The Flower Appreciation Banquet was scheduled for three days later.
Shen Yunying never expected to witness such a scene akin to the legendary “Luoyang paper shortage.”
Due to the short notice for the banquet, all the renowned jewelry shops, silk stores, and rouge shops in the capital were completely emptied of their stock. Coincidentally, Jiang Wensheng owned businesses in all three categories, and with her premium inventory cleared out in an instant, she urgently needed to restock from Jiangnan. The shopkeepers came to seek her instructions.
Shen Yunying was astonished. “It’s just a Flower Appreciation Banquet—why are so many people buying things?”
It wasn’t just her mother’s three shops that were being raided. The capital was vast, and Shen Yunying could name at least seven or eight well-known jewelry shops alone. A rough estimate suggested that over twenty high-end stores had been completely cleaned out.
Jiang Wensheng instructed the shopkeepers to head to Jiangnan as soon as possible to procure goods, as the shops needed premium items to maintain their prestige.
Turning to Shen Yunying, she said, “Entering the imperial palace is different—it’s a chance to rise to the top in one step. While the banquet is nominally for Yan Peifeng, many are aiming for the Crown Prince, or even the Emperor himself.”
Having lived a long life, Jiang Wensheng thought more deeply about such matters. A single Yan Peifeng wouldn’t be enough to make noble ladies spend extravagantly.
Shen Yunying found it hard to understand, but she remembered one thing. “Yinzheng, do you recall? Didn’t Yan Peifeng say he wouldn’t marry until he established his career? How is it that before even becoming an official or achieving anything, he’s already hosting a grand Flower Appreciation Banquet for matchmaking? Men really are fickle.”
Yinzheng chuckled awkwardly. “Well, perhaps it’s just that he’s reached a certain age? Master Yan is already twenty-three.”
“Are so many people fond of Yan Peifeng and the Crown Prince?” Shen Yunying truly couldn’t comprehend why anyone would spend a fortune just to enter the palace for a flower-viewing event and be scrutinized as a potential match.
Yinzheng speculated, “Master Yan is talented, handsome, and the Emperor’s own nephew. The Crown Prince is the heir apparent—of course he’s popular.”
Shen Yunying shook her head. To her, Yan Peifeng seemed like a glittering golden son-in-law, and everyone wanted him to land in their own pond.
Jiang Wensheng burst into laughter at Shen Yunying’s analogy and said to her, “How about a whole beef feast today? The small kitchen happened to come across a cow that died from a fall and immediately bought it and sent it over.”
The court prohibited the arbitrary slaughter of plow oxen.
Jiang Wensheng didn’t use her privileges to buy beef privately. Instead, she had instructed her subordinates to keep an eye out—if beef was available, they would eat it; if not, they would have something else. She wasn’t lacking for meat.
Shen Yunying’s interest was immediately piqued. “Roast, steam, fry, boil, stew—let’s have it all.”
With the rare opportunity to indulge in beef, Shen Yunying promptly forgot all about Yan Peifeng, the Crown Prince, the Flower Appreciation Banquet, and everything else.
While Jingyuan Studio was feasting heartily, Shen Yunman made up her mind in Furong Pavilion and sent a maid to invite Second Madam over.
“Mother, I’ve decided to make an effort at the Flower Appreciation Banquet. Whether it’s Yan Peifeng or the Crown Prince, either is better than Zhang Xingyu.” Shen Yunman’s face flushed slightly. She had already hinted to Zhang Xingyu that Yong’an Marquis Mansion should come to propose marriage soon, but with the announcement of the banquet, her thoughts had shifted.
Second Madam was taken aback. “But… Yunman, is this really feasible?” Yet as she thought about the prospect of becoming the Crown Prince’s consort, with all its wealth and glory—and if the Crown Prince were to ascend the throne in the future, perhaps even being granted the title of Noble Consort…
Without needing further persuasion from Shen Yunman, Second Madam began to ponder on her own. “Yong’an Marquis Mansion hasn’t proposed yet, so you two aren’t officially engaged. Besides, I’ve heard that shameless woman from the third branch—with the Jiang family suddenly sending two young masters to offer birthday congratulations, who doesn’t know what they’re scheming? And now they’re eagerly rushing to the Flower Appreciation Banquet.”
“Shen Yunying is less talented than you, has a poorer reputation and demeanor than you—she just has that fox-spirit appearance, with a voluptuous figure that at first glance won’t please a mother-in-law. Don’t worry, once she enters the palace, she’ll be completely overshadowed by you.” Madam Wang, who was slender herself, disliked Shen Yunying’s glamorous and full-figured appearance the most, and she encouraged Shen Yunying by holding Shen Yunman’s hand.
Shen Yunman nodded repeatedly, thinking to herself that if the palace Flower Appreciation Banquet didn’t go well, there was still the fallback option of Yong’an Marquis Mansion. As for Shen Yunying, she was uneducated and untalented; it would be good enough for her to marry into the Jiang family in the future.
What did the Jiang family have? A bunch of seventh-rank minor officials? Shen Yunman couldn’t help but curl her lips into a smile.
