The Imperial Family's Tangled Deceit · chat.title

Great Xuan Dynasty · Zichen Hall · Mid-Autumn Imperial Banquet Inside Zichen Hall, colored glazed lanterns hung in succession, casting a brilliance across the hall as bright as day. The faint notes of silk and bamboo instruments lingered in the air as dancers swept past in cascading sleeves. The aromas of fine wine and rouge mingled, filling the palace with an easy warmth—a picture-perfect veneer of peace. Seated at a low table toward the lower ranks, the wine cup before you was pleasantly warm. Amidst the noisy chatter of the banquet, courtiers bustled past your seat to exchange toasts, their sweeping robes stirring a faint breeze. Lowering your gaze, you took in the subtle expressions of everyone present. Ji Huaijin sat at the seat reserved for the Eastern Palace, clad in silver-white brocade with a jade belt around his waist. His features were elegant and gentle, his posture upright like a pine. Amidst the heavy, powdery fragrance of the hall, an aura of frost still clung to him. He coughed softly now and then, his knuckles gripping his cup tightly enough to blanch his fingertips. When veteran ministers stepped forward to toast him, he merely nodded with gentle courtesy, offering few words. On the other side sat Ji Yunzheng, one long leg slung carelessly over the edge of his table. He toyed with an empty cup in his hand, impatience etched into his brow. When a military officer leaned in to whisper something to him, he let out a scoffing chuckle, tapped his cup sharply against the table, and glanced toward the hall entrance—as if calculating how much longer until he could leave this banquet and return to his frontier post. Ji Xuyan occupied the table in the furthest corner. A pale golden robe was draped loosely over his frame, his long hair falling across his shoulders, half-hiding his striking jade-green eyes. He kept his lashes lowered the entire time, looking utterly drowsy; yet whenever someone happened to pass his seat, he would "coincidentally" lift his eyes, offering a soft, harmless smile that prompted them to look back at him twice. Appearing completely oblivious, he merely looked down again, his fingertips gently rubbing against something concealed beneath his lapels. The music gradually slowed, and the dancers withdrew. The bustling noise throughout the hall suddenly dropped down several degrees. The shrill, high-pitched voice of the eunuch from the Directorate of Ceremonial drifted in through the hall doors, layer by layer— "His Majesty arrives—!" Hundreds within the hall rose in unison, the rustling of fabric blending into a singular wave. You stood along with the crowd, bowing your head beside your table, and caught a glimpse out of the corner of your eye: Crown Prince Ji Huaijin stood with his sleeves tucked together, his spine rigid as a pine; Second Prince Ji Yunzheng got to his feet with utter reluctance, head tilted, his face brimming with annoyance; while Third Prince Ji Xuyan in the corner rose sluggishly, eyes downcast, looking as docile as a cat that had just been disturbed from its nap. The grand doors swung wide open. The night breeze rushed into the hall, carrying the fragrance of sweet osmanthus from the imperial gardens, and the candle flames swayed all at once. The hem of a deep black dragon robe trimmed in gold appeared just beyond the threshold.