Ch 126: Guide to Feeding a Villainous Husband

Yu Jiuque entered the palace before the sealing ceremony at the end of the twelfth lunar month to request that the emperor bestow a name upon his son.

Upon hearing his request, the emperor graciously agreed. After some thought, he bestowed the character “曦” (Xī).

“‘Dongxi has already risen, and the bright moon shines together.’ The character ‘曦’ carries the meaning of sunlight, which is an auspicious sign. I hear your son is lively, so this character seems fitting.”

With the emperor’s decree, Yu Jiuque could only comply without question. He immediately knelt down and thanked the emperor for his grace.

The emperor inquired further about his health, noting that after the sealing ceremony, the seal would not be reopened until the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first month. He advised Yu Jiuque to take advantage of the New Year period to rest and recover at home, emphasizing that the strain of governing had likely contributed to his illness during childbirth.

“Before you leave the palace, stop by the crown prince; he has often spoken fondly of you.”

Following the emperor’s words, Yu Jiuque made his way to the crown prince.

He never visited the crown prince empty-handed, and this time was no different. He brought along some new candies.

Just before the New Year, the Pinyifang launched lollipops made from fruit-flavored soft candies. There were six designs in the set, shaped like peanuts, lotus pods, persimmons, longevity peaches, pumpkins, and coins with the character “福” (meaning good fortune). The box was accompanied by beautifully gilded paper, explaining the symbolic meaning of each: for example, peanuts symbolized “good things growing,” lotus pods meant “continuous good fortune,” and peaches represented “longevity as enduring as the southern mountains.”

Yu Jiuque brought many such candy boxes for the young crown prince, who could either enjoy them himself or give them as gifts.

“The soft candies have fillings inside. Your Highness can try each one.”

The crown prince was intrigued, but since his incognito visit last time, he had become more composed, keeping in mind that he was the heir apparent and behaving with more restraint, less like a typical child. Faced with a box of his favorite sweets, he only pressed his lips together and quietly gestured for the chief palace maid to take the box away.

The palace maid, knowing it was time for a snack, could see the crown prince truly wanted to taste one. She gently suggested, “Your Highness has worked hard today. Perhaps a small treat would be good for you.”

Yu Jiuque added, “That’s quite true.”

With both of them encouraging him, the crown prince no longer declined.

“Then… I shall eat just one.”

Restraining himself, he carefully chose the peanut-shaped one from the box.

Biting into it, he discovered the filling was a mixture of crushed peanuts, lard, and a touch of white sesame, leaving a delightful taste in his mouth.

The size of the candy was just right, and even when eaten in small bites, it was finished within seven or eight mouthfuls. Yet, due to the richness of the ingredients, it gave a surprising feeling of fullness.

After sharing the treat with the crown prince, Yu Jiuque prepared to take his leave. The crown prince, however, spoke up, asking him to stay a bit longer and presented him with two gifts as a token of appreciation.

One of the gifts was a gold-inlaid jade baby necklace, while the other was a longevity and peace charm carved from ivory in the shape of a “tongxin ball” (also known as a “ghost craftsmanship ball”). The tongxin ball is an intricate, multi-layered carved sphere, with each layer featuring a different design, often with three to four layers, and sometimes as many as ten or more. Each layer can be gently rotated using a hairpin to appreciate the craftsmanship.

“This tongxin ball was specially ordered by me from the inner workshops, and the necklace is the one I wore as a child. I bestow both upon young Master Xi,” the crown prince said.

He already knew that the emperor had named Yu Jiuque’s child Qin Xi and found the name quite fitting. However, as for the gifts, while the tongxin ball seemed reasonable, the necklace, which the crown prince himself had worn, made Yu Jiuque hesitant to accept.

But the crown prince reassured him, “You need not worry, Grand Attendant. I have already consulted with the Empress beforehand.”

Yu Jiuque replied with embarrassment, “His Majesty and Her Majesty have already bestowed their gifts, and young Master Xi is just a baby. How could he be deserving of such grace?”

The crown prince firmly insisted, “What my father and mother have gifted is one thing; what I give is another.” Especially the tongxin ball, which he had personally chosen with care.

With few heirs in the imperial family and no brothers, the crown prince had only a few companions. Upon hearing that Yu Jiuque had a child, he extended his affection to the baby as well. Since he himself loved the tongxin ball, he ordered the inner workshops to craft one as a gift.

At this point, Yu Jiuque could not refuse further and accepted both items graciously. “I thank Your Highness on behalf of young Master Xi.”

