Hong'an Xiangzhuang - 11

Hong'an Xiangzhuang - 11

When the ten large boxes of books on the imperial banquet procedures, bestowed by the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, arrived at the Kang Prince's residence, the servants were dumbfounded.

"So many books!"

Luo Yu wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked at the mountain of boxes piled up in the yard.

Are people in the palace this blatantly discouraging others these days?

Yun Yixia stood under the eaves, dressed in a simple and elegant home dress, her hair simply tied up, watching the servants bring out the books with a calm expression.

"Your Highness, is there anything I can do to help?"

Du Fang looked at the stacks of books that were almost filling the corridor, and felt a surge of frustration.

Since the princess married into the family, she has been well-behaved and has never provoked anyone, yet no one wants to let her go.

"Arrange four literate maids for me. Tomorrow I will sort and classify the books."

"promise!"

Du Fang went to arrange manpower, and Yun Yixia watched as the servants emptied the ten boxes and waved everyone away, making Qin Fang Yuan feel somewhat crowded and cramped.

"Wife, shall we start tidying up now?"

Bai Wei looked at the books that were like a city wall, and had a headache trying to figure out how to extract the useful information from them.

"I'm tired today, let's start again tomorrow!"

After Yun Yixia finished speaking, she went to rest, leaving the three maids looking at each other in bewilderment.

They racked their brains but still couldn't figure out what their mistress planned to do, so they simply gave up on thinking and handed everything over to her.

Over the years, nothing my wife has ever failed to accomplish.

As the night passed, the morning light streamed through the carved window lattice into the east wing study, and the air was filled with the faint scent of ink and camphor wood.

"The etiquette and regulations for palace banquets, records of banquets in the imperial court throughout history, lists of ingredients purchased, arrangements of music and dance, seating arrangements, and the correspondence between seasons and banquets..."

Yun Yixia quickly flipped through the pages while verbally categorizing them.

She would label the books she didn't need and put them back in the box. Her fingers would fly between the pages, and she could accurately judge the value and classification of each book by just looking at the table of contents and the first few pages.

In less than two hours, the ten boxes containing hundreds of books were all in place.

Unused books were removed, while useful ones were categorized and piled up next to the desk.

Even so, the number is still quite considerable.

Since no one else could help with the remaining work, Yun Yixia asked the four people to leave, while she continued speed reading and sorting out useful books.

She quickly flipped through the books, constructing the overall process of the palace banquet in her mind.

After another round of screening, only a dozen or so useful process notebooks were kept, and the rest were all sealed away.

The study in the east wing was brightly lit by candlelight. Yun Yixia stood up and stretched, her bones cracking with a "crack, crack" sound.

A thick stack of manuscripts lay on the table, covering the entire process of the palace banquet from preparation to conclusion. The manuscripts were clearly and logically organized, listing all possible unexpected situations and corresponding solutions.

Even if she weren't needed for the palace banquet, anyone else could handle it with the manuscript and achieve a similar level of success.

Yun Yixia rubbed her sore wrists, refined the text into a concise memorial, and prepared to submit it to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor.

"Make a copy tomorrow!" she told her three maids. "To ensure that if any problems arise at the palace banquet, you can handle things seamlessly."

"promise!"

Yun Yixia stepped out of the study, looked at the bright moon in the sky, and a plan came to her mind.

"Mujin, go find Ayun tomorrow and ask her to come see me as soon as possible."

"promise!"

"Bai Wei, will you come to the palace with me tomorrow... is that alright?"

"OK!"

"My wife, where am I? Where am I?"

Peony tapped the tip of her nose, her eyes sparkling as she looked at her wife.

"You stay here and guard the house, and catch some 'mice' while you're at it."

Our yard isn't clean; it needs tidying up!

"Yes~"

Yun Yixia chuckled. Zhao Yunxian wanted the profits from the Zhao family's shops, but she would not only refuse to give them to him, she would also try to take advantage of him instead.

