The kitchens were in controlled chaos.

It had been like that for over a week since the Zhang chefs descended onto the Zhai kitchen. At first it was awkward, but the tensed atmosphere soon melted into friendly rivalry.

The Zhai cooks were curious of the many unique ingredients, spices and cooking utensils brought by the foreign cooks. They couldn't stop staring as their counterparts prepared small snacks and side dishes throughout the week to ascertain the guests' palate and allergies to shellfish if any. On the other hand, the mainlanders were experts on preparing and cooking meat. It was different from what the islanders were used to. But the love of food, cooking and recipes soon brought the two teams together.

Today, the dishes from the sea were the highlight of the banquet.

Finally, the fresh creatures arriving throughout the week could be cooked and served. The fish, prawns, crabs, eels, octopuses and other delicacies had been brought painstakingly in large ice boxes. Some even came still alive in large water tanks.

Ghost wondered at the length Xi Xuan was going to impress his in-laws. He still went to the kitchen everyday to get their meals and the daily gossip. Several times he had even given a helping hand to unload the precious ingredients and condiments in the guise of maintaining his friendships. Besides information, the extra help also secured bonus dessert sweets for the two bodyguards.

The special banquet would be complemented by some 'normal' cuisine. Everyone still needed some familiar foods and proper meat courses. While the islanders prepared their dishes, the Zhai chefs were also hard at work at theirs. The kitchen was filled with the hiss of steam and the loud crackling of hot oils. Grinding and pounding, kneading and tossing. Cutting and slicing, chopping and mincing. All the wonderful sounds of a busy kitchen.

There were cauldrons of hot bubbling soup and giant barrels of steaming rice. A thick simmering broth continuously released delicious vapor into the air to mix with the other mouth-watering aromas. Outside, whole roasts sizzled under the watchful eyes of kitchen hands. Heavenly smells from the smoking pits and open grills filled the place. All were hard at work. Never had the kitchen been so busy or smelled so good!

Both Head Cooks were issuing orders and instructions like mad drill sergeants. Cooks and helpers scrambled at their tasks, mindful of taste, color and presentation of their creations. Patient servants waited for their loaded trays, they would bring in whole pots and platters in full glory for display. Only after each viewing would the servants in the hall serve the guests.

This was going to be a historic meal, not counting the wedding banquet next week. That would be even more glorious!

This was the kitchen's time to shine!

In the great hall, excitement begun to build for the coming meal. Throughout the week the esteemed guests had little tastes of what was to come. House Zhang wanted to ascertain the palates and allergies, if any of the assembled guests. Thank the gods there were none. So, now they were free to proceed with the extravagant menu.

Every sample dish had been tasty, from simple fish and seaweed broth to the adorable bite size crab cakes. Shrimp dumplings with noodles and fried sweet savory crunchy anchovies were a treat too. The ladies especially like the soft steamed rice roll with a mix of shrimp, pork and thinly sliced crunchy tubers. The Zhang chefs had even managed to serve a snack of crispy fried seaweed which quickly became a favorite among the guests. Whoever would have thought to do that? Fresh steamed fish topped with ginger and soy sauce, was also heavenly! Even the hot plain porridge served with salted fish, black beans and fermented vegetables were delicious. Of course, they, the upper class had all sampled seafood before but never in such variety and so expertly prepared. They could only imagine a whole banquet!

Male servants marched in bringing long wooden tables. Quickly, they arranged them along the wide aisle, covering the tops with decorative cloth. The pathway was soon transformed into a show space. Here, each dish would be displayed before the specially trained maids scooped, sliced, cut and apportion the servings to their assigned table.

Finally a spate of short drum beats signaled for the meal to begin.

"Lord and Lady Zhai, Lords and ladies and esteemed guests ... we are please to announce the engagement banquet of Lord Yuan and Lady Shuang!" boomed the Announcer.

"This very special meal is a tribute from House Zhang to House Zhai and honored guests. Let us all enjoy the generosity of Lord Zhang and the bounty of his lands."

There were awkward glances at House Zhang's table. He had only prepared this generous and ridiculously expensive feast to celebrate his engagement to Lady Shuang. It was a token of his promise to provide free fresh seafood to House Zhai thereafter as part of their family after both Houses were joined. Despite the unexpected change of grooms, it seemed that Lord Zhang was going ahead with his lavish gift. How magnanimous of him!

Lord Zhang acknowledge the piteous looks with nods and a brave smile. He kept his calm demeanour even when everyone saw how devastated he was. Poor Lord Zhang, he was supposed to be the groom!

"Please, enjoy," said Lord Zhang. "It's the least I can do for Lady Shuang's happy day."

He did not mention Lord Yuan.

