From CEO to Concubine-Chapter 115: A Scholarly Banquet

Rain after a long drought. Meeting a fellow townsman in a strange land. Red candles lit at night in the nuptial chamber. To have one’s name inscribed on a gold tablet. (1)

These were the four great joys in life and Tang Yuqin had had the pleasure of experiencing the first two before this evening. Growing up in farmlands as a child, he had been fortunate to not have had to live through the worst of the droughts as his ancestors had. But he could remember the disaster a decade ago that had claimed the life of his frail little sister. His only sister, now forever immortalised in his memories as a child that barely reached his knees. If he closed his eyes, he could still see the way the famine that had ensued after months of relentless sunshine had slowly etched starvation into the bodies of his loved ones.

They had been lucky that the emperor—then the crown prince—had personally escorted the rations to their region. Even though Tang Yuqin hadn’t been able to catch the glimpse of that noble visage himself, that night, after his family had their first filling meal in days, he had barricaded himself in his room and studied by moonlight with a fervour that he’d never felt before.

And his efforts had paid off, hadn’t they? He had missed the crown prince as he had ridden through the impoverished town near Tang Yuqin’s village, barking out instructions to set up camps for the food distribution. But just yesterday, Tang Yuqin had finally had the chance to present himself before the most venerable man in the kingdom, holding his ground in front of a panel of academicians and high-ranking officials as they sought to test his knowledge and reasoning ability on a whole myriad of questions. As one of the top ten performers in the final lap of the examinations, Tang Yuqin had been aware that the difference between being good and excellent would be determined by every single one of his answers. He had known that more than one examiner present looked down upon his humble origins, thought it preposterous that he should already be allowed to stand shoulder to shoulder with the sons of noblemen, let alone think that he had a chance of competing for the title of ’Principal Graduate’.

Yet here he was. The only principal graduate in this dynasty who did not hearken from the nobility. In fact, even this year, he was rather certain that his was the only name carved on the gold tablet in the top five to ten that did not have a political affiliation of sorts to one of the old noble clans, even if they were not a direct relative.

Although...

He glanced briefly at the crowd milling around him, a polite but distant smile plastered on his face as he ignored the disbelief and derision directed towards him by some of his future colleagues. One person in the crowd, in particular, stood out. Tang Yuqin could feel the resentment radiating off him.

Ren Zong, the bangyan or second graduate.

Ever since the...incident in the alley, Tang Yuqin had learnt a valuable lesson about keeping his head down and remaining nondescript in the murky waters of the capital. As such, he didn’t have a lot of connections to rely on, no one to show him the ropes. Although his mentor had attempted to pull some strings for him, the years the old man had spent away in the countryside had turned them into brittle thread, snapping the instant these wizened teachers realised that Tang Yuqin had been ’foolish’ enough to turn down a peace offering from the then-promising fourth prince.

As such, Tang Yuqin didn’t know much about his fellow competitors. Ren Zong was...a distant relative of the prestigious Ren Family, the most highly regarded of the old noble clans. This was owed in most part to the current head of the family, Right Prime Minister Ren Hao, whose role in exposing the Yan Family’s treasonous crimes had earned him the respect of the common folk.

Tang Yuqin too had admired him once. But now...he was going to reserve judgement. It had been a bitter pill to swallow but it hadn’t taken him long at all to realise that he had showed up in the capital with big ideals and a wide-eyed naivety that would get him killed one day if he didn’t learn how to rein it in now.

Ren Zong regarded him for a second longer before turning away coldly. Although Tang Yuqin had been conferred the highest title by the emperor himself, it was evident in the crowd that flocked around Ren Zong instead. Fellow scholars clambered for his attention and even a couple of lofty officials descending from their posts to offer their congratulations in the hopes of forging new, promising alliances early.

If Tang Yuqin had just been slightly younger, had seen less of the rot that festered beneath the glittering surface of the society he was now integrated into, this difference in treatment might have stung his pride. But now, after seeing the extent of the corruption in the system and what his emperor was struggling to fight on his own, his pride seemed paltry in comparison.

