Chapter 264
Chapter 264
"For the important guests in the second group, I will prepare a set of Five Blossom spoon and bowl set as a return gift. During this time, I will need everyone to help move these items from the store to the Mu manor and organize them. When the event day arrives, we will need people at the front to welcome guests and distribute these gifts as they enter. This means we need two groups: one to welcome the guests and another to continuously bring and arrange the gifts. I need 10 people for this preparation."
The listeners had no idea what the Five Blossom spoon and bowl set were. How could the court ladies know about this specific set? Only Yueqian knew, as she had already eyed the set in the department store.
Similar to the four-season teacup set, Yueqian was particularly fond of the Five Blossom spoon and bowl set. Its characteristic was that when used to eat food, the bowls emit a fresh floral fragrance. The bowls were also designed so that people who were allergic to flowers wouldn’t be affected since the fragrance was synthetic and posed no harm.
The five blossoms referred to jasmine, which imparted a white color to cups and bowls, making them look beautiful and clean. Despite this, there were hidden flowers, adding an air of mystery and intrigue. The second bowl was rose-colored, providing a bright red hue that stimulated the appetite effectively. The bowl with a lavender pattern in shades of purple and blue offered a serious yet steadfast feeling. Another beautiful bowl was white with a touch of yellow, turning into an egg color that gave a relaxing and friendly vibe like chamomile. This cup was also quite lovely. Lastly, there was the cup with the hibiscus flower, which had a tangy and refreshing scent, with an eye-catching orange color that added vibrancy and liveliness.
The five types of blossoms were actually used as ingredients to make five different kinds of tea, which were both delicious and beneficial. Yueqian planned to continue her business and needed to introduce the three types of flowers to them, so they would recognize the fragrances when used in tea, making them more likely to purchase the products.
Currently, using flowers to make tea was relatively rare. This might be because people were more focused on basic needs or warfare rather than leisurely tea drinking to finds ways to enhance the tea’s flavor.
Therefore, if no one else wanted to think about it, she would be the one to plan. She would become wealthy, and her children would grow up walking on paths paved with gold and silver.
Returning to her orders, Yueqian did not assign many people to the task. It was sufficient to have just two people to greet the guests. The gifts could be transported at any time, with the help of the newly acquired servants from Mu manor, who were still capable of lifting heavy items.
Ten people quickly volunteered for this duty. With 35 court ladies now assigned tasks, there were still over 70 waiting for further instructions.
It was fortunate to have personnel from both palaces. From start to finish, despite their many questions, they did not utter a word. Instead, they silently decided which orders to follow and selected tasks for themselves without asking for details, as they were expected to learn through their decisions.
Thus, Yueqian’s instructions proceeded swiftly. Seeing no questions, she continued with the next set of orders.
"I need helpers to serve food and drinks to the second group of guests. Those taking on this role will need to undergo etiquette training to ensure perfection. I need a total of 50 people for this." Yueqian required a large number of people for this task to ensure all guests, who were likely to be high-ranking, were well attended to. Any mistakes could render all preparations futile.
"Of the remaining 50 people, about 20 of them will serve as coordinators. Whether it’s a performance or another task, they must ensure everything runs smoothly, managing the order of events, and overseeing all aspects to prevent any mistakes. If the food is served late, the coordinators will be blamed first. If a performer fails to appear, these people will also be held accountable."
"Everyone can choose who will be the coordinators, and everyone must obey and follow their instructions. During this time, the coordinators will be responsible for checking on the progress of each department: how far along they are, how long until completion, if there are any obstacles, and whether additional help is needed."
"Now, please divide yourselves and sign up with Wan Gui and Rui Beng for your assigned duties," Yueqian concluded, introducing the two women to the court ladies.
Although many court ladies did not fully understand Yueqian’s concepts, such as what a coordinator was or why they had such significant responsibilities, those who thought logically grasped the idea. The coordinator role was akin to that of a supervisor: they did not need to do the work themselves but had to ensure everything ran smoothly by monitoring and giving orders.
Seeing this, many quickly volunteered to be coordinators, and soon, all the coordinator positions were filled. The remaining 50 court ladies were assigned to manage the food and drinks for the nobles and royalty. These court ladies were already experienced, having taken care of the meals during the delegation’s previous visit.
Yueqian observed the court ladies signing up in an orderly manner, leaning back comfortably against her cushion. Her once small belly had grown larger, and she sometimes felt the little one inside trying to communicate with her. She gently caressed her growing baby bump, feeling a deep sense of warmth and joy. There was no greater happiness in her life than knowing she would soon be a mother.
She ceased paying attention to the division of tasks among the court ladies. She had already given the instructions and outlined the duties, leaving the coordinators to manage the preparations. All she needed to do was await updates on their progress.
The young woman made her way to her study, with Yang Ji assisting her. Wan Gui had been very busy lately, given her extensive knowledge of noble households, so she had been helping manage various tasks.
Once in her study, Yueqian waved Yang Ji outside and began drafting a letter to her distant teacher. In a few months, her pregnancy would be full-term, and she trusted no one else but her master to assist with the birth. Therefore, she needed to request her teacher’s presence for the delivery.
