On her first night in the prince's residence, Yu Zhu slept poorly.
She blamed it on her lowly constitution, unaccustomed to such a soft bed in the prince's mansion.
But she dared not admit it was because Prince Jin had held her from behind all night, leaving her too afraid to move.
Keeping her body tense naturally made for a poor night's rest.
It was only in the late hours of the night that Prince Jin finally released her.
Yu Zhu cautiously turned over and, by the moonlight, studied Prince Jin's features.
Earlier, she had been too nervous to look closely, but now she finally dared to observe him openly.
Prince Jin had long eyelashes and fair skin. His nose was high and straight, but his peach-blossom eyes held no warmth—instead, they carried a hint of cold indifference.
Yu Zhu noticed that all of Prince Jin's features were strikingly beautiful: dark eyebrows, dark lashes that seemed naturally adorned with makeup, giving him an especially bewitching appearance.
Yet his expression compensated for this perfectly.
Prince Jin was icy and aloof. Such looks paired with a cold expression, and when his lashes lowered, they even carried a hint of lofty disdain toward everyone, preventing him from appearing overly alluring.
Instead, he evoked only an overwhelming sense of oppression that made one feel compelled to kneel.
She quietly shifted a little to the side before daring to snuggle into her pillow and fall asleep.
At daybreak, Lan Xi came to wake her.
Prince Jin had no habit of sleeping in, so Yu Zhu naturally could not rise later than him.
Unless Prince Jin explicitly told her to rest.
Outside, snow had fallen, and the weather seemed even colder.
An official from the Ministry of Revenue sent word that due to the heavy snowfall over the past two days, the court would suspend its duties.
Prince Jin did not even lift his eyes, and Yu Zhu dared not breathe too loudly, focusing solely on dressing him.
The scent of green bamboo that Prince Jin often wore was pleasant, like standing in a bamboo forest, where the world felt vast and open.
After fastening his belt, Yu Zhu whispered,
"All done."
Only when she looked up did she realize Prince Jin had been watching her all along, with a faint, ambiguous smile.
"What would you like for breakfast?"
At home, Yu Zhu's breakfast usually consisted of two sections of sweet potato, a bowl of rice soup, and a small dish of pickled vegetables.
On the days when her father received his salary, he would order shrimp dumplings from Huicui Tower—the finest thing Yu Zhu had ever tasted.
Shyly, she looked at Prince Jin with hopeful eyes.
"Shrimp dumplings."
"Nothing else?"
Yu Zhu had never tasted many delicacies and was quite inexperienced.
"Nothing else."
Prince Jin then said to the servant, "Bring a plate of shrimp dumplings, and serve whatever else seems appropriate."
Yudu had dedicated caravans responsible for delivering delicacies from all corners of the land into the city every day. Even in the depths of winter, craving river delicacies was no difficult matter.
Within half an hour, breakfast was served. In addition to the shrimp dumplings Yu Zhu had requested, there was also a plate of turbot.
Likely, the kitchen had guessed her preferences and specially prepared it.
Only the belly of the turbot was used, with all the bones removed. It was steamed with ginger water and shredded scallions, then drizzled with hot oil after being taken out of the pot. Soy sauce mixed with yellow wine sizzled under the hot oil, instantly releasing a fragrant aroma.
Besides this, there were millet porridge, yam cakes, and other mostly light-flavored dishes.
Yu Zhu took a bite of the fish, and her eyebrows nearly lifted in delight from the freshness.
Her eyes were already round, but when widened, they appeared even brighter.
Seeing this, Prince Jin's mood improved considerably.
He had always rather disliked snowy days.
On the dining table, there was also a tofu and salted pork soup. The tofu was freshly made, tender and soft, while the salted pork was perfectly cured.
The texture was firm, and the aroma rich and deep.
Prince Jin preferred lighter flavors, so the salted pork had been rinsed several times. Before the soup was served, it was thickened with a generous layer of starch, making it smooth and not greasy to drink.
He had Lan Xi ladle a bowl and offered it to Yu Zhu to taste.
Sure enough, Yu Zhu once again wore that expression of wide-eyed wonder, which greatly pleased Prince Jin.
Indeed, since ancient times, being admired has always been a man's weakness.
