Knowing that the Empress would be visiting Changchun Garden today, the eunuchs had already set up a banquet in an elegant location in the rear courtyard.
The Empress sat in the place of honor, looking at this courtyard surrounded by flowering crabapple trees where birds sang among the fragrant flowers. Her mood eased somewhat, and her face showed some traces of a smile.
Seeing the Empress’s expression clear up, everyone finally secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
The Empress then raised her wine cup. Her jade-white hands, adorned with pure gold fingertip guards and painted with bright red nail lacquer, harmonized with the golden wine cup, setting off her bright red brocade outer robe with wide sleeves, making her appear especially graceful and noble.
Seeing that the Empress was about to make a toast, everyone reverently directed their gazes toward the seat of honor.
The Empress greatly enjoyed being the center of attention. She cleared her throat and declared loudly: “Our Great Yan has successfully negotiated peace with Great Zhou. From now on, the realm will be peaceful. His Majesty and this palace are both deeply gratified. Today, inviting you all to tour Changchun Garden together, first…”
“Boom—Bang—”
Fireworks shot up and exploded in the air, suddenly resounding throughout the mountain and drowning out the Empress’s words.
Everyone suddenly looked toward the source of the sound.
They saw colorful fireworks shooting up into the sky one after another from the direction of Ning Garden, blooming in brilliant colors. Even in broad daylight, those red, green, and yellow fireworks were extremely dazzling. Moreover, whoever was setting off the fireworks was not stingy—the fireworks gushed forth like a fountain, showing no signs of stopping after several breaths.
The sound of fireworks whistling and exploding echoed around them. While not exactly deafening, it was certainly stirring to the heart.
At this moment, let alone the Empress speaking—even if the Empress spoke directly into each person’s ear, no one could hear clearly!
While fireworks weren’t exactly rare, they weren’t commonly seen either, especially this type that bloomed like a hundred flowers when set off—this was even more unusual. The ladies watched with rapt attention, filled with joy, completely forgetting about the Empress’s speech.
The Empress’s face turned iron-blue as she gritted her teeth, wanting to rage, but her voice was drowned out by the fireworks.
First taking the wrong path, then having her garden outshone by someone else’s, and now having her speech interrupted—how could she possibly contain her anger any longer!
The fireworks continued for a full incense stick’s time before stopping, and everyone could even smell gunpowder smoke in the air.
Turning back to see the Empress’s blackened expression in the main seat, the ladies didn’t know what to do for a moment.
Today must be an inauspicious day according to the almanac—otherwise, why would the Empress repeatedly lose face?
The Empress called over the eunuch guarding Changchun Garden and said in a low voice with a dark expression: “Go tell the people at Ning Garden that this palace wants to borrow their garden for a banquet. Tell those inside to leave quickly—this palace will bring people over shortly.”
The eunuch said quietly: “In response to Your Majesty, Imperial Uncle said that garden’s owner has significant backing and asked you not to provoke them.”
The Empress’s eyes turned fierce: “Ridiculous! A garden built by this palace’s father—why can’t this palace use it? Moreover, under heaven there is no land that is not the king’s. The entire realm belongs to His Majesty, and this palace is the Empress. Does this palace not have the authority to borrow a garden on Great Yan’s soil for a banquet?”
“But Imperial Uncle said we absolutely must not provoke…”
“Insolent! If you don’t go, this palace will have your dog head chopped off!”
Seeing that the Empress was truly enraged, the eunuch didn’t dare say more and could only trot over to the neighboring Ning Garden to borrow it.
Only then did the Empress raise her chin with a half-smile toward the ladies in the courtyard: “Well? Were the fireworks beautiful?”
The ladies didn’t dare make a sound and all lowered their heads.
The Empress snorted and said lazily: “This palace has already ordered someone to borrow that garden. Didn’t someone say it was as beautiful as a celestial palace? In a moment, we’ll hold our banquet in that celestial palace.”
“Your Majesty the Empress is the mother of the nation. For that garden to be graced by your visit would be its great fortune.”
