Chapter 4 A Flower Banquet: A World Apart
Wen Miao spent half a day wandering around, buying herself a wooden hairpin, a pair of velvet flowers that looked like little rabbit ears for Xie Mengjun, and an inkstone for Xie Jingxuan. They weren't anything rare, but Wen Miao felt it was a token of her affection, and she didn't care how expensive they were.
The cherry cheese, which was a "thank you gift," was eaten by Wen Miao, who also shared half with Shi Cui and Wan Bi.
At first, the two girls refused to eat anything, shaking their heads like rattles. Occasionally, Wen Miao would see that they were young and would pretend to be mature and serve them. She felt inexplicably uncomfortable, so she would slightly annoyed and feed them with a wooden spoon while they remained stiff.
How does it taste?
Wen Miao rested her chin on her hand, leaning against the carriage wall, and looked at the two little girls with a smile.
Shi Cui's cheeks were still a little red, whether from shyness or something else, she was unusually uncomfortable and just mumbled that it was delicious; Wan Bi next to her was more outgoing, but her face was also as red as an apple, and her eyes seemed to be shining with stars as she looked at her mistress.
Wanbi: "Madam, this is the most delicious thing I have ever eaten in my life!"
How could it not taste good? This was made in the imperial kitchen, kept in a box and chilled with ice all the way. Whether it's the cherries from the south, the silky and rich cheese, or the sugarcane juice specially made by the imperial chefs, these people probably wouldn't be so fortunate to eat this even if they cultivated for several lifetimes.
Wen Miao looked at the two young maids with a gentle smile.
They ate at a restaurant outside and waited until the sun had shifted westward before heading to the Xie residence.
Wen Miao handed the small gifts she had brought from the street to Xie Jingxuan and Xie Mengjun, only to learn that the Emperor had bestowed a basket of cherries upon their residence that morning.
The cherries sent from the south were of excellent quality, large and plump, with a bright red color that made one's mouth water. Wen Miao, who had already eaten some cream cherries that morning, was not particularly interested. She only picked one up and put it in her mouth, then pushed the rest toward her maternal grandfather and niece.
After wandering around for most of the day, Wen Miao was a little tired. She smiled and patted Xie Mengjun's head, then said a few words to her grandfather Xie Jingxuan before heading into Qinyuan Garden.
She lowered her veil, removed her hair bun, changed into her nightgown, and just before she was about to get into bed, she waved to Shi Cui and whispered something.
A moment later, Shi Cui came in carrying the food box that had been given as a "thank you gift." Wen Miao took out the note inside, glanced at it, and then placed it at the bottom of the dressing case before lying back on the bed and slowly closing her eyes.
Although her injuries had healed, the doctor invited by the manor still advised Wen Miao to rest as much as possible and think less.
A gentle breeze blew, causing the willow branches outside the Xie residence to sway lightly, casting dappled shade. At the end of the street, a dark-colored carriage was parked.
The horses were tall and strong, the guards were robust, and Xu Sheng stood to the side, peeking out anxiously every now and then.
Inside, Emperor Qianyuan leaned against the carriage wall with his eyes closed, one hand resting naturally on his knee, the other hand with slightly bent knuckles, gently tapping the cover of the "Record of Diverse Things".
After a moment, as if sensing something, he straightened up slightly and opened his dark eyes. "How is it?"
The guard outside the carriage said, "Madam Wen didn't eat much before returning to Qin Garden to rest."
Xu Sheng felt a chill run down his spine, and the words of praise he had prepared were swallowed back. He simply stood motionless to the side, pretending not to exist.
The emperor's fingers, which were lightly tapping the book, paused slightly. After a long silence, he murmured, "Indeed, this thing... is just an ordinary item to her, hardly anything rare."
He slowly moved back into the depths of the car frame, the swirling shadows seeming to add a layer of intense, silent gloom to his brows and eyes.
