Yao Niang composed herself and temporarily put aside the matter of Qin Yuxiu.
It was quite far away, so Yao Niang couldn't see it clearly. She only felt that it looked like the snack plates on Zhang Wushan's table, piled higher than the others.
She turned to look at Wang Zhilan and gestured with her hand to indicate the height of the dessert plate on her table. Wang Zhilan smiled and nodded at her.
"The princess knew that Lord Zhang liked it, so she gave this special instruction."
Gu Yaoniang gained a new understanding of Princess Ruining. It turned out that the princess was actually so kind and considerate.
But she felt something was off: "Why did they only invite the top two scholars today, and not the second-place scholar among the top three?"
Could it be that the second-place scholar and the princess are at odds?
Upon hearing this, Wang Zhilan knew she had misunderstood. Just as she was about to speak, Xie Danqiu interjected:
"The second-place finisher is a decrepit old man with gray hair and beard. Who wants to hang out with him!"
Wang Zhilan clicked her tongue softly, expressing her dissatisfaction with Xie Danqiu. She looked around before saying, "Cousin, be careful."
Xie Danqiu didn't take it seriously, so Wang Zhilan had to say to Yao Niang, "The second-place scholar, Lord Yao, is only in his forties now. He's not as exaggerated as my cousin described, a decrepit old man with white hair and beard! However, he is indeed not of our generation, so the princess did not invite him today."
She thought for a moment, then added, "Lord Yao and the princess have no ill feelings towards each other. It's just that today's flower banquet is only for people of our generation, that's why..."
Before he could finish speaking, Xie Danqiu impatiently interrupted him: "Alright, alright, why are you so long-winded at such a young age! Why do you have to rephrase it and say it again!"
Although her words were impatient, her expression was full of teasing. Wang Zhilan clearly understood that Xie Danqiu meant no harm, and although she was interrupted, she did not show any annoyance.
Gu Yaoniang couldn't help but feel a little envious of the close relationship between the two of them.
Nowadays, after everyone is seated at a banquet, the host announces the ceremony and then the banquet begins.
This banquet was no exception.
Princess Ruining sat in the pavilion at the head of the table and announced loudly, "Today I invite you all to a small banquet at my princess's residence to enjoy the flowers and wine. May you all have a wonderful time!"
After saying that, he clapped his hands and beckoned the princess's maids to come inside.
The maids who had been waiting nearby filed in, and soon the small table in front of everyone was filled with cups, plates and bowls.
It was only then that Yao Niang realized that the flower banquet at Princess Ruining's residence was not just about appreciating flowers, but also about incorporating flowers into the cuisine. Almost every dish had a floral element.
The cold dish is Crystal Jade Crispy Hands, which is made by boiling and deboning pig's trotters, then solidifying them with Bauhinia petals into a crystal-clear meat jelly. The meat is then sliced and arranged on a plate, garnished with fresh Bauhinia flowers.
The soup was honeysuckle and pigeon soup, with strands of honeysuckle visible in the clear broth. The amount of honeysuckle used was just right—not too little, allowing the delicate fragrance and sweet aftertaste of the honeysuckle to shine through; nor too much, causing the bitterness of the honeysuckle to overpower the deliciousness of the pigeon soup.
Hot dishes include crispy magnolia blossoms, which are magnolia blossoms coated in batter and deep-fried; and golden and silver jasmine, which are eggs beaten and stir-fried with jasmine blossoms, resulting in a dish with alternating gold and silver colors.
Another must-have dish in Shuojing is pork knuckle, with gardenia petals added to the soup for a refreshing aroma.
That's quite an ingenious idea!
The maid poured wine into Yao Niang's cup, but Yao Niang still remembered her disgraceful behavior after drinking last time, and dared not actually put the wine in her mouth.
Wang Zhilan and Xie Danqiu had both drunk a cup. Seeing that the wine in her cup was still untouched, Wang Zhilan whispered, "Sister Yaoniang, the princess has prepared osmanthus wine today. It's very delicious and won't make you drunk."
Xie Danqiu also urged, "Try a sip! You can't usually get to drink this!"
Gu Yaoniang dared not drink it! Last time at Zuiyue Tower, when she drank the "Sinking Fish" wine, she also said it wouldn't make her drunk, but what happened?
It's because I have a low alcohol tolerance that I'm intoxicated; I can't blame the wine.
She shook her head and said to the two of them shyly, "I have a low alcohol tolerance and poor drinking manners, so I dare not drink."
Xie Danqiu objected: "Even if your alcohol tolerance is poor, does that mean you can't have a single drop?"
Wang Zhilan remained silent, simply watching from the sidelines, clearly siding with Xie Danqiu this time.
Seeing that she couldn't refuse, but not daring to eat it, Gu Yaoniang asked in a low voice, "Ladies, do you know about the 'Sinking Fish' at Zuiyue Tower?"
"Of course I know!" Xie Danqiu replied.
"She knows best! She has always loved the 'Sinking Fish' (a type of fish), and she goes to drink a pot of it from time to time."
Wang Zhilan, standing to the side, waited with a mischievous look on her face for Yao Niang to continue.
Seeing that the two of them knew, Yao Niang spoke even softer, in a voice only they could hear: "I drank a small cup earlier."
She gestured, then continued, "I slept all day."
"Are you kidding me?"
Xie Danqiu clearly didn't believe it and unconsciously raised her voice to shout. Seeing that the surrounding guests were all looking this way, she quickly lowered her voice: "Really? You're not just teasing me, are you!"
Although Wang Zhilan didn't say anything, she just looked at Yao Niang, and her expression clearly showed disbelief.
Yao Niang smiled wryly. Her alcohol tolerance was indeed unbelievably low, so it was understandable that Xie Danqiu and Wang Zhilan didn't believe her.
She didn't know how to explain, and seeing that the two of them clearly didn't believe her, she raised her glass and smelled it; it was indeed not a strong liquor.
Taking just a sip shouldn't be a problem, right?
Gu Yaoniang thought for a moment, then touched her lips to the rim of the cup, just enough to wet her upper lip, before removing the cup.
She gently licked it; it was indeed a fine wine, with the rich fragrance of osmanthus blossoms on her lips and a delightful aroma upon tasting.
Xie Danqiu and Wang Zhilan saw that her cheeks were slowly flushed with a rosy glow.
Xie Danqiu stared in disbelief, then snatched Yao Niang's wine cup. Seeing that there was almost no wine left in it, he was greatly surprised: "You really can't drink wine?"
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