Chapter 36
Words:1882Update:22/07/01 05:33:09
At the male side of the banquet, other than Prince Ding, there were only two princes, Prince Zhou, Fu Xiu An and Prince Jing, Fu Xiu Xuan. The Crown Prince's health wasn't good, so he wouldn't participate in such an occasion. Prince Zhou and Prince Jing were born from Consort Xu Xian and both of them had outstanding talents. Prince Zhou was extroverted and arrogant while Prince Jing was reserved but shrewd. These two people were also eyeing the Emperor's throne covetously. Everyone knew that the Crown Prince's health was weak and there would be a day when the Emperor would appoint a Crown Prince instead. Consort Xu Xian was already deeply favoured by the Emperor and in contrast, Prince Ding's mother, Consort Dong Shu was much more low-key. If it was not that Prince Ding was considered outstanding, one fear that the position of the Four Consorts would not be stable.
In the last lifetime, Prince Zhou and Prince Jing were involved in the fight for the throne but relaxed their vigilance towards Prince Ding. Firstly, Fu Xiu Yi and the Crown Prince had a good relationship and was always with the Crown Prince. He even personally searched for precious medicinal herbs for the Crown Prince, thus the Empress was very satisfied with Fu Xiu Yi. Thus the rest of the people felt that Prince Ding was just a follower of the Crown Prince. Secondly, Fu Xiu Yi was usually aloof and disdained to participate in the matters of the court. In addition, Consort Dong Shu had a cautious temperament and spent all day chanting Buddhist scriptures and without the support of a strong maiden family, one expected that Prince Ding would not be able to stir up any waves.
But in fact, the one who finally sat on the Dragon Throne was Fu Xiu Yi who they thought would not be able to stir up any waves.
Shen Miao picked up the leaf card and played with it. Just like this leaf card, Fu Xiu Yi's cards were very bad from the moment he was born. Everyone thought that he would be eliminated from the start but they did not know that he had never thought of using the cards in his hands. His cards were in the hands of others, and what he had to do was to snatch them.
"Why aren't you reacting?" Seeing that she was silent and there was no love for Fu Xiu Yi in her eyes, Feng An Ning felt somewhat strange, "Don't you like him?"
Shen Miao raised her head and looked at her.
Feng An Ning was shocked. That sharp gaze made her heart turn cold and she almost could not resist the urge to kneel down. She did not know where her feelings came from, but she instinctively knew that her words had made Shen Miao unhappy. She paused and said, "Actually, I don't really like him. How can there be such a perfect person in this world? It doesn't seem real. "
This time, Shen Miao looked at Feng An Ning seriously. She didn't expect that this arrogant and willful young miss of a big family could see through this. There were many people who were infatuated with Fu Xiu Yi's appearance. As long as Fu Xiu Yi was willing, all the young girls would fall for him. What, there's actually a maverick?
She slowly said, "Looks like you have someone in your heart."
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Feng An Ning's small face suddenly flushed red, "Do not falsely accuse a good person."
Shen Miao did not speak to her anymore as she did not have the mood to inquire about a young lady's thoughts.
She naturally had her own matters to attend to.
The invitations for the Chrysanthemum banquet were almost all received, and everyone should have arrived.
Under the chrysanthemum field of Yan Bei Hall, a huge platform was set up. This kind of stage dressing did not make people feel that it was vulgar. This was because the late emperor had once offered sacrifices to the heavens here. It was a high platform that was tainted with the aura of a true dragon. There were chess pieces stuck on both sides and there were soldiers dressed in ceremonial attire with a red scarf on their head beating the drums loudly.
The drums rumbled through the sky and the musicians played the zither. It was a song of 'Virtuous scholar', implying that the Imperial family was thirsty for talents. Today's academy examination was to select the virtuous talents for Ming Qi's country and to select the true talents of the country.
The music and drums entered the ears with a unique excitement and magnificence that made one involuntarily surge. Most of the people present were youths and it was the time when they were filled with hot blood. They almost followed the music and could not wait to show all of their talents in front of everyone to have a good future in Ming Qi and to leave a thick stroke in the history of the Ming Qi's Imperial family.
Even if they were females, they could not help but reveal an excited expression. Even though they could not enter the court and become officials like males, their fathers and older brothers were the pillars of the country. Their own family was indomitable and under the glory, they were also bathed in the Imperial family's favour and their hearts were filled with gratitude.
While the entire audience was shrouded in the excitement of the Imperial benevolence, there was only one person whose eyes were cold and did not have a trace of emotion.
Shen Miao's gaze landed on the person who was playing the zither in the centre. The Ming Qi Imperial family loved to be like this, to evoke the youths' heart to serve the country and use them to work for the decadent Imperial family. However at the end, once the country was stabilised, these men who shed their blood for the country would rarely have a good ending.
When the cunning rabbit dies, the hound is cooked. Every time a new Emperor took office, the old people would be eradicated. Especially those officials who had experienced the dark fight for the throne and had seen the Imperial family's dirty deals and bloodshed. How would the Imperial family feel assured to let them rise up step by step?
These stirring music would only become a funeral song in the future. And these youths who were immersed in the heart to serve the country would only die under the treacherous infighting of the Imperial family in the future and become innocent victims.
She could not save the people of the world but could save her own people.
Shen Miao gently raised her hand and the corner of her right sleeve brushed past the edge of the table and that bowl of clear tea was swept onto the floor. With a 'Pa' sound, a clear and crisp sound rang in the venue. It should not be heard but compared to the rhythmic music, it was as if one of the silk threads was pulled up and messed up the other threads.
With a 'Peng' sound, the rhythm of the music was disrupted.
Like waking up from a dream, Feng An Ning suddenly recovered to her senses and saw Shen Miao picking up the teacup on the floor and smiled gently, "Apologies, my hand slipped."
That musician who was playing the intense rhythm on the stage and plucking the zither felt his brain explode and almost fainted from the pain.
This kind of music was learned by Ming Qi from an imported Westerner and most likely had the intention of bewitching. It was able to stir up the emotions in one's heart and this song was a war song. It was able to greatly amplify the fighting spirit and loyalty in one's heart. If the song was finished, some of the loyalty would turn into blind loyalty.
The horror of this music was only seen after Shen Miao became the Empress. The Imperial family of Ming Qi used this kind of music to confuse the younger generation and let these younger generation shed their blood for them. At the beginning when the Xiong Nu invaded, the Imperial family let a large number of the Imperial Army guard the capital and when they recruited new soldiers to the borders, they let these musicians play the drums on the stage. A large wave of youths joined the army without looking back and some of them were not even of marriageable age.
After being interrupted by Shen Miao, those musicians became weaker and weaker and the final sound of the zither was no longer as impassioned as before. It was just an ordinary playing. And those bewitched hot-blooded feelings gradually dissipated and everything returned to its tranquility.
But Shen Miao's actions had attracted some people's attention. At the male side of the banquet, Fu Xiu Yi and Pei Lang looked over at the same time.
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