In the past, the Wenxi Banquet in Bianjing was usually held at Qionglin Garden, which faced Jinming Pond. On the day of the banquet, flowers filled the roads around Jinming Pond, and women in red skirts vied to catch glimpses of the green-robed scholars, making it a grand event in the capital. Now, the location of the Wenxi Banquet in Lin'an has been moved to the Ministry of Rites Examination Hall, situated between Guanqiao West and Xinzhuang Bridge. Built along a tributary of the small river, its scale cannot compare to Qionglin Garden, but besides halls, pavilions, and corridors, the garden also boasts renowned flowers and fine trees. With spring grass ponds and courtyards for picking blossoms, it carries a touch of the charm of southern gardens.
The Emperor rarely attended the Wenxi Banquet, often appointing the chief examiner of the current session or other important officials as the banquet supervisor to drink with the presented scholars. However, this year was different. The Emperor unprecedentedly appointed the Crown Prince as the banquet supervisor to meet the new presented scholars. The Palace Food Attendants privately shared this news and speculated, "Because there is a member of the imperial clan among the top three scholars, His Majesty is very pleased. He even called that presented scholar 'a fine steed of our family,' which is why he sent the Crown Prince to attend the Wenxi Banquet as a special honor."
It is said that the imperial clan member is the seventh-generation descendant of the eldest son of Emperor Taizong, Prince Han Gongxian. Originally ranked as the top scholar in the imperial examination, but to avoid suspicion and demonstrate fairness to the world, the Emperor followed the principle of "giving priority to humble scholars in the imperial examination." He promoted the second-ranked Xiao Ting to the top scholar, while the original top scholar became the second-ranked scholar.
Recalling that Zhao Huaiyu was also a member of the imperial clan, Zhenzhen and Fengxian grew even more curious. Fengxian then inquired about the name of the second-ranked scholar from Li Dianshan, who often accompanied Pei Shangshi to the Emperor's quarters, and the answer was indeed "Zhao Huaiyu."
Upon hearing the news, Zhenzhen smiled and said, "When I saw that Mr. Zhao regarded the wealth of Mussel Tower as dirt, I knew he had great ambitions and was no ordinary person. Now he has indeed achieved high honors."
Fengxian clasped her hands together, her eyes also shining with joy.
On the day of the banquet, the relevant personnel from the Imperial Guard Department and the Bureau of Palace Provisions waited for the palace gates to open before heading to the Ministry of Rites Examination Hall to prepare. When the time arrived, the Crown Prince, the acting chief examiner, led the officials and presented scholars inside. They lined up in the courtyard, facing the palace with an incense table set up, and performed ten bows in succession. Then, the Crown Prince, along with the banquet supervisors and the top three scholars, entered the Jingyi Pavilion in the garden. The remaining scholars were divided into two categories: "regularly named" and "specially named," seated in the eastern and western corridors, respectively. Those who passed the regular examination and were recommended by the Ministry of Rites Examination Hall were called "regularly named." Those who had repeatedly failed the imperial examination were listed separately by the Ministry of Rites and, with the Emperor's permission, were allowed to take the palace examination as supplementary candidates, specially granted the status of presented scholars. These were called "specially named." Scholars in both categories were seated in the corridors according to their ages.
Once the Crown Prince and the scholars from the top rank downward entered, the Imperial Music Bureau began playing the elegant music "Zheng'an": "Many scholars gather solemnly in the western garden. Reverent and dignified in demeanor, they also possess such grace. They arrive in great numbers, from west to east. Heaven bestows upon you honor, and the King holds you in high esteem."
The Crown Prince, with a bright complexion and striking appearance, sat upright and elegantly at the head of the table, facing the gathering of distinguished guests. Listening to the melodious music, his gentle lips curved into a faint smile as his gaze swept over the officials and scholars seated to his left and right. His demeanor was clear and solemn, with the dignified bearing of a ruler. Though he did not speak a word, his mere presence was like the sun and moon entering one's heart, radiant and shining.
The scholars sat on the floor, each with a small black table and a blue cushion as seating. On each table were four plates of seasonal fresh fruits, a plate of carved ornamental fruits called "wangguo" (gazing fruits), and a flower inserted in a vase as decoration, called "wanghua" (gazing flower). Condiments such as vinegar, fermented sauces, and pastes were also arranged on the tables beforehand.The Celebration Banquet involved nine rounds of wine, each accompanied by different musical compositions to enhance the drinking atmosphere. As the Crown Prince raised his cup with a smile, the musicians shifted their tune and began performing "Honoring the Worthy and Capable": "The illustrious Son of Heaven, following ancient ways. Rejoicing by the Pan waters, his radiance shines in all directions. Gathering the water celery, to serve as guests before the king. I have fine wine, placed upon the royal path."
