Chapter 55 – Soup

When the beef soup, cooked to perfection in the kitchen, was finally served, it was already deep into the night. The rich aroma of the tender, stewed beef soup filled the air, and the marrow bones had been removed ahead of time, cracked open to reveal the scalding hot, delicious bone marrow inside. They were sprinkled with salted pepper chives sauce to be enjoyed together.

Alongside the soup were grilled shrimp, roasted lamb chops, crispy sprouts, shepherd’s purse spring rolls, pine flower cakes, and taro cakes to complement the meal.

As Xu Chun sipped the soup, he couldn’t help but steal glances at Xie Yi.

The cool breeze blew gently, and on the Riverside Pavilion, the bright moon illuminated the hall, making everything crystal clear. Lanterns on the walls and lamps inside the room were lit up, creating a bright atmosphere.

Xu Chun, after indulging in pleasures, now found his waist and legs sore and aching. The sensation of lips and tongues entwining and the imprint of fiery palms seemed to linger vividly on his body. The excess of indulgence brought him an overwhelmingly intense experience. What was that fragrance? What fragrance was it?

He had tasted water infused with agarwood before; his maternal grandfather would drink a cup every morning for health benefits. Out of curiosity, he had tried it too, and watched his grandfather prepare it personally. High-quality agarwood was placed in a clay stove, ignited, and smoked until its aroma was fully released. The pot opening was covered over the stove, ensuring no smoke escaped. Once the aroma was completely burned out, boiling water was poured into the pot, resulting in the healthful agarwood-infused water, with a sweet and elegant scent.

But the incense pill earlier was sweet and left a lingering fragrance in his mouth; its aroma reached straight to the top of his head, utterly captivating. Even now, as he drank the beef soup, he still felt the scent permeating from within him.

What kind of bedchamber incense was that? It sounded anything but proper, and was claimed to be a palace secret recipe.

The culprit sat there, holding a spoon as he slowly savored the soup, his posture so regal that even drinking soup seemed like a display of humility from someone above.

Xu Chun alternated between looking at him and taking sips of the soup.

His round eyes were simply too conspicuous. Finally, Xie Yi put down his spoon and asked, “What are you thinking about?” He took a fresh peach from the carnelian plate on the table and picked up a silver knife to cut it open.

Xu Chun said, “What was that incense? Could you give me the formula so I can sell it?”

Xie Yi chuckled. “There is a formula, but it’s an ancient one. Many of the ingredients for the incense are no longer available on the market. There are only pre-made incense pills, one less each time they’re used. If you like it, I’ll give them all to you.”

Xu Chun said, “Let’s give it a try. Actually, Xia Xia is quite skilled at blending fragrances. His sense of smell and taste is sharp. If we let him sample and test the ingredients, he could likely guess the composition with great accuracy. We can also ask Doctor Zhou to help identify them, along with Qiu Hu’s assistance. Perhaps I can recreate it. When I do, I’ll share the profits with Brother Nine! You get sixty percent, and I get forty. Of my forty, half goes to Xia Xia and Qiu Hu.”

Xie Yi smiled. “Yes, your servants are very capable. Your maternal grandfather really doted on you.”

Xu Chun grinned. Xie Yi continued, “Speaking of which, although you seem to enjoy playing and causing mischief, you do have some boundaries. You haven’t done anything like bullying men or women, or extorting others. You have Chun Xi and the others who are competent enough to advise you, so you shouldn’t do anything wicked. Besides, you’re still young, how did such a bad reputation spread at such a young age?”

Xu Chun looked perplexed. “Ah? Maybe I’m being dragged down by my father’s reputation.”

Xie Yi said, “Your father hasn’t done anything illegal either. He doesn’t hold any official post, just receiving a title. He may be greedy for beauty, but he has genuinely taken concubines. This is common among many high-ranking families in the capital. Why is your father’s reputation so bad?”

Xu Chun said, “I don’t know… Ever since I can remember, our family hasn’t hosted many banquets, just ordinary family dinners, inviting relatives over for a show. No real nobility has dealings with us. But my father does frequently hire opera troupes and call courtesans to entertain guests at home. Plus, he’s wealthy.”

