Emperor's Birthday Banquet

Not long after Xue Jin was released from prison, it was the Emperor's Birthday Banquet.

Xue Jin was still staying in the Capital City at this time. As the heir to a marquis, he naturally had to attend. Jiang Xun pulled over the guest list and took a look, then remembered something.

In his previous life, a mishap occurred at the Emperor's Birthday Banquet.

Xu Ping and Xu Ying had a grudge against Shen Xiu. Back then, they were aiming to bring down the Shen Family, but Jiang Xun went easy on him. Shen Xiu was beaten and banished to Lianghu.

The two brothers' resentment had not dissipated. Seeing Xue Jin, who was on good terms with Shen Xiu, at the banquet, they took their anger out on him.

In their eyes, Xue Jin's family was far away in Saibei. In the Capital City, he had neither money nor power, making him weak and easy to bully. Even if they made things difficult for him, it wouldn't matter.

They disliked Xue Jin and sincerely wanted to torment him, so they deliberately picked a fight. At the Emperor's Birthday Banquet, they tore Xue Jin's clothes, stripped off his shoes and socks, and pushed him into the water.

Exposing one's body in front of the emperor was a highly disrespectful matter, and naturally had to be punished.

Jiang Xun remembered that he punished Xue Jin by making him kneel on the Admonishment Stone, while Xu Ping and Xu Ying were punished with confinement to reflect on their mistakes.

The Admonishment Stone was a stone in the palace specifically used for the punishment of kneeling. Its surface was uneven and bumpy; kneeling on it for two hours would make it difficult to continue.

Jiang Xun consulted System 55: "Do I need to replicate this segment 1:1?"

System 55 said: "The original text didn't describe it in detail. You can just gloss over whatever is unrelated to the protagonist."

Shen Que was the protagonist of the plot. As long as his life trajectory remained as usual without any major deviations, the rest didn't matter.

"What does this plot have to do with Shen Que?"

System 55 read the text from beginning to end: "The Grand Tutor pleaded for Xue Jin. You were displeased, dragged him onto the palanquin, took him away, and then made a few sarcastic remarks."

There was no kneeling punishment plot, so he didn't need to rack his brains for excuses. Jiang Xun nodded.

Shen Que kneels, he pulls him up, drags him into the carriage, and then makes sarcastic remarks.

The process was clear, the plot was distinct, simple.

And at this time, the outer court had already become busy.

This Emperor's Birthday Banquet was the Emperor's birthday celebration. Jiang Xun ascended the throne in his youth, and at this time, he had not yet reached the age of twenty. This was his first time hosting the Emperor's Birthday Banquet, so it was held exceptionally grandly.

The Ministry of Rites did not dare to make arbitrary decisions, so they submitted the banquet memorial to Shen Que for him to preside over and manage.

Shen Que crossed out some unnecessary etiquette and instructed: "When the time comes for the family banquet, please have the two princesses sit next to the Emperor."

Shen Que still remembered Jiang Xun calling for his older sister in his dream. The young emperor had a fever, his voice sorrowfully calling for his sister, looking so pitiful.

So on the day of the Emperor's Birthday Banquet, Jiang Xun had two grandly dressed young women sitting on his left and right.

Not only was Jiang Xun himself completely baffled, but Princess Ningguo and Princess Anhe were also completely baffled.

Royal kinship was thin, especially with the late emperor having thirty or forty princes and princesses. The two princesses were raised deep in their boudoirs, and Jiang Xun had hardly even seen them, let alone felt any familial affection. But constrained by Shen Que's arrangement, they sat there awkwardly.

Jiang Xun could only ask about their husbands, then ask about their children, looking very much like someone trying to find something to talk about when going home for the New Year in the 21st century. After a round of awkward chatting, Jiang Xun looked up, only to see Shen Que watching him from afar.

Shen Que was thinking: 'He wanted to see his sister. Now that he has seen her, he should be a little happier.'