I'm determined to win this game!

Inside Baoci Palace, Shi Anwan reviewed the banquet program presented by Yun Yixia, her eyes showing approval. She readily approved it without making things difficult for Yun Yixia.

Accompanied by Zheng An, Yun Yixia found the person in charge of each department and handed them two confirmation letters for the process checklist in front of him.

After signing and sealing, each party retains a copy to ensure clear responsibilities.

Once a combo was unleashed, the atmosphere in the palace immediately became tense and tense.

Those who were originally waiting to see the joke and to trip up the person started to take action, not daring to be lazy or delay.

When Yun Yixia returned to the Kangwang Mansion, Qinfang Garden was spotless. Li Yun sat at the dining table, smiling and waving to her.

"Leiyinzhai, Xuexia soup, roasted chicken, steamed stone head with wine... these are all my favorite dishes! Ah Yun, you're still the best to me!"

Yun Yixia had been running around all morning and was very hungry. After washing her hands, she ate heartily, her cheeks round and plump, like a greedy little squirrel.

“You were riding high the other day, and I was afraid that coming here would cause unnecessary trouble. I only dared to come after I heard from you.”

Li Yun served Xia food with a doting expression, and couldn't help but poke her soft, bouncy cheek with his finger.

“These days I’m rushing to deal with the Zhao family’s shop.” She sighed softly. “Some of the inventory isn’t selling well, and I’m afraid that if I keep it, I won’t be able to sell it for a good price later.”

This is so worrying!

"Here~" Yun Yixia handed over a roll of Xuan paper, "These are the banquet order forms. The person in charge of purchasing will come to you tomorrow."

I don't know about other places, but at least the inventory in Xijing City should be able to be cleared out.

Yun Yixia has never stockpiled much inventory when doing business.

At most, she would stockpile basic necessities such as food and fabric.

Xijing City was the most prosperous city in Daqing.

Most of the expensive goods are in the city, so the royal supplies can be used up.

The two exchanged a glance and smiled knowingly at each other.

A cool breeze is rising outside, while inside it is warm and cozy, creating a lazy and comfortable atmosphere.

Li Yun was dressed in a sky-blue robe, his hair tied up with a wooden hairpin, still in men's attire, looking exceptionally free and easy.

She smiled, picked up the white porcelain wine cup, and the light golden wine shimmered warmly in the sunlight, clinking glasses with Xia.

Yun Yixia raised her hand and took a small sip. The sweet and sour plum and the faint aroma of wine melted on her tongue, and the perfect slight intoxication made her feel relaxed and comfortable.

"Of all the wines I've drunk, yours is still the best."

"I think it's just that Mr. Li is used to eating rich and heavy meals, and he finds it refreshing to have some simple porridge and side dishes occasionally."

Yun Yixia teased Li Yun, and the two chatted casually about everything under the sun.

A man walked in through the gate of Qinfang Garden. The gatekeeper opened her mouth to call out, but he raised his hand to stop her and walked inside, looking somewhat weary.

His broad shoulders and narrow waist were outlined in a dark black robe embroidered with silver pythons. He held a scroll in his hand, and there was a thoughtful look between his brows.

Xue Ning's transfer did not go smoothly!

The matter of "keeping a mistress" was discovered by the Censorate, and impeachments were sent to the palace like snowflakes. Although the transfer order was issued, the emperor's brother intended not to promote him, but to demote him instead.

In this way, Xue Ning would harbor resentment towards the court and the royal family, making it inappropriate to send him to guard the border.

Zhao Yunkang discussed the matter with his elder brother, the emperor, in the imperial study for a long time and finally decided to send Xue Ning to the northwest to garrison troops. Xue Ning would be promoted in rank but would have less military duties and would be some distance from the frontier.

After leaving the palace, he was too tired to speak and walked aimlessly to Qinfang Garden.

He didn't know why he came.

