The apricot grove was not far. The three of them walked for two ke and arrived.
A sea of lush green greeted her. Golden fruit weighed down the branches of the apricot trees, gleaming in the sunlight.
Shen Yanshui gazed at the trees heavy with golden fruit, and her mood lifted at once. Basket in hand, she headed straight for the trees.
None of these apricot trees were very tall, so there was no need to climb. She could simply pick from the ground.
She plucked one, casually wiped it on her sleeve, and took a bite.
It was full of juice, every mouthful bursting with fresh fruity fragrance, neither cloying nor astringent. Soft and tender, with a delicate texture to the flesh, it was refreshing, sweet, and tart, and utterly delicious.
“Delicious.” Her peach-blossom eyes curved with delight as she smiled at Chunping and Dongyi. “Once we take these back, we can have Shouzhong and the others make fresh apricot fruit tea. A change of flavor…”
Chunping and Dongyi: “…” If they hadn’t tasted them earlier, they might have believed her.
The fruit was far better than the usual wild fruit, which was sour, astringent, and bitter. But still… it was sour.
It was nowhere near the fine-looking fresh fruit that was presented to the Crown Prince and their mistress.
Still… as long as the mistress was happy.
While Shen Yanshui stood beneath the trees, head tilted back as she picked apricots, Shen Ronghua stood at the railing of a pavilion on the higher slope of the mountain not far from her, gazing at the scene with a dark expression.
She had come here to clear her head. The news that the Seventh Prince had been enfeoffed as Prince An had spread. Others were merely surprised, but her mood was truly not good.
In her dream, the Seventh Prince had never received any title until his death.
It was as if Emperor Pingkang had forgotten he even had such a son.
Perhaps he hadn’t forgotten. Perhaps, in her previous life, after the Seventh Prince went lame, one incident had followed another, court and government in constant turmoil, so how could Emperor Pingkang have remembered to grant a title to this unfavored son?
But in this life, the Seventh Prince had actually been made a Commandery Prince?!
After all, the princes were now only enfeoffed as Commandery Princes after their grand weddings, and the Sixth Prince was still only a Commandery Duke.
What irritated her even more was the Sixth Prince… he had never once come looking for her on his own!
Didn’t he want to know how she knew the Seventh Prince might meet with misfortune, or why she had told him?
Or… had she been too subtle that day? No, the Sixth Prince was no fool!
The more she thought about it, the more irritated she became. She had only come out to clear her head, yet she had run into this concubine-born younger sister of hers, who knew nothing but eating, drinking, and having fun.
That unabashedly delighted smile, that joyful, bouncing look, made her chest tighten just to see it!
Shen Ronghua clenched the handkerchief in her hand.
“Oh?” Xiangmo suddenly exclaimed in surprise, then stepped closer and said softly, “Niangniang, look, is that the Fifth Princess and the Seventh Princess over there?” · black lotus novel Translation | Black Lotus Novel
Shen Ronghua turned her gaze that way, her eyes flickering, and the corners of her mouth curved slightly.
Heh. It really was.
She glanced at Shen Yanshui, still picking fruit, and gave a soft laugh. “Come, let’s go down and join the fun.”
When the mistress and servant reached the waterside pavilion, Shen Ronghua saw that besides the Fifth Princess and the Seventh Princess, a girl in a goose-yellow blouse was seated at the stone table. She had almond eyes and peach-blossom cheeks and a dignified bearing. It was Zhou Huiyuan, the legitimate daughter of the House of Duke Wenguo and the Crown Princess’s cousin on her mother’s side.
A faint light flashed in Shen Ronghua’s eyes, and she entered the pavilion with a radiant smile.
Seeing her, the Fifth Princess, the Seventh Princess, and the other girl quickly rose, nodded, and curtsied, greeting her with a smile: “Greetings, Consort Shen.”
Consort Shen turned slightly aside, accepting only half the courtesy, and said gently, “You are too polite, Your Highnesses.”
Her gaze then fell on Zhou Huiyuan and paused, her tone mild but slightly uncertain. “This is… Miss Zhou of the Zhou family, I take it?”
Zhou Huiyuan said with a light smile, “Huiyuan greets Consort Shen.”
