EWRN - Chapter 40
Chapter 40: The Rite of Heaven (II)
With that, the Second Prince took a large gulp of wine.
"That Emperor Yuanjin is a real piece of work!" the Second Prince then cursed under his breath. Thinking of his own sore spot, he truly couldn't hold back.
Seeing the Second Prince curse so freely, Hou Yuwen also relaxed. "That Emperor Yuanjin is indeed a piece of work," Hou Yuwen cursed, echoing the prince.
The Second Prince looked at Hou Yuwen encouragingly, his eyes seeming to say two words: Go on.
"Bai Qing was my childhood sweetheart. We were innocent playmates, and our Hou Manor and the Bai family arranged our engagement when we were young. We were just waiting for me to return to the imperial city in these past two years to hold the wedding, and then I could finally marry the woman I love. But I never, ever imagined! That damn dog emperor! He actually stole my fiancée!" As he spoke of his pain, Hou Yuwen slammed his fist on the table—bang, bang, bang. He tilted his head back and downed a large gulp of wine. "I was far away at the border," he continued, "and when I heard the news, I was so angry I couldn't sleep for several nights. The feeling of having the woman you love stolen from you... it's truly unbearable! It took me some time, but I finally accepted it. I thought that during this year's Rite of Heaven, I could use the banquet as an opportunity to see her in the palace. As long as she was living well, my heart would be at ease." At this, Hou Yuwen couldn't resist downing another cup of wine.
They say wine gives courage to the timid, and Hou Yuwen was no coward to begin with. Fueled by the alcohol, he continued to pour out his grievances. "The woman I loved so dearly... was ruined by Emperor Yuanjin! Utterly ruined! Later, I heard Qing'er was with child, and I even imagined what gifts I should prepare for the baby after it was born! Who knew... who knew..." At this, Hou Yuwen choked back a sob. "Who knew she would be killed by that dog emperor! Drowned in a pig cage in front of all the people! Damn him! It's just too cruel!"
Tears streamed down the burly man's face, and the Second Prince couldn't help but sigh in sympathy.
The two men spoke of their sorrows, then began toasting each other again.
"Brother Hou, that dog emperor has wronged so many people. It's time he faced some retribution!" the Second Prince said to Hou Yuwen with a sly grin. Hou Yuwen's expression turned ferocious. "Yes, the dog emperor should face retribution! What does the Second Prince have in mind?"
The Second Prince pondered for a moment, then said, "This annual Rite of Heaven is truly an excellent opportunity! What do you think, Brother Hou?"
"Second Prince, you mean..." Hou Yuwen looked at the Second Prince in shock, a hint of hesitation on his face.
"That's right! We can join forces and hire people to assassinate that dog emperor at the banquet!" the Second Prince declared loudly, clapping his hands together.
"Shh! Shh!" Seeing the Second Prince was getting drunk, Hou Yuwen quickly shushed him. "Your Highness, be careful. The walls have ears."
"What's there to fear? Don't worry, it's just the two of us here," the Second Prince slurred, drunk.
"So, the Second Prince means for the two of us to dispatch some death-sworn men to assassinate the emperor on the night of the Rite of Heaven banquet?" Hou Yuwen asked, confirming one last time to be sure.
"Correct, that is precisely my intention! If the assassination succeeds, I can ascend the throne. If it fails, it's no great matter. No one will know it was our idea anyway. We can just come up with a better plan!" The Second Prince rubbed his eyes, which were growing blurry and dizzy. "Besides, if the assassination fails, the two of us—especially you, Brother Hou—can even gain merit for saving the emperor. You might even get promoted several ranks! Hahahahahaha!" The Second Prince burst out laughing.
Hou Yuwen could tell at a glance that the Second Prince was drunk. "Excellent, excellent! The Second Prince is truly learned and brilliant to come up with such a clever plan! I, Hou, am truly impressed! Impressed!" Hou Yuwen took the opportunity to pour the Second Prince several more cups of wine. By now, the prince was so drunk he couldn't tell north from south. Hou Yuwen kept spouting compliments, which made the Second Prince roar with laughter. They then discussed how to make their move and plant their men. The banquet concluded, and it could be said that both host and guest were thoroughly pleased. Only when the Second Prince was drunk into unconsciousness did Hou Yuwen's tense heart finally relax. His rear was safe at last! The two of them slumped over the table and fell into a deep sleep, unaware that their every word and deed had been overheard by the madam in the next room. Seeing that all was quiet next door, the madam slipped out of the adjacent private room, gently closing the door behind her. She hurried downstairs; she had to report what she had seen and heard to the emperor immediately, so that His Majesty could be fully prepared for the assassination attempt.
Evening. In the imperial study of the palace.
Huo Jinyu listened to the madam's report with a solemn expression. So those two have finally teamed up, she thought. A leopard truly can't change its spots. It was like this in my past life, and nothing has changed in this one.
Huo Jinyu rewarded the madam with a hundred-tael silver note and some jewelry, then dismissed her. Since this banquet was not going to be peaceful, she naturally had her own plans.
Two days later.
