Chapter 231: The Birthday Banquet by Qujiang Lake (Part 1)

As the weather grew hotter day by day, the scorching summer of the tenth year of Tianbao arrived. The stone slabs and trees on the streets of Chang’an, baked by the sun throughout the day, remained hot at night, releasing their residual heat into the stifling air.
Yet the people of Chang’an felt another kind of fervor in their hearts. Tomorrow, on the first day of the sixth month, was the birthday of the Imperial Concubine. The emperor would hold a grand celebration in the Lotus Garden by Qujiang Lake. The garden had been closed two months earlier for decoration, with silk used to create flowers, gold leaf for leaves, and pearls and jade to mimic fruits—costing millions of guan and using up nearly half of the treasures in the Left Treasury.
All officials of rank seven or above in the capital, along with their wives and daughters, were required to attend this celebration. It was not only an obligation to wish the Imperial Concubine a happy birthday but also a great honor.
Invitations had been distributed by the Inner Court Secretariat a month earlier, and almost all officials had received them. To attend this grand event, the noblewomen of Chang’an spent heavily on fine clothes, silk robes, brocaded garments, pearls, jade, and fragrances. All kinds of luxurious clothing became available, with even the most exquisite garments becoming common.
“Casual dressing in the carefree times; loose attire in an era of ease. Soft sleeves of patterned silk, light skirts of fine thread.”
The storefronts in the Eastern Market were bustling with activity. The jewelry shops run by foreigners displayed their wares competitively, and Chang’an once again showcased its magnificent splendor.
The Du Gu family, however, was different. They had received two invitations—one for Madame Pei, the wife of Du Gu Haoran. Madame Pei held the rank of a third-rank county lady. Although Du Gu Haoran was not in Chang’an, his wife was still required to attend.
The other invitation was rather special—it was sent personally by the Imperial Concubine Yang to Du Gu Mingyue, Li Qing’an’s fiancée. According to etiquette, Li Qing’an had not yet formally married Du Gu Mingyue, so she could not appear in official settings as his wife. Yet exceptions could always be made. In fact, as long as both parties were willing, no one would really hold her to strict etiquette rules. After all, few people wanted to offend others, let alone high-ranking officials. So last month, when Mingyue received an invitation from the Wei family for a celebration—actually an invitation for Li Qing’an—she represented him by attending.

But ritual customs aren’t entirely meaningless either. For example, the celebration for the Imperial Concubine’s birthday was exceptionally strict—officials above the seventh rank were required to attend, and their wives had to hold an imperial decree to join them as well; otherwise, it was considered a violation of ritual rules and would result in punishment. Under such strict regulations, Du Gu Mingyue, as Li Qing’an’s fiancée, couldn’t attend because she didn’t yet hold an imperial decree. Of course, she could attend as Du Gu Haoran’s legitimate daughter, but the perceptive Imperial Concubine Yang resolved this awkward situation for her.

Under these strict rules, the Imperial Concubine Yang made an exception: those who received an invitation personally from her were exempt from these restrictions—these were her personal friends. She wrote only seven such invitations, including for her childhood companions and Du Gu Mingyue.

That night, the Du Gu sisters were trying on dresses in their room. Mingzhu, as Du Gu Haoran’s legitimate daughter, also got a spot—she would attend the grand ceremony with her mother the next day. Their dresses were designed by Lady Pei herself—long, floor-length gowns made of top-quality Wu brocade. Mingyue wore red, while Mingzhu wore green. The gowns had multiple layers and were embroidered with gold thread, covered outside with a fine gauze made of light fabric, as thin as cicada wings.

Mingzhu stood in front of the mirror, examining her side profile, frowning and muttering, “Sis, you’re tall, so this kind of floor-length gown looks great on you. But on me, it looks a bit odd. Look, it’s like a small horse pulling a big cart.”

In the mirror, Mingzhu’s figure appeared slightly petite, and the wide, multi-layered gown made her look even smaller, almost like a doll.

Seeing this, Mingyue laughed and said, “Do you know why Mom wants you to wear this dress?”

“I know. She’s afraid I’ll dress strangely and embarrass her.”

“That’s not entirely it. I think Mom wants to find you a suitable husband at the banquet—it’s time to consider your marriage.”

“I don’t want to!”

Angrily, Mingzhu took off the dress and put back her short dress. She spun around in the room, her skirt fluttering, and couldn’t help but giggle. “It’s still more comfortable wearing this dress. I’ve decided—I’ll wear this one.”

“Whatever you want. If you can convince Mom, I won’t interfere.”

Mingyue sat in front of the mirror, carefully shaping her eyebrows. Mingzhu was in high spirits, humming a tune as she tidied up her floor-length gown, but suddenly, a sense of worry arose in her heart. She remembered something and frowned slightly, then said to Mingyue, “Sis, you need to write a letter.”

