479: The banquet ended

The sun slanted down toward the western corner of the palace walls, staining the glazed tile eaves of the Tianqi Imperial Palace into a sheet of molten gold. The night banquet at Taiqian Hall quietly pulled back its curtains amidst this half-bright, half-dark twilight.

Eunuchs entered in single file carrying gilded food boxes, while palace attendants stood on their tiptoes to light the nine-branched gilded lampstands in the hall. One by one, the candle flames burned bright, their jumping golden light flooding the hall and making the carved patterns of Dragons and Phoenixes on the beams clearly discernible.

By the time the last ray of light vanished into the horizon, the bright moon outside had already climbed to the middle of the sky. Its clear radiance poured through the lattice windows into the hall, reflecting off the candlelight. It actually made the vast Taiqian Hall brighter than it was during the day.

The sounds of silk and bamboo instruments wound around the beams from the music stage at the side of the hall. The clear notes of the sheng and flute mixed with the warm tones of the zither, lingering and drifting into every corner of the hall.

Dancers dressed in colorful skirts as thin as cicada wings moved with lotus steps into the hall. Some were red like sunset clouds, some pink like peaches, and some green like willows. As their water sleeves fluttered, they brought bursts of refreshing fragrance that mixed with the sandalwood already burning in the hall, brewing a bit of lazy romance in the air.

The delicacies on the tables were replaced with fresh courses. Crystal plates held roasted venison from the Northern Borders, pearl shellfish from the Eastern Sea, and grape wine from the Western Regions. Jade bowls contained Spirit Sparrow Soup stewed until tender. Eunuchs carried jade carafes, pouring amber nectar cup by cup into the white jade cups before the officials and envoys.

The mellow scent of wine, the sweet fragrance of rouge, and the High Grade sandalwood burning in the hall—these three scents intertwined, making one's limbs feel soft and the heart slightly tipsy. Even the tone of conversation softened by a few degrees.

Li Xuan sat upright on the Dragon Throne at the head of the hall. The bright yellow dragon robe accentuated his cold features, though a hint of hard-to-detect fatigue was hidden between his brows.

Beside him, the New Empress Liu Airu had already changed out of the formal ceremonial robes she wore during the investiture. She now wore a light pink palace dress with silver-threaded lotus patterns embroidered on the hem. The lotus petals were unfurled, elegant and gentle, possessing less of the majesty of the Mother of the World and more of a woman's soft charm.

She held a small mutton-fat jade cup, sipping slowly. The wine had gone to her face, and a faint blush bloomed on her cheeks, making her skin look even whiter than snow and her gentle expression even more pronounced.

She frequently turned her head, her slender fingers holding silver chopsticks to serve Li Xuan his favorite dishes, leaning close to his side to whisper intimate words.

Her tone was gentle and her eyes were full of affection, perfectly balancing the dignity of an Empress with the tenderness of a spouse. This led many officials in the hall to secretly praise that the New Empress was indeed virtuous and proper.

Only Li Xuan himself knew that the current smiling conversation was somewhat forced.

With the investiture of the New Empress, the court had gained temporary stability, and the support of the Liu Clan allowed him to temporarily suppress outside suspicions. This should have been something worth celebrating.

However, the rise of Situ Jun in the Northern Borders was like a thorn stuck in his heart.

Situ Jun held a hundred thousand iron cavalry and guarded the Northern Borders. Coming to the capital for the investiture banquet this time, he had even snatched his Empress away again. He practically treated the Tianqi Imperial Palace as his own backyard. The hidden worry of imperial power slipping away haunted Li Xuan's heart.

Furthermore, because he had stayed up all night to appease the voices questioning the changes to the New Empress, he hadn't slept at all. Now, aided by the wine, he could temporarily let go of those worries and exchange toasts and laughter with the foreign envoys and high officials. However, the gloom deep in his eyes never truly dissipated.

