Chapter 123: Vying for Favor and Flattery

Chapter 123: Vying for Favor and Flattery

The two sat and exchanged a few casual words. Soon, Cao Cairen arrived. Fan Xueyao, as usual, had her welcomed in. They greeted each other and sat together, chatting and laughing. After about half an hour, Feng Cairen, Zhang Chongyuan, Yang Jieyu, and others arrived one after another. Seeing that everyone was present, Fan Xueyao stood up and smilingly suggested, "Since everyone is here, why don't we move to the courtyard? We can play some games like arrow tossing."

Everyone readily agreed.

And so they moved to the courtyard.

The courtyard was spacious and bright, adorned with flowers, bamboo, and trees. Eight black lacquered tables inlaid with mother-of-pearl were already set up, arranged in a circle. In the center of the circle were many pots of lush chrysanthemums, each blooming vibrantly in various shapes. The flowers and their placement were meticulously arranged, pleasing to the eye.

Beside the tables stood two red lacquered low tables carved with lingzhi and flower patterns. One held a charcoal stove, a pot, a soup kettle, tea powder jars, old bamboo tea whisks, tea cups, and tea spoons. The other table held wine jars, cloth steamers, wine heaters, jugs, and wine trays.

After some mutual courtesy, everyone sat down, and the palace maids served fragrant tea and fruits. It was mid-autumn, with a clear sky and a pleasant breeze. The air was filled with fragrance, invigorating everyone. They eagerly asked Fan Xueyao to bring out the gaming equipment for some fun.

"I was the one who suggested it, and now you all are more eager than I am," Fan Xueyao joked with a smile.

Hua Ping and others brought over the arrow tossing equipment, the dragon-tail pot, and the arrows.

Zhang Chongyuan smiled and said, "Playing without a prize doesn't seem fun."

As one of the oldest imperial consorts in the palace, she was only in her twenties, yet she dressed and styled her hair like a middle-aged woman. Her hair was in a high bun, adorned with a flower crown and a blue-jade-inlaid gold cap band, with pearls and jade piled on her head. She wore a dark-sandalwood multicolored embroidered shirt, a yellow silk wide-sleeved shirt, a blue gauze shawl, and a yellow silk wide-skirted dress with black silk cords. She appeared more dignified than the others.

"Then what should we bet on?" Fan Xueyao asked, smiling at everyone.

They looked at each other, pondering what to bet on. When it came to gambling, money came to mind. However, it seemed vulgar for them to bet on money. The prize should be more elegant.

Yang Jieyu suggested, "Let's bet on the hairpins and earrings we're wearing. The loser should also take a penalty drink. Eating crabs is best with some wine. But I wonder, how good is everyone's drinking capacity?"

"I can handle some wine," Zhang Chongyuan said, indicating her agreement.

"A little is fine," everyone replied.

"I'm quite clumsy and not good at arrow tossing. I'm afraid I'll be the last today. Luckily, following the suggestion of my hairdressing maid this morning, I wore a complete set of head ornaments. Otherwise, I wouldn't have much to bet," Meng Changniang said with a smile, touching the blue-feathered flower ornament on her bun. She wore many ornaments that could be bet, except for the most precious blue feathered tassel flower ornament, which she intended to keep carefully.

And so they played arrow tossing. The young maids served warm wine, fruit boxes, and hand towels, attending to them.

Feng Caichen managed to toss two arrows into the pot, while Yang Jieyu's last arrow grazed the pot's mouth and landed on the ground. She couldn't help but exclaim, "Oh dear!"

"Haha, you missed!" Feng Caichen laughed, as a maid presented a lacquered tray with the prizes. She picked up a silver-gilt jade-inlaid flower pin and then took another gold frog-inlaid lotus leaf agate silver hairpin, shaking her head and showing off, "Oh, it seems this hairpin is meant to be mine. You can't have it."

"Pfft!" Yang Jieyu sneered, "How do you know it's meant to be yours? Maybe it'll end up on our heads soon."

Feng Caichen couldn't help but laugh, "I'm not afraid. I'll keep this hairpin and won't take it off again."

Yang Jieyu was speechless, and the women giggled, teasing her for giving up.

