So please don't kill me. Yelp!

Chapter 50

Imperial Concubine Wei
Wei Li Lian
Hougong

At the banquet, down the aisle from the horizontal table of the emperor, were two rows of the lined vertical tables of the harem, seated in rankings. Thankfully, Li Lian was not as lowly ranked anymore to sit at the end, next to the exit.

"Again, I wish the emperor many years!" The Grand Dowager held up the small cup of wine. This was her second banquet with him after the morning one where other royal relatives attended with the scholars and officials. At that event, Grand Consort Shu and the consorts were also there.

"Thank you, Your Highness." Yu'er held his own cup in the air to her and they both drank to seal their words.

"As a gift, I have prepared someone for you." The Grand Dowager nodded to the entrance.

In came a young woman who looked fragile, weak and pure.

Whoever thought that combination of traits were attractive was delusional.

She was in white robes and took measured steps. The young woman was too trained that all her attempts looked fake than entrancing.

"That is Lady Wu from the East clan, she will serve you tonight," Grand Dowager Empress leered. "Go and be prepared in the dragon palace." The old woman instructed her fellow clanswoman.

Yuwen Hong did not say anything to this, but the harem had every filthy bigotry to whisper against the new lady. Poor girl, within a week she wouldn't be so pure and would be like the rest of the jealous women. Hopefully, Li Lian was wrong to think that.

"Son, may you live forever and multiply the empire." Grand Consort Shu took over, holding her cup to wish him.

"And may mother live to the many years that I live." They smiled at each other and drank to their words.

The rest of the table stood to drink to the emperor, taking turns and saying words before toasting him. If the emperor drank back to them, it indicated favor.

Of course, the Inner Court women saw this as an opportunity to stand out. Some said fancy poems, others danced before their toast.

It was in no particular order that they would stand to toast. When Li Lian stood on her turn, she had no planned words. She would speak from her heart. And the pressure was, so far the emperor had not raised the cup back to anyone after Grand Consort Shu.

Li Lian raised her cup to him. "Your Majesty, this Imperial Concubine wishes―"

As if in slow motion, Li Lian saw a needle whizz through the air toward her and clang!

It hit her cup, and the force was more than what Li Lian imagined, causing her cup to smash onto the floor. The cup rang as it tumbled on concrete.

"Your Majesty! My apologies!" She ran around the table and bowed on the aisle. In the corner of her eyes, she saw Luo Meng smirk, happy about what he just did.

"She is ominous!" The women started to taunt.

"Bad luck, I told you."

"A cup breaking means bad news."

"If she is bad news, then His Majesty must kill her to avoid the bad news."

"Your Majesty!" Concubine Pi whined. "That noise disturbed my baby."

"Lady Wei likes being the centre of attention!" Grand Dowager chastised. "Couldn't you act like a lady on this day?"

"Forgive this concubine, Your Highness." Li Lian still had her head stuck to the carpeted floor.

The Grand Dowager was not pleased. "You must be punished. Go and get―"

"Enough, Grandmother. You wish to punish people on my birthday?" Yuwen Hong dismissed. "Seat down, Li Lian. You get to miss the opportunity to wish me as consequence."

"His Majesty is magnanimous!" Li Lian got up and looked over at Yuwen Hong who already focused on eating his food, signalling that everyone else could start eating theirs too. She went to take back her seat.

"My apologies, My Lady." Ai whispered to her as she helped Li Lian get comfortable.

Li Lian stared at Luo Meng who stood behind His Majesty, giving him a deadly look which he returned. Was there a chance that Luo Meng had a liking toward her and just did not know how to deal with it? How he acted was the actions of a boy who just came of age and liked a woman but did not know how to confess.

"I don't like eggs! Who doesn't know I don't eat eggs?" Princess Cai Wenjin screamed.

'Here goes the drama.' Li Lian thought.

"Forgive me, Your Highness. Forgive me!" A court lady kowtowed. She quickly took away the tray of food from the princess and handed it to the assistant so they could change the food.

The new entourage probably hated their job. They were still learning about the princess' habits whilst the princess was not at the least understanding. She expected everything to be perfect.

They presented another set of bowls for her and apologized again. But they did not know Wen'er, now that she was already agitated, she would not be easily consoled.

She took a bite of what seemed to be meat and frowned. "This is not cooked well! I don't like this meat!" She stood up and stomped her feet on the floor. "You are a useless entourage, I don't like you!"

"Your Highness, forgive us!" They went on their knees again, panicked by the fast folding events.

However, the princess was not having it. She hailed the table of food and flipped it over, making a catastrophe of their dinner.

The princess cousins both stood up and backed away, not knowing what to do.

A look at Noble Consort Qi and there was nervousness on her face. She did not know what to do with all that mess. Princess Cai Wenjin was her child now and as her mother she should say or do something.

To make her pain worse, beside her was Consort Wang who grinned, enjoying the whole scene.

And Yuwen Hong?

He did not seem to care, he was listening to the things Court Lady Nam said to him. Yu'er was no help and would obviously see nothing wrong with it. Because why would he, when his behavior was the same as his daughter. That is why it was acceptable to him and in his eyes nothing was wrong.

Li Lian was about to say something when she caught the eye of Grand Consort Shu who silently eyed her, telling her to leave it. Grand Consort Shu didn't like her granddaughter so she was unbothered to see the drama escalate or to budge in to bring correction.

On the other side, Grand Dowager Empress was already dozing, tired of the long day and all the matters of the palace she has seen all of her life repeat again and again.

"Come and kneel before me and receive your punishment!" Cai Wenjin commanded.

A palace maid knelt before the princess and smack! The princess slapped the poor maid.

"Princess, shall we calm down?" Yuwen Hong called to her, seeming bored with the whole incident.

"What a family." Li Lian muttered to herself.

"Fuhuang! I don't like my maids, kill them and get me another one." She ran to him and jumped onto his lap. The princess cousins just sat back down as another group of maids cleaned up and readied the place for another table of food.

"It is my birth date, I won't kill on this day."

Unbelievable! So if it were another day, he would have killed them?

"Fuhuang!" she mused and began eating his food, appeased to be with her father.

"My Lady, here is some nice food." Court Lady Park brought a bowl of foregn food Li Lian did not know of.

Li Lian looked up and saw Grand Consort wink her. She was the person who sent the food to her.

Li Lian grinned excitedly. "Tell her I said thank you."

Foreign food was only for the elders and the emperor, it was too expensive for the whole Inner Court to have it. This is why people got jealous when a person was allowed to sit on the elevated table like Concubine Pi, they got to eat amazing food too.

The Grand Dowager was awakened by her personal court lady. She then sat up straight and sighed. "Noble Consort Qi, will you toast to His Majesty?"

People had stopped toasting after Li Lian dropped her cup. They were too afraid to continue.

"Of course, Your Highness." The two women exchanged a knowing look that got Li Lian curious.

The beautiful noble consort stood gracefully and smiled. "Your Majesty, Noble Consort Qi wishes His Majesty thousands and thousands of years!"

Why was she so pretty? It annoyed Li Lian.

"What an honor for this consort to get the opportunity to sit by her liege's side. Noble Consort promises to be an honorable and virtuous empress who is fair and just. Thank you for choosing to decree over this humble subject the title of empress."

Yuweng Hong nodded and lifted his cup to her. "I could not have chosen a better person, congratulations to Empress Qi. I look forward to having you as phoenix and rule by your side."

S.V