Chapter 7: The Holy Maiden Holding the Golden Cup (1)

The night banquet in the Han Palace began in the afternoon.

—–

In the large, spacious palace, maidens stood holding candles behind the tables. The flickering candlelight cast their shadows on the high walls behind them, and the shadows of their curved dresses reminded one of the legendary Nuwa, the goddess with a human body and a serpent’s tail.

Liu Che, Empress Dowager Dou, Empress Wang, Empress Chen, Princess Guantao, Princess Longlü… The most noble and influential figures in the empire were all present.

At the main table, Lin Jiu sat on the right and Liu Bang on the left, with Liu Che and Empress Dowager Dou respectfully seated beside them.

The Han Dynasty held the right side in high regard, and in such a formal and ritualistic era, the seating arrangements clearly revealed the hierarchy.

The system nervously said, “Being a goddess is nice, but I feel like the task still needs to be done.”

Lin Jiu replied, “Mm.”

The system continued, “Today’s task is called [All Eyes on You].”

Lin Jiu responded, “Mm.”

The system broke down, “So, what are you doing?”

Lin Jiu replied, “What’s wrong? I haven’t done anything.”

The system was speechless.

Indeed, Lin Jiu was right. She hadn’t done anything at all.

So far, she had simply been sitting quietly, not eating, not watching the performances, not speaking, and giving no indication that she intended to stir things up.

But she had been sitting for three whole hours!

The dishes at the banquet had been served three times, the performances had been repeated three times, and the relatives responsible for warming up the atmosphere had almost run out of words. The banquet had descended into a brief silence.

The system was on the verge of tears, “What were you thinking? Do you remember our task?”

Lin Jiu sat upright, unmoved by anything.

The system wanted to kneel, “It’s fine if you don’t do the task, but don’t just sit there. This can’t go on like this.”

At this time, people still adhered to the simple schedule of working when the sun rose and resting when it set. Walking outside after dark was considered “inauspicious,” so although this was a night banquet, most of the guests had left before nightfall.

Now, the sky outside had become as dark as it could be.

The system had already lost all hope. It truly had no way of dealing with Lin Jiu.

But suddenly, Lin Jiu stood up.

The system cried, tears of joy.

Lin Jiu walked out without saying a word.

Liu Bang seemed to be lost in thought, and after a while, he stood up and followed her.

The banquet was finally over.

The system cried, “Did you do this on purpose? You sat there, and then everyone at the banquet couldn’t help but watch you. [All Eyes on You] has achieved a decent completion rate like this. It’s just too bizarre.”

Lin Jiu stopped in her tracks.

The system’s cries were stuck in its throat. After a long pause, it weakly asked, “What… what are you doing now?”

Lin Jiu replied, “[All Eyes on You] isn’t finished yet.”

This time, the system truly knelt, “What… what do you mean it’s not finished?”

Lin Jiu was the first to walk out of the hall where the night banquet was held. As soon as she stopped, everyone behind her had no choice but to stop.

A visible stir of panic spread among the Liu family members, and everyone feared having to sit back down.

Only Liu Bang, still lost in thought, kept walking forward, and with one step, he aligned himself with Lin Jiu.

Lin Jiu stood still, and Liu Bang suddenly turned his head to look at her.

Perhaps the night banquet at Weiyang Palace reminded him of some past events. At this moment, his demeanor was no longer that of the street rogue from Peixian, nor the obsequious Liu Ji in front of Lin Jiu.

He was Liu Bang, the founding emperor of the Han Dynasty, Emperor Gaozu of Han.

His life had not always been glorious. He had once been a despicable gangster and had fled in disgrace before Xiang Yu.

But in the end, he had won the empire, and no one in this world could stand beside him.

—–

In his time, he ruled the throne like a dragon in its lair, with wise advisors like Zhang Liang and unmatched generals like Han Xin kneeling before him.

He looked at Lin Jiu with the gaze of someone looking at an overstepping person.

At this moment, his eyes were those of an emperor looking down on mere mortals—cold, emotionless, like the dark clouds before a storm, ready to unleash thunder and wrath.

