Early summer had just begun, and most of the loquats in Zheyue Palace were already ripe.
The loquats at the top of the tree, bathed in ample sunlight, were soft, juicy, and sweet. The golden, honeyed fruit attracted many birds, leaving the topmost loquats pitted and half-eaten, scattered here and there.
Lately, having found no opportunity to stamp the seal, Jiang Ning simply stayed in Zheyue Palace, planning to pick all the loquats from the tree to make jam.
Although the main purpose of making loquat jam was to soothe Ji Ke’s lungs, it could also serve to cheer up the Little Crown Prince.
Jiang Ning tied up the hem of her ruqun, hoisted a bamboo basket onto her back, and climbed up the wooden ladder. The eunuchs on duty in the courtyard were already accustomed to this sight, most of them silently watching with their sleeves tucked.
This loquat tree had been planted many years ago and was not particularly short, but it had many branches, making it easier to navigate once up in the tree. However, carrying a bamboo basket was not very convenient.
If someone could hold a net below, the picking would go much faster.
Jiang Ning stood among the loquat branches, leaning over to look down, and flashed a practiced smile.
"Eunuch Li, Eunuch Li."
The eunuch standing in front of Ji Ke’s room looked up, his expression blank as he watched her.
A blank expression was the most common sight in Zheyue Palace.
Jiang Ning was not deterred in the slightest. Instead, her smile widened—after all, no one strikes a smiling face.
"Could you hold a net? I’ll toss the loquats down, and you can help catch them."
Eunuch Li turned his head away, impassive. "No. The master’s study cannot be left unattended."
Jiang Ning did not back down. "Then see who has time. I’ll make extra loquat jam to soothe coughs and moisten lungs—one jar for each of you."
There weren’t many eunuchs on duty in Zheyue Palace, only stationed in two places: Ji Ke’s bedroom and his study, where someone was always present without a moment’s absence.
Even if some were tempted, their eyes occasionally drifting toward the tree, no one dared to step forward and help her.
Jiang Ning didn’t mind. She wedged the basket between the branches, sat down, and began picking and eating as she went.
The loquats were already fully ripe, plump and juicy. Their golden skin peeled off effortlessly, cleanly separating from the flesh. The juice dripped from her fingertips before she licked it away.
"So sweet."
Unripe loquats could be a bit astringent, but these ripe ones were nothing but richly sweet.
The eunuchs on duty seemed to catch a whiff of that fresh fragrance. In the past, they hadn’t dared to eat the fruit, reluctantly letting them fall to the ground before being swept away.
At first, they occasionally glanced up at the tree, but when their peripheral vision caught the gray-black figure approaching the courtyard gate, they immediately straightened their posture, raised their hands, and bowed.
"Good day, Your Highness the Crown Prince."
Ji Ke had always disliked others greeting him and the Crown Prince together. The Crown Prince was royalty, and their statuses were incompatible; a joint greeting was improper according to etiquette.
But others didn’t see it that way. While their mouths called out to the Crown Prince, the reverence in their hearts was for the man behind him.
The eunuch behind Ji Ke hurried to the base of the tree to arrange the table and chairs, while Ji Ke scanned the courtyard and asked, "Where is Jiang Ning?"
The Little Crown Prince pretended not to care, but his eyes were also darting around.
They were originally supposed to review their lessons in the waterside pavilion until the afternoon, but he was distracted, wanting to play with Jiang Ning yet still holding a grudge.
When Ji Ke noticed, he panicked and blurted out that he wanted cookies, so Ji Ke brought him here.
This was his first time visiting the place where Jiang Ning made things.
The eunuch being questioned nearby hesitated. No one had ever picked the loquats from Zheyue Palace before, and he wasn't sure if Jiang Ning's actions violated any taboos.
"Your Excellency, Jiang Ning… she's picking loquats in the tree."
As if to echo this response, a large loquat leaf happened to fall onto Ji Ke's shoulder, catching in his cascading dark hair.
He tilted his head slightly to remove the leaf, glanced at it a few times, then looked up toward the tree. His clear, cool eyes reflected the exposed half of a calf and a gauzy skirt.
The haphazardly tied ruqiu fluttered in the wind, and as he looked over, it slipped back into the foliage with such speed it left an afterimage.
Ji Ke blinked but hadn't yet spoken when the broad loquat leaves parted, revealing her overly radiant smile.
"Greetings, Your Excellency."
Ji Ke looked at that smile and fell silent for a moment. When she smiled like that, she must have something to ask of him.
"What is it?"
"Nothing major. I just wanted to ask Your Excellency to have some people help set up a net so I can pick the loquats."
