Chapter 4 Entering the Palace for the Banquet

"Mother, with so much Laba porridge, how could we possibly finish eating it?" Anyi frowned, disliking this custom. Leaving so much Laba porridge unconsumed would be wasteful, yet finishing it was impossible.

"Later, I'll have Guan Er send some porridge to the city gates and hand it over to the people at the Relief Bureau. They will distribute it to the poor families in the outer city," Madam Luo said with a smile.

Anyi understood. This porridge was not meant to be eaten at home, but given away. Of course, a single bowl of Laba porridge could not be sent to the Relief Bureau—that would be the overly sweet bowl of Laba porridge bestowed by the emperor himself.

An Qinghe brought back the porridge, which had already gone cold, along with some news that made Anyi somewhat uneasy: on the fifteenth day of the month, a banquet would be held in the palace, and court officials of the third rank and above were required to attend with their families.

What kind of place was the imperial palace?

Even though Anyi had never been there, she knew it was a dangerous place filled with endless struggles and conspiracies, where one could be forced to kneel, kowtow, and face punishment at any moment, and might even lose one's life inexplicably.

Could she choose not to go?

The answer was no.

The rules of the palace were both numerous and trivial. Nanny Li, worried that Madam Luo and Anyi would make mistakes, gave them intensive lessons.

Anyi had a good memory and learned quickly. Nanny Li permitted her to return to her room to rest first. As she stepped out of Jingli Garden, she caught sight of Wei Yang returning from outside, lifted her lips, and called out, "Uncle."

"Where is Xier heading?" Wei Yang asked with a smile.

"Nowhere in particular, just back to Pearl Pavilion."

"Do you have time to chat with your uncle?"

Anyi smiled. "I do."

The uncle and niece went to Pearl Pavilion and sat in the hall on the ground floor. The maids moved in a brazier, served hot tea, and then withdrew outside.

"That maid of yours, Fang Rong, knows martial arts." Wei Yang had been observing Fang Rong over the past couple of days, assuming Anyi was unaware, and was deeply worried.

"Fang Rong is a maid given to me by my second senior sister. Not only does she know martial arts, but I have learned it as well. My master is Ji Fanyi. Has Uncle ever heard of her?" Anyi smiled.

In the jianghu, no one was unaware of Ji Fanyi, though she had retired from the world more than a decade ago. Wei Yang was curious as to how Anyi had managed to become her disciple. "How did you come to meet her?"

"By sheer coincidence." Anyi did not wish to elaborate.

Seeing that she did not want to speak further, Wei Yang politely refrained from pressing and smiled instead. "You have found yourself a fine master."

"Master treats me very well. From her, I have learned both medicine and poisons."

"That woman surnamed Huang has been unconscious and asleep every day. Is that your doing?"

"Father hasn't asked about this, Mother doesn't know, and I haven't told elder brother either. Uncle, you must keep this a secret for me."

"Why go to such trouble? Why not simply finish her off?" Though Wei Yang had washed his hands of the underworld, he had not lost the instincts of an assassin.

"Although I have a way to make her look as though she died of a natural illness without causing any trouble, when all is said and forth, she is merely a pawn sent by the Huang family. She is not entirely in control of her own actions, and her crimes do not warrant death." Anyi had her own bottom line and would not take human lives lightly.

"Do you intend to keep her unconscious like this indefinitely?" Wei Yang frowned and asked.

"This is only temporary. Once the Huang family is dealt with, I will send her to the estate outside the city." Anyi had no wish to keep wasting medicinal ingredients on Madam Huang; she was still counting on selling pills to earn money to supplement the household expenses.

Seeing that Anyi's plan was quite sound, Wei Yang abandoned the idea of taking matters into his own hands and picked up his teacup to take a sip.

"Has Uncle still not found out who hired the assassins?" Anyi had wanted to ask this question for a long time, but ever since Wei Yang returned, he seemed busy with various matters, and the two hadn't crossed paths.

Wei Yang swallowed the tea in his mouth. "If I told you I haven't found out, would you believe me?"

