Chapter 52: The Imperial Palace Night Banquet

Night had fallen, yet the imperial city of Chengdu blazed with brilliant lights. To celebrate the Prince of Qin, Liu Chen, for crushing Zhong Hui’s massive army and returning in triumphant glory, Liu Shan specially hosted a grand banquet within the palace. Once the imperial decree was issued, civil and military officials—regardless of their inner thoughts—dressed in their finest attire and attended. Outside the palace gates, carriages and horses formed an endless stream, presenting a rare scene of lively bustle.

Inside the grand hall, the melodious sounds of strings, flutes, and resonant chime-bells drifted through the air. Court maids and eunuchs, holding fine wine and delicacies, shuttled back and forth among the banquet tables. Gilded censers exhaled curling wisps of blue smoke, mingling with the rich aromas of wine, roasted meats, and cosmetics, creating an atmosphere of slightly decadent prosperity.

Liu Shan sat high upon the imperial throne, his face glowing with health, looking exceptionally pleased with himself. Defeating Zhong Hui and lifting the imminent threat had lightened his spirits considerably. Seated beside him were the Crown Prince Liu Xuan and several favored imperial concubines. The Crown Prince wore a rather complex expression, casting his gaze toward the hall entrance from time to time.

"Your Majesty, His Highness the Prince of Qin and Lord Xi Zheng have arrived," announced a eunuch's shrill voice.

In an instant, many gazes within the hall snapped toward the entrance. Liu Chen appeared in the ordinary attire of a Prince of the Blood. Although he wore no armor, as he strode forward with the vigorous gait of a dragon or tiger, that aura of grim slaughter forged in countless battles, coupled with his calm and resolute demeanor, still washed over the room, clashing discordantly with the dissolute music playing all around.

Half a step behind him followed Xi Zheng, who had just been entrusted with a heavy responsibility. At that moment, Xi Zheng was trying hard to maintain his composure, yet a trace of excitement and caution could still be discerned between his brows.

"This subject pays respects to Your Imperial Father!" Liu Chen walked before the throne and bowed deeply.

"This subject, Xi Zheng, kowtows to Your Majesty!" Xi Zheng offered a full, formal kowtow.

"Hahaha, my son has arrived! Quick, rise! Take your seats!" Liu Shan laughed heartily, waving his hand to direct Liu Chen to the most honorable seat on his lower left, a spot specially reserved for him.

"Minister Xi has also worked hard; take your seat as well," his attitude toward Xi Zheng was quite amiable.

Liu Chen expressed his gratitude and sat down, his gaze sweeping calmly across the entire hall. He saw many familiar and unfamiliar faces, feeling a variety of complex glances: admiration, curiosity, scrutiny, and of course, the apprehension and cold indifference concealed beneath smiles. When his gaze met Qiao Zhou and the others, they immediately responded with what seemed like modest and gentle smiles, yet Liu Chen could acutely perceive the stiffness beneath those grins.

Xi Zheng's seat was arranged slightly forward in the middle ranks, positioned not far from the tables of Qiao Zhou, Xu You, and others. The moment he sat down, he felt the seemingly casual glances cast from the side pricking at him like needles on his back.

After all, he had entered the grand hall alongside Liu Chen, which was enough to demonstrate Xi Zheng's stance. In the eyes of Qiao Zhou and his faction, this was betrayal.

After three rounds of wine and five courses of food, Liu Shan's spirits grew increasingly high. Raising his cup to the assembled officials, he proclaimed, "This time, the rebel Zhong Hui invaded with arrogant and aggressive momentum. Fortunately, the Prince of Qin accepted the commission in a moment of crisis, personally braving arrows and stones to lead our army's soldiers in bloody combat. Only thus could we vanquish the enemy, achieve victory, and lift our nation's might! This is the supreme fortune of the state, and my heart is deeply gratified! My lords, drink this cup with me to celebrate the Prince of Qin! To celebrate our soldiers!"

"To celebrate the Prince of Qin! To celebrate the soldiers! Long live Your Majesty!" The officials rose one after another, raising their cups as shouts of congratulation filled the great hall.

No matter what, because of Liu Chen, their own wealth and nobility had been preserved once more.

