Chapter 1121
Autumn Banquet at the Court of State Ceremonial
Chapter 1121 The Grand Banquet of the Court of State Ceremonial
As the waiters throughout the Court of State Ceremonial served dishes, the atmosphere became even more lively.
The tapping at the next table was a coded message left by the White Lotus Sect for the Taiping Sect. Since they knew this, they were clearly from the Taiping Sect. Immediately, Right Protector Ying Xiancai also tapped the table twice with his fingers in response.
Thus, the Taiping Sect's liaison, an elderly man known to outsiders as "Mr. Zhou," who had received the signal from the White Lotus Sect, gave a wink to the people at the table, then got up and blended into the crowd. Using the noise as cover, he walked to the other side and talked to the people at another table.
"Shopkeeper, it's the Bai family. They're over by the old locust tree."
"Oh, they're moving so fast. It seems the Bai family isn't going to stay out of the game either!"
Chu Yiyue stroked his beard a few times and smiled. These days, he had been hiding from the Imperial City Guards' search and capture. Fortunately, there were many people in the capital who were taking advantage of the chaos, so he did not suffer too much loss. However, Chief Pan, who was by his side, did not have any good words to say.
"Shopkeeper, everyone says that the White Lotus Sect is a century-old sect, but I think they are all talk and no action. Originally, we started a rebellion to work together for a great cause, but unexpectedly, these people suffered a crushing defeat in Xihe County and surrendered at the first sign of trouble. They are really not worthy of respect and can only resort to assassination."
After Chief Pan arrived in the capital, he rarely left the city, but intelligence from all over the country kept coming in, and he learned a lot. If the White Lotus Sect Leader had been able to lead his army westward and join forces with the main force of the Chu Sect Leader at that time, the imperial court probably would not have been able to win in one battle, and the situation might have changed again.
"Yes, sir. If they hadn't gone back on their word and turned back south when they were supposed to be supporting Manager Zuo, perhaps we could have held out in the battle of the county town."
Master Luo, dressed in coarse cloth and hunched over, echoed the sentiments, about to add a few more words, but was stopped by the Left Protector raising his hand.
"Let's not discuss the matter in the south anymore. A loss is a loss. Even if reinforcements come, we can't hold the city. The defeat is inevitable. It's a bit strange, though. What exactly did the White Lotus Sect do in Xihe County to try and cover it up?"
Left Protector Zuo Ling was also disguised, dressed as a wealthy man, with a long beard and a human skin mask, looking like an old man.
"How could anyone guess what they're planning? Only they themselves know. Let's go and meet them. After all, the matter of the Jiaofangsi was handled cleanly and efficiently."
Recalling what happened that night, no one in the entire Jiaofangsi Pavilion was spared, especially since the matter of the Anyang Prefect was dealt with incidentally, which was the icing on the cake.
"Yes, old manager,"
Several people stood up, hunched over, and switched seats with the group at the table under the locust tree. In this way, the two groups exchanged secret signals and knew that the main figures had arrived. They then made room at a table for the Taiping Sect's Leader Chu and Left Protector, and the White Lotus Sect's Leader Bai and Right Protector to sit facing each other.
“Master Chu is really hard to find. If there’s any sign of trouble, he’ll disappear a thousand miles away. I thought he had left the capital.”
Bai Shuiyue put down her teacup, a hint of mockery in her eyes. Although the incident at the Jiaofangsi had alarmed the capital, it hadn't really affected the common people. After all, those who could go to the Jiaofangsi were either rich or noble. Unfortunately, those who died that night were all minor figures.
"Haha, Manager Bai is truly magnanimous. Some lackeys are chasing after you relentlessly. Shouldn't you have kept a low profile? As for the matter with the Jiaofangsi (Imperial Music Bureau), although it was handled brilliantly, it's a pity that you went at the wrong time. Only a minor prefect died, which couldn't shake the situation in the capital. It's a shame."
Leader Chu smiled slightly, picked up a peanut from the table, put it in his mouth, and chewed it carefully. He had to admit, the dishes served at today's banquet tasted quite good.
At first glance, she didn't think much of it, but upon closer reflection, she realized there was more to it than met the eye. A prefect's official position was relatively low, and only the first part of his statement was somewhat credible. Bai Shuiyue shook her head slightly.
"Manager Chu is indeed a big businessman. He doesn't even care about a prefect. I wonder if Master Chu's idea is that the congratulatory gift for that old thief is not enough?"
If that's not enough, the capital city is now under martial law, so it's unlikely we can cause any more disturbances.
