Chapter 13

  The Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching. The mansion is filled with joy and excitement. Because I have to enter the palace for a banquet, my sister lectures me on etiquette every day. Where to change clothes, where to sit in a pavilion, where to receive courtesy, where to start the banquet, where to rest, she makes me recite again and again. She is afraid that my behavior will not be proper on that day.

  By the fifteenth day in the afternoon, Beile Ye and sister were all dressed up, I also packed up, and then a group of people took their sedan chairs to the Forbidden City. Because I chose "History of Scroll Painting" as an elective course when I was in college, there are often painting exhibitions in the Palace Museum, so I often go, but I am only familiar with a few places near the Painting Gallery, it is too big, and I have never walked through it all. Today, I will see this palace in its heyday, and it's hard not to be excited.

  One gate after another, one ritual after another, row upon row of guards, I was completely dizzy and highly tense, afraid of making a mistake. Didn't even have time to look at the surroundings. Luckily, my sister's training was good. Finally sat down, feeling a bit weak in the legs. Relaxed for a moment, looked around: lanterns hung everywhere, shining brightly like daytime, silver light and snow waves, jewels sparkling, the fragrance of dragon cypress and green flowers. Secretly sighed: what a royal atmosphere, not something that modern TV dramas can depict at all.

  The various consorts, princes, and princesses gradually arrived and took their seats. After a short while, a group of eunuchs came quickly, each standing in their designated position. A voice echoed from afar, "The Emperor has arrived!" Everyone stood up and after another moment, they saw a middle-aged man with an average build, wearing a yellow robe, adorned with beautiful jade on his hat, having a simple yet elegant face with a hint of a smile, walking slowly towards them. Everyone knelt down to the ground in unison. I thought to myself, the legendary emperor, Emperor Kangxi!

  Although the people had all knelt down, not one of them let out a big sigh. When Kangxi sat down, the eunuch beside him loudly shouted: "Rise!" Only then did everyone get up and stand. Kangxi smiled as he looked around at the people below him and said: "You may all sit! It's rare to have a holiday, so be more casual!" Everyone responded in unison: "Yes!" and took their seats. But I think that everyone was still careful to observe the proper etiquette, not daring to be even slightly remiss. Sighing, this is indeed the majesty of the Son of Heaven, under whose rule all are subject.

  After three rounds of wine, the atmosphere on the seat finally became a bit lively. Several young brothers also started teasing each other and laughing, all raising their glasses to each other. Among them, the tenth brother's voice was the loudest. The crown prince, fourth brother, and eighth brother were also chatting and drinking. I was looking around when I suddenly met Mingyue Gege's gaze, she stared at me with hatred. I immediately flashed her a brilliant smile, thinking, die from anger! She glared at me even more hatefully, but suddenly seemed to react to something, pursed the corner of her mouth, and also gave me a charming smile before turning her head away. I immediately felt a chill run down my body, shivering. Sighing in my heart, indeed, smiling tigers are still the most terrifying.

  Eating and drinking, sipping and stopping, laughing and looking around, although no one is paying attention to me, I am still very self-satisfied. Fortunately, it's a grand occasion, how can I not fully enjoy myself? Just as I was lowering my head in pleasure, suddenly everything became quiet, and when I raised my head, I saw everyone staring at me. Then I heard the eunuch say: "Ma Er Tai, Yu Xi, come forward to pay respects!"

  I was startled and couldn't react for a moment. Suddenly, I had an idea, quickly got up, went forward, knelt down, and bowed my head, saying in a crisp voice: "Long live Your Majesty!" Kangxi said: "Get up and talk!" As I stood up, I thought to myself, what's going on? Kangxi smiled and said: "So this is the 'Daring Thirteenth Sister'?" A concubine standing beside him chimed in with a smile: "I really didn't expect her to be such a delicate little girl!"

  Everyone's eyes were on me, and I felt extremely nervous. Kangxi looked at me with a smile and asked: "You see me, very nervous?" I thought that if I didn't speak up, it would be bad, so I replied: "Yes!" Kangxi seemed to think it was quite amusing and continued to ask: "Why?" After thinking for a moment, I replied: "It's the first time I've seen Your Majesty, and I feel an infinite sense of awe, so I'm nervous." Kangxi hummed in response and asked again: "Do you think I'm very majestic?" I thought to myself, oh no! How can this not end?! I carefully considered how to respond, knowing that one wrong answer could be disastrous.

  The Emperor Kangxi saw that I didn't immediately respond, and continued to smile as he asked: "Are you afraid of me?" I thought to myself, only a tyrannical ruler would hope for everyone to fear him, whereas a wise ruler has always sought to win people's hearts. Not daring to hesitate any further, I hastily replied: "No, Your Majesty is a wise and virtuous ruler, how could your humble servant be afraid? It's just that this is my first time entering the palace, and I feel a bit tense due to the grandeur of the imperial court." The Emperor Kangxi smiled and asked: "A wise and virtuous ruler? Why do you think I am a wise and virtuous ruler?" Oh, the distress in my heart! Why? History has already made its evaluation. But I didn't dare directly mention things like ascending to the throne at six years old, capturing Ao Bai, pacifying the three feuds, recovering Taiwan, or quelling the rebellion of Galdan... because those were the Emperor Kangxi's own boasts in his later years, and I didn't dare steal his thunder. I could only frantically think, my brain racing through several circles, and what came out was actually from the high school textbook "Qing Yuan Chun. Snow". My heart also felt it was quite fitting, but I couldn't care about that much anymore - saving my life was urgent! So I loudly said:

  Alas, Qin Shi Huang and Han Wu Di slightly lost in literary elegance; Tang Taizong and Song Taizu were somewhat inferior.

  A generation of heroes, Genghis Khan, only knew how to shoot eagles with a bow.