Joy rose in the Seventh Princess’s brows, and she said with a smile, “Consort Shen, why are you out today as well? Are you also out for a stroll?”
She had met Consort Shen several times in the palace before, and twice, when she had been playful and nearly caused trouble, it was Consort Shen who had quietly covered for her before her mother consort.
Since then, she had felt that Consort Shen was a rather good person.
The Fifth Princess politely invited her to sit.
Shen Ronghua sat down at the stone table with a smile, her gaze sweeping over the board in front of them, and said mildly, “This concubine was just walking up above. I saw someone in the pavilion from afar and never expected it to be the two Princesses and Miss Zhou. What a coincidence.”
She looked at the three of them with a smile. “I hope I haven’t disturbed your refined pastime?”
The Fifth Princess: “Not at all. Consort Shen jests.” She paused, then added, “We were only strolling at random. The scenery near this pavilion is lovely, so we sat down to rest and play a few games.”
Zhou Huiyuan nodded with a light smile beside them.
Hearing this, Shen Ronghua looked at the board. Black and white stones were scattered across it, the layout not without some sense of structure, and she smiled. “I hear that of late His Majesty often summons several Hanlin Expositors and Attendants-in-Waiting to play chess with him. I never expected the two Princesses and Miss Zhou to be so fond of the game as well.”
The Fifth Princess said with a smile, “With time on our hands, we arranged to play a few games. Consort Shen must find us laughable.”
The Seventh Princess’s face flushed slightly, a flicker of girlish shyness in her eyes.
Shen Ronghua pretended not to notice. “The Fifth Princess is far too modest. To this concubine’s eye, the play is truly good. I hear Lord Xu of the Hanlin Academy is highly skilled at chess and has recently been playing against His Majesty often.”
Hearing this, the Seventh Princess couldn’t help saying, “Isn’t he just! Lord Xu is not only brilliant at chess, he is also so courteous and gentle and refined, and his poetry and prose are truly splendid.”
Beside her, the Fifth Princess, using the motion of adjusting her sleeve as cover, quietly tugged at the Seventh Princess’s sleeve.
Only then did the Seventh Princess realize she had said too much. Her lips pressed together and she fell silent, though the tips of her ears quietly flushed a faint red.
Shen Ronghua’s eyes deepened, and she smiled. “This Lord Xu is someone this concubine knows a little about.”
The Seventh Princess’s eyes brightened, and she couldn’t help asking, “Consort Shen actually knows Lord Xu?”
Shen Ronghua lifted her teacup and took a sip, then said unhurriedly with a smile, “It is rather a coincidence. If not for this concubine, Lord Xu would probably have become this concubine’s brother-in-law by now.”
Having said that, she did not look at the change in the Seventh Princess’s face, only lowered her eyes and gently blew on the tea.
The Fifth Princess’s gaze sharpened slightly. She glanced at the Seventh Princess, saw her stunned, and turned to Shen Ronghua, asking calmly, “What does Consort Shen mean by that?”
Shen Ronghua lowered her eyes, took a sip of tea, and sighed softly. · black lotus novel Novel Site — Black Lotus
“Ah, it was because of this concubine, after all,” she said, setting down her cup, a note of wistfulness in her voice. “My fourth sister was originally already discussing marriage with Lord Xu. The two of them were quite… ” She coughed lightly. “The two were both very proper. But at that time this concubine was in poor health and low spirits. When Mother learned that this concubine was gloomy all day, and knew that this concubine and Fourth Sister had been close since childhood, she sent Fourth Sister into the palace. It was meant to keep me company, but who would have thought… Fourth Sister would, by some twist of fate, end up in the Eastern Palace.”
The Fifth Princess, her face betraying nothing, glanced at her and said, “All that is in the past now. If Consort Shen brings it up at this time and it reaches other ears, I’m afraid it may give rise to some misunderstandings.”
Consort Shen said with a smile, “The Fifth Princess is right. It was an oversight on this concubine’s part. But… this concubine also thinks that one who stands straight has no fear of a crooked shadow, so naturally has no fear of gossip.”
Beside her, Zhou Huiyuan said with a light smile, “Consort Shen is right. The innocent stay innocent. Since Liangyuan Shen and Lord Xu are upright and aboveboard, there is naturally nothing to fear.”