During the first two rounds, the host and guests raised their cups in toasts, occasionally engaging in conversation. Apart from the fruits on the table, the Palace Food Attendants did not serve dishes yet. It was only by the third round that a plate of freshly cured meat, known as "spinning mince," was presented. The subsequent six rounds each had accompanying dishes paired with the wine. After the fifth round, the banquet paused briefly. Palace attendants would present four silk palace flowers bestowed by the Emperor to the officials and presented scholars, which they would pin onto their headscarves, along with a box of palace ice to relieve the summer heat. Everyone lined up in the courtyard, bowed in gratitude, and then returned to their seats to continue the remaining four rounds.
Before the sixth round, all cups, viewing fruits, and viewing flowers on each person's table were to be completely replaced. The officials and presented scholars had previously used silver platform cups, but from the sixth round onward, they switched to silver goblets. The Crown Prince, distinct from the others, had previously used a gold platform cup, and for the sixth round, he switched to his customary lotus jade goblet. The viewing fruits were intricately carved from seasonal fresh fruits, each adorned with delicate auspicious patterns. Arranged on plates, they also required an overall artistic composition, making the task highly challenging. Each plate was prepared in advance by several attendants.
The cups and viewing fruits for the presiding official of the banquet were the responsibility of Feng Jing. This had been decided two months prior, but it was only recently that she learned the presiding official was actually the Crown Prince. She felt extremely awkward, but as the task could not be declined, she could only prepare meticulously. The actual serving of the wine cups and viewing fruits was assigned to other attendants.
During each round of wine, the female officials of the Palace Food Directorate would inspect the upcoming wine and dishes several steps in advance. As soon as the third round of "spinning mince" was served, Feng Jing began inspecting the wine cups and viewing fruits to be replaced for the Crown Prince after the flower presentation in the sixth round. When she opened the brocade box containing the lotus jade cup, she was instantly horrified: the box was empty, with no cup inside.
The lotus jade goblet set consisted of two cups. Previously, Qin Sishan had taken them out and handed them to Feng Jing to bring from the palace to the examination hall. She had guarded the brocade box until just before the banquet. After ensuring everything was ready for the first five rounds, she briefly stepped away, standing in the shadows of the corridor opposite the Hall of Refined Principles. From there, she watched the Crown Prince raising his cup and chatting amiably with the presented scholars. Unexpectedly, in that short moment, the jade goblet had vanished without a trace.
Feng Jing quickly searched everywhere. The other female officials soon noticed the missing jade goblet and ordered their subordinate attendants to look for it. However, after a flurry of activity, no one found anything. Instead, an attendant discovered that the viewing fruits prepared for the Crown Prince had been dumped in a corner of the kitchen at some point and trampled upon, completely ruined.
Feng Jing’s face turned ashen as she stared at the crushed remains of the viewing fruits. Her delicate frame trembled, on the verge of collapse.
Zhenzhen stepped forward to support her, whispering in her ear, "Don’t panic. Keep searching for the jade goblet. I’ll go consult Qin Sishan."
Pei Shangshi was still serving The Emperor in the palace today, while Official Sun remained at Cifu Palace. Qin Sishan was the highest-ranking female official in the examination hall that day, seated to one side below the Crown Prince, responsible for tasting the food and drink served to him beforehand. After negotiating with an attendant about to enter the hall to pour wine, Zhenzhen took her wine pitcher and walked into the hall. Approaching Qin Sishan from behind, she used the opportunity to pour wine for her to quietly relay the matter of the missing jade goblet and the ruined viewing fruits.
Upon hearing this, Qin Sishan’s gaze faltered slightly, but her expression remained unchanged. She leaned closer to Zhenzhen and whispered, "Quickly, notify the Imperial City Department..."After giving her instructions, she calmly turned back and gave a slight bow to the Crown Prince, who was looking at her, presenting the same flawless and elegant smile as when she had served the banquet earlier.
The Imperial City Department commanded the Imperial Guards and was responsible for defending the imperial city. On the day of the Banquet of Joyful News, over a thousand Imperial Guards from the Imperial City Department had also accompanied them, stationed inside and outside the examination hall to ensure the safety of those involved.
