Chapter 120: Palace Banquet
Wen Yu's memorial requesting her own deposition as empress naturally caused significant turmoil at the next day's court session.
The veteran ministers, who would previously have rather dashed themselves against pillars in remonstration, nearly cursed King Chen to the point of complete humiliation. However, no matter how absurd King Chen's behavior was, as his subjects, they ultimately had to help cover for him. Thus, the heaviest punishment for this disaster fell upon Consort Li of Xinyu Palace.
The court officials impeached her for seducing the ruler with her charms, and Consort Li was placed under house arrest for six months.
When the news reached Zhaohua Palace, along with several large chests of rare treasures sent by the Imperial Household Department, it came as no surprise that several of the department's managing eunuchs had been replaced with new faces.
Upon meeting Wen Yu, they claimed the previous managing eunuchs had been incompetent and negligent in assisting with preparations for the Mid-Autumn palace banquet, angering the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager, knowing Wen Yu had been wronged, had therefore replaced all personnel in the Imperial Household Department. Their delivery of gifts today was also meant as King Chen's apology to Wen Yu.
As soon as the Imperial Household Department staff left, Tong Que couldn't help but exclaim, "That Empress Dowager Jiang truly has a Buddha's mouth but a serpent's heart! She gets to say all the pleasantries! Wasn't replacing the Imperial Household Department personnel her own preemptive move because she feared those managing eunuchs might completely defect to you after you protected Physician Fang? What right does she have to use you as her excuse?"
Wen Yu sat by the lattice window at a small table, a chessboard before her. Holding a scroll of chess manuals from the previous dynasty that had been lost in Liang territory, her wide sleeves draping elegantly, she studied the manual while placing stones on the board. "It matters not," she said. "Zhao Bai is keeping close watch on those managing eunuchs to ensure they don't 'accidentally' meet their demise."
Zhao Bai nodded. "The Azure Guard has been secretly monitoring them. They have been dismissed and transferred to the Desolate Palace for now, with no immediate threat to their lives."
The Desolate Palace had long been abandoned and now served as the royal laundry. Palace staff assigned there had little chance of ever rising again.
After reporting this, Zhao Bai asked, "Shall we send someone to secretly make contact with them?"
Wen Yu placed another stone on the board. "Just go through the motions."
Zhao Bai looked surprised but said nothing more after glancing at Wen Yu.
Tong Que, however, couldn't contain her confusion. "Why?" she asked immediately. "Your Highness, isn't this the perfect opportunity to win them over?"
Wen Yu replied calmly, "Opportunists in high positions might be temporarily swayed, but what use are convicted eunuchs exiled to the Desolate Palace?"
Tong Que was taken aback but pressed on, "They previously served under the Empress Dowager and know many secrets about her and the Jiang Family..."
Wen Yu countered, "What if the Empress Dowager promised them before their dismissal that their transfer to the Desolate Palace was only temporary to weather the storm?"
Tong Que was silenced, having no response.
Wen Yu rubbed the smooth, jade-like white stone between her fingers. "Those who climbed to positions in the Imperial Household Department understand best how to seek advantage and avoid harm. Although the Empress Dowager's move with Physician Fang didn't fully succeed, it achieved her purpose. From the moment those eunuchs helped buy time to transfer the account books, they could no longer stake everything on defecting to me. Having received the Empress Dowager's promise, if I were to win them over now, they would merely sweet-talk both sides to keep their options open."
Regardless of whether Physician Fang was saved or not, the fact that those managing eunuchs had been frightened into helping transfer the account books already constituted "disloyalty" to Wen Yu.They were well aware in their hearts that compared to having already committed acts of "disloyalty" toward Wen Yu, continuing to serve Empress Dowager Jiang clearly offered brighter prospects.
After all, the Empress Dowager would never learn about those pledges of loyalty they had made to Wen Yu in their panic at Zhaohua Hall, whereas helping the Empress Dowager's people transfer the account books was an indisputable fact.