The Fifth Princess frowned.
The Seventh Princess sat to one side with her brows knit and said nothing for a while.
She hadn’t expected that the younger sister Consort Shen spoke of, the one who had been discussing marriage with Lord Xu, was none other than Liangyuan Shen, who had been so prominent lately and was said to be greatly favored by Crown Prince Brother.
She certainly had an impression of that Liangyuan Shen. In fact, it would have been hard not to. Liangyuan Shen’s looks were far too striking. Once seen, she was unforgettable.
As she thought about it, the Seventh Princess’s mouth turned down slightly.
She hadn’t come here today entirely to stroll and play chess, either. Her gaze drifted, unbidden, toward another direction beyond the pavilion.
Not far off, beneath an old pine on the mountain path beside the pavilion, two men sat on stone stools playing chess. One, in a blue-green robe, was none other than Lord Xu Chengwen of the Hanlin Academy. He placed his stones with unhurried composure, and in the shade of the tree his profile looked especially elegant.
One glance was enough to make her heart beat faster.
She hurriedly looked away, lowered her eyes, and her fingers unconsciously twisted her handkerchief, and she could not help recalling what Consort Shen had said about Lord Xu and that Liangyuan Shen… discussing marriage…
She pursed her lips, and, unable to keep down her displeasure, said, “That just proves the two of them had no fate together. Liangyuan Shen’s fate lies with Crown Prince Brother, not with Lord Xu.”
Hearing this, the smile on Shen Ronghua’s face stiffened slightly, but she quickly recovered. She smiled, her voice gentle. “The Seventh Princess is right. That was all long ago, not worth mentioning…”
With that, she began talking about the flowers and trees of the retreat palace, as though her earlier words had been a casual remark about an old matter.
The Fifth Princess followed her lead with a few replies, and the atmosphere in the pavilion eased again.
Zhou Huiyuan alone had said nothing.
She kept her eyes lowered, holding her teacup, her fingertips gently tracing the rim, her expression giving nothing away.
Liangyuan Shen…
Before this Liangyuan Shen entered the Eastern Palace, the Crown Prince had held the Crown Princess, her cousin, in great respect.
But now?
That Liangyuan Shen had been in the Eastern Palace only a few months, yet she had already pushed her cousin the Crown Princess to this state. Her cousin was with child, and even her aunt could not visit her.
This Liangyuan Shen really was quite skilled…
In the study of Chengxin Hall, light came in through the half-open window lattice.
Cui Yu sat behind the desk, his face slightly grim. Though he held a book in his hand, his eyes were not on the words.
Outside, the sun was climbing higher, and it was nearly time for the midday meal. The cicadas’ cries came in fits and starts, making the room seem all the quieter.
The news that the Seventh Brother had been enfeoffed as Prince An had spread. That was something Father Emperor had agreed to at the time, so it was nothing.
It was just… regarding the Eighth Brother, though he had learned from other channels that Father Emperor had already ordered him confined in a side hall of the retreat palace, no formal edict had come down.
More than half a month had passed, and Father Emperor’s response was growing ever quieter. Clearly his anger had passed…
His eyes darkened.
Even if a formal edict was issued in a few days, it would probably be no more than raising the hand high and setting it down lightly, a docked stipend and a year or so of confinement, and then he would be let out again.
He lowered his eyes, his slender fingers stroking the edge of the page, his brows growing colder.
Since Father Emperor had forgotten so quickly, then he would remind Father Emperor.
He set down the book and rapped his fingers lightly on the desk, about to call for someone, when footsteps suddenly sounded outside the courtyard, mingled with the greetings of palace maids and eunuchs.
“This servant greets Zhuzi.” / “This servant greets Zhuzi.”
“Zhuzi is back!”
Cui Yu turned his head toward the window. · black lotus Novel Translation Site — BLACK LOTUS NOVEL
At the courtyard gate, Shen Yanshui was lifting her skirt over the threshold, with Chunping and Dongyi behind her. Each of the three carried a basket, and the baskets were filled to the brim with golden apricots.
She wore a pale apricot-colored blouse today, which made her small face look even fairer and brighter.
Cui Yu’s grim brows lifted unconsciously, and the cold in his eyes melted like spring ice meeting warmth.