“Indeed, Changchun Garden is fresh and elegant. For us wives to accompany Your Majesty here is already tremendous kindness.”
…
The women began flattering again, which somewhat improved the Empress’s mood.
Catching sight of the returning eunuch from the corner of her eye, the Empress stood up and leisurely smoothed her skirt: “Let’s go then, over there…”
“Your Majesty.” Seeing the Empress rise intending to leave, the eunuch was nearly in tears: “The people at that garden said they won’t lend it.”
“Won’t lend it!?” The Empress’s voice suddenly shot up.
The eunuch was so frightened he immediately fell to his knees: “Yes, this servant reached there and was stopped at the entrance. The gatekeeper said their master declared that the garden would not be lent to anyone.”
“Did you not make clear that this palace wants to borrow their garden?”
“In response to Your Majesty, this servant did say so, but they simply won’t lend it.”
“How dare they!”
The Empress finally could bear no more. In fury, she swept the bowls and dishes from the table. The sound of shattering porcelain rang out as wine and food scattered across the ground, frightening the ladies into standing up.
In such circumstances, let alone an empress—even an ordinary noble lady would be unable to maintain face after such repeated humiliations.
The Empress was livid and strode forward: “All of you follow this palace! This palace wants to see just how much face those people at Ning Garden think they have, that this palace, as mother of the nation, can’t even borrow a garden when she asks! Today this palace will take you all to tour Ning Garden!”
Faced with the Empress in such fury, even Imperial Uncle’s wife didn’t dare try to dissuade her, and Cao Yuqing had remained silent since arriving. The other noble ladies had even less courage to speak.
Therefore, if the Empress wanted to go, everyone could only follow.
The group of ladies marched out of Changchun Garden’s main gate in great numbers, walking along the bluestone brick road until they saw that celestial mountain-like peach grove, then turned and headed straight for Ning Garden’s brand-new vermillion gate.
It sounded easy enough, but these women rarely exercised in daily life, and aside from Qin Yining, they all had bound feet. Walking mountain paths on three-inch golden lotus feet for so long had left some like the Old Madam barely able to keep up even with servants supporting her on both sides. In front of the Empress, no one dared complain and could only endure.
Everyone arrived at Ning Garden’s entrance, and the Empress coldly raised her chin: “Go! Break down that door for this palace!”
The eunuch quickly complied.
But before his hand could even touch the door panel, the vermillion gate was pulled open.
A middle-aged man in a dark blue jacket looked at the group of jewel-adorned ladies outside and frowned: “Ladies and misses, what are you trying to do?!”
The eunuch raised his chin and stepped aside to let the gatekeeper see the Empress clearly: “Look carefully—this is our Great Yan’s Empress! For the Empress to grace your garden with a visit would be smoke rising from your ancestors’ graves. Why don’t you open the gate?!”
The gatekeeper looked at the Empress, then at the crowd behind her, cupped his hands, and said neither servily nor arrogantly: “I already made myself clear just now. Our master says the garden is not to be lent to anyone.”
The Empress had thought that with her personal arrival, there would be nothing she couldn’t borrow.
Who knew that after she brought people rushing over, she would be refused to her face!
The Empress’s face had been trampled into the dirt. Finally unable to bear it any longer, she shrieked in fury: “Insolent! This palace is the mother of the nation—can’t this palace even borrow a courtyard?! Someone come! Arrest everyone in Ning Garden for this palace! This palace will definitely report this to His Majesty and have him send troops to level this broken courtyard!”
“Who wants to level my garden?”
Suddenly, a low and lazy voice came from within the courtyard.
Qin Yining heard the voice and suddenly looked up, just in time to see Pang Xiao leading people out of the garden gate. He wore a moon-white brocade robe with a white jade belt buckle, topped with a purple-gold crown, his long eyebrows and phoenix eyes giving him an imposing bearing.
Pang Xiao stood before them with hands clasped behind his back, his contemptuous gaze falling on the Empress as if looking at a dead object: “Borrowing things should naturally be a matter of mutual consent. If others won’t lend, does the Empress intend to rob them by force?”