As long as Empress Dowager Jiang was willing to protect them, there would be plenty of people who could be pushed forward to take the blame for the false accounts Wen Yu had previously held over them, making it no longer a threat.
After hearing this, Tong Que grew increasingly puzzled: "Since the Empress Dowager is certain those eunuchs won't defect to our side again, why still have them killed?"
Wen Yu's attention remained fixed on the unfinished game on the chessboard, a piece held between her fingers yet to be placed. She only said, "Do you think the Empress Dowager is unaware of their nature?"
Tong Que froze, suddenly realizing this was another game of strategy between Wen Yu and Empress Dowager Jiang.
For those eunuchs, they were merely seeking the most advantageous position, hence their show of loyalty to the Empress Dowager, while secretly they wouldn't refuse Wen Yu's overtures either.
But for Wen Yu and Empress Dowager Jiang, Wen Yu stood to lose nothing if she failed to fully win over those eunuchs, whereas Empress Dowager Jiang would face the risk of both her own and the Jiang Family's secrets falling into others' hands.
Therefore, those eunuchs simply could not be allowed to live by Empress Dowager Jiang!
Upon grasping this, Tong Que felt chills run down her spine.
Wen Yu had never truly intended to win over those eunuchs from the start!
She was only forcing the Empress Dowager to personally eliminate them, making the eunuchs witness her murderous intent and abandon their fence-sitting stance. To survive, they would have no choice but to turn against the Empress Dowager and the Jiang Family!
And once one or two eunuchs were dead, even if the case were brought to court, no matter how powerful the Jiang Family was, they could no longer insist that the eunuchs alone had fabricated the accounts and embezzled palace funds!
Their original plan had been to deal a heavy blow after obtaining the secret account books of the Empress Dowager and the Jiang Family. Yet from the Empress Dowager's move against Physician Fang to transfer the accounts to Wen Yu's uproar in Zhanghua Hall, it had only been a matter of moments before Wen Yu once again trapped the Empress Dowager and the Jiang Family in a dead end!
Tong Que had never before felt such a scalp-tingling sensation; in that moment, she truly believed nothing in this world could surpass Wen Yu's calculations.
Perhaps her discomposed state was too obvious, for Zhao Bai discreetly nudged her elbow before saying to Wen Yu, "The Empress Dowager used your name to deal with those eunuchs, likely to make people think you were behind their removal after they're gone."
A gust of wind blew through the window, carrying a yellow leaf that drifted onto the chessboard.
Wen Yu placed the white piece in her hand at the fiercely contested intersection of black and white pieces, cutting off a large group of black stones' liberties, and said slowly, "The court situation has been tested. For now, we'll play the cicada and wait for the mantis to reveal itself."
That memorial of hers requesting her own deposition as empress wasn't entirely about venting anger or forcing the Chen Kingdom's royal family to yield—it was also a probing stone.
Zhao Bai, recalling Wen Yu's earlier words about "putting on a show," clasped her fists and said, "This servant understands."
Though Tong Que didn't fully grasp their cryptic exchange, she vaguely sensed that regarding using the Imperial Household Department's false accounts to challenge the Empress Dowager and the Jiang Family, Wen Yu had already found suitable allies at court.
Gazing at Wen Yu's profile as she held a chess piece, Tong Que suddenly felt the chessboard was no longer just a board—it had become the entire Chen Kingdom, and even the rivers and mountains of Great Liang.The Mid-Autumn palace banquet arrived in the blink of an eye. Wen Yu's voluntary request to be deposed as queen had weighed heavily on King Chen and all the court officials of the Chen royal court, leaving them subdued. Moreover, the Empress Dowager had sent word early that morning, so Wen Yu could no longer refuse to attend.