On a small table inside the carriage was a plate of washed cherries, but they failed to catch the emperor's eye.
In that distant fairyland where the people are prosperous and the land is fertile, the people are free from hunger and cold, travel is unimpeded, and one can travel thousands of miles a day, go to the sky and the sea, and every child in every household can go to school, even the cherry, which is rare and difficult to store in the Great Chu, is nothing special.
One is in the heavens, the other on the earth; the difference is like heaven and earth, how can they be compared?
The emperor suppressed his heart palpitations and closed his eyes again. "Alright, let's return to the palace today."
The wheels rumbled as they rolled over the bluestone pavement. Emperor Qianyuan closed his eyes for a moment, then suddenly said, "Xu Sheng, summon the Ministers of Revenue, Rites, and Works to the palace."
Such a world is unattainable, but who wouldn't yearn for it? Even if the Great Chu doesn't have such a fairyland, as the emperor, why can't he create one and leave the goddess in the mortal world?
...
Wen Miao, who was fast asleep in Qinyuan, suddenly shivered in her dream. She subconsciously burrowed deeper into the quilt. Shi Cui, who happened to come into the room to check on her, saw this and carefully took a new quilt from the cabinet. She gently covered Wen Miao's shoulders and then reached out to feel Wen Miao's cold fingertips.
After holding her breath and re-checking the windows inside the room, Shi Cui closed the door and then went to the servants' room next door.
She sat quietly for a moment, picked up her pen and wrote something, then stood by the window and waved. Soon a pigeon with glossy feathers appeared.
"Go."
The pigeons left the Xie residence and flew towards the imperial palace.
The entire Xie residence was under the master's control, but only Qin Garden belonged to the madam. Apart from a few of her personal attendants, the other guards could only protect her from the outside and were not allowed to enter.
Shi Cui gazed at the distant horizon and sighed softly.
As instructed by the Lord, she and Wanbi were initially just following orders to serve, care for, and protect the lady. But as time went on, they also genuinely wanted to serve the lady well.
Before this, she had never seen a lady like this—not only was she beautiful, but she also had a kind heart, a gentle nature, and treated the maids like younger sisters, kind and affectionate. She was simply the best mistress in the world.
But with such a good master, they...
"Shi Cui, Madam has woken up. You go and take care of her first. I'll go to the kitchen and get her some food!"
Wanbi's voice made Shicui quickly stop her thoughts. The latter exhaled a breath of stale air, her face returned to normal, and she said, "I'll be right there."
...
Time flies in the capital. Wen Miao arrived at the Xie residence at the beginning of March, and before she knew it, it was the end of the month. Just then, news came from the palace that Consort Rong would be hosting a banquet at Qionghua Garden, inviting the ladies of various households to enjoy the magnolias together.
Wen Miao originally thought that this matter had nothing to do with a widow like her, but who knew that after the news reached the Xie family, she was also included in the list of those to enter the palace.
Even the Dowager Consort Rong, who was concerned about Xie Mengjun, the youngest daughter of the Xie family, specially sent a nanny named Song to guide her in attending the banquet.
Such honors aroused envy among the women in other mansions in the capital. They thought to themselves that Xie Mengjun, this country girl from outside the capital, was very lucky. Her great-grandfather was favored by the emperor, and their Xie family rose from poverty to be on par with the famous families in the capital. They wondered how much good fortune their ancestors had saved!
Clearly, many people have forgotten that Xie Jingxuan's branch was also a prominent family a hundred years ago, known as the Xie family of Jinling.
At this moment, inside the Qin Garden of the Xie family residence.
"You mean, the last time you had contact with the Dowager Consort was last winter?" Wen Miao asked in surprise, thinking that the time span was a bit too long, and it didn't seem like she was being thought of by the Dowager Consort.
Xie Mengjun chewed on the pastry in her mouth, her cheeks bulging.
