August 15th, the Mid-Autumn Festival. The King of Chu hosted a banquet, attended by officials of the third rank and above, along with their families.
The Empress offered one of her favorite golden hairpins as a prize, and young ladies took turns performing.
When will the bright moon appear? I raise my wine to ask the azure sky.
…
May we all live long, though far apart, and share the moon's beauty.
Upon hearing this poem, the entire hall fell silent. The Emperor was the first to offer praise, and the other young ladies, feeling outmatched, chose not to compete further.
Zhao Jingwan, the second daughter of Great General Zhao Junqian, had won the prize. Many young talents lauded her poem.
Jun Jiuli opened her eyes to find a man with rough skin and a full beard raising a cup to her.
She quickly refilled her own cup and raised it, meeting his gaze with a smile before they both drank.
"Brother Zhao, you are indeed a skilled father. Your second daughter is usually too understated. Such talent she possesses; she is sure to find a good husband in the future."
"Brother Xu, you flatter me. Your daughter's sword dance is also exceptional."
"Hahaha, come, come, let's continue drinking."
Zhao Jingwan, having received the golden hairpin, couldn't hide her joy. She returned to sit behind Madam Zhao, deliberately displaying the hairpin to Zhao Jingyu.
Zhao Jingyu was speechless. Such shallow ambition. The Emperor had already decreed that she would be the future Crown Princess of Chu.
Did she expect to provoke a fight by acting this way? This illegitimate sister had changed entirely since falling into the water last month.
She had cured Grandmother's chronic cough; otherwise, she wouldn't have been brought to such a banquet today.
Grandmother had hoped to find her a good match, and now that she had gained attention, perhaps that wish would be granted.
Zhao Jingyu suddenly felt unwell. After informing Madam Zhao, she quietly excused herself with her two personal maids.
Jun Jiuli, who had been cornered by a group of old men drinking, had finally sorted out the plot. After exchanging a few words with some old friends, she also excused herself.
Zhao Jingyu had just finished changing her clothes and was walking slowly along a small path with her maids. Jun Jiuli encountered her directly. Upon seeing her, Zhao Jingyu immediately bowed.
"Greetings, Father. Why have you come out?"
"Nothing, I drank too much and came out for some fresh air."
"Moderation in drinking is best. Father, you must take care of your health."
"I know, my child. You look unwell; it's not good for you to be in the wind."
"I felt a little unwell earlier, but after speaking with Father, I feel much better."
"Good, now quickly return to the banquet. Don't let your mother worry about you."
"Daughter understands."
After she left, Jun Jiuli took several turns and arrived at the gate of a dilapidated courtyard.
She didn't know why such a place existed within the palace, but the plot dictated that inside was the Fifth Prince, drugged with an aphrodisiac.
Her precious eldest daughter, the future Crown Princess, had been schemed against and ended up sleeping with the useless Fifth Prince.
This incident was witnessed by the Emperor himself, ruining the Mid-Autumn Festival. The Emperor was naturally furious.
The Fifth Prince was his own son; no matter how useless, he couldn't do much to him. All his anger was directed at Zhao Jingyu.
Her chance to become Crown Princess was ruined, and she was relegated to being a side concubine to the Fifth Prince. Losing her virginity before marriage was not a good look, and even the legitimate daughter of a first-rank general could only be a concubine.
This side concubine was also disfavored by the Emperor, and she was not welcomed within the Fifth Prince's mansion. Her life became even more difficult after the main consort entered the household.
All blessings and favor come from the Emperor. The original host had no recourse but to provide more dowry and servants.
However, this was all orchestrated by the Fifth Prince's mother, Consort Li, with Zhao Jingwan as her accomplice. It was she who poisoned Zhao Jingyu, and Consort Li had arranged everything else in advance.
One sought the military power held by the original host to aid her son, while the other felt that as long as her legitimate elder sister married into the Eastern Palace, she would never have a chance to rise.