"Manager Bai, look at what you're saying. No matter how high a position someone holds, if they can't influence the capital, they're useless. The past few days were just a rehearsal. Today is the Emperor Emeritus's big day of celebration. We're surrounded by our people. Shouldn't we make a scene and let the world see?"
Chu Yiyue put down his hands that were fiddling with the dishes, then walked around the table, stopping every two steps, before finally returning to his seat.
"Manager Bai, I'll make the first move,"
Upon hearing this, Right Protector Ying Xiancai was startled. He squinted and looked around. Although he couldn't see anything unusual, the eerie atmosphere was overwhelming. He then gave a signal to the people around him, and they dispersed to make way for their escape. This cautious action made the Taiping Sect members' eyes narrow. They were indeed evenly matched.
"Master Chu is indeed impatient. Now that you've made your decision, I'm eagerly awaiting the outcome. The Court of State Ceremonies may seem loose, but the Imperial Guards they left behind are not to be fooled."
Bai Shuiyue glanced around. Although the banquet guests were mostly elderly, they were primarily gentry and powerful figures; very few commoners were present. Furthermore, the Imperial Guards were also holding a banquet nearby, their weapons and armor readily available. If they attacked now, they would be trapped like turtles in a jar.
Before he could ask any more questions, he heard the voice of Master Chu in his ear.
"Manager Bai, just wait."
And so, amidst the commotion, in the west courtyard, two helpers were stirring the porridge in the pot. At that moment, the old man in the corner nudged the person next to him and gestured with his lips.
“Look at that bucket of rice, it’s just been filled. Those guys are clumsy and no one’s watching it.”
"Perfect opportunity! Once we get there, we'll give it a quick flick of the wrist and spill all the sleeping pills in!"
The other old man's face lit up with joy, and he quickly pulled out several oil paper packets from his sleeve and distributed them to the group.
"Don't rush. There are a few minor officials guarding the side gate. We need to make a commotion. Go ahead."
Just as the group was about to step forward, they heard their leader speak up. One of the men at the next table nodded, got up, walked a little distance away, and deliberately bumped into one of the men with a bowl of wine, pouring all the wine from the bowl over his head. The old men were unhappy about this and started arguing on the spot. The minor officials standing at the door, seeing this, quickly went over to reprimand them.
The opportunity was right in front of them. The group quickly walked to the front of the tarpaulin. Two of them deliberately pushed each other to cover the person behind them. They tore open the oilcloth paper package in their hands and poured the sleeping potion directly into the bucket. In a flash, they sprinkled it into all the porridge buckets and stirred it with a spoon.
You can't tell what just happened at all.
"Hey, what are you old men doing gathered here?"
Just after the medicine was added, the two men cooking the porridge questioned him, and the elderly man in charge quickly let out a satisfied burp.
"Uh, I ate a bit too much. I'll get up and digest a bit. I'll go back and have a few more bites."
"You old geezers, all you know how to do is eat. Get out, get out!"
The two men waved their hands dismissively, and the three men quickly nodded in agreement and left.
Before long, soldiers arrived, each carrying a bucket of porridge, and went out. While everyone waited anxiously, at the Imperial Guards' banquet, the leading captain finished his porridge, smacked his lips, and felt there was something strange about the taste.
"Hey you guys, this porridge tastes a bit off today."
"Boss, have you eaten too much? I feel the same way after drinking."
The sergeant next to him shook his head, drunkenly swallowing the porridge in one gulp, unaware of anything amiss. Seeing the questioning looks from those around him, the captain also felt suspicious, but tears welled in his eyes, and he yawned.
"That's strange. I got up early this morning and didn't oversleep, so why are my eyelids drooping?"
Before he finished speaking, the clerk beside him and his imperial guards also yawned. The bowls and plates in their hands wobbled, splashing scalding tea onto their hands without them noticing. Instead, they rubbed their heads.
"That's really strange, I'm so sleepy."
As they spoke, apart from the imperial guards on duty, all the soldiers and minor officials sitting around the banquet table were fast asleep, appearing from the outside to be completely asleep.
The person watching this spot shouted.
"It's done,"
Old Li's Adam's apple bobbed as he glanced into the courtyard. He saw that all the Imperial Guards were fast asleep. The followers, who had been lying in ambush outside, had quietly slipped in under the shade of the trees and the corners of the walls. Reaching the Imperial Guards, they took the long swords from the soldiers' hands. Perhaps one of them was still awake, for he murmured something.