After some playful banter, Yang Jieyu, with a flushed face, picked up a cup of hot wine and drank it all in one go, then turned the cup upside down, not a drop remaining, and lightly raised her eyebrows, "I've finished my cup."

After a couple of rounds of arrow tossing, Hua Ping came to announce that the feast was ready, and everyone tidied their clothes and returned to their seats.

The crab feast was organized by Fan Xueyao and invited only a few close friends, so there was no distinction in rank. Each person had the same dishes. First were display plates of honey-glazed carved kumquats, golden oranges, green plums, flower ginger, and other fruits, as well as honeyed pastries and fragrant candied fruits.

Then came several dipping sauces, a plate of ginger and vinegar, and soon a line of young maids brought in steaming steamed crabs, placing two large, red crabs in front of each person.

Seeing the large crabs, Meng Changniang's eyes lit up, and she said joyfully, "These crabs are so big and fat. There must be a lot of crab roe inside."

"So, Meng Caichen likes crab roe. I prefer crab meat," Yang Jieyu said, wetting her hands and cleaning her nails with a silver pick, then washing her hands with fragrant soap. Her hands were well-maintained, with two-inch-long nails painted a vibrant rouge with imphee flowers. She smiled and cut off the crab's two large claws, followed by the other legs.

"I love eating crab roe and crab butter, and the crab meat is delicious too," Meng Changniang said with a smile. Unlike Yang Jieyu, Zhang Chongyuan, and others who carefully and slowly cut the crab claws and legs, arranging each piece in the dish to resemble a crab, she quickly cut the crab legs and placed them haphazardly in the dish, then directly broke open the crab body.

In this regard, she was very much like Fan Xueyao, who loved eating steamed crabs the most, believing that the taste was the purest and that it truly captured the essence of crab flavor.

Fan Xueyao preferred to eat by herself, finding it the most fragrant and sweet that way. A bowl of crab roe and crab butter alone couldn't bring out the full enjoyment. However, she found it tedious to pick the meat out of the crab legs, as each leg yielded only a small amount of meat, which felt unsatisfying to eat. So, when she cut the crab legs and broke open the crab body to pour ginger vinegar sauce over it, Hua Ping brought over a dish to pick the crab leg meat for her.

Today, the crabs were indeed very fat. Although it wasn't the best month for eating male crabs, when she peeled the crab, the amount of roe inside made Fan Xueyao salivate in anticipation. She couldn't even wait to eat the yellow on the crab shell and first scooped up a full spoon of translucent crab roe with a golden spoon.

Mmm, the thick and sticky texture of the crab claw was rich and clung to her tongue, allowing her to savor a hint of delicate sweetness. It was so delicious that she could eat any amount.

Fan Xueyao didn't like to dip crab roe in ginger vinegar, as she preferred the pure taste of the roe. After finishing the roe, she picked up the crab shell again. The yellow in the male crab was less than in the female, but the quantity was still considerable. She first removed the crab's stomach and then poured two spoonfuls of ginger vinegar over it, draining the excess before scooping a spoonful of crab yellow into her mouth with a golden spoon.

The yellow of the male crab was slightly soft, and the sourness of the ginger vinegar stimulated her appetite, causing Fan Xueyao to eat faster.

Using scissors, she cut the crab lungs, crab mouth, and other internal organs like the crab heart until the crab body was clean. She then broke it into two halves and dipped it in ginger vinegar to eat. This way, the crab body was eaten clean. Fan Xueyao picked up the jade cup and drank several sips of warm rose dew. The fermented wine had a complex taste but was low in alcohol content, and since it was brewed from flowers and fruits, it was quite palatable.

As soon as she put down the jade cup, Hua Ping had finished picking the crab leg meat and brought over a dish.

"After finishing these steamed crabs, let's serve the dishes. Later, if anyone wants to eat steamed crabs again, we can steam them on the spot. Otherwise, it would be a pity if just eating steamed crabs is enough and we miss out on other dishes. I'm not boasting, but the small kitchen in my palace does have some skill. I guarantee that the dishes will satisfy you." Fan Xueyao took the dish and said with a smile to the various imperial concubines who were eating the same crabs in different manners, some fast, some slow, some elegant, and some straightforward.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chongyuan and the others nodded slightly. "That's a good idea."

