The imperial palace housed a grand hall specifically for hosting banquets.
As the sun began to set, the last rays of sunlight slanted across the palace's golden glazed tiles. Though dim, the light couldn't conceal its inherent regal aura.
The inner walls of the grand hall were adorned with colorful murals of golden phoenixes spreading their wings and soaring high, while the paintings on the ceiling beams were equally exquisite.
By the time Nian Jiaojiao arrived, some guests had already gathered inside the hall.
Lou Lan, standing beside her, remarked, "Jiaojiao, I heard that besides the court's esteemed officials, some of the imperial princesses and princes will also be attending this banquet."
Nian Jiaojiao had already become familiar with Lou Lan.
However, the mention of imperial princesses made her feel a little weary. The Princes Duan and Ying would likely be present as well.
Now that her status as the top scholar was solidified, she anticipated the next wave of attempts to curry favor.
The imperial princesses of the Great Yue Dynasty moved out of the palace after the age of fourteen. They were also bestowed with titles by the Empress, just like Princes Duan and Ying.
At this moment, a young attendant led them to their seats.
The scholars attending this banquet were the top fifteen graduates.
As newcomers without official positions, their seats were naturally at the back.
However, the moment Nian Jiaojiao sat down, she realized something was amiss.
Logically, as the top scholar, she should have occupied the foremost seat among the fifteen. Instead, she found herself in the second position, with Shangguan Xi seated opposite her, one seat ahead, essentially diagonally across.
The long tables in the hall were shared by two people. Nian Jiaojiao was currently sharing a table with Lou Lan, who ranked third.
Nian Jiaojiao dismissed this as a minor ploy.
She shook her head internally.
Did they think occupying a slightly more forward seat would lead others to mistake her for the top scholar?
As the sky darkened, most of the guests had arrived.
At this point, a stout young woman sat down in the seat to Nian Jiaojiao's upper right.
Upon seeing the woman take her seat, Nian Jiaojiao noticed Shangguan Xi opposite her sporting a look of schadenfreude.
This observation made Nian Jiaojiao inwardly vigilant.
Following this, the imperial family began to enter.
Besides Prince Ying and Prince Duan, Nian Jiaojiao also saw other princes and imperial princes for the first time.
Lou Lan, beside her, whispered into her ear, "Jiaojiao, these imperial princes are all beautiful, yet their styles are distinct. Which type do you prefer?"
Hearing Lou Lan's question, Nian Jiaojiao subconsciously glanced at the imperial princes who were taking their seats.
At that moment, Lou Lan's voice reached her ears again, "All the imperial princes attending this event are unmarried. The oldest one should be the Eighth Prince, so the Eighth Prince should be seated in the foremost position."
Nian Jiaojiao looked towards the Eighth Prince.
His unique appearance, a blend of purity and allure, startled her.
How to describe it...
Like a pure-hearted fox...
Just as the Eighth Prince was settling in, and perhaps by coincidence, his first reaction upon being seated was to glance in Nian Jiaojiao's direction. Nian Jiaojiao happened to meet his gaze.
Nian Jiaojiao: !!!
She was taken aback by his beauty...
The Eighth Prince clearly hadn't expected Nian Jiaojiao to be looking at him. He paused for a moment, then gave a slight nod towards Nian Jiaojiao.
Nian Jiaojiao was about to return a smile when a commotion occurred to her right.
She saw the stout woman excitedly say to the person beside her on her right, "Did you see? The Eighth Prince is looking at me! My sincere affection has finally touched him!"
Nian Jiaojiao noticed that the official at the same table as the woman had practically shifted out of their seat, their intention to distance themselves couldn't be more obvious.
As a colleague, the addressed official merely forced a smile, "Congratulations, Young Minister Situ."
"Young Minister Situ, that's her."
At this point, Lou Lan exclaimed in surprise.
Nian Jiaojiao raised an eyebrow slightly, "You know her?"
