She Holds the World After Being Reborn-Chapter 26 Borrowing the Commandery Princess for a Favor
Chapter 26: Chapter 26 Borrowing the Commandery Princess for a Favor
The banquet continued, with Palace Attendants carrying platter after platter of exquisite dishes in a continuous stream, each laid upon the table.
Rabbit legs, roasted wild duck, pheasant soup... all of them were meat dishes without exception.
Everyone hesitated slightly, this...
"These were all the little creatures who failed to escape last night, His Majesty has always advocated frugality. I couldn’t bear to waste them, so I had the Imperial Kitchen prepare them into dishes for everyone to taste something fresh," the Empress slowly said, and after speaking, she looked towards Abbot Xun Wu with a beaming smile, "Abbot wouldn’t mind, would he?"
Abbot Xun Wu looked at the plate of meat dishes before him, his expression unchanged, and brought his palms together, "Amitabha, Your Highness is considerate. I’m not a pedant. Everyone, please enjoy yourselves."
"Since the Abbot has said so, everyone need not be reserved," the Empress continued, and only then did people start to eat more comfortably, understanding why Her Highness had chosen to hold the banquet here.
Yan Wanqing sniffed the aroma of the pheasant soup, rich and stewed until the broth was a thick yellowish-white, with a few red goji berries floating on top and sprinkled with bits of bright green scallion, making it extremely appealing to the appetite.
"Would the miss like some soup?" Cong Ge knelt beside her, washed her hands, and first tore off a few pieces of tender chicken from the clay pot to place in a bowl, then wiped her hands clean before using the ladle to pour the broth over the chicken, and only then did she place it in front of Yan Wanqing.
Yan Wanqing took a sip with a spoon, the Imperial Kitchen’s skills were truly remarkable; just a simple pot of soup, and yet she tasted a sense of tranquility.
Seeing her enjoyment, Cong Ge ladled out more of the chicken soup for her, quickly reaching the bottom of the bowl.
But clearly, Yan Wanqing had not had enough.
She glanced regretfully at the clay pot that had nothing left but chicken pieces. Everything used by the nobility in the Capital City was exquisite, but to be exquisite often meant to be diminutive. The palm-sized clay pot, endearing and appealing when placed on the table, really didn’t hold much.
In the army, this little amount wouldn’t even be enough to wedge between a soldier’s teeth.
As she was thinking, another Palace Attendant came over, bringing another bowl of clay pot soup. Yan Wanqing was surprised, "What’s this?"
Each person had only one portion; the Imperial Chefs had calculated the amount precisely. How did she end up with two bowls?
Unfortunately, the Palace Attendant did not speak. After delivering the soup, she bowed and left.
Yan Wanqing stealthily raised her head to look around and instantly met the dark pupils of someone in a high position, seeing his front empty, she immediately understood.
It was that gentleman who had sent it over.
Yan Wanqing’s heart jolted suddenly, her heartbeat accelerated, but it soon returned to normal.
She did not drink the soup, even though the rich aroma lingered at her nose. By the time it had completely cooled, Yan Wanqing had not given it another glance.
"The fire last night was also a stroke of fortune. Although it burned the mountain, it also directly cleared a piece of land, turning a misfortune into a blessing," the Empress said, reflecting after three rounds of drinks, one of the only two rulers present.
The crowd echoed her sentiments.
Zhang Lanyi thought of the woman from yesterday, her eyes filled with discomfort, "This palace has been thinking about that woman, a strong character, preferring to shatter like a jade than to remain intact as a tile. I wonder if she has any family left..."
She naturally had no family.
Yan Wanqing kept her head down, eating disinterestedly. That woman, after being pulled from the lake by Piji and his men, had already resolved to die. Before coming to Southern Mountain Temple, she had grabbed Piji’s hand and expressed her gratitude with words filled with blood and tears.
She was originally a merchant’s daughter, and her husband had redeemed her from the brothel. The couple lived in harmonious partnership, which was a happy tale unto itself.