He had only just risen and rounded the desk when he heard a patter of footsteps outside. Shen Yanshui, one hand holding up her skirt and the other carrying her basket, was already trotting toward the study.
Cui Yu strode forward at once and caught her arm the moment she crossed the threshold, taking the basket from her hand with the other. His tone held a trace of reproach. “Why run so fast? I’m not going anywhere.”
Then he shot a cold glance at the attendants behind her.
Chunping and the others immediately bowed and begged pardon.
Shen Yanshui: “…” She wasn’t crippled yet.
She tilted her face up at him and said with a bright smile, “Your Highness, how are you handsome even when you’re angry? This concubine can’t bear to blink.” She gazed at him with round, clear eyes.
Cui Yu: “……” He looked down at her, his face calm, and lightly rapped her forehead with a knuckle. “Sweet talker.”
Little flatterer.
However, he pressed the matter of the attendants no further. Chunping and the others breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly withdrew.
Shen Yanshui bumped her forehead against his chest, then giggled, and bent to pick the biggest, most golden apricot out of the basket and hold it to his lips. “Your Highness, do try these apricots! I’ve taken such good care of them these past few days. Look, aren’t they plump and juicy?”
Cui Yu glanced down at the apricot in her palm. It was indeed round and perfectly golden, the skin covered in a fine fuzz, clearly fully ripe.
“Try it quickly,” Shen Yanshui urged, taking one from the basket herself and biting into it.
Seeing how contentedly she ate, he lowered his head and took a bite too.
But the instant the apricot entered his mouth, his expression changed.
The sourness and astringency shot straight to the top of his head, as though someone had wrung a twist of sour juice onto his tongue. His brows knit involuntarily, and his throat bobbed once before he forced that mouthful of flesh down.
He looked down at the apricot in his hand with its single bite gone, then up at A-Yan, who was eating away in delight…
Cui Yu was silent for a moment. He reached out, put an arm around her waist, and drew her to his side. Before Shen Yanshui could react, he had half-carried, half-hugged her around the screen.
One hand pressed the back of her neck, forcing her face up.
“Your Highness?”
She had only just opened her mouth in confusion when his tongue slipped effortlessly into her mouth and swept away the piece of apricot she had just bitten off and not yet swallowed.
Tasting that mouthful, Cui Yu frowned again. It really was sour.
The tiny piece of apricot soon melted away between their lips and teeth.
He did not draw back at once. Instead, he deepened the kiss in that same position, and only when she had been kissed dizzy and had gone soft in his arms did he finally release her.
Shen Yanshui opened her eyes, still a little dazed, and looked at him limply, her voice soft as cotton. “Your Highness… why did you steal what was in my mouth? There are still plenty here.”
She lifted the basket still in her hand, utterly baffled.
Cui Yu glanced down at the basket of glittering golden apricots, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly. His mouth still tasted of sourness, and he dipped his head to give her sweet lips another light peck before saying calmly, “Sour. Not good.”
Hearing this, Shen Yanshui promptly frowned, took another bite of the apricot in her hand, savored it carefully, and muttered, “It’s fine, though… not that sour.”
She could taste a bit of tartness in it, but to her the balance of sour and sweet was just right, and very appetizing.
She looked up at Cui Yu, unsure. “Your Highness… is it really very sour?”
Cui Yu nodded, not wanting to recall that sour taste.
It was probably the first time in his life he had tasted fruit this sour. | Black Lotus novel Translations | black lotus novel
Anything that had ever been presented before him had been screened layer upon layer from every region, each piece superb in appearance and flavor. Who would dare send such sour fruit to him?
Thinking of it, the corner of his mouth twitched again.
Seeing his expression, Shen Yanshui looked a little sheepish and muttered, “Well, all right… then I’ll keep these apricots for myself. I’d been meaning to send some to the Empress, too…”
Hearing her mutter, Cui Yu’s brows relaxed somewhat. He led her to sit by the couch and said, “The three jars of peach preserves you sent Mother Empress last time, she liked them very much. But she probably hasn’t finished them yet, so let these go. Mother Empress knows you have a filial heart.”
