Chapter 26: Serving at the Banquet
Yanru couldn't believe that Ji Mingxiu would come to see her again.
But the note was right in front of her. The peach blossom paper, with its fluttering dragons and dancing phoenixes, vertical lines and curved hooks, was all a pattern Yanru was most familiar with. She turned it over and over, reading the first three or two lines a hundred times:
"You Qing
I want to hold a banquet at noon on May 3rd, and I hope you will be well received. However, I am afraid that he will be late.
"Xiu Lang"
A familiar sweet scent lingered in her nostrils: peach blossom paper, incense, and You Qingxiu Lang—all part of the romantic plot Ji Mingxiu had set up with her back then. Yanru was bewildered. He had clearly been the one to initiate the breakup, the heartless betrayal, the gesture of never seeing each other again. Now, he was reprising these romantic, affectionate charades, his ulterior motives truly sinister. "What do you think I am? A cat or dog that can be summoned and dismissed at will?" With a roll of her eyes, the post flew off in an arc, tumbling from the corner of the table.
She closed her eyes, seeking some peace in the darkness. However, human senses are complex, and even if vision is temporarily shut, the sense of taste remains awake. To save money for rouge and powder, Yanru had never burned incense. Unprotected by any other means, the faint fragrance of peach blossom honey stirred her heartstrings. The autumn moon and spring breeze of old shone once again into her empty dreams: music, wine, delicious food, splendid clothing, silver combs for hairpins—it had truly been ages since she had been able to attend a banquet. Liu Xiang had no spare money, no connections, and was aloof. His former classmates from the Imperial College repeatedly invited him to their homes for banquets, a prospect Yanru yearned for. But Liu Xiang said social interactions were complicated, that attending would force him to be all-hands-on-deck, a tiring experience, and that any mistake would offend, leading to unforeseen trouble and gossip. Liu Xiang always refused. Over time, people grew tired of him and no longer bothered to invite him. During her time with Ji Mingxiu, she would spend three or four days out of seven enjoying the company of others, and the remaining one or two days shopping. Now, after a year of dating Liu Xiang, she could no longer attend banquets, and her shopping trips yielded only trinkets of little value. Liu Xiang's most expensive gift—a red fox fur robe—had been procured through scrimping and taking on extra jobs. Although Ji Mingxiu had never been willing to give her such a nice thing, every time she was out and about with him, she would spend money freely and lavishly.
"I've had enough of this stingy life." Yanru was upset, she was still angry with Liu Xiang. On weekdays, Liu Xiang took her to some lakes and mountains, all places where she could kill time without spending much money, and she could forgive him because of his handsomeness. Today, he actually dared to tell her that he wanted to give up the imperial examination and become a musician, which really pissed her off! The son of a seventh-rank local official, who held a small official position, was still keen on boasting that he was incorruptible and never asked for a penny. He didn't have much money and only relied on his father's salary. His family had a few acres of land and a few shops, but he dared to dream of being a dandy boy? He was just idle and had nothing better to do.
It was moonless tonight, and the room was somewhat dim. Yanru casually lit another candle and placed it in front of the diamond-shaped bronze mirror. The golden flame danced, reflecting her round cheeks and even more clearly illuminating the restlessness on her face. She knelt down, picked up the note, and sniffed it. Ah—the allure of luxury was so overwhelming that it temporarily captivated the young girl's mind. Yanru bundled up Ji Mingxiu's past indifference and Liu Xiang's current affection and affection and cast them aside.
"It's been a while since I've had a good time. I'll go and see for myself, so that Liu Lang knows I'm not content with being ordinary. I can also urge him to start preparing for next year's imperial examination."
Ji Mingxiu and another earl hosted a banquet in one of Yanru's gardens. Yanru arrived late, and before she had even stepped out of the carriage, she could hear the sounds of music and dancing. Wang'er, who was waiting for her at the door, caught sight of her and put on his usual fawning smile. He hurried over to greet her, "Miss You, you're here? The master is waiting for you inside."
