Chapter 38: Presenting Gifts

Chapter 38: Presenting Gifts

Prince Jin, quite young, bore a resemblance to the Emperor, but with a spoiled, dandyish demeanor.

He cheerfully said, "Today is Imperial Brother's birthday, and I have found a special treasure that I guarantee will please you!"

With a clap of his hands, he summoned several strong eunuchs to carry a cage draped in red cloth onto the hall. The contents of the cage were obscured, but it seemed to be a live creature from the noise.

Traditionally, birthday gifts from the royal kin and ministers should have been presented to the Emperor before the noon banquet, making Prince Jin's additional gift at the evening banquet quite unusual.

Descending the jade steps, Prince Jin approached the covered cage, laughing heartily, "Wishing Imperial Brother fortune as vast as the East Sea and a lifespan parallel to the heavens!" He then briskly lifted a corner of the cloth—

Jiang Hui distinctly heard Princess Ayiguli gasp beside her. Looking intently, she saw a magnificent pure white horse inside the cage, a rare and exceptional steed known as the Moonlight White Lion, famed for its ability to travel a thousand li in a single day.

"A splendid Moonlight White Lion! Prince Jin, you are considerate indeed." The Emperor smiled from his seat, appearing genuinely pleased with the horse.

"As long as the Emperor likes it, when should we brothers go horseback riding in the suburbs again!" Prince Jin spoke intimately, although perhaps a bit presumptuously, fitting his image as a playboy.

The brothers exchanged pleasantries in a respectful and cordial manner, with Prince Jin eventually taking his seat again.

Jiang Hui then stood up, holding her tea cup with a smile, "Wishing His Majesty eternal prosperity and our Great Zhou a wise ruler and strong nation! I cannot handle my liquor, so I offer tea in place of wine, a toast to Your Majesty!"

Dressed in red, a color she seldom wore these recent years, in a silver and vermilion brocade trailing skirt, with her hair done in a high coiffure, Jiang Hui offered the toast to the Emperor, reminiscent of her days as Princess Anning.

"Good!" Emperor Xiao's eyes sparkled with joy and affection. Approaching Jiang Hui, he lifted his golden goblet and drained it, "The Noble Consort's words resonate with me." In public, especially before relatives and nobles, he refrained from addressing Jiang Hui by her milk name.

Xu Xiuyuan, eager to join the conversation, chimed in with a forced smile, "Noble Consort sister speaks so well! What birthday gift has sister prepared for His Majesty?"

Jiang Hui, skilled in many arts but uninterested in performing publicly for Xiao, had prepared a gift instead.

Behind her, Qiuyu presented a tray covered with water-red and silver satin. Jiang Hui beamed at Xiao, handing him the scale, "This is crafted by my own hands. Why not take a look, Your Majesty?"

Emperor Xiao looked at her, his heartstrings subtly stirring. He took the scale from her, gently lifting it.

Since marrying into the Eastern Palace, Jiang Hui had prepared gifts like paintings, jade, and other objects of appreciation for Emperor Xiao's birthdays. However, this time was different; as the water-red and silver satin was unveiled, a longbow rested quietly on the redwood tray.

The bow, dark red in its entirety, had long and slightly straight upper and lower arms, with a recurved handle wrapped tightly in raw silk and gold thread. Its string, white and bright, gleamed coldly in the candlelight of the hall. Beside it lay a crane feather and ringing arrow.

"What a fine bow!" exclaimed Ayiguli, unable to contain her admiration, leaning forward as if to touch it. "This string must be crafted from top-quality cow tendon, taking at least two to three years to perfect!"

Caught up in excitement, Ayiguli spoke in the Hun language, leaving many clueless. Only the Emperor, who nodded in agreement, picked up the longbow, admiring it closely, and gently said to Jiang Hui, "The Noble Consort has worked hard."

Jiang Hui smiled, "This bow has yet to be named. May Your Majesty bestow a name upon it."

Emperor Xiao pondered for a moment before declaring confidently, "Let it be called the Mingguang Longtongue Bow." Mingguang was his style name, rarely used by others but still part of his identity.

