Placid Chang’an

 Chapter 7: The Courtyard Banquet

Three days later, the Imperial Banquet in the Qionglin Pavilion was held. The Emperor hosted the banquet for the top three scholars. The courtyard banquet was arranged in the Chengxiang Hall next to the Taiye Lake, allowing direct entry through the Left Silver Terrace Gate and avoiding the numerous palace structures of the outer court.

When Su Cen arrived at the gate, two people were already waiting there. One appeared to be a eunuch who had come out of the palace to guide the way, while the other wore coarse clothes. He greeted Su Cen with a cupped hand gesture and said, "Brother Su."

This person was Cui Hao, one of this year's top scholars, a native of Hongzhou. It was said that he had been led by his blind mother, who wove fishing nets, all the way to his current achievement. On the day the examination results were announced, he immediately sent someone back to his hometown to bring his mother to the capital. For a while, they became a model of a filial son and devoted mother in the neighborhood.

Su Cen returned the gesture politely.

The eunuch who was waiting on the side said, "Everyone has arrived. Let's go inside."

Su Cen looked around and frowned. He said, "Isn't there still one person missing?"

The eunuch couldn't help but laugh and said, "Zheng Yan came along with Prince Ning's entourage. He is already inside the palace.”

Su Cen was taken aback. He had forgotten that this year's second-place scholar was none other than Zheng Yan, the son of the Duke of Zhengguo. As the great-nephew of Prince Ning, he naturally didn't need to wait outside the palace like the rest of them.

As Su Cen followed the eunuch into the palace gate, he casually glanced sideways and caught a glimpse of Cui Hao's disdainful expression.

There had long been rumors in the neighborhood that Zheng Yan had obtained his ranking because of his relationship with Prince Ning. As the second-place scholar, his position was neither eye-catching nor ugly. However, he had edged out Cui Hao, who had worked his way up through the various examinations, from the provincial to the county level. If it weren't for that, Cui Hao would have been in Zheng Yan's place as the second-place scholar.

Su Cen took a few steps forward and slipped a few silver coins into the eunuch's hand. He inquired, "Sir, is Prince Ning also present?"

The eunuch weighed the silver coins in his hand, pocketed them, and smiled at Su Cen. He said, "Of course he is. The current Emperor just turned nine years old. The important matters in the court are all decided by Prince Ning and the Empress Dowager. Today's banquet is said to be the Emperor's desire to meet everyone, but in reality, it is these two who want to meet all of you. Your future career prospects will depend on whether they find you pleasing or not."

Su Cen directly handed over a silver ingot and said, "Are there any preferences or taboos that Prince Ning has? I had some conflicts with Prince Ning during the court examination, so I hope you can offer me some guidance."

The eunuch laughed so hard that he could barely see. He waved his feather duster and said, "You've asked the right person. I serve in the Inner Palace, responsible for the daily affairs of the palace, including the food and accommodation. Sometimes Prince Ning stays in the palace to handle government affairs, and it's our duty to attend to him."

"As for his preferences..." The eunuch glanced at Cui Hao, noticing that he was dressed in simple white clothes and didn't seem to have the means to offer a generous gift. He pulled Su Cen a few steps forward and lowered his voice, saying, "It's strange to say, but our prince usually just drinks tea and plays chess. He doesn't lack money, and he's not interested in women either, so it's hard to say if he has any particular preferences. If we must mention something, when the prince was younger and served on the battlefield, he liked spirited horses. However, the good horses in the military have always been handpicked by the prince himself, so there's no need for us to offer any gifts. As for taboos, the prince doesn't drink cold wine. If you want to offer him a toast, remember to use warm and good-quality wine. Don't bring any bad luck to the important person."

Su Cen smiled and said, "Thank you for your guidance." Then he turned and asked, "If Prince Ning isn't interested in women, why does he already have a household full of wives and concubines? Is he not attracted to the allure of external beauty?"

"That's not the case," the eunuch replied. "When the prince established his household, he married the daughter of the former Prime Minister, Wen Tingyan. Unfortunately, she had a short life. The prince has been away on military campaigns for most of the time, and they didn't even have the chance to leave behind an heir before she passed away. The prince and the princess had a deep bond, and after her departure, he never remarried or took on concubines. In the past, when the late Emperor was still alive, he could have said something, but now, no one bothers to manage such matters. The rear courtyard of the prince's residence has been empty all this time."

Prince Ning was in his forties, at the prime of his life, and Su Cen found it hard to believe that there was no one in his rear courtyard.

