From their expressions, Yao Chengcheng understood—
The esteemed Prince Regent’s breakfast usually consisted of ten plates and eight bowls. Her single bowl was simply too meager.
But…
What was the point?
The male lead suffered from anorexia, after all.
Truthfully, Yao Chengcheng wasn’t entirely sure whether the Prince would eat what she had prepared. But at least he hadn’t vomited yesterday. She would take it one step at a time.
Eunuch Fu sighed. “Forget it. Come with me.”
Yao Chengcheng nodded and followed him, carrying the tray.
After walking along the corridor for a long time, they arrived not at the familiar room from yesterday. A flicker of confusion crossed Yao Chengcheng’s eyes. Eunuch Fu explained, “This is the Bamboo Garden, His Highness’s daily residence.”
Yao Chengcheng understood.
The grand hall from yesterday was the venue for the imperial consort selection.
Upon entering the Bamboo Garden, Yao Chengcheng refrained from looking around, but she keenly felt the silence within. Almost no servants were moving about.
The book said that after the Prince Regent was injured, his temperament changed drastically, and he greatly disliked strangers approaching him. It seemed to be true.
At the doorway, Eunuch Fu took the tray. “Wait here.”
“Yes.”
Eunuch Fu knocked lightly three times and entered the room.
“Your Highness, it is time for your meal.”
Fu Yuanzheng was lying on a rocking chair, wearing a half-mask with his long hair loosely draped.
Most of the time, he shut himself away here, devoid of vitality.
Like a tree quietly awaiting decay.
“This Prince is not hungry. Take it away.”
Eunuch Fu sighed inwardly. “Please eat a little. It was made by that new cook from yesterday—just a bowl of wontons…”
His voice grew softer as he spoke. The reason he chose to bring it in was that, having served the Prince for over a decade, he understood him more deeply than anyone else. Yesterday, the Prince had eaten the dessert without vomiting, which made Eunuch Fu pay extra attention. But he hadn’t shared this thought with anyone; he needed to observe further.
Who was his master? The current Prince Regent!
Even an ordinary breakfast was lavishly spread across the table. But Fuman knew the Prince had no interest in it. For him, the abundance was merely for show, holding no real meaning.
But perhaps…
What if this simple, humble bowl of wontons…?
As Eunuch Fu brought it closer, a faint, simple aroma of home-cooked food drifted through the air. Fu Yuanzheng paused, then indeed opened his eyes.
The cook from yesterday?
It seemed he took a moment to recall who she was and the dessert from yesterday, whose name he could no longer remember.
But he did remember that at the time, he hadn’t felt the slightest urge to retch or feel nauseous.
Fu Yuanzheng’s gaze fixed on the bowl of wontons.
Eunuch Fu’s heartbeat quickened—
“Your Highness, would you like to try it? If you don’t like it, this servant will remove it immediately.”
Trembling slightly, he offered a spoon. Fu Yuanzheng’s eyes fell on his hand.
“Is your old injury acting up?”
Eunuch Fu smiled. “An old ailment… Thank you, Your Highness, for remembering.”
Fu Yuanzheng paused. “Have the imperial physician examine it tomorrow. Don’t push yourself.”
Eunuch Fu’s eyes reddened. “Yes, of course.”
Fu Yuanzheng’s gaze returned to the bowl of wontons. As the steam wafted before him, he suddenly recalled a scene from his childhood—
On a winter day with heavy snowfall, his Imperial Concubine Mother watched him and his younger brother build a snowman in the courtyard. When they grew tired, she would smile and beckon, “Yuanzheng, bring your brother over. I’ve made wonton soup.”
“Thank you, Imperial Concubine Mother!” The two brothers ran over eagerly, chatting and laughing.
Fu Yuanzheng suddenly closed his eyes.
It had been too long, and the memory of Imperial Concubine Mother’s face had grown somewhat hazy.
A moment later, he picked up the spoon.
…………
When Eunuch Fu emerged from the room, Yao Chengcheng was in the courtyard, staring intently at a flower.
It wasn’t some rare or precious variety from the garden—more like a wildflower the negligent gardener had overlooked, quietly sprouting from the edge of a stone crevice.
But Yao Chengcheng recognized it—plowshare grass, scientifically known as Viola philippica, a species of the violet family, with pale purple flowers that looked quite lovely in spring.
It was a common medicinal herb, but it could also be eaten. Its tender leaves and flowers could be served cold, used in soups, or stir-fried, with a slightly bitter yet fragrant taste.
She was so absorbed in her observation that she didn’t even hear the footsteps approaching from behind.
“Ahem—”
Eunuch Fu cleared his throat twice, and Yao Chengcheng snapped back to reality, quickly standing up.
“Eunuch Fu! Did the Prince eat it?”
Eunuch Fu stared at the person before him, his expression somewhat complex and a little odd.
“The Prince wishes to see you.”
Yao Chengcheng: “…See me?”
“Yes, come with me.”
Yao Chengcheng felt uneasy. Was it because the food was so delicious that he wanted to reward her? Or was it so terrible that he wanted to kick her out…
Upon entering the room, Yao Chengcheng caught a strong scent of incense again, but this time it wasn’t ambergris—it smelled more like the sandalwood used in Buddhist halls.
“This servant greets the Prince.”
Yao Chengcheng had learned her lesson and performed the proper etiquette.
Fu Yuanzheng had already risen and was sitting in his wheelchair, gazing deeply at the person at the foot of the steps.
“Rise and speak.”
“Yes…”
He didn’t sound angry, so it should be fine.
Yao Chengcheng kept her head lowered, maintaining proper decorum. After a moment, a calm voice reached her ears: “How did you make these wontons?”
How did she make them…?
Yao Chengcheng wasn’t sure what he meant by the question. After thinking for a moment, she simply recounted the recipe.
She emphasized that she had used shepherd’s purse.
After listening, the Prince indeed fell silent for a moment—
“Shepherd’s purse… spring has arrived…”
Yao Chengcheng: “Yes, besides shepherd’s purse, wild vegetables are especially good lately. There’s also bracken, Chinese toon, and mustard greens. Has the Prince ever tried purslane? It’s also very tender.”
She couldn’t help but add a few more words, but after she finished, silence fell over her head again. Yao Chengcheng secretly regretted it.
“From today onward, you will be responsible for my meals. Name your monthly salary.”
Yao Chengcheng: “…”
Her heart leaped with joy—it seemed she had gained his approval! This was good news! Her job-hunting experience told her that now was the time to ask for a slightly higher amount.
So, Yao Chengcheng held up two fingers: “Two… taels?”
After she spoke, a deathly silence filled the room.
Eunuch Fu seemed to have fallen silent too.
“No, no, one tael is fine…” She withdrew one finger.
After a moment of silence, Fu Yuanzheng seemed to grit his teeth.
“Twenty taels a month.”
“!!!”
So it wasn’t too much—it was too little!
Of course, the Prince’s meals consisted of ten plates and eight bowls. What was twenty taels to hire a cook?!
She had asked for one tael because the book said the female lead initially worked hard washing clothes in the Laundry Bureau, her hands covered in chilblains, and only earned one tael. She thought that was the average wage, but she never expected…
Oh, how touching.
Yao Chengcheng immediately pledged her loyalty: “This servant will work hard! I will absolutely ensure the Prince is well-fed and plump!”
Fu Yuanzheng: “…”