Chapter 65: Entering the Palace Part 4

As a result, even though they had long been enfeoffed as vassal kings, they stubbornly clung to the capital, leaving the court unstable.

Even at their own mother’s longevity banquet, the three brothers engaged in back-and-forth exchanges, mingling endless probes and provocations amid their show of closeness. The Empress Dowager sat high above, smiling on the surface, but her eyes overflowed with helplessness.

Yan Xinfeng and Wei Tingxia said nothing, silently eating their meal and pretending they did not exist.

Wei Tingxia tried a dish of simply stir-fried asparagus and found it delicious, so he took several more bites with his chopsticks. Yan Xinfeng, who was constantly watching him, noticed immediately. Without even letting the servants handle it, he picked up his untouched dish of asparagus and steadily placed it on Wei Tingxia’s table.

He had tried his best to be discreet, but as one of the banquet’s focal points, someone still saw it.

“Marquis Yan is so full of tender affections—even now, he’s still thinking of the person beside him,” Li Yan said with a laugh. “It seems that after so many years at the Northern Border, Physician Wei and Marquis Yan have shared hardships together.”

Wei Tingxia smiled. Without even waiting for the person in question to speak, he set down his chopsticks first. “So tender affections and shared hardships can be used in the same sentence.”

Li Yan’s train of thought was cut off by a doctor from the borderlands, and his face immediately fell. He suppressed his displeasure, remembering that Wei Tingxia had said he could make decisions for Yan Xinfeng, so he did not pursue it. He merely said, “I’m a crude man—just speaking off the cuff.”

To speak so ambiguously off the cuff was a talent in itself.

Wei Tingxia laughed again. He had a knack for making the mere curl of his lip look mocking.

Prince Chen could not hold back any longer and spoke up. “Physician Wei is truly good-looking.”

As soon as these words left his mouth, even Li Yun up high shifted his gaze.

Leaving aside the fact that they could all see Yan Xinfeng’s feelings for Wei Tingxia, even if they could not, it was improper to be so rude to the healer who had saved a key minister of the state—as if Wei Tingxia were nothing more than a pretty face to be admired.

Yet Li Ji still would not stop. “Not just at the border—even if you turned all of Da Zhao upside down, it would be hard to find someone as stunning as Physician Wei. With such a beautiful exterior, he really ought to be put to good use…”

He emphasized the word “use” heavily, as if hinting at something.

Wei Tingxia’s smile remained unchanged on the surface, but inwardly, he was already annoyed.

He asked 0188, ‘If I smash this wine pot on his head right now…’

[Don’t,] 0188 said. [Verbal conflict is one thing; getting physical is another.]

Who knew what would happen if they tore faces now?

‘But I think this idiot is about to lose it.’

Just as Prince Chen smugly assumed Wei Tingxia had nothing to say, Yan Xinfeng set down his chopsticks.

“Your Highness Prince Chen seems quite idle lately. I hear he’s been frequenting the street performers outside the city every day, with great enthusiasm.”

He paused, watching Li Ji’s face instantly stiffen, a faint, icy arc curling at his lips. “If Your Highness is still distracted by those entertainments even while celebrating the Empress Dowager’s longevity here, why not leave the table early? It would spare everyone Your Highness constantly blurting things out and disturbing the Empress Dowager’s peace.”

To put it more plainly: if you can’t speak properly, then get out.

Prince Chen’s face fell immediately. The hand holding his wine cup tightened abruptly, spilling wine onto the table.

He was born of noble blood, having campaigned across the lands with the Late Emperor. No one but the Late Emperor had ever shamed him like this.

At the Empress Dowager’s longevity banquet, right in front of his own brother, Yan Xinfeng’s words were a slap to his face. Yet with this man holding sole power at the border, he could not retaliate.

Prince Chen was so furious his head spun. At that moment, the Emperor let out two hearty laughs.

“Come to think of it, it’s been a long time since I watched any street performances myself. When we were young, Father Emperor took all three of us to see some—remember? There were fire-breathers and knife-walkers.”

With that, he leaned on the armrest and looked toward the silently smiling Empress Dowager. “Mother, why don’t we pick some good ones and have a bit of fun at the banquet?”

The Empress Dowager spoke warmly, looking at them like children. “Whatever you like. It’s been ages since I’ve seen any myself.”

The joking words broke the earlier tension, and Prince Chen and Prince Jin exchanged a glance before forcing stiff smiles.

The banquet muddled through in such a confused manner.

When the time was right, Yan Xinfeng escorted Wei Tingxia out of the palace.

