"If there’s nothing special, can’t I invite Your Majesty to have a simple meal? This servant thought that the Dragon Boat Festival is in a few days, and Your Majesty gets to enjoy the banquet in the palace every year. But as for a common family’s Dragon Boat Festival feast, have you ever tasted it?"
Listening to her words, the Emperor Yu Wenhong’s interest was suddenly piqued.
He followed her into the inner room and picked up the incense bag on the table, then asked.
"Is this also something used by ordinary families?"
"Your Majesty is joking, this was sent by the Imperial Concubine through someone in the afternoon, saying it’s shared throughout the palace."
After speaking, she picked up a colorful thread and deftly wove a wrist rope with a Ruyi knot, looking exceptionally exquisite.
"When this servant was at home, mother often made wrist ropes before the Dragon Boat Festival for all of us. Father, brother, and younger brother, everyone had one, and the whole family neatly wore these wrist ropes, burning them in a fire basin on June 24th for a year’s peace and smoothness."
"Oh? June 24th? What festival is this?"
"This is a festival of the Yi people near Shu State in the Southwest Territory. It’s said that June 24th is their lunar new year, so they celebrate by lighting bonfires and torch parades for three days. My grandfather taught the family after seeing their tribe burn wrist ropes ."
"Your grandfather certainly knows much."
Lin Wanyi smiled and then tied the already finished wrist rope around her right wrist, adding a touch of thoughtfulness beyond ordinary wrist ropes.
The Emperor observed her fluid motions and raised his eyebrows to ask.
"Your Majesty jests. Such customs are merely for the peace and joy of common families, while as the Emperor, Your Majesty naturally enjoys eternal peace and prosperity without these things."
Her flattering words brought a faint smile to the Emperor’s face.
"Looking back, I thought you were tongue-tied, but now you clearly have a silver tongue."
Lin Wanyi reached into the copper basin and wrung out a cloth to hand to the Emperor, then brought over some mouth rinse.
"Your Majesty, please sit for a while. I will instruct them to serve the dishes."
With the Emperor’s affirmative response, Qiu Ming and the others brought out the prepared items.
The Imperial Kitchen sent over oil-fried eel, green rice balls filled with sweet bean paste, along with three bean soup.
Chunqi’s preparation was simpler, a plate of salted duck eggs and several mugwort cakes, looking ordinary yet arousing the Emperor’s curiosity.
Raising his eyes, puzzled, he looked at Lin Wanyi, who smiled lightly and explained in detail.
"In the Dragon Boat Festival, one eats rice dumplings, hangs calamus, and drinks realgar wine; these are things Your Majesty is familiar with, yet among the common people, they also have the habit of eating salted duck eggs and mugwort cakes, prepared long in advance."
"Duck eggs are pickled in advance and steamed when needed, then cut into quarters to eat with white rice, which is most fragrant. Good duck eggs might even ooze oil; Your Majesty, see, this piece looks excellent."
Finishing her sentence, she placed a piece onto the white porcelain plate in front of the Emperor, making the duck egg gleam brilliantly.
"And these mugwort cakes are kneaded with mugwort juice into the flour. This servant asked Chunqi to add some lard and sugar, using the method of making flaky pastries, giving it a multi-layered crisp taste. Your Majesty should try it!"
Stretching to break it in half, she also placed it before the Emperor.
These two items were things he had not tasted before, so full of curiosity, the Emperor took a bite.
The wonderful flavors made the Emperor incapable of stopping, and he ate nearly half a plate before pausing.
"The food of the common people is simple and true, partly for ease and convenience, but also out of respect."
"Respect? How do you mean?"
"The Dragon Boat Festival was originally set for honoring Doctor Qu, with customs like river tours, dragon boat races, emotional ties to rice dumplings, and nighttime revelry extending to today. To the common people, this is not just a festival, but a way to remember the ancestors, hence simplifying things better highlights its true meaning."
Simplifying to highlight the true meaning.
This saying, the Emperor had heard from his late Empress Xu.
He couldn’t help recalling some past events.
Empress Xu was the first granddaughter raised with care by Duke Xu, not only virtuous and dignified but also prudent in managing affairs.
While she was alive, the harem always upheld a simple style.
All to set an example for the world, without forgetting the original intention.
But since Empress Xu passed away, the harem’s political affairs were presided over by Lin Guifei.
Therefore, the simplicity of past festival days was changed, not extravagant, yet more time-consuming and laborious.
Lin Guifei once used the reasoning of showcasing the Heavenly Family’s prestige to silence those with slight whispers.
Gradually, the entire palace grew accustomed to this way of doing things.
Today, Lin Wanyi’s inadvertent words rekindled some reflections.
The Emperor gave Lin Wanyi a deep look, seeing her still as calm and self-satisfied as ever, his lips curled unconsciously.
"Even the people know to show respect, as the ruler I should set an example."
The words didn’t need complete articulation, but Lin Wanyi’s high-strung heart came to rest.
With the Emperor setting an example, the upcoming Dragon Boat Festival banquet would discourage any ostentatious displays.
The precious Five Poison Round Fan given by Lin Guifei naturally shouldn’t appear.
Thinking of this, she smiled even more genuinely.
Her hands worked increasingly diligently in serving the Emperor his dishes, making this meal truly satisfying.
The Emperor didn’t stay overnight in the harem, as was the tradition set by ancestors.
Moreover, Lin Wanyi was still recovering from injuries, so naturally it was inconvenient for her to attend.
Thus, after sitting briefly after the meal, the Emperor departed.
Seeing his figure recede, Lin Wanyi exhaled deeply, supported by Xia An and Chunqi, and returned to the inner room.
Qiu Ming followed behind her, step by step, with increasingly profound eyes.
No wonder both the Master and the Chief of the Inner Court Department had placed their hopes on the little master; he finally understood that it was because she resembled someone from the past.
Thinking of the deceased Empress Xu, her demeanor and smile had become somewhat blurred, yet her serene personality and gentle smile were imprinted in Qiu Ming’s mind for a long time.
Lin Wanyi didn’t know her fortunate mistake had allayed the challenge, but felt the weight of another hurdle overcome.
Her thoughts relaxed briefly, then she murmured.
"It would be nice if I could see my brother."
She had been in the palace for more than a month now, hadn’t dared to send messages randomly, let alone meet him.
Afraid of causing trouble for her family and herself.
Now, the thought of seeing her brother publicly, she began to look forward to the upcoming dragon boat race.
"You should focus on recovering your injuries, lest the young master sees your difficulty and worries?"
"Don’t worry, elder brother will be on the dragon boat and ten yards away from me at least. As long as I don’t walk briskly, he won’t notice."
Lin Wanyi smiled, but that smile carried some bitterness.