Eastern Four-Halls.
“Your Highness, Primary Consort, Head Eunuch Liang from the Qianqing Palace is here.”
Upon receiving this news, the couple felt a jolt of alarm. Why is he here at this hour?
There was no time to overthink. The two immediately jumped out of bed, washed up, and re-dressed, while their thoughts rapidly cleared.
Could it be that the incident at the Yuqing Palace reached Imperial Father’s ears, and he specifically sent someone to pronounce judgment and mete out punishment?
At this thought, Wuyunzhu’s heart beat with anxiety, and she silently cursed Primary Consort Eighth all over again.
Yingtang harbored similar suspicions. Noticing that his primary consort’s delicate face was tightly drawn and she looked thoroughly terrified, he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and comforted her, “Don’t be afraid. If Imperial Father wants to blame someone, the Prince will block it for you.”
This might not necessarily be effective, but it sounded deeply touching. Wuyunzhu cast a grateful smile his way.
As soon as the two arrived at the front courtyard, Liang Jiugong rose to his feet and bowed in greeting. “This servant pays respects to the Ninth Prince and the Ninth Primary Consort.”
Seeing his relaxed expression—not at all resembling someone coming to pronounce a penalty—the couple’s worries were halved.
“Head Eunuch Liang is paying a visit so late at night. Could it be that His Majesty has issued some decree?”
Liang Jiugong spoke slowly, “His Majesty heard about what happened today at the Yuqing Palace. Knowing that the Ninth Primary Consort suffered a grievance, His Majesty specifically sent this servant to deliver a reward to you.”
With that, he opened the brocade box, revealing a fine-textured and warmly lustrous Hotan jade ruyi scepter with an exquisite design.
Seeing this item, Wuyunzhu finally laid all her worries to rest, offered words of gratitude, and accepted the reward.
Yingtang was overjoyed in his heart and signaled someone to slip a small money pouch to Liang Jiugong.
Liang Jiugong pocketed it, the smile on his face growing even more pronounced. He had run to several places to transmit messages tonight, but this was the only one that had come with a reward.
“I won’t disturb the two of you any longer as you rest. This servant will return to the palace to report back.”
“He Yuzhu, go see Head Eunuch Liang out.”
…
Having received Kangxi’s reward and with the crisis defused, both were somewhat exhilarated. Unable to fall asleep, they once again engaged in the game of “sprites brawling.”
Perhaps because of the massive expenditure of physical energy from the previous night’s sparring, Wuyunzhu woke up ravenously hungry early in the morning. When she tried to sit up, however, she felt sore all over and couldn’t get up at all.
Having formed the habit of waking early from his days of studying, Yingtang was already awake at this hour, though he was reluctant to get up.
Hearing the soft groans of the person beside his pillow, he quickly opened his eyes and asked with full concern, “What’s wrong?”
Wuyunzhu glared at him and rebuked him unhappily, “It’s all your fault…”
Yingtang wore an expression of pure innocence.
Wuyunzhu rolled over, thumped her aching lower back, and muttered, “Tonight I’m sleeping in a separate bed with you. You’re too much of a beast.”
Oh…
Yingtang had a sudden epiphany, followed immediately by covert self-satisfaction: It’s just because I’m so exceptionally capable, hehe.
But sleeping in separate beds was absolutely out of the question!
Acting like an eager flatterer, Yingtang sidled closer and diligently massaged his primary consort’s shoulders and beat her legs with tender care.
“Last night the Prince was too wild and made the primary consort suffer; tonight I will definitely exercise restraint. Let’s not separate our beds, alright?”
“No.” Wuyunzhu refused with crisp and absolute finality.
Still no? Then don’t blame me.
Yingtang reached both hands up from her waistline, sliding them toward her armpits before giving a light tickle. The person beneath him burst into helpless, breathless laughter.
He asked again, “We won’t separate beds tonight, deal?”
“No… hahaha… deal, I agree, no separating, we won’t separate…”
Only because Yingtang was still within his wedding leave period—neither needing to attend studies nor report to his official office—did he have the time to carry on like this.
Next door in the Third-Halls, the Eighth Prince was already dressed neatly and seated before the dining table, preparing to finish his meal before heading off to official duties at the yamen.
