Zhuang Yunlan wasn’t particularly surprised this time.
She figured it might be because she was a new employee, and her boss wasn’t entirely confident in her work performance yet, so he was checking in on her.
Zhuang Yunlan entered to pay her respects to the Crown Prince.
At that moment, the Crown Prince was still seated at his chicken-wing wood desk in the western inner chamber, but his writing brush had already been placed on the brush stand. He was looking at the calligraphy spread out on the desk.
Zhuang Yunlan had initially assumed the Crown Prince was admiring his own freshly completed masterpiece, but when he called her over, she felt a bit embarrassed.
Because the Crown Prince was looking at the characters she had written earlier to pass the time when she had nothing better to do.
Zhuang Yunlan almost covered her face.
The Crown Prince chuckled and pulled her hand away. “Why are you so shy? This is quite well-written. I heard from Mother that you also paint. Why not show me something you’ve painted someday?”
Zhuang Yunlan was nearly speechless. “The Empress still remembers me?”
“Of course she does,” the Crown Prince replied. “Mother has seen plenty of famous paintings. If she remembers you, it must mean your painting is truly exceptional. How come I never noticed it before?” Recalling the demeanor of this little consort over the past few days, his expression carried a hint of surprise. “Was it during the final selection? What did you paint?”
Zhuang Yunlan:…
How could he look down on her like that?
She told the Crown Prince, “I painted the autumn scenery of Qionghua Palace’s garden. At the time, some were playing the zither, others were embroidering double-sided embroidery. I wasn’t particularly skilled in any of those, so I could only paint a picture. If Your Highness wishes to see it, I can paint another one for you. However, I don’t remember the autumn scenery very clearly. Would a winter scene be acceptable?”
“Now you’re being modest again,” the Crown Prince teased, not missing the flash of defiance in her eyes earlier. Amused, he pulled her into his embrace. “I never doubted you. Didn’t I even assign you to assist the Crown Princess with her duties? Judging by your expression, it seems the task went well?”
He guessed right!
A sense of pride swelled in Zhuang Yunlan’s heart at having correctly guessed the thoughts of a royal descendant.
Before entering the palace, she couldn’t even be sure of her own parents’ thoughts.
She had improved!
Eagerly, Zhuang Yunlan reported her day’s work to the Crown Prince, from how beautiful the newly presented tribute brocades and satins from the Shangfu Bureau were, to how delicious the newly developed dishes from the Shangshi Bureau tasted.
The Crown Prince had been listening attentively at first, but after a moment of surprise, he found himself swayed by her enthusiasm.
Then the two of them began discussing whether the Cherry Pork with Yam was really that delicious.
Zhuang Yunlan: Delicious! She had never thought yam could taste so good before trying that dish!
The Crown Prince: Impossible. It’s just a few pieces of yam. How good could it possibly be?
In the end, the Crown Prince decided to order that very dish to taste it for himself.
Once the meal was served, Zhuang Yunlan eagerly picked up a piece of meat for the Crown Prince, her eyes sparkling as she waited for his verdict. She swore she had never been this obsequious in her entire life.
The Crown Prince suppressed a laugh and lowered his head to eat.
Silly girl. Anyone who didn’t know better would think she had cooked the dish herself.
But… it really was quite delicious.
However, the Crown Prince deliberately teased her, still holding back a smile as he said, “But you didn’t pick up any yam. Isn’t the yam supposed to be the main part of this dish? What’s the point if only the meat tastes good?”
Unconvinced, Zhuang Yunlan picked up a piece of yam for the Crown Prince. “Then try some yam, Your Highness. It tastes just like the meat!”
"Alright," The Crown Prince couldn't help but laugh. "If you say it's delicious, then it's delicious. Later, when the menu is submitted, I'll see if this dish is on it. If not, I'll add it for you."
Zhuang Yunlan happily expressed her gratitude.
Not just for keeping the dish, but because The Crown Prince shared her refined taste!
The Crown Prince ate that piece of yam.
By the end of the meal, the other dishes had barely been touched, while that Cherry Pork with Yam was nearly finished.
