Passing through tall palace walls and grand gates, they finally arrived at Huangyi Hall.
Just as they reached it, the Emperor, accompanied by his ministers and princes, also arrived.
With three calls of “Long live the Emperor,” everyone knelt in salute.
Duan Wang moved to stand beside Mingxi, with Consort Shu just ahead.
Consort Shu glanced at her son but said nothing. After his arrival, she left Mingxi to him and joined the other consorts in their seats.
The Emperor sat high on his throne, with the Empress beside him, followed by the four consorts. Below them were the Crown Prince, the princes, ministers, and noblewomen, all arranged in strict order.
When Duan Mingxi looked up, she first noticed Bai Shixi sitting beside the Crown Prince. Next to Bai Shixi sat Fu Hongxiao.
This surprised Mingxi. She hadn’t expected Fu Hongxiao to attend such a banquet.
She instinctively felt this must have been the Empress’s doing. Bai Shixi, from Duke Zhen’s family, was being suppressed by the Empress using Fu Hongxiao.
The Empress was a master of balancing power. This maneuver subtly humiliated her daughter-in-law.
Looking further, she saw Jin Wang with his Wangfei, then Yu Wang and Yu Wangfei, followed by Duan Wang and herself. Next were Qi Wang and Sun Yaoqing, and lastly, Kang Wang and Zheng Siyu.
Her friends sat scattered among their mothers, like stars shining faintly in the grand hall.
The celebration began with birthday tributes. Only the consorts and princes had the honor of presenting their gifts to the Emperor.
The Empress and Crown Prince went first, presenting a three-foot-tall red coral statue. Its vibrant color and flawless form were impressive.
The Emperor was pleased, praising the Empress and Crown Prince.
Duan Mingxi’s gaze fell on the red coral, and her heart skipped a beat. This red coral sculpture was purchased at an exorbitant price by Duke Cao, meant to help the Empress and the Crown Prince make a grand impression before the Emperor.
If she hadn’t seen this piece of red coral with her own eyes, she might have forgotten a certain incident she had heard about in her previous life.
Before the longevity banquet concluded, this red coral suddenly shattered and fell to pieces in the Imperial Hall.
The Emperor was furious, and the Empress and the Crown Prince apologized, requesting an investigation into the matter.
In her previous life, she had only heard about the incident without witnessing it. Now, seeing this piece of red coral brought the memory rushing back to her.
Her expression turned grave, and she clenched the handkerchief in her hand tightly.
Next came the offerings of gifts from the Noble Consort and Jin Wang, followed by the Consort Xian and Yu Wang, and then Consort Shu and Duan Wang…
The Noble Consort and Jin Wang’s gift was an extraordinarily precious luminous pillow, while Consort Xian and Yu Wang’s was a screen decorated with pearls forming the character for “longevity.” Each pearl was the size of a thumb, dazzling all who saw it.
The gift from Consort and Duan Wang surprised Mingxi—a jade carving titled Flying Dragon in the Sky. What was remarkable was the faint golden light radiating from the dragon soaring amidst the sea of clouds. The Emperor was clearly delighted.
When Duan Wang returned to his seat, Mingxi tilted her head slightly to look at him.
Xiao Muchen noticed her gaze and turned to look at her. “What is it?”
Duan Mingxi spoke softly, “For Wangye to find such a piece of jade, it shows great care. This carving technique looks like the work of Wang Mingda, the master from Xuzhou, who hasn’t taken on commissions in quite some time.”
Xiao Muchen looked at her with some surprise. “Your eye is truly exceptional to recognize that.”
Unperturbed, Duan Mingxi replied, “A few years ago, I spent some time with my adoptive Father in Xuzhou and shamelessly begged Master Wang to teach me for a few days. Unfortunately, his health wasn’t good, and he mainly focused on resting. I never expected Wangye to be able to invite him out of retirement.”
Master Wang Mingda wasn’t just any craftsman. While his skills were extraordinary, what made his works so coveted was his noble lineage, making it exceptionally difficult to acquire his jade carvings—let alone learn from him.
Xiao Muchen was taken aback, not expecting her to have such a connection with Wang Mingda. “A couple of years ago, he fell seriously ill and sought my help. I intervened and had the imperial physicians treat him.”
Ah, so there was a life-saving favor involved. That explained it.
Duan Mingxi took the opportunity to subtly highlight her keen eye, though she hesitated, appearing conflicted.
At that moment, Qi Wang and Consort De were presenting their gift—a golden statue of Buddha, about a foot tall, adorned with rubies. Its opulence drew gasps of admiration from the crowd.
Amid the commotion, Xiao Muchen noticed her hesitation. “Do you have something to say to me? Speak freely.”
Duan Mingxi frowned slightly. “I’m just afraid I might be mistaken and mislead Wangye, so I hesitate to speak.”
Xiao Muchen chuckled lightly. “Is there anything you don’t dare say? Speak your mind. Even if you’re wrong, I won’t hold it against you.”
Duan Mingxi thought to herself that if they weren’t allies, she wouldn’t bother speaking up at all.
“I thought I saw a crack in that red coral,” she said.
Xiao Muchen’s expression turned serious. “Are you certain?”
“From where I was seated, sunlight illuminated one corner of the coral. Under the light, I faintly saw what seemed like a crack. But given the distance, I might have been mistaken,” Duan Mingxi explained.
Xiao Muchen, knowing her cautious nature, understood she wouldn’t have mentioned it without some level of certainty. He glanced discreetly toward the coral’s display, but the distance made it impossible for him to discern any details.
Still, the red coral stood out among the many lavish gifts.
But Duan Mingxi had said there was a crack.
“In your opinion, is there a risk the coral could break during the banquet?” Xiao Muchen’s voice grew lower, his emotions carefully restrained.
It had shattered in her previous life.
Duan Mingxi hesitated, then looked at him and replied, “It’s hard to say without seeing if there are cracks on the other side. But after this, there will be music and dancing at the banquet.”
The vibrations from the music and the dancers’ movements could exacerbate the crack.
Xiao Muchen’s eyes flickered with thought. After a long moment, he said to her, “I understand.”
Duan Mingxi nodded slightly and said no more.
By now, Kang Wang had finished presenting his gift—a well-crafted but unremarkable painting by a famous artist.
With the gift-giving over, the birthday banquet officially began. Musicians and dancers entered the hall, bringing a lively energy.
As the guests began to offer toasts and shower the emperor with congratulatory words, His Majesty’s smile never faded, clearly in high spirits.
Before leaving his seat, Xiao Muchen turned to Duan Mingxi. “Stay seated and don’t wander off. If you need to leave to freshen up, inform my royal mother and have someone accompany you.”
Duan Mingxi gave him a sweet, obedient smile. “Understood.”
Xiao Muchen couldn’t help but press his lips together as he glanced at her, then left his seat.
Out of the corner of her eye, Mingxi saw Duan Wang stop midway to speak to a young eunuch, who quickly left the hall. She exhaled quietly and withdrew her gaze.
When she looked up, she found Bai Shixi watching her from across the hall.
