Chu Yun and Xiao Zai weren't the only ones to hear the approaching hoofbeats. Xiao Yuan's hand trembled on his tea cup. He shot Xiao Zai a worried look while Xiao Ziyi straightened her back and raised her chin in defiance.
Neither of them was quite conveying the posture Chu Yun had hoped for, so he turned to Xiao Zai and said loudly: "It seems our guests are almost here."
Xiao Zai got up to his feet and walked to the front of the stage. "Please, everyone, play as loudly as you can, some of our brethren have travelled very far to be here."
He gestured towards the two roads leading to the square, and the musicians and dancers all turned in that direction as well.
The anticipation among the people was palpable, even more so when the first horses came into view. If anyone found it odd that the riders in the front were carrying banners with the insignia of several prominent Zui clans, the music and dance served to distract them.
Xiao Zai didn't move from the front of the stage, his back straight but shoulders relaxed. Chu Yun could see the regal line of his profile, he looked like a man ready to take on the world, but Chu Yun couldn't help the clench of worry at the pit of his stomach.
Not so long ago he'd felt Xiao Zai's warm blood under his hands as his conscience ebbed away, the hopelessness he felt at that time would stay with him for a long time. There were palace guards stationed all over the square, along with soldiers from the royal army-- all of them ready in case a confrontation broke out.
Chu Yun hoped it wouldn't come to that.
But he knew he had guessed the meaning of Ru Long's 'cultivating close relationships' comment right.
Ru Long had admitted himself that he wouldn't be able to claim the Zui throne, on the grounds of being a human alone -- but that didn't mean he couldn't just as easily install a puppet, in much the same way Xiao An had planed to do with Xiao Yuan.
"What is the meaning of this?" A man wearing armour covered in golden scales asked, the mane on his helmet whipped around when he turned his head from side to side, looking for answers from the men around him.
"We are celebrating the summer solstice, and a plentiful harvest," Xiao Zai said, ignoring the hostility of the man's question. "We were warned of your arrival by another honoured guest."
That sent all the riders into turmoil. Their voices rose in a deafening roar of overlapping questioning, drowning out the musicians who tried in vain to be overheard over the din of several dozen horses and as many men and women.
Chu Yun flicked open his lurid fan in front of his face and got up from his seat to join Xiao Zai at the front of the stage. This late in the pregnancy his abdomen commanded everyone's attention, and all eyes were immediately drawn to him the moment he looped his arm through Xiao Zai's.
It was a good thing he could use the fan to hide most of his face, because just that short walk had sent him into a world of pain. Somehow, between yesterday and this morning, the discomfort had gotten much worse.
Hopefully he would only have to hold out for a few hours before being allowed rest.
The man with all the questions shot Chu Yun a displeased look. He was Hui Liang, the father of one of the dismissed concubines, in his mind the future king of Zui should only have been one of his grandsons.
"How could his Majesty know of our arrival if we didn't send word ahead?"
Xiao Zai gestured in the direction of the Queen Consort and the Third Princess with his free arm. "Naturally, we heard this from his Royal Highness the Crown Prince of Su himself."
Even through the pain, Chu Yun couldn't help smiling as all those who had rode into Haolin certain of their quick victory, now turned on each other with shouted accusations.