He was sitting with Xue Jin, asking about the border defense situation in Saibei. Meanwhile, the Emperor sat alone at his table, didn't say more than a couple of words to the people beside him, suddenly stood up, and walked over to his side.

Jiang Xun forcefully squeezed Xue Jin aside and inserted himself between them.

Xue Jin was startled at first, then tactfully said: "Your Majesty, I'll go visit the others first."

If he kept sitting here, he wouldn't be able to trigger Xu Ping and Xu Ying's plot.

Jiang Xun waved his hand, permitting it.

Shen Que picked up two small green vegetables for the Emperor. Jiang Xun was in poor health and didn't like to eat meat. He was like a rabbit, specifically picking at the vegetarian dishes. The Imperial Tutor also placed some bamboo shoots in front of him, and tentatively picked up a meatball: "Is Your Majesty not talking to your sisters?"

Jiang Xun didn't like eating meatballs. He poked it with his chopsticks, hesitated for a moment, and still ate it.

Shen Que then picked up a piece of meat.

Jiang Xun pushed the meat aside, refusing to eat it.

Shen Que's little actions were becoming more and more frequent.

In his previous life, he didn't do these things. The plot didn't dictate it, and Jiang Xun didn't know how to respond, so he just buried his head in eating: "Not familiar with them."

Shen Que's action of picking up food paused.

Not familiar? Then who was the older sister the Emperor muttered about in his dream that day?

He faintly felt something was wrong, as if he had overlooked something important, but his chopsticks didn't stop. He picked up the meat Jiang Xun didn't want from his bowl and ate it directly. When Jiang Xun frowned, he added another meatball to his bowl.

The Imperial Tutor said: "Diet requires balance. Combining meat and vegetables is the principle of preserving one's health."

Jiang Xun was stunned, thinking to himself, 'You're actually lecturing me now?' He immediately frowned, but Shen Que touched his wrist, squeezing it soothingly, and even their legs brushed together.

"..."

Jiang Xun couldn't vent his anger, so he lowered his head and bit into the meatball.

Shen Que's eyes and brows carried a hint of a smile.

—The Emperor was indeed soft-hearted.

Then, musicians and dancers performed one after another. The zither music was clear, and the dance postures were graceful. However, Jiang Xun had long grown accustomed to it in his previous life, and having been to the modern era, he lacked interest in the performances. The moment he changed chopsticks and looked up, Shen Que was still watching him.

Jiang Xun frowned: "Why are you staring at me?"

Shen Que then said: "It's nothing."

He was just thinking, 'Since the Emperor has little interest in singing and dancing, then what was the purpose of going out with the two brothers, Xu Ping and Xu Ying, every day?'

The doubts in Shen Que's heart grew stronger. He pondered for a moment, but came to no conclusion.

After three rounds of wine and five courses of food, while they were talking on this side, a clamor came from the edge of the bamboo forest at the banquet, followed by a man's scream.

Not long after, Wang An walked over quickly and leaned down: "Your Majesty, Heir Xue and Eldest Heir Xu had a conflict, and the two of them fell into the river."

Shen Que's eyelids twitched.

The two brothers, Xu Ying and Xu Ping, were pure good-for-nothings, but they were related to Jiang Xun. Relying on their identities as royal relatives, they committed outrages, and Xue Jin wouldn't be able to get the upper hand against them.

Jiang Xun also stood up.

Shen Que followed closely behind. Their group walked to the lotus pond just as Xue Jin was climbing out of the water.

His hair was disheveled, his robes were wide open, and his belt had been torn in half by Xu Ying, hanging loosely on his body, revealing a large expanse of wheat-colored skin.

Jiang Xun couldn't help but take a few extra glances.

Xue Jin exercised frequently, and his figure was surprisingly good. His pectoral and abdominal muscles were all outstanding; if placed in the 21st century, he could directly go become a male model.

Right now, it was early spring, and the weather was getting warmer but still cold. Xue Jin shivered from the cold. He looked up and saw Jiang Xun, then looked down at his own attire. His face immediately turned pale, and he prostrated himself on the ground.