  "All have passed on, many heroes of the past; now look at today."

  The Kangxi Emperor nodded and smiled, saying: "I'm used to hearing about Yao, Shun, Yu, and Tang, but today's words are quite refreshing!" I sighed inwardly, wondering how I could have forgotten about Yao, Shun, Yu, and Tang. But now it seems the effect is great, this flattery is not bad! The Kangxi Emperor said: "It seems you're not just someone who only knows 'desperate'!" He then turned to a eunuch beside him and said: "Reward him!" I quickly knelt down again. After receiving the reward, I retreated. Sitting back in my seat, I found that my palms were sweating. Looking up, I realized that the Crown Prince and Fourth Brother were carefully examining me, so I hurriedly lowered my head again.

  After the commotion, Kangxi's mood seemed to have greatly improved, and the accompanying concubines also followed suit with lively conversations. The princes all came forward to offer Kangxi wine and words of good fortune. After Ninth Prince returned to his seat, he only saw Tenth Prince walking up, holding a cup of wine and saying: "Imperial Father, my elder brothers have already said all the auspicious phrases, I don't have anything good to say, I just wish Imperial Father good health." He finished by downing the wine in one gulp. Kangxi shook his head and said: "Can't remember any elegant phrases or poetry, only knows how to speak colloquialisms." A beautiful concubine beside Kangxi smiled and said: "Although it's a colloquialism, what you said is indeed true!" Kangxi nodded in agreement. Looking at Tenth Prince, he thought for a moment before saying: "You're already seventeen!" The concubine smiled and chimed in: "Ninth Prince was established as the Crown Prince at this age, it's time to establish Tenth Prince as well!"

  As soon as she finished speaking, all the brothers listened intently. The tenth brother lowered his head and looked thoughtful. Kangxi said: "It's time!" The concubine smiled again and said: "The other day, Jing Gege just mentioned to me that my daughter Mingyu is about the same age, and asked me to help find a suitable person. I think she matches well with the tenth brother!" When the tenth brother heard this, he suddenly raised his head and looked at Kangxi, his face tense. Kangxi nodded: "It's a good match!"

  Kangxi thought for a moment, then looked at the tenth brother and said: "Let's establish Guo Luoluo Mingyu as the legitimate wife of Old Ten!" The tenth brother's face turned red with excitement, and he hastily said in a loud voice: "Imperial Father, I'm still young..." Before he could finish speaking, Kangxi interrupted him: "You're still young at seventeen?" The tenth brother was so anxious that he scratched his head wildly, while urgently saying: "Fourth Brother, Eighth Brother were both established as secondary wives first, can't you also establish a secondary wife for me first?" Kangxi's face turned stern as he said: "Nonsense! Mingyu is your legitimate wife, isn't that already a favor to you?" The tenth brother was so anxious that he didn't know how to respond, and hastily knelt down on the ground saying: "I didn't mean it like that! I just... I just... I just wanted..."

  The words were not yet out of his mouth when the Eighth Prince stood up, with a smile on his face and an air of composure, saying in a gentle voice: "Imperial Father, I think the Tenth Brother is just feeling a bit sudden, and for a moment he can't react. When he comes to his senses, he'll probably be overjoyed." The Tenth Prince suddenly turned his head, staring at the Eighth Prince with wide eyes, his face flushed with anger, pain, and pleading. The Eighth Prince also stared back at him, still smiling, saying: "Tenth Brother, why don't you hurry up and thank His Majesty?" The Tenth Prince just looked at the Eighth Prince, who maintained a gentle and elegant demeanor, his eyes deep and mysterious, impossible to discern what was hidden within.

  The tenth brother's face was filled with pleading, heartache, and anger all dissipated, leaving only a calm expression. He slowly turned his head back, his hands on the ground, and slowly, heavily knocked three times, the sound of his forehead hitting the ground clear and audible, saying loudly: "Your son thanks the Emperor!" The eighth brother also sat down slowly.

  I only felt that the three loud knocks were all pounding on my own heart. One sound, another sound, and yet another sound, heavily pressing down, making me breathless! I had known that ancient marriages were all arranged by parents, matched by words of matchmakers, with little autonomy for individuals. But when facing this scene in reality, I felt its cruelty. I glared at Mingyu furiously, she also stared at me, her face showing a mix of sadness, complacency, resentment and hatred.

  Finally, the sadness, complacency and resentment on her face slowly disappeared, and a charming smile emerged. She stood up elegantly in my angry gaze, thanked me with poise, like a proud peacock showing off its beauty. Looking at the tenth brother and her kneeling together, I just wanted to shout out loud: Why? Why? Why? Isn't he the prince? Doesn't he have the most noble status? Why did this noble status deprive him of his most precious thing: freedom! Thinking of my sister, looking at the scene in front of me again, and the approaching selection date. Is this the fate of everyone in the Forbidden City? The hidden fear surged out, and I trembled all over.

  I don't know what happened afterwards, nor do I know how I got out of the palace gate. All I remember is that as soon as the sedan chair stopped in front of the mansion gate, I rushed out and ran into the gate, with a burst of shocked cries behind me.

  I was just running, running as fast as I could, using all my strength to run. I felt like I needed to find a place to hide, or else I would end up marrying someone for no reason. Behind me, the maids and servants were chasing after me, my sister shouting "Ruoxi, Ruoxi..." while Eighth Brother walked quickly, coldly ordering his guards to catch me. I didn't know how long I had been running, but suddenly a guard jumped out in front of me and blocked my way. I tried to dodge him and keep running, but he reached out and grabbed me. I struggled with all my might, desperate to break free and find a place to hide. Later, I heard Eighth Brother's voice from far away: "Knock her unconscious!" My neck hurt, and then everything went black.