Thus, Yu Jiuque returned from the palace with many gifts, and his son now had an official name, Xi.

News travels fast in the court, and soon many who had been observing from the sidelines saw this as an opportunity. With the full moon celebration for the child approaching, many people took the chance to send gifts to the Grand Attendant’s residence.

It was well known that Yu Jiuque, after court duties, kept to himself, neither receiving visitors nor accepting gifts. The full moon celebration for his son was a rare opportunity for those who wished to avoid offending him to send gifts.

The task of recording the gift registry fell to Qiu Yao. After following by Madam Xu’s side for over half a year, she had developed the grace and poise of a refined young lady. The etiquette she learned, based on palace standards, was impeccable, and she had even been given calligraphy practice, allowing her to write beautifully in a delicate style.

Now, Qiu Yao had a good grasp of the various duties within the household and handled the gift registry with great care. While noting down the gifts, she separated those that appeared overly extravagant and made a separate list.

Her reasoning was based both on Madam Xu’s teachings and her own intuition.

When the list was presented to Yu Jiuque for review, he glanced over it quickly and, as she expected, said, “Return these gifts as they are. As for the rest, record them properly. When these households have a reason to celebrate, we will send appropriate gifts in return.”

Those who sent such extravagant gifts were either testing his intentions or simply not very wise. In either case, Yu Jiuque had no desire to become entangled with them.

Seeing that her judgment was correct, Qiu Yao breathed a sigh of relief and quickly excused herself.

As the twelfth lunar month drew to a close and the New Year approached, the streets of the southern city bustled with activity. The phrase “packed shoulder to shoulder” perfectly described the scene. People hurried to finish their New Year’s shopping in the final days, and it was rare to see anyone walking empty-handed.

Amid this lively and bustling atmosphere, on the 27th day of the month, the banquet at Heguang Pavilion officially began.

Long tables, rented for the occasion, were joined together, seating nearly a hundred people at once. Word of the banquet had spread throughout the capital, and it wasn’t just the locals—many from the outer districts braved the crowds to join in the festivities.

At the appointed hour, the tables quickly filled up. Even with all the regular staff of Heguang Pavilion, it wasn’t enough to handle the crowd. Qin Xia had to call in over twenty more helpers from the Grand Attendant’s residence, including additional kitchen assistants, just to keep things running smoothly.

Outside, the banquet was overseen by the brother-sister duo Qiu Chuan and Qiu Yao, while inside, Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque personally entertained a variety of guests. Among them were familiar merchants, longtime patrons of Heguang Pavilion, as well as Yu Jiuque’s colleagues and subordinates.

Before the meal officially began, the nursemaid brought out little Xi for everyone to see, marking his public debut.

To be honest, at a baby’s full-month celebration, no matter how ordinary the child, the guests would always lavish praise. However, little Xi, at just one month old, was already a strikingly beautiful baby. He had inherited the best features of both his fathers, with delicate, refined facial features, a chubby, soft body, and a charmingly cute demeanor.

The moment everyone laid eyes on him, compliments poured out, each more enthusiastic than the last, and all sincere. Adding to his appeal was the fact that very few children in the capital—no matter how noble their family—could boast of being given a name by the emperor himself.

Many guests silently mused, “Although this child is a ge’er, born into such a powerful household, he is sure to marry into a high family and enjoy lifelong wealth and prosperity.”

The climax of the full-month banquet came when hunyang mohu or “Four Seas as One,” was brought out. Before this, the other nine dishes had already been served, but this dish was the grand finale, and only the insiders knew what it looked like.

When the massive roast lamb appeared and the dish’s name was announced, the outdoor banquet erupted in cheers.

“I never thought in my lifetime I’d get to taste a dish served to the emperor!”

“So the rumors from the streets were true—this dish was indeed created by the master of Heguang Pavilion.”

“There are so many people here. Will there be enough to eat? My wife’s at home with the baby. I wonder if I can bring some back for her…”

Even those seated indoors couldn’t dismiss the excitement outside as ignorance or naiveté. After all, palace banquets were usually reserved for royalty and officials ranked third or higher, and few among the attendees had ever tasted this dish before.

Renowned scholar foodie Gu Gaoyuan, the author of Xianyu Shidan, was also among the guests. Qin Xia had offered him a place of honor, but Gu, who preferred to stay out of political circles, chose a quiet corner instead, away from the officials.

From afar, when he saw the dish being brought in, even he couldn’t hide his delight, feeling that the banquet had been well worth attending.

