Qu Dubian's seat was to the lower left of Emperor Chongzhao, with a small table. He could only be on the left; beside the emperor was the empress, and to the right was the vacant crown prince's seat. Ye Xiaoyuan came up from behind and knelt beside Qu Dubian to look after him.
"My esteemed ministers, please be seated."
Only after Emperor Chongzhao took his seat did the hundred officials sit down.
Palace attendants orderly served the New Year's feast dishes one by one. In the center, musicians and dancers from the imperial music bureau performed. With the music playing, the atmosphere of the banquet became much more relaxed and informal.
Emperor Chongzhao raised his cup: "You have all worked hard throughout the year. I toast to you, my esteemed ministers."
The officials also raised their cups with smiles: "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Qu Dubian wasn't very interested in this year-end gathering that felt like a summary meeting. He lay on his little table, widening his eyes to search the crowd below. The elevated perspective was quite broad, but there were many military officials, and many in the front rows too. Which one was his grandfather?
A palace attendant approached with a tray and placed a pot before him... Qu Dubian leaned in to sniff, "Why is this milk?"
The attendant replied, "Eunuch Yu specifically instructed it, Your Highness. The rest is wine."
Qu Dubian tugged at her sleeve and whispered, pleading, "I want to try some fruit wine."
The attendant was helpless and glanced stealthily at Ye Xiaoyuan.
Ye Xiaoyuan was also at a loss and said softly, "Pour His Highness just a tiny half-cup."
The attendant set down the milk pot and poured a mere bottom of wine into a cup for Qu Dubian. He picked up his chopsticks, dipped them in, and licked the tip.
The fruit flavor was faint, a bit astringent and spicy.
Emperor Chongzhao took in this scene, suddenly chuckled, and looked towards a certain marquis below who was covering his face with a pink butterfly handkerchief. He raised his voice, "Speaking of who deserves the most credit for our nation's peace and prosperity, it must be our Great Zhou's Marquis Who Holds the Sword, guardian of the northern frontier! Marquis Xu, why are you covering your face with a brocade handkerchief today? You and I are in-laws, there's no need for shyness."
Qu Dubian choked, coughing several times, his eyes wide as saucers.
Good heavens, which one??
His gaze quickly landed on the grandfather he had found strange earlier. The pink handkerchief covering his face made his skin appear exceptionally dark.
Xu Jin said in a muffled voice, "Your Majesty, I have a scar on my face and fear startling the imperial presence, hence I cover it with this handkerchief."
Emperor Chongzhao said with keen interest, "It's fine. Marquis Xu has served the country with loyalty. I will not be startled, nor will any of the assembled ministers. Take it off."
Prince Ming couldn't hold back a laugh.
Earlier, when his little nephew entered with the Emperor Brother, the Marquis Who Holds the Sword had swiftly snatched away his handkerchief. The Emperor Brother had clearly noticed and was being mischievous.
Xu Jin said, "Your Majesty, I have something to say. I hope Your Majesty will not take offense."
Emperor Chongzhao: "Go ahead, speak."
Xu Jin said in a straightforward tone: "There's a line from the previous dynasty: 'The emperor helps the general remove his battle robe, spending a warm spring night behind hibiscus bed-curtains.' The scholars had a field day with it. This shows it is extremely inappropriate for a ruler to ask a general to remove something from his person. I once had a daughter of unparalleled beauty, so I too possess some charm. Therefore, I'd better keep this handkerchief."
"Pfft—cough, cough, cough..."
As soon as these words were spoken, some sprayed their wine, others fumbled their cups, and those who couldn't hold back let out rooster-like cackles before hastily covering their mouths upon seeing the dark-faced emperor on his seat.
Prince Ming: "Cough, cough, cough!! The Marquis certainly knows how to joke, hahaha!"
Xu Jin: "Ah, just lightening the mood. Fortunately, His Majesty doesn't blame this old man for the jest."
Holding the handkerchief to his face with his right hand, he raised a wine cup with his left towards Emperor Chongzhao in a toast. "I drink to you."
You little emperor, trying to tease whom?
If he didn't disgust him back, he wouldn't be called Xu Jin. Why was he covering his face? It wasn't for your benefit!
Emperor Chongzhao: "It is I who should toast Marquis Xu."
