The drinks were all served, and Madam Yun said a few words of thanks for the celebration before announcing the start of the banquet.
Shi Wenxia raised his hand and ordered the maids to open all the lids of the dishes on the table at the same time.
For a moment, the aroma filled the air.
After a burst of heat, the ladies stared intently at the round table.
Shi Wenxia held her breath, waiting for someone to express surprise, astonishment, or exclamation, so she could immediately offer an explanation and solemnly present her All-Lotus Banquet.
However, after a period of silence, the whispers of the ladies began to rise.
"What is this? It looks like a 'golden house full of treasures and many sons' ornament, but the appearance is far from what one would expect."
"Isn't that right? This is a lotus root-shaped, eight-sided exquisite piece, isn't it? Why is the color so pale? When did Fuxilou fall so far behind in quality?"
"Also, is this supposed to be a lotus flower soup called 'Blooming Prosperity'? Why does it look so strange? It's watery and tastes awful; it doesn't taste like 'Blooming Prosperity' at all."
Shi Wenxia was completely dumbfounded.
She stood up hesitantly and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is not the 'Golden Jade Hall' of Fuxi Restaurant, but a very special banquet from He County, three hundred miles away, called the 'All-Lotus Banquet.' Please look, all these dishes are made from parts of the lotus flower, including lotus root, lotus seeds, and lotus buds..."
Wu Xinxin, who had been silent until now, curled her lip in disdain. "We can see all this with our own eyes. And the lotus leaf chicken is wrapped in lotus leaves, who doesn't know that? What 'All Lotus Banquet'? It's just a blatant imitation of the 'Golden Jade Banquet'! Bah! Even if you're going to plagiarize, at least do it properly. The appearance and the taste are far inferior to the 'Golden Jade Banquet'!"
Shi Wenxia broke out in a cold sweat. The banquet hall, adorned with gold and jade, was actually a lotus feast.
That's impossible!
How could anyone in Kyoto know about the All Lotus Banquet in He County?
Su Youran kindly chimed in, "Sister, this banquet isn't 'Golden Jade Abundance.' My mother originally intended to book 'Golden Jade Abundance' at Fuxi Restaurant, but I suppose my sister-in-law thought it was too extravagant and wasteful, so she specially invited a chef from He County, three hundred miles away, to create a banquet that no one had ever tasted before. But I never imagined that this ingenious banquet would be such a blatant copy of 'Golden Jade Abundance,' and in such a bizarre way. I'm sure my sister-in-law was misled and didn't know that. Please don't blame my sister-in-law."
These words exonerated the mother and exonerated Shi Wenxia; they were truly kind words.
But to Shi Wenxia, the words "extravagant and wasteful" and "plagiarism" sounded like Su Youran was mocking her, which made her chest ache with anger.
However, how could Wu Yilian let go of such a good opportunity to ridicule Shi Wenxia?
Sue spat out a lotus seed and said sarcastically, "Oh dear, we all know how stingy the Duchess is. No wonder there's such a meager banquet! It turns out the new heir's wife couldn't bear to spend money to invite the Golden Jade Hall of Fuxi Restaurant! Of course, how could an orphan girl living under someone else's roof have any money left to pay for the banquet after she's already covered the cost of these eight-immortal table and chairs?"
Wu Xinxin had long been dissatisfied with Shi Wenxia's attitude towards her sister, and chimed in, "Still trying to be mysterious, I wonder what kind of rural place He County, three hundred miles away, is? What kind of great chef could come from such a small county and village? They actually came all the way to the Duke's mansion in the capital to show off their skills, aren't they afraid of being laughed at!"
Shi Wenxia felt a chill run through his body. He opened his mouth and weakly uttered a few incoherent words such as "Ah...this...no...I don't know..."
They had no choice but to turn their pleading gaze to the main table.
Seated at the main table were several people, including Madam Yun, Madam Su, the Eldest Princess, the Madam of the Duke of Zhenguo, and the wife of Chief Minister Lin.
Madam Su coughed lightly. "Ladies and young ladies, I am truly sorry. Wenxia is a new bride, and for the past six years she has devoted herself to mourning her parents, never stepping out of her own courtyard. Naturally, she is not very familiar with the changes in the capital city over the past few years, so it is not surprising that she does not know about the 'Golden Jade Hall' banquet. She originally meant well, thinking of sharing the household affairs to show her filial piety, and also thinking of finding some new dishes for you all to try. Unexpectedly, she ran into the 'Golden Jade Hall' banquet. Well, the ingredients for the 'Golden Jade Hall' banquet are not entirely lotus flowers and lotus roots; there are also some other ingredients. I will send someone to have Fuxi Restaurant quickly send over a few dishes."
Shi Wenxia quickly tried to cover it up, saying, "Mother, this was my oversight, and I've made a fool of myself in front of our distinguished guests. I will make up for the expenses of Fuxi Restaurant."
Madam Su smiled and said, "That's not necessary, you're not exactly well-off either."
Shi Wenxia gritted his teeth, determined to save face in front of Wu Yilian and the others. "It's only right. Since my wife is in charge of organizing this birthday banquet, she should naturally take on the responsibility."
Helpless, Mrs. Su said, "Since you insist, then so be it."
So he summoned Hongyu and gave her a few instructions, which Hongyu quickly accepted and left.
Seeing how much Madam Su defended her daughter-in-law, the eldest princess chimed in, "I just tasted it myself, and this Lotus Banquet isn't entirely without merit; it's still edible. Please don't complain. As long as it's a feast, it's enough to fill your stomachs. We're here today to celebrate the old lady's birthday, isn't it all about having a good time?"
The old lady of the Duke of Zhenguo chuckled and said, "That's right! At our age, who cares about the taste? As long as we're full, that's enough! Come, come, eat!"
...
On the other side, the male guests also received death stares from the other guests.
Those present were all powerful and high-ranking officials, most of whom had naturally enjoyed the finest delicacies.
In comparison, this so-called "All Lotus Banquet" pales in comparison in both appearance and taste, and is highly suspected of being a poor imitation.
However, Yun Tianbai couldn't explain things in a fussy way like Shi Wenxia, so he could only urge her to drink.
However, the June Wine on the table was quickly finished, and the servants brought out the Scholar's Red Wine.
The guests immediately became dissatisfied. "We were drinking so well in June, why did we switch to Zhuangyuan Hong?"
"The Duke's mansion has never been short of money, so why is the banquet so stingy this time?"
"This is supposed to be Madam Yun's birthday banquet! This is... this is just too inadequate..."
"It certainly wasn't the Duchess's doing. I wonder if it was the new bride who arranged it?"
"Alright, alright, the bride is young and inevitably makes mistakes. Today, I think we haven't had enough to eat or drink, so it's best to go home early!"
Yun Tianbai's face turned ashen upon hearing this.
Yun Yue also looked rather unwell. He had never imagined that one day he would be humiliated by a woman from the inner quarters.
At this moment, the doorman shouted loudly, "Prince Rong has arrived!"
Yun Yue immediately stood up and went out to greet him.
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