Not Your Typical Villianess

Chapter 40: Another eventful palace banquet 2

The Palace banquet

Zhongshan Ling sat next to the Empress and looked straight ahead. He was seated at the centre of the room which gave him a full view of the entire banquet hall. He received a lot of attention as soon as he was seated. Zhongshan Ling was the most powerful prince and was still unmarried.

A lot of marriage-minded you ladies accompanied their parents with the main aim of catching the eyes of an eligible young master. Zhongshan Ling like most male leads was very handsome, most of the young ladies stole glances at him and blushed.

Su Liya for all her wise opinion wasn't immune to Zhongshan Ling's beauty. it was like he was sculptured by the gods themselves, she had to hand it to the author for creating such a perfect visual that could beat that of the top kpop male visuals.

Zhongshan Ling had beautiful double eyelids light brown eyes, a straight pointed nose and light pink small lips. He was about 6ft tall, with a well proportioned muscular build. two words came to mind when one saw Zhongshan Ling, which was "Eye candy".

She had always been sceptical when the author wrote that wen fell in love with the male lead soon as they met him. However, after seeing him herself, she never doubted the possibility of that.

Su Liya shook her head twice to get her head back in the game. As beautiful as Zhongshan Ling was, he wasn't meant for her. She wasn't even going to stay here for long, she would be gone as soon as Zhu Fengyin got her happy ending. This wasn't her world, no matter how real it seemed.

This was a fictitious world, it was an ongoing novel and her character wasn't even meant to live that long. Su Liya looked away from the Crown Prince, she looked straight ahead. She saw the Chu state Envoy and Gao Zhan exchange words while looking toward where the Lu family sat.

They looked at the table after Zhu Fengyin and Lu Yingjie's table. The only person seated at the table was Lu Yaozhu, the third master of the Lu family Lu Yong was absent from the banquet, he was back at the academy preparing for the imperial examination.

Su Liya was suspicious of what the pair of leechers were up to. The crown Prince of Chu Gao Zhan joined hands a few times with the sixth Prince to attack Lu Yaozhu and the Lu family in the novel. Gao Zhan and his pack of dummies had only been in Northern Wei for seven months but the damages they caused were catastrophic.

It destroyed the little thread of trust the Emperor had for the Empress which put the Lu family in a messy situation. The Lu family had to rely on their relationship with the crown prince to get by. Although her only concern was Zhu Fengyin, she still didn't want to see the Lu family hurt. Since Zhu Fengyin's happiness was entwined with that of the Lu family.

While Su Liya was trying to figure out what the sixth Prince and his Chu state cronies were up to, Zhongshan Ling also made his own discovery. Zhongshan Ling didn't enjoy attending any royal banquet because of how tiring they turned out to be.

He was usually forced to tolerate the greedy stares and mechanisation of marriage-minded members of the nobility. Everyone tried to get closer to him and Introduce their daughters to him by having them perform dances and poems.

Zhongshan Ling ignored the looks sent his way by everyone and poured himself a cup of wine. He didn't look anywhere in particular instead focusing on the sword dance performed by the all-male dance troupe. A familiar female face drew his attention as he watched the performance.

It had been more than a month but he could still recognise that face anywhere. "There you are," he thought as he locked eyes with the girl from that day. His lips curved up when he saw her shocked expression, it would seem that she hadn't recognised him that day.

He knew from her dressing and mannerism that she was from a wealthy family but he never imagined that she would be the daughter of the Minister of Finance Zhu Yawen. He regretted not asking for an introduction that day and had given up hope of ever meeting her again. However her they were again, He watched as her cheeks got brighter and she looked away.

The banquet was nearing its completion, yet the fifth Prince Zhongshan Zuo was nowhere to be found. The Emperor looked to the empty seat before the sixth Prince and asked "Why isn't Xiao Zuo here yet?".

Zhongshan Zuo's mother Imperial concubine Sheng reassured the Emperor "please don't take this to heart, Your Majesty. Zuo'er has been so focused on work this past few days, he must have got lost in time. I will send someone to remind him".

