The Tenth Prince, Yinue, had already returned to the Eastern Five-Halls. The moment he stepped into the courtyard, a wave of alluring fragrance drifted over, hooking every single worm of temptation in his belly.
“What delicious food is the small kitchen making today? Hurry up and bring it out for Your Lordship.”
Soon, the dishes were served. At a glance, they were simply the usual routine dishes, nothing at all like the aroma he had just caught a whiff of.
After taking two bites, he pushed the chopsticks aside in disdain.
He paced back and forth around the courtyard, finally concluding that this rich fragrance was wafting straight over from the neighboring Fourth-Halls.
Had this been the past, he would have scaled the wall without a second thought to investigate.
Yet, now that Ninth Brother was married and there were female members of the household inside, he no longer dared to step foot across without Ninth Brother accompanying him.
The nonsense Primary Consort Eighth had spouted that night had served as a timely reminder: Ninth Sister-in-law was his exact age, so he had to maintain proper boundaries and avoid suspicion.
Thus, he sat by the entrance of the Fifth-Halls and waited, finally spotting Yingtang returning and immediately swarming up to him.
“Ninth Brother, you’re finally back.”
“When did your small kitchen change chefs? What on earth are they cooking? It’s driving me crazy with craving!”
“They didn’t change chefs.” Yingtang shook his head in denial, though the aroma was indeed intensely rich, completely washing away his bloody memories of the Ministry of Punishments.
“Go inside and take a look, and you’ll know.”
The two brothers arrived at the small kitchen and were utterly astounded by the sight within.
“Primary Consort, why are you here?”
Wuyunzhu laid down the bowl of cream she was holding and walked a few steps outward.
“I wanted to make some food and send it over to niang to fulfill a daughter-in-law’s filial duties.”
Yingtang didn’t quite approve. “If you want to make something, just give an order to the staff below—why do it yourself? What if you get hurt or scalded?”
“The things I want to make are beyond them, so I have to do it myself. Besides, this is originally my heartfelt sentiment toward the elders; how can I delegate it to others?”
Hearing this, Yingtang’s heart melted into a puddle of mush. The Primary Consort must love him to the absolute core, which was why she loved what belonged to him and cared this deeply for his mother.
He would have to treat his own father-in-law and mother-in-law much better in the future, too!
“Is Ninth Sister-in-law making some kind of novel pastry?” Yinue wedged himself into the conversation.
“Cream cake. It’ll be ready soon, Tenth Brother can stay and taste some together.”
“It’s actually a cake! Ninth Sister-in-law, you actually know how to make this?” Yinue instantly grew excited.
“Is this item very rare?” Yingtang didn’t quite understand the Tenth Prince’s excitement.
Yinue’s eyes were practically glowing. “It’s extremely rare!”
“I heard my personal attendant mention earlier that a pastry shop opened in the capital this year selling a novel food called a cream cake, which is exceptionally, incredibly delicious. He tasted it once and said it was so good he almost swallowed his tongue along with it, but unfortunately, I’ve never tasted it myself.”
With that, he gazed imploringly at Wuyunzhu. “Ninth Sister-in-law, is that shop yours?”
Wuyunzhu nodded.
“Then can Ninth Sister-in-law show some leniency, do this younger brother a favor in the future, and let me cut to the front of the queue?”
“No.” Wuyunzhu refused with a gentle smile.
“Alright then.” Yinue drooped his head in defeat, resembling a fighting cock that had just lost its match.
“But I can let you eat cream cake today.”
With the tables turning so suddenly, Yinue was overjoyed. “Thank you, Ninth Sister-in-law. Ninth Sister-in-law, you truly are beautiful and kind-hearted; if you have any instructions in the future, just dispatch this younger brother.”
Seeing him like this—so fond of the things she made—Wuyunzhu was quite pleased as well. “It’s just a bit of food, not worth all this fuss from Tenth Brother.”
“It is worth it, it is worth it.” Yinue nodded vigorously.