"I would believe it. This is not an easy matter to investigate; it's quite normal not to find out." Anyi's bright eyes shifted. "However, my uncle is very capable and has already found out, hasn't he?"

Wei Yang laughed. "So Xier knows how to coax people too."

"It's not coaxing; it's the truth." Anyi stared at Wei Yang. "Who is the person you found out?"

"Huang Songbo, the father of the woman surnamed Huang."

Anyi wiped the smile from her face and asked in a low voice, "How do Father and Elder Brother plan to handle this?"

"Their intention is to first bring down the Third Prince and then deal with the Huang family."

Anyi's eyes flashed. "And what is Uncle's plan?"

"Bringing down the Third Prince takes too much time. By the time he falls, that old scoundrel Huang Jie will probably already be dead." Wei Yang let out a cold snort. "Allowing him to die of old age is letting him off far too easily."

"How does Uncle plan to deal with him?"

"The one who calls the shots in the Huang family is Huang Jie. The matter of hiring assassins must have been his idea, while Huang Songbo merely stepped forward to execute it." Murder intent surfaced in Wei Yang's eyes. "In Xier's opinion, what kind of blow would be the most devastating to an old man well past seventy?"

Anyi curved her lips into a cold smile. "Losing a son in one's old age—that would deal him a fatal blow."

Having found an ally, Wei Yang wore a trace of a smile on his lips as he said, "Xier must also keep this a secret for her uncle."

"The New Year is approaching, and seeing blood is inauspicious. Give him some medicine so he can leave quietly." Anyi offered a suggestion.

Wei Yang smiled. "That is acceptable as well."

"Uncle, please wait here for a moment. I'll go get the medicine for you." Anyi went up to the loft and brought back a dose of poison for Wei Yang.

Wei Yang concealed the medicine properly and left Pearl Pavilion.

Over the next few days, Wei Yang left the house early every morning and only returned right before the evening curfew, leaving Madam Luo deeply worried. She nagged endlessly, complaining that in the dead of winter, he refused to stay properly at home and instead ran around outside—someone really needed to take him in hand and discipline him.

Anyi could say nothing, so she simply sat nearby, eating an orange peeled by Xianqin.

On the morning of the fourteenth, Cui-xiang Pavilion delivered the custom jewelry ordered by the An family. The four sets of jewelry cost a total of six thousand three hundred taels of silver.

Just as the silver was counted out on one end, someone else arrived bearing silver on the other.

Yesterday, three imperial physicians had gone to the Marquis of Dingyuan's residence to diagnose Madam Zhou. Although the conception was still in its early stages, it was indeed a "slippery" pulse. After years of marriage, Madam Zhou had finally conceived, filling the entire Marquis of Dingyuan's residence with joy.

Although Anyi had absolute confidence in the Heir-Supplication Pills, she had not expected the results to be quite this swift. Barely a month had passed, and Madam Zhou had successfully conceived. Looking at the stack of silver notes and gifts sent over by the Marquis of Dingyuan's residence, she rested her chin in her hands and wondered if she should perhaps specialize in the Heir-Supplication Pill business.

The following day was the day to enter the palace for the banquet. After eating breakfast in Pearl Pavilion, Anyi changed into her newly tailored garments and sat properly before the vanity mirror to comb her hair and apply makeup.

Almond brought out powder and was about to apply it to Anyi's face, but Anyi turned her head away. "No powder needed."

"Miss, today we are entering the palace for a banquet. It would be better to look more solemn and proper," Xianqin advised. Meeting the Son of Heaven with a bare face was far too impolite.

"With a crowd of people at the banquet, no one will pay attention to whether I've applied powder or not." Anyi hadn't applied powder during the flower appreciation gathering either, simply going with a bare face.

How could the maids argue with her temperament? If she said no, then no it was. Besides, even without it, the young miss was still exceedingly pretty.

Peach Kernel brought over two cloaks for her to choose from: one pink, the other bright red.

Anyi chose the pink one, which matched the pinkish-blue round-collared robe she wore underneath.

