How the noble families thought was beyond Shangguan Jin’s concern.
She spent her days calculating how many congratulatory gifts she would receive, what to do with the valuable ones, and how to handle those that looked impressive but were actually of little use…
But before she could fully plan it out, Mama Lin and Dongmai came to her with the account books.
“What’s the matter? Is there a problem?” Shangguan Jin asked, feeling a headache coming on as she looked at the thick stack of account books.
“Madam, the timing is too tight. Many ingredients need to be purchased on the spot.
But the merchants outside, knowing our mansion urgently needs these ingredients, have jacked up the prices. The cost of those ingredients has increased by more than fifty percent compared to before,” Mama Lin said angrily.
Dongmai also wore a furious expression.
“Miss, if it’s not feasible, we simply won’t buy them. Let them watch their goods rot in their hands.”
Shangguan Jin glanced at the list Mama Lin had prepared.
Not bad—the handwriting flowed like clouds and water, blending strength with grace, reminiscent of the styles of Yan and Liu. This was clearly the calligraphy of her cheap eldest son, Shen Qingjun…
Before Shangguan Jin could further ponder whether her son’s calligraphy could fetch a good price at a future Sotheby’s auction, her eyes widened in shock.
What? Bird’s nest, abalone, shark fin, fish maw, the eight delicacies of the mountains, the eight delicacies of the sea, creatures that fly in the sky, run on the ground, and swim in the water.
Camel hump, bear paw, monkey brain, gorilla lips, elephant trunk, leopard fetus, rhinoceros tail, deer tendon…
Shangguan Jin finally understood why ancient households needed months of preparation just to host a single banquet!
With ingredients like these…
Hah, if these ingredients were available in later times, they wouldn’t just be expensive—they’d likely be illegal too!
The most crucial point was, how much silver would it cost to buy these ingredients?
She was hosting this grand banquet to rake in silver, not to throw it away.
At this thought, she angrily slapped the ingredient list onto the Eight Immortals table beside her.
“We don’t need to prepare these!” Shangguan Jin declared.
Mama Lin was stunned, but Dongmai let out a long sigh of relief.
She had known all along that her mistress would think the same way she did—not giving those unscrupulous merchants a chance to extort the Guogongfu.
“Madam, the mansion’s stock is limited. Even what we have, like bird’s nest, is mostly reserved for Old Madam and you.
If we use these for the banquet, not only will it be insufficient, but also…” Mama Lin trailed off.
“What I mean is, we won’t use these ingredients for this banquet,” Shangguan Jin said calmly.
Mama Lin was at a loss for words.
To be honest, she also felt the pinch. If they were to buy these ingredients, the silver currently in the accounts would definitely fall short.
But the noble families were all about comparison. Whose banquet didn’t go all out to procure rare and precious ingredients?
This was Dingguo Gongfu’s first grand banquet in three years, and it was for Old Madam’s birthday celebration. Countless eyes would be watching.
If the preparations weren’t thorough, wouldn’t that give people ammunition for gossip?
What if rumors started spreading that Dingguo Gongfu was impoverished?
“Miss, you’re right. We shouldn’t prepare these.
How many of those people are actually there to eat properly? Bowls of the finest bird’s nest are served, only to be brought back untouched.
Think of how many chickens you could buy with the cost of one bowl of bird’s nest!” Dongmai said, her face filled with distress.
Shangguan Jin wholeheartedly agreed with Dongmai’s words.
How many of those people were truly there to enjoy a proper meal?
In the end, such precious ingredients would only go to waste.
Shangguan Jin particularly hoped that those people would just send gifts without showing up, leaving the congratulatory presents and going on their way—that would be best for everyone, saving trouble all around.
But…
“Dongmai is right. We don’t need to prepare those ingredients; just prepare ordinary chicken, duck, fish, and meat,” Shangguan Jin suddenly said.
Mama Lin…
Dongmai’s eyes lit up.
Yes, chicken, duck, fish, and meat are so delicious—each bite is rich and savory, each bite leaves you speechless…
“Madam, isn’t this inappropriate? Even ordinary wealthy families hosting guests would have a few delicacies like rare game and seafood on the table! Not to mention, we are the Dingguo Gongfu,” Mama Lin was somewhat puzzled.