“What?” Mingyue stopped using her eyebrow pencil and looked at her strangely, smiling. “You’re talking nonsense. What letter are you writing? For whom?”
“Of course for your husband, the one we talked about last time,” Mingzhu replied irritably.
“What matter?”
“Don’t act clueless. It’s that Jiang Wuyi. The last time I saw her, she had such a seductive look that it made people angry. Sister, you really have to tell him.” Mingzhu grew angrier as she spoke, crumpling the six skirts in her hands.
Mingyue smiled but ignored her. Seeing her sister unresponsive, Mingzhu stepped forward, snatched her eyebrow pencil, and said angrily, “How can you be so indifferent? She’s still the wife of the Cui family. What does it matter that she follows your eldest brother? And she’s also the niece of Prime Minister Li. Sister, won’t she take your place? Aren’t you worried?”
Seeing her so anxious, Mingyue shook her head and laughed. “You! You always overreact. She’s her, and I’m me. If Lord Li likes her and marries her, it’s their fate. What can I do if I’m worried? Alright, give me back my eyebrow pencil.”
“Then at least write a letter to your husband to make your stance clear on this matter. You’re the legitimate wife; everyone around him must get your approval. How can you be so careless and ignore everything?”
Seeing her so serious, Mingyue didn’t feel like teasing her anymore. She said, “Mingzhu, he’s alone in Anxi and needs someone to take care of him. If Wuyi can take care of him for me, I’ll be relieved. Just like Father—Aunt Qi always stayed by Father’s side, and Mother never got angry with her!”
“To take care of Eldest Brother Li, sisters like Shishi are enough. Especially Shishi—gentle, considerate, and meticulous. How can Jiang Wuyi compare to her? I think she just uses her beauty to manipulate people. Eldest Brother will be ruined by her.”
“Enough!”
Mingyue sat her sister down, folded her skirts for her, and handed them to her with a smile. “I know what I’m doing. Stop making a fuss. It’s getting late. Go to bed quickly!”
Mingzhu had no choice but to leave with her skirts. Mingyue closed the door and lost interest in dressing up. She sat by the window, resting her chin in her hand, gazing at the stars in the night sky. A mix of emotions flooded her heart. She sighed, took out a piece of plain paper, and began writing a letter to Li Qing’an.

“Li Lang, have you been feeling well lately? I heard that although it’s hot at noon in Anxi, it gets quite cold in the mornings and evenings. Please take good care of yourself and don’t worry me. Things here in Chang’an are rather ordinary. At the beginning of this month, the Wei family had a daughter’s wedding, and they sent you an invitation. I’ve prepared a gift in return. Tomorrow is the birthday of the Imperial Concubine, and it will be a grand celebration. I’ve been specially invited by the Imperial Concubine to represent you at the event. I’ll take care of everything in Chang’an; you don’t need to worry. Mid-month is the Ghost Festival, a day for worshipping ancestors. I’ll go to Cien Temple to offer sacrifices for your in-laws…”
…
Early in the morning, just as dawn broke, the heat on Zhuque Street had dissipated, and a gentle breeze blew, making it the coolest time of the day. Many people in Chang’an got up early to take advantage of this coolness and start their daily chores.
Zhuque Street was filled with people hurrying about, with carriages speeding by from time to time, leaving behind the sound of rolling wheels. Under a large tree, a cool tea stall had been set up early, taking advantage of the gap in the Jinwu Guard’s patrols to sell bowls of cool tea and ice cubes.
A few copper coins jingled as several porters picked up the cool tea and started drinking it, loudly discussing today’s events.
“Damn it, I don’t want to work today. I’ll go home and plow the fields with my wife. We’ll have a delicate little daughter soon. Once she becomes an imperial concubine, I’ll be the father-in-law, and I can eat as much duck butt as I want at Baiwei Zhai.”
An older porter burst out laughing, spraying cool tea all over the ground as he pointed at him and said, “With that attitude of yours, you’ll spend your whole life eating duck butt.”
The burly man snapped, “Why are you laughing? Isn’t it the same for you? Don’t you also send your third and fourth wives to learn music? I know exactly what those old bones of yours are capable of.”
The older porter glanced at him disdainfully and said, “My third and fourth wives have been praised since childhood for their beauty. If they learn both music and arts, they might even become imperial concubines. Forget it! Your wife with her garlic nose will only give birth to a porter’s wife.”
“You!” The burly man flew into a rage, rolling up his sleeves ready to fight. The stall owner quickly tried to calm them down, saying, “Stop arguing. Which family in Chang’an doesn’t want a daughter who becomes an imperial concubine? But there’s only one such concubine, and she’s from Bashu. Let’s be realistic. Drink and eat what you need. Here, have two more bowls of cool tea.”
As the crowd continued to argue, a group of knights rushed in from Mingde Gate, each carrying a red leather bag on their back. Their horses galloped swiftly, the sound of their hooves pounding the ground like thunder.