But I just wanted to see her.

The bamboo blinds were half-rolled up, and sunlight streamed through the lattice window, casting dappled shadows.

Yun Yixia and Li Yun sat facing each other, with more than half of the food and drinks on the table, chatting and laughing.

"Tsk~"

Zhao Yunkang saw that her eyebrows and eyes were relaxed, and her smile was easy, completely different from when she was with him, as bright as the sun.

"Knock knock!"

She tapped on the window with her finger, and the laughter inside stopped abruptly. Yun Yixia turned her head and saw Zhao Yunkang. She stared in surprise and got up to greet him.

"Your Highness, what brings you here? Have you had lunch yet?"

"This humble subject greets Prince Kang!"

Li Yun stood up and bowed, his posture upright and neither humble nor arrogant.

"I have something to tell you!"

Zhao Yunkang pushed open the door and walked in, his expression as usual. His gaze swept over the dishes on the table and then fell on the white porcelain wine pot... His brows furrowed slightly, and his eyes looked at Yun Yixia with a hint of grievance.

"In that case... Xia, I'll go take care of my work now, and we'll talk again later."

"good!"

Yun Yixia nodded, and Li Yun bowed to Zhao Yunkang again to say goodbye. Bai Wei saw her off, leaving only the couple in the room.

Did I disturb your meal?

These words sounded a bit sarcastic, which puzzled Yun Yixia. Zhao Yunkang lifted his robe and sat in Li Yun's seat, his slender fingers fiddling with his wine glass.

The plums were sweet and sour, mixed with the aroma of wine; it smelled delicious, but she never thought of giving him a pot of it.

"Your Highness, you flatter me!"

Yun Yixia didn't know what Zhao Yunkang was angry about, so she ordered someone to remove the table of food and wine and prepare a new one. She also took out two jars of plum wine and pushed them to his side.

"I made this in my spare time, if Your Highness doesn't mind..."

"I don't mind!"

Zhao Yunkang placed his hand on the wine jar and asked indirectly, "Does Li Yun have any?" Upon receiving a negative answer, the dark clouds on his face instantly dissipated, and his whole demeanor brightened.

He had worked hard all day and was starving. The food on the table smelled especially delicious, perfect for a hearty meal.

Yun Yixia used serving chopsticks to serve the food, and only stopped when he was rubbing his stomach from eating.

"Xue Ning's matter has caused a great uproar. The Censorate impeached him, and he could no longer guard the border. Instead, he was sent to garrison troops."

Zhao Yunkang's thoughts were a bit mixed. He stared blankly at Yun Yixia's face, feeling that it was nice to keep looking at her like this.

There was a sense of reluctance between them; Yun Yixia didn't want to stay in the royal family, but he didn't want to let her go.

In three to five years, he will have to go to the northern border... What can he do to win her over?

"Your Highness?"

Yun Yixia felt her scalp tingle under the man's gaze. The complex and dangerous look in Zhao Yunkang's eyes made her instinctively want to hide.

She knew how domineering the imperial power was in this era, and she didn't want to confront it head-on unless absolutely necessary.

"This is your first time organizing a palace banquet. If you have any questions... or if there's anything you need my assistance with, just come to me..."

Zhao Yunkang seemed a little drunk, his eyes were fixed on Yun Yixia, and the words he spoke slowly changed.

Don't you like men?

"Huh?" Yun Yixia was speechless. "From what part of yourself did Your Highness realize... I don't like men?"

"You treat the maid very well! You treat Li Yun even better!"

You're not very nice to me!

Zhao Yunkang didn't say his last words. He leaned forward, looking at his wife with distress.

“We’ve known each other for many years, so it’s not an exaggeration to call them ‘old friends,’ and our relationship is naturally closer.”

"Even a prince has loyal subordinates and close friends..."

Before Yun Yixia could finish speaking, Zhao Yunkang rudely interrupted her.

"I don't!"