Lou Lan nodded, "She is the daughter of General Situ. It is said that she reached the realm of Spirit Driving by the age of twenty-four. Three years have passed now, and I wonder if she has broken through to the realm of Spirit Taming.
Regardless, she is hailed as a martial arts prodigy, and she has achieved numerous military merits on the battlefield. She is now the youngest general in Great Yue."
Nian Jiaojiao asked curiously, "If she is so capable, why is she seated at the back?"
Lou Lan's expression became somewhat peculiar. After a moment of hesitation, she said, "It is rumored that she is infatuated with the Eighth Prince, and also, she is somewhat... somewhat indecent..."
"Indecent?"
Nian Jiaojiao couldn't understand.
Would someone be ostracized like this because of being 'indecent'?
However, she would soon understand what 'indecent' meant, and Shangguan Xi's 'malicious intent'.
While Nian Jiaojiao's attention was drawn to Young Minister Situ, the Eighth Prince on the platform also noticed Young Minister Situ.
He frowned and quickly withdrew his gaze upon seeing her greet him with a disgusting smile.
The other imperial princes also showed their displeasure towards Young Minister Situ.
Especially the Tenth Prince, seated above.
Young Minister Situ's body blocked a large portion of Nian Jiaojiao, severely hindering his observation of his "future consort."
Most importantly, it was as if someone admiring a beautiful landscape found their view obstructed by a pile of dung. At this moment, the Tenth Prince felt an unprecedented urge to stab someone.
Situ Mo naturally sensed the gazes cast in her direction by the other princes.
She secretly rejoiced.
Her unique beauty and temperament were finally appreciated by the imperial princes.
However, her focus remained on the Eighth Prince, as she considered herself a devoted and affectionate woman...
Once she married the Eighth Prince, she would consider other princes...
In her excitement, Situ Mo's soles began to sweat.
The Empress had already announced that everyone could begin their meal. The hall was filled with the sound of bells and chimes, creating a very elegant atmosphere.
It was at this moment that Situ Mo, beside Nian Jiaojiao, suddenly and seemingly discreetly removed her boots.
Little did she know that the moment she removed her boots, those around her could clearly smell the sour, fishy odor emanating from her feet.
Nian Jiaojiao, who had just taken two bites of food, silently put down her chopsticks. Lou Lan beside her also stopped picking up food, her face creased with displeasure.
The official beside Situ Mo had clearly anticipated this, as she had already squeezed herself to an adjacent table.
Thus, Nian Jiaojiao became the person closest to Situ Mo.
The intensity of the smell was so strong that even Shangguan Xi, seated opposite, could faintly detect it. She cast a look of schadenfreude towards Nian Jiaojiao.
Nian Jiaojiao sneered inwardly.
So this is what they had planned for me.
She took out a sandalwood-scented bone fan from her pocket and gently covered her mouth and nose, allowing herself to breathe.
Lou Lan beside her cast a look of envy.
Why didn't she also have a scented item?
At this moment, feeling an itch on her soles, Situ Mo began scratching vigorously. The atmosphere around Nian Jiaojiao became eerie and quiet.
No one was in the mood to chat.
Across the table, Shangguan Xi was happily dining with her companions, and as she spoke, she cast provocative glances at Nian Jiaojiao.
Nian Jiaojiao kept an eye on Situ Mo's actions from the corner of her eye.
She desperately wanted to kick her away.
Then, Situ Mo stopped scratching. After finishing a plate of beef, she directly inserted the fingers she had used to scratch into her mouth to pick her teeth.
Nian Jiaojiao's mouth twitched.
Her worldview shattered, she saw the woman take out a translucent, deep green garlic leaf and flick it casually off her pinky finger.
The garlic leaf flew directly onto the forehead of Shangguan Xi, who was seated opposite and not paying attention to Nian Jiaojiao.
Caught off guard, Shangguan Xi froze in place, unable to dodge in time.