By the time the matters regarding the Laba Festival were settled, it was already time to light the lamps.
Since it was a festival, Muxue told Nanny Wu to return home to have dinner with her husband and nursing brother, so she wouldn't need to serve here.
The Imperial Kitchen sent over dim sum, and a table full of it was laid out under the orange-red lamp light, looking very appetizing. In addition to the usual palace pastries, there were a few new varieties, such as black sesame and almond paste.
The last time Muxue had eaten black sesame paste, she had mentioned it in passing, and the people in the Imperial Kitchen had remembered it, making a point to prepare and send it today.
In the winter weather, holding a bowl of black sesame and almond paste and eating it in small mouthfuls was very delightful.
After finishing half a bowl, she heard someone announcing from outside that a messenger had come from the Efu.
When Dorji came to Beijing, he brought only a few personal guards and no maidservants or female attendants. Muxue had asked a certain Mama Kang, who could speak the Mongolian language, to keep a watchful eye on him.
Mama Kang entered and performed a bow. "The Efu says that regarding the banquet guests, he only has two old acquaintances from his former tribe in Beijing, and he has already sent people to invite them."
Muxue nodded. "I see."
In her mind, she thought that Dorji didn't seem to have any friends here. She wondered what he did all day.
Thinking this, she simply asked aloud, "What has the Efu been doing today? Does he have any pastimes?"
"In response to the Princess, the Efu practices martial arts every day. Sometimes he goes hunting with his personal guards, and occasionally he goes to see the streets," Mama Kang said. "However, because they don't speak much Han Chinese, it seems inconvenient for them to go out."
She stole a glance at Muxue’s expression. Since the Princess was inclined to ask, she must care about the Efu, right? Thus, she added a sentence: "Perhaps, when the Princess has time, she could go to the streets with the Efu to have a look? The New Year is approaching, and the streets are very lively."
The streets of the capital during the New Year season… Muxue truly wanted to see them; she had never seen such a sight. It seemed a bit strange to leave the residence alone, but it would be good to go under the guise of showing the Mongol Efu around.
She would find an opportunity to go wandering after the guest hosting was over.
She took a spoonful of the black sesame and almond paste and said, "This dessert is quite good. Have the Imperial Kitchen send some to the Efu as well."
"As you command."
After reporting the matter, Mama Kang prepared to take her leave. It happened that Mama Zhao also rose to excuse herself, so the two walked together for a stretch.
Both of them had been dispatched from the Imperial Household Department and had crossed paths before.
Mama Kang exchanged pleasantries: "You've been busy lately; you look a bit thinner."
"During the New Year season, it's unavoidable. Fortunately, the matters for the banquet are basically settled," Mama Zhao said. "I haven't had a chance to ask, how are things on the Efu’s side?"
"It's alright, he just looks a bit lonely."
The two looked at each other, both understanding the situation.
Newlywed couples, logically, should have deep feelings and stick together all day, but the Princess and the Efu rarely spent time together on ordinary days.
Mama Zhao had stayed in the palace for many years and knew how things worked. In the beginning, the Efu had been quite enthusiastic toward the Princess. The Princess, however, was somewhat indifferent. Seeing this attitude, the Efu had also become a bit cold toward her.
Regarding the relationship between a Princess and an Efu, since the founding of the current dynasty, it had always been a complicated account. When Mama Zhao used to serve in the Taihou's palace, she would occasionally hear stories about a certain Princess and a certain Efu having a huge quarrel and so on.
This was mostly related to the rules of a Princess's marriage. A Princess was of the royal golden branches and green leaves; after marriage, the Efu and his parents all had to treat her according to the rituals between ruler and subject, bending their knees to greet her and such. Friction was inevitable in daily life.
Furthermore, according to the rules, the items brought by the Princess during her marriage and the accompanying households were all owned exclusively by the Princess. In the event of the Princess's death, unless a special grace was granted, all items were returned to the Imperial Household Department. These things had absolutely nothing to do with the Efu's family.
With all these rules stacked up, a Princess and an Efu with truly harmonious feelings were a rare sight.
It was just that Mama Zhao personally hoped the Princess could get along well with the Efu.
She had been sent to the Fourth Princess's side partly by relying on the power of Yi Fei. Having stayed in the palace for so many years, although she was diligent and conscientious, she could never be promoted because she was of Han Chinese bondservants' origin. Therefore, she was willing to come to the princess's residence to be a Steward Matron, which was more comfortable.
Before leaving the palace, Yi Fei had specifically instructed her that everything must prioritize the Princess.
At that time, Yi Fei had said, "The Fourth Princess is young, and her personality is a bit prone to keeping people at a distance. If you see that the Efu is a good man, try your best to bring them together. After all, he is the person she has to face for the better part of her life. If he can make her happy and bring her joy, that would be a blessing one couldn't even get by praying to the gods and Buddha."