The banquet was held in the Tai Ji Palace. As it involved receiving the court officials, according to protocol, King Chen's consorts were not permitted to attend. Only Wen Yu, the nominal queen, could share the officials' ceremonial greetings alongside King Chen.
When Wen Yu arrived, though the banquet had not yet begun, all the officials were already seated, and King Chen had taken his place on the throne above. Only her seat and that of the Empress Dowager remained empty.
After the young eunuch outside the main hall announced Wen Yu's arrival, the lively hall, filled with the clinking of cups, fell silent at once. All the officials turned their gazes—some curious, some assessing—toward the entrance.
Wen Yu wore a golden-orange palace gown, draped with a gold-red gauze outer robe. Her skirt and flowing ribbons trailed nearly half a zhang behind her. A red lotus blossom adorned her forehead, and her makeup was resplendent, yet it only accentuated the cool detachment in her expression. Behind her followed twelve Qingyun female guards, led by Zhao Bai and Tong Que, dressed as palace maids. At that moment, she truly resembled a celestial goddess descending to the mortal realm. Many officials in the hall nearly forgot to breathe as they watched her.
Only after Wen Yu and her entourage had passed did successive gasps of awe rise from both sides of the hall.
Officials of lower rank, seated farther from the main hall near the entrance, could not help but whisper among themselves, "With such divine beauty, how could His Majesty still be bewitched by a courtesan…"
Jiang Yu, as a close court official of the royal palace tasked with protecting King Chen, was seated very near him. Aside from one veteran general of the royal court, he could already claim the title of the foremost military official in the entire Chen royal court.
When Wen Yu entered, he merely glanced at her before averting his gaze.
King Chen had been discreetly observing Jiang Yu and snorted coldly through his nose upon seeing this reaction.
Soon, Wen Yu approached the throne. King Chen gazed at his queen, who looked like a goddess descended to earth, his expression darker than ever before. With a hollow smile, he said, "Take your seat, my queen?"
Though Wen Yu's seat was on the same elevated platform as King Chen's, a low table separated them, piled high with wine, fruits, pastries, and floral arrangements—effectively creating a gap of two seats between them.
Wen Yu sat down with an indifferent expression, directly ignoring King Chen as if he were not there.
Zhao Bai and Tong Que took positions to her left and right, slightly behind her, while the remaining Qingyun female guards stood further back, waiting quietly.
The tea and snacks on the low table had long gone cold. As soon as Wen Yu was seated, a palace maid approached to remove them and bring a fresh batch. However, before she could get close to the seat, Zhao Bai stopped her. Only after the maid explained her purpose did Zhao Bai and Tong Que place the tea and snacks in front of Wen Yu onto the tray she carried, ensuring no one came within three steps of Wen Yu throughout the process.
Though the newly served tea, snacks, and dishes had been tasted by the eunuch in charge of food in the presence of Wen Yu and King Chen, Zhao Bai and Tong Que still tested each dish with a silver needle before placing it before Wen Yu.
Observing their actions, King Chen turned his head toward Wen Yu. Gazing at her nearly flawless profile, he could not suppress the greed and a hidden, gloomy resentment rising in his eyes. He sneered, "It seems the queen is quite distrustful of this royal palace?"
Wen Yu looked calmly at the officials below, her voice icy. "When the day comes that this royal house bears the surname Wen, I will naturally feel at ease."King Chen's eyes burned with even deeper resentment, knowing full well that Wen Yu could no longer be bothered to maintain even the slightest pretense of diplomacy. She had laid bare the ambitions and motives behind the marriage alliance between their two nations right on the table. Humiliated and enraged, he seized the wrist of a palace maid pouring wine, yanking her into his embrace. Gripping her chin, he sneered darkly, "What is your name, beauty?"
Since Wen Yu's arrival at the banquet, many court officials had been watching their table closely. King Chen's sudden act of impropriety was naturally witnessed by all.
The ministers couldn't help but sigh inwardly, stealing glances at Wen Yu's expression. Yet she remained perfectly composed, as if King Chen simply didn't exist in her line of sight.
