Fu Yuanzheng himself didn’t know what had come over him. The chattering that should have sounded annoying drifted into his ears, and along with it, distant memories surfaced.
Wild spring vegetables—he had seen them before. During the years he led troops in the northern frontier, they encountered a snow disaster. The entire winter had frozen all the crops, and when spring arrived, both farmers and soldiers had to dig for wild vegetables in the mountains.
Bamboo shoots, shepherd’s purse, bracken…
Fu Yuanzheng’s dark eyes flickered slightly, his gaze falling on a plate of greens on the table.
Yao Chengcheng said, “Your Highness, please try it. I promise it’s delicious.”
Fuman was always observing the Prince’s expression, which was why he hadn’t silenced Yao Chengcheng. Now, seeing the Prince actually pick up his chopsticks, his eyes widened a little more…
The royal descendants had nearly strict rules when it came to dining: no more than three bites of any single dish. The Prince’s habits were likely the same. As he watched the Prince take his third bite of the shepherd’s purse with tender tofu, Fu Yuanzheng hesitated noticeably on the fourth. But Yao Chengcheng didn’t know about this rule. Seeing him pause, she stepped forward and scooped two spoonfuls for the Prince. “Your Highness, using a spoon is much easier for this!”
Fuman: “…”
The eyes of all the eunuchs and maidservants behind them widened even more. Yao Chengcheng, confused, asked, “Is… is there something wrong…?”
Fu Yuanzheng pursed his lips but still took another spoonful before setting down his utensils.
“It’s fine.”
Yao Chengcheng relaxed. “Please try this chicken soup too! The mushrooms have soaked up all the broth—it’s incredibly flavorful.”
Fu Yuanzheng glanced at it. “Very well.”
Fuman’s eyes scrutinized Yao Chengcheng intently, gradually shifting from astonishment to delight.
By the end of the meal, everyone’s thoughts had taken more than a few twists and turns—including Fu Yuanzheng himself.
With a complicated expression, he finally spoke his third sentence: “Not bad.”
Yao Chengcheng was delighted. “Thank you for the praise, Your Highness! Since I receive a stipend from the Prince’s residence, I’ll naturally focus on doing my duties well!”
Fu Yuanzheng was silent for a moment. “You may leave.”
“Yes~”
After Yao Chengcheng left, Fuman approached, carefully reading the Prince’s expression.
“Your Highness, this morning I already sent someone to investigate. The Yao family is a minor household—I didn’t even know there was such a low-ranking official right under the Emperor’s nose. Nothing seems amiss…”
Fu Yuanzheng’s expression was unreadable behind his mask. “Understood.”
Suddenly, Aji hurried in from outside. “Your Highness! Prince Rong’an requests an audience.”
Everyone froze for a moment. Fuman glared at him. “Didn’t I say no one is to be received while His Highness is recuperating?”
“I tried to stop him, but Prince Rong’an said it was from the palace…” Aji trailed off, not daring to finish. The air around Fu Yuanzheng grew cold again.
“Admit him.”
The single icy word made Aji shiver. “Yes.”
Of the late Emperor’s four sons, the current Emperor was naturally the Crown Prince. The Prince Regent was the second prince, Prince Rong’an the third, and Prince Qing’an, stationed far away in Liangzhou, the fourth. Though they were brothers, each had a different mother—a common occurrence in the royal family.
Prince Rong’an strode into the Prince Regent’s residence. Fu Yuanzheng did not receive him in the Qinzhuyuan courtyard but in the Fulutang hall of the residence, where Fuman served hot tea.
“Your Highness, please have some tea.”
Prince Rongan nodded, looking around. “Second Brother, I remember this place looked exactly the same when it was first renovated. How is it still like this after all these years? You haven’t made any repairs.”
Fu Yuanzheng sat in his wheelchair, offering a faint smile. “What brings you here, Third Brother? Surely not just to see my manor.”
Prince Rongan chuckled and took a seat. “Of course not.”
He leaned in mysteriously, lowering his voice. “I heard you selected a consort during the selection? I’m curious what kind of peerless beauty could catch your eye?”
Consort?
After Fu Yuance finished speaking, Fu Yuanzheng’s lips twitched involuntarily.
“Who told you that?”
“It’s all over the place! They say out of hundreds of candidates, you only took a liking to one! What’s that saying? ‘Out of three thousand waters, you only took one ladleful’! I’m just too curious! Could you invite her out to meet…?”
Fu Yuanzheng lowered his gaze. “Pure nonsense.”
Prince Rongan was also taken aback. “Really? Isn’t her surname Yao? That Yao family originally had a clerk in the Ministry of Personnel, and His Majesty already intends to promote them!”
Fu Yuanzheng fell silent for a moment, understanding dawning on him.
“His Majesty was quite surprised, which is why he sent me to check…”
Fu Yuanzheng suddenly said, “But it’s just a household matter. Is it worth making such a fuss?”
“You are the Prince Regent of this dynasty! How can it just be a household matter?”
Fu Yuanzheng gave a slight smirk. “I’m nothing but a cripple now. I can hardly be called regent. If His Majesty wishes to strip me of this title at any time, I have no objections.”
After he spoke, Prince Rongan fell silent.
A moment later, Prince Rongan stood up, walked over, and patted Fu Yuanzheng’s shoulder. “Second Brother, I know you haven’t moved on yet. Forget it. No matter what that woman is like, as long as you like her, it’s fine. His Majesty… he’s just concerned about you.”
Fu Yuanzheng said nothing more. Prince Rongan stayed a little longer before leaving.
As soon as he left, Fu Yuanzheng turned to Aji. “What’s this about a consort?”
Aji had been sweating profusely since Prince Rongan’s arrival. Now, under the Prince’s gaze, he immediately knelt. “It was this servant’s negligence!”
He recounted everything that had happened that day at the Yao residence.
“This servant thought, since Chef Yao was a candidate and is now a servant, the Yao family probably wouldn’t believe it if word got out. But this servant didn’t dare to claim she had any status either, so… this servant said nothing…”
Fuman gritted his teeth. “You foolish servant! You should have just told the truth! Who cares if the Yao family believes it or not?!”
Aji: “This servant thought at the time that since the Prince kept Chef Yao, it was because he suspected her of being a spy… so… so… this servant thought it best to go along with it, neither speaking up nor exposing anything. After all, who knows what the Yao family is really up to?”
Fuman looked worriedly at his Prince. “Your Highness, what do you think…?”
Fu Yuanzheng remained silent for a moment before saying, “Forget it. What’s done is done. There’s no need to explain further. But we must suppress the rumors outside. Just say the person is hidden away in the Prince Regent’s manor. As for the Yao family’s affairs… summon Anying.”
Fuman immediately complied.
The Prince Regent’s manor had its own guards, shadows in the darkness who moved without a sound.
Anying arrived in the inner hall within moments.
“Greetings, Your Highness.”
Fu Yuanzheng: “Investigate the background of the Yao family and Yao Chengcheng. I want every detail.”
“Yes!”
A gust of wind swept by, and Anying vanished instantly.
Fu Yuanzheng thought of the small figure and the noisy voice from the daytime. He refused to believe that with Anying dispatched, they couldn’t uncover even a trace of her.