Following Qin Sishan’s instructions, Zhenzhen found the personal officer from the Imperial City Department leading the troops outside the Hall of Essential Principles. Unexpectedly, it was a young man who appeared not yet of age and looked very familiar. As Zhenzhen approached him, before she could speak, he smiled at her and said, “It’s you…”
Although the young man was dressed in military attire, quite different from when they had last met, his bright smile quickly stirred Zhenzhen’s buried memories, and she recognized him as the young man who had played water polo with Zhao Ai, the one Zhao Ai had referred to as his cousin.
“Are you… Yin Ti?” Zhenzhen confirmed with the name Qin Sishan had mentioned.
He nodded and said, “Yes, I am Yin Ti.” After a pause, he added cheerfully, “Second Great King’s cousin.”
Zhenzhen was not in the mood to reminisce with him and lowered her voice to explain what had happened in the kitchen and Qin Sishan’s instructions. Yin Ti’s playful expression immediately turned serious as he said, “Understood. Please rest assured, palace attendant, I will make the arrangements.”
Zhenzhen then hurried back to the kitchen. Along the way, she passed by the water features of the examination hall, where a fragrant scent brushed her face with the breeze. She slowed her pace slightly and looked up to see the lotus leaves in the pond standing tall, their surfaces a vibrant green, elegant and pure.
Returning to see Feng Jing, Zhenzhen told her that the Imperial City Department had already made arrangements as instructed by Qin Sishan and would investigate the theft of the lotus jade cup. The immediate priority was to find a replacement for the jade cup and to prepare the Wang fruit again.
Feng Jing looked troubled and said, “There are plenty of wine vessels left, but they are all made of silver. For such a grand banquet, the Crown Prince’s utensils cannot be the same as those of the officials… Carving the Wang fruit is extremely time-consuming, and the ones made specifically for the Crown Prince are even more intricate than the others. With only the time it takes to serve two cups of wine, it’s clearly impossible to carve new ones.”
Zhenzhen recalled the vibrant green lotus leaves she had just seen and gradually formed an idea. She said to Feng Jing, “I have a solution for the wine vessel. I’ll prepare it. As for the Wang fruit, there’s no good alternative. Please think of something, Director of Palace Catering, and find a substitute.”
After a moment of consideration, Feng Jing said, “Perhaps I can make a decorative plate to replace the Wang fruit.”
Decorative plates were also used solely for display during banquets, arranged with food. Upon hearing this, Fengxian stepped forward and said, “The pastries I’m responsible for are already prepared. If Director Feng needs assistance, I can help.”
Several female officials and palace attendants who were watching also expressed their willingness to assist Feng Jing in making the decorative plate. Feng Jing thanked them and listed the ingredients she needed. Everyone immediately set to work. Seeing this, Zhenzhen breathed a sigh of relief and immediately headed out to the lotus pond to carry out her plan.
Feng Jing placed a silver tray on an ice box and used dripping cream to form a mountain on it. She arranged fragrant celery, leek leaves, and willow buds to create a lush green mountain scene, then used honey to create streams and rivers flowing through the mountains. Next, she took soaked lily bulbs, selecting those of appropriate sizes, and carefully arranged the petals into several magnolia-like flowers. She dyed the outer edges of the petals with bayberry juice, giving the flowers a pink-purple gradient, just like magnolias. The flowers were fixed onto thin branches of fruit trees and inserted into the mountain scene on the silver tray, resembling magnolia trees. While inserting the flowering branches, a few petals were knocked off and fell beside the streams. Feng Jing was about to pick them up, but the onlookers all felt that the scene looked natural, evoking the poetic imagery of fallen petals drifting on water. So, Feng Jing left them as they were, making no changes.After the viewing platter was prepared and the flower presentation ceremony in the courtyard concluded, it was time to replace the cups, plates, and wine vessels on the tables. The guests' tables had already been cleared, the viewing flowers replaced, and the viewing fruits were about to be served. The palace attendant originally assigned to present the viewing fruits to the Crown Prince sought instructions from Feng Jing. Feng Jing pondered intently and finally made up her mind, saying, "I will do it."
Feng Jing raised the viewing platter to the height of her eyebrows and moved gracefully with measured steps into the Hall of Refined Meanings. Under the Crown Prince’s gaze, she lowered herself in a bow, knelt to place the platter on his table, then retreated a few steps on her knees before raising her hands to her forehead and performing another deep bow.
The viewing platter’s landscape was three-dimensional, visible to the officials seated on both sides below the Crown Prince. The Tanhua, Fu Junyi, a young man in his twenties, examined the platter closely and marveled, whispering to Zhao Huaiyu not far beside him, "The imperial style is truly extraordinary. This viewing platter vividly recreates the scene of hibiscus blooming in the mountains."