Noticing Xu Jin sneakily peeking with one eye towards his side, he snorted inwardly. He summoned Eunuch Yu and whispered a few instructions.
Eunuch Yu: "Your Majesty...?"
"Go on, quickly."
Eunuch Yu had no choice but to assent. Not long after, a long screen was carried in, blocking the view of Emperor Chongzhao, the empress, and the seventh prince from above.
The assembled ministers could only vaguely see their three blurry shadows.
Emperor Chongzhao's comforting voice came through: "I am being considerate of you. Now Marquis Xu need not specifically free up a hand to cover his face. Put it down and enjoy your meal properly. Holding your arm up like that must be tiring."
Xu Jin: "..."
Qu Dubian: "..."
How utterly dog-like he is.
Now he couldn't see his grandson at all. Xu Jin discarded the handkerchief. No matter how hard he tried, he could only see that tiny outline behind the screen.
He: "..."
He said with a laugh, "I thank you, Your Majesty."
Emperor Chongzhao: "Ah, we are family. No need for politeness."
Goblets clinked, and a sense of harmony prevailed between the ruler and the ministers.
Qu Dubian lowered his head, continuing to fiddle with his bit of wine, dipping his chopsticks little by little. Emperor Chongzhao lowered his voice, "Want to see your grandfather?"
This question did a lap in Qu Dubian's mind, already dissected into seven or eight possible meanings. Just as he was about to answer, Emperor Chongzhao said, "I know you're curious, but it's not yet time—don't drink that bit of wine. A taste is enough, did you really want to finish it? Ye Xiaoyuan, pour him milk."
"Father, there's only a tiny bit here."
"Not even a drop is allowed."
The stimulating fruit wine on Qu Dubian's tongue was ruthlessly confiscated and replaced with a cup of milk.
Outside the screen.
Xie Jingshan, mindful of Grand Tutor Xie's instructions, ate his meal silently while actually observing all sides and listening intently.
Had his father guessed wrong?
The banquet had proceeded quite peacefully so far. Marquis Who Holds the Sword and His Majesty were conversing happily—at least on the surface.
By all appearances, no one would pick this moment to stir trouble.
Suddenly, from the area where the Censorate officials sat together, one man, his face flushed red with drink and full of intoxication, either truly drunk or for some other reason, abruptly threw down his wine cup and uttered a bitter laugh: "How difficult—!"
A supervising secretary from the Ministry of Justice made a sound of surprise and asked, "Censor Zheng, at the New Year's feast, with His Majesty present, why do you sigh?"
Censor Zheng: "I sigh for the laws of Great Zhou, which cannot protect the common people. A complaint was brought to the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple, yet not a single one dared to accept the case!"
The supervising secretary's expression turned solemn: "And it involves the Ministry of Justice?"
Their back-and-forth, though from a rear position, was clearly audible to those in front.
Emperor Chongzhao set down his cup: "What are you two ministers discussing? Why not let me hear it? Censor Zheng, if you are drunk, you may go to the side hall to sober up."
Censor Zheng staggered to his feet and approached the dais: "I am not drunk, but I wish I were."
The singing and dancing in the hall stopped. Eunuch Yu gestured, and the musicians from the imperial music bureau bowed and withdrew. Their performance was over; the stage was to be yielded to others.
Emperor Chongzhao: "Oh? What matter has caused my minister such sorrow?"
Censor Zheng bowed: "Yesterday, I encountered a middle-aged man whose child, raised with great difficulty to adulthood, was killed in the street! Grief-stricken, he tried to bring the case to the local yamen, but they would not accept it. In anger, he beat the drum at the Dali Temple, but they did not respond. His miserable appearance was enough to stir indignation. As a censor, it is my duty to impeach the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple, but—"
"I dare not!"
"Why dare you not?"
"The killer is someone the capital fears. As a mere lowly censor, how would I dare to memorialize?"
By this point, except for some imperial clansmen and consorts truly unaware of the context, who among those present did not understand whom he was referring to?
Emperor Chongzhao: "We permit you to speak. Who is this person?"
Censor Zheng: "It is none other than the Sword-Bearing Marquis, Xu Jin! Marquis Xu, dare you deny that you killed a man at the city gate?" His eyes blazed with anger. "At that time, the youth had already stated his identity. Why did you still proceed to ruthlessly kill him?"
