coobybook Chapter 61 Spring Banquet
Chapter 61 Spring Banquet
“There will be a lot of people there, she might not even notice you,” Gu Liang said.
On the day of the banquet, Jiang Zhi arrived at the venue and found that Gu Liang was right.
Here, beautiful women can be seen walking together everywhere. The gathering of beauties, of all shapes and sizes, is dazzling.
However, she remembered that in her previous life, the eldest princess's spring banquet was held in the mansion, but this life was different.
Jiang Zhi's eyes widened slightly.
They followed the maid to their seats at the banquet.
The banquet was held in a valley on the outskirts of Kyoto. A spring breeze was blowing, crabapple blossoms were everywhere, their red and white colors contrasting beautifully. A stream babbled, and we crossed a low bridge to reach the main hall.
Thick cowhide felt was spread on the soft grass inside the field, and dwarf catkins were placed on the tent, with palm-leaf fans beside the ridge.
There were more than thirty short tables here, and when Jiang Zhi sat down, many female guests had already arrived at the table.
"Stop!"
A familiar voice came from behind.
Jiang Zhi turned around and saw that it was her cousin.
"Cousin, you're here too," Jiang Zhi said.
“Yes, I didn’t want to come, but I heard you went, so I came too,” Lu Nianqiu said, tilting her head.
Jiang Zhi smiled and lowered his head.
Jiang Zhi's table was near the front, and he was a new face, which sparked a lot of speculation among the crowd.
"Could that be the Princess Consort of Liang?"
“She looks like her; I’ve seen her before.”
"It's her. I saw her last time at the coming-of-age ceremony of the second daughter of the Marquis of Zhenyuan."
"This girl looks delicate and frail, but I never expected she could actually win over the Prince of Liang."
Someone chuckled, "That's right, I heard that the poem urging the Prince of Liang to get married was recited by him personally."
"That can't be right. Royal wedding poems are always read by others. Besides, how could the Prince of Liang possibly read them himself?"
"Why would I lie to you? I, Xian Gou, saw it with my own eyes."
"Hey, I heard that your concubine, Xian Gou, even wrote a love letter to the King of Liang?"
"What nonsense!"
"Look at what you're saying. That King Liang is handsome. Who hasn't had a crush on someone when they were young? They just went with the flow."
"This Princess Liang is indeed a stunning beauty, but she doesn't seem to be very fertile, which is a bit of a shame."
"What kind of nonsense are you spouting? If you ask me, it's better to keep people close to you, so you don't end up not knowing who they've run off to."
"Alright, you're all going too far. Keep your voices down, the princess is almost here."
Jiang Zhi could vaguely hear the whispers of the ladies sitting in front of him; they all seemed to be related to him, but he couldn't make out the details.
Unexpectedly, Lu Nianqiu listened with great interest, nudged Jiang Zhi's shoulder, and whispered a few words in her ear.
Jiang Zhi paused, surprised that they were even concerned about whether or not she would have children.
A woman dressed in luxurious clothes walked gracefully from outside the venue.
The woman was surrounded by a dozen or so maids, like stars surrounding the moon, who escorted her to the main seat.
Seeing this grand display, a guest whispered to the person next to him, "Mother, I heard that the princess's floral dress was embroidered by ten embroiderers sent by the Silk Clothing Company, and it took them a whole month to complete. It's worth a fortune."
"It's alright. If Xue'er likes it, we'll go and order one too."
"Thank you, mother."
Jiang Zhi looked up and saw that it was Madam Qiao and Qiao Lixu.
As they were speaking, the person in the main seat looked up.
"Mrs. Qiao, Miss Qiao, what are you talking about? You seem so happy."
The attention of everyone present was drawn to the eldest princess who had spoken.
Her hair was a deep, flowing black, piled high in a bun, adorned with four long, gold phoenix-carved hairpins on either side, and large gold ornaments on the sides. The hair ornaments could not suppress the affection in her eyes, her gaze was captivating, and her beauty was breathtaking.
