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At this joyful Leisurely Garden banquet, Shen Niao Yan and Lingbo seemed to still be enjoying themselves. Although King of Yue and the Prime Minister were still in high spirits, the banquet had to come to an end as the sun set. The gifts bestowed upon the courtesans by both families piled up like mountains, nearly level with Purple Pavilion Peak, truly a sight to behold! The prince and the Prime Minister rode back to the city under the moonlight, just as they arrived at the city gate, the drum on the city tower was about to sound. The courtesans from both families hurried back, their ornaments jingling, fragrant scents wafting through the air. Dropped hairpins and rings were crushed underfoot, only the sound of rustling could be heard amidst the fragrant dust. The citizens of Chang'an crowded the streets, eager to witness this rare spectacle. An elderly man over a hundred years old, moved to tears, said, "Back in my youth, I saw Emperor Xuanzong visit Huaqing Palace, and that was no less grand! I never expected to live to this age and witness such a peaceful era again!"
At this moment, two princesses were accompanying Qin Caifeng and Jia Chunyun, waiting for the Prime Minister to return home. As soon as he arrived, Shen Niao Yan and Bai Lingbo approached Prime Minister's Wife and the two princesses. Madam Zheng said, "The Prime Minister often says that thanks to you two young ladies' timely assistance, he has been able to achieve great things and stabilize the borders. I have always regretted not meeting you two sooner! Why did you come so late?" Shen and Bai replied, "We are merely nameless young ones from a remote countryside. We are grateful for the Prime Minister's kindness but feared that you two princesses might not welcome us, so we did not dare to visit hastily. Recently arriving in the capital and hearing people speak highly of you two princesses' virtues, as praised in the Book of Songs—kind-hearted and generous—we dared to come and pay our respects. By chance, we encountered the Prime Minister hunting and playing, allowing us to participate in this banquet and receive your teachings; it is truly our honor!" The princess smiled at the Prime Minister and said, "Today our residence is filled with blooming flowers; surely you feel quite charming yourself, but this is all thanks to our sisters. Do you know that?" The Prime Minister laughed heartily: "As the saying goes, those in high positions love to hear good words; this is certainly true. These two young ladies just arrived at our residence and were afraid of your highness's authority; hence they spoke such flattering words. Your highness truly wishes to take credit for this!" Everyone burst into laughter.
The two young ladies asked Jinghong and Moonlight: "How did today's banquet competition turn out?" Jinghong replied: "Sister Chan will laugh at me for boasting again! With just one word from me, that Yue Palace girl lost half her spirit. Back in the day, Zhuge Kongming crossed Jiangdong alone on a small boat; with his eloquence, he made everyone else speechless. Zhou Gongjin and Lu Zijing, each could only gasp for breath without uttering a word. The three thousand guests of Pingyuan Jun became useless decorations when they reached Chu; in the end, it was only through Mao Sui's efforts that Zhao's status rose above all else! I believe I have my own talents; thus my words and actions may seem a bit arrogant, but arrogance does not equate to empty boasting. If you don't believe me, just ask Sister Chan; you'll know I'm not exaggerating."
Moonlight responded: "Sister Hong's archery skills are indeed impressive; however, using such skills at our sisters' banquet is commendable but might not fare well on a battlefield where swords clash. As for making that Yue Palace girl lose her spirit, it was merely her admiration for your beauty and talent; how can that be credited to Consort Hong? It reminds me of a story from the Spring and Autumn Period: there was a Jia Daifu, who was incredibly ugly and ridiculed by everyone. His wife never smiled at him for three years until one day he caught a wild chicken while out with her—only then did she smile at him for the first time. Did you shoot down several wild chickens today hoping to emulate that Jia Daifu?" Jinghong heard this but was not angry; instead, she laughed: "That Jia Daifu, despite his looks, managed to earn a smile from his wife through his archery skills. With my talent and decent looks along with my excellent archery skills, wouldn't that earn even more respect?" Moonlight chuckled: "Sister, you really know how to praise yourself! This is all because the Prime Minister spoils you too much; you've become somewhat oblivious!" The Prime Minister laughed as well: "I knew Chan was clever and talented but didn't realize you also had some knowledge of Spring and Autumn classics!" Moonlight quickly replied: "When I have nothing else to do, I just flip through them casually; how could I dare call it 'research'?"
