Chapter 117 Let’s Hold an Autumn Banquet
Fudong couldn't help laughing when he heard that, but Xiaochun glared at him angrily, so he stopped laughing and said, "I know. I'll go to the kitchen and prepare something delicious for Your Highness."
Jiang Xue squinted her eyes while soaking in the tub. She stretched out her hand and pinched her legs, saying, "I haven't walked this far in a long time. My legs feel heavy and uncomfortable as if they were filled with lead."
Xiaochun massaged her shoulders and asked, "Where did you go, Your Highness?"
"Qiong Shuang has been bored in the Prime Minister's Residence for a few days. She couldn't stay there any longer, so I sneaked out with her to take a walk."
Xiaochun bit her lip in thought, and the kneading movements in her hands gradually became lighter. Jiang Xue turned her head to look at her slightly frowned brows and asked softly, "What's wrong?"
Xiaochun hesitated for a moment, slowly opened her lips and whispered: "I have something to say, but I don't know if I should say it."
"There's no need to worry too much between you and me," Jiang Xue said, "but you can talk about it."
Xiaochun said: "The robe your Highness wore this morning is a men's standard."
Jiang Xue nodded.
"I saw that the outer robe that Fudong took to wash this morning looked somewhat familiar..."
Seeing her hesitant expression, Jiang Xue smiled and said, "Did you figure it out?"
Xiaochun whispered, "The style of the clothes is not like the common men's robes in Ji State. The embroidery is complicated, and the fabric looks like it is not ordinary..."
"You are really attentive," Jiang Xue smiled and said, "It is Jing Ye's outer robe."
Jing Ye’s outer robe - Jiang Xue suddenly remembered how Jing Ye kicked him out of the car today, and suddenly laughed.
Although Jing Ye was always inexplicable, she had many things to do that couldn't be separated from him. She had been worrying about how to make peace all the way back - now she had an opportunity to go find him.
Xiaochun's face changed slightly, and she said solemnly: "Your Highness, I know that this is not something I should say, and I also know that it is really disrespectful to say so - but he is a great prince, and Your Highness is a princess of Ji State, and you are married. No matter how absurd and immoral the prince consort is, your Highness should really be careful in what he says and does as the marriage is still unresolved."
"Are you worried that I would do something out of line with him, or are you afraid that I would have thoughts that I shouldn't have and give people a chance to talk about me?" Jiang Xue asked with a raised eyebrow.
Xiaochun shook her head and said earnestly, "I know your Highness. You are not that kind of person. You will never have anything to do with him."
"But, Your Highness is a princess, and thousands of eyes are on you every day. If he keeps pestering Your Highness, a hairpin yesterday and a robe today - when Your Majesty's birthday is over, he can just turn around and leave, while Your Highness will have to endure the criticism of the court officials and even the people of Ji Dynasty. This will do Your Highness a hundred harms and no benefit."
"Besides," Xiaochun said earnestly, "Your Highness is the only princess of our great Ji Dynasty. Your behavior will be regarded as a role model for women in Ji Dynasty. Also, if the pearl is really covered in dust, it will not only damage your Highness, but also the reputation of the emperor and even the women of Ji Dynasty."
When Jiang Xue saw Xiaochun's expression, she felt as if she saw Aunt Dong in the palace through her face.
When Xiao Qi left the palace with the diplomatic envoys that year, Empress Lu, who was unaware of the truth, thought that Jiang Xue was simply unable to extricate herself from the grief of her relationship with Xiao Qi, and sent Dong Shupei to persuade her. At that time, Dong Shupei also said similar things to her.
She smiled bitterly and said, "How could I not know?"
When she was little, she thought being a princess was boring. The red palace walls were several feet high, trapping all the women in the harem inside, creating a most precious and unique birdcage.
Although she often tried to escape from the palace to play, she was always discovered. No matter how much the emperor and empress loved her, she could not escape punishment due to the palace rules and ancestral system. Every time she was punished, she had a little private thought, thinking that it would be great if the princess could have the power to go out of the palace to play at will.
