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墨書 Inktalez
On New Year's Eve, a grand banquet was held in the Imperial Garden.
Countless uniquely shaped and exquisitely decorated glass lanterns, revolving lanterns, Su lamps, and bone lamps illuminated the Garden of the Imperial Palace, revealing every detail and creating an atmosphere filled with fragrant attire. The colorful lanterns made of crystal, glass, satin, and eight treasures emitted various lights—some red, some green, and some white. The palace maids and concubines, with their hair elegantly styled, floated gracefully in their colorful garments, each appearing enchanting.
The refreshing scent of dragon brain incense wafted from the antique purple-gold incense burner in front of Qingyan Hall. The Han Baiyu Jade Platform shimmered like crystal under the lights, while golden brocade covered the pathways leading through the swaying crystal curtains to the Emperor's feet inside Qingyan Hall.
At this moment, the Imperial Garden resembled a world of crystal and brocade, radiating an air of imperial grandeur.
Zhao Gou beamed with joy, unable to contain his smile. The large zitan imperial table was laden with delicacies from land and sea, and the Golden Lantern silver basin was filled with an array of exquisite dishes.
The hall was warm as spring, while outside it was not cold either; numerous warm stoves were set up throughout the Imperial Garden, along with many tables for the imperial banquet. Those tables were reserved for concubines and high-ranking officials. No one was qualified to sit with the Emperor except for Li Hong and Chuxuan.
Both wore ancient crowns and crimson cloaks, their faces quite solemn, exuding an air of distinction. Chuxuan seemed fine with it, but Li Hong found it utterly boring.
The New Year's Eve banquet had begun in the afternoon with officials offering their New Year greetings. Following that were performances of music and dance before the formal banquet commenced. Lantern viewing would follow, and later there would be fireworks. Accompanying Zhao Gou required maintaining appearances until late into the night to celebrate the New Year. Just thinking about it made Li Hong roll his eyes.
Zhao Gou was particularly enthusiastic and full of spirit. This year had been exceptionally pleasant for him.
Suddenly, a thunderous sound announced the arrival of the National Guardian Master. Perhaps he had heard Zhao Gou's nightly prayers? Zhao Gou thought to himself with a crooked smile. In recent years, ever since he ascended to the throne, he had not experienced a single day of peace—always fleeing or fighting wars. He had woken up startled from nightmares many times, only to be carried away by his eunuchs in haste. Several times he had narrowly escaped capture by the Jin forces. Finally relocating to Jiangnan felt like settling down in Lin'an for a few peaceful days; however, who knew that the Jin forces still lurked across the river? Assassins occasionally emerged as well. His throne felt precarious.
Now things were different; the National Guardian Master had finally arrived. They were truly powerful individuals from the lineage of Jingying Xianyou Zhenjun. Moreover, one of them was his own nephew; from now on, he could sleep soundly without worry.
Thinking of this made Zhao Gou smile broadly, but he still needed to maintain his imperial dignity. He feigned authority and commanded in a deep voice: "Come here! Pour wine for the two National Guardian Masters; I will personally toast Celestial Master three cups!"
The Little Yellow Gate filled a golden goblet with fine wine as Zhao Gou stood up solemnly and said: "To both National Guardian Masters, I declare that I bestow Chu Hongzi, the National Protector..."
Before he could finish speaking, Li Hong lazily interrupted: "Hold on! I don't like these formalities; let's skip them!"
Zhao Gou found himself at a loss for words as his white face twitched with three long strands of beard. The officials and concubines below widened their eyes in shock.
Even if one were a National Guardian Master, daring to interrupt the Emperor's words was audacious beyond measure!
Zhao Gou felt embarrassed and cast a pleading glance at Chuxuan, thinking that since you are my nephew, please say something to save my face.
Chuxuan silently scoffed while remaining seated without moving. He had always looked down on this Emperor uncle from the bottom of his heart; besides, now that he was an outsider, why should he adhere to mortal hierarchies?