Zhao Huaiyu smiled faintly and said softly, "What the platter depicts seems to be magnolia flowers."
"How can you tell?" Fu Junyi asked. "Looking at the color, it resembles hibiscus."
Zhao Huaiyu replied, "This landscape on the platter appears to be inspired by the poetic imagery of Wang Wei’s 'Magnolia Dell' from his Wang River Collection."
"Indeed, they are magnolia flowers," interjected the Zhuangyuan, Xiao Ting, who was seated nearby and overheard their discussion. He recited the lines from "Magnolia Dell": "At the tips of branches, hibiscus-like flowers bloom; in the mountains, red buds unfurl. By the silent ravine door, they blossom and fall, one after another."
Their voices were soft, but during the vessel exchange, the music paused, and the hall grew quiet, allowing their whispers to reach the ears of the Crown Prince and Feng Jing. Hearing this, the Crown Prince quietly turned his gaze toward them. The three immediately fell silent, but the Crown Prince smiled faintly and, as if joining the discussion, said, "They are magnolia flowers."
Encouraged, Fu Junyi, eager to impress the Crown Prince further, enthusiastically continued the topic. "Upon closer inspection, this scene does indeed align with the poetic essence of 'Magnolia Dell.' Wang Wei’s friend Pei Di also composed a poem in response."
He promptly recited Pei Di’s verse: "Green banks merge with spring grass; noble youths linger to admire. Moreover, magnolia flowers bloom, their hues mingling with hibiscus."
The Crown Prince’s smile lingered, though his eyes, fixed on the platter, held a trace of melancholy and distraction. After a moment, he looked up at Feng Jing with a slight smile and said gently, "This scene is quite beautiful. The Director of Cuisine has worked hard."
Feng Jing bowed in gratitude, keeping her head lowered to avoid meeting his gaze, and promptly withdrew.
The Crown Prince nodded and softly said to her, "Take good care."
With the viewing platter in place, it was time to replace the wine vessels. Zhenzhen entered the hall at this moment, bowed, and slowly approached the Crown Prince’s table, placing the prepared wine vessel upon it.
Except for the Crown Prince, everyone else widened their eyes, staring in astonishment at the "wine vessel" presented by Zhenzhen.
The vessel was neither gold nor jade but a fresh lotus leaf, placed upon a rosewood inkstone stand. The center of the leaf sagged, supported by the stand, while its edges curled inward, forming a funnel shape. The stem was bent like an elephant’s trunk, loosely tied into a knot, with its end pointing upward and slanting toward the Crown Prince.
Zhenzhen lifted the wine ewer and poured wine into the center of the leaf. The liquid, like clear dew, rolled along the leaf’s edges into the center, gathering there, pure and translucent.Zhenzhen promptly picked up a snow-white silver hairpin beside the inkstone stand, pierced the center of the leaf, and allowed the wine to flow into the hollow stem. Then she stepped back, bowed once more to the Crown Prince, and began to explain the origin of this wine vessel: "This wine vessel is called the 'Jade Tube Cup.' It is said that during the Wei dynasty, a man named Zheng Que... Zheng Que once led his guests and officials to escape the summer heat at... at... the Shijun Forest..."
Zhenzhen had read about the Jade Tube Cup in Lin Hong's notes but had never recounted it to anyone. Forced by the circumstances, she had decided on the spot to use a lotus leaf in place of the lotus jade cup for the Crown Prince, which meant she had to explain its origin to earn his understanding. However, the notes were not with her at the moment, and she had not memorized the story word for word, so the details were not entirely clear. Moreover, she was somewhat nervous, causing her speech to falter and pause frequently.
"During the Zhengshi era of the Wei dynasty, Zheng Que, the governor of Qizhou, led his guests and officials to escape the summer heat at the Shijun Forest north of Licheng," the Crown Prince suddenly took over her words, continuing calmly on her behalf. "At that time, Zheng Que placed a lotus leaf on an inkstone stand, filled it with three liters of wine, pierced the leaf with a hairpin to connect it to the stem, and bent the stem like an elephant's trunk to sip the wine." At this point, he paused briefly, glanced at the officials listening attentively on either side, and added with a slight smile, "As the summer heat has been intensifying lately, I followed Zheng Que's elegant example and ordered the Palace Food Attendant to use a lotus leaf as a wine cup. The wine, infused with the fragrance of the lotus stem, becomes even more refreshing and helps relieve the summer heat. As the ancients said, 'The wine, mingled with the scent of lotus, carries a cool fragrance surpassing that of water.'"
(To be continued)
OpenNovel