At this time, Xu Ying also climbed out of the water. The corner of his eye was cut, and he had abrasions on his arm. He stood aside, cursing and swearing, then raised his hand to touch the corner of his eye and hissed in pain.

The corner of his eye was bleeding.

Seeing this, Xu Ping immediately cupped his hands: "Your Majesty, my brother and I were playing around with Xue Jin and made a couple of teasing remarks. But for some unknown reason, he suddenly made a move. Not only did he push Xu Ying into the water, but he also scratched and disfigured his face."

Xue Jin's face revealed indignation. He wanted to speak up and refute, but he opened his mouth and then swallowed his words back.

In front of Jiang Xun, however, he didn't dare to defend himself. He cowered and knelt in place, dejected and incredibly pitiful, like an Alaskan Malamute that had gotten into trouble.

Anyone with discerning eyes could see the current situation: it was Xu Ping and Xu Ying who were picking a fight. These two brothers didn't even try to hide it, too lazy to even scheme properly. But the Emperor simply favored the two brothers, so the ministers stood in a circle, and no one dared to say more.

The Emperor also didn't speak, just looking at Xue Jin.

Everyone lowered their eyes and restrained their gazes. The atmosphere froze for a moment.

Although everyone thought Jiang Xun was angry at Xue Jin, in reality, Jiang Xun was spacing out.

—When he didn't need to govern the country or run the plot, Jiang Xun spaced out very easily.

For example, right now, he was staring at Xue Jin's biceps and spacing out.

In all fairness, Xue Jin's figure wasn't his aesthetic preference; he still preferred Shen Que's slender and elegant style. But Jiang Xun was a bit envious of Xue Jin's physique.

...Look at those full biceps, the size is ridiculously broad. Are these the arms that can draw a seven-stone heavy bow?

Jiang Xun had lived two lives, and in both, his body was frail and sickly. Unlike Xue Jin, who had broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and full muscles, looking extremely healthy at a glance.

Shen Que frowned imperceptibly.

Having stayed by Jiang Xun's side for a long time, he could roughly judge the Emperor's mood from his actions. For example, right now, the entire court of civil and military officials was trembling with fear, and Jiang Xun was expressionless, looking as if he was unhappy. But that was not the case; the emperor was actually spacing out.

Moreover, he was staring at Xue Jin and spacing out.

He also looked at Xue Jin. Seeing the heir's extremely inappropriate attire, his frown deepened.

Shen Que then stepped forward, blocking the Emperor's line of sight, and reprimanded: "Heir Xue, to be so disheveled in front of His Majesty, how disrespectful. Why don't you quickly go down and change your clothes?"

As soon as these words came out, everyone looked sideways. The Emperor hadn't even spoken yet, so how was it Shen Que's turn to speak up?

Shen Que stood quietly in front of the Emperor and said no more.

Although it was presumptuous, he didn't think the Emperor would blame him.

The Emperor was not angry, nor did he intend to blame Xue Jin. He was even a little interested in Xue Jin.

Jiang Xun indeed didn't lay any blame; he only nodded slightly. He looked at Xue Jin, his mind wandering even further away.

...The plot of Shen Que pleading for mercy isn't here? Then is this... retreating to advance?

Xue Jin felt as if he had been granted a great amnesty.

He immediately looked gratefully at Shen Que, only thinking that the Imperial Tutor was bailing him out, hurriedly stood up, and left with Wang An.

In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he changed into clean clothes, trudged over to Jiang Xun, and knelt down aggrievedly again.

Jiang Xun still couldn't help but take a few more glances at him.

These clothes didn't quite fit.

Xue Jin's figure was truly robust and athletic. The palace didn't have clothes tailored to his size in stock, so he could only aggrievedly squeeze into a robe that was one size too small. The greatness of his chest was practically bursting through the lapels.

Jiang Xun looked at the thin fabric on his chest and started spacing out again.

For this plot, he didn't need to do anything; he just needed to stand there and act as a mascot.

Shen Que frowned once again.

