Chapter 1069
The Kings Turn the Tables
Chapter 1069 The Kings Turn the Tables
Inside the restaurant,
The few people present created a rather desolate atmosphere; if things continued like this, the restaurant's business would be doomed.
The old shopkeeper sighed and sat down beside him.
"Manager Lai, you're too kind. Don't be so eager to ask for anything; as long as things are stable, that's enough. This business, I'm afraid, is going to be difficult."
Pointing around, he saw that the once bustling restaurant was now deserted, with servants guarding both street entrances, preventing any diners from entering. He had seen all of this and was simply taking his anger out on the place.
Laiwang smiled to himself, thinking to himself, "Isn't this what I asked for? I dare not seek out Marquis Luoyun, so I can only use this place as a scapegoat."
"Shopkeeper, please don't speak so pessimistically. I've come today to ask whether my Master Bao, who is hosting a banquet here, has provoked anyone from Qinglian Academy. Did they strike first, or did the people from the Imperial Academy strike first? Finally, shopkeeper, do you know the name of the leader from Qinglian Academy?"
The shopkeeper was startled by the three questions in a row. He wondered what they were trying to do. After regaining his composure, he replied.
"To be honest, Manager Lai, the waiter and I were waiting here that day. It was the people from Qinglian Academy who went first, and they were the ones who made the first move. As for who they were, I don't know what Manager Lai thinks."
“Old shopkeeper, there’s no need to be afraid. The master has come to find out the details so I can give him an answer. After all, my Master Bao is still in the jail today. We need an explanation. If the truth is not cleared up, I’m sure when the Marquis comes here, it won’t be a simple whipping.”
Laiwang didn't dare to be negligent and stood up to bow in the direction of the Marquis's residence. This action made Manager Xin feel somewhat awkward, but he didn't know what to say.
"It's all thanks to Manager Lai's thoughtfulness. The leader of Qinglian Academy is named Hua Congyun, and he's quite well-known; you can find out with a few inquiries. But please ask the manager to inquire further. If things really escalate, it'll be quite embarrassing."
Manager Xin figured it out: the Rongguo Mansion was unwilling to suffer a loss and was preparing to go through the official channels.
"These are no trouble for you, shopkeeper. Thank you very much."
He clasped his hands in a fist salute, left a silver ingot on the table, and got up to leave. Only the waiter was envious of the silver.
"Shopkeeper, the Rongguo Mansion really has the spirit to charge five taels of silver for a sip of tea,"
He tried to reach out and touch it, but the old shopkeeper slapped him hard.
"Nonsense! Do you think this silver is so easy to take? I'm afraid we're in trouble. I wonder what the Rongguo Mansion will do."
Feeling uneasy, he went out to report the matter to the head of the hall and ask if he should send a message to the goddess.
"Understood, shopkeeper."
A cry of pain echoed throughout the hall.
Outside the restaurant,
Laiwang had already come out and asked a lawyer dressed as a servant beside him;
"Master Chen, what do you think? Is it possible to file a lawsuit?"
"Manager Lai, we can write the complaint and file a lawsuit, but the Rongguo Mansion still needs to investigate. The manager just said that this person is quite famous at Qinglian Academy. Behind every lawsuit, there are people involved. As the saying goes, the person who wronged you knows better than you do. So, Manager Lai, should we have the mansion investigate further?"
Lawyer Chen wasn't in a hurry; the complaint could be written anytime. But shouldn't the underlying reasons be considered? After all, there were so many people at the Imperial Academy, why did the Rongguo Mansion suddenly think of this Second Master Bao? He was the Emperor's brother-in-law! That made sense now.
"Master Chen, you just need to write the complaint; you don't need to ask anything else."
Laiwang shook his head. Even if someone had a powerful background, comparable to the Rongguo Mansion, and no matter how famous Qinglian Academy was, they wouldn't become scholars or officials.
"Yes, come and take charge."
The commotion in the capital was shrouded in mystery, and with so many secrets involved, so early in the morning, as the first rays of sunlight pierced through the carved window lattices, Prince Zhou Ding of Jin rose early, changed his clothes, washed, and prepared his meal in the east room.
Before the white jade chopsticks could even touch the crystal soup dumplings, a clear tinkling of a copper bell rang from the corner of the curtain. There stood Lady Xia Yu, accompanied by several maids, as she entered. Her apricot-yellow palace gown, gilded with gold, featured silver thread embroidery on the cuffs, the interplay of gold and silver creating a unique and elegant effect.
"Your Highness, this is ginseng soup that I prepared. Please drink more to replenish your energy."
