Hong'an Xiangzhuang - 13

Hong'an Xiangzhuang - 13

Yun Yixia delegated most of the work to the person in charge, but she was still responsible for verifying the results and providing guidance for improvement to avoid any mishaps at the palace banquet.

Each time she verifies the results, makes suggestions for revisions, etc., she writes them down in a notebook and asks the person in charge to sign and affix their fingerprint, ensuring that "work is documented".

After several rounds of corrections and revisions, the palace banquet was ready in a respectable manner, awaiting only the fifth day of the eleventh lunar month to begin.

Just as Yun Yixia was about to breathe a sigh of relief and go out for a stroll, the Yun family carriage stopped in front of the Kang Prince's Mansion, and Luo Yu blocked her way back from leaving.

She opened the visiting card, rubbed her temples with a headache, and asked Luo Yu to invite them in.

Yun Wenyao was wearing a slightly worn dark blue silk shirt, followed by Jiang Xiumei, who wore a crimson brocade jacket. Behind them were Yun's four children.

Everything's here today!

The West Flower Hall was where the Prince Kang's Mansion received ordinary guests; its furnishings were elegant, and it featured precious bronze vessels and jade tablets.

"Father, Mother, Eldest Sister, Second Brother..."

Yun Yixia greeted everyone one by one, her expression no longer timid and hesitant as she had been at the Yun residence.

Marrying off a daughter is like spilling water!

She no longer needs to act or deal with these people.

"Greetings, Princess Kang!"

It took Yun Wenyao a moment to realize that he should first lead his family to pay their respects to Yun Yixia.

The people behind him bowed very perfunctorily, especially Yun Yihua and Yun Yidan, who just made a perfunctory gesture.

"Get up!"

Yun Yixia took her seat at the head of the table, and the others sat down according to their seniority. For a moment, no one spoke.

Yun Wenyao used the excuse of drinking tea to subtly observe his third daughter, whom he hadn't seen for several months.

The timid and cowardly Third Sister in his memory was now calm and composed, with a composure he had never seen before.

"After Third Sister married into the Kang Prince's mansion, she grew even more beautiful. I heard that the Empress Dowager often summons you to the palace for heart-to-heart talks..."

Jiang Xiumei smiled broadly and spoke intimately, but her eyes were full of calculation.

"Mother, you flatter me."

Yun Yixia lowered her eyes and chuckled softly, her simple words leaving the other person speechless.

They exchanged a few polite words with stiff expressions, but seeing that Third Sister's attitude was lukewarm, Yun Wenyao quickly got to the point.

"I have heard that the Princess is currently in charge of the palace banquets and has a lot of work to do. I am very worried about her."

"Thank you for your concern, Father. With the Prince's help, we are managing to get by."

It's here!

Yun Yixia understood perfectly well, but she didn't show it on her face. She was watching how they would "act."

"Third Sister!" Yun Wenyao sighed, "Your second brother has studied hard for many years but has failed the imperial examinations repeatedly. It is not right for him to stay idle at home like this."

If one could have a proper job to gain experience, even starting from the bottom, it would be better than wasting time.

"You and Prince Kang are husband and wife; could you perhaps secure a future for your second brother?"

The two elders of the Yun family looked sorrowful, while Yun Yixian looked at Yun Yixia with hopeful eyes.

"What kind of job is Second Brother looking for?"

Yun Yixia picked up her teacup, gently stirred the floating leaves with the lid, and asked in a kind and gentle voice.

Yun Yixian's eyes lit up, and she leaned forward slightly.

"Your foolish brother is incompetent!"

Over the years, I've also read some books on practical application.

I heard that preparing for the palace banquet requires documents, such as organizing files and checking accounts.

I can handle it all!

Even if all else fails, there are positions of the eighth or ninth rank in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices or the Court of Imperial Courts of Imperial Sacrifices.

Yun Yixia listened to Yun Yixian's "dream talk" with a gentle smile and graceful demeanor.

"Second brother, you are unaware of this!"

Those who took over the affairs of the palace banquets were all directly appointed by the Imperial Household Department, or personally approved by the Empress Dowager or the Emperor.

