Chapter Eight: The Longevity Banquet

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When Zhao Guoji arrived at the Yunxiang Pavilion with the flowers, there were only a handful of sparse customers inside.

“May I help you, sir?” The waiter, rather than slackening off due to the few patrons, greeted him with even greater enthusiasm.

“I’m here to see your manager. Please, could you call him over for me?”

“Certainly, please wait a moment!”

Before long, the manager of Yunxiang Pavilion appeared. Upon seeing the token Zhao Guoji presented, he dared not be negligent. He warmly welcomed Zhao inside and even sent someone to report the news back to the estate.

Zhao Guoji was unaccustomed to such courteous treatment and felt somewhat uneasy at first, but after drinking two cups of tea, he finally met the flower buyer.

“Let me see the flowers you brought! If they’re blooming well, I’ll take them all!” Xiao Junji had initially thought the flowers were too few to be presentable, but now, with a flower seller coming directly to him, it was quite the turn of events.

“Your Highness, please take a look. These flowers of mine are certainly no less splendid than the previous one! All are of excellent quality!” Zhao Guoji, no longer feeling constrained, began to praise them openly.

“This… orchids blooming in the dead of winter? Surely they must have cost a fortune to cultivate?” It was no wonder the manager was puzzled. Outside, the ground was blanketed in white snow, yet these orchids thrived, vigorous and unaffected. Camellias, he recognized, having seen them bloom in the warmer southern regions during winter, though they were rare in the north; orchids blooming so luxuriantly in winter was truly extraordinary.

“These are carefully nurtured by us, requiring considerable effort. Naturally, they differ from the ordinary. What does Your Highness think?” Zhao Guoji inquired.

“I’ll take them all. These camellias bloom so festively—rare in winter—and the orchids are so spirited, all of excellent quality. If you have more in the future, just send them to me first. If they’re as good as these, I’ll buy them all!” Without hesitation, Xiao Junji purchased the three flower pots.

At this moment, Xiao Junji was already imagining how to use these flowers to make a splash. If he had enough, after the Empress Dowager’s birthday celebration, he planned to host a banquet to flaunt them. Even the royal garden of his father might not have flowers blooming so well at this time of year. Though not rare species, their flourishing condition was impressive!

Fifteen hundred taels of silver thus found their way into Zhao Guoji’s hands, leaving him with a lingering sense of unreality.

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“Order that if anyone else brings flowers, just accept them. Any extras can be displayed in the restaurant. After all, all these winter plum blossoms have grown tiresome; there’s no novelty left. This tavern truly feels chilly,” Xiao Junji complained, feeling a headache at the thought.

Most of these assets were subsidies from his mother, but he was no businessman. The shops under his name were poorly managed; if not for his fourth brother occasionally sending people to help oversee them, he might have lost a great deal of money. Fortunately, he did not rely on these assets to live, and he was grateful for that.

At this moment, Xiao Junji had no inkling of how much profit this idea would bring. Because of this initiative, Yunxiang Pavilion rose to become the most famous tavern in the capital.

Within the Prince Gong Mansion, Xiao Junchi, upon learning that Xiao Junji had bought several pots of flowers again, grew cautious and sent someone to tail Zhao Guoji. He discovered that Zhao was a former servant released from the Rongguo Estate, immediately raising his suspicions.

The Jia family had long pledged loyalty to the Crown Prince. If they had good items, why would they sell them privately instead of presenting them to the Eastern Palace? This was truly suspicious.

When Xiao Junchi learned that the flowers were cultivated by a concubine within the Rongguo Estate—a concubine who happened to be Zhao Guoji’s sister—and that Zhao refused to hand them over to the Jia family but instead sold them himself, it all made sense. It showed they had already severed ties with the Jia family.

Still, to be safe, Xiao Junchi continued to monitor Zhao Guoji, wary that this might be a trap set by the Crown Prince for both brothers.

Meanwhile, Qin Mingyue of the Jia family was unaware of the great profits her few flower pots had brought. She was holding her young son in the courtyard, basking in the rare sunshine—the perfect day for it.