On the day of the Flower Appreciation Banquet, the sun hung high in the sky, and a gentle breeze brushed past. The main thoroughfare of the capital was lined with guards, and the Shen family’s carriage was at the front, with Shen Yunying and Shen Yunman sharing the same carriage.
Once they entered the palace, they would represent the face of the Shen family. Both were dressed in their finest attire. Shen Yunman wore a brand-new Shu brocade kesi skirt embroidered with butterflies and flowers, paired with a phoenix hairpin adorned with gold and jade—luxurious yet delicate, making her look dignified and elegant. In contrast, Shen Yunying appeared somewhat inferior. The fabric of her dress was from the spring tailoring ordered uniformly by the mansion and had been worn a few times. Her hair was styled in a small serpentine bun, with crabapple tassel hairpins on both sides and pearl earrings, toning down her glamour and leaning toward simplicity and elegance, yet there was a faint sense of incongruity.
Still, it had to be admitted that Shen Yunying had indeed put effort into her appearance. Didn’t scholars all prefer this refined and elegant style?
Their eyes met, and Shen Yunman’s expression darkened. “I didn’t expect Third Sister to come. I thought you only wanted to stroll around the capital with the Jiang family’s young master.”
In the face of sufficient benefits, Shen Yunman’s true colors were clearer and more genuine than ever.
In the Shen family, Shen Yunying had never experienced sisterly affection.
She smiled brightly and deliberately said, “Second Sister is dressed in gold and silver; you’ll surely shine brightly later. Grandmother was afraid you’d be lonely, so she asked me to accompany you.”
“What gold and silver? How vulgar,” Shen Yunman frowned delicately. “If you lack literary talent, speak less.”
Shen Yunying replied innocently, “Second Sister spoke to me; wouldn’t it be impolite if I ignored you?”
Shen Yunman snorted coldly, turned away, and fell silent. Shen Yunying smiled faintly, peeking through the fluttering carriage curtain at the towering palace walls. As the carriage entered the palace gates, she felt as if an invisible hand were pressing down on her head, making it hard to breathe.
The Flower Appreciation Banquet was held in the Imperial Garden.
Today, imperial consorts were not allowed in the Imperial Garden, and all attendees were noble young ladies from the capital who had been invited. The Imperial Garden was not particularly spacious, and a section had been cleared to accommodate everyone, so the seating was relatively close. Shen Yunying had no close friends; aside from Shen Yunman, everyone else was a stranger. She sat quietly in her place, listening to the Empress’s voice, tasting the pastries made by the imperial chefs, and comparing whether they were better than those from Yipinzhai.
The Empress was amiable, her voice gentle and warm. She briefly mentioned the blooming flowers in the Imperial Garden and invited everyone to enjoy them together, so they should feel free to explore. If anyone composed excellent poetry, they could submit it for the Empress to appreciate. Then, eunuchs came to escort her, and the Empress departed with great pomp.
Shen Yunying understood the Empress’s meaning. The Imperial Garden was large, with many flowers, and they were free to look around. Just don’t wander outside the Imperial Garden. So when Shen Yunman invited two or three friends and asked if she wanted to join them in admiring the flowers, she directly refused. “I can’t compose poetry or paint, so I won’t disturb my sisters’ refined enjoyment. I’ll just find a place to think things over slowly.”
“True, you usually slack off in your studies. This time, spend more effort so as not to disgrace the Shen family in front of Her Majesty the Empress.” Shen Yunman adopted her elder sister’s tone, admonishing Shen Yunying.
Shen Yunying let it go in one ear and out the other. “Oh.”
Shen Yunying glanced around. Everyone was gathered in small groups, with people in every direction. She simply wanted to find a quiet spot to while away the time until she could leave the palace. In the end, she chose the northeastern corner, where there were the fewest people.
She walked along a stone-paved path, which was quite interesting. It started as a bluestone path, then turned into a cobblestone one. Further along, the path was actually embedded with night pearls the size of longan fruits, spaced at intervals.
Shen Yunying was inwardly astonished. Truly befitting the imperial palace, it was extravagantly luxurious. Such night pearls would be stored as treasures in the old madam’s vault, yet here they were used to pave paths for illumination.
Curious about how many night pearls were embedded, Shen Yunying continued along the path, which ended at a small peach grove. There were roughly thirty night pearls along the way. If one walked this path at night, there would likely be no need for a lantern.
Since she had reached the peach grove, Shen Yunying decided to go in and pass the time. She looked back—this should still be part of the imperial garden, right? Peach blossoms were flowers, after all. Coincidentally, she had some poetry about peach blossoms memorized. Before leaving, she could pick one to write down and submit as her task.
The Taishi Mansion had its own peach grove. Because the Grand Preceptor and the old madam both loved it, the servants dared not neglect it. After years of careful tending and transplanting, many varieties had been cultivated, each tree full of vitality. Having grown accustomed to the mansion’s peach grove, Shen Yunying found the imperial garden’s peach grove somewhat inferior by comparison.
She strolled to a pavilion with triangular red pillars and green railings, propped her chin on one hand, and sat down to admire the largest peach tree. To her surprise, it bore fruit—fist-sized peaches, seven or eight of them already ripe and crimson, with a few remaining pale green ones that would likely ripen in a few days.
