Guan Hexagram (Middle-Upper Level)
Chapter 20 Guan Hexagram - Upper-Middle Hexagram - To Divinate or Not to Divinate?
At the Listening to Rain Pavilion, a group of maids began to lift the black silk covering the pond from front to back, and a faint fragrance wafted out.
All that could be seen was a pond full of lush, verdant lotus leaves standing tall and vibrant. Moreover, from within these verdant leaves, pale pink lotus blossoms were emerging!
"Oh my, look, isn't that a lotus flower?!"
"It really is a lotus flower!!"
"It's not even April yet, no, it should be June yet, and the lotus flowers in the Marquis's mansion have already bloomed?!"
Not only were the guests surprised, but even the Lady Hou was taken aback.
When she first learned of this news from Rong Yan, she didn't believe it.
What warming and heat-inducing properties will cause lotus flowers to bloom earlier?
This was unheard of; a lotus pond made of mud, seemingly in a regular pattern. Although she didn't believe it, she was also curious whether it could really work.
As it turns out, seeing it today, it really has come true!
The impact was no less than what the visitors witnessed.
Rong Shu was speechless, staring blankly at the lotus pond before looking up at the sky.
At that moment, the maid standing by the Listening to Rain Pavilion exclaimed in surprise, "Heavens! The young mistress said it would rain at three-quarters past noon, and it really did!"
Princess Yongqing raised her eyebrows slightly and looked up at the sky.
Just as the maid finished stirring the entire pond, a light drizzle began to fall from the sky. The raindrops, like ethereal curtains of water, landed on the soft downy hairs of the lotus flowers and then slowly slid off, creating a truly beautiful scene.
The maids were even more shocked by the picturesque scene before them than the dignitaries present!
Only the maids knew that this was the time Rong Yan had divined, and it was absolutely accurate!
Everyone in the audience was speechless at the sight before them.
Delicious food paired with beautiful scenery makes for a truly enjoyable experience.
Princess Yongqing, regaining her senses, couldn't help but praise the Lady of the Marquis, "The Lady of the Marquis has made excellent arrangements. This is the first time since the beginning of the year that I have experienced a banquet at the Marquis's residence that is even more magnificent than a palace banquet."
"Yes, Lady Hou is truly remarkable!"
"I dare not accept such praise. This is all thanks to my daughter-in-law. She was entrusted with the entire banquet."
She only hoped that the banquet hosted by Rong Yan would go smoothly. But now, not only was it well-organized, but it was also embellished, making her look good and further satisfying her.
"Young mistress is indeed a promising young lady. I imagine she will be able to manage the household affairs with ease in the future."
Rong Shu gritted her teeth. The power of managing the household affairs?
Lady Hou smiled but did not reply.
After a while, the people on the table were finally drawn back to the fruit wine on the table.
Madam Xi looked up at Rong Yan, "What's so special about this?"
"Yes, why three cups?"
Because it was served in a white porcelain cup, the clear color of the wine was immediately apparent: light pink on the far left, pale yellow in the middle, and beige on the far right.
Out of respect, Rong Yan stood up. "These are the fruit wines the temple plans to prepare to thank the pilgrims when it reopens. The one on the far left is bayberry wine, the one in the middle is apricot wine, and the one on the far right is lychee wine. Because the preparations for this banquet were not thorough enough, we used a method of blending pressed juice during the brewing process, which shortened the fermentation time and made it slightly sweeter. If you like this taste, we will officially launch the fruit wines for sale in the future."
Upon hearing the name Hebai Temple, everyone's expressions changed slightly, especially since it involved fruit wine.
How bad is the reputation of Hebai Temple?
That is, even if it was closed, they wouldn't know, so why would they care when it reopened?
Therefore, everyone's expressions were somewhat awkward and dismissive.
Everyone avoided talking about her background, but she took the initiative to bring up Hebai Temple.
This undoubtedly serves as a reminder that she was merely a concubine's daughter who had been sent to a Taoist temple by her master's family.
Nowadays, aged wines are the most popular. Fruit wines have a rich color and look like beautiful glass. When you smell them, they don't have the spiciness of aged wines, but have a faint sweetness.