And the Emperor's lenient and calm attitude gave Xue Jin a bit of courage. He took a deep breath: "Reporting to Your Majesty, this subject, this subject has something to say."

Jiang Xun: "Speak."

"Heir Xu's face wasn't scratched by this subject. It happened when we tumbled down from the bank and hit the cliff face. If you go, go look right now, there are still scraped blood, bloodstains on the bank."

Jiang Xun thought to himself that this was a sin. Just what kind of image did he have right now to scare a perfectly fine young general into stuttering?

Wang An checked as told: "Reporting to Your Majesty, there are indeed bloodstains on the bank, with some scraped skin still hanging there."

Xue Jin then looked up at Jiang Xun earnestly, as if begging him to uphold justice. However, his gaze swept over the two brothers, Xu Ping and Xu Ying, and silently dimmed again.

The two brothers were the Emperor's favored subjects, whereas he had offended the Emperor during the autumn hunt a few days ago. Comparing the two, it was self-evident who the Emperor would favor.

So he looked at Shen Que as if asking for help, his eyes wet, as if saying: "Teacher, save me."

Jiang Xun was also waiting for Shen Que to plead for mercy.

He still had to go through the plot of taking the person back to the palanquin and making sarcastic remarks.

However, amidst Xue Jin's earnest expectations, Shen Que unexpectedly took a step back and looked away, giving off the vibe of leaving Xue Jin to fend for himself.

Jiang Xun & Xue Jin: "..."

Jiang Xun had no choice but to call him out, asking dryly: "Beloved Subject Shen, what is your view?"

Shen Que cupped his hands: "I leave it to Your Majesty to decide."

Xue Jin looked at him in disbelief: "...Teacher?"

Jiang Xun: "...Heir Xue's words and actions are improper. Go reflect on your mistakes in confinement."

It was thus lightly glossed over and let go.

Xue Jin was stunned.

Xu Ying was taken aback. He was just about to step forward when he heard Jiang Xun say: "Xu Ping and Xu Ying, deceiving the emperor and superiors, framing others. You are punished to kneel on the Admonishment Stone for a night, and reflect on your mistakes in confinement."

He actually reversed the punishments that Xue Jin and Xu Ping received in his previous life.

Xu Ying was unconvinced and was about to speak, but saw that Shen Que had already grasped Jiang Xun's hand, asking in a low voice: "Is Your Majesty tired? The banquet has also reached its end. The night is deep and the dew is heavy, making it easy to catch a cold. How about Your Majesty puts on a cloak and returns to the palace with this subject?"

It was so quiet all around that one could hear a pin drop.

Jiang Xun was thus gently held by the Imperial Tutor and taken into the carriage.

Jiang Xun: "..."

Time: After the evening banquet. Correct.

Location: Palanquin. Correct.

Plot: Grasping someone's hand and taking them to the carriage. Correct.

But didn't something seem wrong?

System 55 wiped its sweat and forced itself to say: "The three elements of time, place, and character are all correct. We'll at least get a 75. The plot is more or less the same, so we can make up some points... Host, where are your sarcastic remarks?"

Jiang Xun: "The Imperial Tutor has such great prestige. By overstepping your boundaries this time, where does that place me?"

Shen Que: "This subject knows his guilt."

Crisp and neat.

Jiang Xun: "..."

He sat to the side, unwilling to pay attention to Shen Que anymore.

After the Emperor's Birthday Festival, both Jiang Xun and Shen Que became busy.

It was unknown what Shen Que was busy with. He grew fond of taking walks, often getting lost in the palace and being led back by Wang An. He also frequently strolled near the Cold Palace.

As for Jiang Xun, he was busy preparing for the war with Northern Di.

He frequently left the palace, contacting the three of them under the identity of Master Xun.

That courtyard planted with loquats had long since become desolate and dilapidated. Jiang Xun hired people to repair it, rebuilt the courtyard walls, and reinforced the mortise and tenon structure. Then, he did it himself, clearing the weeds in the courtyard and planting wisteria and winter jasmine to fill in the gaps.