Shen Yunying was somewhat taken aback. The peach trees at the Taishi Mansion had just begun to bear fruit, still only the size of thumbs. She wondered how the palace gardeners managed to have ripe peaches already. Truly, masters of their craft resided in the palace.
Sitting alone at the edge of the peach grove, Shen Yunying no longer felt the stifling frustration she had upon arrival. She even began to wonder if she could pick a peach to take with her before leaving. Peaches in the palace were a one-time treat for her. If she could bring one back to the Taishi Mansion and have the gardeners study it, they could plant a few trees there, allowing her to enjoy them year after year.
A gentle breeze stirred, and drowsiness soon followed. Shen Yunying unconsciously closed her eyes, thinking she would take a short nap before going out to write her poem and complete her task.
As Shen Yunying’s consciousness began to drift, a sharp, thin voice suddenly broke through. “Young lady, this servant is a cleaning eunuch of the peach grove. Are you sitting here motionless because you’ve lost your way? This servant will escort you out.” Then, lowering his voice, he added, “I heard His Highness the Crown Prince is playing chess by Moon Shadow Lake.”
The implication was that if Shen Yunying was interested, he could take her to the Crown Prince.
Shen Yunying groggily roused herself. Upon hearing “Crown Prince,” she blurted out without thinking, “What does it matter to me where the Crown Prince is?”
Seeing the eunuch’s startled expression, Shen Yunying quickly cleared her throat twice, waved her hand, and said, “I enjoy the tranquility of the peach grove. I’ll stay here for a while. You may go.”
After a moment’s thought, once the eunuch acknowledged her dismissal, Shen Yunying took a golden peanut from her sachet. “Thank you for coming to remind me.”
The little eunuch happily accepted the golden peanuts, but as he turned to leave, his face was filled only with confusion and bewilderment. He followed the small path around to the pavilion just beyond the wall and said respectfully, “Young Master, that young lady said the peach grove is quiet and she likes it, so she wants to stay a while longer before leaving.”
Yan Peifeng paused his brush while painting, and a drop of ink fell onto the paper. The painting depicted the peach grove, and the ink drop landed precisely on the corner of the triangular pavilion, though it could still be salvaged.
“You didn’t mention going to the Crown Prince’s place?”
Gu Dong reported truthfully, even imitating the tone perfectly.
Yan Peifeng immediately detected the indifference and surprise in it.
Just the day before, Yan Peifeng had deliberately sought out the Crown Prince for a game of chess, with the loser having to agree to a small request. The Crown Prince, nearly thirty years old, was Yan Peifeng’s cousin and a chess enthusiast, though his skills were lacking. Each time, he hoped to win against Yan Peifeng. Thus, Yan Peifeng and the Crown Prince began their fierce chess battle.
The Crown Prince suffered a crushing defeat.
Yan Peifeng’s request was that on the day of the Flower Appreciation Banquet, the Crown Prince would play chess by Moon Shadow Lake for an hour.
The Crown Prince was shocked, finally understanding Yan Peifeng’s sinister intentions. “If you don’t want to marry, just refuse His Majesty directly. Haven’t you been doing that all these years? Now you’re using me as a shield! I’m going to complain to Father!”
Yan Peifeng paid no heed. He had agreed out of a momentary softness that day, but as the time approached, he found the women too noisy. The Yan residence was home to only him, peaceful and free, and adding a mistress would only bring clamor.
He recalled the absurd rumors outside, claiming that the Empress intended to select a consort for the Crown Prince during the Flower Appreciation Banquet. Yan Peifeng knew well that the Empress had no such intention, nor did the Emperor.
But outsiders believed it, didn’t they? In the capital, there were even sayings about the high cost of clothing and hairpins in the city.
Yan Peifeng simply took the opportunity to have the Crown Prince act as a shield.
“Could she be here for me?” Yan Peifeng murmured softly, then shook his head. His visit today was purely spontaneous; no one could have guessed it.
“Never mind. If she wants peace and quiet, let her stay,” Yan Peifeng waved his hand. Gu Dong bowed and withdrew, though inwardly he wondered whether he should inquire about which family’s young lady she was.
The little eunuch Gu Dong was the head eunuch of the pavilion, which had been Yan Peifeng’s childhood residence in the palace. The neighboring peach grove had been planted by Princess Jiarong and Yan Peifeng with their own hands, and the place was usually seldom visited. The Emperor had decreed that this would forever be Yan Peifeng’s home.
Gu Dong had always guarded the pavilion. When Yan Peifeng arrived today, he was overjoyed. News of the Empress hosting the Flower Appreciation Banquet to help Yan Peifeng find a match had long since spread, and Gu Dong assumed Yan Peifeng had come to visit out of longing for his mother.
Yet Yan Peifeng insisted on staying upstairs to paint. Gu Dong grew anxious—why not go and see the outstanding noble ladies of the capital? But as a servant, he dared not urge his master.
It was rare for a young lady to visit the peach grove, and the young master hadn’t driven her away. Shouldn’t he make some inquiries?