One Hundred Ways to Have a "BE" (Bad Ending) with the Protagonist Gong [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 7

The Emperor had already sent people to urge them twice, and the crowd picked up their pace, fearing they would delay the palace banquet.

The Summer Banquet was held on the heart-shaped island of the Zhong Fang Wei (Only One Among All Fragrant Flowers) Lake. One had to take a small boat to cross over, and aside from the palace attendants standing at the front to pole the boats, each could hold at most four people.

Qin Guan, finding the sun dazzling to his eyes, floated his entire body half in the air, leaning lazily against Xue Xuening’s embrace while admiring the flowers and fish.

The lake was full of bright, translucent golden lion carp. On both sides of the water path were peony platforms built of jade, planted only with two varieties: “Jade Tower-Dotted Green” and “Green Screen-Hidden Jade.”

As the spring breeze brushed by, countless flower branches swayed softly, and the petals rose like waves, truly resembling ripples of green water and spring waves, reflecting the beautiful red fish perfectly.

Qin Guan watched with great interest, thinking to himself that it was no wonder Noble Consort Xiao could keep the Emperor pleased; the landscape she arranged showcased ingenuity everywhere.

By the time they reached the banquet, a dozen dancing girls were performing lively in the hall.

Prince Heng smiled and knelt to pay his respects: “Your son has arrived late; I ask Father to punish me.”

Noble Consort Xiao sat on the Emperor’s left side, smiling as she said: “Your father was just wondering why you hadn’t arrived yet. You child, you are so old and still make people worry; you must punish yourself with three cups of wine.”

“As Mother says.”

Prince Heng did not play coy; he filled a wine cup on the spot, drank it down in one gulp, and turned the bottom of the cup to show it was empty.

The Crown Prince, in contrast, spoke at a moderate pace, his expression calm: “Father, I have been suffering from a cold these past few days and have yet to recover. It is truly not suitable for me to drink alcohol; I ask Father to forgive me.”

The Emperor had not held court for four or five days and had been resting at Noble Consort Xiao’s quarters. Today, as the banquet began, his complexion was ruddy and he appeared radiant. Hearing the Crown Prince’s words, he showed no expression, merely nodding slightly: “Although it is early summer, the weather is cold; your health is of the utmost importance. The Empress has not been well lately; you should visit her more often.”

“Yes, your son understands,” the Crown Prince replied with his head bowed.

The Emperor looked toward the great hall and cleared his throat: “Everyone, be seated.”

Qin Guan took a look, and sure enough, the seat on the Emperor’s right was empty.

In previous years, the Summer Banquet had always been held at the Empress’s Fengqi Palace; this year, however, an exception was made to hold it at the Zhong Fang Wei.

Whether the Empress was truly in poor health and required recuperation, or whether the Emperor had other intentions, it was impossible to know. However, Prince Heng was indeed very favored at the moment, able to make the Emperor’s Dragon Face beam with delight with just a few words.

Prince Heng leaned on Noble Consort Xiao’s lap, looking at the Emperor with a face full of childish devotion, like a child who would never grow up: “Father, you do not know this, but there was a funny incident at the arrow pavilion earlier that I haven’t told you yet.”

“Oh? Tell me about it.” The Emperor was quite interested.

“Crown Prince Brother wanted to see Young Master Xue of the Xue family shoot an arrow. Who would have thought that the first arrow missed, the second arrow fell to the ground, and as for the third arrow, Father, do you know where it went?”

The Emperor looked at him with a smile, signaling for Prince Heng to continue.

Prince Heng laughed: “It is truly a strange tale. That arrow was not on the ground, nor was it on the target it was actually on the neck of Crown Prince Brother’s ‘Zhaoxue’!”

As soon as he finished speaking, the once noisy hall fell silent instantly.

The smiles on everyone’s faces stiffened. Who didn’t know that Zhaoxue was an incomparable horse, the only one of its kind, specifically bestowed upon the Crown Prince?

In name, it was a reward for the Crown Prince’s success in the hunt, but in truth, it was a celebration of the birth of his son.

Since the first imperial grandson of the dynasty was born, the Emperor had bestowed many gifts upon the Crown Prince, but all other rewards were mere worldly goods; only this “Night-Shining Jade Lion” was something one could only hope for but never seek a treasure the Emperor had parted with from his own collection.

Noble Consort Xiao was the first to react, chiding Prince Heng: “Nonsense! You child are becoming increasingly ignorant of propriety. It is one thing to be willful relying on His Majesty’s favor, but now you dare to make a mockery of your Crown Prince Brother? Make haste to apologize and beg for forgiveness.”

The Emperor did not speak upon hearing this, merely raising his eyes to look at the Crown Prince and Xue Xuening, who were seated to the side.

The Crown Prince remained expressionless.

Xue Xuening knelt in the hall: “I slipped up for a moment; I ask His Majesty to punish me.”

The Emperor did not say whether he would punish him or not; he merely glanced faintly at Prince Heng.

The Son of Heaven was awe-inspiring without anger. Prince Heng was startled by that look and suddenly felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up.