"They say I'll handle everything, but how could I really entrust such an important palace banquet to a clueless new bride?"

Yun Yixia paused, giving the Yun family some time to react.

“Father, I will talk to the Prince about my second brother!” She lowered her eyes, looking troubled. “However, since ancient times, civil and military officials have been clearly divided.”

If my second brother wants to follow the path of a prince, he will most likely have to serve as a soldier in the northern frontier…

"I'm not going!" Yun Yixia yelled. "I don't want to leave Xijing!"

The northern border region is bitterly cold, sparsely populated, and lacks the prosperity of Xijing (Beijing). The food there is also coarse and difficult to swallow.

He became an official to enjoy life, not to be a soldier who drills every day.

"Second brother, in any dynasty, it's taboo for fathers and sons to serve as officials in the same region!"

Yun Yixia looked at Yun Wenyao with considerable distress.

He hasn't even warmed his seat as a fourth-rank official yet, so he certainly won't give up his position to his good-for-nothing son.

"Father!"

Yun Yixian looked at his father longingly, only to find that his father did not even glance at him.

"Let's discuss this further when we get home!"

Yun Wenyao went over San Niang's words in his mind several times. Indeed, as she said, civil officials and military generals follow two different paths.

Prince Kang is a general in the northern frontier and will return in the future. He can find a job for Erlang in the army, but that's about it.

The future of the Yun family rests entirely on Erlang; how could we possibly send him to the frontier?

Seeing that the man hadn't gotten an official position for his son, Jiang Xiumei adjusted her expression and smiled as she started a new conversation.

"We women don't understand men's affairs."

However, since Third Sister is in charge of the palace banquets, she will have to take good care of your two younger sisters.

Jiang Xiumei took her two daughters' hands, and they glared at Yun Yixia fiercely as before.

If she dared not agree, they would immediately rush over and bite her.

“Mother, the signing of invitations for the palace banquet is handled by Chief Steward Zheng An, who serves the Empress Dowager. I have no authority to add people.”

Yun Yixia spoke gently, with a smile on her lips, making it impossible to find fault with her.

Yun Wenyao rose from a fifth-rank official in the Ministry of Revenue to a fourth-rank official in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices through a royal marriage. He was responsible for miscellaneous tasks such as proofreading books in the Hanlin Academy, but his actual power was not as great as when he was in the Ministry of Revenue.

Such an official, holding a purely nominal position, would never appear on the banquet guest list, let alone bring his two daughters to the banquet.

"Third Sister, is your father on the list?"

The palace banquet was about to be held, but Yun Wenyao had not yet received an invitation, which made him feel quite uneasy.

He couldn't ask his colleagues, nor could he ask Third Sister directly.

The topic was brought up by Jiang, and his casual question seemed very natural.

"Father, may I speak with you alone for a few minutes?"

Yun Yixia was respectful and her eyes were lowered, so no one could see the mockery that flashed in her eyes.

"Third Sister, what can't we say to each other as family?"

Jiang Xiumei didn't want to leave; she had a premonition that they might not get anything this time.

That won't do.

The little slut from the Qian family gave birth to a son, and Fourth Sister refused to go back, insisting on divorcing Qian Zhiping.

Fifth Sister started looking at other people, but she was never satisfied no matter how many times she looked.

Those from high-ranking families and handsome men look down on the Yun family; those from low-ranking families and ordinary men... Fifth Sister looks down on them!

The Yun family wants to arrange a marriage for Fifth Sister, so Fourth Sister cannot divorce, lest Fifth Sister find it even more difficult to find a husband.

The two sisters argued a lot about this, making the inner quarters a mess, and it was a headache to listen to every day.

"Mother, please forgive me!"

Yun Yixia didn't take the bait; instead, she lowered her head and apologized to Madam Jiang.

Now that she holds a noble status, it is already presumptuous for the Yun family to call her "Third Sister" so often.

She picked up her teacup, and out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Du Fang waiting at the door, and a slight smile appeared on her lips.

With such a lack of tact, it's no wonder Yun Wenyao's career has been unsuccessful.