Shen Yanshui set her basket on the side table and nodded. “Then tomorrow I’ll go look at the pomegranates over there and pick some to send to the Empress.”
Cui Yu looked at her and nodded with a smile.
Something suddenly occurred to Shen Yanshui, and her brows drew together. She hesitated, then asked softly, “Your Highness, I’ve always heard that the Empress hasn’t been well these past two years. Have the physicians said what the illness is?”
Cui Yu did not hide it. He said in a low voice, “The physicians say it stems from accumulated overwork. Mother Empress has run the harem for many years, spending her heart and effort, and over time it damaged her foundation. In the past two years, seasonal disharmony has been added to it, so her spleen and stomach are weak and her qi and blood are both depleted. She often feels drained and listless and sleeps poorly, and her body never recovered. However, she has been gradually improving these past few months.”
Shen Yanshui nodded unconsciously at this.
Accumulated overwork did indeed wear on the five organs and six viscera, and it seemed to match the Empress’s symptoms.
Could she really have been overthinking it?
Never mind. Fortunately the Empress’s ailment was not an acute one. When there was a chance, she could take the Empress’s pulse again, and if something really was off, she would surely find a clue.
As the two were talking, the sounds of the servants laying out the meal were already faintly audible outside.
Shen Yanshui stood up and tugged at Cui Yu’s sleeve. “Your Highness, this morning this concubine specially instructed Eunuch Lin to make a hot pot together with Shouzhong. It should be just about ready now.”
Cui Yu: …A hot pot in summer?
But seeing her so enthusiastic, he said nothing and let her lead him, and the two of them left the study together and headed for the main hall.
The moment they stepped over the threshold of the hall, Chunping came forward and curtsied. “Your Highness, Zhuzi, Eunuch Lin says everything is ready. Shall it be brought up now?”
Shen Yanshui nodded quickly. “Bring it all up.”
Chunping answered yes, turned, and gave a signal outside.
In moments, the palace servants filed in, carrying all manner of bowls, plates, and dishes in their hands and setting them one after another on the table.
Before they even came near, a thick, domineering aroma had already drifted over.
Cui Yu’s steps paused slightly.
Chengxin Hall was much larger than Lianxin Courtyard, and the small kitchen was not right beside the main hall. Back in the study he hadn’t smelled a thing.
He looked toward the table. In its center sat a copper pot with charcoal burning beneath it. The broth inside bubbled and rolled, steam rising in wisps.
The pot was divided in two. One half held a red-oil broth with chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns floating on top, which looked fiery just to see. The other half was a milky-white clear broth with a few pieces of scallion, ginger, mushrooms, and red dates, which looked much milder.
Shen Yanshui sat down beside him with a bright smile and pointed to the pot. “Your Highness, this is a yuanyang pot that this concubine specially had Eunuch Lin make. The flavor isn’t like an ordinary hot pot. Please try it in a bit and see if you like it.”
Yuanyang pot?
Cui Yu looked at the pot for a moment and said nothing, only sitting down at the table.
The servants continued setting out dishes.
Paper-thin tripe, slices of beef, lamb, chicken, and fish were neatly arranged on plates, red and white, with clear marbling. There were hand-beaten fish balls and shrimp balls, duck blood, duck intestines, and brains laid out in round rows in dishes. Beside them were assorted vegetables, jade-green leafy greens and snow-white radish… and several kinds of mushrooms and tofu, filling the whole table.
Shen Yanshui looked over the spread and felt delighted.
Hot pot had long existed in Great Yong. She had eaten it before entering the palace, too. When it was cold in winter, you set up a pot and gathered around it to eat, and there was nothing so warm.
But the broths of this era were mostly bone broth or mushroom broth, all very light, and what people ate was mostly stewed meat, with dipping sauces no more than soy sauce and vinegar. Compared with hot pot in later times, the difference was still very great.
This red-oil spicy pot today was the fruit of days of research with Eunuch Lin and Shouzhong. The pot base alone had taken seven or eight attempts before she was even barely satisfied.
As she was thinking, hurried footsteps suddenly sounded outside.
Zheng Yuande sniffed and reported with a bow, “Your Highness, General Qi has arrived.” How did Liangyuan Zhuzi’s hot pot smell so good? It smelled so good his nose was about to fall off. B L A C K L O T U S Novel Translation Site | BlackLotusNovel
Shen Yanshui blinked in surprise.
