Hearing Wan Yuyao's sarcastic reply, Empress Qian sneered without even a glance at her. Instead, she toyed with the wine glass and spoke calmly,

"I'm in charge of the imperial harem and dislike the dominance of His Majesty's favors. It's only right for all the beauties to bloom together."

Neglecting Wan Yuyao, Empress Qian raised her head and announced to Emperor Jingxiao below the golden steps,

"Your Majesty, that girl is Sun Shengsheng, the daughter of the Governor of Guangdong and Guangxi Sun Min. Now in great peace, she dedicates a dance to the autumn festival banquet."

"Well, Sun Shengsheng..."

Emperor Jingxiao muttered to himself as his scorching eyes still lingered on the girl's delicate face. Overjoyed, he studied her affectionate eyes and thin lips. Offset by the fiery gown, her delicate face blushed with charm.

The Emperor expanded his arms and smiled.

"Shengsheng, come and sit by my side."

"As you wish, Your Majesty. Thank you for your kindness."

Sun Shengsheng was ecstatic, but she managed to keep her composure. Slightly lifting her skirt, she minced forward and swayed her hips with every step.

Many hearts were stung when she joined hands with the Emperor, arousing much sadness and jealousy.

Satisfied, Empress Qian smiled as Sun Shengsheng and the Emperor sat down together. The girl gracefully took the wine glass handed by the Emperor and thanked him with an enchanting voice.

Empress Qian's dignified face remained calm as her heart gave birth to a trace of melancholy.

Whose wife would be willing to send a young and beautiful woman to share her husband with?

Yet, her husband was the Emperor. She was thus destined to share his favor with other women.

The title of "Empress" was the only thing that made her contented and distinguished her from the others. She was much superior to them, so she did not need to fight for anything!

Wan Yuyao slightly raised her sight and gazed at Sun Shengsheng. She could not stay peaceful as dark thoughts raced on.

Sun Shengsheng was indeed like her name, stunning and beautiful. Judging by her dance, she could imagine how flexible her body was...

She regretted that she had not made up her mind and snipped her in the bud back at the Violent Room.

Squinting, Wan Yuyao cleared her throat and said respectfully,

"Your Majesty has graced us by joining the family banquet to share the joy of autumn harvest. I've prepared a small show for Your Majesty. Please accept it."

Emperor Jingxiao was peeling oranges for Sun Shengsheng. Hearing Wan Yuyao, he turned his head in surprise.

"The Imperial Noble Concubine has also arranged a show? Well, how can I refuse?"

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Wan Yuyao pursed her lips into a sweet smile as she curtsied. Then she stood straight and clapped her hands in the air.

The music was on again. Unlike before, it was not passionate, but rather ethereal and elegant.

Four eunuchs entered the hall. The first two were holding a sandalwood stand carved with melon vines, on top of which a large blue and white porcelain pot was set. The latter two carried a pear-wood corner table and placed it beside the pot stand.

The following were two maids, who placed brushes, ink, paper, and other stationery on the corner table.

Just as everyone was puzzled, a woman walked into Baohe Palace and bowed before the corner table.

"Greetings to the Emperor, the Empress, and the Imperial Noble Concubine. I'm Jieyu Gu Yunjin from Weiyan Chamber."

"Yunjin?"

The Emperor lowered his eyes in surprise.

It was already late autumn, but Gu Yunjin was only wearing a tight-fitting tangerine silk gown embroidered with koi fish. The flowered flaps were slightly open, revealing the pink lingerie inside.

Her hair was combed into a single bun adorned with simple pearl hairpins. Her small face was covered by a tangerine veil with glittering beading that jingled as she walked.

Her naked eyes shone like twinkling stars above her nose. All other facial features and her cleavage were shown inconspicuously under the veil with subtle beauty.

Many concubines exchanged whispers under the golden stage, obviously dissatisfied with Gu Yunjin's bold attire.

Gu Yunxi was gloomy. A bad feeling was harbored in her heart.

Upon the stage, the Emperor was fascinated.

Empress Qian immediately understood. She glared resentfully at Wan Yuyao, who was sitting across the table.

Sun Shengsheng's charming little face was clouded instantly while she kept her silence acidly.

Wan Yuyao sensed their changes of expressions without turning her head. She only raised her glass leisurely, took a slow sip, and then whispered,

"I'm learning from Your Grace. Didn’t you say that you disliked dominance in the harem? Why not let Jieyu Jin and Jieyu Sun serve His Majesty together? Huh..."

Emperor Jingxiao had all his attention on the large porcelain pot filled with clear water and ignored the dispute between the two women. He asked curiously,

"Yunjin, what show did you bring these things to perform?"

Gu Yunjin gave a sweet chuckle that was pleasing to the ears.

"Your Majesty, I've learned some tricks to entertain you at the feast today. Please don't blame me for my lack of practice."

"Tricks?"

Emperor Jingxiao's eyes lit up. Excited, he said loudly on the golden stage,

"I don't know you can do this. Very good, let us see. I will reward you if you do well."

Gu Yunjin bowed. Then she went around the hall with the writing brush in one hand and the inkstone in the other and announced,

"Please have a look, everyone. Here are a writing brush and an inkstone..."

The lady-in-waiting Jiang burst into a titter and sniffed,

"Yunjin, we're not blind. You don't need to tell us that. Continue with your show and don't keep us guessing."

When Concubine Shu heard it, she glanced at the lady-in-waiting Jiang and sneered,

"The tricks might be strange to you, young lady, but they are nothing fancy. The statement is meant to get people's attention so that the performer can do the work."

Gu Yunjin smiled coldly and neglected their words. She dipped the tip of the brush in the ink, looked up at the Emperor, and said,

"Your Majesty, I'll write a poem on the water."