He hurried to rise and admit his fault to the Crown Prince. In his panic, he suddenly heard the Emperor burst into laughter, seemingly quite pleased.

“It really is a funny incident. I heard from Grand Tutor Xue that Third Young Master Xue has been plagued by a weak constitution, but I did not expect him to possess such divine strength. It has truly made me look at him with new eyes.”

“I am ashamed.”

The Emperor looked at Xue Xuening with loving affection and smiled: “I always hear your father say you are physically weak, and I am very concerned. It is a good thing that you enjoy archery. When I was young, the Late Emperor bestowed upon me a spirit-treasure ‘Dragon Tongue Bow,’ which is currently hanging in the Imperial Study. Rather than letting it lie idle, I shall bestow it upon you today.”

Noble Consort Xiao smiled: “His Majesty’s grace is boundless; the Xue family boy is truly fortunate.”

Xue Xuening insisted that he dared not accept it. Only after several expressions of gratitude did he return to his seat.

“I have been fortunate enough to receive His Majesty’s holy grace today. I shall certainly be even more cautious in my words and actions hereafter, and I will never make such a mistake again.”

The crowd’s eyes burned, their expressions complex, yet Xue Xuening remained as respectful and polite as ever, with not a single flaw to be found.

To shoot the Crown Prince’s beloved horse dead with a single arrow and yet emerge unscathed—perhaps only this young genius, famous throughout the capital, could do such a thing.

On one side, Xue Xuening returned to his seat; on the other, Prince Heng remained kneeling to the side, not daring to rise.

The Emperor raised his hand casually, signaling Prince Heng to rise and sit, and said gently to Noble Consort Xiao: “Among own brothers, a few jokes are normal. Would it not damage the harmony to talk of begging for forgiveness all the time?”

Noble Consort Xiao was startled for a moment, but then she realized what he meant and smiled softly: “Your Majesty is right; I was just too worried, fearing that Su-er would lose his manners.”

The Emperor nodded: “You have always been meticulous, and it is natural to be concerned when you are flustered.” He patted Noble Consort Xiao’s hand lightly: “Let the banquet begin.”

A long, joyous chime resonated slowly, and everyone stood to raise their cups in celebration.

“Wishing His Majesty a healthy body and a ten-thousand-year reign.”

“Wishing the Great Qi prosperity, peace throughout the world, and a garden full of spring.”

The Summer Banquet was, in essence, a matchmaking banquet for men and women under the guise of admiring the spring.

The Crown Prince had been married for many years, and Prince Heng’s wedding date had already been set. The remaining young men like Xiao Ziyi and Xue Xuening, who had yet to take wives, naturally became the focus of the entire gathering.

Especially Xue Xuening, whose appearance already surpassed others by far, coupled with his extraordinary temperament just sitting there was enough to stir countless hearts. Young ladies took up their fans, covering their mouths as they sipped tea and joked, yet their gazes were secretly fixed on the Third Young Master of the Xue family.

Of this person, Qin Guan had only two words: A disaster.

When the music ended, dozens of beautiful palace maids stepped into the hall, carrying food boxes.

Qin Guan stood to the side and saw one of the little palace maids walk up to Xue Xuening, carrying a blue-and-white kingfisher-patterned food box that was a full two feet tall.

When she opened the first layer, it was filled with ice cubes; the second layer was also ice. It wasn’t until she opened the third layer that the young girl’s slender, lotus-root-white arms reached in to retrieve a small, cold, vermilion-colored porcelain jar the size of a palm.

Someone behind him said: “So fragrant; I wonder what is inside?”

When the maid opened the porcelain jar, the crowd saw that it was actually a small, skinny green pear.

Although the pear looked small, it smelled exceptionally rich, fresh, and sweet. It felt as cool and refreshing as being on a green mountain after the rain, casting all the scorching summer heat out of one’s mind. Yet, it looked remarkably plain, and other than its overwhelming fragrance, at first glance, it had nothing extraordinary about it.

The palace maid picked up the pear with her jade-white, delicate fingers. With a light press, the bright green skin darkened, turning a crimson as deep as lip rouge. Then, she used a fruit knife to slice it, and the juice flowed out.

It was a pity for such a tiny pear; it could have been finished in two bites, but now it was divided into ten petals by a knife, leaving even less flesh.

The surrounding people whispered to one another, appearing to have lost interest now that the jar was open, their tones filled with barely concealed disappointment.

“To go to such lengths to serve it in the hall, and it turns out to be just a dried-up pear.”

“It is a palace banquet, after all; such a shabby ending is truly… stingy.”

“Indeed, no matter how good this pear is, it is nothing rare. It is not a phoenix fairy egg; was there any need to supply it with three layers of protection like this?”

Xiao Ziyi turned and asked: “Does Xuening recognize this?”

Xue Xuening scrutinized it for a moment before saying: “This should be a ‘Snowflake Begonia Pear,’ produced in Ganlan County, Yuzhou. It is yellowish-white before it is ripe, turns entirely green when fully ripe, and turns red at the touch of a finger. It is an extremely rare seasonal fruit.”