Several senior ministers coughed pointedly multiple times during the banquet, but King Chen continued his flirtation with the palace maid, completely unmoved.
At first, the maid trapped in his embrace answered tremblingly, terrified of angering Wen Yu nearby. Her eyes kept darting sideways, but when she realized Wen Yu hadn't uttered a single word of protest—whether genuinely indifferent to King Chen or merely maintaining appearances—the maid gradually grew bolder in responding to the king's advances. Still, her gaze frequently strayed toward Wen Yu, a mixture of fear and some inexplicable rising vanity as if wanting to flaunt her situation.
Unfortunately for her, both Wen Yu and her attendants acted as if neither she nor King Chen were worth noticing.
The scene appeared absurd, yet none of the officials present felt Wen Yu had lost face. Instead, they felt profound shame over their own ruler's disgraceful behavior.
Just as several senior ministers were about to lose their composure, their faces dark with anger as they prepared to openly admonish King Chen during the banquet, palace attendants announced Empress Dowager Jiang's arrival. Only then did King Chen release the maid.
With her sharp perception, Empress Dowager Jiang needed only one sweeping glance upon entering the hall—taking in the variously expressioned ministers, the livid senior officials, King Chen's disheveled robes, and the blushing maid beside him—to understand everything.
Though inwardly furious, the Empress Dowager maintained her composure for the occasion. After taking her seat, she simply declared, "Let the banquet commence."
The palace maids carrying the main courses finally entered in procession. When they reached Wen Yu, Zhao Bai and Tong Que stopped the palace maids three steps away as before, personally serving the dishes to Wen Yu themselves.
Empress Dowager Jiang observed this with a brief glance but made no comment.
After all the serving maids had withdrawn, the ministers offered toasts to Wen Yu, Empress Dowager Jiang, and King Chen, exchanging pleasantries about harmonious relations between ruler and subjects. The banquet atmosphere grew lively, with familiar officials drinking and conversing freely.
Apart from sipping a cup of light wine during the collective toast, Wen Yu barely touched her food throughout the banquet.
With the Empress Dowager presiding, King Chen restrained himself for the remainder of the festivities. Though his expression remained sullen, he refrained from further outrageous behavior.
When the musicians and dancers from the Music and Dance Offices entered to perform, the palace banquet reached its peak of excitement, filled with the sounds of clinking cups and cheerful drinking.
A Qingyun female guard approached silently, whispering something in Zhao Bai's ear. Zhao Bai nodded slightly, and after the guard withdrew, she used the opportunity of refilling Wen Yu's tea to lean in and report: "There's movement at Wu Palace."
Wen Yu accepted the teacup with unchanged expression, instructing in a voice only the two could hear: "Proceed."
Tonight, with all officials gathered in the palace and the Imperial Guards focusing their patrols around Tai Ji Hall, the other palaces were under lighter surveillance. This was the perfect opportunity for Empress Dowager Jiang to silence those eunuchs.Zhao Bai slipped away quietly, and a female guard from Qingyun, dressed identically to her, took her place beside Wen Yu. Amid the hall filled with the sounds of drums, music, and laughter, no one noticed.
After one group of dancing girls withdrew, another entered. The rapid, urgent strains of the pipa were particularly captivating, drawing even Wen Yu’s gaze toward the newly arrived dancers.
It was then that she noticed these dancers were dressed in the attire of Western Region women, their movements unusually bold.
The lead dancer had a waist as supple as a snake. With every pluck of the pipa strings, her eyes—visible above the veil—were both wild and coquettish, fixed intently on King Chen.
King Chen, indeed, seemed utterly bewitched. His face was flushed red from wine, and he murmured “beauty” under his breath, staring so entranced that he didn’t even notice his wine cup fall to the floor.