The atmosphere froze, and no one was willing to speak up to ease the tension. The Yun family children glared at Yun Yixia with resentment, wishing they could rush over and slap her twice.

"This Longjing tea was a gift from the Empress Dowager. Father, please try it and see if you find it palatable?"

Yun Yixia naturally moved on to the next topic.

Yun Wenyao took a sip of tea, tasting nothing, and subtly gave Jiang a look, signaling her to take the children out.

He wanted to hear what Third Sister had to say.

"Third Sister just said that all the people needed for the palace banquet must be appointed by the Imperial Household Department."

Those miscellaneous tasks like purchasing and arranging will always require manpower, right?

I can help with errands and check the accounts.

Yun Yixian was still unwilling to give up and wanted to seize the opportunity to appear in front of high-ranking officials and dignitaries.

Since his father held no real power and he always seemed to have bad luck in the imperial examinations, he figured he might as well make some connections to secure his future.

"The procurement for palace banquets was all handled by the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and every account had to be verified by the three ministries."

The arrangements were to be handled exclusively by the Imperial Household Department; even I had no authority to interfere.

Yun Yixia put down her teacup and looked at Yun Yixian with clear and gentle eyes.

"If Second Brother really wants to gain experience, he should start with the family business."

I've heard that the silk shop in the west of the city is doing quite well lately. Second Brother, you could go help manage it; you could learn accounting and also ease the burden on the Yun family. Wouldn't that be a win-win situation?

These words struck a nerve with Jiang Xiumei, and her face instantly darkened.

That silk shop was the Yun family's most profitable business.

Jiang Xiumei had always wanted her nephew to take charge, while Yun Wenyao wanted his son to take charge first, so that he would at least have something to do. They argued about this for a long time.

"The affairs of merchants are lowly and vulgar; how could they be worthy of my status?"

Yun Yixian stiffened her neck, looking at Yun Yixia with disdain, inwardly thinking, "Long hair, short brains."

"Since my second brother has no interest in this path, I can only ask the teacher to provide careful instruction so that he can pass the imperial examination in the next spring."

Yun Yixia said indifferently, but upon hearing the words "scientific examination," she immediately became dejected and fell silent.

"Jiang, you take your men and go out first. I have something to say to Third Sister."

Yun Wenyao's eyelids were twitching, but Jiang Xiumei pretended not to see it, so he had no choice but to speak up.

"promise!"

Jiang Xiumei dared to defy Yun Yixia, but dared not go against Yun Wenyao again.

She went out with a long, drawn-out expression, and Du Fang asked the others to wait quietly in a side room.

After everyone left, Yun Wenyao looked at Yun Yixia with a complicated expression.

She speaks tactfully and acts with perfect discretion. She seems to respond to everything, but in reality, she doesn't agree to anything.

With such cunning and skill, how could this be the same timid Third Sister from the Yun family?

Yun Wenyao suddenly felt a pang of regret; he should have treated San Niang better before she got married.

"Father, please don't go to the palace banquet if you can avoid it!"

Yun Yixia leaned forward, lowered her voice, and created a mysterious atmosphere.

"The Khitans, seething with anger, went to Daqing to deliver the peace treaty."

After arriving in Xijing City, they never stopped causing trouble and always managed to stir up some trouble.

People in the palace say they might cause trouble at the banquet.

Father, the risks are so high, are you still going to get involved?

Yun Yixia lowered her eyes, slowly sat up straight, and gave Yun Wenyao time to think.

"I see!"

Yun Wenyao got up and walked towards the door, with Yun Yixia following behind to see him off.

Jiang Xiumei wanted to say something, but he glared at her, so she shut her mouth and left the Kang Prince's Mansion with a long face.

The group came and went in the same way, without getting anything.

Yun Yixia watched the carriage leave, then turned and slowly walked back to Qinfang Garden along the corridor.

The best way to get rid of fools is to gather them together and torment each other.

A pleased smile played on her lips as she waited for the Yun family to fight amongst themselves until they caused trouble and disappeared.

That day... it's probably not far off!