Later, when she secretly got married to Xiao Qi, she even had the delusion of escaping from the palace with him, thinking that the position of princess could be thrown away like dirt on the street and there was nothing worth cherishing.
It was not until Jiang Chen passed away and Jiang Yu asked to leave the capital for the border that she realized that her father had worked hard to support the government alone. Not only could she not help at all, but her affair with Xiao Qi was leaked. She was able to save her face only because of the protection of her father, her mother, and her grandfather.
Court officials are paid by the emperor and are loyal to him, while royal family members are paid by the people and are responsible for their well-being.
She was raised in luxury and was the face of the royal family and the State of Ji.
Selfish pleasures and private thoughts should never be indulged in.
Jiang Xue sighed and said, "I have always understood what you are worried about."
"Right now I really have something important to do with him, but you can rest assured that I know the limits." Jiang Xue said, "At first glance, I won't have too much interaction with him."
Seeing that they could not persuade him, Xiaochun sighed and said, "Your Highness, please be careful."
"Well," Jiang Xue whispered, "The matter between Jing Ye and I - you must remember not to let the palace know."
Xiaochun nodded silently.
After Jiang Xue took a shower, she changed into her dress and asked Xiaochun to carefully put makeup on her and cover the red marks on her wrists. Then she sent someone to watch at the door of the mansion, waiting for Gu Lintan to return.
Fu Dong led the maid into Wen Qing Xuan to serve the dishes. She laid out the snacks that Jiang Xue usually liked to eat, and brought out a bowl of white jade fish soup and a plate of honey-glazed osmanthus lotus root slices. She said, "Your Highness, first fill your stomach with something light and warm. If you can't eat more for dinner, just eat less."
Jiang Xue nodded, and called Xiaochun Fudong to sit down and eat together.
The two had been with Jiang Xue since they were young, and they were like sisters. Jiang Xue was not polite when no one was around, so Fu Dong sat beside her and reached out to pick up a piece of chrysanthemum cake. While eating, he sighed, "Although it's a bit bleak at this time, chrysanthemums are really good and beautiful, and they are delicious when made into cakes."
Jiang Xue seemed to be thinking about something, then turned to Xiaochun and asked, "Do you know what the names of the banquets held by the noble families in the capital are?"
Xiaochun was busy serving food to Jiang Xue. She reached out and scooped half a bowl of fish soup for Jiang Xue, saying, "Your Highness, eat it while it's hot."
"Ordinary banquets are nothing more than weddings, funerals, festivals, and birthdays," Xiaochun said, "but if there are no such things, we still have to find some entertainment to pass the long time, such as flower viewing, poetry, polo, hunting in the enclosure, etc., or some rare and uncommon food to share with other families, or appreciate rare treasures. There are many such things."
After that, she asked again, "Does Your Highness want to host a banquet?"
Jiang Xue nodded and said, "What Fudong said just now is right. The chrysanthemums in the capital are in full bloom right now. We can enjoy them and eat them. It is also noble and elegant to write about chrysanthemums in poems. Since the establishment of the Gu Mansion, no hostess has ever hosted a proper banquet. Why not take this opportunity to hold an autumn banquet."
Fu Dong said happily: "Crabs are fat at this time of year. Ruzhou offers autumn crabs to the palace around this time every year. Why not use it as one of the names of this autumn banquet and invite all the nobles to come and share it?"
Xiaochun shook his head helplessly and said, "I think you want to eat it yourself."
Jiang Xue smiled and said, "Fudong is always the one who knows the most about food, so that's great. Xiaochun, you can start doing this for me in the next few days. The date will be set in the middle of the month. When I have prepared the list of the nobles to be invited, you can prepare the flowery paper for me and send it along."
"Your Highness, do you have a rough idea of who you want to be?" Xiaochun asked. "You don't usually interact with these officials' wives and ladies. Do you need me to go to the palace and ask Aunt Dong for advice?"
Jiang Xue nodded and said, "Okay, you can ask Aunt Dong. But I want to invite the wives of officials above the fourth rank in the court."
"Especially the wives of noble families and the wives of the ministers of the six ministries. All of them should be invited."
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