Seeing this, Yingtang grew somewhat curious. “Is it really that joyful?”
Yinue nodded and proceeded to explain to him:
“Ninth Brother, you have no idea how good that shop’s business is. The moment it opens for business every day, everything sells out in less than a quarter of an hour.”
“I sent a small eunuch to buy some, but unfortunately that fellow was useless and couldn’t buy a single one for over a month.”
Yingtang looked at Wuyunzhu. “Since business is this good, why doesn’t the Primary Consort have people make more?”
Wuyunzhu shook her head. “Making those cakes consumes an immense amount of time; at most, we can only produce fifteen a day.”
After all, lacking an electric cream whisk, she had to rely entirely on manual labor to whip the cream, meaning the speed could never be pushed up.
Yinue: “No wonder my attendant said he had his servants line up for reservations and had to wait a full month just to pick one up.”
Hearing this, Yingtang grew even more curious about this so-called cake—just how delicious could it possibly be to make people this obsessed?
“Primary Consort, is the cake ready?”
“Should be almost done.”
Wuyunzhu walked inside, selected a small one, cut it into two pieces, and distributed them to the two brothers.
The moment the cake was brought out, it emitted a rich, creamy fragrance.
Yinue took a bite and then narrowed his eyes in pure bliss; he dared to venture that even Imperial Father had never tasted such a wonderful delicacy in his entire life.
Yingtang felt the same way.
These two men, utterly devoid of literary cells, could only repeat, “Delicious, simply too delicious.”
For two grown men, a six-inch cake wasn’t large at all; they polished it off in just a few bites, then gazed eagerly back toward the inner kitchen.
The Primary Consort had said there was also another novel food called an egg tart.
“Primary Consort, the egg tarts are ready.”
“Send two over to the Prince and Tenth Brother, and pack up all the rest immediately to be sent over together with the cakes. Egg tarts must be eaten while hot; they lose their flavor once they go cold.”
“Understood.”
Hearing her instructions, the two brothers immediately turned back to enjoy the treats before them.
The crust was crisp and flaky, nothing particularly extraordinary at first, until they sucked down the filling in a single slurp, whereupon a brilliant light instantly flashed in their eyes—soft, smooth, tender, sweet, and rich, tasting ten thousand times better than regular Manchu pastries!
Seeing that over a dozen food boxes had already been packed, Yingtang frowned and asked, “How many portions did the Primary Consort make in total?”
“Twenty-two portions.
Originally, I only intended to send them to Imperial Father, the Empress Dowager, and niang; later, recalling that Third Sister-in-law and Fifth Sister-in-law had offered me a great deal of guidance over the past two days, I prepared a portion for them as well.
Then, thinking that since Third Brother and Fifth Brother both had them, leaving out the other older and younger brothers and sisters wouldn’t look too good, so I prepared a portion for everyone.”
Having eaten a considerable amount of food just now, Yinue’s stomach was already quite full, yet his heart still felt unsatisfied.
Hearing Wuyunzhu’s words, he instantly cheered up. “Does Ninth Sister-in-law mean that I’ll still be able to take a portion away with me in a moment?”
Wuyunzhu smiled at him. “Certainly, but Tenth Brother should mind yourself a bit and avoid overeating to the point of indigestion.”
“Thank you, Ninth Sister-in-law~”
Yingtang glared at him. “You only know how to eat, eat, eat.”
He then turned back to Wuyunzhu. “Don’t make them next time; your hands must ache, right? The Prince will massage them for you.”
“Tenth Brother is still here.” Wuyunzhu shrank back in shyness.
Yingtang grabbed her hand and refused to let go. “It’s fine, he’s not a human anyway.”
Yinue: ?
Alright, I might not be human, but you, Ninth Brother, are truly a dog.
After satisfying their culinary desires, the few of them finally sat down to chat, inquiring about Yingtang’s experience attending court for the very first time.
While they were chatting leisurely, Kangxi, Consort Yi, and the rest in the palace also received their cakes.