"A poem?"

Emperor Jingxiao couldn't stop laughing as he pointed at the pot.

"Ink diffuses when it meets water. How can you write on it?"

Yet Gu Yunjin nodded confidently,

"Allow me to show you, Your Majesty."

The brush fell and flew across the clear water.

Baohe Palace was tranquil.

Everyone stretched their necks or sat straight, staring at the surface.

To their surprise, as Gu Yunjin’s wrists moved, writings were left on the surface. Every time the soft brush kissed the water, ripples would appear. And the ink did not diffuse in the water.

The audience were amazed.

Only Empress Qian and Wan Yuyao sit still without moving.

Wan Yuyao knew that Ming Lan had arranged for Gu Yunjin to learn magic tricks from a warlock. She also knew that Empress Qian had been cultivating a girl secretly, waiting to send her to the Emperor at the autumn festival banquet.

Wan Yuyao would not let the Empress have all the fun. She deliberately presented Gu Yunjin tonight to compete with Empress Qian's people.

The autumn festival banquet should have been the time for the Emperor’s family to reunite and celebrate. Unfortunately, it had become an arena for the concubines to rattle their swords. In this sense, the Emperor was a pathetic man.

Seeing how shocked the concubines were in the audience, Empress Qian rolled her eyes at the shallowness of these women.

Something had been added either in the water or the ink. What was worth all the fuss about?

After Gu Yunjin finished writing the poem, she proudly turned to Maiden Yang and asked sweetly,

"You have the sweetest voice. Would you read this poem to His Majesty?"

Maiden Yang refused to let go of the opportunity to show off. She willingly came forward and recited after a curtsy.

"The setting sun is behind many mountains. A river cuts through an earthly village."

"In the fresh autumn night, the moon hangs in the cloudless sky."

"Happily, we praise the harvest and welcome the guests."

"Drinking chrysanthemum tea, we complement each other immensely."

When she finished, the Emperor was overjoyed and applauded first.

"Bravo. A wonderful poem for the harvest!"

When Maiden Yang returned to her seat, Gu Yunjin raised her eyebrows.

She peeked at frustrated Sun Shengsheng with her radiant and unabashedly proud eyes. Soon, the words quickly dissolved in the clear water.

Gu Yunjin groped in the red sandalwood box and then showed the things in her hand to the Emperor and the spectators.

"Please have a look. These are black sesame seeds that we often eat. They have the effect of moisturizing skin and blackening hair. Later, I will throw them into the water and turn them into some goldfish."

Emperor Jingxiao chuckled and waved.

"Wait a minute, Yunjin. If you can't turn them into goldfish, I will punish you."

"Just wait and see, Your Majesty."

Under the light veil, Gu Yunjin's red lips squirmed as she threw the seeds into the water. She spread out a square black cloth over the pot, counted to ten, and then uncovered it.

The porcelain pot and the water in it remained the same, but some goldfish showed up and were swimming lively.

While Emperor Jingxiao was cheering, Gu Yunjin shredded a piece of rice paper and flung her wide sleeves before everyone. In an instant, the shredded paper disappeared without a trace.

Then, as she tossed her sleeves in the air, flowers flew out of her cuffs. The colorful and scented flowers made a spectacular scene.

Next, Gu Yunjin drew a bare tree with a few dead branches that looked like ghost claws on the blank rice paper.

The Emperor frowned and smiled.

"Yunjin, no one can paint better than Yuanjiao. If you like, you can learn more with her."

Gu Yunjin knew that His Majesty was making fun of her poor drawing skills and did not argue. Instead, she cast her bright eyes to the Emperor and spoke gently,

"Concubine Xu was born in a literary family, so how can I compare with her? The tree I painted is called 'the wine tree'. It likes drinking the most. Just pour some wine on it and it will sprout on its own."

"Really? Is that true?"

Emperor Jingxiao was thrilled and curious. He picked up the gold dragon jug by his hand and gave it to his attendant Lord Hu.

"Go and water the tree with the wine."

"As you wish."

Lord Hu quickly walked down the golden stage with the jug in his hands. Bowing flatteringly to Gu Yunjin, he poured the wine on the painting under her instruction.

Miraculously, after the rice paper was soaked, ink-colored leaves gradually grew out of the bare branches.

"Wow, what a spectacle!"

Lord Hu was shocked. There was also a sensation in the audience.

Lord Hu turned around to leave, only to find the jug lid missing. He anxiously searched around on and beneath the table.

Gu Yunjin smiled.

"Lord Hu, don't worry. Follow me to find it near His Majesty."

All the way up the stairs, Gu Yunjin curtsied to the Emperor and the Empress. She removed the veil to reveal the face as beautiful as a lotus flower.

The Emperor gazed straight at her with pleasure trickling through his eyes.

Affectedly bashful, Gu Yunjin said softly,

"Your Majesty, you told Lord Hu to help me with my clumsy trick. Why did you hide the lid?"

The Emperor pouted.

"That's not true, Yunjin. All the concubines saw it clearly that the gold jug was intact when I ordered Hu Shun to deliver it."

Gu Yunjin raised her brows and gave a charming smile.

"Then, let me look around here."

The Emperor raised his hands.

"Look for it. If you can't, I will take it as a deception of the Emperor."

"As your command, Your Majesty."

Calmly, Gu Yunjin turned her stern eyes to Sun Shengsheng next to the Emperor. Treacherously and confidently, she said,

"I need to search it around the dragon couch carefully. Would you kindly get away, Jieyu Sun?"

Daring not to show her reluctance before the Emperor, Sun Shengsheng pouted and frowned. Her aggrieved gaze turned towards the Empress and then met with Gu Yunxi's quiet and cold eyes.