The dancer clearly relished the attention. Holding her pipa, she spun gracefully and ascended the steps. By this point in the banquet, no official below dared comment on whom King Chen favored.
The courtiers were long accustomed to such scenes. Only those still marveling at Wen Yu’s beauty stole glances at her expression.
But Wen Yu’s demeanor remained as cold and detached as when she first entered the banquet. Under the glow of countless brilliant lanterns, she resembled a jade statue bathed in cool moonlight, starkly out of place amidst the revelry.
Most courtiers were captivated by the dancer’s audacity. Jiang Yu, seated below, remained vigilant, his left hand subtly resting on his sword hilt, ready to draw his blade at the slightest hint of ill intent.
Fortunately, the dancer’s intentions seemed solely focused on teasing King Chen. Twirling close to him, she appeared about to fall into his embrace but spun away at the last moment, letting only the sheer silk wrapped around her hand brush against his face.
King Chen was thoroughly delighted and rose to seize her. In the narrow space between seats, the dancer slipped while evading him and stumbled, falling toward Wen Yu. Tong Que swiftly intervened, blocking her path, but the dancer’s silk inadvertently dragged over a small wine jug on the table.
Wen Yu, seated beside the table, was splashed with grape wine, staining her skirt.
Tong Que’s face immediately darkened. “How dare you!” he barked.
Realizing her grave mistake, the dancer knelt before Wen Yu. “Your Majesty, spare me! This servant did not mean to…”
King Chen, irritated at having his fun interrupted, scowled. “It’s just a dress. Tomorrow, the Imperial Household Department will deliver ten new ones to the Queen!”
Empress Dowager Jiang spoke up timely, “Your Majesty, such impropriety before your officials is unbefitting.”
She then turned to Wen Yu. “Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, a joyous occasion. It is ill-omened to shed blood. What does the Queen think?”
Wen Yu calmly wiped the wine stain from her skirt with a handkerchief. “Your Majesty speaks wisely.”
Since the dancer had stained her dress while frolicking with King Chen, any punishment Wen Yu meted out might be misconstrued as jealousy. Wen Yu had never regarded King Chen highly and had no desire to bear such a reputation.
The elderly matron beside Empress Dowager Jiang addressed the dancer, “The Queen in her benevolence spares you. Thank Her Majesty and withdraw to receive your punishment.”
The dancer kowtowed repeatedly in gratitude before retreating.
After this disruption, the musical performance ended. King Chen returned to his throne, visibly disinterested.
Wen Yu addressed the Empress Dowager, “Your subject will retire to change attire.”Empress Dowager Jiang nodded in approval and summoned a palace attendant to show them the way.
The changing area for the ladies was set up in Jianning Palace next to the Taiji Palace. After leading Wen Yu and her entourage to the side hall, the attendant bowed respectfully and said, "The dresses for the ladies to change into are all here. If Your Highness does not like them, this servant can fetch another set from Zhaohua Palace for you."
An unknown incense was burning in the hall, light and slightly sweet. Wen Yu said to the palace maid, "That won't be necessary. You may withdraw."
The young maid curtseyed and said, "Then this servant will wait outside the hall. Your Highness need only call if you require anything."
After the maid withdrew, Wen Yu ordered the incense in the burner to be extinguished. The Azure Guard, after closing the doors and windows, cautiously inspected the entire side hall, not even sparing the beams. Once they confirmed there were no hidden spies, they stationed guards at each door and window to monitor outside movements, while the rest followed Wen Yu into the inner chamber.
Tong Que, knowing their own people were guarding outside, couldn't help but fume while selecting dresses for Wen Yu: "That King Chen is nothing but a lustful glutton, a tyrant! A complete tyrant!"
The incense had been burning for who knows how long before they entered the hall. Even after ordering it extinguished, Wen Yu still detected a faint fragrance in the air and felt inexplicably dizzy. She cautioned, "Beware of eavesdroppers," and pressed her fingers to her temples.
