Chapter 6

The ceremony to select the Empress took place in the grand hall of the palace.

At the farthest point to the north, Emperor Jizhou sat, hidden behind a black curtain, making his figure invisible to us. Only a small shadow, indicating the presence of a child, was visible.

Beside him, on a slightly lower platform, sat Lord Souren, the Emperor's uncle, also concealed behind a curtain, his appearance and expression hidden from view.

In the solemn atmosphere, the ceremony proceeded smoothly. The heads of the Five Great Families took turns making their greetings and presenting their daughters, after which the festivities began.

Though the structure of the event considered the young Emperor, the grand and splendid banquet was still quite long. The young princesses, unable to maintain their focus for so long, began to look somewhat dazed by the time the selection ceremony approached. Only the heads of the Five Great Families remained enthusiastic.

Feeling sorry for them, I realized it wasn't the time to worry about others. My father had leaned over and whispered in my ear.

"What happened to your usual erhu?"

He seemed to have noticed that the erhu beside me was not mine. I was surprised that he had been aware of my erhu, but I reported the situation in a low voice.

"There was a mix-up, and the tuning peg broke. So, I borrowed this one from a senior military official who had it in the palace."

As I looked at the vermilion tube, my father's eyebrows twitched slightly. Seeing his face, I feared I would be scolded.

However, he slightly raised the corners of his mouth in what seemed to be a pleased expression and said nothing more.

"Is there something about this erhu...?"

"......"

Does it look familiar?

Did you think borrowing a national treasure-level erhu would give me an advantage in the selection?

I stared at my father's profile, but he didn't respond.

You're ignoring my question!?

You're done with the conversation because you've finished asking what you wanted to know!?

My father is always like this.

Arrogant, domineering, and not thinking about his daughter at all.

His wielding of power as the Right Chancellor is no different within the Yan family. He is the head of the household, not a family member.

Although I was very frustrated inside, I couldn't show it at the banquet. With a sense of resignation, I looked straight ahead.

After a while, it was finally my turn.

"From the Yan family, Lady Rinpu."

Called by the official in charge of the proceedings, I stood up and clasped my hands in greeting to the imperial family. Walking quietly to the center, I felt dozens of eyes focus on me.

I had never been the center of such attention before. My heart was pounding so strongly that I worried my blood might boil. The dazzling decorations were so bright that I almost felt dizzy if I let my guard down.

The only relief was that Emperor Jizhou and Lord Souren were hidden behind the curtain. If they were staring at me, my fingers might have trembled while pressing the strings.

I took a deep breath and sat down. From this point on, I only needed to focus on the performance.

The piece I chose was a love song about a beloved person stepping back and watching their beloved's back. It was a song to a lover, expressing the wish for their happiness above all else. In recent years, it had also been interpreted as a parent's love for their child and had become a standard at wedding ceremonies.

If I played this song, everyone would realize that I had no intention of becoming Empress. It was a declaration of stepping back.

Though I felt bad for my father, my thoughts were as follows:

May happiness come to the young Emperor.

May the adorable princesses have a joyful time.

I will watch over you from a distance.

I played with more care and emotion than usual. By the middle of the piece, I had forgotten my nervousness and was moving my fingers and hands with complete focus.

The sound was clear and beautiful. It was truly a wonderful erhu to have borrowed.

When the performance ended, I slowly opened my eyes. The grand hall was deathly silent, and a calm atmosphere prevailed.

"Thank you."

Ah, it's over.

I wasn't chosen as Empress, and I didn't even get to meet Lord Souren. The only thing left is to marry into the Li family.

It's frustrating, but I have to accept it. Happiness in life is something that only a select few can achieve.