Chapter 89

Chapter 89

They set off around midday, but the actual feast started at the sixth hour of Yǒu (around 6 p.m.), when the sun had completely set. The palace lamps were lit one by one, adorning the vast palace, the early blooming plums in Méiyuán, groups of palace maids, and the falling snow from the treetops – a breathtaking sight worthy of a poem by any talented scholar.

Yet, Róng Táng was almost fainting from hunger.

The inspection to enter the palace was rigorous. No outside food was allowed in the palace. Ladies like Princess Duān Yì and Wang Xiùyù were led to the inner palace to meet the Empress and the Empress Dowager, while officials like Róng Míngyù waited outside the Qínzhèng Hall to be admonished by the Emperor.

The banquet was set in Sháohuá Hall. Men like Róng Táng were all taken to a side hall behind Sháohuá Hall to wait.

Someone from the Imperial Household Department, probably a eunuch, had decided to prevent them from eating too much before the banquet, which might displease the Emperor, so they were each given only a few pieces of cake – hardly enough to fill the gaps between teeth, let alone sit through the afternoon waiting for the banquet.

Róng Táng was on the verge of breaking down.

Róng Táng had attended palace banquets in his past two lives, but either Queen Wáng would remember his recent recovery from illness and, disregarding the rule that outside men shouldn't enter the inner palace, would take him to Fèngqī Palace along with Wáng Xiùyù to warm by the fire and snack while waiting for the banquet.

Or Shèng Chénglì would invite him to his own palace in advance, and as the Fifth Prince, his treatment was no different from other princes, ensuring Róng Táng never went hungry.

Thus, Róng Táng had never known that one had to starve before a palace banquet.

Sù Huáijǐng seemed unaware of this as well, watching Róng Táng frequently pressing his stomach, his expression growing increasingly dark.

Palace banquets were restrictive, with every word, action, choice of dish, and movement of chopsticks under scrutiny. Officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Censorate sat outside, recording everyone's behavior. Any recorded misconduct could mean being barred from future banquets or even implicating one's family.

Normally, attendees would eat beforehand to avoid eating ravenously at the banquet and losing decorum in front of the Emperor.

Sù Huáijǐng, having been away from the palace for many years, was experiencing this for the first time.

It was only when Rong Tang again stealthily pressed his hand against his stomach that Su Huaijing could no longer bear it. He stood up to find some food for Rong Tang, but was suddenly caught by Tang Tang.

The eyes of Ningxuan King's heir could be described as almond-shaped, yet they didn't conform to the standard depiction in picture books.

When startled, his eyes widened like a deer dashing through the forest; but when he lazed on a divan, holding a fashionable novel in his hand, leisurely reading under the sunlight filtering through the window, and occasionally biting into a piece of candied fruit or jerky, his eyes slightly curved, fluttering like crow feathers, resembling a wanderer naturally destined to roam through flower-filled fields.

Rong Tang's demeanor was clearly one of disinterest. In the side hall, many were gathered in small groups, engaged in conversation. Even Rong Zheng and Rong Yuan joined their peers from distinguished families.

Rong Tang preferred not to mingle with them, choosing instead to find a quiet corner with Su Huaijing. From the moment they entered, they remained still and quiet. However, covert glances were continually cast their way, and when Su Huaijing stood up, almost half the room's attention was drawn to them, speculating about their actions.

Rong Tang tugged at his sleeve, subtly shaking his head, persuading him to sit back down. Only then did the onlookers retract their inquisitive stares.

Su Huaijing’s face was still clouded with irritation, almost palpable in his expression. Rong Tang asked softly, “What were you going to do?”

Su Huaijing replied, “To find something to eat.”

Rong Tang felt a warmth in his heart and coaxed in a soft voice, “But didn’t you give all yours to me?”

The amount of cake distributed to each person was limited. Su Huaijing hadn't eaten a single piece, giving it all to Rong Tang, yet it still wasn’t enough to quell his rising hunger.

Rong Tang grumbled, “You should have gone with mother to see Aunt. Then you wouldn’t have to worry so much.”

Su Huaijing’s expression hardened as he questioned, “And then you would faint from hunger here alone?”

Rong Tang fell silent.

Men, except husbands, were not allowed in the inner palace. However, if escorted by a senior female relative, they could still be considered half a member of the women's quarters, pay respects to the Empress and the Empress Dowager, and not have to sit outside. But as soon as Su Huaijing heard that Rong Tang couldn’t enter, he immediately rejected the proposal.

There would be plenty of opportunities for him to enter the inner palace later, but he wouldn’t let Rong Tang spend the entire New Year’s Eve alone outside.

Fortunately, he came along, otherwise, he wouldn’t have known about such arrangements by the Internal Affairs Department.

Su Huaijing even began to wonder whether this was a decision made by the chief eunuch or a subtle move by Emperor Renshou.

— To assert his imperial authority.

Under the heavens, even princes and nobles depend on his whim for their basic needs.

Su Huaijing felt irritable, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the waist token.

Rong Tang seemed frightened by his tone and didn't speak for a while. Su Huaijing silently took a breath and poured him another cup of almost cold tea, his mood almost souring again, but he still spoke gently, admitting his fault, “I shouldn’t have snapped at you.”

Rong Tang was taken aback, “?”

Su Huaijing: "The doctor said you must strictly follow the medical advice with your meals and medication. You can’t overeat or go hungry; otherwise, it could damage your organs and make it hard to treat. I was just nervous, not trying to be harsh. I'm sorry."

Rong Tang was startled by his words, blinked a few times, and after a moment asked, "Why did Doctor Lin tell you all this? He never mentioned any of it to me."