The Empress's brow furrowed slightly upon hearing this name, but she quickly masked it with a graceful smile, "Such a meticulously crafted bow, personally made by the Noble Consort. It must have been prepared since the Eastern Palace days, a testament to her diligence!"

While outwardly complimentary, her words subtly implied Jiang Hui had privately forged weapons since her time in the Eastern Palace. Although bows and arrows were among the self-defense weapons permissible for civilians, their crafting in the palace bore different implications.

Everyone present, astute as they were, could discern the undercurrents in her words.

"How could I dare do such a thing within the Inner Court?" Jiang Hui replied with a light smile, then modestly added, "This bow was initially intended as a gift for His Majesty's coming-of-age celebration. However, I injured myself playing polo and couldn't finish it on time, delaying its completion until after His Majesty's coronation."

Looking into Emperor Xiao's eyes, she continued, "Today marks His Majesty's first reign anniversary. May this bow accompany Your Majesty in achieving greatness and peace."

Her eloquence delighted Emperor Xiao, deepening his fondness, while causing the Empress's expression to darken slightly.

The Empress, usually cautious, momentarily lost composure with her impulsive remark and quickly adjusted her demeanor, echoing Jiang Hui, "The Noble Consort is indeed right." She then led the other concubines in offering auspicious words for the prosperity of Great Zhou.

The Emperor gracefully accepted these sentiments without embarrassing the Empress, maintaining a joyous atmosphere.

The gift presentation proceeded without further incident, with each consort offering their gifts in turn.

Ayiguli presented a red-gold tiger figurine crafted by Hun artisans. Xu Xiuyuan offered a jade bi disk with dragon motifs. When Min Jieyu's turn came, she, alongside Luo Meiren, presented a collaborative painting and calligraphy piece.

Unfurling the scroll, a magnificent landscape painting of a thousand miles of rivers and mountains was revealed.

Min Jieyu's painting skills were evident in the lush mountains and waters, the soft brushstrokes exuding vigor. The accompanying poem, while not the work of a great poet, had its charm, especially the calligraphy. Bold and spirited, it clearly showcased Luo Meiren's talent.

The Emperor was delighted with the "Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains" painting and the well-matched poem by Lady Luo, finding them unexpectedly impressive. The Emperor's pleasure was evident as he praised Min Jieyu and Lady Luo, with the royal relatives echoing their approval.

Jiang Hui took a sip from her tea cup, her face still adorned with a light smile. Her gaze drifted from the painting to Lady Sun, seated lower down, just in time to catch a fleeting look of surprise on her face.

It seemed that the original birthday gift from Min Jieyu was no longer the same.

After Min Jieyu, it was Lady Li's turn. Lady Sun quietly rose, stepped away from the dining table, and slipped out behind the screen, presumably to prepare her congratulatory gift.

On this side, Sheng An carefully rolled up the "Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains" painting and handed it to An Jing for safekeeping, while Min Jieyu and Lady Luo returned to their seats.

Lady Li, with her right hand still recovering from a burn, couldn't perform her prepared pipa piece and instead presented a bushel of top-quality pearls from the East Sea. Being a concubine from a declining noble house and a commoner-born daughter at that, she had no rare treasures of her own, and the gifts bestowed by the Emperor couldn't be used as a birthday present, so these pearls were her best effort.

Once Lady Li was seated, Lady Sun, already changed into her dance attire and veiled in red gauze, stood up, stepped forward with a golden goblet, and coquettishly said, "I toast to His Majesty, wishing him longevity as enduring as the heavens and all his wishes fulfilled." After speaking, she slightly tilted her head back, lifted her veil, and drank the wine in the goblet.

Emperor Xiao Sheng, who had a favorable impression of Lady Sun, responded by lightly touching the golden goblet to his lips.

"Unlike sister Yun who excels in painting, I am only somewhat skilled in dancing," Lady Sun said, lifting her eyes to gaze at Emperor Xiao Sheng, and continued, "I have recently mastered a new dance called 'West River Sword Dance,' which I perform in honor of His Majesty's longevity."

The Emperor nodded, succinctly permitting: "Granted."

Then musicians entered in succession, and two eunuchs placed a large red drum in the center of the Qian Nian Hall, with Lady Sun in red, swords in hand, standing atop the drum.