“A Kui, it’s like this… My mother arranged a marriage for me last month. The other party is my distant younger cousin.”
“You know as well as I do that my grandfather is getting on in years and hopes for me to start a family soon. I can’t just wait for you until you leave the palace at twenty-five…”
“I’m sorry, I truly have no face to see you… These are my savings from over the years. I implore you to accept them, otherwise my heart will not be at ease…”
A heavy purse was stuffed into Yun Kui’s hand. She weighed it discreetly—it was quite a lot.
Though she had cursed him a thousand times in her heart, Yun Kui put on an understanding expression and offered her blessings with a smile. “Brother Zhao, you have your difficulties. I don’t blame you. I haven’t yet congratulated you on your new marriage.”
The man gazed at her, full of reluctance.
The young woman wore a Double Snail Buns Hairstyle, her hair adorned with only two cherry-pink silk flowers, yet she was blessed with a face as radiant as the blossoms of spring. With a delicate nose, cherry-like lips, bright eyes, and snowy skin, her features were exquisitely flawless. Even without a touch of makeup, dressed in the most ordinary of light-apricot High-waisted Ruqun, she was the most eye-catching presence in any crowd.
Unfortunately, he was about to marry someone else.
Yun Kui was also very reluctant to let go.
She was reluctant to part with Guard Zhao’s mighty and robust physique, his well-developed limbs, and his simple mind.
He was, after all, one of the prospective husbands she had carefully selected.
Yun Kui was sixteen this year, a palace maid at the Imperial Food Bureau.
Though she was at the bottom of the hierarchy, she thrived thanks to her sweet tongue. The scraps her masters let fall from between their fingers were enough to nourish her into a beautiful young woman full of hope.
As the saying goes, with a full belly come wanton thoughts. Under the personal guidance of Auntie Bi Zan from the Imperial Food Bureau, who had married a commander of the Ceremonial Guard, she had firmly chosen to follow her example.
In Auntie Bi Zan’s words, “Girls raised in the palace are neat in appearance and know the rules, which are all pluses when it comes to future marriage prospects. Marrying a guard is the best choice. Their families are respectable, they are handsome, and if they earn some military merits and get promoted, they can at least make you an official’s wife.”
At her young and beautiful age, how could she spend all her days in the greasy, mundane drudgery of the Imperial Food Bureau? Thus, in her spare time, she had gotten to know several unmarried guards.
If she was lucky, she could marry smoothly after leaving the palace at twenty-five. If she was unlucky, she would end up like this Guard Zhao—loved and then abandoned.
Yun Kui had no parents, so there was no question of acting without a matchmaker or betrothal gifts, or arranging a private union. She was a rootless piece of duckweed and could only plan for her own future as early as possible.
There was some regret, but not much. Without Guard Zhao, she still had Guard Qian, Guard Sun, Guard Li… To be honest, it was rare to find a truly ugly guard in the palace; almost all of them were uniformly tall and sturdy.
It was just that people’s hearts were fickle. One day they would profess their love for her, and the next they might abandon her to tie the knot with another. That was why she needed to have more options, just in case.
Guard Zhao was a decent fellow; he had even given her a sum of money. She could use a portion of this silver to pay for the medical treatment of Guard Sun’s elderly and frail mother, making him eternally grateful and utterly devoted to her.
Thinking these delightful thoughts, Yun Kui’s steps became lighter.
However, early the next morning, dreadful news spread through the palace—
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, that notoriously violent, despotic, bloodthirsty, and cruel man whose very name could stop a child from crying at night, was returning to the palace.
Guard Feng, whom she had just met a few days ago, rushed over to see her. “Xiao Kui, the war on the border is over. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will be returning to the capital soon. The palace will be swamped with duties, so for the next while, I’m afraid I won’t be able to see you often.”
Yun Kui was curious. “The Crown Prince?”
The title seemed to be a taboo, making even the strapping Guard Feng shiver involuntarily.
He glanced around, and only after seeing no one did he lower his voice. “A great victory was won in the northern frontier. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince slaughtered seven cities of Northern Wei. Everywhere he went, cries of misery filled the land. They call him the Jade-faced Rakshasa, the Living King of Hell. You don’t know about him…”
The Crown Prince had been away at war for many years, so Yun Kui had indeed never seen him. But… a Jade-faced Rakshasa? Not iron-faced, nor green-faced. Didn’t that mean he was probably quite handsome?
News of the Crown Prince’s imminent return quickly spread throughout the Forbidden City.
However, when the young palace maids who were as curious as Yun Kui asked the elders in the Imperial Food Bureau about him, everyone chose to remain silent, fearing they would bring disaster upon themselves.
“Don’t ask what you shouldn’t ask.”
“When the Crown Prince returns, you must not get close to him, otherwise…”
The speaker’s face turned deathly pale as they made a throat-slitting gesture.
