“Long live His Majesty, ten thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand years! May Her Majesty the Empress live a thousand years, a thousand times a thousand years!”
The previous enthronement and investiture ceremony was announcing to heaven and earth. This banquet was stepping before the world.
That child emperor, that empress from the Chu clan—they were no longer just existing in conversations and imperial edicts, but appeared vividly before everyone’s eyes.
The world personally saw their voices, appearances, and smiles, felt their vitality, and also felt the imperial family’s majesty.
Because they were still in the mourning period, the banquet had no wine or water, no song or dance music. After dusk, the banquet ended.
The Xie clan had no womenfolk in the capital. Seventh Master Xie and Xie Yanfang only attended the banquet on the emperor’s side.
Chu Zhao bringing the womenfolk over—everyone didn’t know beforehand. Normally speaking, when the empress hosted a banquet, the emperor didn’t need to appear, though of course he could, like how the late emperor doted on his noble consort and supported her—even so, it was the late emperor going to the consorts’ hall.
“Fine if she holds a banquet in the rear hall, but how can she bring this group of women to the front hall?” Seventh Master Xie sat in the carriage, frowning with displeasure.
On the imperial street there were many carriages, horses, and people. Even the Xie clan’s carriage had to slow down. The carriage moved slowly.
Xie Yanfang sat leaning to the side reading documents. Hearing this, he smiled: “Because she wants everyone to see that the empress stands beside the emperor. That way she has more authority.”
Seventh Master Xie immediately scoffed: “I knew it—”
Before he finished speaking, Xie Yanfang put down the documents in his hand and interrupted him: “We should all know that the two of them are young and must rely on each other. Each person doing good for themselves is also doing good for the other.”
Seventh Master Xie was stunned, then said helplessly: “Yanfang, you really are quite protective of Miss Chu.”
Not even allowing one unfavorable word to be said.
Xie Yanfang smiled: “She saved Ah Yu’s life and also saved the Xie clan’s life. She is my benefactor and also my relative. Seventh Uncle, you know how I treat benefactors and relatives, don’t you?”
Seventh Master Xie smiled: “How you treat benefactors, I truly don’t know. All along, it’s been others owing you favors. I’ve never seen anyone make you owe them.”
How could Third Young Master Xie need others’ help? He was always solving problems for others, making others owe him gratitude. Of course, gratitude must always be repaid.
Xie Yanfang laughed heartily.
Seventh Master Xie didn’t wait for him to speak again and continued: “But I know how you treat relatives—protecting them, tolerating them, caring for them. I understand all of that.” He shook his head. “I also know what you’re saying, but whenever I think about how this woman became empress, I can’t help being irritated. Shouldn’t she at least have informed our Xie clan?”
Xie Yanfang smiled and shook his head: “She doesn’t need to.”
Seventh Master Xie raised his eyebrows: “How can she not need to? She’s not the emperor!”
Only the emperor arranging a marriage for Xiao Yu didn’t need to seek the Xie clan’s opinion. Even if it were the crown prince, he would have to ask.
Xie Yanfang smiled: “She certainly can’t compare to the emperor. But what about Deng Yi?”
What about Deng Yi? Seventh Master Xie was stunned.
“If it were Deng Yi arranging a marriage for Ah Yu, would he inform us?” Xie Yanfang said with a smile.
That grandson Deng Yi! Of course not! Seventh Master Xie gritted his teeth: “Not only wouldn’t he—”
Xie Yanfang looked at Seventh Master Xie. “The reason you think Miss Chu should inform us is because you feel she’s inferior to us. If you saw her as Deng Yi, you wouldn’t think this way.”
Seventh Master Xie was stunned, then found it amusing: “But how can she compare to Deng Yi?”
That petty man Deng Yi worked assiduously, gained power during chaos, was entrusted by the emperor at his deathbed, held the imperial seal, tiger tally, and military power, supervised the court with one hand covering the sky.
“She’s the same as Deng Yi,” Xie Yanfang said.
At such a young age, she came from the border region to the capital. First she cleared her father’s name with fists and kicks, fiercely scolding the Liang clan. Then she challenged the Third Prince, single-handedly stirred up the Chu Garden literary gathering, gained fame, held an unusual army in her hands, rose up during chaos, rescued the emperor’s eldest grandson, was entrusted by the emperor at his deathbed, and presided over court with the new emperor.
“Seventh Uncle, you cannot look down on her just because she’s a woman,” Xie Yanfang said softly. “She doesn’t depend on us. Her current position isn’t because of us. On the contrary, the reason our Xie clan still exists today is because of her.”
Seventh Master Xie was silent for a moment, then let out a long sigh: “How could I not know? I’m just—” He clenched his hand. “Unwilling to accept it.”
Their Xie clan had such a great family and business, Xie Yanfang had such renown throughout the realm, yet in the end they stood alongside these two nobodies—and even lower! How could he be willing?
“There’s nothing to be unwilling about. Think about the Yang clan, the Zhao clan, think about the Crown Prince and Third Prince, even the late emperor—which one was willing?” Xie Yanfang said. “Seventh Uncle, our Xie clan is still alive, can still stand in court, standing firm—this is already great fortune. Who knows how many people are unwilling to accept us?”
Seventh Master Xie snorted arrogantly: “Let them be unwilling.”
Xie Yanfang smiled: “Exactly. Let them be unwilling. What we need to do isn’t be unwilling to accept Miss Chu. What we need to do is win her over, befriend her, lest she be pulled away by other unwilling people.”
As for just now, while he was persuading Seventh Master Xie, wasn’t he also telling himself—
He thought of the first time he met that girl. That girl candidly said she came to get acquainted with him. He accepted her acquaintance, but told Steward Cai that this was merely acquaintance, not friendship.
True friendship required sincerity and an exchange of interests.
At that time, that girl, even her father behind her, were still not sufficient to discuss friendship with the Xie family.
Now, they could. How fast it had been—just the blink of an eye?
She had grown even faster than he had at thirteen.
The carriage window suddenly knocked, interrupting Xie Yanfang’s thoughts. Seventh Master Xie opened the window and saw Du Qi outside.
“Her Majesty the Empress wishes to see the young master,” he said in a low voice.
Seventh Master Xie quickly said: “Turn the carriage around—”
Xie Yanfang stopped him: “There are many carriages on the road. Turning around isn’t convenient. It’s not far. I’ll walk in myself.”
Today for the palace banquet, everyone wore casual clothes. On the imperial street, besides Imperial Guards and servants, a white-robed elegant young master suddenly appeared, immediately drawing countless gazes, and he was immediately recognized as Third Young Master Xie.
Xie Yanfang paid no attention to the prying gazes, bringing Du Qi and walking leisurely against the flow toward the imperial city.
“What is Third Young Master Xie doing?”
“He can do whatever he wants. He’s the National Uncle, the only one.”
Third Young Master Xie! Qi Leyun nearly lifted the window curtain to lean out and look, but was held down firmly by her sisters: “Behave yourself! If you’re improper again, your mother will punish you. As your mother teaching her daughter is perfectly justified—even the empress can’t interfere.”
Qi Leyun pouted and sat back, then said with excitement in her eyes and brows: “Although Ah Zhao didn’t marry Third Young Master Xie or that Xie Yanlai, she can still claim kinship with Third Young Master Xie, and she can see him whenever she wants, summon him at any time—”
The girls reached out to cover her mouth: “Say less. Don’t mention past matters anymore.”
Qi Leyun was blocked and made two muffled sounds.
She suddenly thought—did the past just pass like that?
Third Young Master Xie, Xie Yanlai—
What a pity.
The lovers ultimately became uncle and nephew’s wife.