The two steamed crabs were quickly finished, and the formal crab dishes were soon served. The first was crab powder lion's head, with four meatballs on each plate, braised to perfection, exuding a fresh and fragrant aroma, with rich and tender meat that melted in the mouth.

The second was hibiscus crab, where the crab powder was first stir-fried with soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and cooking wine to create a sauce, then placed back into the crab shell with broth. This hibiscus crab was not only soft and smooth but also tender and delicious, with a rich fragrance.

The third was the famous dish crab-stuffed orange, which was already well-known in the palace. However, everyone noticed that the version here was slightly different from the one in the palace, but the taste was even better.

The fourth was stir-fried hibiscus crab. Although both dishes were called hibiscus crabs and used crab and eggs, the steamed and stir-fried versions were entirely different dishes, yet equally fresh and fragrant.

The fifth was crab powder bird's nest cups, a particularly nourishing dish. This dish was baked, with crab powder stuffed into the dough, then baked in the oven until fragrant and crispy, and finally topped with bird's nest soaked in rock sugar water.

The unique preparation of this novel dish immediately won the hearts of the concubines. One bite revealed the delicate and smooth bird's nest, the fresh and tender crab powder, and the crispy and sweet baked dough, all arranged on a small silver hibiscus dish.

They thought, we could eat ten more of these!

The sixth was crab yellow tofu pot, with a thick crab yellow sauce and smooth tofu that was so tender it required no chewing, filling the mouth with the lingering fragrance of crab yellow.

The seventh and final dish was the main course, crab powder soup dumplings.

Such delicious food in front of us, who could remain composed? They all felt their fingers itching to eat, and chopsticks flew.

Eating a couple of bites of dishes and sipping warm wine, they felt pleasantly tipsy.

After this crab feast, having tasted such delicious delicacies, a few of them harbored a thought: the emperor hadn't favored Fan Zhaoyi for some time, yet he still came to Spreading Fragrance Hall. Was it because Fan Zhaoyi excelled in the kitchen, preparing very tasty dishes, so the emperor loved coming here?

If they could do the same, could they win the emperor's favor and have him grace their own palaces?

Some secretly considered this, barely suppressing their thoughts, planning to go back and organize their small kitchens in their palaces, trying out some dishes. They were all maids who had come from the Imperial Kitchen; even if there were differences, they were more or less capable. With a few days of careful coaching, they should be usable. If not, they could find a way to ask Fan Zhaoyi for a few recipes. They also needed to inquire about the emperor's preferences from her.

This thought made them even more excited. After several rounds of wine, Yang Jieyu proposed playing the word game. They were all daughters of the emperor's family and had received some education. Even if they thought they might not play well, they wouldn't decline and spoil the fun.

Just as they were continuing the game for two rounds, Chuntao suddenly ran in and reported, "Ladies, the emperor is coming."

Surprised and delighted, they hurriedly tidied themselves and looked towards Fan Xueyao.

Fan Xueyao sent Chuntao away and turned to the consorts with a smile. "It seems we can only enjoy ourselves until here today. Everyone, fix your attire, and follow me to greet the emperor."

Hearing this, they immediately brightened with joy but then realized they had been drinking for a while and might not appear dignified. With no time to freshen up, they quickly called their maids to help with their clothes and hair.

The young maids were adept at these tasks, swiftly and methodically taking out hairpins from their sleeves to carefully smooth their mistresses' hair, adjust their flower headdresses and hairpins. Even the almost invisible wrinkles on their dresses were carefully smoothed with the warmth of their palms.

Chuntao came to report again, "The imperial carriage is about to reach the palace gate."

Hurriedly finishing their preparations, they followed Fan Xueyao to the front hall to receive the emperor.

In fact, Fan Xueyao rarely greeted the emperor so formally. After all, Chu Nan often came to her hall, rarely making a big deal out of it. He usually came lightly and simply, with only a few attendants and close officials. He would directly get off the carriage and enter the hall, and there were few times he had asked for a solemn reception.

When Chu Nan arrived at Spreading Fragrance Hall and got off the carriage, he intended to enter the hall directly. But upon entering the door, he saw many consorts standing inside. He paused, looked at Fan Xueyao who was leading them, and asked with a smile, "Why are all of you here?"