As the night deepened, the full moon rose to the center of the sky, its radiance growing stronger, and the drunkenness in the hall became even more intense.

The music became more melodious, the dancers' movements more seductive, and the atmosphere in the hall reached its peak of liveliness.

Many officials were already intoxicated, and their usual cautious demeanor vanished. Their voices grew louder, and the frequency of their toasts increased. They crowded around Li Xuan, offering auspicious words and celebratory toasts, shouting things like "Your Majesty's great fortune" and "The nation is at peace." They surrounded Li Xuan so tightly that not even water could leak through.

As the sovereign, Li Xuan naturally could not refuse, so he could only drink cup after cup.

The nectar burned his throat as it went down, and the wine's effect spread through his Bloodline. Gradually, he felt light-headed, and the figures before him began to sway. Yet, the smile remained on his face, and his movements in raising his cup remained composed. Only his fingers gripping the jade cup trembled slightly, betraying his current intoxication and fatigue.

Liu Airu sat to the side, taking all of this in and feeling secretly worried.

She quietly reached out, gently tugged on Li Xuan's sleeve, and leaned into his ear, saying softly in a voice only the two of them could hear:

"Your Majesty, please drink less. Your health is important."

Li Xuan turned and met her worried eyes. Those eyes were as gentle as water, reflecting the candlelight and making his heart stir slightly.

Borrowing the influence of the wine, he reached back and grasped her hand. Her hand was soft and delicate, forming a sharp contrast with his rough one. He smiled and said:

"It is no matter. Today is a day of great joy; I am happy."

His tone carried a bit of an Emperor's self-will, as well as the relaxation of being drunk.

Being held by him, Liu Airu's heart skipped a beat. Her expression remained gentle as she stopped trying to persuade him. Instead, she silently blocked several overly eager toasts for him and used her fingertips to gently wipe away the wine stains from the corner of his mouth.

After an unknown amount of time, the moonlight completely enveloped the Tianqi Imperial Palace, wrapping the palace walls, halls, and paths in a sheet of clear radiance. The banquet in Taiqian Hall finally drew to a close.

The officials and foreign envoys were all dead drunk. Some leaned on the arms of eunuchs with stumbling steps, while others were still muttering drunken words, their faces flushed with intoxication.

They rose one after another to pay their respects and take their leave of Li Xuan and Liu Airu on the throne. Their voices were slurred but remained respectful.

Li Xuan nodded to each one in agreement. His voice was heavy with wine as he instructed the eunuchs beside him to see them off properly and not to neglect the guests.

The musicians and dancers had already quietly withdrawn. Only the palace maids and eunuchs remained in the hall, busy cleaning up the mess of cups and plates. The light clinking of bowls and chopsticks sounded exceptionally clear in the now-quiet hall.

Liu Airu leaned on the hand of her personal lady-in-waiting, frowning slightly with a hint of unavoidable fatigue on her face. She said softly to Li Xuan:

"Your Majesty, the night is late. Why not return to Kunning Palace to rest? The remaining matters of the banquet can be handled by the officials of the Ministry of Rites."

Li Xuan rubbed his throbbing temples, pressing his brow with his fingertips to alleviate the waves of headache. Hearing this, he nodded and said in a raspy voice:

"Very well, I will do as the Empress says."

He pushed himself up using the armrests of the Dragon Throne, his body staggering. The eunuchs beside him hurried forward to support him, and Liu Airu also stepped forward quickly to hold his other arm. Side by side, the two of them slowly walked down the imperial steps.

Liu Airu's skirt brushed across the blue brick floor, bringing a faint scent of lotus dew that mingled with the smell of wine on Li Xuan. They walked along the hall's passage toward the entrance.

Just as they reached the center of the hall, Li Xuan's gaze inadvertently swept across the room. He saw Situ Jun still sitting motionless at a table in the corner. Before him sat an empty jade carafe. He leaned his elbow on the table, resting his cheek in his palm, appearing to be drunk.