15. Sixteen Types of Breakfast Banquets

Rumors about the Crown Prince’s fondness for courtiers aside, his temperament was said to be cruel and volatile. In Guangling, among the young women, as long as there was food on the table, who would willingly enter the palace and step into such a quagmire?

No, not a quagmire—a true swamp.

There were none willing in Guangling, and so the Empress turned her sights elsewhere, beyond Guangling, to places like Jiangdong.

Perhaps, by chance, she would find an unfortunate soul.

And so she did: Xu Guiyi, the so-called “First Beauty of Jiangdong,” now the hapless victim.

Living so far away in Jiangdong, Xu Guiyi truly had no idea how much Fu Lancheng’s reputation had deteriorated over the years. If Madam Shen hadn’t spoken at such length today, she might have entered the palace never knowing the truth.

“Will you still marry him?” Madam Shen watched Xu Guiyi’s fingers clench into a fist, afraid she might scratch herself, and asked in a soft voice.

Indeed, the reply she received was a silence as heavy as death.

No one knew how long it lasted before Xu Guiyi finally steeled herself, biting her molars, her voice cold as she said, “I will.”

If she didn’t marry, how could the game of chess even begin?

“Third Sister, I know you must be heartbroken now. But don’t blame your sister-in-law. If I didn’t tell you these things now, and you discovered them after entering the Eastern Palace, it would only hurt more.” As Madam Shen spoke, a tear slipped from her eye. What a pitiful girl—peerless in beauty, so young, and already fated to become a living widow.

Xu Guiyi picked up her embroidered handkerchief and gently wiped the tear from Madam Shen’s cheek. “Sister-in-law, I know you mean well. You’ve told me these things to prepare my heart. How could I blame you?”

“Oh, my poor sister…” Seeing Xu Guiyi so sensible, Madam Shen felt even more heartache for her. Though she hadn’t spent much time with Xu Guiyi, she and Xu Chengzhen were deeply in love, and Chengzhen’s sister was as dear as her own.

The Crown Prince’s wedding was set for the sixth day of the seventh month—a most auspicious day for descendants. Yet there were less than two months left. With all the wedding preparations so intricate and demanding, the Eastern Palace, the Xu household, and above all the Inner Court, were thrown into a frenzy, everyone working day and night, barely pausing to eat or rest.

But each was busy in their own way…

The Ministry of Rites officials had labored for days, rising before dawn and sleeping late, drafting the wedding protocols. The Empress was occupied overseeing every detail, while the household of Lord Cheng’en bustled daily with purchases, preparations, and packing.

Meanwhile, our bridegroom—the Crown Prince himself—chose this moment to leave the capital for a hunting expedition. Ordinarily, it wouldn’t matter; every spring, the princes and noble sons made a tradition of hunting. But with the Eastern Palace so close to welcoming its consort, the Crown Prince was not in the palace making preparations, but instead had left the city for the hunt.

It was said that every piece of porcelain the Emperor could throw in his palace had been replaced with an entirely new set. The Empress, though not one to throw objects, summoned the imperial physicians to the Changqiu Palace three times in a single day. Yet the Crown Prince, far away at the Liyu Palace on the outskirts of the capital, felt none of this imperial wrath or sorrow. Instead, it was his mentors and attendants in the Eastern Palace who suffered, bearing the brunt of scoldings for his absence.

The Chamberlain of the Eastern Palace, finding his advice useless, could only instruct the Crown Prince’s close attendants to leave the city as discreetly as possible, so the court and people would not take notice.

But on the day Fu Lancheng departed, he rode out with dozens of noble sons and hundreds of guards. They thundered out of Guangling in such grand fashion—how could they possibly go unnoticed?

The Censorate’s memorials of impeachment piled higher and higher; yet all they achieved was to further infuriate the Emperor and make the Empress stamp her feet in frustration. The Crown Prince, far away at the Liyu Palace, remained utterly unaffected.

How could the heir to the throne treat marriage as a child’s game?

At the Xu household, Second Sister Xu Zhouyan recited this very line from the Censorate’s memorial over and over before Xu Guiyi.

“Tell me, how could the heir to the throne treat marriage so frivolously?” Xu Zhouyan’s face was already contorted with anger. Xu Guiyi awkwardly handed her a cup of warm water, hoping to calm her down.

“Second Sister, please don’t be angry~” Xu Guiyi had always heard about Second Miss Xu’s fiery temper, and now she saw it firsthand.

“Why shouldn’t I be angry?” Xu Zhouyan flung her hand, nearly spilling the water, but then realized with a jolt that the one offering her the cup wasn’t a maid but her third sister, Xu Guiyi, and hastily drew her hand back.

Xu Guiyi, startled by this abrupt motion, retreated two steps. The cup remained upright, but much of its water splashed out.

“Third Sister!” Xu Zhouyan looked at her clever and sensible but hopelessly naive younger cousin and truly felt exasperated.

“Third Sister, there are so many good men in the world. Why did you have to be so unlucky as to end up with the Crown Prince?”

To calm her, Xu Guiyi lowered her head and said quickly, “Second Sister, it’s not as if I had any choice in the matter.” If Xu Zhouyan ever learned that she had chosen to board this ship to the Eastern Palace herself, she’d likely drown her in a deluge of scolding.

