Chapter 14
**Chapter 14: The Spring Banquet**
In the laundry room of the Wangfu's back courtyard, Zhang Yue was busy washing the clothes of her masters. As she worked, she tenderly stroked her own hands.
She was the daughter of a merchant, having grown up without worry for food or clothing. If her family hadn’t fallen from grace, she would never have ended up as the lowest servant in the Wangfu.
At first, she could have been content as a maid, but the splendor of Shen Wei pierced her heart like a sharp thorn.
Zhang Yue stared at her hands, murmuring to herself, “Once, my hands were as delicate as spring shoots... but now, they are calloused and rough.”
Lost in thought, the wooden door of the courtyard suddenly swung open with a bang. Liu Mama, the princess's confidante, entered with two burly guards.
Liu Mama's sharp gaze swept over the room and landed on Zhang Yue. “Seize her! Give her twenty lashes!”
Before Zhang Yue could react, the guards had already grabbed her and dragged her to the punishment bench.
Bang! Bang! Bang! —
The thick rod struck Zhang Yue’s body.
She screamed in pain, “Liu Mama, why are you punishing me?”
Liu Mama replied coldly, “You said what you shouldn’t have. You deserve to be punished.”
Zhang Yue could not defend herself. A solid blow landed, and the pain made her break out in cold sweat, letting out a cry before she fainted.
When Zhang Yue regained consciousness, it was already deep into the night.
She lay bloodied in the woodshed, her back stuck to her torn clothes and raw flesh. Every bone in her body felt as if it were about to break, twisting her face in agony.
A wave of desolation washed over her.
As a servant, her life and death were in the hands of her masters; human life was as insignificant as grass.
The door of the woodshed creaked open, and Liu Mama, dressed in gray, entered with a bowl of medicinal soup. The moonlight cast a pale glow on Liu Mama’s face, making her look like a ghostly figure.
Zhang Yue trembled in fear.
Liu Mama sneered, “You’re lucky to be alive. Drink this soup and you can go on your way. The matter of Shen’s use of the contraceptive soup will rot in hell with you.”
Liu Mama intended to force Zhang Yue to drink poison.
Desperate to survive, Zhang Yue shook her head vigorously, her mind racing for a way out.
Suddenly, she seemed to grasp at a last straw of hope, sobbing, “Liu Mama, please don’t kill me! I’m willing to serve the prince! I’ll be a loyal dog to the princess! I’ll be more obedient than Shen Wei!”
Liu Mama appeared to ponder this.
She set down the poison and reached out her bony fingers to pinch Zhang Yue’s fair chin.
With a lovely face, she was indeed a beauty.
Liu Mama had recently been gathering young and beautiful women to fill the Wangfu’s inner quarters. With Zhang Yue having leverage over the princess, if she could be of use to her, she could become a good dog in the future.
“Consider yourself lucky to have such a pretty face,” Liu Mama chuckled, casually knocking over the bowl of poison. “I’ll give you a side courtyard to recuperate. Better days are ahead.”
Zhang Yue wept bitterly, “Thank you, Liu Mama!”
Liu Mama worked quickly, instructing the guards to carry Zhang Yue to a simple courtyard and assigning a doctor to care for her.
Zhang Yue had narrowly escaped death, clinging to her life.
After applying medicine, she lay in pain on the bed in the small courtyard, gazing at the frost-like moonlight outside. Her expression darkened, and her fingernails dug deep into her palms.
“Shen Wei, just you wait.”
“If you can rise, so can I.”
“It’s just a matter of vying for favor. How hard can it be?”
...
As night enveloped the Fangfei Garden, Shen Wei was practicing her Pamela fitness routine.
With the Spring Banquet approaching, although Shen Wei was the lowest-ranking concubine, the Yan Wang had made an exception to allow her to attend.
Shen Wei had inquired about past Spring Banquets at the Yan Wangfu, which had been quite splendid. However, there was a constant thorn in their side—Heng Wang, who always found fault and mocked the Yan Wang’s women for dressing as if attending a funeral, leading to a poor reputation for the banquet.
As a subordinate, Shen Wei was adept at reading her superiors’ intentions. Perhaps the Yan Wang wanted to showcase her to dampen Heng Wang’s arrogance.
The queen of competition, Shen Wei, would not disappoint her leader’s expectations. She worked hard to maintain her figure and enhance her grace, aiming to shine at the Spring Banquet.
“Master, I’ve found out about Zhang Yue,” the gossip expert Cai Ping whispered as she sneaked into the main room, detailing Zhang Yue’s situation to Shen Wei.
After listening, Shen Wei continued her workout, saying, “Twenty lashes, and now they’ve sent Zhang Yue to a remote place to recuperate... Looks like they’re planning to groom her as a concubine.”
