Chapter 48: Birthday Banquet, Morning Sun of the Zhao State

It was late autumn in the Imperial City. The leaves of the ancient banyan trees had almost completely fallen, their gnarled, dense branches stretching robustly, like countless small hands reaching towards the sky. A few clinging leaves on the treetops were gradually turning withered crimson. A crescent moon still hung faintly high above, yet a thin, white line of dawn light already surged on the horizon, like the undulating back of a white whale surfacing from the sea.

The decaying leaves piled beneath the banyan trees still bore traces of last night's heavy rain.

Everything had not truly faded, yet the dawn of a new day surged forth like a tide.

The Imperial City gradually brightened. The ancient city walls and weathered green tiles were imbued with color in that moment.

The garrison soldiers stationed in the city squinted, feeling the bright and piercing morning light, their calloused hands gripping their long spears.

The terror of yesterday seemed still close at hand, making today's sunlight appear dazzling and unreal.

Inside Changxiang Palace, Zhao Fu's face was pale and his cheeks slightly sunken. The scent of cosmetics still clung to him. He looked at the breaking dawn, wondering when Zhao Xiang'er would return the throne to him after she had accomplished everything.

Lost in these thoughts, he tried to step out of Changxiang Palace, but was mercilessly blocked by a guard at the door.

In the imperial palace, Tang Yu awoke from her couch. Her breathing was steady; her life was no longer in danger.

When she awoke, she saw Zhao Xiang'er sitting by the couch, personally grinding medicine. Tang Yu was somewhat flustered, and respectfully called out "Miss." Then, seeing the black, gold-embroidered dragon robe she wore, she quickly corrected herself to "Your Majesty."

Zhao Xiang'er smiled faintly, "Just keep calling me Miss. I only wear these clothes because I find them beautiful; that position, I actually have no interest in it."

Zhao Xiang'er continued to grind the medicine, her slender fingers gleaming with a pearl-like luster.

The nascent morning light from outside and the lamplight within the room seemed to rise and fall with her wrists, blending softly together as she worked.

Lu Jiajia stepped out of her sedan chair. The morning breeze stirred, her dark hair fluttered, and her sword-robe flowed like rolling clouds.

This was the morning sun of the State of Zhao, incidentally glimpsed by them in the Imperial City today.

And beneath that morning sun, in an almost imperceptible shadow, an extremely discordant red silhouette flickered.

In the early morning, Qiu Li entered the Undying Forest.

He wore a grayish-white sorcerer's robe, his hair disheveled, his eye sockets seemingly veiled in a circle of black mist, and his pupils bloodshot.

With the Witch Lord dead and no imperial decree yet issued, he, the Witch Lord's favored disciple and designated successor, was temporarily the master of the Witch Lord's Temple.

But Qiu Li knew that within a day, he would be driven out of the Witch Lord's Temple, at best exiled, at worst directly executed.

He was, of course, unwilling to sit idly by and watch this happen. Just now, in his despair, he had met a 'person,' and their conversation still left his blood churning, unable to calm down.

His steps were slow, for slowness could convey confidence and composure.

The other disciples of the Witch Lord's Temple, seeing him, silently bowed. Qiu Li waved his hand, and everyone quietly dispersed. He walked alone into the main hall.

In the hall, the black-feathered mynah bird stood on a wooden perch, its beady eyes fixed on Qiu Li as he approached, and it spoke in human words.

"Tell Qiu Li, the plan remains unchanged... Tell Qiu Li, the plan remains unchanged..."

These were the Witch Lord's final instructions to it. In truth, after yesterday, all plans had already dissolved into nothingness.

But this mynah bird was, after all, not a spiritual beast; it could only monotonously repeat based on instinct.

Qiu Li grew irritated. With a flick of his sleeve, a burst of spiritual energy shot out. The wooden perch swayed, and the mynah bird fluttered its wings, startled, shedding a few black feathers. Its tone of voice grew even stranger.

"Tell Qiu Li, the plan remains unchanged—tell Qiu Li—the plan remains unchanged..."

