The sounds of pipes and strings were melodious, and the dancing girls swayed their waists.
Yet, the atmosphere at the banquet was extremely strange.
All the guests felt as if they were sitting on pins and needles.
Only the Emperor, seated at the head, seemed oblivious.
"No need to be reserved."
He smiled as he looked at the young girl beside him, his gaze falling on a plate of exquisite pastries on the table.
"I remember that Prince Jings Estate has a chef from Gusu. His glazed pastries are the most authentic; even the imperial chefs in the palace fall short."
"Try some."
The Emperor reached out, personally pushing the plate of pastries towards Jiang Yuechu.
"Normally in the palace, if I wanted to eat this, I'd have to consider Prince Jing's mood."
These words, seemingly a joke, instantly made Li Jingran break out in a cold sweat.
Was this a warning to him?
Or was it hinting at something?
He quickly bowed, "Your Imperial Brother has an excellent memory. It is indeed Master Zhang from Gusu."
"These pastries are made with freshly picked lotus stamens from this year, supplemented with morning dew and honey, and must be steamed for three hours to achieve that melt-in-your-mouth, sweet-but-not-cloying texture."
As he spoke, he cautiously glanced at Jiang Yuechu, his tone carrying a hint of flattery.
"I wonder what flavors Inspector Jiang usually prefers. If you find it too bland or too rich, please speak up, and this Prince will immediately have someone change it!"
Watching a dignified Prince acting as diligently as a waiter.
The expressions of the crowd below were even more varied and wonderful.
Jiang Yuechu lowered her eyes, looking at the exquisite pastry in front of her.
She had no interest in the undercurrents between the two brothers.
But since the Emperor had spoken... she reached out a finger, picked up the pastry, and put it into her mouth.
"Does it suit your taste?"
"Too sweet."
"Too sweet?"
The Emperor frowned, turned his head, and coldly swept his gaze over Li Jingran.
"Didn't you hear?"
"Inspector Jiang doesn't like things too sweet."
"Remove it."
Li Jingran: "..."
He gritted his back teeth, forced out a smile, and waved his hand at the maid next to him.
"Yes... remove it, quickly remove it and bring some lighter ones!"
The Emperor then asked, "And this wine? Is it a bit cold?"
Jiang Yuechu took a sip: "It's fine."
"'It's fine' means it's cold."
The Emperor's expression darkened, and he looked at Li Jingran again.
"On such a cold day, you let people drink cold wine?"
"If your Prince's Estate can't even afford this much charcoal, I'll have someone send you a few carts from the imperial treasury tomorrow!"
Li Jingran felt a mouthful of old blood stifled in his chest.
This wine was just warmed up!
But facing the Emperor's murderous gaze.
Li Jingran could only bow again, stifled, "It's my oversight... Someone! Bring hot wine! The scalding kind!"
Damn it!
May it scald you to death!
All the guests were dumbfounded.
No matter how much the Emperor valued Inspector Jiang, it shouldn't be like this, right?
Gu Changge, huddled in the corner, nudged Wei Qing next to him and whispered, "Hey, I say... could it be that he's taken a fancy to Lord Jiang?"
"Don't talk nonsense!"
Wei Qing glared at him, but her heart was also pounding.
Such favor... could it be that His Majesty really fancies Nickname?!
The Emperor seemed not to care about the gazes of others at all.
He was like a chatterbox, incessantly asking questions.
"I heard you stayed in the Region for a while. Did you suffer any grievances?"
"The sandstorms there are harsh, but your delicate skin hasn't been roughened by them."
"If anyone bullies you, just tell me."
At this, a fierce glint flashed in the Emperor's eyes.
Jiang Yuechu's brows furrowed tighter and tighter.
She put down her wine cup, looking at this overly enthusiastic Emperor.
What exactly did this guy want to do?
Could it be... because the value she displayed in the Taihu Lake battle was too great, he was trying to win her over?
But even so.
The means of winning her over were too exaggerated.
With this effort, he might as well reward her with some demon flesh and blood.
"Your Majesty."
Jiang Yuechu interrupted his solicitous inquiries, her expression calm.
"Your subject is a martial artist, with tough skin and thick flesh. Although the Region is hard, it also tempers one's Heart-Nature."
"As for suffering grievances..."
"It's usually your subject who makes others suffer."
"Hahaha! Good!"
Upon hearing this, the Emperor was not angry; instead, he clapped his hands and laughed heartily.
"Your temperament is quite similar to..."
The words on the tip of his tongue suddenly stopped.
"...quite similar to myself when I was young."
The Old Eunuch's eyelids twitched wildly beside him.
