Chapter 140 Do You Think You Deserve It?
The next day.
Liu Yu got up before the hour of Yin and went to Tingzhuxuan early. She guessed correctly that Mr. Chen San had not rested again last night.
At this moment, the lights in the study were still on. She did not disturb him and turned to the small kitchen in the east courtyard. She spent an hour personally making a bowl of ginseng soup and asked Ping'an to bring it to the study. Then she left the east courtyard and went to the kitchen in the mansion.
The cooks in the kitchen have already started to get busy, and the air is filled with the smell of smoke.
"Twenty Taihu whitebait, fifty lotus roots, fifty kilograms of pork, sixty live chickens and ducks, venison, pork, shrimps and crabs..."
The kitchen manager reported the dishes and ingredients needed for today's banquet. Liu Yu gave orders in the kitchen, and different cooks and butchers received the delivered ingredients according to the categories.
After receiving the food and confirming the quality and quantity, she took the registration book from the steward and signed her name.
The kitchen started to get busy and orderly, with people coming in and out. All the cooked food prepared yesterday was put on the stove.
As the sky outside brightened, Madam Wu walked into the kitchen and checked the thirty vegetarian dishes to see if they were okay. Seeing that Liu Yu was so tired that his forehead was covered with sweat, she stepped forward and ordered in a tone that could not be refused:
"Yu'er, the banquet in front is about to start, you should go out quickly! I'll have someone watch over here."
Liu Yu looked at the elaborate dishes that filled half of the kitchen, including spring water mushroom soup, goose gizzard soup, crab stuffed with mushrooms, five-treasure sashimi, and quail cooked with flowers.
There are also dishes such as ring cakes, oil cakes, date towers, fruits, and stacks of hawthorns and oranges, all ready.
The rest are basically simple ones, so I don't think it will be a big problem.
Liu Yu nodded, took Guyu out of the kitchen, returned to Qinyuanju, re-dressed herself, changed into the blue and white double-sided embroidered dress that Master Chen San had prepared for her yesterday, and wore a sapphire and glass headpiece.
At this time, Mr. Chen San, who had dismissed his staff, heard that Liu Yu had returned from the kitchen, so he rushed over from Tingzhuxuan. When he opened the door, he saw Liu Yu, who was dressed up carefully.
If he was amazed yesterday, he was shocked today. Besides her beauty, she also had such noble bearing and dignity in her every move that anyone could feel it was blasphemy just by looking at her. It even gave him an illusion that the person in front of him was the woman he knew.
Seeing the strange look in Mr. Chen San's eyes, Liu Yu raised his hand and touched the hairpin on his head, and asked doubtfully:
"Doesn't it look good?" He turned around and wanted to go in and change into another one.
"It's fine to wear it like this, no need to change."
Mr. Chen San was quick to act and grabbed her.
The two went to Xiangheyuan together.
As soon as they arrived at the gate of Xiangheyuan, they met Yuzhang Hou and several generals. When they saw Chen Sanye and Liu Yu, they stopped.
Yuzhang Hou walked up to them in two steps at a time, his eyes fell on Liu Yu, and he looked at her carefully for several times before confirming her identity.
Yuzhang was very surprised and said, "Sister Liu, you are very different today!"
"The Chen family is hosting a banquet for you all, please don't neglect it."
The two had met many times and were considered acquaintances, Liu Yu admitted it generously.
Yuzhang Hou nodded, looking at Liu Yu, who was as dazzling as a pearl, and praised him generously:
"That's true, Sister Liu. From this point of view, you and Brother Chen are simply a match made in heaven!"
He came from a family of military generals. He did not have the roundabout way of scholars and spoke directly.
After several contacts, Liu Yu got used to his way of speaking, so he just smiled and invited Yuzhang Hou and others to enter Xiangheyuan.
On the other hand, the noble families who had stopped to wait for Marquis Yuzhang to leave, some of whom were missing him, began to feel disappointed after hearing Marquis Yuzhang's words and looking at their daughters who were brought with them. They looked at Liu Yu with inquiring eyes.
Some people even whispered:
"Mr. Chen San, are you married?"
"How come I haven't heard about such a big thing as getting married?"
"I don't know. From what Yuzhang Hou said, it should be true. But the Third Master's wife, have you figured out who she is from?"
No one could imagine that Liu Yu was just a concubine. What happened today meant that among the powerful women in the capital, few would know that Liu Yu rose to power from a concubine.
But that's all for the future.
Hearing the discussions around her, Liu Yu realized that people might have misunderstood. She remembered what Master Chen San said in the viewing pavilion a few days ago that he had chosen a wife. Maybe the person Master Chen San had his eyes on was among these people. If people misunderstood and it affected Master Chen San's plan to marry a wife, she would feel bad.
Liu Yu was about to explain something, but Master Chen San not only refused to help, but also interrupted her on purpose, urging her:
"My sister-in-law and the others are entertaining guests in there. You can go and learn from them."
Liu Yu looked at everyone, then at Mr. Chen San. Forget it, since he didn't mind, she wouldn't bother explaining it.
After greeting them, I walked into Xiangheyuan, passed through the corridor, and arrived at the women's area.
When the first lady, Mrs. Wu, saw Liu Yu appear at the door, she wondered why she didn't find her just now. It turned out that she had gone back to change her clothes. Mrs. Wu was very satisfied with Liu Yu's outfit, which was not cheap and had a noble air.
Although she had promised her third brother that she would take good care of Liu Yu, it would be inappropriate for her to dress like other concubines.
She would not bring Liu Yu with her. Outside, apart from the old lady, she was the face of the Chen family.
"Madam Chen, is that Mr. Chen Sanye's wife? She doesn't look that good!" The person asking the question was a woman sitting at the very top. She was wearing a brocade shirt with golden peony and phoenix patterns, her face was painted with pearl makeup which was popular in the capital at the time, and she had her hair in a high bun with a phoenix hairpin.
Even though her makeup and clothes are the most beautiful, it still can't hide the traces of time on her face. She looks to be at least twenty-five or twenty-six years old.
She looked at Liu Yu at the door with contempt.
Although Liu Yu is now a concubine, she knows what her mother and third brother are thinking. Wu did not give a direct answer, but she smiled and agreed:
"Yes, in the capital, if we talk about the elegance of the noble ladies, you are the best."
"That's right." Princess Xinyi raised her head proudly, but when she thought of her current age, her mood became depressed again.
But she concealed it very well. The princess's pride did not allow her to admit that she was inferior to others.
Seeing that Princess Xinyi's attention was no longer on Liu Yu, Wu instructed her trusted nanny to invite Liu Yu over.
Soon Liu Yu followed the people who were sent to the reception room and saw Princess Xinyi sitting in the main seat at a glance.
Her brows frowned slightly. This man was not Xiangyu's. In her previous life, whenever she went to Prince Qi's Mansion, he would humiliate her, even at a banquet in another mansion. There was no exception.
To say how much hatred she has for her, it's not like that. She just can't stand herself. It's just that she hates beauty. As long as anyone is prettier than her, she won't let go.
Princess Ke Xinyi is the daughter of the old prince. Apart from the princess, no one else dares to offend her in the circle of noble ladies.
Mrs. Wu didn't know this. After Liu Yu finished the ceremony, he took her to introduce people, and the first one was naturally Princess Xinyi.
"Hey, do you think you are worthy of Mr. Chen San with your looks?"