The others exchanged glances, not daring to say another word.
Yun Kui came to a conclusion—His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was not to be trifled with.
But she still ate and slept as usual every day.
After all, the Crown Prince was far away in the Eastern Palace. What did that have to do with her in the Imperial Food Bureau?
But a few days later, the chief eunuch of the Imperial Food Bureau announced a major event—with the Crown Prince’s return imminent, and the Eastern Palace’s kitchens having been neglected for years, the Imperial Household Department had decided to transfer ten chefs and dozens of eunuchs and palace maids from the Imperial Food Bureau to exclusively serve His Royal Highness the Crown Prince’s meals.
Rumor had it that not only was the Crown Prince violent, but he was also exceptionally lecherous, with a taste for both men and women. Therefore, the young eunuchs transferred from various palaces were all fair and delicate, and the palace maids were all tender-skinned and soft-fleshed. In short, they came in all shapes and sizes, so that no one would offend the Crown Prince’s eyes.
Yun Kui was unfortunately one of them.
She couldn’t understand it. The Crown Prince was merely lecherous; wasn’t having a bevy of beauties serving in his chambers enough? Why did even the kitchen staff have to be good-looking? Did good-looking people make better food?
Seeing the funereal expressions on her former companions’ faces, as if she were heading not to the Eastern Palace but to the halls of hell, Yun Kui also felt a little apprehensive.
It was only after entering the Eastern Palace that she discovered it was even larger than she had imagined. It had a full complement of departments, with hundreds of people up and down the hierarchy, each attending to their duties. It even had its own Household of the Heir Apparent and subordinate officials, with more than a dozen officials of the seventh rank and above. It was practically a miniature Forbidden City.
However, as the Crown Prince had been away at war all these years, most of these official posts were held concurrently by court officials. Once the Crown Prince returned, the entire Eastern Palace would naturally resume its operations.
In comparison, the kitchen was just a tiny, insignificant department. There was no chance of seeing the Crown Prince, let alone being noticed by him. All the meals went through layers of inspection before being served on the nobles’ tables.
Even if the Crown Prince was lecherous, it would be in his own bedchambers. Surely he wouldn’t run to the kitchens to take his pleasure with someone?
Yun Kui breathed a sigh of relief. Adopting a “when in Rome” attitude, she continued to eat well and sleep well.
As the Crown Prince’s return to the capital drew near, the entire Eastern Palace was abuzz with activity day and night. Repairs were made, floors were swept, and decorations were arranged. In less than half a month, the entire Eastern Palace was transformed, with even the Glazed Tiles on the Wudian Roof polished to a brilliant shine.
While the outside was a hive of activity, the kitchen staff spent their days merely pondering meals. The ingredients were handled by the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, making their work much more leisurely than imagined.
It was just that the few guards she had befriended were now wary of her working in the Eastern Palace, and since this place was not as convenient as the Imperial Food Bureau, they met less and less. Yun Kui felt a little disheartened.
Fortunately, there was no rush. Once His Royal Highness the Crown Prince returned and she had established a firm footing in the Eastern Palace, she could make long-term plans.
This evening, Dan Gui, the palace maid who shared her side room, was struck with a sudden stomachache and had no choice but to ask for her help. “The meal for the Moon Embracing Pavilion hasn’t been delivered yet. If you’re not busy, could you and Sister Xiang Xing make the trip for me?”
The Moon Embracing Pavilion was in the southwest corner of the Eastern Palace. It was said that to welcome the Crown Prince’s return, the palace had specially selected over a dozen beauties from the Bureau of Music. For the past two months, they had been practicing singing and dancing in the Moon Embracing Pavilion for the Crown Prince’s entertainment upon his return.
Yun Kui was more than happy to help. “You just rest well. I’ll go for you.”
It was a perfect opportunity. She still wasn’t familiar with the locations of the various halls in the Eastern Palace, and with its strict order, she couldn’t just wander around. This trip to the Moon Embracing Pavilion was a good chance to scout the area.
Xiang Xing was considered an old hand in the Eastern Palace. She had been working in the Eastern Palace kitchens before the Crown Prince left for war, and over the years she had developed a timid and fearful disposition. Seeing this newcomer still fearlessly looking around, she quickly reminded her in a low voice, “His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is about to return. You’d better be careful!”
Yun Kui sidled up to her and asked in a whisper, “Sister Xiang Xing, please tell me, what kind of person is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince really? We’re new here, it would be good to be prepared.”
Upon hearing the words “Crown Prince,” Xiang Xing’s face turned pale. How could she dare to gossip about that King of Hell in private!
Although she worked in the Eastern Palace, as one of the most inconspicuous palace staff in the kitchens, she had only ever seen the Crown Prince from a distance once in all these years.
That day, an assassin had appeared in Cheng Guang Hall. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince had been thunderously enraged. In the end, the assassin, along with the eunuch who had colluded with him, had met a fate of being torn to pieces, not even leaving a whole corpse behind.