Looking at it now, the first half had certainly come true. She still had to think of a way; if they really waited until a few years later when the Efu had Side Consorts like other Efus, then all hope would be lost.
Mama Zhao and Mama Kang chatted idly as they arrived at the Imperial Kitchen together.
"Oh, today is truly an auspicious day, both Matrons have come over. Little Luzi, hurry and pour some tea."
In the Imperial Kitchen, the head eunuch Qian Cheng had originally been warming himself by the stove. Seeing the two approach, he immediately stood up and signaled his apprentice to pour tea.
In the princess's residence now, the Princess clearly relied on the Steward Matron more than the Head Eunuch, so Qian Cheng was also very attentive.
Mama Kang smiled. "The Princess tasted the dim sum you made just now and thought it was good. She asked for an identical portion to be sent to the Efu."
Hearing this, Qian Cheng immediately led his apprentices to get to work.
The ingredients were all ready, and it was quick to make. They had originally prepared extra portions in case the Princess wanted more, so very quickly, a table full of dim sum, including the black sesame and almond paste, was ready.
Qian Cheng, thinking that he would also be going to Mobei in the future, intended to show some respect to the Efu. He asked with a beaming smile, "Making these fine snacks for one person or two is the same; it doesn't take much extra effort. In the future, whenever the Princess has dim sum, should I send an identical portion to the Efu?"
He looked at Mama Zhao out of the corner of his eye, and Mama Kang did the same.
"Very well," Mama Zhao said. "I will mention it to the Princess later—that whatever she has, a duplicate portion should be sent to the Efu's side."
The things the Princess liked to eat always tasted good; the Efu certainly wouldn't dislike them. As the saying goes, one's mouth is softened by the food they receive; hopefully, it would be of some use with the Efu.
Reporting matters to the master was also an art. Mama Zhao had quite some experience; since this was something she wanted to facilitate, she had to pick a time when the master was in a good mood or busy handling affairs, as the probability of success would be higher.
The next day, Mama Zhao spotted an opening and mentioned the matter as if casually: "When I went to the Imperial Kitchen yesterday, I saw they were making extra dim sum. Why don't we send the same to the Efu from now on?"
Muxue didn't think much of it and waved her hand, agreeing.
She was currently tallying the income of the princess's residence and was in a good mood.
When a Princess married, the dowry silver was given in a lump sum of one hundred taels of gold and ten thousand taels of silver. Furthermore, an annual stipend of one thousand taels and an ample supply of silk fabrics were given in advance. Additionally, a sum of silver from land rent would be distributed after the New Year; this was much more than what she had before leaving the palace.
It was just one more portion of dim sum; could it possibly eat her out of house and home?
Having received the master's approval, the Imperial Kitchen immediately swung into action. Every day, whatever the Princess ate, a portion was also sent to the Efu's West Courtyard.
After two consecutive meals of dim sum were delivered, the people in the West Courtyard were somewhat stunned.
Monke, the personal guard who had followed Dorji from Mobei to the capital, remarked with emotion, "The Princess loves you very much, sending so many delicious things in succession."
Because so much dim sum was sent, Dorji couldn't finish it all alone, so the leftovers were distributed among the personal guards.
How could Monke and the others have ever eaten such delicate little snacks? Date blossom cakes, osmanthus lotus root powder, peach crisps, egg yolk crisps… each of them ate with glowing eyes.
Among the dim sum delivered this time, the special one was a basket of salted egg yolk custard buns.
Such soft white buns, made so small and exquisite—one bite and the egg yolk lava filled the mouth with fragrance.
Dorji ate one and couldn't help but think of the Fourth Princess.
With the first meal of dim sum, he thought it was some custom similar to Laba Congee, but that Matron said the Princess had specifically ordered it to be made for him.
Since then, several meals of dim sum had been delivered in succession, all of them both beautiful and delicious.
He knew that the Imperial Palace had two meals a day, and he had been following that before, one meal in the morning and one in the afternoon. Yet the Princess actually sent him dim sum three times a day: breakfast, evening snack, and afternoon tea. And one could tell from a glance that it was very thoughtfully prepared food.
Could it be that the Princess felt her attitude toward him that day was a bit poor, and being too embarrassed to apologize directly, she was secretly expressing her feelings through the dim sum?
Girls on the grasslands would make delicious milk curd for their beloveds; perhaps the Princess had the same intention.
Dorji speculated in his heart, and a slight smile appeared on his face.
"Little Prince, eat less," Monke said, staring at the remaining two salted egg yolk custard buns. "We have a banquet to eat later!"
"…You just want to eat this little bun, what excuses are you looking for?"