“Scatter!” the knight shouted loudly, scaring pedestrians on the road into stumbling and fleeing to either side. A group of knights rushed past the tea stall at lightning speed, soon turning into mere dark dots. The group of porters were stunned; after a long while, the older porter sighed and said, “See? The emperor is eating fresh lychees just picked from the tree in Chang’an, not some duck butt.” The porters all seemed listless, sipping their cool tea without enthusiasm. At that moment, the burly man slammed his bowl on the table and said in a rough voice, “No good. Today I must find a way to go to Qujiang Pond and see what the imperial concubine looks like.”

It was Yang Guifei’s birthday today. The official celebration would not begin until dusk to avoid the scorching sun. Yet the maids and eunuchs of Daming Palace had gotten up early to get busy. All the items needed for the banquet had to be taken from the palace—gold plates and jade bowls, agate jars and emerald basins—all to be delivered early to the ten top restaurants in Chang’an responsible for hosting the banquet. There were also yellow pearwood seating, white jade screens on rosewood frames, fine porcelain of various kinds, precious teas from different regions, tribute wines from Anxi, fish-fat candles, palace lanterns adorned with night pearls, and so much more—all had to be taken along.

Of course, it would be too late to arrange everything just today. In fact, what they brought were only spare items; all the necessary utensils for the banquet had already been sent ahead.

In Yang Yuhuan’s bedroom, over a hundred maids waiting to help her get dressed stood quietly aside. The imperial concubine was eating lychees, and no one dared disturb her at this time. Yang Yuhuan had been in high spirits these past few days. The emperor had promised her that after this birthday celebration, she could move back to Xingqing Palace and never set foot in Daming Palace again. This meant that the minor discord between them some time ago had vanished. But Yang Yuhuan had also made a compromise: if Emperor Li Longji wanted to visit a certain concubine, he could bring her to Xingqing Palace. After the incident with Yang Huahua, she suddenly realized a truth—the more she tried to keep the emperor by her side, the more she would lose him. Only a balance of strictness and leniency could ensure lasting harmony.

Lü Taiyi, the eunuch in charge of serving her lychees, skillfully picked one apart and handed it to her. Looking at the crystal-clear, delicate flesh of the lychee, Lü Taiyi frowned and said, “These lychees aren’t good. They’re a bit old.”

Yang Yuhuan sucked on the sweet juice from the lychee. A delicate, sweet flavor filled her mouth, and she couldn’t help but smile. “These lychees are great! How can they be old?”

Lü Taiyi blinked and suddenly understood. “I see. It’s because Your Majesty’s skin is so delicate that it makes them seem dry.”

Yang Yuhuan laughed so hard her body trembled. After a while, she finally caught her breath and, pointing at him, scolded, “You really are a flatterer!”
“Who’s the flatterer?”
Li Longji’s voice came from the outer room. He strode in and said with a smile, “Who’s flattering my wife?”
Lü Taiyi was so frightened that he knelt down, not daring to say a word. Yang Yuhuan stood up and bowed to Li Longji, saying with a smile, “This little eunuch of mine said today’s lychees were old, but I think they’re still fine. He claimed it’s because my skin is too delicate, making the lychees seem old. Third Lord, tell me, isn’t this a flatterer?”
Li Longji glanced at Yang Yuhuan, then at the peeled lychee, stroked his beard, and said with a smile, “He’s not a flatterer. What he said is true. How can these lychees compare to my beloved wife? They’re far inferior!”
He then said to Lü Taiyi with a smile, “Get up! Since you’re so understanding, I must reward you. What do you want?”
“I dare not. Serving the lady is my duty.”
“Duty aside, you still deserve a reward.”
After thinking for a moment, Li Longji said with a smile, “Your family grows lychees in Lingnan, right? I also have a large lychee plantation in Lingnan. I’ll appoint you as the supervisor of that plantation and reward you with a silver fish bag. Go back to your hometown and take care of my plantation for me!”
Lü Taiyi was overjoyed. The emperor’s plantation in Lingnan covered tens of thousands of acres and employed tens of thousands of servants. If he was tasked with managing it and given a silver fish bag, wouldn’t he be like a local emperor in Lingnan?
He kowtowed repeatedly, saying, “Thank you, Your Majesty, for your reward. I will surely devote myself wholeheartedly to managing the plantation for you.”
Yang Yuhuan frowned slightly, displeased, “If you send him away, who will serve me lychees?”
“It’s of course my duty to serve my wife lychees.”
Li Longji, beaming, peeled a lychee.