Su Huaijing explained, "Patients should avoid excessive worry. Telling you would only trouble you unnecessarily. Besides, I'm with you every day, so I just need to keep a close eye on you."

Rong Tang looked at him suspiciously, feeling something was off about his words but couldn’t pinpoint what. Eventually, he gave up trying to figure it out, took the tea cup, and sipped, only to frown and put it back.

It was cold and tasted awful.

He wondered what karma led him to attend this palace banquet. Wouldn’t it be better to return to Yong’an Alley and enjoy the cook's stewed pork knuckle with Huaijing?

It was so frustrating.

Rong Tang sighed heavily, and Su Huaijing, feeling distressed for him, noted that the sun had already set outside, and the palace servants were changing the lamps. He took Rong Tang's hand and asked softly, "Shall I go find you something to eat?"

Rong Tang gently refused, "No, it's not a good idea."

Su Huaijing's face fell a bit, "Why?"

Rong Tang explained, "The pathways outside are complex and crowded. You might get caught by someone just a few steps out."

Su Huaijing was slightly taken aback, almost amused by Rong Tang's earnest expression, and replied, "I know my way around." He said, "Doesn’t Tangtang know who I am?"

The seventh prince of the former dynasty, who had grown up in these palace walls. Even after years away, he couldn't possibly forget his way around.

Rong Tang insisted, "No, don't go out. The banquet will start soon. I'm not that hungry."

Saying he wasn’t that hungry, his stomach betrayed him with a couple of growls.

Su Huaijing looked as if he wanted to kill someone, his handsome face darkening. Rong Tang felt guilty but still insisted, "Don’t go. I don’t want to be alone. I’m scared."

At the mention of fear, Su Huaijing's expression froze momentarily, replaced by a mix of indulgent and helpless emotions.

It wasn’t that Rong Tang was afraid of being alone in the side hall; he was scared of the unknown dangers Su Huaijing might encounter outside.

This was their long-unvisited homeland, but also the deepest realm of imperial power.

To this day, Rong Tang didn’t know how Su Huaijing had managed to completely alter his appearance so that even standing in the Golden Throne Hall, Emperor Renshou failed to recognize his own nephew. Still, Rong Tang feared that someone in the depths of the palace might recognize him based on the slightest, fleeting clue, as his former master.

Just as Ke Hongxue was certain that Mu Jingxu was the Third Prince.

The risks were too great, and Rong Tang didn’t want to gamble with Su Huaijing’s safety.

He looked straight at Su Huaijing, who after a long moment, gave in, sighing softly. His gaze began to wander around the room, looking for clean pastries on someone else's plate to fetch for Rong Tang.

No matter how strong his aversion to uncleanliness and pride, filling Rong Tang’s stomach was all that mattered.

Just as he was about to act, a young eunuch hurried in, carrying a food box. Bowing and scanning the room, he quickly approached their corner, "Greetings to Young Master. Were you waiting anxiously? His Highness the Fifth Prince was worried you’d starve and specifically sent me to bring you some food to tide you over."

Rong Tang was startled, "Who?"

“His Highness the Fifth Prince,” the eunuch replied cheerfully. “The Prince said that as his cousin and the Empress’s own nephew, you shouldn’t suffer hunger for so long. It wasn’t right to impose formalities on you. He personally spoke to the head eunuch in the Internal Affairs Department to send this box of food, all your favorites!”

Rong Tang had a penchant for spicy food, especially the steaming, spicy hotpot from Shudao Pavilion, but Su Huaijing, considering his health, rarely allowed him to indulge. Rong Tang seldom left the mansion, so few knew the tastes of the Prince of Ning Xuan.

Yet, when the young eunuch opened the food box and started placing the dishes on the table, Rong Tang's heart gradually sank.

The dishes were simple, only four in total, and quite homely. They were spicy rabbit head, salt and pepper pork trotters, stir-fried pork with green peppers, and jujube goose soup, even accompanied by a fragrant bowl of rice.

This spread was not just to tide him over; it looked more like an attempt to overfeed him.

As the dishes were served, their aroma spread through the hall, drawing the attention of the surrounding nobles. Some, dizzy with hunger, even swallowed hard.

Rong Tang felt extremely anxious, looking back in panic, wanting to explain to Su Huaijing, but then he saw the slight curve of Su Huaijing’s lips and the hint of amusement in his eyes.

Sitting upright and not daring to glance at the food, Rong Tang firmly stated, "I won’t eat it. Don’t worry, Huaijing, I won’t even look at it!"

But Su Huaijing, smiling, picked up an empty bowl, filled it with soup for him, and leisurely said, "Why not eat? The Fifth Prince has put a lot of thought into this."

He placed the bowl in front of Rong Tang and persistently encouraged him to start drinking. Only after Rong Tang began, did Su Huaijing hand some silver to the eunuch, "Please convey our thanks to His Highness. This meal came at the perfect time."

Neither too early nor too late, just when they were almost unbearably hungry and the banquet was about to begin.

Such a little gesture to win favor, it was hard to say who taught him that.

Su Huaijing glanced at Rong Tang, a faint look in his eyes.

Rong Tang shivered subconsciously, feeling like the spicy rabbit head on the table.

Su Huaijing, however, lowered his gaze and with his slender, powerful hands, methodically dismantled the rabbit head, separating the meat for him.

The bones taken apart neatly formed a complete skull, appearing eerily unblinking.

Rong Tang: "…"

"I already said I won't eat it!!!"

Author's note:

Tangtang: QAQ!!! You scared me!!! Sushu: Not at all~ (arranging the skull properly)