Cai Ping lowered her voice, “Master, we need to be on guard.”
Shen Wei smiled, taking the handkerchief from Cai Ping to wipe her sweat. “Not everyone can be a favored concubine.”
Zhang Yue was too naive, thinking that beauty alone could attract the Yan Wang.
But the profession of a favored concubine had many intricacies.
After wiping her sweat, Shen Wei sat down to sip mint tea. “The weather is getting warmer. Tomorrow, have Jixiang and Deshun plant lotus leaves in the pond at the back courtyard. Remove the roses by the wall and replace them with mugwort to repel mosquitoes.”
“When the peach blossoms have mostly fallen, we’ll remove all but the healthiest peach tree, so we can pick peaches in summer. In summer, we’ll replace the peach tree with crepe myrtle and bougainvillea. Also, change the rabbit lanterns outside the moon gate to flower lanterns. Erase the graffiti on the outer wall and paint lotus flowers and leaves.”
Cai Ping noted everything down.
Besides the flowers and trees in the courtyard, the sheets, curtains, and flowers on the desk in the bedroom also needed to be frequently changed.
Shen Wei planned to redecorate Fangfei Garden according to the seasons, bringing freshness to the Yan Wang.
As Cai Ping left, Cai Lian entered, holding a letter. “Master, your mother has written to you.”
Shen Wei paused mid-sip, her mother?
Memories of the original owner flooded her mind—born into a poor farming family, her father had died early, and her mother had never remarried, struggling to raise four children.
The eldest son had gone to the border to serve in the army at eighteen and had gone missing during the war with the Yue Kingdom, likely dead.
The second daughter, Shen Qiang, had married a merchant in the southwest five years ago, suffering under her mother-in-law’s oppression, and had never returned to visit her mother.
Shen Wei was the third child, selling herself into the Wangfu as a maid to pay for her mother’s medical treatment.
There was also a younger brother, Shen Xiuming, who was only seventeen and a promising student, having passed the provincial examination at a young age. However, he was a disappointment, fond of drinking and gambling, and had even stolen money meant for their mother’s treatment to buy jewelry for a courtesan.
Reflecting on the original owner’s background, Shen Wei sighed silently; the original owner was also a pitiful figure. She opened the letter from her mother and read.
The letter mentioned that her mother and younger brother would be coming to Yanjing next month and wanted to visit Shen Wei.
Shen Wei pondered, “Coming to visit next month...”
As far as she remembered, her mother treated all four children fairly and did not show favoritism. But one could never know what was in another’s heart, so Shen Wei decided to investigate first.
If her mother truly cared for her, Shen Wei could find a way to help the family.
If her mother intended to drain Shen Wei’s resources to pave the way for her younger brother, then Shen Wei wouldn’t hesitate to sever ties.
For now, she set aside thoughts of her family, focusing on the upcoming Spring Banquet.
...
Time flew by, and soon it was late spring in May.
The Spring Banquet at the Yan Wangfu was in full swing, with the princess meticulously preparing, having the flower house fill the venue with layers of blooming flowers.
Before the banquet began, the Yan Wangfei was bustling about, ensuring everything was in place.
“Second sister-in-law, how are you?” A teasing voice came from behind the princess.
The princess’s expression soured.
Hearing that voice made her head throb.
Yet, she forced a smile, turning to the young prince holding a jade fan. “Ah, it’s Heng Wang. The banquet hasn’t started yet; please take a seat and wait.”
Every year, Heng Wang was the first to arrive at the Spring Banquet, primarily to nitpick and make things uncomfortable for the Yan Wang.
Heng Wang waved his jade fan, his handsome eyes sparkling with mischief. “I recently acquired a piece of shimmering brocade and made myself a new outfit just for this banquet.”
Heng Wang was strikingly handsome, with slightly upturned phoenix eyes and a charming demeanor. He wore a light silver round-collared robe with wide sleeves, cinched at the waist with a red jade belt, exuding an undeniable air of nobility.
He was exceptionally good-looking but had a rather peculiar temperament.
The princess forced a smile. “Please, Heng Wang, take a seat.”
Heng Wang, holding his white jade fan, chuckled, “No rush, no rush. I’ve heard that the Yan Wang has three thousand beauties in his inner quarters. I wonder if I’ll get a glimpse of any today—”
Before he could finish, the three side concubines of the Wangfu gracefully entered the banquet area.
Heng Wang squinted, his gaze landing on Liu Ru Yan, and greeted her with a smile, “Sister Liu, you still prefer to wear mourning clothes? I thought the Wangfu was in perpetual mourning.”
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