SWHCBB 54

Chapter 54: Royal Family Banquet / The Calm Before the Storm

The long-delayed family banquet, postponed multiple times due to the Sixth and Third Princes’ transgressions, was finally upon them.

And of all days, the Emperor had chosen New Year’s Eve, completely disrupting the plans Wen Jue had made with Jiang Chuang to stay home, watch fireworks, and ring in the new year.

Though called a “family banquet,” in the imperial household, where fathers lacked kindness, sons lacked filial piety, brothers were unkind, and younger siblings were disrespectful, it was nothing more than a gathering of enemies sharing the same bloodline.

No one wanted to be there. But after falling gravely ill before the New Year, the Emperor awoke with a newfound envy for those aged ministers surrounded by doting children and grandchildren, and so this gathering was born.

As Wen Yan put it:

“Well, now no one’s happy but him.”

The Emperor was quite pleased. He sat upright in the seat of honor, nodding and praising the Sixth Prince for his array of presented treasures, even as his coughing continued unabated.

Beside him, the Empress looked haggard and wan, clearly still suffering the effects of past events. Yet the removal of the Prince Yi’s title had lifted her spirits. Seeing how pleased the Emperor was with the Sixth Prince’s flattery, she quickly followed up:

“Long’er has been preparing since the Winter Solstice, he boldly declared he would give His Majesty a great surprise, saying that only with a good mood can one recover quickly. I had no idea he’d spent the last two months working so hard on all these gifts!”

The Empress shook her head and smiled faintly.

“He’s been studying and practicing calligraphy every day, who knew he still had such energy?”

The Emperor sighed with emotion.

“Young people are full of energy, like the morning sun. If every one of them were as weak and sickly as I am, the future of Daling would be bleak indeed.”

Wen Yan responded sharply:

“Many who fall ill don’t recover even half as fast as Father Emperor. What does that say? It says Father is robust, immune to all poisons, blessed with longevity, and not even remotely sickly! With Father around, why should Daling’s future be a worry?”

She seemed to be scolding him for uttering such inauspicious words, but the Emperor grew even more delighted, his eyes full of mirth.

“You’re right. I shouldn’t speak like that anymore.”

The Sixth Prince rolled his eyes discreetly. The Third Prince maintained a gentle expression, nodding along as if playing his part in the charade of “a harmonious family brings prosperity.” The Second Princess focused solely on eating. The Fourth Prince, expressionless, shot Wen Yan a dark, menacing glance.

Next to the Fourth Prince, Jiang Chuang was staring solemnly at the dishes, carefully picking out fish bones and placing the clean meat before Wen Jue.

He leaned in like a thief and whispered,

“Eat with peace of mind, I picked out all the bones!”

Wen Jue nodded, eyes lit with a genuine smile.

“Let’s eat together.”

They exchanged smiles without fear of showing their affection in front of others.

The Third Prince glanced at Jiang Chuang, who had never once spared him a proper look, but said nothing. His clenched fists betrayed his jealousy.

The Empress continued her gentle act, increasingly convincing as a loving mother.

“Chenyu is as sharp-tongued as ever, but no one cares more for His Majesty than she does. Every year, she puts the most thought into his New Year’s gift. I’m sure this year’s is just as special.”

Wen Yan looked at her coolly and replied in a neutral tone,

“I did prepare a gift for Father, but it’s not something to flaunt in public. I’ll present it to him in private so as not to steal Sixth Brother’s thunder.”

At this, the Sixth Prince’s proud expression vanished, while the Empress remained unchanged. The Emperor chuckled helplessly,

“You child! Fine, fine, now I’m even more curious what treasure you’re hiding!”

Wen Jue sneered inwardly. The Empress loved playing this game of drawing ire. She knew Wen Yan would never show her a kind face, yet kept putting herself out there just to make the Emperor think Wen Yan was being rude and unfilial.

How pointless. Did the Emperor not know the past animosity between the Empress and their mother? If Wen Yan were kind now, he’d only grow suspicious.

At such a hollow and revolting banquet, Wen Jue always lost his appetite. No matter what was placed before him, he only took the tiniest bites.

