Lin Hexagram (Middle-Upper Level)

Chapter 19 Lin Hexagram (Upper-Middle Hexagram) - Banquet

Princess Yongqing's arrival was so striking that even Rong Yan, who had never met her before, recognized her at a glance.

It wasn't because Princess Yongqing was dressed in such a luxurious and extravagant manner, but rather because she was the only one who came with five maids.

With her fair skin and red lips, her long, narrow phoenix eyes complemented her small, oval face. Her gaze was slightly upturned, and her eyes held a natural allure.

She was dressed in royal attire, adorned in gold robes, and was sizing up Rong Yan.

The outfit Rong Yan was wearing was a new one specially made for her by her mother-in-law, Wang Shi. It was a lotus-colored jacket set that was very popular at the time. The jacket was also embroidered with many lotus leaves and flowers. The light green and light pink colors not only made Rong Yan's beauty stand out, but also highlighted her fair and rosy complexion.

Even as Rong Yan bowed, she was in no way outshone by Princess Yongqing, who exuded nobility.

Princess Yongqing's expression was somewhat cold. She glanced at Rong Yan a few times, then smiled warmly at her and walked familiarly toward the inner courtyard. Suddenly, she stopped, turned around, and looked at Rong Yan with a cheerful smile.

"Young Madam Rong, has your eldest son arrived?"

Even if this banquet is hosted by the Marquis's residence, it is still a banquet for women, so why would any men attend? Rong Yan heard her call Xie Chengzhi affectionately, but she was not angry at all. She calmly replied, "Reporting to Princess Yongqing, my husband is in poor health and is still resting."

Upon hearing this, Princess Yongqing's face showed a hint of disappointment. "I should have come earlier, but I was afraid of disturbing his health. If I had known this would happen, I shouldn't have been so hesitant. The eldest son is not well, so I will have to ask you to take good care of him."

Her tone was entirely commanding, as if she were entrusting her with the safekeeping of something that belonged to her. Although she blamed herself for being too cautious and not staying by Xie Chengzhi's side in time, she meant more that she was blaming Rong Yan for being tactless and not inviting her over sooner so that she could have a better reputation and meet Xie Chengzhi sooner.

Rong Yan felt Princess Yongqing's gaze scrutinizing him, but he didn't seem nervous. Hearing her say that, he didn't show any displeasure and just nodded obediently.

"Yes, Princess Yongqing is right, I understand."

Rong Yan sighed inwardly. Taking a step back opens up a world of possibilities; why fight for pride? Fighting for pride only brings trouble, and in the end, you'll be the one who suffers.

The Listening to Rain Pavilion had already been set up with a banquet, with craggy rocks in the middle of the table and the sound of flowing water. In one corner of the room, a female musician was playing "Swallows in Pairs," with a cheerful and lively rhythm. The young ladies had not gathered for a long time, and now they were all whispering and laughing happily.

She couldn't help but smile when she saw that most of the salt-baked broad beans served first at the banquet had been eaten.

In March, braziers were still burning in the four corners of the room. Rong Yan had specifically instructed that some fruit peels be placed around the braziers, and sure enough, the atmosphere in the room instantly became much fresher.

At that moment, Princess Yongqing was chatting happily with Lady Wang when Rong Yan entered. She saw Lady Wang accepting the gifts that Princess Yongqing had specially brought for her with a smile.

When Madam Wang saw Rong Yan enter, she smiled, got up, took Rong Yan's hand, and turned to the people at the table, saying with a smile, "It's been a long time since we last met. Today's banquet is organized by my new wife. As I am new to this important task, please forgive me if there are any inappropriate arrangements during the banquet."

Princess Yongqing: "Madam Hou, you flatter me. The eldest son is in poor health. We should thank Young Madam Rong instead. Without her, the eldest son would not have recovered so quickly."

Upon hearing this, no one dared to say anything more.

The young lady of the Right Division glanced at Rong Yan, then at Rong Shu.

She whispered to Princess Yongqing beside her, "Rumor has it that her elder sister is much more beautiful than her, but seeing her today, it's not like that at all... This second daughter of the Rong family is so beautiful."

Princess Yongqing smiled and nodded, "She is indeed very pretty."

Normally, at banquets hosted by the Marquis's residence, the seat of honor is reserved for the Marquis's wife, and the seat to her left is usually reserved for her daughter-in-law. However, Princess Yongqing always sat in that seat, so when she arrived, she didn't think much of it and simply sat down next to the Marquis's wife on the left.

Princess Yongqing appeared completely at ease, seemingly unaware of anything amiss in her actions. The five maids surrounding her seemed rather out of place.

Generally, after entering the inner courtyard, the maids would automatically and consciously line up with the master's maids in front of the door. This was partly to help with serving meals, and partly to avoid disturbing the masters' meals.

Princess Yongqing's maidservant had different etiquette and rights than ordinary people. Even in the Marquis's mansion, no one dared to discipline her. The Marquis's wife smiled indulgently and let Rong Yan sit on her right.

