The first day of the celebrations dawned bright and clear.

The entirety of the Palace was buzzing with excitement. So much so that it seemed to spread to her maids and even her son. The boy was practically bouncing off the walls, and he had not even had any sugar today. It was nice to see him so lively, no matter how exhausting it got.

"Manu, if you don't stop shaking, you will spill your food," she said, gently dabbing his mouth with a handkerchief. "Calm down. You cannot be like this at the celebrations today. You have to show them what a perfect little prince you are."

She did not care much for these things, but if her son wanted to secure his standing in the Imperial Court, he had to keep up appearances.

So, that seemed to calm him down. Clearly drawing on his previous lessons, he calmed down and continued eating at a much more sedate pace, each move deliberate and trying to be graceful and succeeding to some extent. He was picking up on things quickly. Sometimes, far too quickly for her tastes. She could already imagine an older, refined gentleman in place of her little Manu. The thought ached as much as it filled her with pride.

The celebrations would start some time after lunch, as the sun began making its way down the West.

So, she spent the day with Fu Caiyi after breakfast, practising their performance as the children played. These were the final touches, and they were now practising with instruments playing in the background. She had to admit, having music to follow made the dance infinitely smoother.

She went back to her own residence for lunch, and after that, it was time to get ready.

For today's celebrations, she wore azure blue robes. The blue lay a beautiful background for the painted clouds and the birds embroidered over them. Simple, yet captivating. Her hair was similarly tied up in a braided bun, with a jade hairpin securing it in place.

Manu was wearing matching robes. If he had to sit with the Empress, she wanted to leave her mark on him as well. So everyone knew whose child he actually was. So everyone knew who would come after them if they dared even raise an eye toward him. Not that most in the Palace would ever dare to anymore. But she could not say the same for the entourage from Rayie.

They made their way to the celebrations.

The celebrations were set to be held right outside the Outer Court, utilizing the huge space in front of it.

The open square stretched wide beneath, its stone floor swept and polished until it gleamed beneath the descending sun. The space itself served as the stage, an expanse large enough to host processions, dancers, and martial displays all at once. At the very center, where the performances would take place, the ground had been overlaid with great silk carpets of crimson and gold, forming a vast circular pattern reminiscent of a mandala.

At the northern edge of the square, just in front of the Court, a great Imperial dais had been constructed, its gilded railings glimmering under the sunlight. Upon this sat the Dragon Throne, raised above all others, the Emperor's seat directly facing the performance space. Beside the Emperor sat the newest addition to the Imperial Harem. It made sense. This celebration was for them after all. The Empress Dowager and Empress sat slightly to either side. There was a smaller seat between the Emperor and Empress, no doubt for Manu. The princesses had seats nearby, to the side and just a step behind the Empress, while veiled partitions sheltered the rest of the Inner Court women. Rows of ministers, envoys, and honored guests flanked the dais on stepped tiers, each seat marked with embroidered cushions and silk awnings to shield from the sun.

On the other sides of the square, processional banners had been planted in tall bronze holders - silken standards dyed in red, blue, and imperial yellow, embroidered with golden-threaded dragons, phoenixes, cranes, and cloud-scrolls. The banners snapped sharply in the wind, framing the open space like the painted borders of a scroll.

The air shimmered with incense. The four corners of the space overflowed with blossoms - peonies in full bloom, pale lotuses resting in carved basins, orchids cascading in porcelain vessels, and tall chrysanthemums rising like sentinels. Each flower was chosen with care - a tapestry of symbolic blessings for the Empire's fortune and longevity.

On one side, the Imperial orchestra sat in ordered rows: zithers and pipas gleamed with lacquer, bamboo flutes and shengs shone in the light, the great war drums loomed like watchful guardians. Their placement was deliberate - close enough for sound to carry through the vast square, but offset so the performance space remained unbroken.

Overhead, long silken streamers of vermilion and gold had been strung from pole to pole, drifting lazily like streams of fire across the sky. As the sun tilted westward, its rays set the silks alight, bathing the entire square in a golden glow.

The vastness of it all was staggering - the Emperor's court at one side, envoys and nobles at the other, the flowers and incense enclosing the space, and at the center, a bare and open expanse of silk-carpeted stone where all eyes would fall.

Samaya could not help the sharp intake of breath at the overwhelming grandeur of it all. It seemed the Emperor really went all out in these celebrations. It made sense, since this truce was crucial for the stability of the Empire. That did not stop the strange twisting in her chest.

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There was another strange addition to the celebrations. Tucked right outside the large square were rows upon rows of stalls, manned by vendors carrying all sorts of wares from silk fabric to jade ornaments. It was far enough away that it would not be distracting to the guests, but close enough that anyone could go and take a look. She tilted her head. The vendors look far more refined and subdued than what she was used to seeing outside the Palace. That was a given, but the question was why the Emperor had arranged for what was essentially a mini market. Sequestered away on the opposite side of the stalls were dozens of street entertainers, setting up their spaces with their equipment.