Everyone took a small sip, and even Wang picked up her cup and examined it carefully before tasting each cup, her face showing a hint of disagreement.
"Did you add sugar?"
"Yes, because of the time constraints, the flavor of the squeezed juice wasn't quite right, so a little sugar was indeed added to the apricot wine." This was the quickest solution Du Chunhong could think of.
Nowadays, people prefer aged wines, as fruit wines are too sweet and not to everyone's liking.
However, the fruit wine she made was quite refreshing, and after everyone took another sip, they discovered its wonderful qualities.
"This wine, sister, has a slightly sweet taste upon first sip, but the aftertaste is surprisingly reminiscent of Longjing tea!"
Rong Yan then smiled and said, "Sister has excellent taste. During the fermentation process, Madam Du introduced Longjing tea extract."
"What?!"
Everyone was shocked; this tea could actually be mixed with wine?!
The tea's lightness balances the sweetness of the fruit wine, resulting in a unique and flavorful dish.
Rong Yan smiled knowingly as he looked at the same expression on everyone's face as Li Fuquan's when he first learned about the formula.
"It's just that we didn't control the concentration of the tea extract well, which made us a laughing stock."
"No, no, no, it's not astringent or bitter. It has the flavor of lychee and you can also taste the essence of Longjing tea. It's truly wonderful. I never imagined that your residence was such a place where hidden talents reside."
People who initially looked down on fruit wine have all changed their attitudes.
Rong Yan smiled to himself. When it came to cocktails, they were just playing around with a little trick. But seeing the different expressions on everyone's faces, and with the salted pork and egg yolk rice dumplings they had eaten earlier, they didn't feel tipsy at all after a few drinks. Everyone was getting happier and more addicted to the drinks.
Several people even asked Rong Yan on the spot, "Were the lychees transported here at a high price?"
Just when everyone thought it was juice squeezed from frozen lychees, Rong Yan wasn't afraid of revealing the secret. He smiled and shook his head, "It's dried lychees. Please don't laugh at me. It was a hasty creation. If you like it, I guarantee that the drinks served in the future will be a hundred times more delicious than today's."
"My goodness, how did you come up with this? It's so delicious! Even I, who don't usually like alcohol, think it's incredibly good!"
Rong Shu also took a few sips and found it surprisingly delicious, but she pretended to be calm and did not refill her wine as frequently as the other young ladies.
The young lady from the Right Office couldn't help but question, "But isn't it inappropriate for a Taoist temple to add wine and beverages?"
The unspoken meaning behind her words was simply to remind her that this was not a legitimate sect's female Daoist, but rather a self-taught practitioner.
Her original intention was to curry favor with Princess Yongqing, but she did not expect that Rong Yan would not only remain calm but also act with propriety. She said, "Hebai Temple is different from ordinary Taoist temples. Please rest assured, the execution ground will not be set up without following the rules. A tent will be set up at the foot of the mountain."
Princess Yongqing suddenly frowned, interrupting everyone's conversation, "The wine is indeed very good, but I heard that your Taoist temple recently held a funeral. If we go there, we might bring bad luck."
After Princess Yongqing finished speaking, the room fell silent for a moment, but then someone spoke up again.
“That’s right. The young mistress grew up in a Taoist temple, so she’s not afraid of bad luck. Wouldn’t it be very inauspicious for us to go there?”
Several young ladies looked at each other, none of them daring to utter a word in rebuttal.
Rong Shu's lips curled up slightly, and the warm smell of charcoal fire in the air seemed to intensify. She lowered her eyes, fully aware of the dangers of possessing a treasure.
Originally, she did intend to curry favor with Princess Yong'an at this banquet.
However, when she saw Wang's attitude towards Princess Yong'an, she suddenly understood a principle.
She smiled and looked at the princess. “I’m sorry, everyone. My sister speaks without thinking and is just joking. Please don’t mind her. However, although she grew up in the temple and her parents often visit her, she is also blessed by the temple and has been free from disasters and difficulties all these years. We are very grateful to my sister in the temple for praying for us.”
Not only did she speak up for Rong Yan, which is quite rare, but she also raised her status, causing Rong Yan to look up at her.