Jiang Ning beamed, pointing to the large loquat dangling beside her face. "To make some loquat paste—moistens the lungs and relieves coughs. It's all for Your Excellency's sake."
Ji Ke: …
The rattan table and chairs were moved farther away. Ji Ke walked over and sat down, gesturing with his hand. Someone hurried off to fetch a net.
The Little Crown Prince stood under the tree, gazing up at Jiang Ning, momentarily forgetting they were still in the midst of a cold war.
"How did you climb so high?"
His eyes held the excitement, envy, and slight fear unique to a child.
To still retain a childlike innocence within the palace walls—it had to be said that Ji Ke had protected him well.
Jiang Ning casually plucked a loquat and tossed it to him. "Your Highness, try it."
The Little Crown Prince had never eaten a freshly picked loquat before. He glanced at Ji Ke, and seeing no objection, quickly peeled it.
The golden-yellow flesh was revealed. He took a small bite—not just sweet, but carrying a warmth akin to sunlight, as if he had bitten into a gentle, faint warmth.
He felt the juice burst forth, refreshing his mouth. "Delicious!"
Jiang Ning had grown up with her grandmother and had a rather wild childhood. Seeing a child like the Little Crown Prince always made her want to tease him a little.
She glanced at Ji Ke, who was reviewing documents under the tree, cleared her throat softly, and cautiously asked, "How about… you come up and pick some?"
The Little Crown Prince's eyes lit up, but his feet remained planted. He turned to look pitifully at Ji Ke.
Ji Ke didn't look at them, his cool and focused gaze fixed on the scroll in his hands, his tone flat.
"If you want to go, then go."
The Little Crown Prince couldn't help but cheer softly. The nearby eunuch quickly stepped forward to steady the wooden ladder, nervously supporting him as he climbed up.
Stepping onto the branches for the first time, the Little Crown Prince felt as if he had entered a new world. He had never climbed a tree before, and this elevated perspective was utterly novel.
He tugged at Jiang Ning's skirt, curiously observing this bountiful realm.
As for the cold war with Jiang Ning, it had long been forgotten, cast to the far corners of the sky.
"Jiang Ning, look quickly!"
The Little Crown Prince's clear, childish voice rang out, not loud but hushed, as if afraid of disturbing something.
Jiang Ning leaned down slightly, following his gaze.
There, perched on a large loquat, was a grayish-brown sparrow, causing the fruit to sway up and down.
Its slender beak pecked open the skin, releasing abundant juice. Its small head bobbed about, utterly adorable.
"I've seen sparrows before, but most were listless. None were as lively and nimble as this one."
As if sighing with emotion, the Little Crown Prince stared at it with his large, dark eyes, a satisfied smile curling at the corners of his mouth, as though he had stumbled upon some hidden paradise.
But the next moment, a merciless hand shooed it away, and the sparrow flapped its wings in a panic, fleeing in haste.
"What are you doing!" The Little Crown Prince turned to look at the culprit.
Jiang Ning excitedly plucked the loquat: "Scaring away the birds. The ones they eat are definitely sweeter. Following the birds' choices can't go wrong."
Little Crown Prince: "…"
Jiang Ning had no idea that the eight words "clueless about romance, only cares about eating" were now deeply etched into the Little Crown Prince's mind, lingering for a long time to come.
"Hurry up, loquats don't keep well."
Jiang Ning handed him a small pair of scissors, and the two of them snipped the loquats from the branches, gently tossing them down.
Loquats have thin skins and oxidize easily; even a small scratch will quickly turn them brown, so extra care was needed during picking.
Of course, compared to Jiang Ning's concern for the loquats, the eunuchs below the tree were clearly more worried about the Little Crown Prince.
They held up a net high, following wherever the Little Crown Prince climbed.
Sitting beneath the tree, Ji Ke quietly watched the two in the branches, the book in his hand untouched for pages.
The tree shadows on the ground had unknowingly shifted quite a bit, and the sun had moved to the west, yet no one noticed the passage of time.
Having picked nearly enough, the two in the tree sat on a branch, eating loquats and watching the sun slowly redden as it set.
"So this is what the sunset looks like."
The Little Crown Prince gazed at the crimson evening sun, momentarily lost in thought, pondering something unknown.
So young, yet already burdened with worries. Jiang Ning stood up and extended her hand to him.
"Let's go. We can watch it another time. Right now, we have something even more exciting to do."
The Little Crown Prince looked up at her, then broke into a smile, taking her hand to stand up. "Alright."
