled his gaze away.

He wanted to meet the male protagonist, but the current situation was that Sheng Chengli had been probing a great deal, while Rong Tang hadn’t revealed anything at all. There was no need to rush and figure out what was going on with him; some people simply couldn’t hold it in themselves.

Su Huaijing squeezed his hand and said in a clear and casual tone, “Don’t look at him, I’ll get jealous.”

“……”

Rong Tang was almost speechless. He should never have mentioned that damned dream!

How was he to know that the main villain would take a dream so seriously?

Feeling frustrated, Rong Tang stared down at the finger-length sea cucumber in his bowl. He didn’t want to engage with Su Huaijing or let him fiddle with his hand.

Ke Hongxue, however, calmly shifted the topic onto them: “This humble servant just happened to pass through Jiangnan and encountered the disaster area by chance. My father once said that, in all the world, there is no land that is not the emperor’s. The fact that my family can even have a foothold in Dayu is entirely thanks to Your Majesty’s boundless generosity and kindness. As a minister, if scattering some family wealth can ease Your Majesty’s worries, it is only right. Compared to me, Lil’ Bro Mu and His Highness, Prince Ningxuan, worked even harder.”

Rong Mingyu, seated at a table in front, stiffened when he heard this. He followed everyone’s gaze and looked back, scrutinising the eldest son he had never really taken much notice of.

Rong Tang felt a bit muddled, sensing that Ke Hongxue was deliberately setting him up, though he kept his expression calm. Sitting quietly, he appeared pale and sickly, playing his part as the delicate invalid.

Emperor Renshou remained silent for a moment before asking, “I know Jingxu has been diligent, but what did Tang’er do during the flood that warrants such high praise from you?”

Ke Hongxue feigned surprise, glancing at Sheng Chengming as if he didn’t know whether he had let something slip: “Your Highness hasn’t informed His Majesty?”

Sheng Chengming rose to his feet, bowing apologetically to Emperor Renshou: “Forgive me, Imperial Father. Biao xiong is kind-hearted but physically frail, unfit for excessive exertion or toil. He didn’t want to claim credit for himself, so I kept it quiet.”

The singing and dancing had stopped, and Shaohua Hall had grown particularly quiet. The two of them worked so smoothly together that anyone unfamiliar with the situation might think Tutor Ke was offering covert criticism while pretending to praise, when in fact, they were putting Rong Tang in the spotlight.

Emperor Renshou’s face darkened, and he asked in a low voice, “What exactly happened?”

Ke Hongxue quickly stepped forward and knelt, reporting: “It’s not much of a matter, Your Majesty, please don’t be angry. The floods in Jiangnan started in mid-sixth month, but I didn’t arrive in Suzhou until early in the seventh. Although the court’s relief funds were rushed along with fast couriers, the distance from the capital to Jiangnan is vast, and it wasn’t until after the fifteenth of the seventh month that the funds reached the prefectures. Therefore—”

He paused, making sure his words could be heard clearly throughout the hall: “From the beginning of the heavy rains until early seventh month, for most of the critical relief efforts in Suzhou and the surrounding areas, it was Prince Ningxuan who personally donated the majority of the money and grain!”

Rong Tang: “……”

Turning his head, Rong Tang looked at Su Huaijing and caught a fleeting flash of surprise in his eyes, which made him feel a bit more balanced.

It must be said that if Ke Hongxue weren’t an official, he’d undoubtedly be a masterful businessman.

He could turn anything to his advantage. Even after half a year, he was still milking it!

Rong Tang, having spent two lifetimes as a strategist, rarely found himself thrust into the limelight so directly. He silently counted to three in his mind, and then he heard Emperor Renshou call out in a deep voice, “Rong Tang.”

Rong Tang sighed inwardly and walked out. Just as he was about to kneel, Emperor Renshou seemed to remember something and said, “You’re not in good health, the ground is cold. No need to kneel.”

Empress Wang looked surprised, a hint of emotion in her eyes.

Emperor Renshou asked, “Is what he said true?”

Imperial spies were stationed throughout Dayu’s territory, and Rong Tang had no doubt that Emperor Renshou was already aware that Sheng Chengming and the others had stayed at his courtyard when they ventured south. But as for the disaster relief funds and supplies, it was likely that the spies hadn’t considered it worth reporting, or perhaps the emperor hadn’t cared. So, half a year later, no one had questioned how the people of Jiangnan had survived during those ten critical days from late sixth to early seventh month, when homes were washed away and the people were displaced.

Rong Tang coughed twice, his voice low as though overwhelmed by the emperor’s presence. “Begging Your Majesty’s forgiveness, it is true.”

“Why didn’t you report it?” Emperor Renshou asked.

Rong Tang replied, “As a member of the imperial family, it is my duty to serve Your Majesty and remain loyal. I am also beloved by the people, so it is only right that what is taken from them is used for their benefit. Your Majesty is occupied with countless affairs every day; how could I trouble Your Majesty with such a trivial matter?”