Chapter 3 Thcelebration

Chapter 3

The main hall is lit up, colorfully decorated. There is music and dancing going on, drinks and laughter fill the air, and the atmosphere is joyful. This is a beautiful opportunity for the officials to let off some steam, widen their political network, and also try to please the emperor by flattering him with lots of praise. For the soldiers, this is a welcome sight after being on the war front for years; drinks, women, and scaling the ranks are their rewards. There is a look of lust in some of the generals' eyes and officials as the dancers dance gracefully to the music. Some of them are already passing improper remarks to some of the female servants serving them drinks.

Earlier, the Emperor and the officials had welcomed the war heroes back, and it was a sight to behold. The street was filled with citizens dancing and cheering as the soldiers marched down to the palace entrance, where the king and other officials awaited them. Along the road, the shops and famous restaurants were filled with people cheering for the soldiers; the upper chambers of these shops were not left out, with high officials' family members and some of the princes who came out to watch the show seated there. The upper chambers provided the privacy they needed.

The celebration is massive, for years the northern border has witnessed continuous wars and plunder of property, and many homes have lost either their fathers or sons to these wars. But this is the first time, after more than thirty years, that the Di tribes have been subdued. The person who captured and killed the king is none other than Prince Zichen. He is the war hero of the battle, and General Fang has nothing but praise in his reports to the king. He infiltrated the enemy camp with just ten of his men, burned down their food supply, agitated the horses, which caused them to panic and start running in different directions, and the panic spread across the camp.

Two of the men were told to beat the war drums while another two mounted different torches in different locations and lit them up as the war drums were beating. So, with the horses running around, their food supply storage burning, drums beating, and the fire from the torches, they thought the enemy was upon them, and in that frenzy, many of them died from their fellow soldiers' swords as they ran. He created that chaos, entered the general's camp, captured him, and later executed him when he tried to escape. In one night, he ended more than three decades of war.

Prince Yu Che is among those sitting in one of the upper chambers of those restaurants, dressed casually. He came to observe Prince Zichen personally before they meet. He knows that after this victory, Prince Zichen will definitely be rewarded, and someone like him with military power needs to be by his side. He needs to rope him in before the crown prince's party does. He observed that if anything has changed in these two years, it will be that Prince Zichen's aura has become even colder and more unapproachable. He instructed one of his minions to look for Prince Zichen's weakness as soon as possible to get him to be part of his team.

As everyone expected, Prince Zichen was rewarded by the Emperor, but they didn't expect he would be so heavily rewarded, so they don't know if it's a blessing or a trap. The Emperor made him a General Cheji Jiangjun (General of Chariots) with a hundred thousand soldiers under his command and gave him the title Jun Wang (Prince of the second rank). Prince Yu Che had to hold off his plans; he clearly cannot read his father's intention behind these rewards.

As everybody rejoices, drinks, and enjoys the entertainment around them, some are networking and plotting their next political moves, though not obvious, but those with discerning eyes like the Emperor can see beyond the surface. In that setting, one person stands out, quiet, not in the celebration mood like the rest, even those who walk up to congratulate him with their drinks did not get the expected warm welcome. The female servants have been chased away by him because she was getting too close to comfort. Prince Zichen was like a lone star.

In the Qianqing palace (Palace of Heavenly Purity), Princess Yuying is pestering the Empress to allow her to go see Prince Zichen, even though it will just be a sneak peek. Earlier that morning, she had made an arrangement to go outside the palace and watch the parade, but the Empress was a step ahead of her, bringing her back to her palace and keeping her grounded for the whole day. "Mother, keeping me with you all day against my wish is an offense that even the heavens frown upon. I am a princess; I can't be treated lower than an animal in the stables." When that didn't work on her mother, she changed her tune: "Let me go out, I beg, Please, just a quick peek at my gege, and I'll be right back, I promise." "I told you we'll see him another day, but not today. Today's celebration is a men's affair; it's not your place to meddle".