Wuxia Tale: Hua in Bloom

Dinner with the Wangs

(PRINCE JIN)

I was allowed to dine with the Wangs for dinner on my second visit to Wang Hua. I was adviced to take some fruits for them but nothing more.

It was a simple fare. Just the bare essential. Soup, meats, vegetables and rice. Master Dayu didn't bother to make a grand preparation just because they are dining with Royalty.

And I somewhat like that. It made me feel comfortable knowing that the Wangs are not going through any length to impress me.

"What do you mean this is not special?" Wang Dao gave me a look that says he finds me strange. "We have our Baba here with us and Father served us with two dishes of meat. This IS a special dinner," he added.

I gave Hua a confused look. She giggles and all my thoughts flew away for a moment of seeing her eyes chinking in happiness.

"Forgive my uneducated brother, your Highness." Hua smiled at me. "He is not aware of how you usually dine in the Palace. But what he said is right. For us, eating dinner with Baba, will always be special. He usually didn't join us for dinner."

"And if we are really unlucky. Father is putting Hua in a strict diet and all we will eat are vegetables. No meat..." Wang Dao gave their Father a little glance.

General Wang laughed. "Stop it Dao ah," he smiled indulgently at Master Dayu who is glaring at Wang Dao.

"Let's eat. Forgive our simple meal, your Highness but we don't practice extravangance in this house. But I can assure you, all our dishes will satisfy, taste wise." Master Dayu urged us all to start eating.

He was right. The meats are seasoned right, the vegetables cooked to perfection. The rice is warm and fluffy and pleasant to chew. Their soup is tasty too.

But more than the food, it's the closeness of the people sitting around the table that made the meal truly worthwhile. The topic is mostly about the twins' childhood.

I frowned at Hua, "You were sickly when you were younger?" This is the first time I am hearing about this.

She nodded, "Yes. I had weak lungs before. I..." she blushed a little. "I was diagnosed to die while still young. Physicians are not positive about my condition to continue living..."

I saw the faces of our other dinner companions. General Wang's face grew stormy in remembering. He looked mad enough to kill.

I lean closer to Hua who is sitting next to me on the round table. "Are those physicians still alive?" Did the general killed them after giving that dire prediction about his daughter's life expectancy?

"Some of them are still alive. They don't work in the capital now, though." Hua's face creased a little while remembering information.

My eyes widened, "Just some...not all? Where are the others?"

"Dead already," Wang Dao said. My round eyes turn to him. "D-dead? How?" I look at General Wang and Master Dayu. Did they kill those physicians?

"Because of natural causes. I think one of then got sick after a patient passed a disease on him. Another died due to old age," Wang Dao explained.

"Ah," I gave an awkward laugh and cough a little in embarassment.

"One of them, Baba arrested and was executed," Hua added. My eyes widened again. "W-why?" Just because he said that General Wang's daughter will die early? He got the man executed just like that?

"He was a crook physician," Master Dayu answered. My eyes turned to him. "He gave his patients dried bird poop as medicine to drink. He killed at least ten people with that "medicine"."