An uproar swept through the assembled officials.
It wasn't so much that they were shocked Xu Jin had killed someone, but rather that someone had actually chosen this moment to bring the matter to light.
Bang!
Emperor Chongzhao set his cup down heavily. "Censor Zheng, do you have evidence?"
Censor Zheng: "This subject witnessed it with my own eyes! Many colleagues also went to personally welcome the Sword-Bearing Marquis yesterday and likely saw it as well. The surrounding commoners, the Commander of the Imperial Guards, and even Eunuch Yu saw it! Your Majesty, these are all witnesses."
Eunuch Yu shot a glance at Censor Zheng for dragging him into this.
The debate among the officials gradually grew heated.
"Nonsense! That was clearly an assassin from the Northern Frontier!"
"If it was an assassin, wouldn't it have been better to interrogate him thoroughly?"
"Assassins are all death-defying warriors; what could you possibly interrogate out of them? Better to kill them and be done with it."
"Kill him if you must, but why not leave the body? Isn't that just a guilty conscience?"
They argued fiercely. Qu Dubian, listening intently, grew tense. Did grandfather really kill someone at the capital's main gate? If this weakness fell into the hands of his so-called father, wouldn't it be disastrous?
"Enough. Quiet, all of you," Emperor Chongzhao said. "Marquis Xu, do you have anything to say?"
Xu Jin: "There's little I can say on the matter. I believed him to be an assassin and dealt with him accordingly, as is standard practice on the Northern Frontier. Upon returning to the capital, for the sake of Your Majesty's safety, I became even more vigilant, fearing assassins might slip into the city amidst the chaos. Unexpectedly, there was one. Should I have kept him alive to celebrate the New Year?"
"If you all believe this subject is guilty, then pronounce the judgment. The merits I have earned on the battlefield can bear the weight of this charge for killing one assassin."
Censor Zheng said angrily, "Can Marquis Xu provide any evidence that the person killed was not a commoner?!"
Xu Jin seemed puzzled: "This subject would also like to ask Censor Zheng, do you have any evidence to prove that what I killed was not an assassin? Do you understand assassins better than I do?"
Censor Zheng: "You! The dead man was clearly the son of Master Zhang, the Director of the Astrological Bureau!"
Having watched the drama unfold, Emperor Chongzhao interjected, "That's enough. Censor Zheng, return to your seat. We shall say a few words."
Censor Zheng bowed slightly and returned to his seat.
"Today is the New Year's banquet. We do not wish to discuss other matters. The incident raised by Censor Zheng shall be handed over to the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple for joint investigation. Whether it was an assassin or not, a conclusion will be reached."
"This way, neither Marquis Xu nor Censor Zheng should have any objections, correct?"
Censor Zheng: "This subject has no objection, only that I hope the offices dare to investigate properly."
Xu Jin: "This subject had no objection to begin with."
Behind the screen, Qu Dubian ate, though his heart was practically in his throat.
The biological son of the Director of the Astrological Bureau? Killed just like that? At the main gate??
Grandfather... is that audacious?
It sounded like the body had been disposed of cleanly, and both sides were sticking to their stories. So, whether he was an assassin or not would essentially come down to whatever his so-called father decided? If his father intended to make things difficult, even with grandfather's illustrious military achievements, he might not escape unscathed.
Qu Dubian stole a glance at Emperor Chongzhao.
The latter's face showed no anger or any other emotion; he drank and ate with calm composure.
Towards the end of the banquet, as Emperor Chongzhao prepared to leave early, allowing his ministers to converse freely, Xu Jin suddenly spoke up, "Your Majesty, this subject has a matter to discuss with you later!"
Emperor Chongzhao paused.
"Later, you may come with Prince Ming."
With that, he took Qu Dubian's hand and, circling from behind the screen through another door, left without giving the Sword-Bearing Marquis even a glimpse.
After the emperor's departure, the consorts and princes also left one after another.
Only then did the ministers truly become animated.
Xie Jingshan whispered to the person beside him, "Let me ask you something. That Censor Zheng who spoke up earlier, why haven't we seen him make a stand before?"
"Must have a grudge against the Sword-Bearing Marquis. Or, more likely, someone is pulling the strings from behind," the Right Vice Minister of Works covered his mouth and said softly. "Just hard to say who's behind it all."
