For the young Emperor’s birthday, court officials of fifth rank and above attended the palace banquet with their female family members.
Only after everyone had arrived in the banquet hall did Yun Chu come with the three children.
After entering the twelfth lunar month, Jue-geer was already a year and a half old and beginning to slowly speak, though only uttering two or three words at a time, and quite unclearly at that.
Seeing so many people, the little fellow excitedly clapped his hands. Yun Chu had the wet nurse and palace maids follow closely, lest the little fellow run about causing mischief and trouble.
This little fellow was the youngest prince in Great Jin’s history. The palace staff didn’t dare be negligent—seven or eight nannies and palace maids surrounded him, carefully protecting him.
The banquet officially began. Prince Regent Chu Rui was first to stand, leading the officials in toasting the little Emperor: “May Your Majesty live ten thousand years without end! Long live our Emperor, long live, long live!”
Chu Hongyu also stood up. He raised his cup filled with tea and said loudly: “Many thanks to all beloved ministers. Come, I shall drink together with you all.”
Everyone drank together, then began dining. Meanwhile, people continuously presented birthday gifts.
First were some nobles, mostly sending proper and conventional gifts like brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.
Only Marquis Pingjin, to express gratitude for the favor of preserving his noble title last time, had expended considerable effort to purchase a luminous pearl, which he presented to the young Emperor.
Chu Hongyu’s eyes lit up when he saw the luminous pearl. If it were made into a hairpin and inserted in Changsheng’s hair, how beautiful that would be.
He immediately smiled and said: “Marquis Pingjin is thoughtful. I am very pleased.”
Chu Rui, seated to the side, suddenly became distracted upon seeing the luminous pearl.
He remembered—this luminous pearl was Su Ziyue’s most precious dowry item. To help him win over the Marquis Boyuan Manor, she had given this pearl to Lady Boyuan.
Yet unexpectedly, Marquis Boyuan turned out to be a woman, and the Boyuan Manor collapsed just like that.
This luminous pearl must have been pawned by the Boyuan Manor, then fallen into Marquis Pingjin’s hands, who gave it to the young Emperor as a birthday gift.
Thinking of Su Ziyue, then thinking of the child in her womb, Chu Rui’s expression remained gloomy for a long time.
The court officials presented their gifts one by one.
Finally, Chu Rui stood up and said: “In this cold winter month, aside from plum blossoms, there are no flowers to admire. This official specially had people transport one hundred pots of fresh flowers from the south as a birthday gift, placed in the warm pavilion of the Imperial Garden. Your Majesty, why not go take a look?”
The palace had a warm pavilion specifically for nurturing delicate flowers.
The group sitting in the banquet hall indeed had nothing to do and wanted to see what the flowers transported from the south looked like.
Chu Hongyu stood up following everyone’s wishes: “Very well, then all beloved ministers shall accompany me to the Imperial Garden to admire the flowers.”
The great hall hosting the birthday banquet wasn’t far from the Imperial Garden—just a palace corridor away.
The plum blossoms in the Imperial Garden had all bloomed. White snow falling on the red plums was extraordinarily beautiful, causing people to stop and gaze.
Entering the warm pavilion, a fragrant scent rushed forth.
Yun Chu saw flowers of various colors. These flowers were very well protected, their petals without the slightest damage. From this, one could imagine how much manpower, material resources, and financial resources were expended transporting them from south to north.
Many ladies and young misses were amazed.
“Truly beautiful—all flowers never before seen in the capital.”
“The Prince Regent is truly thoughtful, allowing us to feast our eyes as well.”
“…”
The women admired flowers in the warm pavilion while the men composed poetry before the white snow and red plums. The atmosphere was very pleasant.
Just then, someone cried out in alarm.
“Look quickly, what’s that over there?”
Everyone looked in unison toward where the person was pointing.
There stood Zhaiyue Pavilion, the tallest structure in the palace at nine stories high. From anywhere in the palace, one could see Zhaiyue Pavilion.
At this very moment, on the window ledge of Zhaiyue Pavilion’s ninth floor, there was actually someone there. That person sat on the railing, their figure swaying back and forth—a heart-stopping sight.
“Who is there? It’s far too dangerous. If they fall, I fear…”
“Looking at the clothing, doesn’t it seem like Junior Tutor Nie? How did Minister Nie climb up Zhaiyue Pavilion?”
“From the start of the birthday banquet until now, I don’t think I’ve seen Minister Nie. Perhaps Minister Nie went to the wrong place.”
“I think I see Minister Nie holding a wine jug in his hand, drinking. Could it be he drank too much at the banquet and went to the wrong place?”
“…”
Hearing the discussion outside, Yun Chu immediately walked out of the warm pavilion.
From this angle in the Imperial Garden, one could clearly see the window ledge of Zhaiyue Pavilion. Someone was indeed sitting on that railing. Looking at the clothing and figure, it was indeed Nie Zhou.
However, yesterday Nie Zhou had specially come to the palace to ask forgiveness, saying his elderly mother had suddenly taken a critical turn and he needed to stay by her bedside to see her off on her final journey, so he would be absent from today’s birthday banquet. He asked for her and His Majesty’s pardon. She naturally wouldn’t blame Nie Zhou—filial piety comes first among all virtues. Those who put their elderly mothers first, she deeply respected. She had even specially arranged for two imperial physicians to go together for treatment.
This situation was wrong.
She immediately instructed Qiutong: “Go quickly to Zhaiyue Pavilion and see what’s happening.”
Qiutong nodded, turned, and left rapidly.
Yun Chu stared intently at Nie Zhou. She saw Nie Zhou suddenly lift the wine jug in his hand, raise it, and pour wine into his mouth.
Immediately after, Nie Zhou’s body tilted. Fortunately, he didn’t fall outward but fell below the window ledge. The area below was blocked by the wall, so the specific situation couldn’t be seen.
But at least he was no longer sitting up high. Yun Chu finally breathed a sigh of relief.
However, just then.
The person who had just fallen suddenly got up, his body leaped over the railing, and fell from the ninth floor.
Although they were far away and couldn’t hear the thud of hitting the ground, the ladies and young misses present still couldn’t help but let out frightened screams.
“Heaven…”
“Minister Nie… he—he actually jumped down.”
“Falling from such a height, certain death.”
“Why would this happen…”
Yun Chu’s mind went blank for an instant.
Then she immediately reacted, stepping quickly toward Zhaiyue Pavilion.
She walked very fast, almost at a run, lifting her skirt hem, disregarding decorum, not daring to delay even a moment.
Those officials and female family members who had witnessed everything also followed Yun Chu toward Zhaiyue Pavilion.
Although Zhaiyue Pavilion could be clearly seen from the Imperial Garden, in reality, a great distance separated the two structures. Walking quickly, it took a quarter-hour to arrive.
The entrance to Zhaiyue Pavilion had already been secured by Qiutong, allowing no one to enter.
Seeing Yun Chu and the little Emperor approaching with others, only then did she step forward to report: “Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, this subordinate had just arrived when Minister Nie fell from the building. It was truly too late… This subordinate has verified that Minister Nie has stopped breathing.”
Her voice was filled with regret. If only she had arrived a bit earlier, she surely could have saved Minister Nie…
The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review stepped forward: “Let this official examine the scene to understand what happened.”
Yun Chu extended her hand to block the Minister: “No need. This Empress Dowager will go look.”
She was very clear—the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review was someone Chu Rui had personally promoted. She couldn’t trust anyone, especially not the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.
She was first to walk inside.
Step by step, she walked toward the person lying on the ground.