Xiang Xing remembered with chilling clarity how His Royal Highness the Crown Prince had walked out of Cheng Guang Hall that day, sword in hand, his robes stained with fresh blood, his entire being exuding a murderous aura, as if he were a demon who had climbed out of the nine circles of hell.
Even after so many years, whenever she thought of that scene, Xiang Xing’s legs would still turn to jelly and the hairs on her arms would stand on end.
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince’s reputation for violence was known to all. Even his campaign to the northern frontier was said to be because he had executed several officials without prior imperial approval, and had then volunteered to go to that bitter, cold land to atone for his crime through meritorious service.
Just when she could finally breathe a sigh of relief, thinking she could last until she left the palace, this god of death was about to return. And he had slaughtered seven cities of Northern Wei! His violent and bloodthirsty nature was exactly the same as when he left the palace. Who wouldn’t be afraid?
Though it was already autumn, Xiang Xing’s forehead was beaded with cold sweat, and she felt a constant chill on the back of her neck. “In short, listen less, ask less, and speak less! His Royal Highness the Crown Prince won’t bother with our little kitchen.”
“Don’t worry, Sister Xiang Xing. I definitely won’t cause any trouble.”
Influenced by her, Yun Kui also unconsciously lowered her voice.
In the middle of the tenth month, news came from the palace that the Crown Prince had been ambushed by bandits on his way back to the capital. He had been struck by several arrows and was on the brink of death.
He had now been brought back to the Eastern Palace. The Emperor and Empress were deeply worried. The entire Imperial Hospital’s physicians had gathered there, the Bureau of Materia Medica was working itself into a frenzy, and even renowned doctors from outside the palace were being summoned one after another.
Basins of blood were being poured out. For several days in a row, a thick, bloody smell permeated the Eastern Palace, but the Crown Prince remained unconscious.
The kitchens could only prepare some medicinal broths and light soups to send over each day. However, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was still in a coma and couldn’t even be fed medicinal decoctions, let alone any food.
Yun Kui carefully suppressed the glee in her heart—the Crown Prince looked like he wasn’t going to make it. Did that mean she could go back to the Imperial Food Bureau?
Hooray!
Yun Kui was in a great mood. She squinted her eyes, about to get a good night’s sleep, when she remembered that she had been in the Eastern Palace for two months. She wondered if Guard Zhao was married yet. Perhaps she could visit his dream to find out.
That’s right. Yun Kui didn’t know when it started, but occasionally, after falling asleep, she would see some strange and bizarre scenes. For example, Dan Gui drooling over crystal sugar pork knuckle, Guard Qian rolling around on a mountain of gold, or the Imperial Food Bureau’s eunuch Xiao Lu Zi discovering that his little brother had grown back… In short, all sorts of strange things.
Why on earth was she dreaming about Xiao Lu Zi! She didn’t care about that at all, okay!
It wasn’t until later, while chatting with Dan Gui, that Yun Kui deliberately probed a little and discovered that the scenes in her dreams were actually other people’s dreams.
However, she couldn’t see just anyone’s dream; it had to be someone she was often in contact with and quite familiar with.
Someone like Guard Zhao was very easy to enter the dreams of.
Silently chanting Guard Zhao’s name, Yun Kui closed her eyes and drifted into a muddled dreamland.
The light from the room full of red candles nearly blinded her. When she looked closer, she saw two brides in wedding attire, their heads covered with red veils, sitting on the bed.
Had she stumbled into Guard Zhao’s wedding night in his dream?!
Wait… why were there two brides?
Just as she was about to investigate, she heard the doorframe creak. Guard Zhao, dressed in bright red wedding robes, staggered drunkenly over the threshold. He picked up the wedding scale from the tray and lifted the red veils of both brides one after the other.
The bride sitting on the left side of the bed must be the cousin he mentioned, also a gentle and lovely-looking woman. Then she looked at the bride on the right, who was gazing at him with affection… wasn’t that herself!
Yun Kui watched in disbelief as Guard Zhao, holding a cup of Nuptial Wine in each hand, sat down between her and the cousin. The three of them, in a harmonious yet bizarre posture… drank together, crossing arms.
After drinking the Nuptial Wine, Guard Zhao’s face was flushed with joy. He took both their hands, placed them together in front of him, and smiled. “From now on, the three of us will live a good life together. That’s better than anything.”
Yun Kui was furious! So furious she woke up directly from the dream.
Damn it! Marrying his cousin wasn’t enough, he wanted to marry two!
You look like a decent man, but I really underestimated you.
She was about to spit out a few more curses when she heard footsteps outside. The matron in charge of the kitchens hurried in and lit a lamp. “Dan Gui, Yun Kui! Get up quickly, get dressed and head to Cheng Guang Hall to attend to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!”