“I heard that he competed with a scholar from Jiangnan for a courtesan, spending thirty thousand coins. In the end, the courtesan returned the money on the spot and chose to leave with the scholar instead. This incident became widely talked about and became a laughingstock. My great-grandmother was furious and made him kneel in the ancestral hall for a long time. I was older then, and I remember him feeling wronged. He told my mother that the courtesan’s madam and she herself had agreed to go with him. It was just a matter of raising her price for future business deals, making him bid higher. Who knew it would end up like that. He cursed the courtesan for being ungrateful and called himself a fool.”

Xie Yi said, “Hmm… Scholars love these kinds of stories. A fox spirit admiring a poor scholar’s talent, a wealthy young lady eloping with a scholar at night, and a courtesan refusing riches and recognizing a hero. Therefore, the story of your father losing to a scholar’s talent despite spending so much money easily became popular and spread far and wide, resulting in his current bad reputation.”

Xu Chun’s face turned slightly red. “Brother Nine, I know I was wrong.” He realized that Brother Nine was still teaching him a lesson.

Xie Yi, however, sliced the peach into small pieces and fed it to Xu Chun. “Haven’t you noticed that this is similar to Li Meiyi criticizing you for being extravagant the other day? It’s just another tactic. Moreover, your father really is frivolous and lustful, and you truly spend money like it’s nothing.”

After eating the peach, Xu Chun raised his eyes, confused. “What does Brother Nine mean?”

Xie Yi looked at him and smiled. “Brother Nine taught you that when you encounter someone who wants to step on you to achieve fame, directly attack their weakness.”

Xu Chun said, “I won’t go to those places of debauchery anymore. They can’t scheme against me.”

Xie Yi said, “Your grandmother spoils you so much, I wonder if your younger brother is any good?”

Xu Chun said, “Well, Xu Gu is somewhat gifted, unlike us, who aren’t scholarly types.”

Xie Yi said, “I heard that your maternal grandmother gave you maidservants for your bedroom.”

Almost choking on the peach, Xu Chun hastily explained to Xie Yi, “I only keep them for errands! I haven’t taken advantage of them.”

Xie Yi laughed. “Do your two brothers also have them?”

Xu Chun shook his head. “No, Wei Ge is still young, and for Xu Gu, Grandmother said there’s no reason for the main wife to use her dowry to arrange concubines for a secondary son. She wants him to focus on his studies and wait until he becomes an official to discuss marriage. Now that Aunt is planning for him, he indeed doesn’t have any concubines. Grandmother should have already planned to arrange a prestigious marriage for him after he passes the imperial exams.”

Xie Yi said, “You’re eighteen now. Hasn’t your grandmother thought about arranging a marriage for you?”

Xu Chun said, “There’s an order to these things. We’ll wait until Big Brother finishes discussing his marriage. Big Brother is currently insisting on going out to serve in a remote region, leaving Grandmother and Aunt worried. If he serves in a remote region, high-ranking families might not agree to a marriage. They wouldn’t want their own daughters to suffer. They don’t need to worry about finding a husband either. Families of lower status, they’d worry about not being able to help Big Brother.”

“As for me, Grandmother says she has a few candidates in mind, but they’re still young. Their character and temperament can’t be determined yet. It’s better for me not to discuss marriage right now.”

Xie Yi smiled. “Now that you’ve entered the Imperial Academy, there must be many proposals from high-ranking families. How do you plan to handle your grandmother and parents when they bring up marriage?”

Xu Chun said, “We’ll see when the time comes. Once I know who the proposed match is, I’ll privately visit their home to explain. Good families’ daughters wouldn’t rush to endure the hardship of being with me. It’s better than becoming a bitter couple later. Brother Nine, rest assured, I won’t betray you.” Xu Chun thought to himself, Brother Nine is beating around the bush to get me to say this. He just wants to hear my promise. Still, he has that nature of never directly saying what he wants, keeping everything inside.

Xie Yi didn’t expect to suddenly hear such a heartfelt confession and was somewhat moved. He patted his hand. “Understood.” Xie Yi touched Xu Chun’s head, thinking: Profiting from the dowry of a woman married far away and spoiling a child to death with excessive love—truly disgusting.