Seeing such a stunning beauty, Jiang Zhi immediately understood why the imperial son-in-law Qin Qi had given up an official career to ask the late emperor for the hand of this beauty.
With that face alone, few men wouldn't be attracted to her.
A gentle smile quickly crossed the Princess's face as she asked Madam Qiao and Qiao Lixue a question.
Madam Qiao's face stiffened. She pulled Qiao Lixue to bow and said with a smile, "Your Highness is so beautiful and elegant. My daughter was stunned and couldn't help but praise you."
The eldest princess chuckled, "Miss Qiao is so innocent and romantic, I am truly envious."
Qiao Lixue couldn't tell whether her words were a compliment or a criticism, so she could only smile and say, "I dare not accept the princess's praise."
The princess smiled again and said to Qiao Lixue, "Miss Qiao is of marriageable age. The material of this dress is good, but it's a bit too bright. A woman should be more careful."
Qiao Lixue was both surprised and delighted to hear the Princess speak to her personally. She replied, "Your Highness is right. I will remember it."
The eldest princess nodded. "Guards, bestow upon the Marquis of Zhongjing's residence three bolts of soft silk gauze, four bolts of moon-scented brocade, and a pair of white jade earrings."
At her word, a palace servant responded and quickly brought over the reward.
Qiao Lixue, with a joyful expression, followed Madam Qiao in bowing to the Princess to express her gratitude.
The eldest princess said, "Everything else is fine, but this Moonflower Brocade is a new style. Miss Qiao can take it and make a new dress, then she won't have to envy anyone else."
Qiao Lixue forced a smile in return, then exchanged a knowing smile with Madam Qiao.
The princess's eyes darted around, scanning the room before finally settling on Jiang Zhi.
"Is she the Princess Consort of Liang?" she asked the female official beside her.
After receiving an affirmative answer, she smiled slightly at Jiang Zhi, "The Prince of Liang has always lacked a lovely person to take care of him. Now that the Prince of Liang has someone to accompany him, I and His Majesty can rest assured."
After saying this, he ordered someone to bring him the reward.
Jiang Zhi stood up and thanked him, "Your Highness has treated me very well, please rest assured, Princess."
The eldest princess smiled at her, "You all love to say things to flatter me. Do you think I don't know what kind of person he is?"
Jiang Zhi's smile remained unchanged, but she did not utter a sound.
The eldest princess looked at her and said, "Although this marriage was bestowed by His Majesty, it was also something he personally requested. I was wondering when a woman whom the Prince of Liang would take a liking to appeared in the capital. Now that we have met, I will give you a word of advice."
Jiang Zhi lowered her head slightly, "Please enlighten me, Your Highness."
The eldest princess said, "A marriage of mutual respect is like dealing with a tiger for its skin; once a move is made, there's no going back."
Jiang Zhi was taken aback.
The princess suddenly smiled and said, "Oh, look at me, I've been so busy talking to you that I've neglected so many guests. Someone, bring the meal."
At a command, one delicious dish after another was brought into the room.
Jiang Zhi, with her sharp eyes, noticed a plate of pickled radish mixed with coriander being served on the Princess's table.
This dish did not appear among the guests, presumably because its unique flavor did not appeal to everyone.
Jiang Zhi lowered her head and picked up the cold dish from her bowl. She hadn't expected to see such street food at the Princess's banquet.
"The eldest princess also has unique tastes."
As Chenxi served her food, she whispered, "I didn't expect her to like street food."
She is skilled in cooking and has an innate love for observing other people's tastes.
She had peeked a few times earlier and noticed that the main dishes in front of the princess hadn't been touched much, but a lot of the common street food had been used.
"Stop looking," Jiang Zhi whispered a reminder.
Suddenly, a noisy sound arose in the distance, followed by the sound of running footsteps coming from the valley.