Seeing His Highness's thin body, Xia Yu's eyes reddened. He was exhausted from the journey and his body was weak. He couldn't go to the palace like this and let the Empress see him.
"Okay, I'll drink it now."
Prince Jin nodded. He had returned yesterday and slept all night, and now he felt completely refreshed. He picked up the jade bowl and drank the thick ginseng soup in one gulp, immediately feeling a warm current flow into his body.
After the soup dumpling entered his mouth and was swallowed, he continued to ask;
"Xia Yu, did anyone send an invitation to the Marquis yesterday? Has he replied?"
Xia Yu, who was setting the table, smiled upon hearing this and replied,
"The invitation was sent yesterday, but the Marquis did not reply. Only the gatekeeper said that the Marquis went back to sleep."
"It's good that they're asleep. I'm afraid the princes at the Court of State Ceremonial couldn't sleep last night. By the way, what did the other marquises say?"
The Prince of Jin smiled knowingly. He knew the Marquis was a straightforward and generous man, and such a trivial matter wouldn't warrant a reply. But the others didn't think the same way.
"Your Highness, invitations have also been sent to the other prefectures, but the messengers who delivered them reported that all the prefectures kept their doors tightly shut. Some prefectures were knocked on multiple times, but no one answered."
Before he could finish speaking, the Prince of Jin slammed his ivory chopsticks heavily onto the rosewood desk, startling the gilded incense burner on the table, which emitted wisps of smoke.
Qingqing gently stroked the jade thumb ring on her fingertip. The jade ring, entwined with green bamboo, was carved with a warm and smooth texture, yet it exuded a chilling aura.
"I ordered them to deliver the invitation yesterday, but they returned before they could even finish. Don't these dog servants even know whether the person is in the manor or not?"
As soon as he released his pent-up anger, he stood up. Under his black python robe, he glanced at the gilded shadow and saw the map of mountains and rivers not far away, illuminated by shimmering light spots, revealing a corner of vermilion on the map, which was the geomantic map mark marked by Marquis Luoyun.
Xia Yu lowered her eyes and continued arranging the dishes.
"The north wind blew last night. Afterwards, Commander He personally led people to check. All the marquises were at their residences. Even if they weren't, the gatekeepers should have come out. But last night, they didn't even open the gates. Obviously, they all knew the news in advance. Only the Marquis of Xiangyang replied that he would definitely come today."
Nowadays, the number of servants serving in the Prince of Jin's residence is increasing. Many trusted men have come from the imperial estate; these are all part of the Prince of Jin's inner circle.
Seeing the food laid out on the table, Prince Jin returned to his seat, took a few more bites, and continued eating. It seemed his uncles had anticipated this; those marquises didn't want to get involved, but they had no choice but to come.
"Go, instruct Commander He to take men to the door and deliver the invitation. If I don't see them here today, I'll remember this debt. Also, prepare the carriage. After the meal, I will personally go to the Marquis's residence to pick them up."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Xia Yu responded and gently waved her sleeve, causing all the servants around her to bow and retreat.
Coincidentally,
At the residences of both the Prince of Wei and the Prince of Chu, almost the same scene unfolded: both princes gave a cold laugh and then remained silent.
Only the gates of the Marquis of Luoyun's residence were wide open.
Early in the morning, Zhang Jinyu felt refreshed; the aches and pains she used to experience were long gone. She was full of praise for the health-preserving exercises the old Taoist had given her. Looking at the still-sleeping beauty, she smiled and shook her head, then threw back the covers, got up, and changed her clothes.
Hearing the noise from the outer room, Huo'er quickly brought in several maids to serve Zhang Jinyu. After Zhang Jinyu changed her clothes and washed up, she asked;
"I'm attending a banquet this noon and won't be eating at the manor. Go and pass on this message to my wife."
"Yes, my lord, I will go and say so. Last night, Steward Wang came here and delivered an invitation, saying it was for you, my lord."
Huo'er blushed and handed over an invitation. She was still mortified by the absurdity that had transpired in the house yesterday; she was the one who stopped Butler Wang from bringing the gifts.
Looking at the invitation in front of him, Zhang Jinyu finally came to her senses. It seemed that in her haste to leave yesterday, she hadn't asked His Highness for it and had completely forgotten about it.
Looking up at the house, he saw Ning Bian standing outside. Knowing something was wrong, he nodded to Huo'er and went out.
"Why are you here so early?"
"My lord, news has just come from the Court of State Ceremonies. Minister Sun Boyan has invited the imperial chefs to cook, and several princes have already prepared gifts in the main hall. They said the banquet today will not be held at noon!"