Qiu Li took a deep breath, his pupils crimson, and clenched his fists, saying bitterly, "The old man's ghost won't leave!"

Qiu Li sat in the Witch Lord's former seat, closed his eyes, and ignored the noisy mynah bird.

He seemed to be deep in thought and struggle, his tightly furrowed brows almost touching, and the prominent blue veins on his neck and cheeks writhed like poisonous insects.

Sunlight streamed over the horizon. In the Undying Forest, the seasons remained unchanging, perpetually devoid of the colors of life.

A quarter of an hour later, another envoy arrived in the Undying Forest.

"Her Highness commands you to attend the birthday banquet." The envoy came and went swiftly, his tone indifferent.

Birthday banquet?

Right, today was Zhao Xiang'er's sixteenth birthday.

Only sixteen, yet so terrifying...

What terrified him most was that the envoy had used "commands," not "invites."

He knew that his actions of besieging the Grand Preceptor's mansion at his teacher's command had been exposed. All the assassins and killers were now dead, not a single one remaining. A small figure like him was naturally utterly defeated.

Qiu Li closed his eyes, sighed, and slowly stood up.

On the swaying wooden perch, the black-winged mynah bird had regained its balance. It opened its dark yellow, long beak and suddenly spoke, "Punish the heavens, emulate the earth, sacrifice the city-state... What does that mean..."

"Punish the heavens, emulate the earth... sacrifice the city-state... what does that mean?"

It repeated it again.

These were words the Witch Lord often muttered in his daily life, and this mynah bird had remembered them.

Qiu Li was suddenly startled, his gaze like an arrow, fixed on it. He demanded sharply, "What did you say?"

The mynah bird ruffled its feathers, clearly startled as well. After a moment, it said, "Tell Qiu Li, the plan remains unchanged... Tell Qiu Li, the plan remains unchanged..."

Qiu Li's brow furrowed deeper. He stood there, looking at the somewhat uneasy mynah bird, his pupils deep.

"Senior Brother, it's time to go," a young disciple knocked on the hall door, gently reminding him.

Qiu Li let out a breath, slowly nodded, and walked out of the hall.

Tell Qiu Li...

The plan remains unchanged!

In the Imperial City, day had broken.

Outside the central imperial palace, the city walls were still a ruin, the steps in front of the palace were utterly shattered, and the bricks and stones in the plaza were also completely pulverized, even exposing the solid, compacted earth beneath, where deep hollows and pits marred the ground.

The civil and military officials entering the palace had to walk around the sides of these deep pits, and even those paths were rugged and difficult, like mountain trails.

The palace itself was relatively well-preserved. Inside the hall, yellow drapes and ancient artifacts adorned one side, while green drapes marked out seating. On several long tables were only simple teacups and wine goblets, with no rare delicacies or fine food. As the drums sounded, officials in their robes entered the hall one by one, with little conversation between them, simply taking their seats in order.

Yesterday's shock had been too profound, so today, these officials, usually so arrogant, dared not feign illness or put on airs in front of Zhao Xiang'er; most were well-behaved.

However, the throne was still damaged and unrepaired, and it was unclear where Zhao Xiang'er would sit.

And beneath the steps, there were also two empty tables, upon which the wine goblets and utensils were of the highest standard. Who, they wondered, would sit there?

Not far outside the main hall, Ning Xiaoling was helping Ning Changjiu walk towards the imperial palace.

Since they had been recuperating in a side hall of the palace, they didn't need to walk very far to reach the main hall.

But just as they stepped out, they encountered Song Ce.

Song Ce looked at the siblings with some surprise, exclaiming, "You haven't left the Imperial City yet?"

Ning Xiaoling froze, unsure how to explain, and glanced at her senior brother.

Ning Changjiu replied, "After the banquet today, my junior sister and I will leave the Imperial City to seek our own immortal destiny."