Cui Yu looked up. “Invite Little Uncle in.”
Zheng Yuande withdrew.
In a moment, a tall figure strode in.
Qi Mingchuan wore a black round-collared robe with subtle patterns today, a leather belt cinched at his waist, making his frame look even more upright and martial. As soon as he entered, he first gave Cui Yu a proper salute. “This subject Qi Mingchuan greets Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
Cui Yu raised a hand. “Little Uncle need not stand on ceremony.”
Qi Mingchuan straightened, his gaze landing on the bubbling copper pot on the table. One brow rose slightly. He looked at the bowls and chopsticks set before the two of them and the table full of raw meat and vegetables, and said with a laugh, “Why are the Crown Prince and Liangyuan eating hot pot in the middle of summer?”
As he spoke, he sat down at the table without waiting to be invited, a teasing note in his voice. “What a coincidence. I trust Your Highness and Liangyuan won’t mind if I mooch a meal here?”
Shen Yanshui quickly smiled. “Of course not. If Little Uncle doesn’t mind, please just eat.”
No sooner had she spoken than the ever-alert Quanfu, who had gone off to prepare the moment he heard Qi Mingchuan say he was here to mooch a meal, came back with a fresh set of bowl and chopsticks and respectfully placed it before Qi Mingchuan.
Qi Mingchuan looked over the dishes, his gaze pausing for a moment on the half pot of bright red broth.
He was often out leading troops and ate hot pot on the frontier in winter too, but that was always bone broth or clear broth, with at most a few slices of ginger to drive off the cold. A pot with half red oil and half clear broth like this was something he was seeing for the first time.
Chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns floated in the red-oil base, looking so spicy that he felt he’d break into a sweat before even eating. He was rather inclined to decline with thanks.
But the aroma was simply too overpowering. Just smelling it made his mouth water.
Seeing the two men only staring at the pot, Shen Yanshui instructed Eunuch Lin and Shouzhong beside her, “Mix a dipping sauce for His Highness and Little Uncle.”
The two answered, stepped forward, and set several small dishes in front of the two men.
Cui Yu and Qi Mingchuan looked down. Each had a small bowl in front of them holding a mixed sauce, with several small dishes of different condiments beside it. One dish held a paste, light brown in color, with a rich sesame fragrance, something they had never seen before.
Shen Yanshui pointed to that dish and explained, “This is sesame paste, this is sesame oil, and the rest has scallion, garlic, vinegar, and the like. This concubine mixed these together with Eunuch Lin and Shouzhong and thought the flavor was rather good. If Your Highness and Little Uncle are interested, you may also mix your own according to your taste.”
She paused, then added, “And if Your Highness and Little Uncle can’t take the spicy pot, you can eat something mild and dip it in the sauce, which is also delicious.”
Qi Mingchuan raised an eyebrow and said nothing, though his eyes lingered a couple of times on the dish of sesame paste.
With that said, Shen Yanshui made the first move herself.
She picked up her chopsticks, took a thin slice of tripe from the plate, and dropped it into the red-oil pot. The tripe was cut so thin it was nearly translucent. After seven or eight dips up and down in the roiling red oil, she couldn’t wait any longer, fished it out, dunked it in the sauce bowl, and sent it into her mouth. “Mmm~” So good she could cry!
She squinted and chewed with a look of pure satisfaction.
When she opened her eyes, both men were watching her, and she felt a bit embarrassed. She blinked innocently. “Your Highness, Little Uncle, why aren’t you eating? This tripe is so good! Dip it up and down seven or eight times like this and it’s the most flavorful and the most tender!” As she spoke, she had already cooked another slice for the Crown Prince and put it in his bowl.
The corner of Cui Yu’s mouth lifted slightly. He glanced at his little uncle, then followed A-Yan’s example, dipped the slice in the sauce, and ate it.
Qi Mingchuan: “……” It was just a slice of tripe, what was there to show off about? Tsk!
He had hands and feet, he could eat it himself. With that thought, he picked up his chopsticks too.
