The Emperor's Beloved Ruyi

5. The Banquet

Noble Consort Zhi image does not belong to me credits to the creator if anyone knows whose art this is please tell me so I can credit them properly.

The days passed quickly and soon it was time for the banquet. Xiu Zhao had dressed carefully to hide any signs of pregnancy but to also gain the emperor's attention. She knew that she had to tell him soon as she was noticing signs that caused her some worry. Liling stood in front of her sister ensuring that her bump was securely hidden before stepping back and smiling.

Xiu Zhao was adorned in purple and gold a gift to her from the Emperor. The waist ruqun hanfu was simple but stunning. Perfect for Xiu the hairpins in her hair were golden with purple jewels Liling thought her sister looked like a true empress. Her lips were painted a calm pink giving her an innocent look. Liling had personally done Xiu's hair and painted a beautiful flower on her sister's forehead.

While Liling was admiring her work Xiu was looking at her little sister with pride. Her sister was wearing a blue and gold waist ruqun. She had styled her hair into a Jing Gu Ji with several golden hair pieces. The two share a pleased smile and the two left to make their way to the banquet hall. As they made their way to the hall the noise of the emperor approaching caused them to stop and bow. To their surprise, the emperor's palanquin stopped and he observed them.
"My beloved and her sister look beautiful" then he whispered to the eunuch who quickly sent someone to bring two palanquins for the women. His eyes, however, stayed on a blushing Xiu "A true peony" he mumbled only settling back into the palanquin when he saw the two enter the palanquins he had requested for them.

Xiu sat in the palanquin blushing had the emperor called her a true peony. The woman quickly cleared her head of that thought. The emperor would not refer to her as something usually attributed to the Empress. She realized that they were lowering the palanquin and cleared her face of all expressions and let out a deep breath before exiting the palanquin. She entered on the emperor's right four steps behind him her sister on his left at the same distance as they heard the announcement both sisters knew they were in for trouble.

The Empress felt her eyebrow twitch, she was supposed to enter with the Emperor instead he told her to go without him and now he was entering with these two Zhao family women. She watched them with narrowed eyes as they sat down behind herself and the Emperor.

This annoyed her greatly she knew that the emperor favoured them but neither where pregnant their slut of a sister was, however. She had even come to the banquet after her cousin told her not to. They could not punish her for it. Chancellor Lee Jin and his wife glanced at the three concubines of the Zhao family they were indeed beautiful and a threat to their daughter's position. However, they had heard that they possessed no talents that would stun the Emperor.

As Noble Consort Zhi and Consort Zhong finished their sword dance the hall broke out in their awe, while the Chancellor frowned those two women were untouchable in the harem one was a foreign princess and the other the daughter of the Emperor's tutor and a Yu clan princess. His daughter had only managed to stop one of their pregnancies before she was remanded by Empress Dowager.

As the two Zhao women and Noble Lady Jing got ready to perform, he frowned another group of untouchable women at least they were quiet. His thoughts were disturbed by the beautiful sounds of the GuZheng and Pipa alongside that was a graceful dance by Imperial Concubine Hui. What happened to the rumours he heard about them being talentless!?

He glanced at his wife who seemed to be evaluating them but was not shocked "Did you really think daughters of the Zhao clan would be foolish and untalented" she hissed in his ear "They have had six empresses from their clan" The Chancellor made a sound of annoyance the Zhao clan had a nasty habit of spreading out their Empresses how could he keep track. The Empress Dowager had made it six but he refused to acknowledge that as his Jin clan daughter sat in the phoenix seat she would be there till she died.