Yanru sneered, "You bastard! Last time, your master threw me in the restaurant like a piece of waste paper. Now he's calling me here. What on earth do you want to do?"
Wang'er half-knelt down to lead the way for her: "What are you talking about, young lady? The master was forced by the madam in the beginning, and he really had no choice. This is also for you, young lady. If you don't pretend to be ruthless, the madam will find out and cause trouble for you. If you suffer, won't it be our master's fault?"
Sweet words always worked for Yanru. She walked proudly on the red carpet, her head held high, her waist twisting, and her manners arrogantly and gracefully. She turned into a corridor, climbed a staircase among flowers, and entered a pavilion with a beaded curtain. Ji Mingxiu was inside, smiling elegantly and gently at the visitor: "Yanru, how have you been these days?"
"Hmph, thanks to Teacher Ji, it's okay." Yanru pretended to be disdainful. "Teacher Ji sent me a message asking me to come here, what's the reason?"
Ji Mingxiu invited her to sit down, handed her the freshly brewed tea, and said something just as disgusting as Wang'er's. He then added, "Actually, this is also for the purpose of exhibiting and selling paintings. I remembered what you said before: since those paintings are you, you have to be there for them to be complete. I picked today specifically. Remember? Two years ago today was the day we first met. I felt so sorry for you, so I set the exhibition date today as a commemoration. Look, that painting in the center of the main hall was painted by me when you left Jinling for the capital."
He pointed in the distance, and Yanru looked in that direction. Through the doors and windows, she saw scrolls of varying sizes in the hall. A portrait hung in the main seat, set against the backdrop of dusk. The woman in the painting wore a peach-pink cloak, clutching a pearl-shaped curtain, with several packages at her feet. She stood alone beneath the thick mist and thin clouds, a hint of sadness between her brows. Yanru's heart was touched, and she looked at him with the same tenderness she had in the past: "I don't believe you haven't thought of me."
"Not only that, Yanru, do you remember the painting 'Bronze Sparrow Locking Spring' that sealed our relationship? It's now in the possession of a prince, who loves it so much that he's even given a banquet to invite celebrities from Handan to the capital to admire it. Among those scholars, there was an earl who was struck by your image in the painting, saying you looked as bright as a startled swan, like a flying dragon, as glorious as an autumn chrysanthemum, and as luxuriant as a spring pine."
"Puchi," Yanru couldn't help but laugh. Earl? Ah~ To have won the Earl's favor? The reputation of the Goddess of Painting and Painting was well-known, and Yanru felt elated. "And then?"
"Isn't this the reason for the banquet? Want to catch a glimpse of this beautiful lady? — Hey, here she is." The man approached from afar, and Ji Mingxiu quickly bowed, "Greetings, Lord Bu Yi! This is my goddess of painting, the beauty in 'The Bronze Sparrow Locking Spring,' the lady of Guanyan Academy, the eldest daughter of the You family in Jinling."
Yanru bowed gracefully, "Greetings, Lord Bu Yi." The beautiful woman raised her eyes with a gentle, charming expression. The man before her was older than Ji Mingxiu, probably over sixty years old. He wore a pile of jade pendants and sachets around his waist, his hair was covered in silver hair, and he stood straight. A shrewd and powerful gaze shone through his wrinkles. He looked Yanru up and down, then praised, "Not bad, not bad, the Goddess of Painting and Painting, you really live up to your reputation."
The compliment from the rich man made Yanru's heart blossom. She half covered her face with a fan and said modestly: "No, no, you are too kind, sir. I am just a humble person. I am lucky to have the favor of Teacher Ji."
The three of them flattered each other, Wang'er came forward and whispered a few words in Ji Mingxiu's ear. Ji Mingxiu apologized, "Uncle Bu Yi, someone called me over to the front hall. I have to leave for a while."
Bu Yibo said, "That's fine, since you have something to do, you can go ahead. We can chat at the table later."
Ji Mingxiu nodded at Yanru: "Okay, then please let Miss You chat with the Earl first. I will take my leave first."