Ningbian reported the information he had gathered to the Marquis, who was also somewhat unsure of the Honglu Temple's intentions.
"The Court of State Ceremonial has already invited the palace chefs. The banquet won't be held at noon. Could it be changed to the evening?"
"Uh, no, my lord, the guards reported that the princes said the banquet should be held as soon as possible, so they specially invited Minister Sun of the Court of State Ceremonial, and then these invitations were distributed directly to the princes."
Ningbian immediately explained that the princes' actions were unusual, and wondered if it was a trap.
Zhang Jinyu stroked her chin, glanced at the sky outside. It was barely dawn; what was the rush? Even in ordinary households, celebrations, whether joyous or tragic, were traditionally held around noon or in the evening. Who would buy groceries and cook so early in the morning, in such a hurry?
There's a reason for this. Thinking about the grudges I've formed with these princes, I know there's no such thing as a pleasant banquet. As the saying goes, in my haste, I haven't thought things through clearly.
"Since you've noticed something's amiss, I also think that the so-called 'Xiang Zhuang's sword dance was aimed at Liu Bang' is a metaphor for something else. These princes have suffered a great loss, shouldn't they seek revenge? Besides, the invitations we received were given by His Highness. Shouldn't the decision of when to attend the banquet be made by the princes? Even if the time has been changed, it should be Prince Jin who should inform us. So, we still need to discuss this matter further."
"So, what does Your Excellency mean?"
Ningbian was puzzled. If that were the case, and the Prince of Beijing and the Prince of Dongping were to attend, would the time of the banquet change or remain the same?
"No rush. Go and tell people to buy more food and take it with them. Also, take the army's water bags and fill them with good wine. Today, let's make a scene at this banquet."
“Yes, Lord Marquis,” Ning Bian’s eyes lit up, and he asked again;
"My lord, how many men should I take with me?"
"Bring all four hundred of your personal guards in golden armor. Also, have the brothers bring some food and water pouches. I'm afraid today's banquet won't end easily."
"Understood, my lord."
Zhang Jinyu's lips curled up slightly. She definitely couldn't eat the food at the Honglu Temple, but she couldn't go hungry either, so she had to bring her own food. There were plenty of snacks on the street, so she could change her taste. After watching Ning Bian leave, she went to the outer room. Breakfast was already prepared on the table. She sat down, picked up her chopsticks, and began to eat in a happy mood.
Outside the mansion,
The location at the west street entrance,
The Prince of Jin's carriage was almost at the gate of the Marquis's residence when, at that moment, armored soldiers rode up from behind the convoy, pulled on the reins, and reported into the carriage.
"Your Highness, the princes of the Court of State Ceremonial have sent out new invitations, saying that today's banquet will be held at Chenshi (7-9 AM), and they have also informed the Second Prince and the Third Prince."
"What, Chen Shi (7-9 AM)?"
inside the car,
Prince Zhou Ding of Jin's eyes narrowed. He had personally arranged the banquet hosted by the Court of State Ceremonial; when would he change his mind? Were his uncles trying to usurp the host's position?
"How can the banquet time be changed so easily? Besides, if the time is changed, the Court of State Ceremonial will have too little time to prepare the dishes for the banquet. What will Lord Sun say?"
"Your Highness, Lord Sun of the Court of State Ceremonial has sent a letter saying that the banquet can be held at any time,"
The urgent words of the personal guards came in from outside. In an instant, the Prince of Jin's face turned ashen. "Sun Boyan, Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, what does this mean?"
"Never mind that, let's get to the Marquis's residence, quickly."
"Yes, Your Highness."
As the coachman whipped the horses, the Jin Prince's entourage quickened its pace considerably; in almost the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the Luo Yun Marquis's residence came into view.
Upon arriving at the gate of the mansion, Prince Jin, escorted by the imperial guards, alighted from his carriage. Looking at the unassuming gate, supported only by a few simple pieces of nanmu wood, and with only the main gate recently painted, there were few other alterations. He was filled with感慨 (a sense of感慨, a feeling of mixed emotions, including admiration and reflection).
"Everyone says Marquis Luoyun is imposing and powerful, but I find him to be quite amiable. This mansion is one of the more welcoming places in the capital,"
“Your Highness, the land beyond the Great Wall is harsh and cold, and the population is vast. Even with the Marquis's deep resources, it's not enough to fill the void there,”
The Imperial City Guard Commander, He Baihu, carefully observed the conversation, prompting Prince Jin to nod repeatedly, agreeing with the Prince's words. Just as Prince Jin was examining the main gate of his residence, the gatekeeper had already opened the middle gate and led a group of people to kneel and pay their respects outside.