Lian must have noticed her gaze, because she softly whispered in her ear. "Those stalls are to display wares and culture unique to our Kingdom, from different regions, to our foreign guests."

Ah, that made sense. The Empire of Xin was large. The foreign dignitaries could not go from place to place, so a little taste of it was brought into the Palace.

She gave a small nod and turned to walk up to the front, Manu's hand in hers. She walked up the steps and bowed once she reached the designated distance to the Emperor, marked by the slit in the partition curtains through which she would enter the back space reserved for the women of the Harem.

She bowed, once, twice, thrice.

To the Emperor. "Your Majesty, the Emperor."

To the Empress. "Your Majesty, the Empress."

To the Empress Dowager. "Your Highness, Imperial Mother."

Manu imitated her and said his own greetings.

"Lady Qing," the Emperor acknowledged her. "Prince Xu. Raise your heads."

She lifted her head, only to find the Emperor's eyes roaming over her appreciatively, the slightest curl gracing his lips. She suppressed a smile of her own as the man turned to Manu.

"Ah-Xu, come here." He curled his fingers at Manu.

This time, Manu bowed and walked up the stairs without hesitation, already aware of the arrangement.

Samaya, for her part, gave a parting bow and went behind the partition. Once she settled down, her eyes roamed over the gathered guests almost subconsciously. She carefully scoured the entire crowd of people, but could not find the face she was looking for.

She sighed softly and put all thoughts of him out of her mind.

It took another half an hour for everyone to arrive and the celebrations to start. To be honest, Samaya had expected to be bored after a while. But surprisingly, the performances were so vibrant and dynamic that she watched with rapt attention. From tribal dances to drum marching to delicately coordinated dances by fairy-like maidens, everything was beautiful. War dances and love songs created a strange harmony, while dramas of famous folktales - a mixture of tragedy, comedy and romance - stole hearts. Martial displays quickly became her favorite. The sheer display of raw yet restrained power as the clashing of steel echoed in the arena was utterly fascinating.

It was in the middle of one such performance that she saw Manu approach her, walking down as quickly as he could without running. Once he entered the partition, he knelt beside her and looked up at her with wide eyes. She raised an eyebrow. That was the look he had when he wanted to ask something he thought she would refuse.

"Mama," he called softly, clearly trying to melt her heart a little before asking. This little brat. He paused for a moment before speaking again when she didn't respond. "Can I go look at the stalls and entertainers?"

She raised an eyebrow. She had somewhat expected this request, but not this early.

She tilted her head. "Who will you go with?" She asked. "Ah-Liu cannot accompany you, and Lian cannot leave my side."

Only certain senior servants were allowed in this area at the moment, with specially trained maids serving food and wine to everyone. Ah-Liu did not fall into either category. He was watching from afar, but he could not get close due to the entire area being wide open.

Manu blinked, probably having expected a direct no from her. But Samaya was slowly coming to the realisation that she could not keep him in a cocoon forever. Without his status as a prince, she already would have had him running the small errands she usually used to give the kids she'd gathered back in QingHu. It should be okay to let him roam around the grounds; the entire place was tightly secured. But it had to be supervised.

Manu surely knew she would not let him move around alone. He also knew Ah-Liu could not accompany him. Samaya was curious to see if he came up with a solution himself. She had been encouraging him to think and form plans on his own, even if it was for small things.

"Teacher Chen," he said softly. "I already asked him! He agreed!"

She blinked. "When did you ask him?"

She'd personally gone to cancel the class yesterday. They had not spoken of it in front of her.

"In our last class! Teacher Chen mentioned them, and I was so excited to see them! Teacher Chen told me he could take me to see them if I got permission from Mother and Father!"

She raised an eyebrow. Was she the only one aware of the market and the entertainers? Probable. She had not paid much attention to the preparations, and with the appearance of … him, any thought of it completely vanished from her mind.

"And? Did you ask your father?"

He nodded vigorously. "Yes! Father said I could go if I got permission from you!"

She blinked. That was unexpected. The Emperor's permission was above all; Manu did not really need to ask her, even though he would have anyway. But the fact that the Emperor himself put importance on Samaya's opinion when it came to Manu… the Emperor was giving her a lot of face, especially in front of the foreign princess.

She suppressed a smile. "Very well."

Turning to Lian, she whispered a few words into her ear.

Lian nodded and walked out from behind the partition, going towards where the officials were sitting. A few minutes later, she came back with Chen Zhongqing, who seemed to have expected this.

He stayed outside the curtain and bowed. "Lady Qing."

She smiled and put a hand on Manu's back. "I will leave my son in your care." She turned to Manu. "Come back in an hour."

Manu nodded and happily went out, grabbing the man's extended hand. Chen Zhongqing bowed to her and led Manu out.

Samaya watched them go with a tight knot of anxiety sitting in her heart.

It did not loosen until Manu came back with a happy smile on his face and tanghulu in one hand, a skip in his step as he walked up the stairs to his designated seat, waving at her on the way.

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