The letter was brief but clear. It was difficult to locate her master, but her junior disciples would know where to find him. Fortunately, several junior disciples were traveling within the Bai Region, so Yueqian was not worried about the letter being delayed.
Having prepared for the delivery, she felt there should be no other issues, except for a lingering sense of foreboding. She didn’t know why, but the stories she had heard earlier about that strange monk made her feel it was necessary to speak with him.
With this thought, she decided not to let time go to waste. Since the banquet required the presence of a monk to perform the rituals, she seized the opportunity to invite him personally.
"Yang Ji, prepare a carriage. I will go to the temple to invite the monk for the ceremony," Yueqian instructed her servant. Understanding her mistress’s intention, Yang Ji arranged for the most comfortable carriage.
For noble ceremonies, most of them wanted to try their luck by inviting the revered monk with divine insight. Even if they didn’t receive a response, they had already tried their luck. If the monk agreed, it would be a great honor for the family, providing them with a certain level of reverence and respect in their endeavors.
The identity of this monk was shrouded in mystery, and his actions were always unpredictable. Yet, his abilities were undeniable, garnering great faith from all.
Yueqian, accompanied by a few servants, traveled to the temple to extend the invitation personally. However, upon arrival, she was denied entry. A monk relayed the holy monk’s message:
"Amitabha, Miss, the holy monk is aware of your intentions. He will attend the ceremony to bless and dispel evil. However, today he is unavailable for a meeting. Please return home and refrain from long journeys, as it may be dangerous for you and the child."
Hearing the monk say this, Yueqian had no choice but to return, though she did not fully understand. The other party’s awareness of her arrival and his request for her to leave indicated his exceptional abilities.
"She has left, Reverend Monk," reported the monk who had met Yueqian, returning to the holy monk, who was still meditating with closed eyes.
Had he not been ordered to inform the master when the woman left, he would not have dared to disturb the holy monk during his meditation.
"Umm, good, very good." The eyebrows that had been knitted together at first slowly relaxed.
In truth, there was not much he could do today. He could not see the future of this woman, and even if they spoke, he wouldn’t be able to tell her anything. If he revealed the celestial secrets of another’s fate to warn her, it would violate divine rules. Thus, the best he could do was to send her away, driven partly by his own cautiousness.
Her safety was the key to the best outcome for the Bai Region. As long as she remained safe, everything would proceed smoothly. The father and son from his vision would become saviors instead of villains. However, in his vision, the exact timing of this critical transition was unknown. If he had known for certain, he wouldn’t have needed to worry so much. Despite his efforts to uncover the truth, something blocked his sight.
All he could do was ensure that he himself did not become her downfall. How many steps were there from the stone stairs to the main hall? How could he let her climb them? Wouldn’t that just make things more difficult for her? What if she slipped and fell? What if she got injured or became weak from coming to pay respects to him? Wouldn’t that mean he was responsible for creating bad karma? He couldn’t let countless lives be lost because he desired homage.
Having done so many good deeds and saved many lives, failing in this matter would mean he couldn’t even die peacefully, let alone ascend to heaven or nirvana.
Meanwhile, Yueqian was unaware of how much concern someone had for her safety. The beautiful lady continued visiting shops to buy supplies for her manor. If the monk saw this, he might have struck her at the back with his staff a few times.
Hehe.
Just then, like in many manga and novels, a sudden loud neighing of horses was heard right in front of her. The carriage she was riding in encountered an unexpected problem. People around screamed and fled to avoid being trampled by the horses. Not to mention the inside of the carriage, even outside, with such chaos unfolding, how could they possibly remain calm inside?
The beautiful woman’s eyes narrowed in shock. Yang Ji, who was accompanying her instead of Wan Gui, screamed and used her own body to shield her mistress. Yang Ji was older, unlike Furen who was pregnant. This reaction made Yueqian feel grateful, but she deemed it unnecessary.
With a push of her small feet, she pushed Wan Gui out of the carriage. The older woman might sustain some injuries, but nothing life-threatening.
Yueqian stood up to minimize the impact, though she didn’t get out of the carriage. Hearing the cries of the people, she understood that many were likely injured, and the Mu manor would surely have to pay compensation.
How could a woman as shrewd as her allow herself to be blamed? She could have easily jumped out of the carriage to safety, but then she wouldn’t be able to identify the culprit. So she stayed in the carriage, summoning a soft cushion from her department store dimension to protect herself and her unborn child, ensuring she didn’t hurt her bottom.
The carriage continued its wild run out of the city, with many soldiers trying to halt it. However, there were also numerous injuries that required their attention. Eventually, the carriage reached a point where no soldiers could keep up.
Hehe.
The horse neighed loudly one more time before coming to a stop. She heard footsteps approaching, followed by a "whoosh" and a "thud" in front of the carriage. The person inside wasn’t foolish and understood why the horse had stopped after its earlier rampage.
Yueqian sneered. How pathetic these envious people were. They must have been unhappy with her new title and position and sought to deal with her swiftly. She wondered how long they had waited for her to leave the residence. If she had known there would be such fun, she would have strutted out of the manor every day.
Fortunately, they encountered her while she was pregnant. If they had met her when she was more agile, she would have shown them what it meant to be played with. Unlike now, when she had to be cautious and handle things in one go... such a pity.