Banquet of Hidden Motives
Everyone knew perfectly well that Su Li was not entering the palace as a princess consort or noblewoman. That was why she could sit with the officials, instead of being relegated to the women's side hall.
Today, Su Li attended as the Dean of both Academies. Though she held no official rank, she was a true master in her own right, sitting at the table with high-ranking officials by virtue of her own qualifications—not her husband's influence.
Bella Bell took her seat, her gaze toward Su Li filled with warmth. Emperor Leonard the Enlightened chuckled, "The Empress hasn't seen her teacher in ages."
Bella Bell smiled, "Forgive me, Your Majesty, I lost my composure from sheer joy at seeing my master again."
With the Empress's words, several officials recalled that the current Empress, Bella Bell, hailed from the Prince of Qin's Manor and had been Su Li's last disciple before her marriage.
Oh my, Princess Jade Hayes is not only the Consort of Qin, but also the Empress's teacher—no wonder the Prince of Qin's Manor is so esteemed!
The banquet began, with delicious dishes served and lively performances underway. The celebration was in honor of the Empress's pregnancy, making the atmosphere especially festive.
At the table shared by Su Li and Alexander Hayes, a variety of delicacies were arrayed. Su Li gave her sleeve a little shake, and out popped an adorable little bamboo rat.
The bamboo rat was tiny and lively, hopping about on the table in a most endearing way. The attendant eunuch was startled and warned, "Oh, Princess Jade Hayes, be careful with that mischievous bamboo rat—it might eat the food and contaminate the dishes."
Su Li smiled back at the eunuch and said, "Don't worry, this little one is very well-behaved. It's just curious, not a troublemaker."
The eunuch nodded, though he didn’t quite believe it. Bamboo rats are greedy little creatures—how could they just look at the food and not eat it?
The tiny bamboo rat scurried around atop the table, behaving exactly as Lily had described. It was curious about the food and drinks, sniffing with its little nose, then turned back to Lily with a series of squeaks—never once touching the food.
The eunuch watched in amazement and laughed, "Princess Jade Hayes, your little companion truly is one of a kind. It circles each dish but never bites or paws at anything. So well-behaved!"
Lily smiled, took a golden cage from her sleeve, and gently placed the bamboo rat inside. She whispered to Alex Hayes, "Inspection complete. The food and drinks are safe. We can eat now."
Alex Hayes nodded subtly, finally picking up his chopsticks to take the first bite.
Lily casually set the bamboo rat’s cage in front of her, grinning. "This little fellow is specially trained—it's a gift for Her Majesty the Empress."
Emperor Leonard the Enlightened burst out laughing. "Princess Jade Hayes, you’re so thoughtful! You know the Empress gets bored cooped up in the palace, so you brought her this little companion to keep her entertained."
The eunuch took the bamboo rat’s cage, turning it this way and that, utterly charmed by the little creature’s intelligence and cuteness. He couldn’t put it down. "Thank you, Master!"
At the banquet, ministers lined up to present their gifts to the Empress. The celebration was lavish and lively—everyone was enjoying themselves.
When the banquet finally ended, Bella Bell was as giddy as a child. She came over herself, happily taking Lily’s arm. "Master, come on! Let’s go to my suite—we can finally have a proper chat."
Lily glanced back at Alex Hayes, their eyes meeting for a brief moment. Lily laughed, "Of course! It’s been ages—I’ve missed you so much, Bella. Let’s go inside."
With that, the two women linked arms and strolled off toward the Empress’s Suite in the palace.
Alex Hayes tried to follow, but was stopped by the palace guards. "Your Highness, the inner palace is strictly off-limits to outsiders. Please forgive us, Prince Hayes."