On the way, Wei Tingxia sighed in admiration.

“Three children, all her own flesh and blood, nearly coming to blows—and she stayed perfectly composed. As expected, the ones who become Empress Dowager are no ordinary people.”

Yan Xinfeng’s voice was flat. “The Empress Dowager long ago decided that Prince Jin and Prince Chen are unfit to be Emperor. You know that too.”

At these words, Wei Tingxia turned his head. “When did I know?”

“Two years ago, you said Da Zhao couldn’t keep fighting wars,” Yan Xinfeng said. “If Prince Jin or Prince Chen ascended the throne, the things you don’t want to see would happen again.”

He could now discuss this without resentment, his gaze calm and still.

Back then, Wei Tingxia had chosen to defect outright to snap Yan Xinfeng out of it, which itself revealed his political leanings.

Da Zhao had expanded its territory through war, but endless fighting only destabilized the people’s hearts. Right now, the rebels were outside the borders, but if it continued, the people would starve, and Da Zhao would face internal chaos.

The way of a ruler must place the people’s hearts at its core, the nation’s foundation as its own. One must never chase grand achievements or reckless bravery.

The current Prince Jin could not do this, nor could Prince Chen.

At the palace gates, seeing the carriage arrive to pick him up, Yan Xinfeng finally stopped.

He watched Wei Tingxia board the carriage and spoke to him through the window frame.

“Rest early when you get back. I saw you ate some dishes at the banquet—has your appetite improved?”

Wei Tingxia nodded. “A bit better than before.”

Yan Xinfeng breathed a sigh of relief. “Just eating fruits all the time provides no real nourishment.”

His relaxed demeanor was quite endearing, and Wei Tingxia looked at him with a beaming smile.

Then Yan Xinfeng added, “After the longevity banquet ends, I’ll pick some fruits and vegetables to bring back. See what you like and have the small kitchen prepare them.”

Wei Tingxia propped his chin on his hand, eyes curved in a smile. “These days, everything going into the imperial kitchen is tribute from out of town. The Empress Dowager says it’s fine—does His Majesty agree?”

Yan Xinfeng slightly raised his head to meet his gaze, amusement in his eyes as well.

“I’ve guarded the Northern Border for ten years, and my father guarded it alongside the Late Emperor for over thirty. Asking His Majesty for some fruits should get approval.”

Generations of military merit, exchanged by him for a few baskets of food—whether clever or foolish was hard to say.

There was nothing more to say. Wei Tingxia nodded and gave one last reminder. “Then come back soon. You offended those two today; they won’t be so easygoing from now on.”

Yan Xinfeng nodded faintly. “I know.”

…

…

Back at Yunzhong Marquis Mansion, after removing his banquet robes and changing into light casual clothes, Wei Tingxia still felt a faint unease.

Yan Xinfeng had offended Princes Jin and Chen for his sake today—first because their words were truly grating, and second because it was time to declare his stance. But making it so explicit was efficient, yet it sowed endless future troubles.

He lounged obliquely on the soft couch, staring at the jujube tree by the window for a while. His fingertips unconsciously tapped the armrest. In the end, he still could not fully relax and called out in his mind, “Eighth Brother, keep an eye on things in the palace for me, especially around the longevity banquet.”

0188 was called Eighth Brother for the first time and paused blankly. [What?]

“You heard me. Help me keep watch, Eighth Brother.”

The inexplicably bird-ified 0188 fell silent for a long time. [……Got it.]

Neither man nor system thought anything would go wrong today. “Keeping watch” was just precautions.

Yet, unexpectedly, something did happen that day.

About halfway through the longevity banquet, with lamps blazing and dances in full swing, 0188 suddenly blared a piercing alarm.

【Warning! Warning! Protagonist’s vital signs are declining!】

【Warning! Warning! Protagonist’s vital signs are declining!】

Something had happened to Yan Xinfeng!

Wei Tingxia shot to his feet, his heart plummeting. “What happened?!”

0188 did not answer and directly played the delayed recording.

At the banquet site, amid the graceful dancers, a sharp figure suddenly appeared. She leaped up with a blade, slashing straight toward Li Yun. The red veil covering her face fell away, revealing the deep brows and eyes unique to Shuo Kingdom people.

A Shuo Kingdom assassin.

No one had expected a foreigner to infiltrate the Empress Dowager’s longevity banquet, armed with a blade intent on assassination. The guards on either side froze, but Yan Xinfeng reacted first, kicking aside the table and chair to block.