The wisteria and winter jasmine were bought by Jiang Xun from a florist. They were still thin seedlings the size of a finger, tenderly curling their leaves, shrinking timidly by the trellis.

Jiang Xun thought to himself that he wouldn't be able to see the flowers bloom, but this time next year, the flowers would bloom very vibrantly.

Finally, Jiang Xun also changed the furnishings inside the house. The furniture in the palace favored rich ornamentation, with a wealthy and lively style. Jiang Xun, however, following the tastes of later generations, specifically chose plain and simple ones.

A cedarwood alcove bed, a Manchurian ash table, with a newly bought tea tray placed on it, arranged with a copper kettle and purple clay teapot forged by unknown craftsmen in the Capital City, accompanied by some Biluochun. The Loquat Courtyard took on an entirely new look, completely different from the past.

Among the three, Shen Xiu was the one who interacted with him the most frequently. This child had a vivacious personality. He first tentatively submitted two memorials, listing two minor corrupt officials. Jiang Xun casually stamped them, approving them.

Shen Xiu didn't think his memorials would be of any use, but within two months, these two people were investigated and purged, stripped of their positions. Afterward, the central government issued a transfer order, assigning two new people to the posts.

The two newcomers were both minor local officials, young and unknown. But Jiang Xun came from the future; he had consulted local county chronicles and knew that these two were top-notch in terms of ability, talent, and character. So he confidently threw them to Shen Xiu, asking him to take them along to gain experience.

Shen Xiu was half-believing and half-doubting. He tested them out and discovered that they were truly talents.

Shen Xiu then told Master Xun with a look of astonishment, received Master Xun's perfunctory praise, and then became even more motivated.

He started sending letters to the Loquat Courtyard frequently, covering everything from flood control to the distribution of funds in great detail. Although Jiang Xun couldn't answer all the specifics one by one, he could give a general direction.

After the two became well-acquainted, Jiang Xun didn't just ask about corruption and floods. Instead, he introduced some new concepts to Shen Xiu, such as building canals in the mountains, blocking water to make terraced fields to reduce soil erosion, and also mulberry-dike fishponds.

Shen Xiu's primary task was still tackling corruption; Jiang Xun didn't force these things on him.

However, Shen Xiu showed great enthusiasm for this. His uninhibited nature was finally unleashed in the fields. Every day, he carried a hoe down to the fields, mingling with the local residents. After a few months, he actually achieved some minor success.

Within a few months, they exchanged over a hundred letters. Shen Xiu was a chatterbox, often getting off-topic as he spoke. He liked to ramble about everything under the sun. Not only did he complain about government affairs, but he also talked about his private life and the romantic gossip of officials in Lianghu, practically treating Jiang Xun as a sounding board and a counselor.

Jiang Xun found the constant harassment unbearable, but he needed to use Shen Xiu and had to maintain their relationship, so he replied perfunctorily.

Shen Xiu didn't feel he was being perfunctory at all.

One day, as Jiang Xun was sitting under the loquat tree enjoying the cool breeze, an attendant actually delivered a box from Lianghu to him. Inside was a crate of peaches.

Shen Xiu had pressed a letter under the peaches, writing bashfully: "I opened up an orchard on the mountain according to the method you mentioned. These are the newly harvested peaches, and I wanted to send them to you to taste. Um..."

"There's also a question. You've taught me so many things. Can I call you Teacher?"

His penmanship was a complete mess, with the characters all jumbled together, seemingly a bit nervous.

Jiang Xun had originally been drinking tea. Upon reading this, he spat out a mouthful, spraying it all over the floor.

In this era, acknowledging someone as a master was a very serious matter. A teacher was like an older brother or a father. And Jiang Xun was the same age as Shen Xiu. In their previous life, they despised each other. Shen Xiu considered himself part of the righteous faction and looked down on him a hundred times over. Now, this little brat wanted to acknowledge him as a teacher?

Jiang Xun sternly refused.

"No."

Absolutely not.