Having finished reading a stack of memorials and feeling a sting of fatigue in his eyes, Kangxi was planning to take a stroll in the Imperial Garden (and perhaps encounter a beauty) when Liang Jiugong walked in carrying a food box.
“Who sent this?”
“It was sent by the Ninth Primary Consort’s attendants. I heard it was even personally made by the Ninth Primary Consort herself.”
Liang Jiugong felt quite surprised. Sending food to the Qianqing Palace had always been a tactic used by inner court consorts seeking imperial favor; was an imperial prince’s primary consort coming to… display filial piety? In any case, this was his first time seeing it.
Kangxi felt a spark of interest.
He had several dozen sons and daughters, yet not a single one had ever cooked a meal for him. Hearing that ordinary parents in the commonfolk ate food prepared by their daughters and daughters-in-law, he occasionally felt a twinge of envy.
Now that this ninth daughter-in-law had sent him some, he decided to experience this ordinary familial warmth for himself today.
Liang Jiugong opened the food box, tested the food with a silver needle, and only then placed it before Kangxi.
Kangxi considered himself well-traveled and accustomed to fine delicacies, but today’s little cake was the very first food item to evoke a genuine sense of delighted astonishment within him.
This was an entirely unprecedented texture: cool, smooth, and tender upon entering the mouth, sweet and dense, resembling an iced milk-and-egg custard or clouds drizzled with honey. This marvelous flavor compelled him to break his own rules and polish off the entire item completely.
After washing his hands, he asked Liang Jiugong, “Aside from the Qianqing Palace, did the Ninth Primary Consort send this to other places as well?”
“The Empress Dowager, Consort Yi, as well as the various princes and princesses have all received portions.”
She sent it to all of them? Kangxi was somewhat surprised, reflecting that this Donggo woman was indeed exceptionally thorough and considerate.
A thought suddenly struck him, and he asked again, “Did the Eighth Prince receive a portion too?”
“Sent as well.”
Even Primary Consort Eighth, who had publicly slandered her, hadn’t been left out, showing that Old Nine’s primary consort possessed a grand and magnanimous character.
Unlike the previous times when she merely put up a facade or fought back against public opinion, this time Kangxi’s satisfaction with this ninth daughter-in-law was entirely genuine.
She deserved a reward.
“Liang Jiugong, go to the treasury, select two bottles of Western perfume and two bolts of Western duolo woolen fabric, and have someone deliver them to the Ninth Primary Consort.”
“Understood.”
To the people in the palace, this cake was utterly novel. Before even tasting it, they were completely captivated by its exquisite and beautiful appearance, almost feeling reluctant to eat it.
Just as everyone was immersed in the sweet aroma of the cake, the Zhaoxiang Quarters were suffused with a thick, acrid scent of gunpowder.
The Eighth Prince’s face was as dark as water. “Fourteenth Brother, I flatter myself that I have never offended you—why must you go about ruining my reputation?”
The Fourteenth Prince rolled his eyes. “What is Eighth Brother talking about? I don’t understand a word.”
“Weren’t those words spoken by you?”
“What words?”
“What you said, you know very well in your heart.”
Guessing that the Eighth Prince was too embarrassed to utter those crude phrases out loud, the Fourteenth Prince grew bolder and asked with utter impunity, “What did I say? Eighth Brother might as well repeat it verbatim.”
The Eighth Prince clenched his fists tight.
Whenever people encountered him outside, who didn’t praise him as a jade-like gentleman? What did that shriveled, bitter melon have to do with him?
He had a good relationship with Fourth Brother—so what if they mutually exchanged a meal between their residences? Why on earth was that twisted into begging for food?
“Fourteenth Brother, you must apologize to me.”
“And if I don’t?”
On his way over, the Eighth Prince’s original intention had been to personally take action and beat the Fourteenth Prince up to vent his frustration.
However, with the Thirteenth Brother watching from the side, if he genuinely raised a hand to discipline the Fourteenth Brother and word reached Imperial Father’s ears, it would be seen as an older brother bullying a younger one, leaving him—the injured party—to receive a severe reprimand first.