This time, The Crown Prince didn't drag Zhuang Yunlan out for a walk to aid digestion. Instead, he had the chessboard set up in the western side room.
Zhuang Yunlan leaned over to look, and her cheerful mood slightly diminished.
The Crown Prince didn't want to play Shuanglu with her—he wanted to play Go.
Zhuang Yunlan, who was too lazy to calculate and was a terrible player: …
She wanted to cry, but she didn't say it.
Zhuang Yunlan dawdled as she sat down opposite The Crown Prince.
"Why that expression?" The Crown Prince asked, amused. "I'll let you use the black stones, and I won't even make you give me a handicap, alright? We're just playing for fun. Do you really think I'd do anything to you over a game of Go?"
Zhuang Yunlan had no choice but to brace herself and play.
As the game went on, The Crown Prince's expression began to change.
To be honest, this was the first time The Crown Prince had played Go with one of his consorts. Before, he had always played with ministers.
But he had always assumed that music, chess, calligraphy, and painting were part of the same system. Since Zhuang Shi wrote beautifully and her paintings had impressed the Empress, her Go skills should also be decent.
He never expected that this sudden whim would open his eyes to something like this.
What kind of play was this?
It was terrible!
The Crown Prince had never seen anyone play Go so poorly.
This wasn't just losing—it was practically walking straight into a dead end.
And yet, Zhuang Shi's expression was utterly serious. The Crown Prince could tell she wasn't deliberately trying to lose to make him happy.
The Crown Prince held back again and again, but finally, he couldn't take it anymore.
"Why not play here?" He took Zhuang Yunlan's hand holding the stone and moved the piece that was about to seal its own fate to another spot. "Wouldn't that make this group alive?"
"Ah?" Zhuang Yunlan leaned closer to the board to look. It really would!
She sincerely praised The Crown Prince: "Your Highness is truly remarkable. This consort didn't see that at all."
In the distant days of her childhood before she transmigrated, she had also been mercilessly sent by her parents to the children's palace, enrolled in countless hobby classes. But Zhuang Yunlan had always believed that hobbies should be for relaxation and entertainment.
For something like Go, which required exhausting mental calculations, Zhuang Yunlan chose to keep her distance. But that didn't stop her from admiring those who played Go well.
Back then, there was a child prodigy at their children's palace who was said to have never lost a game and had even won first place in some city-wide competition.
After the competition, the children's palace hung a banner featuring the prodigy for enrollment promotion. Because of her good looks, Zhuang Yunlan was also dragged in by the teacher to make an appearance: she stood with others from the children's palace in front of the banner for a group photo. The prodigy naturally took the center spot, and Zhuang Yunlan was placed right beside him.
That day, she even seized the chance to ask the prodigy for an autograph. If he ever became famous, this would be proof that she had once been in close contact with a celebrity!
Later, she heard the prodigy had gone to compete professionally, aiming to become a professional Go player.
Unfortunately, before the prodigy could achieve fame, Zhuang Yunlan transmigrated first.
Now, she felt The Crown Prince's Go skills were probably no worse than that prodigy's back then.
Even after she had played the black stones so poorly, The Crown Prince could still revive her position. That was no ordinary skill!
The Crown Prince's image instantly rose several notches in Zhuang Yunlan's estimation.
It was as if all the flattering praises she had once heard about The Crown Prince had materialized into tangible reality at this moment.
The praise wasn't empty—The Crown Prince truly possessed talent.
Zhuang Yunlan's gaze toward The Crown Prince now held genuine admiration!
The Crown Prince's lingering irritation melted away instantly under the warmth of her smiling face.
He cleared his throat softly and said, "Well, your chess skills really aren't up to par. Who taught you? Never mind, I'll teach you myself."
True to his word, he moved a white piece himself, then guided Zhuang Yunlan's hand to place a black piece, explaining why it should go in that position.
Unfortunately, Zhuang Yunlan had started too poorly, and in the end, the white pieces still won.
As expected, The Crown Prince glanced at the now fully engaged young woman and said with a smile, "Alright, no need to feel regretful. I'll play with you another day and let you win, how about that?"