If it weren’t for Lin Pingzhi’s insatiable greed, the two would have spent an ordinary yet satisfying life together, like millions of other plain couples.
But fate is the greatest mocker.
Those who seek a plain life are perpetually tossed by life’s turmoil.
She remembered the roads she had traveled in her past life, the clarity in her eyes gradually dimming.
"To answer Your Highness, that woman left no parents, no children, no ties..." someone replied.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Lanyi’s hand that gripped the wine cup stiffened, her face still showing little emotion as she simply said, "Alone in this world, she went cleanly in the end. Have her ashes sent to be buried with her husband in the South of the River."
"Indeed." The palace attendant acknowledged the order and left.
As the banquet progressed to this point, Zhang Lanyi evidently lost much of her interest. She took advantage of her tipsiness to go out for some fresh air, and never returned.
Thus, only the desirable Crown Prince remained at the entire banquet.
All the unmarried young ladies had their eyes tightly fixed on him, as if they couldn’t wait to find out whether they were to be the future Crown Princess Consort.
Yan Wanqing naturally had no desire to join this throng. After seeing Zhang Lanyi leave, she also wanted to depart.
Yet, with the Crown Prince’s matter unresolved, she worried it might lead to trouble in the future.
But now, surrounded by a cohort of beauties, it was hard to even speak to him, so Yan Wanqing could only sit quietly in her place and wait.
"Princess Anping...?"
Yan Wanqing looked up and saw the young man who had shared a toast with her earlier.
"Princess Anping has seen the Young Marquis." She stood and returned a salute.
Up close, this Young Marquis was strikingly handsome, with cherry lips and pearly teeth, his eyes gleaming like stars, unforgettable at first sight.
"No need for such formality." Huai Yu was somewhat shy, holding a plate of sweets, and somewhat awkwardly placed it on the table: "These are some sweet treats, I thought young ladies might like them, so I brought them over."
"Many thanks to the Young Marquis."
The atmosphere grew somewhat tense, and Huai Yu’s ears slowly reddened.
Yan Wanqing, thinking of her mother’s words, still couldn’t bear it and lightly chuckled, "Is this the Young Marquis’s first time speaking with a lady?"
Huai Yu fiddled with the callus on his index finger, looking down somewhat embarrassed: "In the Northern Border, men are plenty, and this marquis is not fond of the company of ladies, hence the awkwardness."
Indeed, a candid young man.
Huai Yu was a few months younger than Yan Wanqing, and indeed, there had been an oral betrothal between the two when they were children.
This was a matter that Yan Wanqing found troublesome.
She thought about how she would respond if the Young Marquis brought up the betrothal later.
Huai Yu seemed to want to address the matter as well, as he uncomfortably coughed twice: "This morning while the Princess was resting, I have already met with your aunt..."
"The Marquis, being handsome and spirited, must not lack for young ladies’ affection in the Northern Border, childhood jests by elders need not be taken seriously—" Yan Wanqing and Huai Yu spoke simultaneously.
Both paused at the same time and after a long while, both let out a laugh.
The atmosphere slightly warmed, and just as Yan Wanqing was about to speak, a shadow fell over her, and at the same time, a man’s voice, seeming to laugh yet not laugh, rang out. ƒreewebηoveℓ.com
"What’s so amusing to talk about?"
Yan Wanqing: "..."
Huai Yu’s expression became slightly restrained: "I’ve seen the Crown Prince."
Xiao Pingfeng, dressed in a white robe, cast an elusive glance over the plate of sweets on the table and hummed lightly.
"Feeling an instant connection with the Princess, we just casually chatted a few words," Huai Yu said unhurriedly.
Yan Wanqing stood to the side and nodded; she then noticed that the Crown Prince was a head taller than Huai Yu, a very tall and mighty presence.
He wore a smile on his face but exuded an overwhelming presence.
"I would like to borrow Princess Anping for a moment. May I ask if the Young Marquis would be so kind as to oblige?" His tone seemed to query but left no room for Huai Yu to negotiate.