Liu Chen rose, raising his cup in return: "The merit of this victory relies above on the boundless fortune of Your Imperial Father, and below on the dedication of our soldiers, the willingness of the three armies to die for the state, and the wholehearted support of the common people in Sichuan. This subject has merely fulfilled the duty of a son and faithfully kept his responsibilities; I truly dare not claim this credit. May our glorious Han dynasty enjoy boundless national fortune and continue the imperial lineage!" With that, he drained his cup in a single draught. His words were proper and poised, neither arrogant nor boastful, causing many pragmatic officials to nod secretly in approval.

However, to Qiao Zhou and his ilk, these modest words carried a rather different flavor. Especially the phrase "continue the imperial lineage" was, in their view, an unambiguous signal of Liu Chen's ambition to wage war.

Following the toast, the music and dance resumed, and the atmosphere seemed even more fervent. Yet undercurrents began to surge.

Qiao Zhou exchanged a glance with Xu You seated opposite him. Xu You understood, slightly tidying his robes and crown, and walked smilingly toward Xi Zheng's table with his wine cup in hand.

"Lord Xi, congratulations, congratulations!" Xu You beamed with smiles as he said, "To be able to enter the palace together with His Highness today—you must surely have won his deep trust and heavy favor. In the days to come, I shall have to rely greatly on your guidance, my dear brother."

Though this sounded like flattery, it was actually a probe. His voice was neither loud nor soft, just right for the occupants of the neighboring tables to overhear.

A shock ran through Xi Zheng's heart, knowing the visitor harbored no good intentions. The cabinet deliberations had not yet been made public, and Xu You's words carried profound implications.

He hurriedly stood up, speaking with feigned modesty: "Minister Xu flatters me too much. This humble official has merely been shown grace by His Majesty and His Highness, fulfilling a subject's basic duty—how could one speak of deep trust? On the contrary, Minister Xu comes from generations of loyal ministers and serves as a pillar of our dynasty; you should be the one sharing the burdens for His Majesty and His Highness."

He cleverly coupled "His Highness" with "His Majesty," neither denying his closeness to Liu Chen nor pointing out Xu You's background, subtly reminding him not to forget his roots.

Having struck a soft wall, Xu You gave two dry laughs: "Naturally, naturally."

Yet he did not leave. Instead, he lowered his voice and spoke with a pretense of heartfelt sincerity: "However, my dear brother, His Highness has spent long periods in the military and is fiercely determined to press forward—which is naturally a good thing. But the principles of governing a nation are vastly different from the battlefield; they value balance and prudence. If certain matters are pursued with excessive haste, I fear it may not be a blessing for the state. As subjects, there are times when we must offer admonitions at the proper moments, persuading His Highness to slacken his pace slightly. Only that is the path of loyalty and patriotism." His words were both an admonition to Xi Zheng and a dissemination of the narrative that the Prince of Qin was eager for quick success.

Xi Zheng sneered inwardly, while outwardly wearing an expression of humble instruction. With a smiling face, he replied: "Minister Xu possesses the seasoned wisdom of a statesman, and your words are entirely correct. His Highness is brilliant and wise, profoundly understanding both civil and military arts, and naturally has his own sense of proportion. As subjects, we need only offer our utmost loyalty in assistance and do our utmost to execute our duties."

He kicked the ball right back, implying that Liu Chen had his own judgment and would tolerate no interference from others, while making it clear that a subject's duty was to "execute duties" rather than "obstruct."

Seeing that Xi Zheng's defense was airtight, Xu You was momentarily at a loss for words. At that moment, Qiao Zhou also paced over, cup in hand, with a smiling countenance.

"Ho ho, what are you two discussing with such deep absorption?" Qiao Zhou wore the benevolent expression of an elder, looking at the two with a smile as he said, "At today's grand banquet, we should drink our fill and jointly celebrate peace." He set the tone right away, emphasizing "peace."

"Elder Qiao." Both Xi Zheng and Xu You offered slight bows.

Qiao Zhou looked at Xi Zheng, his tone gentle: "My dear Xi, seeing you walk alongside His Highness today, this old man is deeply gratified. His Highness is young and talented, and precisely needs steadfast ministers like yourself by his side to assist him. Only..."

At this point, a trace of hesitation suddenly appeared on Qiao Zhou's face.

"Ha ha, what the venerable elder says is entirely correct. This humble official believes that His Highness is brilliant and martial, and coupled with our assistance, he will surely achieve great accomplishments." Xi Zheng let out a cold laugh inside.

Qiao Zhou's face stiffened upon hearing this.

Asking him to assist Liu Chen was simply out of the question.

Right now, he wished he could kill Liu Chen.