"This humble servant greets Your Highness Prince Jin, may Your Highness live a thousand years!"
"Rise. I consider you a close friend, so there's no need for such formalities. Where is the Marquis?"
Prince Jin waved his hand. He was in a good mood today, and this was his first visit to the Marquis of Luoyun's residence. Remembering that there was a calligraphy piece by Li Bai in the carriage, he gave the order.
"Yu Shang, go and get that painting and calligraphy from the carriage,"
"Yes, Your Highness,"
Eunuch Yu stepped back into the carriage, followed by a scroll. The steward led the way.
"Your Highness, the Marquis stayed overnight in the West Garden yesterday; he should be awake by now,"
He stammered his reply, his eyes flashing signals to those around him. A trusted servant quickly went to the West Garden to deliver the message. The Prince of Jin smiled, his pace slowing considerably as he walked leisurely.
In the West Garden's flower hall, Zhang Jinyu had almost finished eating. While not exactly full, she was certainly enjoying the delicious food.
At that moment, the gatekeeper rushed into the courtyard.
"My lord, my lord, Prince Jin has arrived."
He made a racket all the way, and the guards in the courtyard informed him.
"My lord, the gatekeeper reports that His Highness Prince Jin has entered the residence."
"Oh, how come you got here so quickly?"
Zhang Jinyu was somewhat surprised, but then, recalling the news she had heard that morning, she suddenly realized that the princes wanted to take the initiative and had orchestrated this whole affair.
"Let's go over and have a look."
He gave the order and got up. As soon as he moved, Yang Hanyu, who was in the inner room, got up and started to change her clothes, despite the pain. She heard the noise and was about to say something when she saw a figure flicker at the door curtain and disappear. She frowned and hadn't even said a word.
"Fire, where is he?"
"Master, Master, here it is,"
Huo'er hurriedly replied and ran over from the outer room. Seeing her master changing clothes, she quickly offered to help.
"Where did you go? What's all the noise outside?"
"Reporting to Your Majesty, this servant is outside clearing away the dishes for the Marquis, saying that the Prince of Jin has come to the residence,"
I dared not say much, but simply took my mistress's red silk skirt.
"Alright, come with me to pay our respects to the old lady in a bit."
"Yes, master."
In the front yard, inside the west hall,
The Prince of Jin had already entered the main hall with his entourage and was sitting in the main seat, sipping tea. He had traveled a long way and his mouth was a little dry.
Seeing that the Marquis had not yet arrived, he looked around the room. The bricks and tiles were all new, without any carved beams or painted rafters; instead, it was simple and plain. Even the tables and chairs were of standard size. Although the teacups and porcelain were of good quality, they were still far inferior to those in the palace.
There were a few screens here and there, but they were ordinary items; it seems the Marquis was indeed frugal.
"Commander He, have you sent someone to keep an eye on the Court of State Ceremonies?"
He Yixiu was taken aback by the question. He had been standing beside the prince, still thinking about the reports from his subordinates, and his heart skipped a beat when he heard the prince's question.
"Your Highness, the Court of State Ceremonial has been rearranged by the princes, and they have brought quite a few guards with them. Yesterday, there were not many changes. This morning, my men suddenly reported that there was smoke rising from the kitchen of the Court of State Ceremonial, and all the cooks, including the ones invited from the palace, were already cooking. After inquiring carefully, we realized that something was amiss."
Actually, at the time, Commander He didn't believe it either. Who would get up in the morning and immediately have a banquet and drink alcohol? It didn't make sense.
"Why would Sun Boyan, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, obey the orders of several princes?"
"This, this, I have no idea."
He Baihu's face turned pale. How could he know what was going on? The Imperial City Guard in the Prince's Mansion only had so many people, enough to do some surveillance work, and there weren't enough people to go any further.
However, Zhang Jinyu, who had just arrived at the door, overheard these words and paused. He thought of Sun Boyan, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, who was a protégé of the Grand Secretary. It seemed that the eldest son had made arrangements, or perhaps he could call for help early this morning. As the saying goes, it's better to share happiness than to enjoy it alone.
"Your Highness is in high spirits today, arriving so early. I overheard what Your Highness said outside. This Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, Sun Boyan, is extremely petty. Moreover, he holds an important position in the Court of State Ceremonial precisely to serve several princes. How could he dare to disobey? Perhaps he thinks that this banquet was decided by the princes, haha."
(End of this chapter)