Song Ce nodded gently, somewhat relieved, "It's certainly best if you have a destined opportunity... You've seen what's happened in the Imperial City these past two days. That day, I sharply reprimanded you because I hoped you two young people wouldn't get embroiled in this situation and lose your lives for nothing. Now it seems, you two siblings truly have incredibly tough lives."

Ning Changjiu chuckled, joking, "But we're covered in injuries. If I had known, I should have listened to Lord Song and left earlier."

Song Ce stroked his beard and laughed, "It's not a bad thing for young people to endure some hardship. Don't worry, Her Highness is the Empress's daughter. No matter how chaotic this Imperial City gets, she'll handle it."

Ning Changjiu said sincerely, "Her Highness's demeanor is unparalleled and truly commands respect. With her presiding over the Imperial City, we can certainly be at ease."

Song Ce was very pleased to hear this, nodding as he asked, "Are you two also attending Her Highness's birthday banquet?"

Ning Changjiu replied, "Precisely."

Song Ce thought that their master had died for the Imperial City, and since his two disciples had survived, it was perfectly fine for them to attend the birthday banquet and make up the numbers.

He observed that the siblings were fair-featured and attractive. While he had found them annoying before, they now seemed increasingly amiable. He decided it wouldn't hurt to extend them some goodwill, and smiled, "Why don't you join me at the banquet?"

"Uh..." Ning Xiaoling looked up, somewhat surprised.

Ning Changjiu was about to decline when Song Ce made a gesturing motion, saying, "Reverend Junior Daoists, please, follow me."

Today, this Lord Song seemed to be in exceptionally good spirits, so Ning Changjiu did not wish to dampen his mood. After a brief exchange of polite refusals, they followed him into the hall.

Song Ce now commanded immense prestige in the palace; he had played the most crucial role in the palace upheaval. At today's birthday banquet, his seat was also extremely high.

Now that he had brought these two young Daoists into the hall, he thought, it would surely greatly benefit their reputation in the State of Zhao in the future.

Ning Changjiu conversed quietly with Song Ce for a while. After a few pleasantries, they arrived just outside the main imperial hall.

At this moment, Zhao Xiang'er, clad in a brand new dragon robe, had already entered the hall. She looked straight ahead, her ink-black robe trailing on the ground, adorned with flying dragons and phoenixes, their scales and claws vibrant. The young girl's beautiful long hair was unadorned by any gold pins or jade crowns, simply cascading naturally like a waterfall, flowing down over the black-toned collar of her robe, softly reaching below her waist. As her steps shifted lightly, the delicate tips of her shoes, concealed by the hem of her robe, occasionally became visible, and her long hair gently swayed with her movement.

Zhao Xiang'er was not particular; she sat directly on the steps in front of the main hall, pursing her lips and smiling at everyone. The young girl's face was inherently delicate and enchanting; with her thin, upturned lips now pursed, set against the backdrop of her majestic and splendid attire, it further highlighted a graceful beauty that defied her age.

Many people, not until today, realized that the delicate wild girl from years ago, unseen for three years in Qianming Palace, had now blossomed into a beauty capable of toppling kingdoms.

However, none dared to gaze at her for long; even a bold glance was quickly lowered.

Zhao Xiang'er smiled slightly, "Today is my birthday, and you are all pillars of the State of Zhao. The future of our state still depends on you, so why are you all so lifeless?"

As she spoke, she picked up a wine cup from the table beside her, holding the body of the cup with one hand and lightly supporting the bottom with the other, raising it level before her. Her slender brows slightly arched, she said, "The banquet will begin once everyone has arrived. We will drink together then, so please do not decline, gentlemen."

Everyone raised their wine cups in return, paying their respects to Zhao Xiang'er. The atmosphere became slightly livelier. Some looked towards the front tables, wondering who would be seated there.

Surely Song Ce would be among them.

Just as they were thinking this, Song Ce was seen walking forward.

Song Ce's actions during the palace upheaval were already widely known, and his future official position, soaring like the midday sun, was a foregone conclusion.

Today, Song Ce was dressed solemnly, but his face could not conceal his elation.