Shen Yanshui turned to look at the Crown Prince. “Your Highness? How does it taste?” She worried he couldn’t handle much spice, so this slice had been cooked only in the clear broth.
Getting the tripe to lose its gamey smell had taken her and Eunuch Lin quite a lot of time. It was offal, generally eaten only by ordinary people and considered unfit for refined tables, let alone for the imperial family. But there was nothing to be done. She simply loved tripe.
Once he had swallowed, Cui Yu said slowly, “Excellent flavor.” It was crisp, tender, and springy, with the rich savor of the mushroom broth, and the sesame paste surprised him even more. Its sesame fragrance was deep and lingering, and coating the tripe it added another layer of richness, completely unlike the plain flavors of his usual vinegar and soy.
He picked up a slice of lamb, and this time put it into the red-oil pot.
The lamb was cooked after just a few rolls in the red-oil broth, and when he lifted it out it was still dripping glossy red oil.
A fierce heat exploded on his tongue at once, the fragrant heat of chili and the numbing tingle of Sichuan pepper tangled together and assaulted his taste buds. But after the heat, a savory freshness rose from the back of his throat, and the tenderness of the lamb was set off all the more.
It was just… a little spicy.
He quietly picked up his tea and took a sip, then took some greens and put them into the clear pot, eating from the two pots in turn.
Qi Mingchuan beside him was another story.
At first he habitually ate a few slices of meat from the clear pot, nodding steadily and finding the flavor indeed good, and the sesame paste rather interesting. But when he saw his nephew actually cook two rounds in the red-oil pot in a row, he tried it as well…
His eyes lit up at once.
“This is good!” he blurted, and his chopsticks went straight back to the red-oil pot, this time grabbing an entire plate of meat slices and dumping them all in.
Shen Yanshui watched, dumbstruck.
Qi Mingchuan fished out a slice of beef, wrapped it in the sesame paste, and stuffed it in his mouth, delighted. Beads of sweat had already broken out on his forehead, and he ignored them entirely, reaching for lamb to send after it.
“This spicy pot is really something!” he said between bites, praising it without pause.
As he spoke, he tossed another plate of meat into the pot, his chopsticks barely stopping.
Watching him eat, drenched in sweat and thoroughly enjoying himself, Shen Yanshui couldn’t help laughing.
Looking back at the Crown Prince, he was as unhurried as ever, alternating between the clear pot and the spicy pot, perfectly composed.
Watching the two of them eat so happily, she was happy too.
This hot pot, if she couldn’t claim to have recreated ten out of ten of the later-world version, was at least seven or eight tenths of the way there, and with the depth of the sesame paste added, it was quite flavorful enough.
The three of them sat around the copper pot for a full shichen, and stack after stack of dishes went empty.
Qi Mingchuan finally leaned back in his chair, for once actually stuffed, and not caring about appearances he slumped into the seat, let out a long breath, and patted his belly in complete satisfaction. “Wonderful!”
Cui Yu set down his chopsticks and was about to speak when he noticed A-Yan staring at his little uncle.
He followed her gaze and saw that his little uncle’s sleeves had been rolled up to his shoulders as he ate with gusto. Remembering how A-Yan usually coveted his own body, his brows drew together at once.
He rose, walked over to his little uncle, and gave him a light kick, saying coldly, “Little Uncle, your dress is disordered. Is that proper?”
Qi Mingchuan’s eyes went wide. “…What?” All he’d done was roll up his sleeves. How was that disordered?
Then he remembered Liangyuan Shen… and hurriedly got to his feet and straightened his clothes, his face uncharacteristically awkward.
He had been so happy eating and so relaxed, and this Liangyuan Shen… truly wasn’t the least bit bashful, her manner natural and unaffected, and for a moment he had forgotten he was in the company of a woman.
Seeing this, Shen Yanshui knew the two had things to discuss, and with a beaming smile she got up, using a walk to settle her meal as an excuse to slip out.
“What brings you to seek me out today?” Cui Yu’s voice was unhurried.
Qi Mingchuan folded his arms. “Nothing. I was bored, so I came to find my big nephew. Never expected to get such a lucky meal.” Then, as if something had just occurred to him, he asked quickly, “Oh, right, how is that red-oil broth made? I’ll have my cook come learn it.”