"Yes, that was a long time ago. During the winter hunt last year, the Empress Dowager went too. My maternal grandfather took me to the South Garden, and we even watched His Majesty's first shot. How impressive! His Majesty killed that big black bear with a single arrow. He was amazing!"
Wen Miao sipped her tea, a thoughtful look flashing in her eyes.
Seeing that Wen Miao didn't speak, Xie Mengjun asked softly, "Cousin, what are you thinking about?"
"It's nothing." Wen Miao shook her head, but when she thought of the news from the palace and the Song nanny who would be arriving soon, she felt as if she had overlooked something.
Xie Mengjun secretly breathed a sigh of relief, feeling ashamed of her words and actions.
She didn't understand why her great-grandfather and the Emperor told her to lie to her cousin. The Xie family had clearly only come to the capital after the winter hunt. She had never seen the Emperor shoot an arrow, and she had only become family with her cousin at the beginning of this year. But her great-grandfather said that if she didn't do this, her cousin would leave...
She didn't want her aunt to leave; she liked her aunt very much.
But she also knew that lying was wrong. Her great-grandfather and the Emperor were doing the same wrong things as her, and her aunt would probably dislike them for it...
Xie Mengjun pursed her lips and put down the hand that was holding the pastry.
Why are you suddenly unhappy?
Wen Miao touched the top of the little girl's head, somewhat puzzled. Are all children's moods so fickle?
"Cousin..."
Xie Mengjun called out to Wen Miao with a pitiful expression, then put down her snacks and cautiously leaned closer, "If... if I do something wrong in the future, will my aunt still listen to me?"
Wen Miao chuckled, "That depends on what mistake you made. I will address the issue on its own merits. If you work hard to correct your mistakes and never repeat them, then your aunt will forgive you."
Xie Mengjun blinked and nuzzled her head into Wen Miao's arms.
Liars are supposed to swallow needles. Xie Mengjun thought that she would swallow a thousand or ten thousand needles if her aunt could forgive her in the future!
She hugged her aunt's soft waist and abdomen, smelling the warm and reassuring fragrance in her nostrils. Her eyes were slightly red, and she whispered, "Aunt, you are so good."
The people from the palace arrived at 1:00 PM that day.
Granny Song had a kind face, spoke softly and patiently. While teaching Xie Mengjun, she generously invited Wen Miao to join in, without any reservations, and even shared some tips they had accumulated over the years in the palace.
In her description, the palace seemed to be nothing more than an exceptionally peaceful and luxurious court—
Inside were magnificent palaces, rare treasures, throngs of servants, beautiful gardens, and kind imperial concubines and benevolent emperors... As for the intrigue and power struggles that Wen Miao had imagined, they seemed to be nonexistent, and the place was extremely peaceful.
Perhaps it's because the current emperor's harem is empty, with no concubines or consorts?
As Wen Miao thought this, she suddenly became curious about the Emperor of Great Chu. What kind of person was he who could persist for so many years in an era where having three wives and four concubines was commonplace, without taking any woman into the palace?
With a beaming smile, Granny Song casually mentioned the current emperor while recounting the palace rules. Especially after noticing the curiosity in Wen Miao's eyes, she took the opportunity to begin recounting the emperor's past.
However, she was also puzzled. This matter was known to everyone in the Great Chu, so why did she have to tell this lady it again through her mouth?
Although she didn't understand, Granny Song simply obeyed the emperor's order.
Wen Miao, who was gradually piecing together the image of the Great Chu Emperor from his words, couldn't help but pay some attention to this wise ruler, and a bit of curiosity arose in her.
A note from the author:
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Although the male protagonist is the emperor, he is very insecure, extremely insecure, and exceptionally insecure.
So it's very much about male virtue, extremely masculine virtue, especially masculine virtue [pity].
This is my first time writing a historical romance novel. Thank you for your support. It's set in a fictional dynasty, so historical accuracy is not recommended.
P.S. Female, not male.
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