Look at all these things you never had before—only I can give them to you.
The breakfast did an excellent job of soothing Yu Zhu’s stomach. The way she looked at Prince Jin was now as thick and clinging as that bowl of tofu soup.
Even though it was a day off, Prince Jin had no intention of lingering in the rear courtyard. After breakfast, he called for a carriage and left.
Yu Zhu rested for a while, cradling her full belly, then gazed longingly at the cleared-away dishes.
If she ever fell out of favor, would she still get such good meals? Probably not. Most certainly not.
What a pity. So while she was in favor, she had to eat her fill.
The snow fell heavier and heavier, and there wasn’t much to do for amusement. Yu Zhu had planned to go back to sleep, but then Prince Jin’s rewards arrived.
A set of head ornaments, two bracelets, and three hundred taels of silver.
Lan Xi held the silver and sighed, “Prince Jin is so thoughtful. This silver must be for us to rely on.”
Yu Zhu didn’t have much personal savings. Three hundred taels, broken into smaller pieces, would last a long time. It would also be convenient for tipping servants, enough to help Yu Zhu establish her footing in the prince’s residence.
Yu Zhu ran her hand over the cold silver, not feeling the chill at all. She raised her eyebrows excitedly.
“Then let’s hurry and break it up!”
Beneath this pile of rewards were several books. Yu Zhu pulled them out, and her face flushed as red as a monkey’s bottom.
They were a few volumes of Spring Palace Illustrations.
Was he dissatisfied with her performance last night, expecting her to study properly?
Yu Zhu flipped through a couple of pages, her head feeling like it was filled with boiling water, ready to bubble over.
She tucked them under the bedding. “I’ll look at them tonight.”
The one in charge of the womenfolk in the prince’s residence was Nanny Du, while the servants were managed by Nanny Fu.
It was impossible for Yu Zhu to have only one person attending to her; more would surely be assigned.
As the wind and snow continued unabated, Nanny Fu led two maidservants and five attendants into Yu Zhu’s courtyard.
Nanny Fu held an umbrella, looking neat and tidy.
The others arrived braving the snow, their hair mostly white from the flakes.
Once inside, as the snow melted, their hair dripped wetly, and their clothes and shoes were half-soaked.
Nanny Fu wore a smile on her face. “Greetings to the mistress. These two are maidservants assigned from the palace, not yet named. From now on, they are at your disposal. These four are also from the palace, responsible for sweeping the outer courtyard.”
Yu Zhu knew that the two maidservants were for her personal use.
The ones serving in her presence wouldn’t be men—they would be eunuchs.
Sure enough, the younger boy looked only fourteen or fifteen but seemed clever. He knelt with a thud and introduced himself.
“This humble servant, Xiao Quanzi, greets the mistress.”
He smiled obsequiously, and Yu Zhu tried her best to maintain the dignity of a mistress.
“Understood. Rise.”
Nanny Fu left after presenting the people to her, just like Nanny Du, neither asking for rewards.
Clearly, they didn’t take Yu Zhu seriously.
Yu Zhu named the two maidservants Lan Xiang and Lan Zhou. The four in the outer courtyard didn’t require her attention.
The weather was bitterly cold, so Yu Zhu had Lan Zhou brew some ginger tea for everyone to ward off the chill.
“Catching a cold in this weather would be terrible.”
Lan Zhou and Lan Xiang weren’t as quick-witted as Xiao Quanzi, but this small kindness made him act as if he were profoundly grateful.
“The mistress is so good to this servant. No one has ever been this kind to me.”
Seeing his tears, Yu Zhu thought, What a pitiful child.
“Then drink two more bowls.”
After saying this, Yu Zhu could only watch the snow.
If she were at home, she’d probably be building a snowman or braving the snow to find Xue Ningxuang.
Her childhood friend, they were as close as sisters, always sticking together.
But now she was a concubine in the prince’s residence, unable to leave easily.
Even the social gatherings of Yudu's noblewomen were beyond her reach as a mere concubine.
After much thought, she still couldn't find a way to pass the time.
The snow had gradually piled up to ankle depth, and Yu Zhu couldn't resist running outside.
Building a large snowman was out of the question, but couldn't she at least make a small one?
