Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
The Mid-Autumn Festival had arrived. The palace was hosting a family banquet, and His Majesty had ordered all the consorts to attend.
This was a tremendous honor! In the past, only those of the third rank and above, along with the consorts favored by His Majesty, were allowed to participate.
This time, for some unknown reason, His Majesty had permitted all the consorts to be present. Although Chancellor Chu Mo was not one to indulge in beauty, according to the Ancestral System, every three years, virtuous young women from various regions were selected to enter the palace.
Women from Noble Families and Official Families, renowned for their beauty, were also chosen and invited into the palace. Additionally, some ambitious officials presented stunning women as tributes. By the count, there were at least eight hundred.
While everyone attended, not everyone could see His Majesty. The seating arrangement was based on rank; Quan Qing, being a sixth-rank beauty, was not at the very end but still quite far back, unable to even catch a glimpse of what His Majesty was wearing. It felt like watching a concert from a distance.
Every word spoken by His Majesty was relayed by eunuchs so that those who could not hear him directly could still listen.
Quan Qing thought it quite considerate of His Majesty. After all, she held no illusions about him. Steadying herself, she focused on eating while only catching snippets of what the eunuchs conveyed.
Just as she was enjoying her meal, a young eunuch approached her and bowed slightly. "Congratulations, little mistress; it's your turn this time."
Quan Qing looked up in confusion. "What do you mean it's my turn?"
She had been so engrossed in her food that she hadn’t heard the earlier announcement—the Emperor wanted to play a game of chance where whoever was pointed out would step forward to perform.
The young eunuch explained again. She responded with an "oh" and slowly rose from her seat, gracefully making her way forward.
As she walked past, the consorts on either side cast envious glances at her.
Because she was far away and walked slowly, it took her about five minutes to reach the front of the throne.
"Your Majesty." She bowed slightly and looked at her "husband." Chu Mo truly lived up to his title as the Dragon Son of Heaven, handsome and imposing.
On either side of him sat two women; from their attire, it was clear that the one on the left was the Empress, while the one on the right was likely Consort Shu, Chu Mo's most favored.
With three thousand beauties in his harem, it was no surprise that he did not remember her. His chief eunuch, Fang Fuhai, stood beside him and said, "Your Majesty, this young lady is beauty Huang from Leng Xue Residence."
Chu Mo responded with a casual "Oh," then turned to her and said, " beauty Huang, feel free to perform something for us."
Since he said to perform freely, Quan Qing relaxed. She had deliberately walked slowly earlier while contemplating what to showcase.
Typically, women who traveled through time were incredibly powerful and could dazzle everyone with a simple dance. Unfortunately, she only knew how to do aerobics.
After a moment's thought, she decided to sing instead.
"Your Majesty, I will sing a song for everyone," she said with a smile.
Her voice opened up like a yellow oriole as she began: "The spring breeze blows and blows, entering my heart's door. Missing you makes my heart race; I can't fall asleep. Why is it that you do not understand the intentions of falling flowers? I can only gaze at the bright moon outside the window..."
This song was "Flower Good Moon Round Night," a duet by Yang Qianchan and Yan Xianqi, perfectly fitting the theme of Mid-Autumn.
As she sang, her voice gradually diminished because she noticed that Chu Mo's expression was quite unusual.
Moved, surprised, and delighted, the hand holding the wine glass trembled slightly.
Finally, with a loud "bang," the cup fell to the ground, and the entire hall fell silent, everyone unsure of what had just happened.
Quan Qing was equally bewildered. Her singing level was merely that of a karaoke bar; surely His Majesty couldn’t be so moved as to appear on the verge of tears?
Anxiously, she stood there as Chu Mo raised his hand and pointed his index finger at her. "You will serve me tonight."
This declaration caused an uproar in the hall.
According to the Ancestral System, on Mid-Autumn night, His Majesty was supposed to accompany the Empress.
Although Quan Qing wasn't well-versed in history, years of immersion in palace intrigue novels had made her aware of this rule.
Casually, she glanced at the Empress. The woman still smiled with grace and virtue, but the coldness in her eyes was enough to send shivers down one's spine.
Consort Shu wore a face full of schadenfreude.
Quan Qing realized that her days of peace were over.
Comment 0 Comment Count