174 Big Brother

The state banquet on the night of the Festival of Longevity ought to have been one of the biggest celebrations of the year but the undercurrent of trepidation that rippled through the officials seated by rank beneath the dais was palpable. 

The Ministry of Rites had spared no expense; how could they? Envoys from the other kingdoms that paid them fealty were present. No matter how reluctant His Majesty was to acknowledge what should have been a happy occasion, Great Ye had no choice but to put on a front.