This was certainly not a dream.
The attendant was Yue Ling’s trusted aide and knew that his crown prince wasn’t after the hospitality of Great Yan’s crown princess but simply wanted to share a meal with her. So, the attendant had reserved the most expensive banquet at the Thousand Flavors Pavilion.
By now, the owner of the Thousand Flavors Pavilion had personally come to the horse track, waving at them from a distance.
Yue Ling: "…"
Yue Ling wiped his face and gave Jiu Yue a complicated look before finally speaking. "Your Highness’s skill has left me thoroughly impressed… You needn’t worry about the money. I won’t go back on my word."
Dongyue often held horse races and took competitive spirit very seriously.
"However…" He scratched his head and stammered, "Could Your Highness, in light of those five thousand taels, honor me with a meal?"
Five thousand taels! That was five thousand taels! He couldn’t just let it all go to waste!
Yue Ling looked at Jiu Yue expectantly, then shot a meaningful glance at that annoying royal consort before stepping forward. "Your Highness has spent the entire day with me today. It’s only right that I treat you to a meal."
He emphasized the words "entire day" with particular weight.
Sima Qing met his provocation with a calm smile.
"Ah… so accompanying the crown prince for an entire day is so exhausting that you didn’t even get a bite to eat at noon," he sighed, looking at Jiu Yue. "Your Highness has truly suffered."
Jiu Yue, who had "suffered" her way to five thousand taels: "…"
Yue Ling: "…"
That wasn’t what he meant!
Yue Ling snorted coldly, wisely avoiding further argument. He simply turned back to Jiu Yue and asked again, "The banquet is already reserved, Your Highness. Will you join me for a meal?"
Jiu Yue rubbed her nose and glanced at Sima Qing.
Yue Ling could already see the rejection coming.
But he had reserved the most expensive banquet at the Thousand Flavors Pavilion! Having already lost five thousand taels today, Yue Ling really didn’t want to waste this feast too!
Gritting his teeth, he shot Sima Qing a resentful glare before clenching his fists and speaking up before Jiu Yue could respond. "Of course, if the royal consort would also honor us with his presence, he is welcome to join!"
Jiu Yue: "…"
Fu Yan’an: "…"
The Thousand Flavors Pavilion was the most luxurious restaurant in the capital of Great Yan, renowned for its exquisite dishes, impeccable service, and exceptionally perceptive staff.
Before they were married, Jiu Yue had brought Sima Qing here a few times, but they had always ordered à la carte, never booking an entire banquet like Yue Ling had done.
Now, the group had been seated in a private room on the top floor, where a massive round table was already laden with more than half the dishes.
A waiter greeted them with a smile. "Esteemed guests, please enjoy the dishes at your leisure. The hot courses will be served shortly."
Jiu Yue suddenly regretted not bringing Lianqiao along today.
That girl would have been over the moon at the sight of such a lavish spread.
Sima Qing had gone hunting with Fu Yan’an earlier, accompanied by Mei Wuchang and Qiu Dongfang.
Fu Yan’an, however, had declined to join them, saying he needed to return home to look after the children.
So now, the room held three masters and three attendants—six people in total.
By convention, attendants naturally wouldn’t be seated at the main table, but today, Yue Ling was uncharacteristically frugal!
The money was already spent—the more they ate, the better!
With just the three masters eating, how much could they possibly finish? They’d be full after just one bite of each dish!
So Yue Ling directly asked Jiu Yue and Sima Qing if they minded his attendants joining them.
Jiu Yue and Sima Qing usually dined with Qiu Dongfang and the others anyway, so they had no objections.
Thus, the three attendants also took their seats across the table.
Yue Ling looked at them with hopeful eyes. "You’ve all worked hard today—make sure to eat your fill!"
Attendants, after all, had bigger appetites than their masters!
And so, the six of them began their meal with no ceremony whatsoever.
Jiu Yue had genuinely exhausted herself that day, her physical activity far exceeding the norm, and she was truly famished.
Yue Ling, on the other hand, channeled his frustration into his appetite, devouring the food in an attempt to find solace in it.
His attendants, keenly aware of their crown prince’s heartbreak, ate just as vigorously, determined to maximize the meal’s value!
As for Mei Wuchang and Qiu Dongfang—two burly men in their prime—their appetites were naturally enormous.
Of the group, only Sima Qing ate sparingly.
As Yue Ling had anticipated, Sima Qing only sampled a bite of each dish before setting down his chopsticks.
But he didn’t leave the table. Instead, he sat beside Jiu Yue, observing which dishes she favored before picking up another pair of chopsticks to serve her.
Jiu Yue accepted his attentions without a second thought, even calling out dish names later on. By the second half of the meal, she didn’t even lift her head again.
Yue Ling was the second to put down his chopsticks.
He had eaten too quickly, and seeing that there was still plenty of food left, he decided to walk around—maybe he could manage another round later.
As he stood, he inevitably caught sight of Sima Qing placing a piece of deboned meat into Jiu Yue’s bowl. Yue Ling paused, then curled his lip.
He made a mental note: next time, he would sit beside Jiu Yue and be the one to dote on her.
The private room was spacious, and Yue Ling wandered over to the window. From this height, much of the capital stretched out before him, and he couldn’t help but squint slightly, leaning lazily against the windowsill as a breeze brushed past.
Just then, the window of the adjacent private room also swung open.
Yue Ling turned his head and was met with a strikingly bold and dazzling face.
That person saw him at the same time.
The two locked eyes for a moment, their expressions identically sour, their gazes screaming the same word: Disaster!
Almost simultaneously, their windows slammed shut with a bang.
Yue Ling sat back down with a wooden expression and turned to Jiu Yue. "Isn’t the hunting festival still over half a month away? Why have the people from Mengwu arrived so early?"