However, the table was entirely filled with bitter melon side dishes: scrambled eggs with bitter melon, stuffed bitter melon, stir-fried yams with bitter melon, braised pork ribs with bitter melon, bitter melon congee with preserved eggs…
How could anyone swallow this?
The Eighth Prince furrowed his brow deeply. “What is the meaning of this?”
Primary Consort Eighth had taken a reprimand last night and was already in a foul mood; seeing this table of green, bitter vegetables made her anger flare up even higher.
“Are these a pack of dog-slaves starting to perfunctorily dismiss this primary consort again just because I caught a reprimand?”
The manager of the small kitchen was summoned for questioning.
The manager replied cautiously, “This servant wouldn’t dare. When we went to collect ingredients from the Imperial Kitchen this morning, the Grand Superintendent of the Kitchen instructed us to cook these exact dishes.”
For no good reason, why would the Imperial Kitchen start meddling with the meals of the Princes’ Quarters? The Eighth Prince felt a flicker of doubt.
Primary Consort Eighth’s anger remained unquenched, and she sharply scolded the manager, “The Imperial Kitchen tells you to make something, and you just make it? Are you a servant of the Third-Halls, or are you a servant of the kitchen?
If you don’t want to serve here anymore, go back to the Imperial Household Department so you stop annoying this primary consort.”
The manager dropped to his knees in a panic, crying with a bitter face, “This servant is terrified, but the Grand Superintendent of the Kitchen genuinely only gave us these ingredients and nothing else.”
“Hmph! The Grand Superintendent of the Kitchen—what an impressive display of authority.” Primary Consort Eighth laughed out of sheer fury. “Cuiye, go call the Superintendent of the Imperial Kitchen here for me! I want to ask him where he got the guts to dare skim the rations of the Princes’ Quarters.”
The Eighth Prince remained silent, though the same thought lingered in his mind. It must be that Imperial Father’s decree scolding him last night had leaked out.
These servants had always fawned on the high and bullied the low; thinking that he had lost imperial favor after being reprimanded, they were starting to trip him up.
Very well, I’ll let the primary consort properly discipline them.
Attending court was urgent. The Eighth Prince picked up his chopsticks, deciding to force himself to swallow a few bites, but the dishes had an intensely bitter and astringent taste that made them truly impossible to swallow down.
He summoned the young eunuch standing by the door and instructed, “Xiao Linzi, go to the Ninth Prince’s…”
Before he finished speaking, he realized the impropriety. The current Four-Halls no longer belonged solely to Ninth Brother. Moreover, after what happened yesterday, he ultimately lacked the face to ask Ninth Brother for assistance.
He corrected himself, “Go to the Fourth Brother’s place and borrow a morning meal.”
Both he and Fourth Brother had once been raised under the knee of Empress Xiaoyi, and their bond was deep. Fourth Brother shouldn’t refuse, and since Fourth Brother was tight-lipped, the matter wouldn’t leak out.
Sure enough, although the Fourth Prince and Fourth Primary Consort were puzzled, they asked no questions and silently instructed people to pack the food into food boxes.
Before long, Xiao Linzi returned to the Third-Halls carrying two large food boxes.
Looking at this table of meals complete with color, aroma, and flavor, the Eighth Prince couldn’t help sighing, “Fourth Brother is still the righteous one.”
Primary Consort Eighth curled her lip. Aren’t they just a few dishes? Yet His Highness is acting as deeply grateful as if he’d received some supreme imperial grace.
“Eat quickly, Your Highness.”
“Mhm, Primary Consort, partake as well.”
Just as this morning meal was drawing to a close, Lanzhu, the Superintendent of the Imperial Kitchen, arrived.
“This servant pays respects to the Eighth Prince and Eighth Primary Consort.”
Upon seeing him, the little flame of wrath in the depths of Primary Consort Eighth’s heart reignited.
“Lanzhu, you have immense nerve! How dare you skim the provisions allocated to the Princes’ Quarters!”
Lanzhu dropped hurriedly to his knees. “This servant wouldn’t dare; this servant has only acted in accordance with the rules.”
