It was the end of the year. As per tradition, His Majesty of Qi held a banquet at Fengrui Hall to thank his officials. Officials of the fifth rank and above were required to bring their families; officials dined in the outer hall, while the women were hosted by the Empress in the inner hall. “
High-ranking concubines held their heads high, casually receiving others’ flattery; lower-ranking ones carefully assessed the most prominent figures and flocked to them. Among the court ladies of Qi, the Empress and the Seventh Princess naturally drew the most attention. Among the outer court ladies, the wife of the Grand Minister and Su Hui, daughter of the Minister of Rites, were most celebrated. The reason was simple: many speculated that Su Hui would be the next consort of the Eastern Palace.
Of course, I was also quite the center of attention, mostly from young ladies, either out of curiosity or jealousy, primarily because I was married to a popular husband.
Despite the freezing winter outside, Fengrui Hall was warm, with heated water circulating and warming braziers placed every five steps. The Empress wore a nine-phoenix robe, a lotus gold crown, dignified and noble, with twelve imperial guards standing beside her.
After the grand music, all ladies knelt to greet the Empress and offer the first cup of wine. The Empress drank and then instructed everyone to be seated. My seat was near the phoenix throne, next to Su Hui, with the Seventh Princess directly across, giving me a sense of being caught between two threats.
I quickly opened my eyes, rubbing my head in a just-awakened state. “Where am I… Your Majesty!”
“Lady An,” the Queen stood outside the bed, her expression solemn and proud. “You just fainted in the hall.”
This is Master Sun, the most skilled imperial physician in the palace. Let him examine you.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty, but I’ve been feeling a bit weak recently and have already seen a doctor—”
“My lady, no need to be polite,” the Queen took a step back and turned around. “Master Sun, please examine the lady.”
Her tone was definitive, leaving no room for discussion. My heart was pounding, and I suddenly had an ominous feeling of escaping one danger only to fall into another.
After taking my pulse, Master Sun gave me a deep look, his eyes seemingly filled with compassion.