Your Majesty, you are only twenty-three this year, how can you speak of 'when you were young'?
Just then.
Above the winding canal, an exquisite feathered wine cup slowly drifted with the current.
Whether intentional or not.
As the wine cup passed in front of the main seat, it spun around and came to a steady stop before Jiang Yuechu.
The entire hall fell silent.
All eyes instantly focused on that wine cup.
Flowing goblets and winding streams.
Whoever the cup stops before must perform.
Either compose poetry or play the zither.
But this person... the scene of her kicking the great scholar Su flying was still vivid in everyone's minds.
If she were to perform... would she perhaps demonstrate tearing a living person apart on the spot?
Li Jingran's eyes flickered.
Just as he was about to speak to smooth things over and gain favor.
He heard the Emperor speak with great interest, "Oh? It seems this is fate."
"Inspector Jiang, since the cup has stopped, why don't you show us your skill?"
"I also want to see what else our Great Tang hero can do besides martial Dao."
Jiang Yuechu looked at the wine cup.
After a moment of silence.
She slowly stood up.
"Your subject is not proficient in poetry or music."
"However..."
"A few days ago, your subject learned a tune."
"Since Your Majesty is interested, your subject will make a humble display."
Playing the zither?
The crowd exchanged glances.
This harbinger of doom... could she also play the zither?
Wei Qing clenched her fists below, her eyes filled with excitement.
It's happening, it's happening!
She thought there would be no chance after all this commotion... but now!
Her efforts in asking for the score were not in vain after all!
"Oh? I didn't expect Inspector Jiang to also play the zither?"
A hint of surprise flashed in the Emperor's eyes, and he waved his hand.
"Someone, bring a zither."
Soon, a maid brought an ancient zither and placed it before the table.
Jiang Yuechu sat down again.
She extended her hands, suspending them above the zither strings.
The previously somewhat noisy banquet hall, for some reason, suddenly fell silent at this moment.
Jiang Yuechu closed her eyes.
In her mind, that ancient score, heavy with murderous Qi, flowed like water.
Zheng—!!!
The first note of the zither rang out.
It was not the high mountains and flowing water that everyone expected, nor was it a decadent melody.
This sound.
Was like the clash of metal, like a sharp blade unsheathing!
Many people present felt a stinging pain in their eardrums, and their hearts suddenly constricted.
Before they could react.
Zheng zheng zheng—!!!
The zither music abruptly intensified.
Like a fierce wind sweeping across a Gobi Desert, like iron cavalry shattering a frozen river.
An extremely dense aura of killing intent exploded with Jiang Yuechu at its center!
Boom—!
The wine cups on the tables vibrated in unison, and the flowing water in the canal rippled in layers.
In a trance.
Everyone seemed to see war drums pounding, banners obscuring the sun.
One person, one blade, standing amidst a myriad of troops, with piles of white bones beneath their feet and a sky full of bloody rain above their heads.
"Ah—!!!"
A timid scholar was actually so frightened by the Evil Qi in the zither music that he screamed and fell to the ground.
The Emperor looked at the young girl immersed in the zither music, and through the pervasive Evil Qi, he seemed to see his sister, who should have been pampered in the deep palace but had ended up among the common folk.
Heartache.
Guilt.
Yet also pride.
This is my sister!
This is a child of the Li family!
Even if she wandered in the wilderness, even without imperial instruction.
She could still grow into this kind of person!
Boom—!!!
As the final note of the zither fell.
Like a clap of thunder, it abruptly ceased.
The lingering sound had not faded, the killing intent had not dispersed.
Jiang Yuechu slowly pressed down on the zither strings and opened her eyes.
A red glint flashed in her eyes and then disappeared.
The entire hall was dead silent.
You could hear a pin drop.
After a long while.
"Good!!!"
A furious shout broke the silence.
The Emperor suddenly rose, his face flushed red.
He clapped his hands vigorously, cheering loudly.
"Excellent tune! Excellent spirit!"
"Compared to those sickly sentimental and decadent melodies, this is true heavenly music!"
Everyone: "..."
But with the Emperor praising it, who dared to disagree?
"Good! Excellent tune!"
"Such a tune should only exist in heaven; how often can one hear it on earth!"
"Inspector Jiang is greatly talented! Truly greatly talented!"
For a time, flattery surged like a tide.
Even though their legs were still trembling with fear, they had to force stiff smiles onto their faces and clap desperately.
Li Jingran sat below, looking at the young girl surrounded by praise, and then at his Imperial Brother, who was so excited he was losing his composure.
The doubt in his heart grew stronger and stronger.
These two... no matter how he looked at them.
Something felt off.