Though there was only one loquat tree, it was in its prime, bearing a decent number of fruits—more than enough to make loquat syrup.
The two climbed down from the tree. Jiang Ning was fine, but the Little Crown Prince was flushed with exhaustion, though also brimming with excitement, bouncing along behind Jiang Ning.
Watching the two enter the kitchen, Ji Ke finally shifted his gaze back to the book. His dark, gentle eyes reflected the pages as he spoke softly.
"The Crown Prince's constitution is too weak. Has a martial arts instructor been selected?"
Eunuch Fu bowed slightly and replied, "Several candidates have been chosen, awaiting your approval, sir."
Ji Ke nodded without a word, coughing lightly a few times before focusing on the documents.
There was a distinction to the loquat syrup: loquat leaves brewed into a syrup cleared the lungs, while loquat fruits brewed into a syrup moistened them. Given Ji Ke's condition, loquat fruits were the way to go.
Several eunuchs were directed by the Little Crown Prince to remove the pits, while Jiang Ning turned away, pretending to search for ingredients.
Glancing at the others, she quickly pulled out a large amount of rock sugar from the System, clattering it into the clay pot with a crisp, pleasant sound.
She placed the pitted loquats into the pot to simmer, then picked up the remaining fruits.
"This batch of loquat syrup won't yield much, maybe just two jars, but we can make loquat preserves with the rest."
The Little Crown Prince leaned in, eating two more loquats. "What are loquat preserves?"
"It means you can eat loquats not just now, but even a month later."
The Little Crown Prince's eyes lit up. He hugged Jiang Ning's arm, clamoring for the preserves, his shouts causing Ji Ke in the courtyard to frown slightly and sigh as if displeased.
"No sense of decorum."
Jiang Ning took the small porcelain bottle from the side and sterilized it by dipping it several times in boiling water.
She wasn’t just planning to make ready-to-eat cooked food; she also wanted to try creating some long-lasting preserved foods, which could be sold at higher prices and yield greater profits.
Nearby, the loquat syrup was still simmering, bubbling and boiling with a gurgling sound. A clear, sweet fragrance wafted from the kitchen, so enticing that just smelling it made one’s mouth water and left a sweet taste on the tongue.
Another stove had already been lit. Jiang Ning scooped out the loquats that had been soaked in light saltwater and poured them into the pot along with large chunks of old rock sugar, starting a slow simmer over low heat.
The Little Crown Prince watched in wide-eyed amazement. “Jiang Ning, I think you should go to Yu Shanfang and be the head chef, with others assisting you.”
Jiang Ning smiled and turned to check on the loquats simmering on the other side, replying as she did so.
“Thank you for the praise, Your Highness. But rather than going to Yu Shanfang as the head chef, I’d be much happier if Your Highness could inscribe a plaque for my tavern in the future.”
Of course, being the boss is much more comfortable than working for someone else.
Hearing her words, the Little Crown Prince finally remembered that Jiang Ning had come to the palace to treat Ji Ke’s illness, not to become a royal chef.
He sighed regretfully, cupping his little face in his hands. “Alright, I’ll inscribe a plaque for you when the time comes.”
Jiang Ning had originally been joking, but upon hearing this, she stopped scooping the loquat jam and looked at him seriously.
“Is Your Highness serious?”
“Inscribing a plaque for a tavern—Ji Ke has done it too. It’s not a big deal.”
Jiang Ning’s face lit up with joy, and she couldn’t help but laugh. She wondered if there was a chance to get Ji Ke to inscribe one as well. With the two of them giving their endorsements, wouldn’t she make a fortune?
“Thank you, Your Highness. I’ll make you milk tea in a few days.”
Lost in blissful thoughts of the future, she spread a piece of gauze over a basin and poured the loquat jam from the pot into it.
She twisted the gauze tightly, and the simmered loquat juice flowed out like honey, without a trace of cloudy residue.
Jiang Ning poured it back into a clean pot, added large chunks of old rock sugar, and turned up the heat to simmer and reduce the liquid.
The Crown Prince clearly wasn’t in as high spirits as she was, his lips pouting so much they could have hung an oil bottle.
“You lied to me.”
As soon as these words were spoken, Ji Ke, who had just arrived at the doorway, stopped in his tracks without making a sound.
His ink-black eyes seemed washed by spring water—clear, cool, and moist—and they met Jiang Ning’s gaze quietly.
As if waiting for her explanation.
Author’s Note:
Jiang Ning: Let me explain! (Just kidding!)
P.S.: The rose jam from the previous chapter isn’t something you can just pick and make—some varieties aren’t edible.