Chapter 481: The Meaning of the Wild Goose
So the Princess has been staring so intently because she's thinking about how to cook it?
For a moment, Zhenzhu was both stunned and inexplicably amused, even finding such a Princess particularly endearing: "This servant will take it to Ziyu right away."
"Remember to send half to the Eastern Palace after it's prepared," Shen Xihe couldn't resist adding.
Zhenzhu stifled a laugh, deciding to deliver it personally to witness the Crown Prince's reaction.
Wild geese are essential betrothal gifts among noble families. Of course, not everyone can capture them alive, but even if one cannot catch them personally, they would hire someone to catch two for appearances.
Since wild geese are not domesticated, they cannot be kept for long and usually end up as meals. However, it is unprecedented for a bride-to-be to explicitly request them cooked and even provide cooking instructions.
After reviewing the betrothal gifts, Shen Yueshan felt somewhat melancholy, as it meant his daughter's marriage was drawing nearer. Returning to the inner courtyard with a despondent expression, he was met by Biyu, who bowed and said, "Your Highness, the Princess invites you to partake of some soup."
Even his daughter's delicacies couldn't lift his spirits. Though disinterested, Shen Yueshan went to the inner courtyard and sat at the table. Shen Xihe brought him a bowl of stewed wild goose soup and had sliced roasted wild goose meat served: "Father, taste this. Does it differ from the wild geese in our northwest?"
Shen Yueshan's keen tiger-like eyes lit up, and he abruptly turned to Shen Xihe: "Wild goose?"
With a slight smile and a nod, she replied, "Wild goose. Two of them."
Where could two wild geese have come from? It went without saying. Instantly, Shen Yueshan's gloom vanished, replaced by hearty laughter that filled the small courtyard as he heartily dug in.
"Mmm, the soup is flavorful, the meat aromatic..." he commented between bites.
Shen Xihe sat beside him, watching her father's joy and unable to suppress her own smile. She knew that seeing the betrothal gifts today, despite having long accepted her impending marriage, would still leave him wistful and sorrowful. Hence, she had orchestrated this to cheer him up.
Whether it was the magical effect of eating the wild geese sent by his son-in-law or not, Shen Yueshan once again selectively forgot about his daughter's marriage and remained cheerful throughout the day.
In contrast to Shen Yueshan's delight, when Xiao Huayong heard that the Princess Manor had sent a food box, he was initially overjoyed. But when a plate of roasted meat was brought out, arranged exquisitely with the wild goose wings and head still intact, he grew increasingly uneasy.
"Tianyuan, come look. What kind of roasted meat is this?" Xiao Huayong could hardly believe it. His wild geese, delivered just that morning, had already become a dish.
Tianyuan shrank his neck. Having wandered abroad with Xiao Huayong for years, they had sampled all edible things under the sun, including roasted wild goose. He recognized it immediately but dared not say.
"Your Highness, Miss Zhenzhu is still waiting outside. This subordinate has poor eyesight. Perhaps we could ask Miss Zhenzhu?" Tianyuan promptly passed the buck.
Xiao Huayong gave him a cool glance: "Invite her in."
Zhenzhu entered with a respectful bow and paid her respects to Xiao Huayong: "This servant pays homage to Your Highness..."
"Dispense with the formalities," Xiao Huayong impatiently interrupted her. "What kind of roasted meat is this?"
"Your Highness, this is roasted wild goose meat," Zhenzhu truthfully replied.
Xiao Huayong's face stiffened. He had already guessed but was unwilling to accept it. Even after hearing Zhenzhu's words, he clung to hope: "Where did the geese come from?""It was the betrothal gift His Highness sent this morning." Zhenzhu completely shattered Xiao Huayong's last shred of hope.
For a moment, Xiao Huayong was speechless, unsure what expression to wear or what words to say.
Gathering courage, Zhenzhu secretly glanced up and saw the Crown Prince staring blankly at the plate of roasted wild goose, his expression tinged with pity. Just as she thought he was about to speak, the Crown Prince unexpectedly picked up his chopsticks and began eating.
As the roasted meat touched his tongue, he hummed softly in approval, his face transforming into one radiant with culinary delight. The more he ate, the more fragrant it became, making Tianyuan standing nearby swallow saliva repeatedly. This wild goose tasted different from any he'd had before—its aroma seemed to intensify with each bite.
Zhenzhu could smell it too, but having previously tasted Ziyu's cooking, she maintained her composure. She poured Xiao Huayong another bowl of soup to accompany his meal, allowing him to eat with great satisfaction.
When Xiao Huayong reached the wing, he noticed its skin had been slit open. Using his chopsticks to probe the opening, he extracted a small bamboo tube. Upon opening it, he found a tiny scroll bearing Shen Xihe's handwriting:
"Wild geese cry yongyong, as the morning sun begins to dawn. If the gentleman would take a wife, he must do so before the ice melts."
This was the traditional significance behind using wild geese as betrothal gifts. Xiao Huayong pinched the paper scroll and couldn't help but smile.
Abandoning his half-eaten meal, he casually wiped his hands and stood up, heading straight to his study. There he wrote a letter and handed it to Zhenzhu: "Like wild geese carrying messages—I've received the goose, now please deliver this letter to Youyou for me."
After accepting the letter with a bow, Zhenzhu departed from the Eastern Palace.
Shen Xihe had just managed to placate Shen Yueshan when Zhenzhu returned with Xiao Huayong's letter, which contained an explanation about the symbolism of wild geese.
The reason wild geese serve as betrothal gifts lies in their reputation as the most devoted among birds. A mated pair of geese—if one loses its partner, the other will remain faithful for life, never seeking another mate, representing the ideal of "one lifetime, one partner."
While many present geese as betrothal gifts, few ever investigate their true symbolism.
This was never meant to be merely a symbol of status or face—a pair of geese represents a vow of eternal fidelity. Ironically, most people give geese merely as ceremonial props.
From the story of Pan and Yang's devotion to this allusion about wild geese, he kept tirelessly demonstrating that she alone would suffice for him in this lifetime.
Even Shen Xihe's heart of stone eventually softened. She carefully stored the letter away.
Zhenzhu noticed that the princess had finally begun treasuring items sent by the Crown Prince, whereas previously such casual gifts or ordinary letters would have been casually discarded.
For a considerable period afterward, Shen Xihe and Xiao Huayong maintained their correspondence through letters. As the wedding approached, they refrained from meeting according to tradition—it being considered highly inauspicious for couples to see each other before marriage. Shen Xihe, being neither Buddhist nor Taoist, scoffed at such superstitions.
But Xiao Huayong took it exceptionally seriously. As the saying goes, "Meet before marriage, never meet after."
His anxiety about the wedding made him adopt the attitude of "better safe than sorry," meticulously observing every ritual propriety. This was probably the most rule-abiding version of Xiao Huayong Shen Xihe had ever witnessed.
By February, wedding preparations were in full swing. One day, Princess Yaoxi and Lie Wang Xiao Changying somehow got into an argument, during which he accidentally pushed her into the palace's lotus pond, right before the eyes of the Youning Emperor.
Subsequent reports stated that Lie Wang received twenty cane strikes by imperial order. The next day, the Youning Emperor issued an edict conferring upon Princess Yaoxi the title of Shu Fei, elevating her to one of the Four Principal Consorts—and the only one bearing a special honorific title.Princess Yaoxi became the Youning Emperor's first foreign consort, entering the Imperial Harem in mid-February and was said to be deeply favored.
(End of Chapter)
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