Inside and outside the palace, there was an eerie silence, as still as death. Suddenly, someone shouted, "Celestial Master, you are being disrespectful! Hurry and kneel to thank the Sovereign for his grace!"
Li Hong's gaze flicked over, and the speaker was none other than the Right Chancellor, Qin Hui.
With a dark, thin face and eyebrows that curled downwards, he appeared indignant, but his eyes darted around, betraying his inner emptiness and fear.
Qin Hui was afraid. When he saw Li Hong and Chuxuan outside the palace gate, he thought they were merely scholars here for the imperial examination. To his shock, they turned out to be the National Guardian Master in disguise. Remembering the "good deeds" he had done in secret, cold sweat poured down his back. He had been keeping a low profile for the past two days, but now was a good opportunity to show loyalty to the emperor; he steeled himself and jumped forward.
Li Hong recalled Yue Fei's words and what he had witnessed outside the Chancellor's residence. His contempt for Chancellor Qin ran deep, and he felt extreme disgust. His cold voice echoed throughout the Garden of the Imperial Palace: "Do you expect me, as the National Guardian Master, to kneel and thank the emperor? Do not forget that the True Religion Emperor issued an edict long ago stating that one may meet the emperor on equal terms. Qin Hui, how bold you are! In your eyes, it seems there is no place for me as a Celestial Master or for our Central Plains homeland!"
"No Central Plains homeland!" All the ministers and concubines in attendance keenly caught this last statement. The usually expressionless Left Chancellor Zhao Ding began to show amusement in his eyes; all those in favor of war felt similarly. It turned out that the National Guardian Master was also pro-war! This was excellent; with the National Guardian Master's strong support, how could they worry about restoring their country?
When Li Hong glanced at Qin Hui, a tremendous pressure bore down on him. Qin Hui sensed the killing intent and warning contained within that gaze; he was already drenched in sweat. He gripped the table tightly to steady himself, but his legs trembled uncontrollably.
"Do you think I am unaware of your misdeeds? Selling offices and titles, privately accepting bribes—besides wagging your tail to beg for mercy from Golden Dog, what else can you do?" Li Hong's cold voice resonated throughout the garden.
At this point, many loyal ministers who had long been dissatisfied with Qin Hui nearly burst into laughter. Zhao Ding silently cheered in delight, perked up his ears to listen closely, already smiling without realizing it.
The pro-peace faction did not expect that the Celestial Master would suddenly erupt during the New Year's Eve banquet and openly accuse Qin Hui. They were momentarily flustered, exchanging anxious glances with pale faces but dared not speak.
Li Hong had been holding back his anger for too long; he coldly said, "Your Majesty, why do you still allow such a sycophant to remain in court? Are you waiting until he hands over our Song Dynasty to the Jurchens before realizing his treachery? Right Chancellor? Hmph! I think it's best if he is removed from office! Let a good person take his place. For example, Yue Fei would be an excellent choice."
Zhao Gou was nearly stunned upon hearing this; how did this Celestial Master from Mount Xian know Yue Fei's name? And he openly suggested him as Chancellor? He was bewildered, his face alternating between red and pale, unsure of how to respond.
Zhao Ding promptly stood up and declared emphatically: "I support what the Celestial Master has said! Qin Hui is treacherous and lacks loyalty; sooner or later he will ruin our Song Dynasty's defenses. I earnestly request Your Majesty to heed the wise words of the Celestial Master and dismiss Qin Hui from his position!" He immediately lifted his robe and knelt down, bowing his head to the ground.
A chorus of gasps filled the air as many voices rose simultaneously: "We implore Your Majesty to heed the Celestial Master's wise words!"
"Dismiss him!"
"Dismiss him!! Dismiss him!!"
The guards began to shout, their voices shaking the roof, causing several timid eunuchs to lose their footing and fall to the ground.
