The grand wedding coincided with the New Year, and Yu Zhu received many rewards.
Just in New Year's money alone, she received six hundred taels, along with four sets of jewelry and clothing.
The joyous atmosphere of the New Year kept Yu Zhu in high spirits all day long.
When Prince Jin came, she attended to him; when he didn’t, she practiced writing couplets.
She even borrowed a wooden mallet from the kitchen to pound New Year’s rice cakes.
Yu Zhu wasn’t entirely without tact. Although Prince Jin was busy with the wedding and New Year ancestral rites and hadn’t visited her courtyard for nearly half a month, showing no acknowledgment would seem thoughtless.
So, after pounding the rice cakes, Yu Zhu specifically asked Lan Xi to deliver them to Prince Jin.
Lan Xi held the soft, glutinous rice cakes, freshly baked and kept warm with charcoal, filling the air with a sweet, fragrant aroma of rice.
"Miss, wouldn’t it show more sincerity if you went yourself?"
Yu Zhu turned sideways, busy mixing osmanthus flowers into the rice cakes.
This way, the pounded rice cakes would be infused with the fragrance of osmanthus, and a sprinkle of white sugar would make them perfect.
"Prince Jin has to enter the palace at the third watch of the hour every day these days and can’t return until after dark. With the wedding approaching, he must be exhausted."
Lan Xi was even more puzzled. "That’s exactly why you should go and keep him company. Seeing you would surely comfort him."
Yu Zhu didn’t look up, her fair face bathed in the warm, yellow glow of the candlelight, appearing exceptionally gentle.
It was already the twenty-ninth, and the entire mansion was being decorated. The wintersweet in her courtyard had been replaced with red plum blossoms, and red carpets were being laid along the stone paths outside.
From now on, the entire prince’s mansion was being prepared to welcome its new mistress. It would be too thoughtless for her to seek Prince Jin’s favor now.
What if the princess consort later checked Nanny Du’s records and discovered that, even on the twenty-ninth, just days before the wedding on the third day of the new year, Yu Zhu was still serving the prince? That would be a slap in the face for the princess consort.
But if she showed no regard for Prince Jin at all, he might complain: "Yu Zhu, that ungrateful wretch, is truly an unfed white-eyed wolf. I’ve shown her some genuine affection, yet she doesn’t reciprocate in the slightest."
If she offended Prince Jin, it wouldn’t be good for him to harbor any resentment.
After all, Prince Jin was naturally reserved, keeping everything bottled up inside, and would never reveal a hint of his thoughts.
Yu Zhu slowly wrapped the pounded rice cakes in a cloth, then took some honey dates and added them to the rice, preparing to make another flavor.
"Just deliver them and say I made rice cakes for His Highness to try. Official duties are important, but His Highness should also take care of his health and rest early."
Lan Xi agreed but still wanted to make one last effort.
"Is that all?"
Yu Zhu said, "There’s more."
Prince Jin’s reunion dinner would be held in the palace. In the past, at home, the New Year’s table would always be set with peanut candies and the like.
The New Year’s Eve dinner was prepared by her mother, while Yu Zhu would occasionally help while holding a jar of snacks.
Her father would also bring out a pot of sorghum wine, and her two younger brothers would mischievously try to sneak fried meatballs. Yu Zhu would take a handful when her parents weren’t looking, and the three of them would hide by the wall, eating until their mouths were greasy. That kind of family harmony was the true flavor of the New Year.
But this year, it was just her and Lan Xi.
Yu Zhu continued pounding the rice cakes. "Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve. In the morning, invite Prince Jin to have a bowl of sweet soup with me."
Having breakfast with her before he entered the palace would count as their New Year’s Eve dinner.
The prince’s mansion had everything, so Yu Zhu added a handful of raisins, nuts, and red and green fruit strips to the rice cakes.
She wondered if Xue Ningshuang would like this flavor.
She eagerly hoped for the third day of the new year to arrive quickly, so she could finally see Xue Ningshuang.
Lan Xi brought the rice cakes to the study. Prince Jin wasn't handling official business, but rather staring blankly into the distance, clearly exhausted.
She knocked and entered, respectfully placing the rice cakes on the table.
"Your Highness, Yu Shiqie has made rice cakes and asks you to try them."
Prince Jin glanced at them. He had no energy left, nor any appetite, so he had no desire to eat.
"Why didn't she come herself?"
Lan Xi lowered her head, feeling somewhat resentful. If her mistress had come, Prince Jin would surely have been happier.
For now, she could only repeat Yu Zhu's words.
"Yu Shiqie is considerate of Your Highness's exhaustion and didn't want to trouble you."
Prince Jin was taken aback. "I don't find her troublesome. Did she have any other message?"
Noticing Prince Jin's expression, Lan Xi nearly bit her tongue.