The next day during court assembly, the Prime Minister attended court. The Empress Dowager summoned both him and King of Yue. The two princesses had also entered the palace and sat beside her. The Empress Dowager asked King of Yue: "My son competed with the Prime Minister yesterday based on springtime themes; who won?"
King of Yue replied: "Consort is indeed favored by Qi; I willingly concede defeat. However, I wonder if such fortune for the Prime Minister is good or bad for both princesses."
The Empress Dowager then turned this question towards the Prime Minister. He answered: "King of Yue says I surpassed him like Li Bai losing momentum upon seeing Cui Hao's poetry; however, how can we say Li Bai lost to Cui Hao? As for whether my fortune is good or bad for the princesses, I am not one of them; it is difficult for me to make assumptions—please ask their opinions."
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager smiled at both princesses. They replied in unison: "Husbands and wives are one body; honor and disgrace are shared together. When a husband is blessed, his wife naturally shares in that fortune; when he faces misfortune, she cannot escape it either. The happiness enjoyed by the Prime Minister is equally shared by us."
After listening to them, King of Yue shook his head: "Though your words are pleasant to hear, they do not come from genuine feelings. Historically speaking, no Consort has ever been as reckless as our Prime Minister—this is due to lax court discipline! Please have mother investigate Yang Shaoyou, charging him with disrespecting court authority and contempt for national law!"
The Empress Dowager laughed heartily: "It seems indeed that our Consort has committed an offense! But if we truly punish him according to law, both my daughters will be heartbroken! Therefore, we can only bend royal law slightly due to my personal feelings."
Yet King of Yue remained unconvinced and insisted: "Even so, the Prime Minister's offenses should not be easily forgiven; please allow me to have him interrogated before your majesty so he can defend himself before we make any decisions."
Seeing his persistence, the Empress Dowager had no choice but to agree with a smile and allowed him to draft an interrogation document as a warning for the Prime Minister.
The document stated: Since ancient times no Consort has dared keep concubines—not because they lack charm or wealth but because they understand how to respect their sovereigns and uphold national integrity. Moreover, Princess Lan Ying holds an esteemed position as jewels in her mother's eyes; their character is noble and virtuous. Yet here stands Consort Yang Shaoyou, who neglects how to respectfully serve these princesses while indulging himself daily among courtesans as if desperately seeking pleasure everywhere—he spends his days seeking joy in every corner while being dazzled by beauties from Yan Zhao or intoxicated by music from Zheng Wei—living amidst songs of warblers while surrounded by heavy perfumes all day long! Although both princesses are graceful without jealousy in their hearts,Yang Shaoyou, being a husband should know better than this—such indulgence is unforgivable! We hope that he will confess voluntarily without any concealment while awaiting judgment!
After leaving the Golden Luan Hall,Yang Shaoyou knelt down on the ground awaiting judgment while standing outside,King of Yue loudly read out loud what had been drafted against him.
Upon hearing it,Yang Shaoyou, calm yet resolute began his defense:
"I am Yang Shaoyou, grateful for His Majesty’s and Her Majesty’s favor which allowed me marriage with both princesses—my position is exalted among ministers while enjoying utmost honor; both princesses are virtuous with harmonious relationships—what more could I desire? However,I am still young and impetuous—inevitably drawn towards pleasures found within brothels—I admit my indulgence in wealth without self-discipline has led me astray! I have heard that according to court laws,Consorts may take concubines if they were already present before marriage—this does not apply here since my maidservant,Gentlewoman the Qin, was granted by His Majesty thus does not count against me; my concubine Jia was someone I fell in love with during my stay at the Zheng Family. As for concubines from families Gui,Dai,Shao,and Bai—they either had ties established before marriage or were brought back under imperial orders during campaigns—all prior engagements occurred before marrying either princesses! Furthermore keeping them within my household was also per request from both princesses—I dared not act without consent! Therefore according both court laws or royal regulations—I cannot be deemed guilty! Now receiving guidance from His Majesty & Her Majesty—I am utterly terrified!"
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