After Fan Xueyao and the others respectfully greeted him and offered their blessings, Chu Nan helped her up. Fan Xueyao smiled, "Today, the kitchen received three baskets of fat, big crabs. I thought we couldn't finish them all in our own hall, so I decided to host a crab feast and invite some sisters to enjoy it together. We were playing a word game when the emperor arrived."

Listening to her, Chu Nan smiled and was pleased. He took her hand and walked towards the back hall, saying in his deep, clear voice filled with amusement, "It seems my sudden arrival has disturbed your good time."

Zhang Chongyuan quickly said, "How dare we?"

Yang Jieyu and the others had flushed cheeks and spoke witty yet appropriate words, trying to show their charm in front of Chu Nan.

Fan Xueyao watched them fawning and currying favor without commenting. She could indeed gain favor by speaking well of them in front of Chu Nan, but Chu Nan wasn't a fool; how could he not see through it? If someone else did this, he might go along with it if he was in a good mood, even considering it virtuous and tolerant.

But she was different; she couldn't do this. Otherwise, it would be trampling on Chu Nan's heart. He came to her, not to be used by her as a tool for gaining favor and exchanging for others' goodwill.

Even if he agreed for her sake, he would be dissatisfied and suspicious of her intentions.

At the same time, she couldn't obstruct them because she usually didn't compete or envy, so how could she interfere now? That would make people suspicious. Hadn't she always been gentle and respectful? If she suddenly changed, it would ruin the image she had built.

So her best course was to do nothing.

And in fact, she didn't need to do anything. Someone would ensure she didn't lose even a shred of dignity.

Sure enough, Chu Nan gracefully interacted with the consorts, but in a place no one could perceive, he was thinking about how to send them away without ruining her rare good mood.

Listening to his troubled thoughts, Fan Xueyao couldn't help but slightly raise the corner of her mouth.

Meng Changniang, secretly watching this, felt relieved. It's good that Zhaoyi sister isn't sad. These women are so frivolous. Invited by Zhaoyi sister as guests, they all rushed to seek favor as soon as the emperor arrived. They really don't deserve Zhaoyi sister's kindness.

Zhang Chongyuan was a bit excited. Given her status, she should be more dignified, but seeing Chu Nan, the accumulated gloom in her eyes seemed to melt away.

Being mature and steady, like withered wood, wasn't her wish but a compromise under helpless circumstances.

She became his consort when he was still the crown prince and had served him for many years. Therefore, even without favor, when the crown prince ascended the throne, she was still conferred the title of Chongyuan, ranking among the nine consorts. Many young ladies with better looks and family backgrounds entered the palace but couldn't become consorts in their entire lives. So, she was luckier than most consorts.

But precisely because she had served the emperor for many years and hadn't received his love, with more and more young, beautiful new consorts entering the palace, it was almost impossible for her, a deep palace woman whose youth had faded, to be favored again.

So in the lonely palace life, she slowly learned to live a simple life, to be cautious in everything, never competing or taking the lead. Her days passed leisurely.

She thought she had truly become indifferent.

But today, seeing the emperor up close, she realized she still had an unstoppable impulse in her heart.

It turned out that seeing Fan Zhaoyi being favored and everyone fawning over her, she wasn't a little envious or jealous.

While displaying their own charms, they didn't forget to use the corners of their eyes to watch Fan Xueyao's expression, fearing they might lose composure and be disliked.

Seeing that Fan Xueyao hadn't changed her expression, they all felt a little relieved.

Of course, Fan Zhaoyi, a gentle and soft-spoken person, always smiling and with a stable position, wouldn't be unhappy because of such a small matter. Maybe to her, one more or one less night of serving the emperor didn't matter much.

Although they were happy, they couldn't help but feel a little sad.

People are most adept at taking advantage. Giving a bucket of rice breeds gratitude, but a stone of rice breeds enmity, that's all there is to it.

Fan Xueyao wouldn't let herself be bitten. She wanted a good reputation to facilitate her ascension to the position of empress in the future. But she also couldn't let them think she was so tolerant that even if they made mistakes, she wouldn't do anything to them, thus becoming emboldened.