Since Princess Yongqing entered the inner courtyard, many young men and women have been chatting with her enthusiastically. Her gaze swept over everyone in the room, frequently glancing at Rong Yan.

Rong Yan wasn't curious about her, and he wouldn't keep an eye on her all the time.

She only paid attention to the food arrangement at the banquet and whether it needed to be replenished in time.

As if she could no longer contain herself, Princess Yongqing gently asked Rong Yan, "Why is the pond in Tingyu Pavilion covered with a black cloth? It's so dark and gloomy; it was a bit scary when we walked in."

When Lady Hou heard this, her face flushed red, as if she was somewhat embarrassed. She pretended not to hear and did not respond to Princess Yongqing.

Although she knew that Rong Yan had planned this all along, and she thought that she would come up with something interesting, the banquet had already started, but Tingyu Pavilion was still tightly wrapped up. She regretted trusting her so easily, and felt that she had lost face.

Rong Shu secretly smiled to herself. When she came in, her reaction was the same as everyone else's. How could she not be shocked by such a low-class setting?

Rong Yan smiled and said, "Princess Yongqing, everything will be revealed once the banquet begins."

Rong Shu muttered under her breath, "Pretending to be mysterious."

Judging from the black cloth covering it, it's not a very good fabric. With her level of education, what kind of good taste could she possibly have found?

Princess Yongqing tilted her head, smiled kindly at her with her eyes crinkling, and said expectantly, "Oh, now that you mention it, I'm quite curious."

It's unclear who started it, but Rong Yan couldn't even remember which young lady it was. She spoke gently to her at the table, "Madam, is it true, as rumored, that you sought a marriage with the Marquis's mansion? I suppose you also fell in love with the eldest son at first sight?"

Such a blunt opening, especially at a banquet in the Marquis's residence, was indeed rather presumptuous, even offensive.

Which of these young ladies didn't come from a prestigious family, and which one wasn't the daughter of a powerful person?

Let alone upbringing, even the most refined manners would never allow someone to say such a thing in their host's home; it is utterly rude.

Madam Wang's expression immediately changed. She spoke in a calm and gentle voice, "Madam Xi, where did you hear that? The young mistress was personally escorted by our Marquis's family to the wedding; it wasn't a marriage alliance she sought out. The rumors these days are getting more and more outrageous. Even you've learned to believe everything you hear."

Everyone seemed surprised that Madam Wang would immediately jump out to speak up for Rong Yan; even Rong Shu was taken aback.

Back when she first entered the family, didn't she also suffer from the rudeness of this group of people? At that time, Wang Shi didn't say a single kind word in her defense!

She gritted her teeth inwardly, feeling a tightness in her chest.

Wang is speaking softly but doing heavy things.

Knowing what to say and what not to say can lead to being laughed at or even implicate one's family.

Clearly, Madam Xi was merely a messenger. She gave an awkward smile, her eyes darting around, but she managed a forced smile. "Isn't this a gathering of sisters today? I consider Madam Xi my own sister, which is why I dared to ask such an inappropriate question. It was indeed a bit impolite. Fortunately, with my question, everyone will know that it was a misunderstanding. Rumors should not be believed lightly. Please don't blame me, Madam."

With Wang Shi's cover, Rong Yan raised a light smile, "Since it's just a misunderstanding, it would be too serious to say it's your fault."

Lady Xi naturally wouldn't say something like "marrying for good luck," which would be disrespectful to the Lady of the Marquis, so she didn't continue the conversation.

Lady Hou then turned to Rong Yan and said, "Shall we begin the feast?"

Rong Shu felt uncomfortable after hearing this. Why ask? The Lady of the Marquis is the mistress of the house, so it should be her turn to start the banquet.

Rong Yan nodded to Hua Li behind him, and Hua Li waved to Yu Ling in the distance. Yu Ling then tapped the small drum in her hand, and the servant at the end of the corridor turned around and struck the gong. One after another, the first dish from the kitchen was soon served.

As the maids placed the dishes on the table one after another, the rather unpretentious presentation of the dishes disappointed many of the young ladies. After all, according to the custom of the Lady of the Marquis, she would usually throw a lavish banquet. The Lady of the Marquis looked at the main dishes on the table and thought they were just ordinary dishes, completely different from Rong Yan's confident promise that he would not mess it up. She also felt a little embarrassed.

Princess Yongqing showed no displeasure; instead, she waited with a look of curiosity.

The young ladies stared intently at the dishes served on the golden platters on the flowing water, the first of which was surprisingly roasted chestnuts.

When the chestnuts were served, every single one had been split open, and some were shiny with oil, so they didn't look very appealing.

The air was filled with a sweet aroma, but since there were only chestnuts, the presentation was rather unremarkable.

Princess Yongqing smiled and said, "Hmm, it's something to look forward to."

