15 – The Banquet II
Ye Chen and Shen Qiu had another busy day. Truth be told, Ye Chen was relatively at ease. Having lived two lifetimes, he had experienced far too many such occasions. Moreover, he excelled at delegating tasks to the right people, so he only needed to oversee the broader direction while leaving the specifics to capable hands.
Shen Qiu, however, was different. This was her first time organizing such a grand banquet. Additionally, this birthday celebration was the first held by the Duke Manor after many years of silence, making it immensely significant both for the manor and for her personally.
Ye Chen watched Shen Qiu bustling about, his heart aching for her. But since he had promised not to interfere, he could only massage her shoulders, prepare tea and snacks for her, and ensure she didn’t go hungry.
In the evening, after Shen Qiu had finalized the arrangements, Ye Chen walked over, wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and said, “It’s alright now—everything’s been arranged. Get a good night’s rest. Tomorrow, as the hostess, you’ll have even more to do.”
Shen Qiu gave a soft “Mm” before starting to yawn. Ye Chen scooped her up and headed toward the bedroom. Shen Qiu widened her eyes and asked, “What are you doing?”
Ye Chen chuckled and replied, “Going to sleep!”
Shen Qiu pleaded, “I’ve been tired all day, and tomorrow will be just as busy. You…”
Ye Chen quickly cut her off, saying, “What are you thinking? I’m just carrying you to bed. I won’t lay a finger on you tonight, so don’t worry.”
Ye Chen had someone light calming incense and held Shen Qiu as they slept soundly through the night.
Having rested well, Shen Qiu woke up the next morning feeling refreshed.
After rising, the two began their respective tasks. By Chenshi (7–9 a.m.), guests started arriving gradually. Shen Qiu received the female guests, while Ye Chen attended to the male guests, with partitions separating the two groups.
Amid their busyness, a voice called out from the main gate: “Lord Chen and Madam Chen have arrived!”
Shen Qiu instinctively glanced at Ye Chen. She knew exactly who Lord Chen was and which Madam Chen was being referred to.
Before she could react, Ye Chen stepped forward to greet them. Her heart clenched painfully, and just then, voices murmured behind her: “Gu Ruojin is here.”
“As soon as Gu Ruojin arrives, Duke Ye rushes over eagerly. It seems her place in his heart hasn’t changed.”
“Keep your voices down! The Duchess is still here.”
At that moment, an elegant lady approached Shen Qiu and said, “You are the mistress of this Duke Manor. No matter what happens, you must remain composed. You can deal with your man anytime, but in front of outsiders, you must not lose face!”
Shen Qiu gave the lady a grateful look—it was the wife of the Minister of Justice. She smiled and nodded, saying, “Thank you. I know what to do now.”
With that, Shen Qiu took a deep breath, straightened her beizi (a traditional outer garment), and curved her lips into a poised smile as she stepped forward to greet them.
“Madam Chen, please join the ladies over here. Many wives and young ladies have arrived today—you might even run into some of your close friends from your maiden days!”
Ye Chen gazed deeply at Shen Qiu. He knew how much courage it had taken for his Qiu’er to walk over and say those words. Though she trusted him, her heart must still be aching—he could tell from her red-rimmed eyes.
Watching the two head toward the women’s section, Chen Qingyun remarked, “Aren’t you worried, Your Grace?”
Ye Chen retorted, “Worried about what?”
Chen Qingyun gave a cold laugh and said nothing more. Ye Chen glanced once more at Shen Qiu before turning to attend to other guests.
Shen Qiu led Gu Ruojin to the ladies’ area and began introducing her to the wives and young ladies who had already arrived.The male guests were all court officials, and even if all the invited had attended, there would only be thirty or forty people. Some brought their adult sons to gain experience, adding just a few more individuals.
The female guests, however, were different. Each official brought his wife, and most also brought their daughters—not only those who had come of age but even some five- or six-year-old girls.
As Shen Qiu was instructing Xing Er on some matters, she heard someone stirring up trouble: “Madam Chen, were you previously acquainted with the Duchess?”
Gu Ruojin smiled and replied, “Not very familiar. I met her once before at a flower gathering hosted by some sisters.”
Gu Ruojin spoke truthfully; she and Shen Qiu had indeed met only once, two years prior at the chrysanthemum festival held by the daughter of Minister Zhang.
The troublemaker continued, “Now you must be quite close—one the new favorite and the other the former beloved. I suppose—”
“Madam, mind your words!” Shen Qiu sharply interjected.
Then, with a gentle smile, she added, “Madam Chen is a guest of the Ye family, and Madam Li is also a guest of the Ye family. It’s perfectly natural to chat and share stories, but speaking hurtful words is unacceptable. Have I been remiss in my hospitality to offend you?”
Madam Li, wife of Li Li from the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, was known for her sharp tongue but lacked courage.
Madam Li forced a smile and said, “No… the hospitality has been excellent. The Duchess is overthinking.”
Shen Qiu smiled and said, “That’s good to hear. Ming Yue, bring some pastries from Peach Blossom Pavilion for Madam Li. We mustn’t neglect her.”
Ming Yue promptly brought four plates of pastries and placed them on the small table beside Madam Li, saying, “Please enjoy, Madam. If it’s not enough, I’ll fetch more.”
Madam Li stared at the four large plates of pastries, uncertain whether to eat or not.
Madam Zheng, wife of the Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review Zheng Yuan, chuckled and said, “It seems Madam Li doesn’t care for these pastries. The treats from Peach Blossom Pavilion are hard to come by even with queuing. Duchess, perhaps we could bring a few more varieties? Let Madam Li sample each to see which she prefers?”
Without waiting for Shen Qiu’s response, Ming Yue said “Yes” and hurried out. Madam Li quickly protested, “That’s enough, that’s enough! I quite like these pastries!”
She had no intention of filling up on snacks; the Duke Manor’s banquet was not an everyday opportunity. If she ate her fill of pastries, how could she enjoy the main feast?
But Ming Yue had already returned with four different plates, adding, “Madam, if it’s not enough, I’ll bring more.”
Faced with eight plates of pastries, Madam Li wished she could slap herself for speaking out of turn. This was clearly a subtle way of silencing her.
Madam Zheng timely spoke up: “Madam Li? Still not liking them?”
Madam Li hurriedly replied, “I like them, I like them!” Who in the capital doesn’t adore Peach Blossom Pavilion’s pastries?”
Madam Zheng smiled and said, “That’s good. Madam Li, you’re the one with the most refined palate among us. You must savor all eight varieties properly, or else Madam Ye will blame herself for not hosting you well.”
Reluctantly, Madam Li picked up a pastry and began to eat. The onlookers stifled giggles, having initially hoped to witness drama between Shen Qiu and Gu Ruojin—two figures beyond their social reach.
This rare chance for amusement had everyone perking their ears, but though the expected spectacle didn’t materialize, watching the notoriously sharp-tongued Madam Li being put in her place was satisfaction enough.Shen Qiu smiled and nodded at Gu Ruojin, then exchanged a knowing smile with Madam Zheng before turning to attend to the newly arrived guests.