So when the topic somehow veered towards Zhang Chongyuan talking about the time in the Crown Prince's palace, and Yang Jieyu tried to steer the conversation towards herself, Fan Xueyao rested her cheek on her hand, half-closed her eyes, and slowly brewed her thoughts.

Chu Nan absent-mindedly responded to Zhang Chongyuan and the others, and when he accidentally turned his head and saw Fan Xueyao resting her jade arm on her fragrant cheek, head slightly lowered, seemingly a little uncomfortable, he couldn't help but frown. "What's wrong? You were fine just now, why do you look so listless? Are you unwell somewhere?" He stood up and came over, lifting her face to examine closely.

Seeing Fan Xueyao's flushed cheeks and hazy eyes, looking slightly tipsy, Chu Nan frowned. "You've never liked drinking, and your tolerance is low. Why is your face so red from drinking today?"

Fan Xueyao looked at him blankly, shaking her head slowly, "Eating crabs and drinking some warm wine is the best combination... I didn't feel it earlier, but now the alcohol is hitting me, and my head feels dizzy."

Her words were normal, but her speech was slow, like a child learning to speak, pronouncing each word distinctly.

This is truly drunk. The large hand touching her face felt the hot heat under her tender skin, and Chu Nan thought to himself silently.

"You're drunk."

Chu Nan looked towards the painted screen and knew that this maidservant was the most trusted attendant by Fan Xueyao. He asked, "Is there anything to sober up with? Bring it for your mistress to help her sober up."

Huapin quickly curtseyed and said, "My mistress instructed the kitchen to prepare honey earlier, saying that drinking honey water can help with sobriety. I'll fetch it right away."

Chu Nan nodded, "Go quickly."

Huapin then stepped back and went to the kitchen to fetch the honey water.

Zhang Chongyuan and the others watched the scene unfold before them, unable to describe the complex emotions they felt. Taking a breath, whether genuine or not, they all approached with concerned expressions.

Zhang Chongyuan said, "Is Zhaoyi drunk? She seemed perfectly fine during the banquet earlier. How is it that she's feeling unwell now? Was the wine consumed too quickly? You're too honest. Since your tolerance for alcohol is low, why didn't you refuse the wine when everyone offered it? It wouldn't have been a big deal to decline. Now, how can we feel at ease?"

Yang Jieyu and the others also chimed in, saying that she shouldn't have ignored her low alcohol tolerance, as drinking too much is harmful to the liver.

They were all imperial concubines, after all. Being drunk wasn't exactly a respectable thing, especially when the emperor was present, as it made them seem frivolous.

Fan Xueyao's cheeks were flushed red. It had been her banquet, and she was the host, but she had drunk too much, causing concern among so many people. Feeling deeply embarrassed, she said, "I apologize for causing you worry. I felt fine while drinking earlier and thought my tolerance had increased. Perhaps the food masked the effects of the wine. It's only now that it's hitting me hard. But I should be fine after a rest. Don't worry about me. This is a rare gathering for a crab feast, enjoying flowers, drinking wine, and sharing stories. Don't let me spoil the fun."

Yang Jieyu, speaking quickly, said, "These are minor matters; health is the most important. Even if the banquet is successful, does that mean we'll gain ten more years of life and fortune? There will be many more days ahead. If Zhaoyi invites us again, we'll all attend without fail." As she spoke, she secretly glanced at Chu Nan's face to gauge his expression.

She felt that her words were well-spoken, perhaps even eloquent. By showing her closeness to Zhaoyi, she thought she might win the emperor's favor.

Fan Xueyao smiled, somewhat embarrassed, and was about to continue apologizing when Chu Nan grew impatient with the women's constant chatter. Since Fan Xueyao was drunk, the best thing for them to do was leave instead of causing a disturbance. Even a healthy person would be annoyed by such commotion.

"Yao Niang isn't feeling well and can't accompany you further. You should all return to your seats and enjoy the wine."

The concubines heard this and, unless they were fools, wouldn't dare to continue drinking. Even if they wanted to stay and speak more with Chu Nan, they knew this was a polite way of being asked to leave. So, they all left, saying they had eaten enough and it was time to bid farewell.

After they left reluctantly, Huapin returned with the honey water. Fan Xueyao drank a bowl, and much of her drunkenness dissipated.