Tong Que stopped speaking of King Chen, but while selecting clothes with several Azure Guard members, she couldn't resist muttering, "These dresses are all so fragrant..."
Wen Yu, leaning drowsily against the soft couch while massaging her temples, suddenly realized something and shouted, "Open the windows!"
The Azure Guard also sensed something amiss, but before they could rush to the windows, they collapsed one after another. Those who struggled to crawl toward the windows to open them hadn't moved far when small tubes extended through the window screens, releasing copious amounts of knockout smoke.
This time, all the Azure Guard members who had barely maintained consciousness fell completely unconscious.
After a while, the hall door creaked open, and in walked the instructing matron from Empress Dowager Jiang's side.
Covering her nose and mouth with a handkerchief, she glanced at the Azure Guard members who had collapsed near the doors and windows after inhaling the pre-existing knockout incense in the hall. She gestured to the attendants behind her, who then carried the scattered Azure Guard members out.
The instructing matron entered the inner chamber and, upon seeing Wen Yu lying on the couch with her dark hair half-spread, instructed the young maid following her: "Go back and inform Her Majesty the Empress Dowager that it is done."
Back at the Taiji Palace banquet, the new round of music and dance continued its decadent melody. The young maid entered, whispered something to the matron beside Empress Dowager Jiang, and then withdrew.
Not long after, the old matron approached Jiang Yu's seat with a wine pot and refilled his half-empty cup, saying, "Young General, Her Majesty insists that you go toast the King regardless."
Jiang Yu looked up at Empress Dowager Jiang and saw a hint of reproach in her gaze.
Jiang Yu said, "I understand," then stood up with his cup and addressed King Chen, who appeared drunk yet still sullen: "This general congratulates Your Majesty on soon leading our great Chen officials back to the Central Plains!"
With that, he drained his cup.
The ministers cheered. King Chen, his cheeks flushed from drinking, merely glanced sidelong at Jiang Yu with a mix of scrutiny and provocation, smiling ambiguously as he raised his cup and drank.Jiang Yu was well aware of King Chen's hostility toward him, yet he feigned ignorance as he took his seat. Suddenly, an Imperial Guard hurried in and whispered in his ear, "Commander, it appears an assassin has infiltrated the palace!"
Jiang Yu's expression shifted slightly. Using the excuse of needing fresh air to sober up, he left the banquet with the Imperial Guard.
Outside the hall, the night wind blew, and though he had not drunk much at the banquet, the scene before his eyes began to blur. Realizing something was wrong, he barely managed to utter the word "Aunt" before darkness engulfed him and he lost consciousness completely.
At the palace banquet, Empress Dowager Jiang rose with the support of her personal attendant and said, "As one grows older, one truly cannot compare to the past. I am feeling rather weary. The King and all my esteemed ministers may continue to enjoy yourselves here."
King Chen curled the corner of his lips, his smile as mocking as could be, yet he still rose along with the other ministers. Amidst the chorus of "Farewell, Empress Dowager," he added, "Farewell, Mother."
Before leaving, Empress Dowager Jiang glanced at the beauties kneeling beside King Chen's knees, as if she wanted to say something, but ultimately remained silent. Leaning on the arm of a palace attendant beside her, she slowly left the hall.
King Chen lifted his head to watch Empress Dowager Jiang's retreating figure, his face still wearing a dissolute and frivolous smile. Yet in his gloomy eyes, there was unmistakable resentment and bitterness.
Not long after he sat down, a young eunuch hurried in and whispered something to him.
King Chen smiled unnervingly, stood up, and addressed the ministers, "My esteemed ministers, please continue the feast. I must excuse myself to relieve myself."
Such crude words caused the faces of the veteran ministers below to pale, their hearts growing cold toward this new king who had been on the throne for only two years.
Only the ministers of the Jiang faction maintained their smiles, though a hint of mockery was faintly visible in their expressions.
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