The emperor had upheld fairness that day in the examination hall, Tang Yuqin had seen this for himself, had been nearly moved to tears when he realised there was still hope for the common folk, that their liege hadn’t turned a blind eye on their plight. Tang Yuqin knew where his trust and his loyalty had to lie. In contrast to the quick succession of questions fired at him by the examiners yesterday, the emperor had only had one.

Where does your heart lie?

Under the skies, Tang Yuqin had replied. He knew that the politically correct answer would be to reassure the emperor that his allegiances lay with the throne but a niggling feeling told him that this was a leader who loved his people more than himself...

Hence, Tang Yuqin had taken a bet and it was evident that he had won because just this morning, he had led the parade through the city on horseback, wearing his official hat and trying to contain the overwhelming flood of emotions when he looked upon the admiring faces of the crowd and realised he had done it.

He was a farmer’s son but he was also the principal graduate.

This was undoubtedly going to be one of the greatest honours of his lifetime. That being said, this Luming Banquet (2), which was supposed to celebrate the pinnacle of scholarly achievement for all successful candidates, was a little different from what Tang Yuqin had expected.

The feast was situated in a lavish pavilion, with vermilion pillars and emerald roofs adding to the finery. The late spring evening was mild, silkscreens set up here and there to block off most of the passing breeze. Instead of the solemn individual seats that would line the grand halls during imperial feasts, long rows of seats were placed around massive tables, to allow the candidates and attending officials to mingle with each other. Poetry competitions and exchanges of philosophical ideas were the go-to activities of the night, as was the unofficial task of forging new connections to smooth out one’s political journey.

But Tang Yuqin, who was more interested in observing than talking, noticed two things that struck him odd.

Firstly, the Luming Banquet was traditionally an affair of the civil officials of the court...so why had Great General Pan been invited?

He sneaked another peek over at the table on an elevated dais, where Great General Pan sat sipping wine idly, stopping only to give polite acknowledgement to whoever attempted to approach him with small talk. As far as Tang Yuqin knew, Great General Pan had defended the far north of the kingdom for many years now. However, though his skin was rough and weathered, his mannerisms, though simple, still reflected the upbringing of a polished man. The young man seated by his side with a dour, unimpressed expression on his face, was far less proper, slouching back in his seat and staring glumly at the rest of the pavilion like he found something particularly offensive.

Was that Great General Pan’s son? Tang Yuqin wasn’t certain. His eyes had met the young man’s, just once and only briefly, before the young man had looked away with impatience.

Clearly, he was someone who didn’t see the point in attending today and Tang Yuqin could see why. Both Great General Pan and his young companion stuck out like a sore thumb in their black and red martial robes, looking more like they were on the way to the training hall instead of an elegant feast.

The other unusual thing that Tang Yuqin had noted was the presence of three empty seats at the head of the dais, on the highest point and separated from Great General Pan’s position by a small flight of stone steps.

This had to be intended for the emperor, who had yet to show up. But what Tang Yuqin couldn’t understand was, that this celebration was an event of the front court and it would not be appropriate for the emperor to bring anyone from the inner palace along with him, not even the dowager. So...who were these seats intended for?

After spending so much time lodging in a cheap inn in the capital and listening to the storyteller gentlemen that often set up business in the eating areas of taverns, Tang Yuqin was familiar with the public opinion on their emperor. The civilians loved and respected him, as far as Tang Yuqin could tell; this wasn’t difficult considering the chaos that had ensued during the previous reign of the late emperor. In recent times, though, there had been a rumour on the wind that His Majesty had become bewitched by a startling beauty, a slave whose looks had the power to ruin kingdoms, and that the emperor’s good sense had been warped by the enthralling hold this new concubine had had on him.