“Wouldn’t dare? I’d say your courage is massive. According to the rules? Take a good look at that table of bitter melons and explain to this primary consort which imperial prince’s provision allocation looks like this.”
“It’s true I received a reprimand, but I am still a master! How can you low slaves treat us with contempt?”
With that, Primary Consort Eighth snatched up a plate of bitter melon scrambled eggs and hurled it at Lanzhu’s shoulder.
Lanzhu closed his eyes and endured the blow, then lowered his head to answer, “This servant is terrified. This servant harbors not the slightest intent of overstepping.”
“This bitter melon banquet was specifically ordered by the Emperor himself. This servant is merely acting upon imperial decree.”
“Acting upon imperial decree?” Primary Consort Eighth refused to believe it at all. “Lanzhu, you dare to use Imperial Father to press down upon me? You truly have no regard for this primary consort or the Eighth Prince in your eyes.”
She snatched up another plate of stuffed bitter melon and hurled it across.
Right at that moment, a youthful voice rang out from outside.
“Yo, what is going on here?”
Hearing that voice, Lanzhu felt a wave of relief wash over him. His savior had finally arrived.
When Primary Consort Eighth had dispatched a palace maid to summon him, he had sensed trouble was brewing. Taking advantage of the moment to change his clothes, he had sent his young apprentice to invite Eunuch Wei Zhu.
Wei Zhu was Liang Jiugong’s adoptive son, and the Eighth Prince accorded him a measure of respect as well, stepping forward with a welcoming smile. “Why has Eunuch Wei graced us with his presence?”
Seeing Lanzhu in such a disheveled and wretched state, Wei Zhu understood the situation instantly.
“The Emperor heard that the Eighth Primary Consort’s internal heat has been running high lately, so he specifically commanded the Imperial Kitchen to prepare some bitter melon side dishes so that the two of you can clear away heat, dispel summer vexation, and calm your fires.”
It truly was Imperial Father’s intention?
The Eighth Prince clenched his fists tightly in secret. Clearly, the punishment had already been handed down last night—why come to humiliate them again today?
Wei Zhu feigned noticing the table of bitter melons for the first time, looking astonished. “Have Eighth Lord and Eighth Primary Consort not eaten yet? His Majesty’s intentions are deep and profound; the two of you must not辜负 (fail to live up to) them.”
With that, he flicked his horsetail whisk, stood tall before the table, and beamed amiably at the pair.
Truly a “bitterly” profound intention indeed.
The Eighth Prince and Primary Consort Eighth exchanged glances, then silently dragged themselves back to the dining table to partake in this bitter melon banquet.
Bitter melon already had an unpalatable texture, and since they had already eaten until their stomachs were seventy or eighty percent full, forcing down more food was nothing short of a form of torture.
The Eighth Prince felt profound remorse. He shouldn’t have given in to a momentary flash of pride today. Even if he had gone to the yamen on an empty stomach and sent a small eunuch out to buy minor street snacks, it would have been infinitely better than this.
He didn’t need to suffer this torment today at all.
Four-Halls.
Under Yingtang’s massage, the pain in Wuyunzhu’s body had genuinely eased considerably. She looked somewhat surprised. “How does Your Highness know how to do this?”
Shouldn’t he be the sort who waited on others?
Yingtang looked rather proud. “When the Prince was studying martial arts as a child, I picked this up along the way. This skill of mine—not bad, right?”
“Not just not bad, it’s fantastic.” Wuyunzhu never skimped on her praises.
“Then is there any reward?” Yingtang pushed his luck.
Wuyunzhu pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. “There is. As a reward, you get to serve me in bed tonight.”
“You… you… is ‘serving in bed’ something you can just say out wide?” Yingtang’s eyes widened in sheer shock.
Wuyunzhu gazed at him righteously. “In our own private boudoir, is there anything we can’t say? Or does Your Highness plan to go recount this to others?”
That certainly wouldn’t happen. The Primary Consort was right; in the privacy of the boudoir, practically anything could be said.
Savoring the demeanor with which his primary consort had just uttered the words “serve in bed,” Yingtang found it remarkably adorable.
Noticing sunlight filtering into the room, the two stopped lingering and got out of bed to wash up and dine.