Madam Wang stepped in to smooth things over, saying, "If everyone likes it, please eat more. Come on, everyone, start eating. Please also serve Princess Yongqing some food."
Everyone suddenly remembered the dishes on the table; nine courses had been served, each one a masterpiece. It was truly a perfect match of fine wine and delicious food.
"Yes, yes, Madam Hou, I was just about to ask about the cook in your household. You really haven't changed him?"
Madam Wang smiled and gave him a reproachful look, "No, no, I already said no, but you just wouldn't believe me. Granny Li, go and invite Chef Gan out. Tell him everyone wants to see him."
Upon hearing this, the maids deftly lifted up the screen in the corner of the room. The screen, with its simple plum blossom design, was as delicate as Zen, and perfectly separated the dining area from the entrance.
Rong Shu snorted coldly. Look at her younger sister, she thinks that just because she married into the Marquis's mansion, she can really be the mistress of the house. Every move she makes is as if she really is the mistress of the house.
Ha, let her be arrogant for a while longer.
When Chef Gan came in, he was very nervous. Rong Yan watched him step into the doorway and almost tripped over the threshold, which made the ladies in the hall cover their mouths and laugh.
"Greetings, Madam Hou, Princess Yongqing, ladies and gentlemen."
"Oh my, how can a cook with such weak hands make such delicious dishes? All the cooks in our household are fat and bloated."
"you do not say."
Princess Yongqing raised an eyebrow, as if bestowing a reward, and glanced at the maid behind her, "Reward."
The maid then carried a bag of money, went around behind the screen, and handed it to Chef Gan.
When Chef Gan learned that the gift was a reward from Princess Yongqing, he was overjoyed. Being an overly honest man, he knelt down to express his gratitude and said loudly, "Thank you, Princess Yongqing, but I, Chef Gan, dare not accept more of this money. Half of the credit for this banquet belongs to the young mistress and Madam Du."
Everyone: ? ? ?
This cook is really bad at speaking. He doesn't even flatter the Lady Hou, but tries to curry favor with the new young mistress. He's really clinging to the wrong powerful figure.
Princess Yongqing was a person of such high birth that she quickly grasped the ways of the world.
"Take it as a reward." Princess Yongqing smiled and gave the order in a tone that brooked no refusal, as if speaking to him was a great favor.
"Thank you, Princess Yongqing!"
Princess Yongqing smiled, not even glancing at the cook kneeling outside the screen, but instead turning her head to smile at Madam Wang and said, "It is all thanks to your excellent teaching, Madam Hou, that even the cook in the manor is so sensible."
Faced with the unexpected flattery, Madam Wang smiled, secretly glancing at Rong Yan, but showed no reaction.
Wang shook her head, thinking it was better to be a little less intelligent so that the princess wouldn't be able to sense her disparaging remarks.
On the other hand, Wang also hoped that Rong Yan was intelligent, so that taking a concubine might be a natural thing.
"You all don't need to try to make me happy. I'm making you feel uncomfortable eating here, so I'll head back now. You must be tired. Have fun. Yanyan, treat your guests well."
"Yes, Mother."
After Lady Hou left, an empty seat was left between Rong Yan and Princess Yongqing. Chef Gan was still waiting below. Princess Yongqing picked up a piece of pan-fried tofu and chewed it slowly. Suddenly, she exclaimed in surprise, and everyone present looked at her.
She spat out the food in her mouth, and among the food crumbs were a few sharp, tiny pieces of chestnut shells, which had been shaved down to the size of needle tips. Her saliva was full of red foam.
He was obviously stabbed and bleeding.
Rong Yan's first reaction was to look at the roasted chestnuts on the table. Although the chestnuts had been cut open, with Chef Gan's knife skills, there was absolutely no way he would make such a basic mistake.
Moreover, the size of the chestnut shell was clearly intentional.
Amidst the gasps of the crowd, Princess Yongqing frowned and raised her hand to cover her mouth. The maid behind her immediately rebuked her, "How dare you! You dared to injure Princess Yongqing! Such a servant, so poorly trained and mishandled, is unfit to remain in the Marquis's residence. As a cook, with such knife skills, you may have injured Princess Yongqing now, but what if you were to injure the Marquis one day? That would be far more serious. Once you leave the Marquis's residence, who would dare employ you?"
