Chapter 233: The Quchi Birthday Banquet (Part 2)

Cui Qiao’s wife was no ordinary person. She was the daughter of Emperor Li Chengqi, the elder brother of Li Longji, and was granted the title of Princess of Xiangyi County—she was also the owner of the farm seized by Li Qingan in Xiangyi County.
Lady Cui’s name was Li Shuangfeng. She had not originally married Cui Qiao; she remarried him after her husband’s death and gave birth to two daughters, Cui Yanyan and Cui Liuliu.
Perhaps inheriting her father’s genes, Lady Cui was extremely obese with delicate bones, raising concerns about whether her bones could support such excess weight. Sitting on a couch, she resembled a lump of flesh. Her father passed away in the first year of the Tianbao era, and his death meant the loss of her backing—no one was left to support her. That’s why last year her husband was removed from his position as prime minister, and she was powerless to do anything.
She used to be a very domineering woman, but this year she became much more low-key, far more restrained than before. She was the typical type who bullied the weak and feared the strong. Although Li Qingan had impeached her husband and driven him from power, filling her with hatred, he was also the person she feared the most.
Mingyue had a very good relationship with her daughter Cui Yanyan. As a mother, she was also familiar with Mingyue. But things were different now. In the past, Mingyue was just a child, a junior, and she could give her advice as an elder. But now Mingyue was Li Qingan’s fiancée—everyone in Chang’an knew about it. Her sharp eyes immediately noticed that Mingyue’s invitation was unusual, colored red-yellow—it was the private invitation of the Imperial Concubine, arousing in her both jealousy and envy.
“Mingyue, it’s true that women change greatly after turning eighteen. You’re getting more and more beautiful.”
Mingyue bowed gracefully and smiled. “Thank you, Aunt Cui, for the compliment. Where are Yanyan and Liuliu? Have they arrived?”
“They’ve both arrived, in the side hall! They’re not like you. You’ve found a good husband and can sit in the main hall even before getting married.”
Lady Cui’s tone was filled with sourness. Her eldest daughter, Yanyan, was betrothed to Liu Feng, the deputy magistrate of Shuangliu County in Bashu, who was her husband’s student. The marriage was set for the end of the year. The only thing her future son-in-law could boast about was his status as a Jinshi. But what did that matter? Could he compare to Li Qingan, the governor of Anxi?
Mingyue smiled and sat down next to her. Lady Cui awkwardly shifted her obese body to make room.
At that moment, more and more people gathered in the main hall, creating a buzz. For court officials, such large-scale celebrations that weren’t related to official business were excellent opportunities for socializing, building friendships, and clearly comparing the strength of different factions.

At present, after the disappearance of Li Heng’s faction, the court has seen a tripartite power struggle among Li’s faction, Zhang’s faction, and Yang’s faction. Li’s faction was originally the Prime Minister’s faction. Since Yang Guozhong rose to power, Li Linfu’s influence has been greatly reduced, and his faction was renamed Li’s faction. Coupled with Li Linfu’s poor health, aside from his loyal supporters, many people were not optimistic about him, leading some to consider joining the younger Yang’s faction.

Although Yang Guozhong suffered a severe setback at the hands of Li Qing’an last year, it did not change his status as a favorite and his upward trajectory; it was merely a brief counterattack by Li Heng’s faction.

Li Linfu had arrived and was discussing several recent major events with Chen Xilié and several other high-ranking officials. “Gao Xianzhi submitted a memorial accusing Cui Yuan, the governor of Yizhou, of neglecting military affairs and failing to provide adequate local support, resulting in slow troop training. Gentlemen must have heard about this!” The speaker was Chen Xilié, who served as the Left Chancellor and concurrently in charge of the Ministry of Rites. He had a good personal relationship with Gao Xianzhi. Gao Xianzhi not only submitted a memorial accusing Cui Yuan but also wrote to Chen Xilié asking for support. Thus, Chen Xilié was very indignant about this matter, but it also revealed a subtle change in his mindset. With Li Linfu growing old and his health deteriorating, could he succeed him? Therefore, he began to deliberately build his own influence, with Gao Xianzhi being his first choice. By bringing up Gao Xianzhi’s accusation against Cui Yuan today, he was largely trying to gauge Li Linfu’s attitude toward the matter. If Li Linfu showed little interest, he would step in.