Xiao Ziyi became interested: “No wonder the skin is thin and full of juice; with a light squeeze, it becomes ripe and turns deep red, as beautiful as a begonia. I once heard my father say that at the Crown Prince’s wedding banquet, His Majesty also bestowed this pear, and after just one bite, he was haunted by its taste for many years.”

Xue Xuening nodded: “It is the best among pears. I had only read about it in books and had never seen the real thing; the fragrance is indeed extraordinary.”

Their voices were not particularly loud, just enough for those around them to hear.

After learning of the pear’s illustrious origins, someone couldn’t resist scooping the fruit meat into their mouth with a porcelain spoon. As the sweet, clear juice instantly filled their mouth, they couldn’t help but heave a sigh of admiration.

“Could there truly be such a delicacy in this world?”

“A truly wondrous fruit; beautiful and marvelous!”

In an instant, exclamations of praise and appreciation arose one after another.

Everyone seemed to have forgotten their complaints from just a moment ago, all immersed in the fragrance of the unremarkable pear, laughing and drinking, cups clinking in celebration.

Seeing Xue Xuening remain still, Xiao Ziyi laughed: “Why not have a taste?”

“As far as I know, Yuzhou is a remote place, at least four thousand li from Liancheng. Ganlan County is surrounded by mountains, with no official roads, making travel for carriages and horses difficult.”

“Is Xuening implying?”

Xue Xuening gazed at the pear flesh before him, his thoughts deepening: “This Snowflake Begonia Pear is different from other fruits; it fruits once every three years, and once it falls, it will never ripen again. Once fully ripe, it is very difficult to store. Never mind being bumped or bruised even a light squeeze from a finger will cause it to turn red and rot. Getting it into Liancheng is as difficult as ascending to heaven.”

Xiao Ziyi found this strange: “If that is truly the case, how could it be transported into the palace?”

Xue Xuening said: “I once heard that in order to send the pears to Liancheng while they were in season, the local officials in Yuzhou would use golden silk bags softer than water to wrap the pears while they were still small fruits on the tree one fruit per bag so that when the fruits were ripe, they would automatically fall into the bags. They dug ice cellars underground. By early spring, countless pears wrapped in layers of silk and wax-coated ice were relayed and escorted. They would not dare to hurry with whips and spurs until they left Yuzhou and were transported toward Liancheng.”

“Perhaps I am ignorant,” Xiao Ziyi said. “What is a ‘pear leg’?”

Xue Xuening said: “Ganlan County has many mountains and few roads; there are many pear farmers but few grain farmers. Those people who specifically carry fresh pears out of the county on their own backs are called ‘pear legs’ by the locals. One person delivers one jin a day; four liang of silver is earned for the labor, excluding the loss. Even so, the loss during the journey is extremely severe. Often, sixty jin of fresh pears set out, and less than three jin remain by the time they reach the palace.”

There is a saying: Three years of labor for three days; three days of earnings for three years.

High mountains cannot be compared to plains; cultivation was already difficult. These farmers did not grow grain, but instead all ran off to grow the “money-tree” fruit, even giving birth to the “pear leg” industry, which lived hand-to-mouth.

Xiao Ziyi sighed: “It just so happens that there has been little rain in the past few years, and there has been a severe drought in many places, so the fruit harvest must have been greatly reduced. Last year, there was the war and increased taxes; the ordinary people in Ganlan County must be living very difficult lives.”

Xue Xuening nodded: “This small petal of pear flesh before us who knows how much farmer blood and sweat went into it.”

Silver alone is far from enough. To mobilize such a vast amount of manpower and material resources to open up a transportation line, and to be able to enjoy seasonal fresh fruit from thousands of miles away while sitting high above only the supreme imperial power can make such a grand display.

Although Xiao Ziyi was accustomed to extravagance, he couldn’t help but smile and drink a cup: “It seems I have no fortune to enjoy this tribute pear; the two of us shall just drink our wine.”

From behind, Yang Shubo suddenly squeezed over, poking his head out: “What are you two whispering about? I see everyone else’s plates are empty, but you two are good your mouths are only busy talking, even forgetting to eat!”

Xiao Ziyi turned around, used his spoon to shove the pear meat into his mouth, and scolded with a laugh: “You greedy monkey! If you like it, my portion shall be yours to enjoy as well.”

“What are you doing…”

Yang Shubo’s eyes widened instantly, his dark skin turning flushed with shock.

Xiao Ziyi glanced at him sideways: “Tell me, how does it taste?”

Yang Shubo had chipped his tooth, and blood instantly welled up in his mouth; he let out a pitiful, painful cry: “Prince! Is that how you feed someone? You clearly want my life.”

Seeing them playing and fooling around, Xue Xuening couldn’t help but smile slightly, his thoughts seemingly diluted a little.

Qin Guan watched from the side, and the glutton in his belly was hooked.

This pear was rare; he had never even seen it before, yet he had watched Yang Shubo wolf it down in two bites. No, after the palace banquet, I must sneak into the imperial kitchen and swipe one to have a taste.