Zhao Gou, amidst the thunderous uproar, sat back down on the dragon throne, his face pale with fear. After all, he was the emperor. His mind raced as he quickly regained composure and said in a deep voice, "Proclaim my decree: dismiss Qin Hui from the position of Right Chancellor and return to his residence to await further orders!"
A group of fierce personal guards rushed to Qin Hui's side, grabbing him by the collar and dragging him out. Qin Hui knew that the situation was dire, his face ashen. However, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief; fortunately, the Celestial Master did not know about my secret agreement with the Jin people… He allowed himself to be dragged away. His official hat rolled to the ground, crushed underfoot by the guards and kicked into a corner.
Li Hong laughed heartily, "How satisfying! The emperor acted decisively; he must be a ruler of restoration! Here’s to you, Chu Hong, three cups in honor of your wise counsel and virtuous ministers. May you become a joyful and enlightened sovereign from now on!"
Hearing the phrases "ruler of restoration" and "joyful sovereign," Zhao Gou laughed from the bottom of his heart, not even glancing at Qin Hui being dragged out like a dead dog. Such a person was nothing compared to the Celestial Master's assurances!
"Long live! Long live! Long long live!"
Cheers erupted like thunder. Zhao Gou was intoxicated; this was the joy of being an emperor.
"Come forth! Proclaim my decree: today there shall be no restrictions on the Imperial Guard; I want to celebrate with the people!"
Fireworks shot up into the sky. Zhao Gou, filled with pride, led the civil and military officials to the Imperial City Beautiful Main Gate to enjoy the splendid lights. Li Hong and Chuxuan did not follow; they sat at their seats and spoke quietly.
Chuxuan said, "My royal uncle has always been timid; do you really think he will be a good emperor?"
Li Hong shook his head. "I don't know; I just want to fulfill what I promised Yue Fei."
Chuxuan continued, "Did you notice? Left Chancellor Zhao Ding only supported dismissing Qin Hui but didn’t even mention promoting Yue Fei to Right Chancellor."
Li Hong smiled. "I’m merely expressing support for Yue Fei; in truth, I do not agree with pulling him back to Lin'an to get caught up in court intrigues. He is a military man; it’s better for him to lead troops in battle."
Chuxuan also smiled. "So you seem reckless but have actually calculated everything!"
Li Hong chuckled.
At that moment, there was a loud crackling sound as white smoke filled the air with a pungent odor. Countless colorful fireworks shot into the sky, forming various beautiful patterns in red and green. Outside, musicians were ready as the melodious tune of Eternal Longevity began to play, accompanied by flutes and drums in perfect harmony. In the distance, cheers of "Long live!" echoed like mountains. It was a scene of peace and celebration.
The vibrant spectacle before him made Li Hong feel deeply moved as he exclaimed, "In Central Plains still under Jin's iron hooves, there are no signs of life for miles; people are either dead or fleeing. General Yue leads soldiers into enemy camps, living on coarse rations and horse meat. Yet here it is so prosperous; it is truly excessive."
He spoke these words aloud, without any transmission.
The attendant, Little Yellow Gate, trembled slightly. Seeing that Li Hong and Chuxuan seemed not to notice, he quietly shrank back and soon disappeared behind the porch.
Before long, Zhao Gou hurried in with ministers and concubines. Zhao Gou's eyes darted, and he said in a deep voice, "Clear the music and remove the seats! I want to drink with the Celestial Master and engage in light conversation. I think of the soldiers on the front lines bravely fighting in the icy cold, enduring great hardships. Today, I will have clear wine and clear seats to keep vigil for them, praying for heaven to bless our Song Dynasty military and civilians so that we may soon recover our Homeland!"
"Long live the wise emperor!"
Li Hong smiled lightly.
Zhao Ding in the crowd smiled sincerely; this Chu Hongzi, the National Protector, arrived just in time.
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