"Yu Shiqie invites you to join her for breakfast tomorrow morning."
Prince Jin waved his hand, dismissing Lan Xi.
"Understood."
The atmosphere was so cold it seemed about to freeze. Lan Xi sighed. Yu Zhu was simply too timid, too afraid to compete for favor.
If Prince Jin doted on her, what would the princess matter?
Inside the study, Prince Jin had intended to return to his room to rest.
But then he saw Yu Zhu's rice cakes.
These things were troublesome to make, filling and hard to digest. It must have been difficult for Yu Zhu to labor over them all afternoon.
Why didn't she just come see him directly instead of going through the trouble of sending a plate of rice cakes? And inviting him to breakfast tomorrow was simply unnecessary.
Prince Jin couldn't understand it, yet he felt a secret delight that she still cared about him.
Perhaps Yu Zhu really loved rice cakes, so she went through all that effort to make a batch for him by hand.
Otherwise, she could have just left it to the kitchen.
Thinking this, Prince Jin felt a faint sweetness in his heart.
On the other end, Yu Zhu was finally satisfied.
The earlier batches of rice cakes had felt somewhat lacking, but this plate before her was truly top quality.
She would wrap them up and send them all to Xue Ningshuang.
Her eyes curved into a smile as she saw Lan Xi return dejectedly. Instinctively, she asked, "What's wrong?"
Lan Xi said, "His Highness really wanted to see you."
Yu Zhu simply replied, "Oh, we'll see each other tomorrow morning."
Lan Xi: "…"
Never mind. Yu Zhu always had her reasons.
The next moment, she saw Yu Zhu hand her the wrapped rice cakes.
"Tomorrow, have Xiao Quanzi deliver these to the Xue residence. This is all my hard work!"
If this was her hard work, then what was the earlier batch?
Yu Zhu refused to answer.
The next day, Yu Zhu rose early. Prince Jin had to enter the palace at the third quarter of the Yin hour. He would need to eat by the first quarter of the Yin hour at the latest.
Yawning, Yu Zhu had the kitchen prepare breakfast according to Prince Jin's preferences and ordered a pot of strong tea.
She guessed Prince Jin hadn't slept well.
Strong tea would help refresh him.
Prince Jin arrived punctually. Yu Zhu served him a bowl of soup, even blowing on it thoughtfully.
Prince Jin took out a red envelope and placed it in her hand. Yu Zhu blushed.
"Didn't you already give me New Year's money?"
"That was the New Year's reward, not New Year's money."
Yu Zhu smiled and accepted the red envelope. It felt quite thick—who knew how many banknotes were inside.
She quickly ran into the inner room, took out the red envelopes she had prepared for her brother and Xue Ningshuang, and placed them together.
Courtesy demands reciprocity, courtesy demands reciprocity.
She would prepare new ones for them.
Yu Zhu tucked a red envelope into Prince Jin's waistband. "Then I'll also give Prince Jin a red envelope. May Your Highness have peace and safety year after year."
Peace and safety year after year.
Prince Jin repeated these four words, finding them truly wonderful.
Peace and safety year after year—there was no wish more sincere than this.
A promising future and boundless success are not as sincere as the simple wish for peace and safety year after year.
He clasped Yu Zhu's hand and said, "You too—peace and safety year after year."
He asked for nothing else, only her safety.
On New Year's Eve, though Prince Jin was utterly exhausted from his time at the palace, upon returning to his residence, he still wished to visit Yu Zhu.
As soon as his steps turned toward the path leading to Yu Zhu's courtyard, Nanny Du approached.
"Your Highness, are you going to Yu Shiqie's place?"
Prince Jin gave an affirmative hum—wasn't it obvious?
The next moment, he heard Nanny Du say, "Then this old servant will have the pharmacy prepare the medicine."
Prince Jin halted. "What medicine?"
Nanny Du sensed his impatience but paid it no mind.
"Contraceptive medicine."
Nanny Du bowed slightly. "Her Majesty the Empress has ordered that before the Princess Consort gives birth to a legitimate heir, no other concubines are permitted to conceive."
Only then did Prince Jin realize—no wonder Yu Zhu had not come to see him last night.
Contraceptive medicine was cold, bitter, and astringent. After taking it, one would suffer from unrelenting abdominal pain, and in severe cases, menstrual bleeding could become incessant.
With prolonged use, it could harm fertility.
It was even possible to cause infertility.
Yu Zhu lived in the inner courtyard, so Nanny Du must have already informed her of these matters.
Considering her temperament, she naturally chose not to contend or compete.
By not spending the night, she could avoid taking the medicine.
Prince Jin turned away. "I won't go. Let's return and rest."
Sooner or later, he would have to set the entire residence in order, inside and out.