Today was the Great Yuan Kingdom's annual Rite of Heaven, its most important day of the year. After several hundred years of development, the festival had become even more lively than the New Year. The imperial family performed the rite to give thanks for heaven's boundless grace and to pray for favorable weather, national prosperity, military strength, and stable borders—a shared wish of the entire country.
The Rite of Heaven in the Great Yuan Kingdom had a long-standing custom: releasing wish boats. In cities with rivers, the common folk would release these boats into the moats or upstream. On them, they would write their wishes: for a happy and healthy family, for wealth and prosperity, or for a bountiful harvest. Women's wishes were mostly concerned with domestic matters. Unmarried girls would write of dashing young masters, with phrases like, "A man like jade on the path, a gentleman without peer," all beautiful fantasies about their future husbands, some even wishing for "one couple, for one lifetime."
Married women were different. Those whose husbands had not yet taken concubines wished for their husbands to be faithful and to visit brothels less. Others wished to "give birth to a noble son soon" or "an heir soon." Those whose husbands already had concubines wished to hold power over them and win their husband's favor. Those with children wished for them to achieve official rank. The men's wishes were simpler: officials wished for promotion, farmers for a bountiful harvest, merchants for more gold and silver, and playboys for more wives and concubines.
In cities without rivers, people would release small wish boats in their own ponds and then set off sky lanterns, with the entire nation celebrating as one.
The imperial family had its own Dragon Pond, so its members generally did not mingle with the common folk to release wish boats or sky lanterns.
Jinxiang Palace.
Yan Xi was playing the qin by a window in her palace, a pastime that had long since become a habit. From a distance, she heard the loud greetings of the palace maids outside. She didn't need to guess to know it was Huo Jinyu. Who else in the entire palace commanded such presence and ceremony?
The clear, crisp sound of the qin drifted intermittently from within. Though sporadic, the melody was lively and nimble, a clear sign that the player was in good spirits. Huo Jinyu smiled faintly and strode into the palace.
The sight that greeted her upon entering was like a living portrait of a beauty playing the qin. Yan Xi didn't turn around, remaining absorbed in her music.
"Xi'er," Huo Jinyu called out.
Hearing her name, Yan Xi stopped playing. She turned, rose, and offered a casual, languid curtsy. "What brings Jinyu to my palace with such leisure? Are you not busy with matters of the court?"
"Xi'er, being from the Northern Kingdom, you probably don't know that today is the Great Yuan's Rite of Heaven, do you?" Huo Jinyu asked with a smile.
"I have heard a little about it," Yan Xi said, leading Huo Jinyu to a seat. "I just didn't realize it was today." She gestured with her eyes, and a palace maid brought a pot of tea and poured it for them.
"Perfect. I came today to invite you to celebrate the Great Yuan's Rite of Heaven with me. This will be the first one you've experienced in the Great Yuan Kingdom." I wonder how many more we'll be able to celebrate together. The second half of the thought remained unspoken, but Huo Jinyu's heart felt a sudden emptiness. She had already decided that if the kingdom was on the verge of collapse, she would have Yan Xi escorted back to the Northern Kingdom, safe and sound. Then, they would have nothing more to do with each other.
A pang shot through Huo Jinyu's chest. She frowned slightly before quickly composing herself. Yan Xi didn't notice her discomfort.
"Alright," Yan Xi replied, accepting the invitation with a single word.
"Excellent, excellent." Huo Jinyu looked quite pleased. Yan Xi smiled to herself. She's a grown adult, yet she gets as happy as a child over some silly festival.
Little did she know, Huo Jinyu wasn't happy about the festival, but about celebrating it with Yan Xi. Of course, Huo Jinyu herself didn't realize this either.
The two chatted for a while. As afternoon approached, Huo Jinyu took Yan Xi and left the palace in a sedan chair. When they passed through the bustling market streets, however, Yan Xi refused to stay inside. Huo Jinyu agreed that the sedan chair attracted too much attention, so they abandoned it. Taking only a few guards, they began to stroll through the streets together.
They browsed a few stalls. Although Yan Xi had traveled south with Huo Jinyu once before, this was her first time exploring the markets of the Great Yuan's imperial city, and she was thoroughly enjoying herself. While Yan Xi was having a wonderful time, her beautiful face and graceful figure attracted many gazes from onlookers. Some of the men, in particular, were enjoying the view immensely.
Huo Jinyu frowned, her expression turning stern. She grabbed Yan Xi's left hand, as if declaring her ownership. Yan Xi only glanced up for a moment before returning her attention to the trinkets at a stall, paying no mind to their joined hands. Seeing that Yan Xi didn't pull away, a flash of satisfaction crossed Huo Jinyu's eyes. After passing a few more stalls, they came across one selling masks. Huo Jinyu's eyes lit up. After looking them over, she bought a fox mask and a rabbit mask.
Huo Jinyu placed the fox mask on her own head and the rabbit mask on Yan Xi's. Wearing the mask, Yan Xi tilted her head up slightly to look at Huo Jinyu. "Jinyu, why give me the rabbit mask?"
"Because with the rabbit mask, Xi'er looks so adorable. So very cute. So cute that this husband of yours wants to eat you all up..."
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