At the same time, Gu Gaoyuan thought about how he could add this dish to his manuscript of Xianyu Shidan when he returned home. Over the past few months, he had written a significant portion of the book, and more than half of the dishes featured were from Heguang Pavilion. Even his partner, who helped organize his manuscript, had playfully suggested that he might be showing some favoritism.

“If you keep going like this, you might as well rename Xianyu Shidan to Heguang Shidan,” his partner joked.

Gu Gaoyuan, however, didn’t see anything wrong with it. The original intent behind writing this food manual was to document the exquisite dishes he had encountered in his life and pass them on to future generations through his writings. As long as the flavors were exceptional, it didn’t matter who made them. Heguang Pavilion’s prominence in the book simply reflected the skill of its chefs.

With the dishes served, the first two roasted whole lambs were placed in the center of the first-floor hall. Gao Yang, along with a few kitchen assistants, expertly carved the meat, plating it with various dipping sauces before sending it to the tables.

At Gu Gaoyuan’s table, the diners were regulars at Heguang Pavilion and were familiar with one another. Being the oldest at the table, everyone politely invited Gu Gaoyuan to take the first bite.

“Well, I won’t be too modest then,” he said with a smile, stroking his long beard before picking up his chopsticks. He selected a slice of lamb and dipped it in cumin before taking a bite.

At his age, no matter how well he maintained his health, his teeth weren’t as strong as they once were, and eating roasted meats could sometimes be a challenge. However, this lamb was tender and flavorful, with no hint of gaminess, and melted in his mouth without any difficulty.

Once he set the example, the others at the table eagerly followed suit.

Some started with the goose and praised its rich, juicy flavor. Others tried the chicken, marveling at how well the garlic sauce complemented it, remarking that they had never thought roasted chicken could taste this good.

The only downside was that compared to the lamb, the portions of goose and chicken were limited—each person only got two bites before it was all gone. The scarcity made the dish even more desirable, leaving the diners craving more.

It wasn’t long before someone took the opportunity during a toast to ask Qin Xia whether the Four Seas as One dish would be available for sale at Heguang Pavilion in the future.

Qin Xia nodded in confirmation but explained that preparing the dish was not easy and that finding good-quality whole lambs was rare.

“I’m afraid we won’t be able to make many each month, and reservations will need to be made in advance. You can inquire after the New Year for more details,” he said.

Upon hearing this, many guests felt reassured. They didn’t mind waiting as long as the dish would be available for purchase. No matter how long the wait or how much silver it cost, they were willing to pay.

This is authentic palace banquet cuisine. Whether it’s for hosting guests here in the future or ordering a serving to be delivered to one’s home, it’s certainly a matter of great prestige.

Aside from the Four Seas as One, the other dishes also did not disappoint the guests attending the banquet.

One of the cold dishes, wasabi duck feet, was a rarity in other places. Wasabi has a unique spiciness—those who like it, love it, while those who don’t, avoid it. However, the way Heguang Pavilion prepared this wasabi dish struck a perfect balance. Even some guests who usually steer clear of wasabi gave it a try and found the taste unexpectedly refreshing.

Additionally, the braised carp was rich and flavorful, the salt and pepper prawns were fried until their shells were crispy enough to be chewed and swallowed. Dishes like braised pork with preserved vegetables and crispy pork knuckle were hearty meat dishes, yet they were flavorful without being greasy—each bite was thoroughly satisfying.

The sticky rice stuffed chicken wings were quite creative. The outer layer of sticky rice was like tiny pearls—soft, sticky, and delicious, while sealing in the juices of the chicken inside.

Then there was the golden tofu, true to its name, appearing as a golden platter. The tofu and eggs were perfectly blended, spooned together to create a delightful and balanced taste.

The stir-fried mixed vegetables, though just a vegetarian dish, were also noteworthy. Because these fresh vegetables were grown in greenhouses, they were not cheap, and they were stir-fried over high heat with vegetable oil. When served, the vegetables were still crispy, tender, and green, a refreshing sight in the midst of winter.

As the banquet went on, the crowd at the outdoor feast changed, but Heguang Pavilion continued serving dishes without interruption. Everyone realized the food was plentiful and abundant, so they relaxed, inviting friends and sitting down to eat their fill.

Both inside and outside, the drinks served were Heguang Pavilion’s exclusive fruit wines, which had a low alcohol content, ensuring no one would get too drunk and cause any embarrassing incidents.

Thus, this full-month banquet stretched from noon into the afternoon, with the hall filled with honored guests, and both hosts and guests enjoying themselves to the fullest.