After speaking, he glanced at Li Linfu out of the corner of his eye to see his reaction.

Li Linfu’s health was indeed poor. Years of overwork in government affairs had depleted his health, leaving him prone to serious illnesses at the slightest discomfort. He had just recovered from a serious illness the previous day. He had intended not to come today, but the concubine’s birthday was special, forcing him to endure his weak body and attend. At that moment, he was slowly sipping tea, seemingly unaware of Chen Xilié’s words. Yet no one noticed that Li Linfu’s gaze was fixed on Prince Li Heng, who sat alone in a corner, avoided by everyone like a plague. It had been a year since Li Linfu last saw Li Heng, and he could see that his temples had turned gray.

He sighed inwardly. Once, he had fought fiercely with Li Heng, but in the end, it only benefited Yang Guozhong. Li Linfu glanced at his son Li E and gave him a subtle signal.

Li E understood immediately, brought a cup of wine, and walked over to Li Heng. At that moment, Wang Gong, who was standing nearby, saw that Li Linfu wasn’t reacting, so he joked, “Perhaps the Prime Minister is more concerned about Suiye!”
“I’m not too worried about the battle at Suiye.”
Li Linfu regained his focus and spoke. His voice was low and hoarse, filled with the fatigue of having just recovered from a serious illness. He said slowly, “With Li Qingan in charge, who is familiar with the situation, there should be no difficulties in recapturing Suiye. What really worries me is Nanzhao.”
As he spoke, Li Linfu glanced at Chen Xilié. In his vacant gaze flashed a sharp light, as if he could see through Chen Xilié’s ulterior motives. Chen Xilié felt guilty and lowered his head. Li Linfu snorted inwardly and continued, “The issue of Nanzhao isn’t only related to the safety of the southwestern borders but also involves Tubo’s infiltration into Bashu. Yizhou is a vast and fertile region; if it falls to Tubo, it will be a disaster for our entire Han people. I won’t be ambiguous on this point. Tomorrow, I will discuss this in detail with the Emperor. If there aren’t enough troops in Jiannan, we can transfer troops from the Five Prefectures in Lingnan to Shu. Anyway, we still have logistical support in terms of food and supplies. If Cui Yuan is negligent, he must be removed immediately and replaced.”
By the time he said this last sentence, Li Linfu’s voice had become stern, and his tone rose several degrees. Even Zhang Yun, who wasn’t far away, heard it. He nodded at Li Linfu with a smile, showing approval of his views, then continued discussing the improvement of literary style with several scholars.
Yang Guozhong hadn’t arrived yet. His supporters were gathered around Wei Jiansu and Cui Qiao. Wei Jiansu was the Deputy Minister of Personnel. No matter where he was, there would always be those who flattered him. It could be said that Wei Jiansu’s allegiance to Yang Guozhong was a painful act of self-preservation for the Wei family. Following theCrown Prince faction had resulted in Wei Huan and Wei Tao both being demoted, dealing another heavy blow to the Wei family. Faced with the survival of their family, the Wei family finally accepted Wei Jiansu’s alternative path by aligning with Yang’s faction. The results were obvious: Wei Huan lost his position as Prime Minister almost immediately, while Wei Jiansu not only became the powerful Deputy Minister of Personnel but also served as Prime Minister for a year without any problems, giving the Wei family hope for revival.

Compared to Wei Jiansu, who had his family’s support, Cui Qiao fared much worse. He was already despised by his family for marrying a member of the imperial clan. Last year, he was removed from his position as prime minister and demoted to be the governor of Yizhou. This New Year, when he returned to Boling to pay respects to his ancestors, he was met with cold treatment. Aside from a few young men who came to Yizhou in search of jobs, almost no one from the Cui family paid him any attention. This left him both embarrassed and regretful. He had come back specifically to wish the imperial concubine a happy birthday and also to see if he could find a way to return to the center of power.

