Gu Moran raised his wine glass and offered a toast to Kim Seon-a from afar.
"Princess, you have come from afar. Conditions in Dengzhou are simple; this meal is a welcome welcome."
Kim Seon-a raised her glass in return, touching the rim of the glass to her lips, the liquor sliding down her throat, slightly spicy.
She glanced at the lively scene of clinking glasses at the main table out of the corner of her eye, and her fingertips tightened around the rim of her glass.
Park Roejang spoke again, this time in an even lower voice, filled with undisguised envy.
What is that golden-yellow thing coated in syrup?
The servant replied, "Candied sweet potato."
Park Roejang's eyes widened. "Sweet potatoes can be cooked like this?"
He picked up a piece and tasted it. The syrup melted in his mouth, and the sweet potato was sweet and soft, with a crispy outer skin that crumbled easily.
"How... how can this be both sweet and crunchy?"
Kim Seon-a picked up a piece of steamed bamboo shoot and put it in her mouth. The taste was light, but the presentation was exquisite.
She then looked at the braised pork on the main table, glistening with oil and emitting a fragrant aroma. Murong Xue had already eaten three pieces.
Shen Ling'er said with a smile, "Eat less, or you'll be crying about being too full tonight."
Murong Xue retorted, "Practicing martial arts takes a lot of energy."
Even with high energy expenditure, you shouldn't eat like this; be careful of indigestion.
"Is it any of your business?"
"Husband, you must do something about her."
Gu Moran smiled but didn't reply. He simply picked up a piece of fish for Shen Ling'er.
Shen Ling'er blushed, lowered her head to eat the fish, and couldn't suppress the smile on her lips.
Park Roejang pointed with his chopsticks at a steaming clay pot on the main table. "What's that white soup?"
The servant replied, "The milk broth pot contains chicken soup that has been simmering for eight hours, with Yunnan ham and cured ham added for extra flavor."
Park Roejang clicked his tongue. "Eight hours? Just for a pot of soup?"
Kim Seon-a put down her chopsticks.
She recalled the banquet at the Goryeo royal palace.
Even at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, there are only six dishes, mostly pickled vegetables, kelp, and dried small fish. Occasionally, a stewed meat dish is considered extremely luxurious.
Last winter, due to natural disasters, the royal palace went three months without fine rice and had to subsist on coarse wheat.
Back then, she ate wheat porridge with pickled vegetables every day; after finishing a bowl, her stomach would churn violently.
The Buddha Jumps Over the Wall soup on the table in front of us contains abalone, sea cucumber, fish maw, and shark fin.
She picked up her glass, tilted her head back, and drank it all in one gulp. The liquor burned her throat, but she couldn't suppress the indescribable feeling in her heart.
At the main table, Gu Moran picked up a piece of fish for Gu Moli and served Shen Ling'er a bowl of soup.
Shen Ling'er smiled and thanked him, then turned and served him a piece of char siu.
Murong Xue and Zhen Meili were arguing over the last piece of candied sweet potato. Lin Qingdai couldn't stand it, so she picked it up with her chopsticks and stuffed it into Yun Shuyue's bowl.
The women burst into laughter and playful banter.
Kim Seon-a watched the laughter and commotion, her fingers tightening slightly.
She recalled her time in the Goryeo royal palace, where, due to Three-Chi Barrier, no one dared to approach for twelve years.
At banquets, she always sits alone at a table, while other members of the royal family sit far away, as if afraid of being offended by her.
No one argued with her over food, no one joked with her, and no one dared to touch her cup.
Quiet, desolate, lonely.
The group of women in front of me, huddled around a table, scrambling for food, bickering, and serving each other, were noisy and bustling, yet full of the warmth and life of everyday life.
She lowered her eyes, picked up a piece of bamboo shoot, chewed it, but it tasted bland.
Park Roejang spoke again, his voice even lower. "Your Highness, I've stayed in Great Yan for a long time, and I've eaten and seen the best of things, but..."
He paused, then swallowed.
"It's nowhere near as good as the daily military banquets in the Central Plains."
Kim Seon-a did not answer.
She simply picked up her glass and drank another glass.
The liquor went down my throat, burning my eyes a little.
She didn't know if it was because of the alcohol, or something else.
The banquet ended at 9 PM.
The attendant led Kim Seon-a and Park Roejang towards the guest room area.
Park Roejang was assigned to a side courtyard, while Kim Seon-a moved into a superior room in the main courtyard.
The room was not far from Gu Moran's master bedroom, separated by two rooms.
After the servants left, Kim Seon-a sat alone in the room.
The room was simply furnished, but the bedding was clean, the charcoal fire was burning brightly, and there was a copper hand warmer in the corner with glowing embers inside.
She took off her outer robe, removed her hairpins in front of the bronze mirror, and let her dark hair fall loosely over her shoulders.
The reflection in the mirror showed a cold and aloof expression, with pale skin, like a porcelain doll untouched by worldly affairs.
She stared at herself in the mirror, recalling the scene at the banquet.
Gu Moran served food to Shen Ling'er, and Shen Ling'er turned around to serve him soup, her movements as natural as breathing.
She longed for it.
I crave that natural feeling of being touched, cared for, and needed.
She sat down on the edge of the bed, but couldn't fall asleep.
Two hours passed, and I still couldn't fall asleep.
She closed her eyes and began to listen intently. At the Peak Second Rank, she could detect the slightest sounds within a hundred paces in the still of the night.
With a slight activation of internal energy, the sounds around him gradually became clearer.
The sound of wind, the sound of horses' hooves, the sound of patrolling footsteps.
besides...
The noise from next door.
First came the sound of footsteps, light and quick, indicating more than one person.
Then came the woman's laughter, low but still undeniably charming.
"Husband, why aren't you getting more and more vigorous tonight?"
It was Shen Ling'er's voice.
Kim Seon-a opened her eyes.
"It's all because of you few, you're getting more and more tolerant of trouble."
Gu Moran's voice was tinged with laughter and languid.
"Hmph, my martial arts have improved, and my body is getting better and better. Staying by my side is my duty."
Murong Xue's voice was confident and assertive.
"Who hasn't improved yet? You're just trying to steal my position."
Lin Qingdai's tone was indifferent, but one could detect a hint of mockery.
"Oh dear, stop arguing. Your husband has had a long day; let him rest."
Meng Jiuning's voice was timid and hesitant.
Kim Seon-a stood frozen by the bed.
Four women?