The emperor’s anger descended, causing the candle held by the palace servant to flicker, casting large, intertwining shadows on the ground, rising and falling like black tides.

It turned out that the servant holding the candle had been struck with awe by Liu Bang’s aura, trembling as he knelt, causing the flame to waver.

It seemed that even the shadows of the candles trembled in fear of the emperor’s wrath—both the living and the inanimate trembled under such anger.

But Lin Jiu faced him indifferently, perhaps the only person in the world who did not care about him.

Her gaze swept over Liu Bang casually, then shifted elsewhere as she muttered, “It’s too dark.”

After all, this was a thousand years ago, and human efforts still could not contend with nature.

There were no bright neon lights, no incandescent lamps, and after nightfall, the entire world was drowned in endless darkness. Even in the Weiyang Palace, the wealthiest and most luxurious land in the world at this time, there were only a few candles lit.

That faint light seemed like a few pale holes burned into a vast black cloth, pale and lonely.

Liu Bang’s mighty presence dissipated under this casual complaint, but it seemed to trigger some specific memories.

After a moment of silence, Liu Bang slowly spoke, “I remember one winter solstice, after I returned from sacrificing to my ancestors, I drank wine with Zifang and the others, admiring the plum blossoms under the moon. But the moon was too dark, and the flowers could not be seen clearly, so we lit ten thousand candles around the greenhouse, the candlelight shining like the sea.”

“It was a plum blossom transplanted from Emperor Qin’s palace, and it was quite famous that year.”

“Now when I think back, I can no longer remember the plum blossoms from that night, but I still remember that light, making the night as bright as day,” Liu Bang said with a calm smile.

It was hard to judge his emotions as he spoke—under his calm smile, there seemed to be sadness and joy, but when one looked closely, it was just a calm smile.

How strange, this Emperor Liu Bang.

Flippant flattery and deep sorrow seamlessly switched between him. One moment, he was a rogue, the next, an emperor. How could a person have two faces?

He spoke of the ten thousand candles, their light like the sea, and his words made that light seem as if it were from yesterday.

But that was already a hundred years ago.

Now it was the fourth year of Emperor Wu’s reign, and a hundred years had passed since Emperor Gao’s era.

—-

The atmosphere suddenly became heavy. Everyone present held their breath, listening to the conversation between the goddess and the great emperor.

After Liu Bang finished speaking, he remained silent for a moment, waiting for someone to respond.

However, Lin Jiu had no intention of responding. She hadn’t even listened to what Liu Bang had said; instead, she opened the system panel and focused intently on the 3D display of her new clothes.

Liu Bang awkwardly picked up the conversation himself, “If the goddess finds it too dark, why not have someone light ten thousand candles?”

As he spoke, he felt a sense of defeat.

He prided himself on his ability to control others, once saying, “I may not be as capable as Zhang Liang, Xiao He, or Han Xin, but I have gained the world because I can make these three work for me.”

This was also a remarkable talent—he could discern the ambitions and desires of people from their behavior and mannerisms. With this, he controlled his ministers as a farmer controls strong oxen or a charioteer controls fine horses.

Even the extraordinary talents of Han Xin, Xiao He, and Zhang Liang could not escape his control.

But he could not control the goddess. From their first meeting until now, though he appeared calm, he had already used every trick in the book.

The result was always the same—she was never moved.

The goddess did not care about the things he mentioned from a hundred years ago, nor did she care about his imperial power, his flattery, or his servility.

No matter what he said or did, the goddess was indifferent.

Just like now, she turned her eyes towards him, but not because she had heard his words or noticed something. It was simply because she wanted to look at him at that moment. That was all.

“Wait.”

At this moment, the system sensed trouble. “If you want to change clothes, I suggest you find a place where no one is around. It’s not appropriate to do it here! The ‘One-Click Outfit Change’ feature will seem too unholy in this era.”

But Lin Jiu had already pressed the “One-Click Outfit Change” button.

She turned to the system and said, “How can it be unholy? It’s a divine act.”

The system screamed in horror, “I-I didn’t mean that! What do you think you’re doing? Why did you exchange the ‘Ten Thousand Rays of Light’ effect from the shop? You’re still buying more? You bought ten thousand and one of this effect??”