Wei Jiansu was one of those he wanted to curry favor with. Coincidentally, Wei Jiansu’s seat was right next to his, which delighted him greatly. Before the banquet even started, he kept offering drinks to Wei Jiansu, much to Wei Jiansu’s annoyance. Everyone else gathered around Wei Jiansu to chat, leaving Cui Qiao isolated. Bored, he glanced over at his wife, only to suddenly see Du Gu Mingyue sitting with her. He was stunned—wasn’t his wife supposed to be sitting with Xu Heng’s wife? Why had they switched seats? And where had Xu Heng’s wife gone?

He certainly knew that Du Gu Mingyue was Li Qingan’s fiancée and, to some extent, represented Li Qingan’s stance. Could it be that Li Qingan wanted to reconcile with him, Cui Qiao? Unlikely. If he, Cui Qiao, were still the prime minister, it might be possible, but now he was just a minor governor of a lower-level province—how could Li Qingan still think of him?

Or did Du Gu Mingyue not understand these things? Perhaps so. As soon as this thought crossed his mind, Cui Qiao’s mind shifted, and he suddenly realized it—Du Gu Mingyue must have come for Jiang Wuyi’s engagement. That had to be it. She would become Li Qingan’s wife in the future, and she surely couldn’t ignore Jiang Wuyi’s engagement. Cui Qiao couldn’t help but feel impressed—Du Gu Mingyue truly was a lady from a noble family. Since Li Qingan couldn’t step in for such matters, she stepped in to resolve them. That’s what it meant to be a wife!

As Cui Qiao guessed, Du Gu Mingyue had switched seats to sit with his wife precisely because of Wuyi’s engagement. His sister didn’t like Wuyi out of emotional influence, but Du Gu Mingyue couldn’t act arbitrarily like her. As Li Qingan’s wife, it was her duty to uphold her husband’s reputation. If she followed Li Qingan before resolving Wuyi’s engagement, and word got out, not only would Wuyi be criticized by the public, but Li Qingan’s reputation would also suffer. Of course, she wouldn’t write to Li Qingan asking him to send Wuyi away; instead, she would find a way to dissolve Wuyi’s engagement with the Cui family so that Wuyi could follow Li Qingan legitimately.

She had already talked with Lady Cui for a while, discussing trivial matters of daily life. She couldn’t mention the wedding dress or the engagement openly and had to hint at it subtly.
“Madam, a few days ago, Governor Li sent over some specialties from Anxi, including dozens of jars of the finest Jiahe wine. I know Uncle Cui loves Jiahe wine the most, so I’ll have it delivered to you tomorrow.”
Lady Cui laughed happily. The best Jiahe wine was meant as tribute and was unavailable in the market. Although she was a princess, after her father’s death, she no longer received such tributes. As the governor of Anxi, Li Qingan would naturally send such fine wine to his family. The fact that Mingyue was willing to give it to her filled her with great joy.
“Then I owe Mingyue a great deal!”
Feeling somewhat embarrassed for receiving such kindness, she pondered how to return the favor. At that moment, Mingyue smiled again and said, “The Cui family is one of the most prominent families in the Tang Dynasty. I know their rules are extremely strict, but when rules become too strict, they turn into rigidity, making people feel unkind. What do you think, Lady Cui?”
Lady Cui had never had any fondness for the Cui family. After marrying Cui Qiao nearly twenty years ago, she had never attended any of their family rituals, nor had she returned to their ancestral home in Boling with her husband. The Cui family looked down on her, and she despised them even more. Hearing Mingyue’s words, she curled her lips and said, “Those ridiculous rules of the Cui family are only something they enjoy talking about. They’ve been arrogant for hundreds of years, yet in the end, aren’t they just subjects? If they were capable, they could establish their own dynasty!”
Mingyue hinted a bit more before smiling and saying, “Actually, I think every family should have rules, and that’s beyond dispute. But some rules should also be in line with the times. For example, when it comes to women remarrying, many men expect women to remain widowed and chaste their whole lives, without considering their pain. But our Tang Dynasty is much more tolerant. After a husband dies, a woman can remarry. This has become a common understanding among everyone in the Tang Dynasty, from the royal family to ordinary people. Yet the Cui family clings stubbornly to outdated ideas, even refusing to let a woman who hasn’t married yet go free, just because of an engagement contract, binding her for life. That seems rather unkind.”
Lady Cui herself had remarryed Cui Qiao after her husband’s death, so Mingyue’s words struck a chord with her. But she also understood the hidden meaning behind Mingyue’s words—it was about that damned son of her husband’s ex-wife, Cui Ming. She realized Mingyue’s intention to switch sides: Cui Ming’s widow had followed Li Qingan, so Mingyue wanted to dissolve this engagement.