He sent these cold words to Lianghu. To Shen Xiu, the peaches in his mouth no longer tasted sweet. He asked listlessly: "Why? A teacher is one who propagates the doctrine, imparts professional knowledge, and resolves doubts. Although you are not my teacher in name, you are better than my teacher in name. I have long since acknowledged it in my heart."

"..."

Acknowledge my foot.

Jiang Xun felt a sour ache in his teeth.

Grinding his back teeth, he crumpled the letter in his hand. His heart stirred with the urge to have Shen Xiu escorted back from Lianghu, pull his pants down, and beat him up again.

But right now, Lianghu couldn't be without someone in charge, so he had to drop the idea.

And Shen Xiu also frequently exchanged letters with Shen Que and Xue Jin. Back and forth, the three of them all came to hear of Master Xun.

Shen Que was still detained within the palace gates, trembling with fear every day as he approved memorials. As for Xue Jin, the plot time hadn't arrived yet. The little general was still kept in the Capital City by him and sent to the military camp on the outskirts of the city.

Jiang Xun didn't understand much about military affairs, so he didn't give blind commands. He just stuffed two young generals who would become famous in later generations in advance, making them Xue Jin's deputies.

Among the three, Shen Xiu was far away in Lianghu, and Shen Que was trapped within the palace gates. Only Xue Jin was relatively free. After getting to know Jiang Xun, he would occasionally bring wine to the Loquat Courtyard for a short visit.

He was originally an heir who rode horses and drew bows in Saibei. Now trapped in the Capital City, a place of square inches, bowing and scraping, walking on thin ice, he was very unhappy. From time to time, he would come to Jiang Xun's place to drink away his sorrows.

Jiang Xun then asked him about the current situation in Saibei, asked him how many times he had fought with Northern Di, and how he felt: "In the little general's view, if Northern Di were to pour out the strength of their entire clan and march south, would there be any chance of winning?"

Xue Jin gulped down a mouthful of bitter wine: "It's difficult, Master Xun, very difficult."

Jiang Xun: "You are a general talent picked one in ten thousand, and aside from you, the army also lacks no capable people with lofty ideals. Why wouldn't it work?"

Xue Jin shook his head: "Even the cleverest housewife cannot cook without rice."

"In marching and fighting, the officers and men are one part, and the weapons are another part."

"Corruption runs rampant in the court, and rations and supplies cannot keep up. The allocated grain is embezzled a little here and a little there, and the supply of cotton-padded clothes is also frequently lacking. The officers and soldiers guard the borders in Saibei with empty stomachs, wearing thin, unlined garments."

"Northern Di marches south to plunder because their clan is short of provisions. As long as they break through the defense line, they can survive by robbing and can also bring food to their wives and children. But for the Saibei defenders, there is no benefit even if they win. With their strength waxing and ours waning, of course it won't work."

Jiang Xun closed his eyes slightly.

A moment later, he opened his eyes, his gaze landing vacantly on the tea set in front of him: "The Emperor is fatuous and incompetent, and the country has accumulated poverty for a long time..."

The comments of later historians on Jiang Xun's reign placed here couldn't be more fitting.

Xue Jin, however, said: "Sir, please watch your words. You must not slander the emperor like this."

Jiang Xun paused at first, then laughed out loud: "Slander?"

This wasn't slander.

His actions had long been definitively judged by history. Saying "fatuous and incompetent" was already a very polite evaluation.

"Please don't say that anymore in the future."

Master Xun was of "high moral character and prestige," so Xue Jin couldn't openly contradict him, so he muttered: "I don't think the Emperor is that kind of person."

Jiang Xun was taken aback: "What?"

"I said, I don't think the Emperor is that fatuous."

Xue Jin's neck then flushed red: "When I was in prison before, I heard the jailers say that the Emperor specifically ordered them not to touch me. The prisoners around me had all suffered several rounds of torture, but nothing happened to me. Later, I was released from prison easily. Xu Ping and Xu Ying received heavy punishments, but I was fine!"

"..."

Good heavens, Little General, this is a huge misunderstanding.