After the meal, Wuyunzhu discussed a matter with Yingtang. “Your Highness, I’d like to go visit Third Sister-in-law. Primary Consort Eighth was originally aiming at me last night, and Third Sister-in-law took the brunt of the collision to defend me.”
Yingtang nodded. “It’s only right. Third Sister-in-law is carrying a child, so we ought to send a gift as well.”
“Mhm.”
The two instructed their trusted aides to select gifts from the treasury.
As they were heading out, Yingtang left Li Dacheng behind. “Go investigate the servants within the Four-Halls. Find out who they saw yesterday and what was said.”
With a sharp mind, Li Dacheng immediately grasped what the Ninth Prince wanted to investigate. “Understood.”
The Third Prince resided in the Western First-Halls, and getting there required passing through the Imperial Garden. It was early summer, and the garden was lush with greenery and blooming flowers of every hue, presenting a magnificent landscape. As the two walked along, they encountered several concubines enjoying the blossoms.
Wuyunzhu couldn’t help marveling that the phrase “spring colors filling a garden cannot be contained” was truly apt; no wonder certain historical dramas loved setting the Imperial Garden as a trysting spot for secret affairs.
Western First-Halls.
Walking into the small courtyard, Wuyunzhu saw Third Consort reclining on a lounge chair, eyes closed to soak up the sun, with a palace maid beside her reading aloud from a storybook.
What an utterly leisurely life.
“Third Sister-in-law, I’ve come to see you.”
Third Consort hurriedly opened her eyes and motioned for the two to sit.
Wuyunzhu placed the gift box on the stone table. “Third Sister-in-law suffered because she was implicated by me yesterday and encountered this ordeal. Fortunately, Third Sister-in-law and the little nephew are deeply blessed and unharmed; otherwise, I wouldn’t dare come see you in the future.”
Third Consort pulled her hand over and soothed her. “How can this be blamed on you? If anyone is to blame, it’s Primary Consort Eighth. But at least she’s received her lesson this time—let’s see if she ever dares run her mouth with nonsense again.”
“A lesson? What lesson?”
“The two of you don’t know yet?” Third Consort then shared the news of Primary Consort Eighth being placed under confinement and the Eighth Prince’s stipend being docked, leaning in close to whisper into Wuyunzhu’s ear: “To tell you the truth, when I heard this news, I felt so exhilarated that I didn’t even need to take medicine—my health completely recovered on the spot.”
Wuyunzhu nodded vigorously. Venting the pent-up frustration made one feel refreshed, and a good mood naturally cured all ailments.
Yingtang also felt a sense of vindication, though deep down he still felt a tiny twinge of sorrow: Eighth Brother really had been implicated by Guwalgiya. But he didn’t dare show it, fearing his primary consort would dislike it.
After staying for half an hour, the couple rose to take their leave. As they went out, they happened to run into Third Consort’s eldest son, Hongqing.
A three-year-old toddler, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, walking like a little duckling, speaking in a sweet, milky voice when calling out to people—he couldn’t possibly be any cuter.
Yingtang watched with immense envy and asked Wuyunzhu, “Primary Consort, let the Prince summon an imperial physician to check your pulse. Maybe a single feel of the wrist will reveal glad tidings of pregnancy.”
Wuyunzhu wore a speechless expression. “A pregnancy pulse can only be diagnosed after at least a month. We’ve only been married for three days—how could it possibly show up so fast?”
Yingtang pouted in frustration for a brief moment before muttering to himself, “Then we’ll just ask in a month. Actually, the Prince feels that the little prince might already have arrived, and it’s just that the imperial physician’s medical skills are subpar and he can’t diagnose it…”
Wuyunzhu perfunctorily nodded in agreement, while internally mocking: You’re the greatest; the medical world is simply missing a brilliant fool like you.
Strolling all the way back to the Four-Halls, the moment they stepped through the doors, Caixia greeted them with an excited look, her two eyes shining brightly as she gazed at Wuyunzhu with a look that suggested she had words held back on the tip of her tongue.
Judging by Wuyunzhu’s understanding of her, this girl had definitely caught wind of some massive gossip.