He changed his tactic. “Then I can only report this matter to Fourth Brother and let him discipline you.”
The Fourteenth Prince, who had been acting all smug and triumphant just moments before, exploded the instant he heard the Fourth Brother’s name.
Clearly, he was Fourth Brother’s own flesh-and-blood younger brother, yet Fourth Brother treated him with chilling indifference without a shred of protection; conversely, toward the Eighth Prince—born of a completely different womb—Fourth Brother poured out his whole heart and lavished him with care and affection.
It infuriated him to death!
Thinking this, he dropped all pretense and admitted openly, “Why should I apologize? Everything I said is the unvarnished truth. Take it if you can hear it, or tune it out if you can’t.”
Following the Fourteenth Prince’s birth, no further imperial princes were born into the palace for many years; Kangxi assumed the Fourteenth would be his very last son and thus spoiled him with extraordinary indulgence.
Consort De, in particular, doted on the Fourteenth Prince as if he were the apple of her eye and the treasure of her heart. Being doted on to this extent had cultivated a deeply arrogant personality in the Fourteenth Prince, making him somewhat ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth.
Enraged out of shape by these words, the Eighth Prince snapped, “Fine, Fourteenth, you truly are unruly and untamed. Today, I’ll properly discipline you on behalf of Fourth Brother.”
“Don’t mention him to me.”
“And as for you, Eighth Brother—you’re not qualified to discipline me either.”
The word “unqualified” bordered closely on utter humiliation. Surging waves of anger rose within the Eighth Prince, and he reached out to grab the Fourteenth Prince.
How could the Fourteenth Prince obediently submit? Instantly, the two of them locked into a fierce, tumbling brawl on the ground.
Though several years younger than the Eighth Prince, the Fourteenth Prince possessed a freakish physical aptitude and loved martial arts and swordplay above all else, spending the greatest amount of time practicing those skills; thus, for a time, he managed to trade blows back and forth evenly with the Eighth Prince.
Seeing that both of them were sustaining injuries and yet refused to stop, and finding himself completely unable to persuade them otherwise, the Thirteenth Prince hurriedly dispatched someone to fetch the Crown Prince to mediate.
The Crown Prince had zero desire to wade into this muddy swamp. Consort De was fiercely protective of her kin, and while the Eighth Prince looked refined and scholarly… he sent someone to summon the Fourth Prince instead.
Old Four going over was far more appropriate; after all, those two individuals were, respectively, his own flesh-and-blood younger brother and his beloved good brother. The Crown Prince also wanted to see who Old Four would end up siding with.
Only after finishing his little cake did the Crown Prince leisurely saunter out of the Yuqing Palace.
The Crown Prince made no effort to conceal the news. The messenger servants shouted all the way down the path, crying out, “Bad news! The Eighth Prince and the Fourteenth Prince have started fighting!”—and in no time at all, residents across both the Eastern and Western Five-Halls learned of the incident.
Consequently, everyone began streaming in the direction of the Zhaoxiang Quarters.
Since Imperial Father adored nothing more than witnessing scenes of brotherly harmony, today’s spectacle was one they all simply had to attend to express their profound concern.
By the time everyone arrived, they beheld Old Eight and Fourteenth rolling around together on the ground in a tangled brawl, their faces caked in a mixture of dirt and blood.
The Fourth Prince had no choice but to step forward to intervene, but his martial arts prowess ranked dead last among the brothers. The moment he drew close, an Old Eight whose eyes had turned red with fury elbowed him violently aside; the Fourteenth Prince, seizing the opportunity to vent all his accumulated inner frustration, landed a swift kick that sent the Fourth Prince crashing straight into the opposite wall.
Primary Consort Eighth let out a sharp, piercing shriek. “Your Highness!”
Everyone hurriedly averted their gaze, inwardly wincing: Ouch, Fourth Brother’s plight today is truly too miserable.