"Oh?" Su Cen ignored Cui Hao's cold gaze and stepped forward, saying, "Why have I heard rumors in the neighborhood that Prince Ning doesn't remarry because he has a preference for men?"

The eunuch was taken aback, looked around, and then whispered, "You must not spread such rumors casually. It concerns the dignity of the royal family, and it could cost you your life."

Upon hearing this, Su Cen knew there was something to it. He handed over all the silver coins he had on him and bowed respectfully, saying, "Rest assured, I will never divulge this."

The eunuch frowned, jingling the bag full of silver coins, and sighed, "You're lucky to have encountered me. If it were someone else, they wouldn't be able to answer you."

Su Cen smiled and asked, "What do you mean, sir?"

The eunuch pulled him along, taking a few quick steps, and said, "There is indeed something to it. These high-ranking individuals all have their own eccentricities, but they keep them hidden from the public eye. I entered the palace early and served Emperor Taizong in his final years. At that time, the late Emperor and Prince Ning were still princes. Before Emperor Taizong passed away, he had a private conversation with Prince Ning, saying that he didn't care what he did behind closed doors, as long as he had a successful marriage that could be presented publicly. Prince Ning’s residence is tightly sealed. Over the years, although there have been rumors and gossip, no one has been able to produce concrete evidence, so the matter has been left unresolved."

"What about the guard who follows Prince Ning..."

"You mean Qi Lin?"

Su Cen pondered for a moment and nodded.

"Him?" The eunuch looked disdainful. "He's just a wolf cub that the prince picked up from outside."

"Wolf cub?" Su Cen furrowed his brow.

"He's not Han Chinese," the eunuch explained. "He's a Turkic, a person Prince Ning picked up from the border."

Su Cen recalled the amber-colored eyes of Qi Lin. Initially, he had thought that the person had light-colored eyes, but now he realized that it wasn't what a Han Chinese would typically have.

"That person is like a knife in the prince's hands, and his hands aren't clean," the eunuch continued. "Have you heard of the Tuo Duo San Wei? That wolf cub is one of them."

Su Cen was taken aback. The Tuo Duo San Wei was known as the strongest military force in Da Zhou. They were all composed of Turkic people, but they fought for the Han Chinese. Years ago, when Ashina led the remnants of the Turkic tribe to hide in the desert, no Han Chinese dared to venture into the desert, and they could only sigh in frustration from a distance. However, the Tuo Duo San Wei, consisting of 150 people, ventured into the desert with supplies and returned after ten days with only twenty people, bringing back the dried-up head of Ashina.

They became famous in that one battle.

This was a military force that everyone avoided like a fierce tiger. If they could be so ruthless to their own people, they wouldn't show any mercy to the Han Chinese if they were to turn their coats. In the eyes of outsiders, they were a group of walking corpses, monstrous creatures. They were a sharp knife that, when used skillfully, could cut through iron like mud, but if mishandled, it could easily turn against its wielder.

Clearly, Prince Ning was a skilled handler of that knife.

As they spoke, the eunuch led the two of them through the courtyards and arrived in front of Chengxiang Hall. Su Cen stopped to bid farewell to the eunuch, while Cui Hao coldly brushed past them and took the lead.

Entering the main hall, the Emperor was not yet present, but several people were already seated at the banquet table.

Su Cen's gaze immediately fell on Prince Ning, who was seated at the right side of the imperial seat, engaged in a lively conversation with Zheng Yan.

In the end, it was Zheng Yan who was engaging in conversation, while it was Li Shi who exuded an aura of vitality. Today was a regular banquet, so Li Shi wasn't wearing the intimidating court attire he had worn that morning. Instead, he was dressed in a black silk deep-collared robe with a crimson purple gown. However, it couldn't be denied that he exuded a compelling presence in black, making the intricate and colorful gauze curtains in the hall pale in comparison.

When Su Cen entered, Zheng Yan instinctively moved back a seat and warmly greeted him, "Brother Su, sit here."

Coincidentally, the seat was right next to Li Shi's seat.

Just as Su Cen was about to settle down, there was a slight cough from the left. He turned his head and immediately recognized the person as the top scorer of the Yonglong Examination, the leading figure of the Empress Dowager's faction, and the current Right Prime Minister, Liu Chen.

Before he could regain his senses, Cui Hao had already respectfully greeted the person, his eyes filled with deep admiration.

Cui Hao's reasoning was not without merit. This young Prime Minister had obtained such a position at a young age, with Empress Chu as his support. In assisting and supporting the rightful ruler, he would undoubtedly be highly favored when the Emperor assumed full power. He would inevitably be revered by scholars across the country as an example to follow.