Yanru was flattered. She stole a glance at the old man, his white hair adorned with the title "Earl." His hair shone with a dazzling golden luster. Even through his wrinkled features, she could guess that he must have been handsome and elegant in his youth. She bowed and watched Ji Mingxiu leave. Then she turned and asked, "Uncle Bu Yi, you invited me here today under the name of Teacher Ji. What advice do you have for me?"
Bu Yibo smiled and said, "Nothing serious. I've heard that the goddess of painting is famous in Jinling, and after seeing 'The Bronze Sparrow Locking Spring', I'm even more attracted to her. I heard from Mingxiu that Miss You is studying in the capital, so I asked him to invite her here so that I can have the honor of seeing her. I have some interesting flowers planted in my garden. If you don't mind, would you like to come with me to take a look?"
Yanru was so happy to receive this honor that she nodded so much that her hairpin almost flew off: "Then I will obey your command~"
So, an old man and a young woman, a man and a woman, left the pavilion, descended the steps, and walked deeper into the garden. This place was called Fanyuan, taken from the meaning of "a profusion of flowers, a hundred flowers competing for beauty." They passed through the peony bushes, came to the camellia garden, emerged from the peach blossom forest, and were greeted by colorful orchids. Everywhere they looked, there were clusters of flowers and butterflies playing. Yanru walked with Bu Yibo, recounting her fame in Jinling, her study at the Qiushui and Guanyan academies, and her status as a descendant of the Privy Council, talking over and over again with great enthusiasm. Bu Yibo listened patiently, not interrupting, occasionally agreeing with a few words, and the conversation was lively and harmonious.
After crossing the small stone arch bridge and reaching the lakeside, a maid in green came slowly towards them, interrupting them: "Master, someone from the front hall is calling you over."
Bu Yibo was a little annoyed: "Oh? Who is not asking for favors? Why are you calling me? Can't you see I'm here to entertain guests?"
The waitress read out a name, and Bu Yibo was helpless when he heard it: "Ah, it's someone I can't offend, Miss You. Please forgive me, I have something to do and have to leave first. You can continue shopping, or you can go to the front hall to have some tea and snacks while waiting for the meal to start."
Yanru felt disappointed, but she didn't dare to complain. She glared at the waitress, blaming her for coming so suddenly and spoiling the fun. She agreed coquettishly and watched Bu Yibo leave.
Bu Yibo followed the maid across the bridge and into a small pavilion hidden in a peach blossom grove. Wang'er tended the water stove, while Ji Mingxiu fiddled with tea-making utensils. Seeing their friend, they smiled and said, "Well, I've met you. What do you think, Master?"
The maid padded the chair, and Bu Yibo flung aside his robe and sat down. "She's of average appearance, and you've done a good job of drawing her. You've also done a good job of cultivating her personality, and she can be described as docile. As for her conversation, it's a little dull and even a bit vulgar, and I'm getting a little tired of it. Luckily, you knew what was going on and asked someone to get me out. Tsk, you didn't teach her to read before, and her head is empty. How can she serve you?"
"Hmm~" Ji Mingxiu waved his hand and shook his head. "Women, if they're too smart, they're hard to deal with. It's better to be a little stupid. Ignorance has its own cuteness."
The man burst into laughter. Bu Yibo said, "She's very proud of the title of Goddess of Painting and Painting, and doesn't shy away from it at all. Isn't that considered unique? You're truly talented, as expected. However, I don't like this. This meeting is enough for us, and we can skip it in the future."
"Oh," Ji Mingxiu feigned regret. "Bu Yibo doesn't like her. What a pity! I introduced her to you in vain. I'm unlucky. I don't have the chance to share the same friendship with you, Master."
Bu Yibo sneered, drank the tea he had ordered, and was overjoyed: "Ji Mingxiu, Ji Mingxiu, it's a pity that I like you so much. You are such a heartless seed that deserves to be struck by lightning and torn apart by five ghosts."
[Mumbling]: This banquet isn't going to be a complete mess for him. If nothing unexpected happens, see you all tomorrow~
At the same time, everyone’s comments are also welcome. Your comments are my greatest motivation!
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