"Okay," the Emperor replied.

If there was another favoured Imperial consort apart from imperial consort Shi it would be Imperial concubine Sheng. She had entered the palaces a year earlier than imperial consort Shi. She was from a powerful scholarly family that had produced successful misters for centuries.

She knew how to charm men and had managed to hold a little bit of Emperor Zhong's favour for decades. Before marrying the Emperor imperial concubines Sheng made a name for herself among the schoolers for her wonderful poetry skills.

The author hadn't written much about Imperial concubine Sheng, since she was just a side character added to progress the plot. She didn't even have many scenes, Su Liya was only familiar with her because of the part she played in harming the Lu family.

Imperial concubines, Sheng like every other member of the royal family was manipulative and selfish. Minister Sheng the imperial concubine's father was the newly conferred Governor of Daiyi the newly conquered border town that preciously belonged to Chu state.

Before being promoted, Minister Sheng usually clashed with the Lu brothers so the imperial concubine was hostile to the Empress. Imperial concubine Sheng instructed the Eunuch standing nearby to call her son over.

The Eunuch was almost at the door when the door was pushed open and Zhongshan Zuo staggered into the room. "Noo need to send anyone over... to call Mee... I am here," he said. His voice slurred as he leaned heavily on his servant.

Imperial concubine Sheng looked at him shocked, her eyes open wide. "Your majesty, Zuo'er is unwell. let me have someone send him back", Imperial concubine Sheng said quickly.

"no no no, don't do that Mother. I feel fine," Zhongshan Zuo replied laughing sheepishly.

"No, you are not!" Imperial concubine Sheng said loudly. She instructed "Du Kwon take his highness away", she said to her guard.

"No don't come closer! I am fine" Zhongshan Zuo hiccuped waving his free hand. He attempted to move forward which made the servant holding him tumble. Zhongshan Zuo laughed as they fell over, luckily the imperial concubine's guard held onto the prince.

Zhongshan Zuo unhooked his hands from his servant's shoulder and wrapped his hands around Du Kwon's neck "ahh uncle Du!! it has been a while" he turned the guard's face to the side and said, "uncle Du, you are getting older. You should smile more, don't be such a downer".

Imperial concubine Sheng ignored her son's statement and shouted "quickly take him away!".

Suddenly from the seat opposite that of the imperial concubines, Gao Zhan said in a bored tone "What's the point in sending him away, we all know that he is high".

Emperor Zhong got embarrassed as soon as he heard that. He was so angry he could barely seat still, this foolish son of his dared to get high during a state banquet and right in front of the envoys from Chu state.

The Empress noticed the change in the Emperor's mood, she looked at her Eunuch and said "the Fifth Prince is tired, please sent him back".

The Eunuch curtsied and replied "Yes".

The Eunuch ran over to the fifth Prince and said I. a low tone "Your highness must be exhausted please come this way".

Zhongshan Zuo eyed the Eunuch briefly and laughed "why are you here Eunuch Yu, did mother Empress send you to take me away? Pathetic! like I need that nosy wench to make decisions for me. She doesn't have a son yet dates to act superior over everyone".

The Emperor threw a teacup at Zhongshan Zuo as soon as he heard that "You! how dare you insult your senior! Take this unfilial son away from my sight!".

Imperial concubine Sheng immediately fell to her knees "Your Majesty? please don't take Zuo'er words to heart he is not himself. He doesn't know what he said".

Zhongshan Zuo pulled his hands away from Du Kwon's hold and shout "who says I don't mean what I said. What is wrong with what I said, isn't that what you said the last time mother Empress called you over to caution you about your spending. Should a barren woman like her even be allowed to run the Haram_"

"SHUT UP!! You shut up!" Imperial concubine Sheng shouted rushing to her son and giving him a slab.

Zhongshan Zuo held his cheek gently and said "You dare slap me!"

"Yes! stop talking nonsense?" she shouted falling to the ground and wailing.