The Prime Minister glanced at Su Cen, then settled his gaze on Cui Hao. "Come and sit here," he said.

Cui Hao quickly moved closer and took a seat below Liu Chen.

Su Cen furrowed his brow. The seating arrangement at the banquet seemed casual, but it clearly distinguished between factions. On the left side sat the three Shangshu officials from the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Personnel, and the Ministry of Revenue, along with Liu Chen, all of whom were supporters of the Empress Dowager. On the right side were Prince Ning and his allies, representing the other half of the political landscape. With Cui Hao sitting on the left, he had already identified himself as a supporter of the Empress Dowager. Zheng Yan naturally sat on his uncle's side, leaving Su Cen, the newly crowned champion who had won the examination with his arguments against factionalism, standing awkwardly in the courtyard while others pointed and whispered.

Su Cen paused for a moment, ignoring the gaze of the others, and took the seat that Zheng Yan had offered him earlier.

Li Shi glanced at him, raised his cup with a smile, and had an indescribable meaning in his eyes.

Su Cen felt that same electrifying sensation course through his body once again.

As the Emperor took his seat, everyone bowed in respect. Only Li Shi remained seated at the table, while the young Emperor timidly addressed him as "Uncle."

Prince Ning truly lived up to his reputation as the one who held the power to command the princes.

After the Emperor settled in, the praise and commendations began, and only then did people start using their chopsticks. The conversation gradually picked up, focusing on the three newly appointed scholars, as this was the Qionglin Banquet—a gathering of literary figures. The Minister of Personnel spoke up, "All three top scorers this time are talented young men whom we haven't had the pleasure of witnessing. How about we have an impromptu competition, where they face off against another pair? We can consider it a display of elegance and refinement."

Several supporters of the Empress Dowager immediately echoed the idea, seemingly joyful on the surface, but secretly harboring turbulent undercurrents. It was widely rumored that Zheng Yan had relied on his connections to obtain his position, and these people wanted to use this opportunity to establish Cui Hao's reputation.

Su Cen glanced at Zheng Yan and saw him casually eating without a care in the world, but when he noticed Su Cen's gaze, he raised his eyebrows and smiled at him.

"The Prime Minister was the top scorer in the Yonglong Examination. Let him participate in this competition," someone added.

Liu Min politely declined at first, but after pondering for a moment, he proposed, "A bridge spanning the Tiger Creek, three teachings, three sources, three individuals, three smiling words."

Su Cen inwardly sighed. Liu Min's reputation as the top scorer was well-deserved. With a single sentence, he encompassed Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism, with each person representing their respective teachings—Huiyuan, Tao Yuanming, and Lu Xiuqing. It was a simple statement but showed great attention to detail.

There was a moment of silence in the courtyard. Liu Min glanced at Cui Hao beside him and said, "Since you are the third-place winner, why don't you go first? The grand finale should be reserved for the important figures."

Cui Hao cupped his hands in salute to the crowd and earnestly said, "Allow me to present my humble offering: Establishing a humble abode in Nanyang, declining three invitations, three feet supporting three tripods."

This referred to the legendary story of Zhuge Liang, the Martial Lord of Wu. It exhibited a precise balance, with its rhythmic and melodious tones. Smiling with satisfaction, Liu Chen shifted his gaze towards Zheng Yan.

Everyone was anticipating his embarrassment, yet Zheng Yan appeared completely oblivious. He calmly set down his chopsticks, pondered for a moment, and responded：“Bestowing blessings upon Qi Province, nine transformations culminate in success, nine regions unite as one."

The people at the banquet exchanged puzzled looks, and those who were anticipating a joke found themselves embarrassed.

The expression on Cui Hao's face was particularly captivating.

When placed side by side, Cui Hao's couplet paled in comparison to Zheng Yan's. Zheng Yan's response not only implied the Taoist concept of achieving unity through nine transformations but also metaphorically referred to the unification of the entire Great Zhou dynasty. The couplet he composed was grander and more impressive than Cui Hao's.

From this perspective, it seemed that Zheng Yan indeed possessed some talent and was not merely relying on connections, as others had claimed.

Su Cen discreetly glanced at Li Shi and saw that he maintained a calm and indifferent demeanor, clearly already aware of the situation.

Liu Min cleared his throat, visibly displeased by the slight on his face, and turned to Su Cen. "Come, let's hear what our newly crowned champion has to offer."

Su Cen lowered his eyes and said, "The lotus blooms in the monk's abode, each flower representing a world, each leaf embodying enlightenment."