Little Jia Huan had already learned to roll over and was happily chewing on his own toes. Qin Mingyue, helpless, pried his feet from his mouth and asked the servants to find him some toys as a substitute.

“The little master is so handsome; you can tell he inherited the concubine’s good looks. He resembles her more than the young miss!” The young maid smiled broadly, her eyes full of fondness.

Qin Mingyue paused at this, realizing she had not seen Tan Chun in a while. When she previously went to pay respects to the matriarch, she had found Tan Chun huddled alone in a corner. Yuan Chun, who could speak well, was already in front of the matriarch, leaving little attention for a child like her—merely a bystander in the crowd.

Alas, with Lady Wang opposing her, Tan Chun’s situation would only worsen. Feeling a twinge of guilt, Qin Mingyue resolved to find a way to bring Tan Chun away.

In the Jia Matriarch’s quarters, the matriarch dismissed the servants and remained with Jia Zheng and Jia She to discuss the Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet.

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“Did anything happen during the Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet?” the Jia Matriarch asked her two sons. She had been unwell and unable to attend, only hearing afterward that the Crown Prince had been overshadowed by Prince Sheng on that day. The Emperor had reprimanded Prince Gong, the elder brother of Prince Sheng, for his excessive extravagance, confining him to house arrest. The situation was extremely tense; even the slightest disturbances could draw the attention of the four great families.

“On the day of the Empress Dowager’s birthday, the Crown Prince presented a jade Buddha, pure white throughout—a rare and exquisite treasure. Unexpectedly, Prince Sheng presented four superbly cultivated flower pots, which bloomed remarkably well in winter. They instantly outshone the Crown Prince’s gift, and the Empress Dowager took a great liking to those flowers,” Jia Zheng recounted all he had witnessed that day.

“Is it possible to find out where Prince Sheng obtained those flowers? The Crown Prince’s position is secure; the Emperor favors him and will naturally reprimand Prince Gong’s faction. But Prince Sheng and Prince Gong share the same mother and are formidable opponents. Now that our Jia family has aligned with the Crown Prince, we must support him. If we can identify the flower seller, we can win the Crown Prince’s favor,” the Jia Matriarch mused after a moment’s thought.

“That… even the Crown Prince cannot trace the seller. How could we Jia family manage it? Besides, the Crown Prince’s residence is full of talented people. Whatever we think of, others would think too. I advise Mother to avoid meddling, lest it be a fruitless effort,” Jia She dismissed the idea. In his view, the Jia family should not become embroiled in such disputes. The rivalries among princes and royal descendants were beyond their understanding; it was best to tend to their own affairs.

Jia She’s words fell on deaf ears. The Jia Matriarch and Jia Zheng were firmly supporting the Crown Prince. Feeling stifled, Jia She thought it humiliating that he, heir to the Rongguo Estate, had come to this. He preferred to return to his pleasures of music and wine.

“Eldest son! You squander your time in debauchery! Now your mother and younger brother are strategizing for the Jia family’s sake, yet you resent us for meddling. Is this how you act as a son and elder brother?” The Jia Matriarch, angered by Jia She’s attitude, grew increasingly disdainful of her wayward eldest son.

“Big brother, your neglect of the family is one thing, but if you continue to hold it back, don’t blame me for being ruthless as your brother,” Jia Zheng said with a complicated expression. It was ironic that the heir of the Rongguo Estate was such a prodigal fool, while he, who worked hard for the family’s future, was nothing without the Jia Matriarch’s support.

“Hmph! I want to see what you can do to me, Jia Zheng. Don’t forget who the real master of Rongguo Estate is! Without Mother’s backing, do you think you could still stand here and shout at me?” Jia She’s eyes bore no familial affection, only disgust, as he glared at his brother who habitually claimed to be the estate’s master.

“You bastard! If you can’t speak properly, then get out!” The Jia Matriarch could not bear to see her beloved second son insulted by Jia She and scolded him sharply.

“Mother, please calm down. I am unfilial; I won’t stay here to offend your eyes!” With that, Jia She flung his sleeves and left.

The Jia Matriarch was so furious at his behavior that she was bedridden for several days before she could get up again.