It was said that this slave, who had been meant as a gift to the fourth prince, had been snatched away greedily by the emperor when he had first laid eyes upon him. It was said that after this slave had entered the inner palace, the emperor had forsaken the rest of his concubines to dote upon him, spending night after night with him and forgetting his duties to lay with the others and beget heirs for the throne. It was also said that this slave had climbed the ranks with his prowess in bed, enticing the emperor so much that with a mere change in a couple of seasons, he had gone from a lowly attendant to an imperial concubine, powerful enough to head a palace of his own. His newest promotion was announced just yesterday, apparently, although how the information had escaped the walls of the palace and made its way out into the public so swiftly, Tang Yuqin didn’t know.

To make matters worse, it was said that this slave wasn’t just any dancer trained to seduce a rich, powerful man. He was the shamed son of the treasonous ex-prime minister.

It was said, it was said, it was said. Who said it? Tang Yuqin didn’t know and wasn’t going to believe them without concrete evidence. But these allegations had spread through the city like wildfire and Tang Yuqin wondered if the emperor knew.

He eyed the three empty seats on the dais doubtfully. If the emperor was aware of all the talk going on, it didn’t look like he was about to dissipate it. In fact, Tang Yuqin had the sneaking suspicion His Majesty was about to do something incredibly controversial.

As if to prove him right, an elderly eunuch strode into the pavilion, his authoritative presence catching the attention of everyone effortlessly despite his status as a servant.

Tang Yuqin had seen him before in the examination hall. This was Cao Mingbao, the emperor’s head eunuch and one of the most powerful men in the inner palace.

"Announcing the arrival of His Majesty! Announcing the arrival of Imperial Concubine Yue and Noble Lord Hua!"

As part of the curriculum Tang Yuqin had to undergo during his long decade of studies, he was trained in court etiquette. Hence, upon hearing Head Eunuch Cao’s announcement, he rose to his feet from his seat and stepped away from the table, falling into a full bow along with everyone else in the room as their voices resounded in unison, "This subject greets His Majesty a golden evening! This subject greets Imperial Concubine Yue and Noble Lord Hua a golden evening!"

"Dispense with formalities."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Tang Yuqin knew it would be wise to keep his head down and his eyes averted but surely he was not the only person in the pavilion burning with curiosity. Everyone must have heard the same gossip about the inner palace as he had, if not more. And tonight, the emperor had brought along not one but two concubines...Tang Yuqin could already imagine the ruckus that would ensue tomorrow in morning court—not that he would be present for it. Yet.

He wanted to see. What sort of man was his sovereign? The picture he was getting was confusing, a jumbled mix of a benevolent ruler and hedonistic lecher. He just wanted to confirm...

Imperial Concubine Yue was of slight stature, the emperor towering over him as he led him onto the dais by the arm. Behind the both of them and looking almost neglected was another young man, mild and unassuming, with a scholarly air that emphasised the refined pleasantness of his face. Despite how formal his light blue robes were, they didn’t detract from the air of youthful gaiety about him and his eyes crinkled as he looked ahead at the backs of the emperor and Imperial Concubine Yue, the feathered fan held casually in his hands moving now and then like an idle habit. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

He looked vaguely familiar but Tang Yuqin couldn’t place him. He was...Noble Lord Hua? A Hua from that old noble clan?

So he couldn’t have been the one the rumours were talking about and from the emperor’s behaviour it didn’t look like it either. Hence, the so-called slave who could ruin nations had to be...

Imperial Concubine Yue finally sat down and Tang Yuqin went deathly still.

Beneath the lantern light, a pair of beautiful doe-like eyes lifted and just so happened to meet Tang Yuqin’s secretive stare, long lashes fluttering quickly twice as their owner blinked in surprise before their corners crinkled into an amused smile.

A smile of recognition.

Unease flooded Tang Yuqin’s heart. He would recognise this face anywhere, its perfect contours haunting his nightmares for months, dogging his steps as he dreaded the possibility of running into it again in the streets, always watching, always smiling, always knowing what Tang Yuqin had witnessed.

The Luming Banquet was the last place he’d ever thought he’d see it. And yet, here he was.

The emperor’s favourite concubine...was the fox demon from the alleyway?