Consort Li was foolish and ambitious but undeniably beautiful. With the situation as it was, the Emperor couldn't bear to put Consort Li to death, only issuing a minor punishment.
The Emperor also feared the original host might harbor resentment, leading him to suppress her in various ways. He cultivated new talent to share his power. For his daughter's sake, he had to relinquish military authority.
The Fifth Prince, that good-for-nothing, became even more reckless once he knew Zhao Jingyu was of no use. The people in his mansion were adept at fawning over the high and kicking down the low, and Zhao Jingyu eventually died of depression.
Until her death, her heart and mind were filled with the Crown Prince Chu Xuanyu. Though the Crown Prince also had feelings for her, she had ultimately become his brother's wife, and propriety and shame forbade any further transgression.
The guards at the door were the Fifth Prince's personal maids. Jun Jiuli first knocked one unconscious and threw her inside. Soon, sounds of laughter and moans emerged from within.
At the Mid-Autumn banquet in Chu, only the Empress and consorts were permitted to attend, so Consort Li was still in her own palace awaiting news.
Jun Jiuli easily slipped in and directly delivered the drugged woman to the Fifth Prince. The drug's effect was potent, and soon Consort Li's sounds of pleasure could be heard.
This incestuous drama involving one man and two women would now be dealt with by the Emperor. It had nothing to do with her; she was merely an observing official.
After completing her task, she clapped her hands and returned to the banquet.
Zhao Jingwan, seeing Zhao Jingyu safely return, almost ground her teeth to dust. She thought she had concealed her feelings well, but her intense gaze alerted those around her to her unease.
Zhao Jingyu said nothing to her, instead engaging with the other young ladies present, exhibiting impeccable manners and the grace of a noblewoman.
Several madams nearby cast frequent glances in their direction, offering looks of admiration and urging their own daughters to learn from her.
Zhao Jingwan was greatly displeased, thinking to herself: "They're all sycophants, just trying to curry favor with the Crown Prince. Ignorant ancient people, how can they compare to me, educated in modern civilization?"
"Hmph, a single poem I casually composed is beyond anything you could achieve in ten lifetimes. Why isn't anyone mentioning what happened earlier? Are they afraid of embarrassing the future Crown Princess? Such small-minded people, I am the foremost talented woman in the capital."
With these thoughts, she held her head high, vowing that her name, Zhao Jingwan, would soon be known throughout the capital.
Surely, a crowd of talented young men would look at her with newfound respect. She would become the protagonist of this world, a model for all women.
…
"Is the General's second daughter alright? Her neck is held so high, did she sleep awkwardly last night?" asked a little girl of seven or eight.
"Hahaha, you're too young to understand. Her neck surely doesn't hurt. She's just too happy, like the peacocks you raise. Don't they lift their necks high when they display their plumage?"
"Oh, can this sister also display her plumage?"
Her innocent question drew light laughter from the surrounding noblewomen. Zhao Jingwan, though unable to clearly hear what they were laughing about, felt they were all talking about her. Alas, this was the loneliness of a protagonist, ostracized by all the ostentatious sluts.
This air of "everyone is drunk but me" successfully made Madam Zhao wish she could hide her face in her hands. Had this illegitimate daughter become too arrogant?
It would be best to take her out less for social events to avoid embarrassment. Such a haughty demeanor, refusing to engage with others.
An illegitimate daughter not actively seeking to befriend others, expecting noble young ladies to approach her? Such an opportunity wasted.
Enduring a whole night without interacting was worse than staying home and resting. No one had mistreated her; how did she become so foolish?
She had become conceited just by composing a decent poem. Romance and sentiment couldn't put food on the table.
However, Madam Zhao's heart was already filled with unease. At her level, she couldn't possibly have written such a poem.
It was best if she hadn't plagiarized it from somewhere; if that were exposed, the General's mansion couldn't afford such disgrace.