312 Before the Banquet (Part 1)
Within a day, the news of the sixth prince hosting a banquet at Grand Golden Terrace to announce his return to Heavenly Revelations, and inviting all the very important people in Heavenly Revelations spread like confetti throughout the city.
Those who didn’t get an invitation couldn’t help but feel a little vexed, since it proved that the sixth prince did not consider them important enough to be invited to this grand banquet.
But the people who received an invitation didn’t have it easy either. The invitation was merely a flimsy piece of paper, but in the hand, it felt like a weight that weighed a thousand jin. The Minister of Revenue, Li Ruochong, sighed and glanced over at his eldest son beside him, Li Baisong. "Son, do you think we should attend or not?"
"Father, didn't His Highness White Prince send a message already? He told us not to attend," Li Baisong asked in confusion.
"Of course, we had best follow instructions from His Highness White Prince, but we can’t just follow all of them, ah." Li Ruochong rubbed his temples. "You were still young at the time, you don’t know about this Yong'an Prince and how he was at the peak of his glory back then. If it weren't because His Majesty the Emperor was still healthy at the time, and Xiao Chuhe was still very young, otherwise I'm afraid he would really have established a Crown Prince and heir. Now that such a person has returned, even if the White Prince and Red Prince have made a lot of plans these past few years, the situation may still change."
"Then, what do we say?" Li Baisong asked.
"For the next couple of days, send some people to keep an eye on Grand Golden Terrace and Fallen Snow Villa, and make preparations for tomorrow. Of course, it would be best if we don’t attend, but considering this prince’s behaviour, I’m afraid he’s going to contrive a scheme against us." Li Ruochong sighed. "All they do is make things difficult for us little people."
"All they do is make things difficult for us little people." Li Qing, the largest salt merchant in the capital, slammed the invitation onto the table.
He held a monopoly on the salt market in the capital, and if you compared his family to those in Qingzhou, Li Qing would still be called a tycoon. A person like that referred to himself as little people? If what he just said got spread around, a lot of people would be so angry they would be blowing smoke out of their ears. But his tone was so very sincere, spoken truly from the bottom of his heart.
The house steward standing next to him, Li Chong, was one of the seven most popular house stewards in the capital. In Heavenly Revelations, he was considered a powerful and capable individual, so he would naturally understand what his master was thinking at the moment. He asked carefully, "We can’t afford to offend either side, so do we attend or not?"
"Not attending." Li Qing shook his head. "I’m not the only one not attending. Old Man Chen, Madam Hu and that Gongsun brat won’t be attending either."
"Old master, are you sure about that?" Li Chong asked.
"Obviously. Whether openly or secretly, we’ve had many years of cooperation and many years of competition. Don’t you think I’d know what they’re thinking? Since His Highness Red Prince’s letter has reached us, then they will surely have received theirs. All these years, how much money we’ve earned is how much of a handle he has over us. There’s no free exchange in this world." Li Qing sighed heavily again. "Li Chong, the Li family business has grown so much over the years. It’s about time we pay some of the price."
Li Chong followed with his own sigh. "Hopefully, the Li family can get through this smoothly."
Music House. Madam Hu was a very important shop owner and she was in charge of tens of music shops in Heavenly Revelations. At that moment, she sneezed heavily and picked up a red handkerchief to wipe her nose. She scolded softly, "Which shameless bastard is talking about this old lady behind my back!"
Although Madam Hu was called a Madam, she didn’t look older than her thirties. Her red-coloured robes wrapped around her rather prominent and ample figure, and her eyes were full of flirtatious expression. The half-laughing way she just scolded while coquettishly feigning anger made her alluring charm even more obvious.
Next to her was a handsome attendant and he had to force down the tremors in his heart. Softly, he asked, "Madam, so are we attending or not?"
"Not attending," Madam Hu snapped angrily, kicking out a pair of long and straight jade-like legs, flipping over the low table in front of her. On the table was, in fact, the invitation sent from Fallen Snow Villa.
"Alright." The attendant nodded. "I'll send a reply right away to His Highness Red Prince."
"Reply what? Do you think he doesn’t know whether or not I’m attending?" Madam Hu waved a hand. "He’s taken good care of us over the last few years so it’s time to repay the favour. Otherwise, those stinky old men will be climbing over my head again."
"Madam, could there be another reason you don’t want me to send a reply? For instance, perhaps there’s a possibility that we will be attending."
"It's possible." Madam Hu returned a wide smile, filled with flirtatious intent. "I’ve seen this sixth prince before, ah. He was such a distinguished rich young master that every girl wanted to marry him. If he would let me sleep with him for one night, I would attend even if I had to upset His Highness Red Prince."
Fallen Snow Villa.
Ye Ruoyi had found Steward Xu, who was preparing for the Grand Golden Terrace banquet in two days. Steward Xu raised his head and said with a smile, "Does Miss Ye need something from me?"
Ye Ruoyi nodded. "Steward Xu, I’m afraid I may have to trouble you to make a trip to the Lanyue Marquis Residence in person."
"Lanyue Marquis?" Steward Xu chickled. "The Marquis was here this morning."
"Lanyue Marquis came here?" Ye Ruoyi was surprised.
"Yes, the Marquis also said. The order that closed the city has not been rescinded so General Ye still can’t leave his residence. And that this was his best chance." Steward Xu imitated Lanyue Marqui’s half-joking and half-serious tone.
Ye Ruoyi didn’t know if she should laugh or cry. "The Marquis is really like a child. He keeps insisting on competing with my father."
"Ride!" Lanyue Marquis rode his horse in a wild gallop through Heavenly Revelations City. Over the last few years, without Xiao Se, he was the only one who dared to ride his horse so brazenly in Heavenly Revelations City.
"Marquis, you’re here," a young servant greeted Lanyue Marquis immediately when he stopped in front of a mansion. "My master guessed that you would be coming and informed me to wait for your arrival. It’s been quite a wait."
"Yes." Lanyue Marquis grinned. "I'm here."
Directorate of Astronomy.
The State Preceptor Qi Tianchen had also received an invitation, but his invitation was different from the rest. On it was simply a request that hoped he could attend the banquet, but the host understood that the State Preceptor never attended such banquets, so it was understandable if the State Preceptor did not want to come, but the host also hoped that the State Preceptor could prepare a humble gift.
"How can he do that? Who said I never attended banquets? Six courses of appetizers, fifteen bowls of side dishes… I haven’t eaten an imperial banquet of such standards for many years. This is called using the eyes of a mortal to read the State Preceptor’s mind. Ignorant child.” Qi Tianchen licked his lips and flicked his horsetail whisk. “Also, what does this mean, prepare a humble gift? I don’t get to eat the meal, but still have to prepare a gift? This really makes one angry. Is the invitation he sent to everyone else the same?"
"Of course not. The invitations sent to everyone else were properly written, inviting them for a meal, an earnest request for their attendance. The manner was most respectful." A little Daoist boy attendant was speaking from the side.
"I know, I’m not really asking for an answer. I was just complaining. You’re really ignorant." Qi Tianchen handed the invitation to the little Daoist boy. "Prepare everything according to what’s written. It must arrive at Fallen Snow Villa by noon tomorrow."
"Why me?" The Daoist boy pouted.
"What's the matter?" Qi Tianchen smiled slightly.
The Daoist boy puffed his cheeks. "I also want to eat the rare imperial banquet that only happens once every few years."