He bowed slightly to the officials on both sides, then bowed deeply to the young girl on the golden steps.

Behind him followed a young man and a young woman. If not for their handsome appearance and their presence behind Song Ce, they might have seemed somewhat out of place.

Zhao Shisong saw them and was slightly surprised. He had heard about the commotion at that side residence last night, and after things quieted down, he sent people to investigate, only to find ruins.

He had initially assumed the siblings had perished, but he hadn't expected them to be alive. However, the young man seemed to have sustained a serious injury.

That young man possessed considerable skill; he likely played no small role in the palace yesterday. But where would they sit...?

As Zhao Shisong pondered this, he watched them walk past him, continuing deeper into the banquet hall.

He frowned, then suddenly noticed the two empty tables in front of the golden steps. His heart jolted, and an unrealistic thought abruptly surfaced.

At that moment, Song Ce paused slightly. He looked at the young man and woman following him, his brow furrowed slightly, and he said softly, "You can just sit where the invitation indicates; there's no need to keep following me. Don't be too formal during the banquet later; just follow Her Highness's arrangements."

Ning Xiaoling pulled out the invitation, glanced at it, then closed it, silently looking at Song Ce.

Song Ce assumed it was their first time seeing such a grand occasion and didn't think much of it. He continued forward and took a seat at a table very close to the golden steps.

Everyone cast strange glances in their direction.

Song Ce straightened his official robes, thinking that after enduring for so long, his efforts had finally paid off, and these envious glances were only natural.

Then, he noticed that they didn't seem to be looking at him...

He watched as the siblings, simply clad in Daoist robes, did not stop. They walked past his table, continuing further forward. He saw the delicate and charming young girl pull Ning Changjiu's sleeve, secretly taking out the invitation to double-check it several times, before pulling her senior brother to sit down.

Ning Changjiu nodded slightly in acknowledgment to Song Ce.

"This... you..."

Song Ce opened his mouth, but words failed him, his expression one of unconcealed shock.

Someone next to him was the first to react. He lightly patted Song Ce's shoulder and said cheerily, "Lord Song is truly resourceful! He knew these two junior Daoists were minor immortals and followed them all the way, even pretending not to know. You've certainly absorbed a lot of their immortal aura!"

"You..." Song Ce half-raised his arm, speechless for a moment, his expression awkward.

Zhao Xiang'er looked at them, her lips pursed, a faint smile on her face.

Ning Changjiu slowly sat down. With his long hair tied up and dressed in a simple green robe, he was calm and composed. Though his attire was plain, his fair features and elegant bearing gave him an ethereal quality. Now, seated in such a prominent position, he truly appeared like a living immortal in everyone's eyes.

The young girl, however, was much more reserved. She seemed very shy, clinging to her senior brother's sleeve, constantly leaning towards him, as if she wanted to burrow into his arms.

Not long after, everyone's attention was drawn by another figure.

Outside the main hall, a graceful figure, veiled and draped in white gauze, floated into the hall like a gentle breeze stirring clouds. The woman's sword-robe was white as snow, and an ancient sword hung at her waist. Her unparalleled beauty could only be glimpsed vaguely through the shimmering white veil, and her slender, graceful figure was like a delicate moon entering the night, an illusory beauty transcendent of the mortal world.

Yet this beauty seemed to be veiled in an otherworldly aura of spiritual charm, close at hand yet feeling like merely observing a phantom moon in the water.

Everyone slowly realized: this was the immortal who had arrived in the small blue-and-white sedan chair, who had not even descended from her sedan when His Majesty personally invited her, and now she had come to the banquet.

A trace of shared joy and honor couldn't help but rise in the hearts of all the officials present.

"Miss Lu," Zhao Xiang'er rose to greet her.

Lu Jiajia smiled sweetly, returned a sword salute, and took a seat at the other front-most table.

Zhao Xiang'er suddenly glanced at Ning Changjiu, a strange light flickering in the depths of her eyes, then immediately returning to normal.

"Begin the banquet." The young girl raised her cup again, and drained it.