The more Madam Han and Madam Han looked at Xie Yushu, the more they liked her. They chatted with Xie Yushu affectionately for a while and told her to come to their house to play sometime!
Madam Han even said that she liked her at first sight and dreamed of having a daughter like her. She then took off an amethyst bracelet from her hand and put it on Xie Yushu.
Xie Yushu declined several times, but seeing the sincerity of Madam Han's offer, she had no choice but to accept it.
They nodded in agreement to their invitation!
I thought it would be good to pay them a visit before leaving Beijing, so as to thank them for their help.
In fact, considering the relationship between Han Zhongyu and Xie Yushu, Xie Yushu should have paid a visit to the Han family first when she arrived in the capital.
However, she didn't know any of the Han family members, and there wasn't a daughter of the same age in the Han family. The only person she knew, Han Zhongyu, wasn't home. Even if he were home, in this era, people would probably gossip about her visiting the elders of her male friends. After thinking about it, Xie Yushu decided not to go.
Moreover, the Han family has a pure and upright family tradition. If she were to visit them rashly, she might be seen as someone who is trying to curry favor or of questionable character. That would be pointless. A woman should be reserved, and she should maintain her composure.
But things are different now. The Han family father and son argued in the court all morning to protect his reputation, and Han's eldest sister-in-law came to celebrate her housewarming and help her warm her new home. The old lady and madam Han also invited her repeatedly. If she didn't go, she would be ungrateful!
As the banquet grew, Xie Yushu exchanged a few pleasantries with the Han family before returning to her seat.
It was Nanxing's first time attending a palace banquet, and she was also responsible for protecting Xie Yushu, so she was a little nervous. She would warily scan everyone who approached Xie Yushu several times.
Xie Yushu told her to relax, that what Aunt Su had taught her was enough to protect her life, and that she would also be careful to protect herself.
The banquet lasts at least two hours. If it's this intense right from the start, you're more likely to get tired later.
Nanxing finally breathed a sigh of relief and tried to relax.
Xie Yushu thought to herself that the tricks in the palace were just so-so: framing, poisoning, disfigurement, and ruining reputation. They were all over the TV dramas, and she didn't believe that Consort Chu could come up with anything new!
Before long, Consort Chu entered surrounded by the crowd. The ladies and young misses outside knelt down in a flurry. Xie Yushu, out of consideration for the royal family's reputation, stood up and nodded. The Eighth Prince's wife did the same, while Xuan Yuanche didn't even lift his eyelids.
Consort Chu looked around arrogantly, then smiled at Xie Yushu, and said meaningfully.
"Princess Jingde looks even more radiant these days!"
Xie Yushu returned the smile.
"Thank you for the compliment, Consort Chu!"
When Consort Chu heard Xie Yushu's reply, her smile widened, clearly revealing her ill intentions.
Chu Mingzhu, however, was still indignant and muttered...
"Shameless! Unscrupulous!"
Xie Yushu asked with a smile
"Is Princess Rong'an's face no longer in pain?"
Chu Mingzhu immediately turned pale with anger.
"Mingzhu, watch your temper!"
Seeing this, Consort Chu spoke up to stop them.
Then he gave Xie Yushu a cool look and went to her seat with an air of nonchalance.
Seeing this, Chu Mingzhu also found her seat and sat down.
Before long, a young eunuch began to sing.
"His Majesty the Emperor has arrived! His Majesty the Empress Dowager has arrived! His Majesty the Empress has arrived! All the princes and princesses have arrived!"
"Your subject/your wife/your daughter greets the Emperor, Empress Dowager, and Empress, and also greets the princes and princesses!"
"Rise!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
After rising, everyone took their seats. Emperor Qingyuan first made a few opening remarks, mainly to welcome the envoys from various countries and to express his hope that everyone would eat, drink, and have fun in Daqi.
Then they announced the start of the banquet!
A row of palace maids filed in, serving wine and dishes to each table in turn, and a song and dance performance began in the room.
After the dance ended, envoys began to present gifts to the Empress Dowager. This time, the envoys came from Dongli, Rouran, Yan, Zhao, and Goryeo.
Among them, the states of Yan and Zhao and the state of Qi are in a tripartite balance of power, and they are eyeing each other covetously, yet none of them dare to start a war first. The others are small neighboring states that occasionally fight among themselves, but there has been no large-scale war for decades!
The countries have long been eager to make moves against each other, and this visit is also a way for them to spy on each other's national situations.
This time, however, their arrival in Daqi truly shocked them. Everything, from the houses to the various novelties, was much better than in previous years. They all suspected that the spies had betrayed them and were sending back false information.
I was originally full of confidence and ready to show off my birthday gift, but for some reason I feel like I'm not presenting it well!
Despite his thoughts, he still presented his birthday gift in a methodical manner.
Even though Xie Yushu wasn't very knowledgeable about goods, she could tell that those congratulatory gifts were all priceless!
Emperor Qingyuan had already made a huge profit from this, and he happily expressed his gratitude, sounding as sincere as could be!
Halfway through the banquet, a palace maid accidentally stirred the soup while serving Xie Yushu, and it looked like the soup was about to spill onto Xie Yushu's skirt.
Xie Yushu reacted quickly, dodging the attack by tugging at her skirt.
The young palace maid looked at Xie Yushu in surprise, and Xie Yushu smiled knowingly.
"Sorry! I dodged it!"
The young palace maid was at a loss for what expression to make in front of Yidu, and simply stood there dumbfounded.
Xie Yushu kindly reminded her again
"Clean this up and leave!"
The palace maid hurriedly lowered her head, scrambled to pack her things, and left.
That's all? No way! Just look at how brightly Consort Chu smiled at her just now; she must have more tricks up her sleeve.
However, Xie Yushu wasn't in a hurry; she would just deal with whatever came her way!
Just as she expected, a short while later, a different palace maid served her dishes: cherry pork and osmanthus shark fin soup.
On the surface, nothing seemed amiss; everyone had the same plates and the same dishes. Xie Yushu didn't notice anything wrong at first glance either. But after taking a bite, she could tell that the cherry meat was bright red, with a sweet taste and a hint of herbal flavor, neither bitter nor sweet.
The palace maid saw Xie Yushu stop eating after one bite, and bent down to ask...
"But this dish doesn't suit the princess's taste? The princess can try this Osmanthus Shark Fin Soup."
As the palace maid moved closer, Xie Yushu could smell the floral fragrance on her more clearly.
Xie Yushu recognized the smell; it was the same peony that grew in the flowerbeds of her elementary school.
Xie Yushu, who hadn't known where the second round was placed before, suddenly understood.
If she's not mistaken, the soup for this osmanthus-flavored shark fin soup should contain vermicelli juice!
She didn't understand traditional Chinese medicine pulse diagnosis, but she had read the formula for the "Eighteen Incompatibilities" in traditional Chinese medicine. The formula included ginseng, asarum, peony, vermicelli, and cinnamon. Peony and vermicelli, one has little flavor and the other is slightly spicy. If they are prepared well, they can be mixed into the seasonings and you can't taste them at all. If it weren't for the peony sachet on that little palace maid, she really wouldn't have thought of this. That could have really killed her!
Unfortunately, they were probably feeling guilty and afraid of being questioned by Xie Yushu, so they deliberately wore sachets to cover themselves up, which inadvertently gave them away.
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