I was in no hurry to throw. First, I picked up the casting sticks and weighed them in my hand, praising them. "Oho, Master Wei’s things truly are top-notch. This crystal-inlaid Nullstone is quite old, yet it isn't brittle or rough. It has a solid weight without being heavy. Excellent to use."
For cultivators, interfering with gambling is far too easy, which led to the application of a miraculous spiritual stone called Nullstone. Nullstone is a material that isolates spiritual interference; on the night of the banquet, the entire Black District was filled with it—the foundation of the boxing arena, for instance, was made of it. Although Nullstone acts as a spiritual black hole, it is itself a genuine spiritual object that requires spiritual energy for maintenance. Thus, fragments of spirit crystals must be embedded into Nullstone casting sticks, and these must be replaced periodically. This is a craft in itself, so a good set of sticks can be worth thousands or even tens of thousands of taels. If decorated with precious materials, the price becomes astronomical. Wei Qingming’s set used excellent materials but was elegant and simple, devoid of gaudy flourishes.
Having finished my appreciation, I pressed the sticks into Wei Qingming’s hand. "You first."
Wei Qingming arched an eyebrow. I grinned. "You won't beat me, so don't act so bold."
"Very well," she replied softly. With a flick of her wrist, she threw a four. She pinched a piece and moved it. To my surprise, she was better at this than I had estimated, and her technique was refined. Unfortunately for her, she was facing me. I chuckled and threw my sticks to move my pieces. We went back and forth, and soon she was the first to "hook a fish," earning two counting chips.
"Oho, not bad!" I snickered, flipping my hand to throw. Even Wei Qingming’s habitually stoic face showed a hint of surprise as I easily used a "scatter" to devour the "owl" she had used to hook the fish. I flipped a fish and gained three chips.
Wei Qingming seemed to find the situation difficult now. She hesitated before throwing a number. Just as she was about to move her piece, a frantic clatter of footsteps echoed from the stairs.
Commander Zhou pushed aside the curtain and entered, freezing in his tracks. "Master, why are you here playing chess alone?"
Wei Qingming instinctively flipped the game piece in her hand. The rectangular ivory Liubo piece transformed into a round, white jade Go stone. Without changing her expression, she turned her wrist and placed it on the board, giving a faint "Mm."
"My mind was restless, so I played a game against myself to divine how today’s affairs might conclude."
"Oh," Commander Zhou said. "I thought I heard a woman’s voice just now; seems my old ears deceived me. Master, here is what you asked for." He presented an object wrapped in a kerchief and began to report his duties in exhaustive detail. Wei Qingming listened while continuing her "solitary game" with an air of profound composure.
I was clinging to the outside of the window, invisible and utterly annoyed. I had used such a roundabout method to help her cover up because I feared the negative impact if someone saw a High Emissary of the Imperial Court playing Liubo with a woman while on duty. When was this Old Zhou finally going to leave? The sun outside was far too hot!
As Commander Zhou spoke, his gaze fell upon Wei Qingming’s board, and his expression stiffened. "Is Master in a foul mood?"
"Why do you ask?" Wei Qingming said.
"This game you're playing... it's even more wretched than Old Yuan’s."
Wei Qingming looked down at the board and remained silent. Well, of course—the position I had set up for her was truly beyond salvation, dead as could be.
I laughed silently to myself, only to hear Old Zhou rubbing his hands together. "Come, come, sweep it away, Master. Why don't I, Old Zhou, accompany you for a new round..."
Before Wei Qingming could refuse, Hong Lu came rushing in. Seeing the two of them leisurely discussing a game, he knit his brows. "My lord, what time do you think it is? We must go, quickly!"
Only then did Commander Zhou remember his actual business. He sheepishly withdrew his hand from the board and gave a dry laugh. "Master, I haven't finished the report..."
"Tell me on the way." Wei Qingming had already stood up and brushed off her robes. Before leaving, she glanced toward my direction and tapped her finger on the board. Then, the three of them descended the stairs like a gust of wind.
I flipped back through the window and let out a sigh of relief. Looking at the board now that the illusion had faded, I saw the casting sticks had been thrown again. I counted the score—that Wei the Third! She had "hijacked" the piece I had taken from her...