Jiang Chuang noticed and grew anxious. They still had to stay in the palace through the night. How could he make it without eating more?

And so, Operation: Feed Xiao Yu began. Jiang Chuang ignored everything else being said and focused solely on removing bones and skin, stealing work that should’ve been done by Changning.

Another spoonful of meat reached Wen Jue’s lips. With no way to refuse, he obediently opened his mouth.

Jiang Chuang coaxed him,

“Good boy, just two more bites.”

Wen Jue frowned. Still two more? He chewed with exaggerated suffering, until he suddenly coughed, covering his mouth, and clutched Jiang Chuang’s arm, the coughing escalating into loud, wrenching fits that drew everyone’s attention.

The Emperor: “What’s going on?”

Wen Yan: “Quick! Summon the imperial physician!”

Jiang Chuang panicked, hurriedly feeding him water and patting his back. Wen Jue struggled to suppress the itch in his throat and finally drank enough to calm down.

He quickly raised a hand to stop Wen Yan’s fussing.

“Don’t, Sister… I just… cough cough choked a little. It’s nothing serious.”

Jiang Chuang looked at him in concern.

“Are you sure? How did you choke?”

Wen Jue sniffled.

“My fault, I was distracted.”

He was promptly handed another cup of water, and Jiang Chuang patted his back again.

“My bad, I shouldn’t have pushed you to eat so much.”

Wen Jue shook his head, holding Jiang Chuang’s hand in silent reassurance.

Seeing him recover, Wen Yan let out a breath and gestured for the maids to stand down.

Then the Third Prince suddenly joked,

“Fifth Brother only choked a little, and look how nervous General Jiang got! With such a loving relationship, we really must thank Father for the royal decree of marriage. His Majesty truly has foresight!”

Everyone had seen how genuine their interaction had been, Jiang Chuang’s eyes held only Wen Jue. There was no pretense.

All eyes turned toward Jiang Chuang. He tensed, unsure what to say. Saying too much might lead to trouble, but silence would be worse. So he stood and cupped his fists.

“Your Majesty, this subject thanks you for granting the marriage. Without your decree, I never would’ve met Zhiyu. He’s beautiful and kind. I will take care of him for the rest of my life!”

Wen Jue also rose to give thanks, maintaining composure while internally remaining alert toward the Third Prince.

Wen Yan smiled at them with genuine warmth for once. The Emperor, though initially scheming, had unwittingly created a happy union.

“General Jiang is brave and loyal, trustworthy to entrust one’s life to. Zhiyu is pure-hearted, talented, and virtuous. The two of you truly suit each other. Father Emperor’s eye was sharp indeed,” Wen Yan praised.

Her flattery delighted the Emperor.

“Knowing you’re living so well puts me at ease!” he said, motioning for them to sit. Jiang Chuang pulled Wen Jue back into his seat.

Then the Empress and the Third Prince shared a subtle glance. She smiled,

“Who in the realm isn’t envious of the Fifth Prince? To receive an imperial marriage is an immense blessing. Long’er still doesn’t have a proper wife. There are so many fine women in the capital, if Your Majesty could choose one for him, that would be perfect!”

Wen Jue lowered his gaze, pondering which family’s daughter the Empress had her eye on. Given that most of the Sixth Prince’s faction had been dismantled, her urgency made sense.

But this time, he had miscalculated.

The Third Prince smiled,

“When it comes to marriage, Sixth Brother is still young, there’s no rush. Our royal sisters aren’t married either, are they?”

Since Wen Yan remained unmarried and had no official consort, the Second Princess also felt no pressure. With her low-born mother and disinterest in palace politics, she happily remained under Wen Yan’s protection.

Just then, having just finished eating, the Second Princess overheard and looked up blankly.

“Huh?”

Wen Yan coldly looked back at the Third Prince, who maintained his gentle and concerned smile.

Wen Jue tensed. Here it comes. This was their true goal all along.

Wen Yan sneered internally, If you’re sick, get treated. Don’t make me chop your head off and kick it like a ball.