"Come on, don't go, keep drinking, keep drinking," one of the minor officials, who wasn't completely dazed, barely opened his eyes and scolded.
"What's all this noise about? What kind of behavior is this?"
Before he could finish speaking, Old Man Li suddenly pulled out a short blade from his sleeve. With a flash of cold light, he slashed at the clerk's neck. The clerk's eyes widened, and he made a "hoarse" sound in his throat. He clutched his neck and fell to the ground, blood flowing from between his fingers onto the table. This was like igniting a flame, and the courtyard was filled with the sound of a knife cutting flesh.
After dealing with all the Imperial Guards, the remaining men attacked from behind. The two Imperial Guards guarding the side gate had just been awakened and were still a little dazed. They only saw a figure flash before their eyes, and their spears were snatched away by a brute force. One of them was still thinking of shouting "Assassin!" when he opened his mouth and a short blade pierced his throat. Blood and saliva sprayed onto his own eyes, which he hadn't even had time to close.
Another struggled to draw his knife, but was held tightly by the person behind him. His chin was twisted hard, and he received a heavy blow to the back of his neck. He groaned and collapsed to the ground.
unfortunately,
Eventually, he was spotted by the clerk in the front yard. While he was still stunned, he took off running, shouting as he did so.
"Rebellion! Rebellion!"
He scrambled out, but before he could run more than a few steps, he was chased out of the courtyard by members of the Taiping Sect. They kicked him to the ground and cursed him.
"You corrupt official, who spends your days plundering the people's wealth, today is your death day!"
Having said that, he stomped on the clerk's back, and with a single stroke, the clerk's scream was choked in his throat; his limbs convulsed, and he lay still after a couple of moments.
This scene happened to be witnessed by everyone at the banquet, and it was like water splashed into boiling oil, instantly causing an uproar.
Especially the members of the White Lotus Sect, with their hands on their weapons behind their backs, were on high alert, alert to their surroundings. Bai Shuiyue looked somewhat surprised; she hadn't expected the Taiping Sect members to act so quickly.
"Master Chu is truly magnanimous; he made his move in such a short time. I wonder what Master Chu's intention is?"
They were all elderly men nearing their graves; why go to such lengths? Even if they wanted to kill a high-ranking official like Sun Boyan, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies, they wouldn't have enough time.
"Manager Bai, please take a look. This time, the goal is not to kill officials, but to kill an envoy."
Chu Yiyue's gaze had already fallen on the back of the west courtyard. At this time, the Taiping Sect members had already sneaked over there, while another group of people were chasing after and killing the officials in the front courtyard, causing panic all around.
This scene startled Ying Xiancai, the Right Protector. He lowered his head and whispered a report to the sect leader.
"Master, behind the west courtyard are the envoys of the Donghu people. These people are supposed to enter the palace, but for some reason, the entire delegation is staying in the back courtyard. It's a bit strange."
Upon hearing this, Bai Shuiyue's eyes narrowed. The Donghu envoys were likely from the northern border region of the imperial court, where a standoff was still ongoing. If these people died here, the Donghu would certainly not let the matter rest. Therefore, their purpose was self-evident.
"Master Chu has a good plan, but unfortunately, the northern border is well-defended. Even if the Donghu people are furious, they can't enter the pass, so it's useless. What's the use of killing these people?"
Some barbarians, they just die, that's all. Perhaps those courtiers couldn't be happier if they did.
"Manager Bai, don't be anxious. Although that's what you're saying, it's still just creating some enemies for the court. Little by little, they'll add up. Back when the Liao Dynasty was in Youzhou, they were utterly defeated by the Jin people. They were still thinking of using the Song Dynasty's strategy of 'making up for losses in the north by going south.' These people haven't changed their wild nature. All we need to do is tie down the border troops."
Chu Yiyue shook his head. A true chess player needs a comprehensive view of the game; don't dwell on minor setbacks.
"Haha, Master Chu is truly a man of great talent and strategy. In that case, these people certainly deserve to die, but the Donghu people are not so easy to kill."
Bai Shuiyue laughed heartily. Not to mention that the Court of State Ceremonial had guards from various vassal kings and imperial guards on duty, even the guards accompanying the Donghu people would probably be difficult to deal with.
"Then Manager Bai will wait."
As soon as the words fell,
Another group of Taiping Rebellion members, armed with crossbows, stormed into the backyard. The people feasting in the front yard were already terrified and scattered in all directions. They had never seen such a bloody scene before. Some were so frightened that they collapsed to the ground, some cried and scurried into corners, and others rushed out of the Honglu Temple gate.
