A Chuunibyo at the Birthday Banquet

Although the lowest-ranking officials attending the palace banquet this time were fourth-rank officials,

Sun Shaozong's seat was not low at all. He had barely squeezed into the middle front section, only a few steps away from the distinguished guests' seats.

This was because Dali Temple ranked first among the Five Temples, while the Six Ministries had no fourth-rank posts. Among fourth-rank officials, he could roughly be counted among the top five.

The only ones who could stand on equal footing with him were the Left and Right Assistant Censors-in-Chief of the Censorate, the Guozi Jian Libationer, and a scant few others.

These were all elite, prestigious civil posts generally reserved for officials who had come from the Hanlin Academy.

A rough fellow like Sun Shaozong mixed among them could be called a crane among chickens—or a fish-eyed impostor among pearls. In any case, after a few initial pleasantries, those men deliberately or unconsciously ignored all two hundred-odd jin of him.

Sun Shaozong was happy enough to be left in peace. Holding a cup of lukewarm tea, he took occasional sips as he silently recalled the fleeting scene from earlier.

That must have been the Crown Princess.

But on closer thought, though she had been surrounded by several dancers, she had worn an elegant and magnificent court dress. She had not looked as though she were preparing to take the stage and perform.

But if she was not planning to perform, what was she doing mingling with a group of dancers?

And though he had not been able to see clearly from afar, he could vaguely make out that she had been nervously giving them instructions.

Could it be...

A flash of insight suddenly struck Sun Shaozong, and he turned to look toward the stage directly north.

"Vice Minister Sun."

Just