Chef Gan knelt below, his face pale with fright.
"I... absolutely not, absolutely not!" Before each dish was served, he would personally inspect it, and even if there were any broken pieces, they would be picked out. Not to mention that his knife skills were crisp and clean, each cut leaving the cutting board neatly; such things as broken pieces only happened to apprentices.
Every dish today, he prepared himself.
"I'm innocent! Princess Yongqing, I'm truly innocent! Young Madam, please save me!" Chef Gan burst into tears.
He was still basking in the praise for his cooking skills, feeling quite smug, when this sudden incident plunged him into despair.
If he were truly expelled from the Marquis's residence by Princess Yongqing, he would have no chance of ever working as a cook again!
Who would dare use it?!
Rong Yan turned his head to look directly into Princess Yongqing's eyes, his gaze firm and unwavering.
"I wonder if there's some misunderstanding here?" Rong Yan's voice was somewhat cold, without a trace of flattery.
The people at the table fell silent. They all thought that the position of the eldest daughter-in-law was already in Princess Yongqing's hands, but who would have thought that a Cheng Yaojin would suddenly appear and take away Princess Yongqing's beloved daughter.
Even if there's no problem with Chef Gan today, there will be a reason to stir up trouble tomorrow.
It was just an excuse; everyone knew the truth, but no one dared to say it aloud.
The maid behind Princess Yongqing frowned unhappily and said, "What misunderstanding is there? Princess Yongqing's lips have been pierced."
"No, it's impossible! I definitely didn't do this! Please, young mistress, save me!" Chef Gan was terrified. Now, only the young mistress could save him.
No matter how much he resents the powerful and wealthy, he would never do something that would ruin his own livelihood.
Rong Yan raised an eyebrow and said coldly, "Although I am a newlywed in the Marquis's mansion, the eldest son's lawfully wedded wife, and the emperor's blessed principal wife, you, as Princess Yongqing's maid, have no sense of hierarchy. Is this the kind of incorruptible manners taught in the palace?"
This clearly indicates that Princess Yongqing's subordinates have no sense of hierarchy or etiquette.
Anyone present could tell that although Rong Yan was referring to a palace maid, he was actually slapping Princess Yongqing in the face.
The line in particular, "the marriage was bestowed by the Emperor—the newlywed eldest daughter-in-law," was like rubbing salt into Princess Yongqing's wounds.
The maid who had spoken up for Princess Yongqing was immediately terrified. If the mistress were to pursue the matter, she would be punished with caning. But then she thought, who was she? How dare she act so arrogantly in front of Princess Yongqing? Didn't she know whose maid she was?
“Young mistress, there is no need to be angry. It is indeed my fault for not teaching you properly. If that is the case, then I should deal with my servants. You don’t need to come back to the palace with me. You don’t know propriety and shame. What’s the difference between you and that cook on the ground? Just be a commoner couple with that cook and live a commoner life.”
The maid's face turned deathly pale. She had stood up for the princess, yet the princess showed no protection whatsoever—was she trying to kill her?
Many of the young ladies present had suffered greatly at the hands of this maid in their younger days. Rong Yan's intervention to teach her a lesson was truly gratifying.
Chef Gan was oblivious to the intricacies of the situation and was solely focused on ensuring that Rong Yan could keep his job.
One of the young ladies stepped in to smooth things over, saying, "Let's just drop this matter about the cook. Princess Yongqing is kind-hearted and will surely not make things difficult for a cook's son."
Princess Yongqing: "No, if the eldest young master is injured one day, it will be a serious matter. No matter what, this cook cannot be kept alive. However, I do not like to wrongly accuse people. I heard that you learned some basic divination skills at the Taoist temple. Why don't you cast a divination to see if the cook's knife skills are faulty or if I am wronging him?"
Anyone with eyes could see that the cook was probably innocent. If it was Princess Yongqing who did it, then Rong Yan would never be foolish enough to offend Princess Yongqing, so he would have to say that the cook was guilty.
Whether to occupy or not, the outcome is already set in stone.
However, from then on, Rong Yan's divinations became unreliable.
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