Under the blazing sun, I skipped back to our building. Lu Lingfeng had disappeared again, while Lu Kaifeng was guarding a table of exquisite dishes bestowed by the royals, though he was busy marking a ledger. I felt quite guilty. "Eldest Senior Brother, you should eat. There's no need to wait for me."
"Oh." Lu Kaifeng smiled and closed the ledger. "I lost track of time while reading; it wasn't intentional. Let's eat."
Our sect had never been one for strict etiquette, so I sat down and picked up my chopsticks. He straightened his collar, slowly scanned the dishes, and placed a piece of sparrow meat and a fish cake into my bowl. He set aside some of his sister's favorites before finally picking up his own bowl. I was quite hungry; before I could even properly savor the taste of a royal birthday feast, the table was nearly cleared. I choked slightly and looked closer—though there were over a dozen dishes, they were all in tiny plates and bowls the size of a palm. They were more for show than for filling the stomach.
Lu Kaifeng laughed. "Don't worry, the food we ordered ourselves is coming."
As he spoke, a waiter brought up two large food boxes. Seeing this, Lu Kaifeng’s expression darkened slightly. "He certainly is thorough."
My face turned bright red as I watched the waiter clear the scraps and lay out the new dishes, many of which were my favorites. The waiter also smilingly presented a jar of wine. "The patron took special care to remind us to chill this and bring it immediately for the honored guests to taste. However, this aged Shidong Spring is quite potent; please drink slowly, young master."
Lu Kaifeng politely accepted the wine cup, observing the color and smelling the aroma. He scoffed, "Azhi, that person of yours certainly knows how to handle social graces."
I coughed, scratching my head with a sheepish grin. "Well, she was the one who booked this spot. Eat, eat! It’s a waste not to."
The two of us chatted and laughed about other things while watching the dances and acrobatics. Calculating the time, Xu Xingze’s play wasn't for another hour or so. Why had Hong Lu been in such a rush to call Wei Qingming away? Realizing I was thinking about her again, I quickly shook my head, telling myself to focus on the performances.
Today’s operas, dances, and acrobatics were interspersed. Xu Xingze, Tong Jinhu, and the others had to go on stage multiple times, which also facilitated costume changes and other preparations. Aside from the plays specifically requested by the imperial family, each troupe had one self-selected excerpt. The event lasted the entire day, ending only after the evening banquet. Because of this, some less wealthy nobles who had obtained Purple Cloud Jades would split their time into four-hour blocks to sell off, recouping some of their costs.
There were about five programs during the evening banquet, which were the most grand. Every troupe exerted their utmost effort to compete. In the end, for the song and dance category, the winner was a collaboration between Wangxiang Pavilion’s top dancer, Dong Banyuan, and their top zitherist, Xue Yishan. For the opera category, Xu Xingze naturally won alone, while the four Northern Opera troupes were completely wiped out. There were also acrobatic performances; the most impressive was a performer named Zhan Yuanju, only thirteen years old, whose bones seemed to have no fixed hardness, allowing him to be molded into any shape... My Senior Brother and I critiqued the acts, agreeing that while he had begun to manifest a "sense of illusion," his skills were genuine physical feats, not the result of illusory techniques, which made us admire him even more.
Among the plays requested by the imperial family, Xu Xingze and Tong Jinhu each had one. Finally, it was Xu Xingze’s turn. I held my breath and watched the entire performance; only when it concluded perfectly did I breathe a sigh of relief. Sigh, royal events truly are a drain on people and resources. I had personally seen the entire Yushan Troupe rehearsing day and night for this, yet they hardly had a chance to show their faces—*Picking up the Portrait* was practically Xu Xingze’s solo show! I wondered which excerpt they had chosen for their self-selected piece. Of the ones I saw during the rehearsal that night, I liked *The City God Examination* best, perhaps because it was the first one I saw and my interest was highest. That play, which promotes filial piety, was also very suitable as a tribute to the Empress Dowager.