Hearing this, Xu Zhouyan seemed to find some sense in it.

“Just think—if only the Empress hadn’t picked you! There are plenty of fine young men in Yecheng. Your sister would have found you the very best, someone who would have eyes for no one but you,” Xu Zhouyan’s tone softened, her voice low and sorrowful.

Xu Guiyi, who had braced herself for a scolding, instinctively glanced up, her eyes clear and gentle.

Second Miss Xu, Xu Zhouyan, had married into Yecheng five years ago, becoming the Princess Consort of Prince Jiancheng—who was, in fact, the Crown Prince Fu Lancheng’s uncle. If Xu Guiyi entered the Eastern Palace, then at future imperial family banquets, she’d have to call her own second sister “Aunt Princess.”

“Second Sister, don’t sigh. I’ll live well in the future. Once I’m in the Eastern Palace, I’ll behave myself, be virtuous and proper, serve His Majesty and the Empress with care, and try my best to get along with the Crown Prince as respectfully as possible. Please don’t worry.” Of all she said, only the last was truly heartfelt.

She didn’t want her family to worry for her any longer.

Xu Zhouyan, gazing at her younger sister, stroked her cheek with affection. “You’ve grown up, Third Sister. I still think of you all as children.”

“Don’t be afraid. However bad the Crown Prince’s reputation, he still knows what’s right and proper. If you’re ever bullied in the Eastern Palace, you must tell me. I will stand up for you.”

“Thank you, Sister.” Xu Guiyi replied with a sweet smile.

Seeing her finally smile, Xu Zhouyan’s anger faded entirely. She pulled her sister close and whispered, “Tomorrow, Eldest Sister is returning from the Eastern Sea. Let’s welcome her together. I must tell you, Eldest Sister’s family is incredibly wealthy. You must coax her into giving you a generous dowry.”

At this, Xu Guiyi’s smile turned a little wry.

Back in Lanzhou, Xu Guiyi had often heard Madam Jiang mention that the Xu family’s eldest daughter, Xu Guangyan, had married into a family that had been merchants in the Eastern Sea for generations, their wealth enough to last dozens of lifetimes. Madam Jiang would always add, with a touch of bitterness, “If only my Hua’er could marry into a family half as successful as the Eldest Miss’s, I’d be content.”

At the time, everyone had taken it as a joke, nothing more. But in just a few short years, to everyone’s surprise, Madam Jiang’s wish had come true.

In the world of commerce, though the Ren family of Jiangdong was not quite the equal of the Wen family of the Eastern Sea, they were at least seventy percent as wealthy.

The next day, Xu Guiyi woke early, her spirits high.

At breakfast, the whole family gathered cheerfully. Xu Zhouyan, while eating, remarked in a teasing tone, “How come the breakfast wasn’t this lavish when I came home? Is it just because Eldest Sister is returning today that there are so many more dishes?”

Xu Guiyi, sipping her porridge, coughed lightly, only to hear Xu Chengzhen’s voice at her ear, “You came home late in the afternoon. Did you have breakfast at the Xu house then?” Exactly, Xu Guiyi thought, glad her brother had said it first.

Otherwise, she would have surely been the next target.

“Do you think I didn’t want to arrive earlier? Those days it rained endlessly. I braved such dreadful weather, rushing home through all that trouble, and missed breakfast. Now I’m being scolded for it—how unfair!” Yes, it had rained heavily for days, and her carriage had gotten stuck in a deep puddle, leaving her frustrated and ill-tempered upon arriving home.

Though her mood had recovered over the past days, Xu Chengzhen’s casual remark brought back all her earlier embarrassment. Seeing her sister’s furrowed brows, Xu Guiyi and Madam Shen exchanged looks, edging closer together and away from the bickering siblings, lest they be caught in the crossfire.

Sure enough, honest Xu Chengzhen was left floundering. “Uh, that’s not what I meant. Second Sister, you…”

“Then what did you mean? Are you saying I eat too much?” Xu Zhouyan turned the tables so deftly that Xu Guiyi could only admire her.

“That’s not what I meant at all…” Xu Chengzhen hurried to explain.

“Even when I was in Yecheng, my husband never said such things. Coming home only to be criticized—so it’s true what they say: a married daughter is like water thrown out, never to return. Third Sister, you see, we women are just lowly, unworthy even of sitting here for a meal,” Xu Zhouyan finished, dabbing her eyes as if truly heartbroken, so convincingly that Xu Guiyi wanted to applaud.

Xu Chengzhen looked helplessly at his wife and Xu Guiyi. Both immediately lowered their heads and busied themselves with their buns, as if their mouths were too full to speak.

“Father, Mother!” Xu Chengzhen turned to his parents for help.

Xu Da glanced at his son and daughter and said calmly, “Wife, tomorrow for breakfast, remember to prepare an entire banquet. I hear Guangbin Restaurant has a new morning spread—sixteen different dishes. See if that’s enough to keep their mouths full.”

Madam Xue, holding her teacup, paused as her jade bracelet tapped lightly against her wrist, emitting a crisp sound. She cast a glance at the four “little ancestors” across from her, all obediently bowing their heads over their porridge, and smiled softly, “I think the master’s arrangement is quite perfect.”