"She doesn't deserve even a morsel of fish," grumbled Xi Xiu under her breath. "I hope she chokes on a fish bone!"

Her lord and brother coughed, covering his laugh with some hasty throat clearing. "You are making it hard for me to keep a mournful face!"

Ghost side-glanced Xi Xuan in surprise as if he heard him. Catching his attention, Xi Xiu winked cheekily at the Shard causing him to blush and snap his head back forwards. Key leaned forward smirking to peek at Xi Xiu but she returned his gaze with an arched brow and flashed him a wicked smile of her own.

Whoa! That was unexpected. The realization that Lady Zhang was not as naïve and simple as she looked startled him for a moment. How foolish of him to overlook her as a harmless and delicate maiden. Wasn't she a daughter of the mysterious House Zhang?

Key leaned back amused and feeling a little sorry for his senior. She was not harmless, at least to his senior. Poor Ghost didn't stand a chance against Lady Zhang. This sassy maid pretending to be a demure 'lady' was definitely interested in Ghost and not afraid to show it. He was certain she was more than met the eye, much, much more. Nothing less would have captured the Five's attention.

When he sneaked another peek at her, Lady Zhang was the epitome of a sweet innocent maid. The Three grinned inwardly feeling gleeful anticipation. He totally approved of the chaos she would unleash on the unsuspecting Ghost. Then he and and his idol would have more in common as brother Shards. Ice was his soulmate and he adored her but he shouldn't be the only one confused by love.

Everyone's attention was on the new parade of servants coming in heavily laden with large steaming pots. A delicious aroma recognized only by a few followed them in.

"The first course is Shark's fin soup with crab and shark meat," the Announcer boomed.

"Shark's fin soup! I've never had that!" exclaimed Lord Li. His lands were inland and far from the sea. Although he could afford it, the rather costly transportation fees and ice boxes required to keep the seafood fresh deterred him. He rather spend his money elsewhere to benefit his people, not just himself.

"I've had it once before. It's delicious," replied Lord Wen proudly. Seriously Lord Li, you should live a little instead of focusing on the people and business too much." Then again, perhaps he couldn't, Lord Wen scoffed. Li was too busy being frugal and keeping his House within the top nine.

"Did they really catch sharks? Are they safe to eat?"

"I suppose the Zhangs really know the sea. I can't imagine braving the rough waters to face large killer fish with daggers for teeth just for a meal!" said Lord Heng. "An angry full grown boar charging me with deadly tusks, I can handle head-on. But fighting a shark in a bottomless sea with nothing stable to stand on and submerged in water that is waiting to drown me? No, thanks. The shark has a clear advantage over me."

"They don't have to," Lord Fu interjected. "The pirates do it for them."

"Not the pirates," laughed Lord Ji. "They don't fish, they plunder. They are sea bandits not fishermen! There was a time when Zhang's father had to fend them off too you know? I think House Zhang has experienced fisher folk to do all the fishing for them, in both the Grey straits and in the open sea."

"Shark's fin soup, it represents wealth and prestige so it's quite special," replied old Lord Yuan. He had eaten it a few times but only on very special occasions. "Ask Lord Xu, I've heard House Xu has it quite regularly," he said enviously of the third strongest House. He was sharply aware of the large financial gap between the top three Houses and the rest of them.

Conversations stopped when servants arrived at their spots to place each piping hot pot carefully atop the tables. With a practice flourish, the lids were removed. After an appropriate instance, maids came forward to serve the steaming delicacy.

"Here, you mix a few drops of this vinegar into it," said Lord Wen helpfully to Lord Li. He'll show what a cultured man he was to the borderline Lord. "It brings out the full flavor."

"Oh my, this is absolutely delicious," exclaimed Lord Li. His wife followed his example taking a small spoonful and smiled in delight at the unique taste.

Next, came a double dish of shrimp. Pan fried shrimp with garlic butter made a base at the bottom on a wide plate while cold broiled freshly peeled prawns decorated a tiered glass tower in the middle. Soy sauce and creamy tangy lemon dressing completed the dishes. Both were different but delicious.

Unconscious nods of approval from the diners made the watching Head chef relax a fraction. He would make Lord Zhang proud and uphold their reputation. After this meal, demand for their seafood would surely increase. Realization hit him at that moment. This was part reason why Lord Zhang had proposed their produce for the banquet. Not only would he be seen as generous and 'grateful' to House Zhai but his crafty Lord had also taken his own engagement and wedding celebration to promote their seafood. Awesome! Head chef grinned. How sly of their new lord! Business was going to increase! Maybe Lord Zhang was as smart as his father after all.