Though the performances were brilliant, watching for too long became tiring. My backside was getting sore from sitting. I had peeked at the Emperor and his party three times already. From the Empress Dowager down to the Princes and Heirs, they all sat upright and still, serving as models for the realm. It was truly admirable! Only the children were allowed to run about, adding a bit of movement. The wildest among them had actually run through all three floors before coming back to climb the pillars of the viewing gallery like a monkey...
Just as I was wondering who this brat could be, I saw the little thing—about seven or eight years old—wiping sweat and jumping onto Feng Zhen’s back with dirty hands, shouting "Great Companion Grandpa!" As for Eunuch Feng, though he was being squeezed until he couldn't breathe, he still called him "Crown Prince" with a beaming smile...
I quickly averted my gaze. Heavens, a man as refined and gentle as the Emperor could actually produce such a rowdy heir!
Lu Lingfeng returned briefly for lunch before vanishing again. Lu Kaifeng continued with his ledgers, and I looked around until I couldn't find anything new. Bored out of my mind, I closed my eyes for a nap. When I woke up, there was a thunderous roar of cheers and the clatter of dishes. I jumped up, and the light outer robe Senior Brother had draped over me slid to my knees. Senior Brother looked up from his ledger and reassured me, "Don't panic, the banquet has just been bestowed."
I gave an embarrassed "Oh," handed the robe back to him, and smoothed my messy hair, waiting expectantly for dinner.
As I was haphazardly tucking stray hairs back into my bun, two shadows suddenly appeared on the screen. Wei Qingming stepped out from behind it, having changed back into casual clothes—a dark indigo, nearly black, cross-collared robe with wide sleeves, a silver-gray inner shirt with faint grass patterns, and a matching jade-inlaid belt. As she walked closer, she looked like the Moon Goddess illuminating the surroundings. My eyes widened as I looked at her, only to see another person step out from behind her. With the tinkling of pendants and the swaying of hairpins, she lowered her gaze like a Chang'e fairy descending from the clouds. It was the long-unseen Lady Yindeng.
Senior Brother knit his brows as he looked at the two of them. Wei Qingming raised her sleeves and cupped her hands. "I apologize for the intrusion, Brother Lu. Might I trouble you for a cup of Shidong Spring?"
Lu Kaifeng regained his composure and replied with a faint smile, "I wouldn't dare say so; it was a gift from you to begin with. What harm is there in drinking? And this is?"
Before Wei Qingming could speak, Yindeng took a lotus step, gracefully brushing past her to stand before us. She performed an elegant salute. "This humble one is Yindeng. Greetings to Master Lu and Miss Su. I have come with Master Wei tonight to disturb your peaceful banquet."
"Lady Yindeng is too kind." Lu Kaifeng raised a hand. "Please, sit."
After the two were seated, Wei Qingming glanced at Yindeng and actually undercut her. "I happened to meet Lady Yindeng in the corridor. She mentioned that Miss Su has long admired her grace, and being kind-hearted, Lady Yindeng came to meet her." Her meaning was clear: she hadn't brought this woman; Yindeng had latched onto her...
At this, all three of them turned their gaze toward me as I was still frantically fixing my appearance. I had no choice but to turn around with a fake smile. I saw Yindeng in her full finery, her beautiful eyes shimmering like waves, reflecting the warm lamplight, her cheeks like peach blossoms under the moon. This beauty hit me with the force of a crashing wave. I couldn't help but be dazed, and the words slipped out of my mouth: "Sister, you are so beautiful..."
Wei Qingming’s face darkened visibly. Senior Brother’s gaze drifted between the three of us, looking thoughtful. Yindeng also seemed not to have expected my reaction; in the brief moment she lowered her eyes and blinked, she regained her poise as a top courtesan and smiled. "What are you saying, Miss Su? You must be mocking the faint glimmer of a firefly with the brilliance of the sun and moon."
She put her life's work into that smile, making her even more beautiful. I grinned like an idiot, nearly drooling, thinking to myself that even if she were casting an illusion on me, I would be happy to drown in it...
***
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Dreams of the Ancient Mountain: The Cat's Masquerade | Chapter 55 | Sun, Moon, and Fireflies | Novela.app | Novela.app