Madam Cui thought very quickly. Li Qing’an was now the governor of Anxi, a high-ranking official. If her husband could reconcile with him, it would also be beneficial for his future. Madam Cui’s attitude resembled that of a certain island nation in later times—after being thoroughly defeated, they would become submissive and obedient. Instead of thinking about avenging herself on Li Qing’an, Madam Cui was solely focused on reconciling with him.

“I understand what Mingyue means. In fact, I’ve asked my husband several times to dissolve this marriage arrangement. The person in question has been dead for nearly ten years—why keep a fiancée who hasn’t even married yet? The problem is that my mother-in-law insists on following the Cui family’s rules. But don’t worry; she won’t live much longer. She’s been ill and hasn’t recovered. Within a few months at most, I promise you that once she dies, I’ll immediately ask my husband to end this marriage arrangement.”

Madam Cui hated her mother-in-law fiercely. Her daughter’s marriage had been delayed due to the old lady’s opposition. Once she died, Madam Cui would immediately arrange her daughter’s marriage, ignoring any nonsense about mourning periods.

Hearing this definite reply, Mingyue felt relieved. She had intended to say something sympathetic about the old lady, but seeing Madam Cui’s furious expression, she gave up on the idea.

Just then, an eunuch at the entrance shouted, “His Majesty the Emperor has arrived! The Imperial Concubine has arrived!”

The hall immediately fell silent. The dancers stepped back, and the officials along with their wives stood up. Moments later, groups of palace maids and eunuchs entered, followed by a large group of guards carrying weapons. Finally, Emperor Li Longji of the Tang Dynasty and Imperial Concubine Yang Yuhuan appeared at the entrance of the hall, surrounded by numerous maids and eunuchs. Li Longji wore ordinary clothes and a gauze hat. His steps were steady, and his face radiated a rare glow of joy and honor, as if some good fortune had descended upon him.

Imperial Concubine Yang, on the other hand, was dressed exquisitely, wearing a bright yellow dress three zhang long with eight panels. Delicate sleeves wrapped around her arms, and her steps were light, with jewelry jingling softly as she moved.

Behind them followed a large group of Yang family members. The three Yang sisters were all dressed flamboyantly, following closely behind Yang Yuhuan. By Li Longji’s side were Gao Lishi and Yang Guozhong. Gao Lishi remained as calm as usual, unshaken, while Yang Guozhong bent slightly, whispering something to Li Longji from time to time, his eyes filled with the pride of being favored.

Li Longji’s attitude made the civil and military officials in the hall look at each other—this was clearly a show of support for Yang Guozhong.

Li Longji and his entourage walked through the hall, and the officials bowed in greeting, “We pay our respects to Your Majesty! We pay our respects to the Concubine!”