Judging from her tone, it was hard to tell whether she was telling the truth or just being polite.

Wang nodded and waved her hand, saying, "Everyone, don't be shy, let's get started."

Although Princess Yongqing was of noble status, she was very polite and did not start eating as soon as the food was served.

After her maid served her food, she specifically chose large, open chestnuts for her, but she was still scolded.

"We are guests, and we absolutely cannot be so rude."

Wang patted the back of her hand, saying, "We're all family, no need for such formalities."

Rong Shu glanced at Wang Shi, then at Princess Yongqing, and seemed to understand something.

Suddenly, her expression changed; she lowered her head, preoccupied, and broke open a chestnut, releasing an even stronger, sweet aroma. She took a bite, her expression showing surprise.

The chestnuts are coated with rich oil, and Chef Gan's stir-frying technique is just right. With the secret of opening the chestnuts, you can see that the shiny layer of oil on the chestnuts is also coated with syrup!

The sweetness of the syrup and the soft texture of the chestnuts are perfectly combined in the very short stir-frying time, and although the chestnuts are mealy, they are not dry at all.

When Princess Yongqing took her first bite, there was a slight look of surprise on her face, but she quickly calmed down.

The other young ladies picked up chestnuts to eat. They had been wondering why the food wasn't peeled before being served, but after peeling them themselves, they suddenly understood that the sweetness of the chestnuts through the shell actually added to their smooth texture, which surprised these young ladies who had attended many banquets.

Everyone: !!!

Everyone: This tastes amazing!!

"The cook at the Marquis's residence is incredibly skilled. At first glance, it looked like just an ordinary plate of roasted chestnuts, but its presentation was surprisingly impressive!"

"Indeed! When I visited the Marquis's residence last time, the food was quite to my liking, but today it seems quite different. I can't quite put my finger on what's different, but after tasting it, it's truly extraordinary. The kitchen's culinary skills have improved by leaps and bounds!"

Upon hearing this, Madam Wang smiled knowingly, knowing that it was all just polite talk and she wouldn't take it seriously.

Then, she lowered her head and took a bite, and then, to her astonishment, took another bite.

It tastes like it's been braised in a rich broth!

Besides the sweetness of the syrup, she could even taste the aroma of roasted lychee wood!

It turns out they weren't just flattering them; the food was genuinely delicious.

Wang Shi glanced at Rong Yan with great satisfaction, while Rong Yan simply smiled faintly as he watched the dishes being served one after another.

All the dishes served were carefully designed by Rongyan, because different dishes have different tastes and therefore different aftertastes.

After the chive boxes were served, it was time for the salted duck egg yolk rice dumplings. Considering that the ladies didn't have big appetites, only four rice dumplings were made. She specifically instructed Chef Gan to add a little salt to the oil, wet the knife before slicing the rice dumplings, and then pan-fry them over medium heat. The salty and glutinous salted egg yolk in the alkaline water rice dumplings, combined with the oil from the fried dough sticks, melted together, and even the glutinous rice was infused with a soft and sticky aroma of fried dough sticks. The fried shiitake mushroom strips left inside the rice dumplings were not dry at all.

Everyone ate until their lips were glistening with oil, looking very satisfied and content.

"This meat is tender and fragrant, and it's not dry at all."

Rong Yan pursed her lips and shook her head, "No, today's meal is all vegetarian. These are just vegetarian dishes that taste similar to meat."

Everyone: ?!

What!

Why does it taste exactly like meat?!

The crowd was no less shocked than Lady Hou. She knew that Chef Gan was a good cook, but she did not know that he was this good.

Even she was trying these menus for the first time, so she must have known that Rong Yan was the one who came up with the idea.

After the zongzi were served, bayberry wine, apricot wine, and lychee wine were brought out.

Numerous female attendants filed in, one kneeling on the ground while another held up a white porcelain bottle to fill the ladies' cups with wine. Each lady's table had three porcelain cups, each filled with one of the three different kinds of fruit wine.

No one had ever seen such a grand display of wine before, and they were all captivated by it.

The maids were graceful and their every move was elegant and beautiful, captivating the young ladies.

At this moment, several maids quietly ran over to ask Yu Ling, "Yu Ling, when should the cover over the pond be opened?"

"No rush, the young mistress said it can only be opened at 2:45 PM."

"Why does it have to be at this time? Is it because we've calculated an auspicious time?"

Yu Ling looked up at the sky, which was still overcast. "The young mistress said it would rain at three quarters past the hour, and it must be opened at two quarters past the hour for it to be effective."

"Ah? How did you know it would rain in a quarter of an hour, young mistress?"

"Yeah, will it really rain?"

Not only were the other maids asking, but even Yu Ling herself had some doubts, though she insisted, "Whatever the young mistress says, we'll do."

Surprisingly, the pool, which had been covered by black silk, was about to be lifted at this moment, which made everyone even more curious.

After it was lifted, everyone was in an uproar.