Crispy skinned golden brown roasted suckling pigs were brought in next. Each nested in a bed of greens. The familiar aromatic smell made the guests smile in appreciation. Not to be outdone by the Zhang chefs, the Zhai kitchen was serving the best too!

"Vegetables! Where did Lord Zhai get greens in the middle of winter?"

"Oh my! I've been craving some for weeks!"

The Zhai chef smiled. No one knew how hard it had been to grow those blasted vegetables all through the cold winter months. But Lady Zhai had insisted on her plan to bring glory to her House. Plant the seeds, she said. Keep the soil warm and moist. She even commissioned a special room for them and guards to keep the growing vegetables safe. It had been a nightmare caring for them, he had almost been sorry to harvest some for the feast. The balance was for the wedding banquet. However, seeing the surprised and appreciative faces of the lords and ladies made it all worth while.

After that, for every two dishes served by House Zhang, a dish by House Zhai followed. The guests thoroughly enjoyed each mouth watering dish. The Head chefs from both Houses seemed to be trying to outdo each other much to their delight.

Everything was brought in and displayed while the Announcer gave a brief description of each dish before serving. All were artfully decorated, for the feast was not simply a meal but a dining experience by Zhang's exceptional chefs. It was a exhibition of the exceptional cooking skills and techniques used on preparing the treasures of the sea. It was unlike the culinary experience the land bound were used to. The diners were in for a treat!

Platters of baked lobsters were served in their shells with baked tubers and pepper. Whole steamed fish swam in gravies made with ginger, black mushrooms, enoki mushrooms and spring onions. Large fish was skillfully sliced and deep fried to arched as if they were flying off the plate. Flavorful steamed scallops with glass noodles and garlic, crispy spring-rolls with shrimp and crab meat were laid out in delightful patterns.

The Zhai chef countered with bubbling well seasoned venison stew, sweet and sour pork ringed by walls of fried mashed yam, crispy chicken cutlets on beds of colored multi layered origami lotuses and succulent beef patties. Beets, sweet potatoes, carrots and beautiful green vegetables gave color to their offerings.

The culinary war continued with barbequed eels in white wine, abalone with spinach and oyster sauce. Braised tofu with Chinese mushrooms took their turn, along with shrimp dumplings with bouncy fish and squid balls. A fragrant aroma followed platters of prawns in thick savoury sauce and curry leaves.

"Aren't shrimp and prawns the same?" asked Lady Fu politely.

Xi Xiu smiled shaking her head shyly.

"No? Then I'll have to try both!"

Xi Xiu giggled at the older woman's enthusiasm.

Dish after dish came unrelenting until all the guests were bursting. Still, more came in the guise of crispy fish with tangy sauces, savory octopus garnished with sesame seeds, tasty deep fried squid and calamari, clams with ginger and steamed crabs. Seared frozen salmon seasoned with brown sugar, lemon and tangerine cleansed their palate for the next round.

Not to be outdone, whole roasts graced the banquet hall. The nobles had their choice of sizzling beef, pork, lamb and venison served with sweet potatoes and yam. Roasted duck with trimmings, grilled chicken and barbeque kebab style fish slices followed the parade. Bamboo fungus, seaweed soup and spicy fish broth warmed the diners from the forgotten winter chill.

"I can't eat anymore," groaned a noble. "I'm too full!"

"I know but if I don't, who knows when I'll ever have another chance at tasting House Zhang's exquisite seafood."

"You can at the wedding. I hear he's hosting that too."

"Yes, there's even more then."

"More? What else is there?"

"I heard there will be whole crabs, fresh oysters, mussels, clams and other shell fish. Sea cucumber and stingray too."

"How are they going to cook stingray?"

"I don't know but I'm sure it'll be delicious," he said. "There's more but I can't remember the unfamiliar words."

"I'm looking forward to it," chimed in another. "I hope there will be more shrimp and lobster."

"I want to taste the oysters."

The feast concluded with simple fried rice and noodles. Several managed small portions but most just waved away the serving maids.

When everyone had had their fill, the tables were cleared to make way for the coming entertainment. It would be enjoyed together with dessert and wine.

While the broad aisle was being made ready, dessert was brought in. Plates of thin crispy fried pancake with sweet red bean paste, small bite size pastries and more seasonal preserved fruits were served directly to the diners.

Entertainment consisted of a military drum performance, a sword dance and a spear demonstration. These were to be followed by an exotic male dancer recently risen to popularity, synchronized dancing girls, a guzheng performance, singing and finally a comical act from a group of talented street clowns. Then the never-ending toasting, well-wishing and endless drinking would complete the celebrations.

Thank the gods the feast was almost at an end. Keeping up this sad desolate façade was exhausting when he was really seething inside. Xi Xuan sighed steeling himself for the first performance.