However, even as the fire raged in the western courtyard, the soldiers of the princes from the east did not come out. It turned out that the princes had been recuperating in the eastern courtyard under the pretext of illness. Now, they were sitting together, drinking and enjoying the dance, having a great time.
Upon hearing the cries and wails outside, Prince Zhou Yewen of Song frowned and cursed.
"What's going on outside? It's so noisy!"
Just a moment ago it was noisy, now it's shouting and yelling, what kind of behavior is this?
Unexpectedly, this shout caused the captain of the guards to rush in in a panic.
"Your Highness, Your Highness, the banquet in the front courtyard of the Court of State Ceremonial has been disrupted by the sorcerers of the Taiping Sect, who have stormed into the western rear courtyard. Should we go and provide support? The guards in the courtyard have already assembled."
He gripped the hilt of a sword, and was already wearing light armor.
"What? The Taiping Cult is here again? No way, where are the Imperial Guards?"
The Crown Prince of Han clearly didn't believe it. Although the Court of State Ceremonial was large, none of the people living there were simple. The palace sent a bunch of imperial guards to watch over them. They were all armored soldiers. How could a few thieves break into the West Courtyard? It was a joke.
"Reporting to the Prince of Han, all the Imperial Guards are dead in the West Courtyard. I haven't seen a single survivor. The front courtyard is in chaos. As for the remaining bandits, I saw some of them take the Imperial Guards' weapons and armor and rush into the courtyard where the Donghu people live."
The visitor thought for a moment and realized he was right. The courtyard had been uninhabited before their arrival, but soldiers had been stationed there since. Out of curiosity, he sent men to inquire, spending a considerable amount of money, only to later learn that it was actually an envoy from the Donghu people who had entered the pass.
The princes inside the house were somewhat surprised. What did it mean that the thief had gone to the Donghu people's courtyard?
“Brother Zheng, what do you think? These thieves are all ruthless. I don’t agree to let the guards go over there. Besides, we don’t know the situation in the front yard yet. Our safety is the most important thing.”
Prince Chen's heir, Zhou Yunfu, shook his head. A perfectly good banquet had been disturbed like this.
"Yes, my fellow brothers, as they say, one should not listen to what is happening outside the window. This banquet is overseen by Minister Sun of the Court of State Ceremonial, and is guarded by the Imperial Guards. If anything goes wrong, it should be their responsibility, and not ours."
Seeing that none of them agreed to send guards to suppress the rebels, Prince Zheng's heir, Zhou Zhengbai, abandoned the idea of going to the rescue. Today was the Emperor Emeritus's birthday banquet, and the Court of State Ceremonial was under the spotlight of the capital's people. If something happened here, it would surely cause a stir throughout the land. However, the Donghu people had come in secret; if they went to the rescue, wouldn't they expose themselves in the open?
"What you all say is absolutely right. The Donghu people came secretly, and the court didn't want to publicize it. But how did those treacherous cultists find out? They claimed to be disrupting the 'Thousand Autumns Banquet,' but their real purpose was to intercept and kill the Donghu envoys. It seems they want to make trouble in the northern border."
Zhou Zhengbai touched his sleeves, looked at the table full of food and wine, and suddenly lost his appetite. Since his father came to the capital, he had not gained any great advantage. On the contrary, he was restrained in every way. Obviously, the purpose of this trip was completely unsuccessful. Or rather, the Emperor Emeritus never had these ideas. It was just his father's wishful thinking. He sighed and said again.
“Since we don’t want outsiders to know, let’s pretend we don’t know. Fellow brothers, come, drink this cup of wine to the brim. Um, go outside and give the order to guard the western courtyards and not let the thieves cause chaos here. Go now.”
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Seeing the captain run out quickly, Prince Zhou Lianghao of Wu personally got up, picked up a wine pot, poured wine for his many brothers, and let them start eating. Everyone followed Prince Zhou Lianghao's instructions and started eating as well.
However, after eating a few bites, they all found the food tasteless.
outside,
The common people scattered and fled, and Bai Shuiyue followed the crowd out. She saw thick smoke billowing from the Honglu Temple, filled with shouts of battle, and flames shooting into the sky. Clearly, the Taiping Sect had succeeded. Looking at the guards in the eastern courtyard, not a single one had come out. She smiled.
"Let's retreat. It seems the princes are also sitting on the sidelines watching the tigers fight!"
(End of this chapter)