Cui Yu: “…I’ll ask A-Yan later.”
Qi Mingchuan’s brow immediately arched. “Your Highness, do you know what you look like right now?”
Cui Yu’s face was calm, his eyes cool. “What?”
Qi Mingchuan: “Just like one of those fellows in the market streets who’s afraid of his wife!” Having said it, he couldn’t help bursting into laughter.
“……?!” Everyone attending outside Zheng Yuande’s door shuddered as one!
General Qi, your voice is far too loud! Ah, His Highness’s dignity…
Cui Yu paused for a moment, and for some reason felt his ears grow faintly hot. His face instantly turned stern, and he issued the order to leave.
Before long, somehow the entire retreat palace knew that General Qi had been thrown out by the Crown Prince.
When Emperor Pingkang heard, the crease between his brows eased a little. He set down the last stone and laughed heartily. “Lord Xu’s chess still needs work.”
Xu Chengwen rose and bowed slightly with clasped hands. “Your Majesty flatters me. My humble skill is nowhere near Your Majesty’s.”
……
The sky slowly darkened.
In the inner room of Chengxin Hall, the light was dim and yellow.
Shen Yanshui came out of the washroom after bathing, dressed in a moon-white sleeping robe, her whole body flushed pink from the steam, with a hint of lazy allure.
Cui Yu had also bathed and changed into a loose sleeping robe. He was leaning against the head of the bed with a book in hand, and who knew how many lines he had read.
Shen Yanshui climbed onto the bed and lay down beside him. She reached out and plucked the book from his hand, saw it was a serious book, and immediately lost interest. Seeing him looking down at her, she turned on her side, propped her head on one hand, her black hair spilling across the pillow, her peach-blossom eyes sparkling in the candlelight, and suddenly asked, “Your Highness, do you think what’s in this concubine’s belly is a girl or a boy?”
Cui Yu paused slightly at this.
When he first learned A-Yan was pregnant, his very first thought was that a daughter as gentle and lovely as A-Yan would surely be wonderful.
The very image softened his heart.
But later, after careful thought, he decided a boy would be better.
Better for both him and A-Yan, as things stood now.
Cui Yu gathered his thoughts and looked down at her, his voice gentle. “Boy or girl, I’ll like either.”
Shen Yanshui eyed him, clearly not convinced, and said suspiciously, “Is Your Highness telling the truth? You’re not just coaxing this concubine, are you?”
She edged closer, lowering her voice. “If what’s in this concubine’s belly really is a girl, Your Highness won’t be unhappy, will he?”
The words had barely left her mouth when she felt a light, not-too-hard smack on her bottom.
“Don’t talk nonsense,” Cui Yu said above her head, a note of reproach in his voice.
Shen Yanshui hummed twice, then laughed twice, and promptly threw herself into his arms, clinging to him like a kitten. One hand slid, well practiced, up under the hem of his loose sleeping robe and pressed against his abs, then went on up to feel his pectorals, her fingertips lingering over the firm muscle.
The feel of it was wonderful.
She sighed silently to herself.
What a pity. No matter how greedy she was, she could only touch. She couldn’t eat.
She let out a resentful sigh.
Cui Yu’s body went slightly rigid.
That little hand roamed restlessly over him, cool from the bath, and the touch was all too distinct.
He drew a deep breath and caught the wandering hand, his voice a little hoarse. “A-Yan.”
Shen Yanshui raised her head and blinked at him, all innocence.
Cui Yu looked down at her. “What about the clothes you said you’d make for me? Has A-Yan finished them?”
Shen Yanshui’s hand paused, and she said in a small voice, “Finished yesterday…” It was just that after finishing, looking at the result, she’d felt a little guilty again for some reason and hadn’t dared show it to the Crown Prince.
But since the Crown Prince had raised it himself, ahem, she looked at him and said, “Tomorrow night, this concubine will bring it for Your Highness to try on and see if it fits.”
Then she added quickly, “But Your Highness has to promise this concubine that after trying it on, no matter how it turns out, Your Highness won’t be angry.”
Cui Yu, holding down her hand as it crept ever lower, said calmly, “Of course not.”
The day after tomorrow, at first light, at the imperial audience, he could wear the very outfit A-Yan had made for him.
