The Emperor's Favorite (Dropped)

8. The Banquet

The photo I used as the chapter cover is how Noble Lady Shun looks.
The photo I used is not mine, credit to the rightful owner.
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tw: verbal and mental abuse mentioned in this chapter.

Upon the arrival of Noble Lady Wei, or Ling Wei, in her new residence, the Palace of Universal Happines, she was welcomed by the master of the palace.

"Welcome Noble Lady Wei, let my personal maid let you tour the Palace and show you your residence. If you have anything to ask, let me know."

Since Ling Wei is still a Noble Lady, she can't have her own palace, unlike Imperial Concubines. She previously asked to her personal maid servant who was the master of her newly 'home'.

The maid servant reluctantly answered, scared that her master might hit her again; "My Lady, the Palace of Universal Happiness' master is Imperial Concubine Chun".

Ling Wei always wanted to have her own palace and be at least a favored Consort, and now the one who got more favor and her own palace is Imperial Concubine Jian.

"How dare she", Ling Wei's expression suddenly darkened and she started to laugh.

"My dear sister, it's all your fault that His Majesty doesn't like me, I will make you pay."
Noble Lady Wei was also quite scared, she wants to be the next Empress, and she doesn't want to disappoint her mother, she also wants to make her father proud and have all the love Jiao Wei received in her stead.

Slowly Ling Wei reached her maidservant and grabbed her face, "You, – the maid immediately paled – go and put this under my dear sister bed."

———

After three days from Noble Lady Shun arrival, the banquet was held. The location was the Palace of Eternal Spring, an unused palace that was supposed to be the residence for concubines, but recently turned it into an hall for the private banquets of the Imperial Family and highest ranking ministers and families.

Obviously the hall was divided by sex, left males and right females, exception the ministers' wifes.
Most of the concubines were already seated, the rest were chatting while taking their seat, most of the high ranking ministers were chatting about the morning's court, but everyone was waiting for the Emperor and the  Empress Dowager.

While waiting for the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, the Prime minister and his wife start chatting about this year new concubines.
"So she's the famous Imperial Concubine Jian, from the Wei clan." the Prime Minister was chatting with his wife, while drinking the tea that the maids served before.

"Yes Husband, our daughter spoke about her, she's surely a beauty. But I wonder how she charmed His Majesty so fast, also we shouldn't forget about Imperial Concubine Xian and Noble Lady Wei."

"If i'm not mistaken Noble Lady Wei is the illegitimate daughter of Wei clan, and Imperial Concubine Xian... from the Ling Clan, a Marquis."

"Also the new concubine is someone we should not ignore, Noble Lady Shun, she's a Princess, unfavored but still a legitimate Princess."

"All of them are beauties, but our daughter is smarter" said the Prime Minister while smiling, he was proud of his daughter. She was the first concubine the Fourth Prince married and she was always the highest ranking concubine.
When Imperial Noble Consort Qi entered the Imperial Palace, she received a full-ceremony, since she was also going to be the master of the harem.

Also, she was the only one, so far, to have an heir to the throne. The First Prince of Second Rank, Wang Qing. Even if the First Prince appeared like a cute child, he was smarter than anyone of his age, so Imperial Noble Consort Qi always showed proudly to the Emperor how talented their son was.

While the married couple continued to talk about the new concubines, the Emperor's eunuch entered to announce his arrival along his mother, the Empress Dowager.

"Attention! His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress Dowager arrived!"

Son and mother entered together, both of them wearing yellow robes, for the Emperor dragons where embroidered, while for the Empress Dowager buddhism's phrases and prays where embroidered in her traditional dress.
All of the subjects immediately bowed upon the arrival of their Emperor and Empress Dowager, "This subjects greets the Emperor and the Empress Dowager! May they live thousands years!", then the Emperor spoke, "You may all rise, – after he sit on the throne he continued – may the banquet start!"

About fifteen trained female dancers entered the hall and started performing, all of them were wearing revealing dresses and, obviously, all the ministers and the Emperor where blissed by the good looking girls' seductive moves, but he didn't forget about his concubines; all of them are stunning, especially his Jiao Wei.
Imperial Concubine Xian was wearing a deep blue ruqun dress, with a white overskirt embroidered with silver lotuses. Her hairstyle was a traditional chaotian ji with silver pins and pearls;  an elegant but luxurious look.

But nobody noticed Noble Lady Wei faint, only the person who was next to her, Noble Lady Shun.
"Someone! Please! fetch a doctor! Noble Lady Wei fainted!" suddenly, the music stopped, the same goes for the dancers, and everybody looked at Ling Wei's body on the floor.

Immediately the Emperor, who noticed that his eunuchs didn't moved from their spot, screamed at them "What are you still doing here! Bring the doctor immediately".

Just two minutes and the royal doctor already arrived, he run towards Noble Lady Wei and rapidly toke her pulse, "Your Majesty, may I bluntly speak?"

"Yes, you have permission – said the Emperor with a serious expression – just be honest."

"Firstly, we must put Noble Lady Wei in a bed, she needs to rest. – then, the doctor went in front of the Emperor and bowed towards him – Noble Lady Wei is cursed."

Everyone was silent. Cursed? whoever did that will lose their life, since the Emperor's birth mother was cursed.

———

The Empress Dowager isn't the birth mother of the Emperor, she was Noble Consort Li, the favorite of the previous Emperor.

The, at the time, Empress, couldn't bear a child of the Emperor. If you were without children, especially a Prince, you can easily lose power even if you were a high ranked concubine, or Empress. The favorite concubine, Noble Consort Li was the mother of the Fourth Prince, when his mother died from a curse done by the Empress, he got adopted by her.

She wanted a Crown Prince and especially she wanted to be the Empress Dowager, since the Emperor will not live for that long. The Fourth Prince or Crown Prince, was only eight years old when that happened, but he will never forgive the Empress Dowager.

Now the Empress Dowager is calm and rarely interferes in politics, she only use her authority over the Harem. But the Emperor will never let it happen another time.

———

"What do you mean by cursed?!"The Emperor immediately throw at the doctor his personal cup of tea, he was so angry. Everyone present in the hall immediately bowed "Please Your Majesty calm your anger!"

"You. – He pointed his forefinger towards an eununch – go to the Imperial Investigation Department, also go to Noble Lady Wei room and check every corner to find the cursed item"

"Y-Yes Your Majesty!" the eunuch run out of the hall to, not only do the Emperor's orders, but to report everything to his master, Consort Xi.