Yanyu hadn’t done needlework in a long time, so she was a little rusty. Fortunately, her maids were skillful, and by bedtime they had managed to sew an inner garment.
She wasn’t sure if it would fit properly. That night, Xiao Chengji did not return, so Yanyu went to bed early.
It was said that another major case had arisen in the capital—a thief had violated many young girls, leaving families with daughters fearful and uneasy.
The culprit had some martial skills, and officials had chased him for a long time before finally capturing him the previous day.
Rumor had it that this thief’s background was unusual, with several factions stirring trouble.
As for court matters, Yanyu never asked unless Xiao Chengji spoke of them. These days, she busied herself with sewing, resting in her chambers when tired, or strolling outside.
With Yanyu and Prince Qin’s marriage concluded, Shao Hong and his wife were preparing to return to Ling City.
When they departed, Yanyu personally went to see them off, accompanying them all the way to the outskirts of the city. She didn’t know when she would see her uncle and aunt again—perhaps years later, perhaps never. The distance between north and south was vast, and separation often meant no reunion. She remembered when she was a child, arriving at the Shao household for the first time. Madam Jiang had held her in her arms and told her to treat the Marquis Anqing’s residence as her own home.
In the blink of an eye, so many years had passed.
Shao Hong dared not let Yanyu go too far. He bowed to her: “The morning wind is strong, and Your Highness’s body is frail. You should return early to rest.”
Back then, Yanyu was his niece. Now she was Princess Consort, and Shao Hong observed all proper etiquette toward her.
Yanyu wiped her tears: “Uncle, when you reach Ling City, you must write to me.”
“Of course.” Shao Hong quickly instructed Shao Junliang and Shao Junshou: “You two escort the Princess Consort’s carriage back. In the future, whatever she commands, you must obey.”
Yanyu watched the Shao family’s carriages disappear into the distance before boarding her own.
By the time she returned to Prince Qin’s residence, daylight had already broken.
Xiao Chengji had just come back from morning court and went to the Cangfeng Terrace.
The kitchen had begun preparing breakfast early. Each courtyard had different needs—the concubines, the Prince at Cangfeng Terrace, and the Princess Consort at Wanfu Courtyard all required different dishes.
Yanyu preferred mildly sweet flavors that were light and delicate. She rarely ate meat, so her breakfast was mostly simple vegetable dishes, sweet porridge, and fine pastries.
Prince Qin’s meals naturally included meat—mostly venison and lamb, prepared in various ways, much like when he was in the palace.
As for the concubines in the different courtyards, their demands were far greater. These women had been bestowed by the Empress Dowager. Though their own status was low and the Prince ignored them completely, the Empress Dowager’s rank was high.
In recent years, the Zheng family had been at its peak. Whatever the Empress Dowager wished to do, she could accomplish. Consequently, even the women she gifted were untouchable—the kitchen staff dared not offend them.
The Emperor had granted Yanyu some blood-red bird’s nest. For the past few days, she had eaten a bowl of stewed bird’s nest every morning.
But that morning, Yanyu returned without appetite. Her maids ordered the bird’s nest to be set aside until she woke.
Among the concubines in the side courtyards, Madam Tian had the closest ties with the Empress Dowager. She often reported palace matters back to her.
Madam Tian knew well that the Prince despised her. She and the others had been forced upon him by the Empress Dowager—like chives, cut down only to grow again. The Empress Dowager never lacked women to send. But if the Prince’s hands were stained with too much blood, his reputation would quickly be ruined. Even now, people outside already whispered that he was cruel, merciless, and addicted to killing.
The Empress Dowager’s reasoning was sharp: *Which prince doesn’t have women to serve him? Could it be that Prince Qin has some strange preference for boys instead?*
Truthfully, the Empress Dowager’s tongue was vicious, her methods disgusting yet effective. She could always nauseate the Prince into silence, forcing him to accept her arrangements.
After all, even the Emperor had to give her face. Prince Qin hadn’t even secured the title of Crown Prince. If he refused to keep women in his courtyards, the Empress Dowager could easily smear him with the scandal of preferring boys.
With the Empress Dowager as her backing, Madam Tian lived comfortably in the Prince’s residence. This emboldened her, making her arrogant and dismissive of everyone else. She always demanded the best, insisting on chicken, duck, and fish at every meal.
The Prince’s kitchen was well-stocked with delicacies, so feeding a few idle mouths was effortless.
The Empress Dowager wanted to test the Princess Consort Qin’s temperament, to see if this “soft persimmon” could be squeezed.
Madam Tian became the one to do the squeezing. She often visited the kitchen herself, and this time she spotted the bird’s nest reserved for the Princess Consort.
Even in the palace, blood-red bird’s nest was limited, reserved for those of high rank. Ordinary people received only the common white kind.
Madam Tian insisted she had been unwell lately and needed something nourishing.
The kitchen steward refused: “This belongs to the Princess Consort. She will eat it when she wakes.”
“I don’t believe the Princess Consort is so petty,” Madam Tian sneered. “Out of respect for the Empress Dowager, surely she wouldn’t refuse to give face?”
The kitchen steward was troubled. Normally, only titled noblewomen or high-ranking consorts could speak directly before the Empress Dowager.
But on the seventeenth of each month, the Empress Dowager summoned Madam Tian to the palace for conversation.
With the Zheng family now dominating the court, no one dared offend the Empress Dowager.
Though Madam Tian lacked the Prince’s favor, she remained arrogant in the residence precisely because of this backing.
Since entering the Prince Qin’s household, the Princess Consort had not yet shown any clear stance.
But with her father and brothers dead, Duke Zhen’s household was an empty shell. In the capital, she had no one to support her.
Without a family background, it was truly difficult to act with authority. Palace servants always bowed to power and trampled the weak.
Besides, plenty of food was prepared daily for Wanfu Courtyard. The Princess Consort might not even notice the bird’s nest. If she asked later, they could simply stew another portion.
The steward said no more, allowing Madam Tian to take the bird’s nest.
Before noon, Bichun, the Princess Consort’s chief maid, arrived. Her mistress was awake and ready to eat. She looked over the food box: pear blossom jade cakes, auspicious yam cakes, osmanthus milk custard, shredded shark fin, jade bamboo shoots with bracken—all exquisite dishes.
But one thing was missing. “There was also a bowl of bird’s nest. The Princess Consort is supposed to drink it when she wakes. Where is it?”
The steward replied: “We didn’t know she wanted it. We’ll prepare another now.”
“Nonsense! I saw you stew it this morning. How is it gone?”
The steward sighed helplessly: “Madam Tian wanted it. We couldn’t stop her—she is, after all, one of the Empress Dowager’s gifts.”