The ladies also bowed together, each in their own unique manner, creating a magnificent sight.
Li Longji led Yang Guifei to the main seat, while the Yang sisters sat in the seats beside it. Yang Guozhong returned to his seat right behind Li Linfu. As soon as he sat down, Li Linfu turned to him and asked, “Minister Yang, what happened?”
Li Linfu knew Li Longji well. With Li Longji looking so radiant today, something significant must have happened.
In front of Li Linfu, Yang Guozhong did not dare to be arrogant. He immediately replied respectfully, “To Prime Minister Li, the Emperor received an urgent message on the way. He refuses to reveal what it is.”
Everyone present became excited. Could it be that news had come from Suiye? Unable to contain his excitement, Li Longji stood up and waved his hand, saying, “My dear officials, please be quiet!”
The hall immediately fell silent. Li Longji glanced at everyone and said with a loud laugh, “Today, I want to ask Guifei—what is the best gift we’ve received this year?”
This question made everyone lean forward, though they were also slightly puzzled. This should usually be the last thing discussed each year, as the grand finale. Why was it mentioned earlier this time?
“I still remember that two years ago, Guifei’s favorite gift was the Snow-Clothed Maiden, and last year it was the multicolored pearl necklace given by Prince Yong. So what will it be this year? There’s the Ice Jade Flute from Prince Qing, the Silk Cloud-Stepping Horse from An Lushan, the ‘Never-Drunk’ Carpet from Prime Minister Li, and the White Jade Beauty Statue from Minister Yang. These are all rare treasures. I thought the best gift this year would be chosen from among them. But on our way here, Guifei and I suddenly received another gift, and she finally decided on it. Do you all want to know what this mysterious gift is?”
The hall was dead silent; almost no one dared to breathe, afraid of missing any details. Everyone’s curiosity was piqued—what could it be?
At that moment, Lady Cui whispered to Mingyue, “A message received suddenly on the way—could it be some rare treasure sent by Japan?”
Mingyue smiled. She wasn’t really interested in what it was; it had nothing to do with her. She glanced at Yang Guifei, and her heart suddenly skipped a beat—Yang Guifei nodded at her and gave her a slight smile.
“What on earth is it?” Li Longji poured himself a cup of wine and said with a laugh, “Everyone, fill your cups and raise them!”
Everyone poured themselves wine and raised their cups. Li Longji declared loudly, “On the way, I received an urgent message from Anxi, bringing good news. Li Qing’an, the governor of Anxi, has recaptured Suiye for the Tang Dynasty. This is Guifei’s best gift this year.”

The hall was silent for a moment before erupting in cheers that filled the space. Li Longji, in high spirits, raised his cup and shouted, “Let’s drink to our victory!”
“To victory!” everyone in the hall cried, and they drank their wine in one gulp.
When the cheers subsided slightly, Yang Guifei stood up and said loudly, “Although this is news of a Tang army victory, it still fills me with joy. As is tradition, I must return the favor. Miss Du Gu Mingyue, please come forward!”
All eyes turned toward Du Gu Mingyue. Her face turned red as she slowly stood up and, under everyone’s gaze, walked to the center of the hall. She bowed gracefully, saying, “I pay my respects to Your Majesty! I pay my respects to Your Grace!”
Chatter arose throughout the hall. Many had only heard that Du Gu Mingyue was Li Qingan’s fiancée; it was their first time seeing her. She had skin as smooth as ice and jade, beauty that outshone even the moon and flowers. Every move of hers resembled the elegance of Ban Ji continuing history or Xie Ting’s grace in the snow. And when she stood beside the peerlessly beautiful Yang Guifei, she didn’t seem inferior at all.
Praises filled the hall—turns out the Tang Dynasty had such a stunningly beautiful woman. Zhao Xuming, sitting in the back, was filled with anger and resentment as he slammed his cup down on the table, heartbroken. Meanwhile, Li Chu, the Prince of Guangping, felt sorrowful, regretting that he had missed the chance to win Mingyue’s heart.
Li Longji’s eyes lit up as he inwardly marveled at such a beauty—what a pity!
Yang Guifei felt compassion for her and said softly to Mingyue, “Li Qingan has given me such a generous gift, and I want to return the favor. But since he is far away in Anxi, I can only return it to you.”
“Your Grace is too kind; I dare not accept it!”
Yang Guifei smiled gently and said loudly to the officials, “With the Emperor’s approval, I officially confer upon Du Gu Mingyue the title of Lady of Gaochang. From now on, Miss Mingyue is my sister.”
Gasps filled the hall. The women envied Mingyue for receiving a third-rank title at such a young age, while the men wished their wives were Yang Guifei’s sisters.
Touched, Mingyue quickly bowed deeply, saying, “Mingyue thanks Your Majesty and Your Grace for your kindness!”
Li Longji stroked his beard and laughed heartily. Li Qingan had lived up to his expectations by securing Suiye for him. He had to show his favor. Yang Guifei waved at Mingyue and said with a sweet smile, “Mingyue, come here. Sit beside me today.”
Mingyue stepped forward, and Yang Guifei took her hand and sat down. The hall immediately erupted in enthusiastic applause.