bestfiction Chapter 113 Preparing for the Banquet
Chapter 113 Preparing for the Banquet
After leaving the Imperial Study, Wen Yuxia, accompanied by Xia Yichen, went to see the Empress Dowager and the Empress, presenting each of them with a set of red wine glasses, a folding vanity mirror, and a snowflake-patterned crystal ball.
The palace gates were about to close, and Wen Yuxia was in a hurry to leave the palace. She left the wine glasses she had given to Consort Gui, Consort Shu, Consort De, and Consort Xian with the Empress, who would then pass them on to them.
Outside the Princess's mansion, Wen Yuxia said in a clear voice, "Brother Chen, thank you." Xia Yichen dismounted and laughed, "No need to thank me. I brought you into the palace, so I should bring you back safely."
Immediately afterward, Xia Yichen changed the subject: "Sister Yuxia, where did you find the folding mirror and the crystal ball?" He wanted the folding mirror and the crystal ball too. Surely Wen Yuxia hadn't left him a copy when she took them to the palace to present to the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager!
Wen Yuxia glanced at Xia Yichen, then at An Yi beside him, and lowered her voice, saying, "Brother Chen, An Yi worked at the horse farm, right?"
It wasn't a question, it was a certainty. On her way to Beijing, Wen Yuxia felt that An Yi's back resembled the black-clad man who had vanished into thin air at the horse farm. Today, she overheard An Er laughing at An Yi for not being able to beat her.
Having lived in Xinchuan County for seven years, the only time she got into a fight was at the horse farm. Therefore, An Yi is the man in black from back then.
Xia Yichen readily agreed, admitting that An Yi was someone he had sent to secretly help and protect Wen Yuxia. The night Wen Yuxia disappeared without a trace, An Yi thought she was in danger, which is why he rushed into her room to check on her.
"Don't worry, Sister Yuxia, no one but me knows about this skill of yours," Xia Yichen said in a low voice.
Wen Yuxia's voice was slightly cold: "Brother Chen, is there anything you want to ask?" What's meant to happen will happen sooner or later; it's better to lay everything out on the table and make things clear.
The supplies stored in her spatial dimension were enough for her and Wen Yunhong to eat for decades. If Xia Yichen harbored ill intentions, she would take Wen Yunhong and hide in the spatial dimension.
It was getting late, and Xia Yichen couldn't stay any longer. He sincerely said, "I won't ask anything. You just need to know that the Emperor and I will always be your support."
Wen Yuxia smiled, "Brother Chen, come up."
Xia Yichen entered the carriage, and Wen Yuxia stretched out her hands to him. Xia Yichen thought Wen Yuxia was going to give him a hug, and was taken aback, quickly taking a step back.
Then he stood still, staring intently at Wen Yuxia's hands, or more precisely, at the folding mirror and crystal ball in Wen Yuxia's hands.
"Sister Yuxia, you, you..." Although he knew Wen Yuxia could disappear into thin air, Xia Yichen still couldn't remain calm when he saw the folding mirror and crystal ball suddenly appear in her empty palm.
"What do you mean 'you'? Didn't you want a gift? Here you go," Wen Yuxia handed the mirror and crystal ball to Xia Yichen.
Remembering that Xie Qianlian had mentioned having a two-year-old daughter, Wen Yuxia took out two Barbie dolls from her spatial storage and said, "A gift for my little niece."
Xia Yichen asked seriously, "Besides me, who else knows?" The skill of telekinesis must not be known to others; it can be extremely useful in crucial moments.
"You and Hong'er," Wen Yuxia said in a serious tone.
"Yes, I understand. From now on, you are not allowed to retrieve objects remotely in front of outsiders, not even the Emperor. Understand?" Xia Yichen said coldly.
"Understood," Wen Yuxia said obediently. Retrieving objects from a distance was something she did intentionally, mainly to see Xia Yichen's reaction.
She was pleased with Xia Yichen's thoughtfulness, which made the next discussion much easier. Wen Yuxia lowered her voice and said:
"Brother Chen, this time I'm in Beijing, and I'm thinking of opening a tavern specializing in fruit wine and processed liquor..." Wen Yuxia meant that she would give Xia Yichen a 10% stake in the business, and in return, Xia Yichen would help her resolve all the troubles.
She was indeed a princess bestowed by the emperor himself, but there were twelve princes, four princesses, and more than twenty princesses in the capital. These people all had royal blood, and she couldn't afford to offend any of them.
Marquis, Duke of Zhenguo, Prime Minister, Minister... these high-ranking officials would never take her, a princess from the common people, seriously. Wen Yuxia had planned to tie her business in the capital to Xia Yichen before she came to the capital.
The fruit wine and purified liquor were stored in her spatial storage. Xia Yichen knew she could retrieve items remotely, so this was a good cover for her.
Xia Yichen's lips curled into a slight smile: "Alright, I'll take care of all your troubles." Xia Yichen told Wen Yuxia the locations of several shops, telling her to take a look when she had time and use whichever one she liked.
Those shops weren't doing well due to their inconvenient locations, so Zhang Jinxuan planned to clear out the inventory and rent them out. As the old saying goes, good wine needs no bush, so a tavern shouldn't have high location requirements, right?
Wen Yuxia nodded in agreement, and was about to say that she would go see it tomorrow, when she heard Xia Yichen's voice: "Hold a banquet first, so that the ladies and young ladies of the capital know that you have come to the capital. It's not too late to see the shops later."
The wives of powerful and wealthy families are all masters of palace intrigue; these noble ladies are all formidable figures. Inviting them to the banquet was something Wen Yuxia was truly unwilling to do.
But what Xia Yichen said was true. As a newcomer, she did indeed need to host a banquet for the powerful and influential people in the capital to make it public that she was Princess Muhua.
With Xie Qianlian's help, the guests for the wine tasting banquet were finalized. After the invitations were sent out, Xia Yichen said that Wen Yuxia was hosting a banquet for the first time and was unfamiliar with the procedures, so he asked Xie Qianlian to oversee the event at Princess Muhua's residence.
The news that the Crown Prince's wife was in charge of the wine tasting banquet at Princess Muhua's residence spread like wildfire throughout the capital overnight.
While those who received the invitations were still trying to ascertain the veracity of the news, another bombshell dropped: the Emperor had summoned all the princes, princesses, dukes, and princesses in the capital to the palace for a reprimand.
The lecture lasted for an hour, the content of which is unknown. All that is known is that when the imperial relatives emerged, they all looked wilted and dejected.
Fearing they would become the next target of the emperor's reprimand, the court officials warned their families to keep a low profile and absolutely avoid causing trouble.
Wen Yuxia was unaware of the series of reactions caused by the banquet. At that moment, she was riding in the same carriage as Xie Qianlian to the East Palace to pay respects to her adoptive parents.
The Crown Prince and Crown Princess were both kind people, and they warmly welcomed Wen Yuxia. The Crown Prince presented Wen Yuxia with a shop as a gift, while the Crown Princess gave her a ruby jewelry set that she had treasured for many years.
Wen Yuxia felt incredibly awkward; the gifts were of unequal value. She had given the Crown Prince two jars of fruit wine, while the Crown Princess had given her a folding mirror and a crystal ball.
What to do? What other gifts should I give? Wen Yuxia's mind raced. Then it dawned on her: she still had the ginseng she had prepared in her previous life in her spatial storage.
Wen Yuxia, who always carried her handbag with her, reached into the new handbag that Bei Si had made for her and took out two thick ginseng roots, placing them on the table.