Shangguan Jin also wished she could spend extravagantly, but the current Dingguo Gongfu didn’t have an inexhaustible gold mountain. Why was she hosting guests? Wasn’t it to recirculate funds?
Shangguan Jin thought for a moment and decided to come up with a plausible reason. Otherwise, she was afraid it might dampen Mama Lin’s enthusiasm for her work.
“Mama Lin, you’re an old-timer who came with me from the Shangguan Family. After entering the Guogongfu, don’t you understand what kind of person the Guogong is? He despises extravagance and waste the most. He often tells me that when he was at the border, the soldiers felt like it was New Year’s just to have a sip of meat broth. The chicken, duck, fish, and meat we look down on are more precious than rare delicacies in the eyes of the soldiers guarding the border. The soldiers protect our safety at the border. If we in the rear are so wasteful, spending hundreds or even thousands of taels on a single meal, wouldn’t that break the hearts of those soldiers?”
As she spoke, Shangguan Jin even dabbed the corner of her eye with a handkerchief.
Upon hearing this, Mama Lin immediately sensed that Madam must be missing the Guogong.
Yes, if the soldiers at the border could eat chicken, duck, fish, and meat, that would be a heavenly life! Dingguogong is a figure admired by military officers. Madam’s actions must have a profound reason.
“From today onward, whenever the Dingguo Gongfu hosts guests, this will be the standard. If they want to come, they can come; if not, I don’t care. No matter what, I cannot let those soldiers point fingers and curse at the Dingguo Gongfu.”
Once she thought about the matter on a larger scale, Mama Lin felt her mind couldn’t keep up. Madam is the Eldest Miss of the Shangguan Family, personally taught by Old Master Shangguan. She must have her own reasons for doing this. As long as she followed Madam’s arrangements, she couldn’t go wrong.
“Alright, Madam, I’ll go and make the arrangements then? We’ll only prepare chicken, duck, fish, and meat. Our estate should have plenty of these. I’ll send someone to the estate to purchase them!”
As she spoke, Mama Lin picked up the paper on the table listing precious ingredients, crumpled it up, and took it away.
Shangguan Jin smiled and nodded.
See, ancient people are so simple. As long as you stand on the moral high ground, others can only look up to you.
Just as Shangguan Jin was about to take a sip of tea, she noticed Dongmai still standing there.
“Dongmai? Why are you still here? Aren’t you going to help Mama Lin?” Shangguan Jin was a bit puzzled.
Dongmai hesitated for a moment, thinking about how to tell Shangguan Jin something she had just learned in a more tactful way. But after thinking for a long time, she couldn’t figure out how to be tactful and eventually gave up.
“Miss, chicken, duck, fish, and meat can be made very delicious if prepared well,” Dongmai suddenly said.
“Hmm, I know. What’s the matter? Are you planning to take charge of the cooking yourself?” Shangguan Jin teased.
Dongmai grinned, then suddenly spoke again.
“Miss, I just learned something.”
“What is it? Tell me. Who slacked off and got caught by you again?” Shangguan Jin continued to tease.
This time, Dongmai didn’t laugh.
“Miss, a few days ago, when Zhuqing went out to buy embroidery thread for me, she passed by the most famous jewelry shop on Suzaku Street and saw the Song family’s Second Young Master from Wudinghou’s household.”
Shangguan Jin thought for a long while before finally piecing it together.
This Song Second Young Master was the one engaged to Dingguogong’s Eldest Miss, Shen Qingyao.
It wasn’t that the Shen Family wanted the engagement—it was arranged by the Empress Dowager from Gongli.
Thinking of this, Shangguan Jin cursed the Empress Dowager in her mind.
That old hag—if she wasn’t forcing concubines on people, she was mismatching couples.
Throughout the entire court, she had stuffed her people everywhere.
“And then?” Shangguan Jin pressed.
There was no reason for Dongmai to suddenly bring up this guy without cause.
“Zhuqing said that Song Second Young Master went with a young lady, and she seemed very intimate with him,” Dongmai continued.