Just as she reached out to push the snow together, Lan Xi stopped her.
"Young lady, this is the prince's residence."
Yu Zhu could only sigh. Xiao Quanzi volunteered instead, rolling a body about the size of a football, with a slightly smaller head. He used buttons for eyes and twigs for arms, placing it beneath the eaves.
"Master, my hands are clumsy. What do you think of this?"
Yu Zhu naturally praised it, giving Xiao Quanzi a thumbs-up.
"Very good! I like it very much!"
The entire morning, Yu Zhu was all smiles because of this little snowman, and the boring prince's residence became slightly more interesting.
But by the afternoon, Yu Zhu began sighing again.
Fortunately, she had always been good at finding amusement.
She immediately sent Lan Zhou to the kitchen to fetch a stove and some oranges—she wanted to brew tea by the fire.
Yu Zhu imagined it beautifully: the oranges would be roasted until warm, sweet and juicy when eaten. The tea would be rose tea, leaving a lingering fragrance with every sip.
Little did she know that her actions would soon be reported to Nanny Du by Lan Zhou.
On the ledger before Nanny Du were recorded the times and frequencies from the previous night, even the date of her first menstruation was clearly noted.
After hearing Lan Zhou's report, Nanny Du shook her head.
"Too frivolous, utterly lacking in decorum."
It was to be expected—how much depth could a mere concubine possess?
Yu Zhu had no idea that an informant had been planted beside her. She sat cross-legged on a soft cushion, her face warmed by the stove.
The fragrance of roses wafted through the air. Besides oranges, sweet potatoes and rice cakes were also placed on the stove.
At home, such luxury was only allowed during the New Year; doing this on ordinary days would earn her a slap.
The charcoal burned too fiercely, making Yu Zhu sweat. She removed her outer garment, wearing only a padded jacket, and focused intently on turning the various roasted items.
Lan Xi had initially tried to stop her from doing it herself, but Yu Zhu said, "What's the fun in having others do everything for you?"
So she ended up doing it herself.
Prince Jin had just returned to the residence and entered Yu Zhu's courtyard. The first thing that caught his eye was the little snowman—it wasn't ugly, but it couldn't be called pretty either. It was just rather eye-catching, and Prince Jin couldn't help but glance at it several times.
Pushing open the door, the room was filled with fragrance.
When Yu Zhu saw him, she was so flustered she nearly dropped the tongs.
"Your Highness!"
Yu Zhu straightened her skirt and curtsied in greeting.
Prince Jin was in a good mood. He had just returned from the Eastern Palace, having agreed with the Crown Prince to go hunting once the snow stopped, aiming to bring back a bear skin for a rug.
Yu Zhu's breach of etiquette only struck him as somewhat adorably impulsive, a refreshing change for Prince Jin, who was accustomed to rigid propriety.
He sat down behind Yu Zhu, wrapping his arms around her entirely. Taking the tongs from her hand, he turned the soft, roasted oranges.
"Bring the book."
A book was placed in Yu Zhu's hands, and Prince Jin's fingers flipped open the title page.
"Have you read it yet?"
Yu Zhu answered honestly, "Not yet."
Prince Jin chuckled softly. "Then read it now."
Yu Zhu could only lower her head to read, her ears turning so red they seemed about to drip blood. But Prince Jin calmly continued turning the oranges, setting the roasted ones aside to cool. He didn't forget to remind her, "Read it well, read it carefully."
"I… I know."
Yu Zhu's head was spinning, and she couldn't focus on the words at all.
Prince Jin began peeling an orange.
Sweet juice flowed all over his hand.
"Do you understand now?"
"Have you learned?"
"Do you know what to do?"
An orange segment was slipped into Yu Zhu's mouth, sweet with a subtle hint of sourness.
The juice dripped from her lips, which now glistened with a dewy sheen.
Prince Jin found the sight equally enticing, and the attendants quietly withdrew from the room.
With only the two of them left inside, it wasn't long before Prince Jin began his hands-on instruction.
This time, Yu Zhu's face was uncovered, and she even dared to reach out and trace the contours of Prince Jin's brows and eyes.
Her hand was caught and kissed by him.
"It's inside."
Drenched in sweat, Yu Zhu finally fell into a deep sleep this time.