Chapter 309: Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet (3) (2/2)
Time seemed to stop. The empress dowager looked dumbfounded at Baili Yuanlong. Emperor Tianhui had been caught off-guard as well. For a moment, he couldn’t even accept what had just happened. He always thought that the three military divisions were firmly under his control. Even General Mu and his vast troops of infantrymen were firmly within his grasp. He never thought that Baili Yuanlong would actually be one of Long Feiye’s people. The scariest part of a coup was the change of allegiance in military forces. Long Feiye’s piece on the chessboard this time was far too drastic a move–simply taking away the firewood from under a cauldron!
Long Feiye was using Baili Yuanlong to tell everyone here that he not only had the guts, but the power to stand up to Emperor Tianhui as an equal! Emperor Tianhui had always yielded three parts before him, but those three parts were sufficient for Long Feiye to conquer the other seven utterly!
The birthday banquet still had to continue since it had just started. But the strength of two factions had already hurt the heads of those present as witnesses. Should they still offer up the presents they prepared for the empress dowager?
If they did, they would be standing on the side of Emperor Tianhui; if they didn’t, they would be standing on the side of His Highness Duke of Qin. It was now time to pick sides.
Who would be the first to follow after Baili Yuanlong?
Some people were panicking, while others were afraid. Still some were ready to make more trouble. Still, no one expected the next person to stand up to be Crown Prince Long Tianmo. Because of his frequent illnesses, the crown prince’s faction had long lost its power and influence at court. Add that to his relapse this time, and anyone intelligent would know that Emperor Tianhui had been playing around with the crown prince’s life to suppress Han Yunxi. Even though he was a crown prince, and even though he’d returned to the capital with his life, the situation was hopeless if he didn’t have the emperor’s favor. He should have the greatest grounds to resent, hate, and resign himself to his fate, but he ended up being the first to stand out and save face for the empress dowager and emperor.
“Imperial Grandmother, take a look at what grandson has brought you.” Long Tianmo personally brought up a massive lingzhi mushroom2 about the size of a palm, its color as red as glistening blood. The sight immediately attracted the eyes of all the onlookers.
Someone exclaimed in admiration, “Your Highness Crown Prince, is this the genuine article?”
“Impudence! Would this crown prince gift Imperial Grandmother a fake?” Long Tianmo reprimanded.
“Your Highness Crown Prince, is this the blood lingzhi mentioned in legends, said to cure all kinds of diseases and ailments?” another person asked in excitement.
“Exactly so!” Long Tianmo’s serious illnesses had kept him confined in the Eastern Palace in the past. Because of that, he’d been searching for this item for years, but never expected to find one on his way back from Medical City. When he nodded his head to confirm its authenticity, the entire hall rose in an uproar. Blood lingzhi was the foremost of all medicinal ingredients. No matter what ills ailed the patient, a single appearance of this mushroom could cure the cause. It was worth more money that both the Persian cat and luminous-night pearl that had appeared before, and praised as Cloud Realm Continent’s number one medicine.
Even Han Yunxi and Gu Beiyue, who was sitting in a distant table of his own, marveled at the sight. Some medicinal ingredients only existed in ones or twos. Once a person finished using it up, it would be gone! All right, even Lil Thing felt ready to stir in her sleeve. It had no idea what was going on outside, but it couldn’t help but think that the palace was a great place. It had so many good things! It had to make its own trip here one day!
Long Tianmo had managed to restore the mood of the birthday banquet with a single blood lingzhi. He made a grand bow and said respectfully, “Imperial Grandmother, this is a quality blood lingzhi. Grandson wishes that Imperial Grandmother may live as long as the Zhongnan Mountains, and have happiness as boundless as the eastern seas!”
If possible, Long Tianmo wouldn’t have taken out the mushroom at all. He originally aimed for a middle ground during the banquet, so that he wouldn’t appear too weak nor offend his Imperial Father and Imperial Uncle Qin. However, this was a perfect chance to express his stance to Imperial Father. No matter whether his enemy was Imperial Father or Imperial Uncle Qin, gaining Emperor Tianhui’s regard was the best way to amass his strength. Only then would he have the chance to take the throne by force.
Disputes amongst the imperial clan was nothing more than a simple test of ‘endurance.’
Long Tianmo’s sonorous voice was like a large bell that resounded through the banquet hall. Although his influence paled in comparison to Baili Yuanlong, he still managed to turn the tables in Emperor Tianhui’s favor. The empress dowager was so moved that she couldn’t speak, while Emperor Tianhui was finally looking at Long Tianmo with a gaze of admiration. Still, Long Feiye remained unmoved. It was obvious he hadn’t taken the matter to heart at all.
Zhao mama secretly crept up and murmured, “Esteemed wangfei, do you regret it now? Next time, don’t save his life. He’s a castaway pawn, but he still can’t tell good from bad!”
Han Yunxi smiled. Even Zhao mama could tell that Long Tianmo’s “chronic complaint flaring up again” was simply a ruse designed by Emperor Tianhui at his expense? Although they were currently on opposing sides, Han Yunxi didn’t find Long Tianmo disagreeable. At the very least, he’d been one of her staunchest patients. No matter what, he’d never given up on himself. As for saving him, well. She’d been forced to do it every time! There was nothing for her to regret with that.
With the crown prince making his move, someone was bound to follow next. That person became none other than the second imperial son, Long Tianqing.3 This second imperial son was the child of Noble Consort Xiao, who was the daughter of none other than Xiao Zhengxin,4 Prime Minster of the Left.5 As the crown prince’s faction declined in power day after day, the second imperial son’s influence had grown in its wake. There were even rumors that Great General Mu was on the second imperial son’s side. Since the crown prince had shown his strength, the second imperial son was also unwilling to be outshone. But as he walked past Long Feiye and Han Yunxi’s table, he actually gave them an exaggerated snort of contempt, obvious enough for anyone to see.
Child, it’s understandable to protect the empress dowager and ingratiate yourself with the emperor in these circumstances. But stepping on the Duke of Qin to gain the emperor’s favor is definitely a big mistake!
1. Baili Yuanlong (百里元隆) – Baili is a two-character surname, Yuan means “first,” Long means “grand, prosperous, thriving.”
2. lingzhi (灵芝) – also known as magic fungus or glossy ganoderma, used in medicine and formerly credited with miraculous powers. It’s considered a symbol of good luck as well.
3. Long Tianqing (龙天擎) – Long is dragon, tianqing means “holding up the skies/Heavens.”
4. Xiao Zhengxin (萧正信) – Xiao is a surname that also means “desolate, dreary,” Zhengxin means “righteous belief.”
5. Prime Minister of the Left (左丞相) – in the Chinese imperial government, the Prime Minister (also known as the Grand Chancellor) is the highest-ranking executive official. Sometimes the government may have two Prime Ministers–one of right and left. In that case, the Prime Minister of the Left holds the higher rank between the two.