When entering the palace, one could not bring many maids; Anyi brought only Xianqin, who had a better grasp of the proper etiquette. As she stepped out of Pearl Pavilion, she saw An Kang, who had come to fetch her. "Elder Brother."

"Sister, you look so pretty today," An Kang praised.

Anyi pouted playfully and teased, "Elder Brother doesn't know how to speak at all. What do you mean I look pretty today? Am I not pretty on other days?"

"Yes, yes, yes. My sister is pretty every day, and especially pretty today," An Kang corrected himself with a smile.

The brother and sister went together to Jingli Garden. An Qinghe was not wearing his official robes, but rather a brand-new dark blue brocade robe with blue trim, looking full of vigor.

Madam Luo was also dressed in formal attire, looking dignified and opulent. Nanny Li's intensive training had achieved some effect; at the very least, on the surface, Madam Luo did not appear overly nervous.

At the hour of *chen* (7:00 AM), the members of the An family boarded their carriage and headed toward the imperial palace.

With no empress in the palace, the emperor rarely allowed officials to bring their families when hosting banquets for them. This was also Madam Luo's first time entering the palace, and all the way there, she kept her lips tightly pressed and remained silent.

Anyi reached out to take her hand and spoke softly, "Mother, there's no need to be nervous. We're just going to have a meal—it's simply that this meal is being eaten inside the imperial palace, and there will be a few more people dining with us, that's all."

Madam Luo twitched the corners of her mouth and said tremulously, "I'm not nervous."

"Nanny Li taught us all the rules of the palace, and you learned them very well. You must believe in yourself; you will do a wonderful job," Anyi encouraged her.

"I will do a wonderful job," Madam Luo repeated.

Anyi smiled faintly and continued talking to her, easing her nervous emotions.

The carriage traveled for about an hour before gradually coming to a halt.

Had the imperial palace arrived so quickly?

Anyi cocked her ear to listen closely to the commotion outside the carriage. An Qinghe was exchanging pleasantries with someone; that voice was extremely sharp, sounding neither completely male nor female.

Anyi guessed it was a eunuch guarding the city gates. After the two exchanged a brief couple of sentences, the palace gates slowly opened, and the carriage continued forward.

Upon officially entering the imperial palace, Nanny Li's warning—to speak little and remain dignified and solemn—echoed in her mind. Anyi stopped talking and simply held Madam Luo's hand.

The carriage came to a stop. Yam and Xianqin got off first, assisting Madam Luo and Anyi down. An Qinghe and his son moved much faster, having already alighted from the carriage ahead and coming over to find them.

Guided by palace maids, they headed toward Jingwen Palace, where today's banquet was being held. Anyi followed behind An Kang, her eyes lowered, seamlessly appraising her surroundings. Having witnessed the Forbidden City and experienced its luxurious grandeur and imposing momentum, she found that the imperial palace of the Xu Dynasty lacked any truly breathtaking features.

The An family had arrived rather late, and Jingwen Palace was already filled with many people. The banquet had not yet begun; the men were exchanging pleasantries on the left, while the women were chatting on the right. The An family members also separated into men and women to seek out acquaintances.

Hu Qingyue was keeping Qin family company, listening to her speak to someone while keeping her eyes fixed on the entrance. Seeing Madam Luo and Anyi arrive, she stepped forward to greet them. "Aunt An, Senior Sister."

"Senior Sister," Anyi smiled and greeted.

Madam Luo smiled. "Qingyue."

Qin excused herself from the person beside her, walked over, and bowed to Madam Luo. "Aunt An, I am Qingyue's eldest sister-in-law."

"Young Madam Hu, hello," Madam Luo smiled.

"Aunt An, please don't call me Young Madam. Just call me Tiniang," Qin said, growing close to Madam Luo because of Hu Qingyue. "Sister An, why don't you go play with my younger sister? You can leave Aunt An to me!"

Qin was someone who moved easily among high society and had dealt with various madams many times over. Having her take charge of Madam Luo set Anyi's mind entirely at ease.