Prince Chu personally picked up a piece of pickled cucumber for Princess Consort of Chu. “You’ve raised Third Young Master well. Second Young Master is a bit lacking compared to his younger brother. Last time I summoned him to dine with me, we had stir-fried song vegetable and alfalfa soup. He barely touched half a bite and complained that the millet rice was too coarse and hard to swallow. Consort Cui spoils her child too much, pampering Second Young Master excessively. She’s not as good as you.”
“You praise me too highly, great prince.” Princess Consort of Chu maintained her gentle and virtuous demeanor, even defending Second Young Master. “I am vegetarian, and Third Young Master has grown accustomed to eating vegetarian dishes with me at times. Meanwhile, Consort Cui pursues culinary refinement, so Second Young Master naturally shares her tastes.”
“Excessive focus on indulging the palate is not a good thing. Moreover, feasting on abalone, sea cucumber, shark fin, and fish maw every day is truly extravagant.” Prince Chu frowned, then turned his gaze to Third Young Master, who stood quietly to the side, his expression softening slightly. “However, your birth mother is different from Consort Cui. Pregnancy is difficult, and it’s normal for her tastes to be unusual at this time. Since she enjoys such common street food, as long as it doesn’t endanger the fetus, let her be.”
Third Young Master secretly breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. “I thank Father on behalf of the concubine.”
After Third Young Master took his leave, Princess Consort of Chu set down her silver chopsticks and bowed to Prince Chu to apologize. “It was my oversight regarding Consort Zhao’s dietary matters. I am at fault.”
“I heard that most of the cooks you sought previously served in the palace?” Prince Chu waved his hand and helped her up.
She took the opportunity to sit beside Prince Chu. “Yes, Her Majesty the Empress has dismissed palace maids three times in recent years. The manor took the chance to bring in many people.”
“That’s not surprising.” Prince Chu patted her hand, speaking considerately and understandingly. “The imperial chefs and cooks in the palace are highly skilled. Even a single soup requires outsiders to study for a long time. But skilled as they are, they only repeat dishes that are hard to mess up. Normally, that’s fine, but Consort Zhao happens to be pregnant and naturally finds it monotonous.”
Imperial palace cuisine mostly consists of mild, light steamed and stewed dishes, as they fear the masters might get overheated. Aside from some pastries and sweets, there are few rich or greasy foods. The menu remains unchanged for ages; even a slight alteration requires remaking the dish and having it tasted multiple times before it can be served.
After finishing his meal, Prince Chu picked up his teacup to rinse his mouth. “Princess Consort, the fault does not lie with you. Do not blame yourself.”
In some aspects, Princess Consort indeed fell short of perfection. But after all, she is the princess consort—externally, she can strategize and help resolve his troubles; internally, she is virtuous and dignified, maintaining peace in the household. It’s better to turn a blind eye.
“Thank you for trusting me, great prince.” Princess Consort of Chu guessed this matter was over.
“You rest first. I’ll go check on Consort Zhao.” Since supervising the state, Prince Chu often stayed in the palace. Occasionally returning to the manor, he would sleep at Ningyuan Residence. This was the first time he was heading to the rear courtyard so late at night.
Bihe, standing outside the door, was startled and hurried into the main hall to ask, “Was the great prince not angry?”
“Probably not.” Princess Consort of Chu was preoccupied and had no appetite. She had only eaten half a bowl of porridge and one fried shepherd’s purse dumpling. She ordered the servants to clear the dining table. “Lately, I’ve been busy dealing with Consort Cui and neglected Consort Zhao’s side for a moment. Tomorrow, find an excuse to properly reprimand Nanny Qu and the others. Otherwise, there’s no need to wait for settling accounts after autumn.”
“Princess Consort, why not directly tell the great prince that some servants were arranged into the manor by Her Majesty the Empress’s orders?” Bihe felt heartache for her restraint.
"Forget it. His Highness detests it most when I privately correspond with the Empress." Matters concerning Empress Xue left her feeling utterly powerless.
Bihe, worried that the Princess Consort of Chu might get hungry in the middle of the night, gestured for Chun Tao to have the young maidservants light a stove and prepare some sweet soup. "You're caught in the middle, truly torn between both sides."
The Princess Consort of Chu remained silent.
It was true that Empress Xue doted on her children. In earlier years, the Emperor had favored Noble Consort Rong and her eldest son, Prince of Yu, treating His Highness with indifference. One year, when His Highness contracted smallpox, the Emperor even ordered his son moved out of the palace without a second thought, leaving him unattended. It was the Empress who risked infection to personally care for His Highness, pulling him back from the brink of death.
But it was also true that Empress Xue used this to coerce His Highness.
She had heard Empress Xue remind His Highness of this incident more than once, pressuring him to support the Xue family and the husbands of her two sisters from the same mother.
Both mother and son had outwardly warm but inwardly cold temperaments. Years of awkward interactions had now reached a point where neither was willing to yield.
"Bihe, go ask Consort Zhao what she has been craving lately. Find a new cook from outside the estate according to her tastes. As long as she likes it, it doesn’t have to be someone from Chang'an—even a barbarian will do." The more the Princess Consort of Chu tried to sort through these matters, the more tangled they became, a dull ache throbbing at her temples, so she gave up.
"What about Nanny Qu?" Bihe also disliked Nanny Qu, who often used Empress Xue to pressure the Princess Consort of Chu.
"Leave her be. After Consort Zhao gives birth, reward her and send her out of the estate to retire in comfort." The Princess Consort of Chu let out a soft, cold laugh. "I dare not openly break with the Empress, but if I keep yielding, I fear she will truly think me easy to bully."
Upon receiving the news, Third Young Master felt both physically and mentally at ease. As soon as he finished reviewing his studies, he came to his birth mother’s quarters.
"The Princess Consort has finally shown you some leniency." In good spirits, he asked the maidservant to set an extra pair of chopsticks so he could dine with Consort Zhao.
Today’s lunch was also prepared according to Shen Hui’s recipes: stir-fried lamb with scallions, sweet and sour pork tenderloin, sautéed magnolia slices, chicken-scrambled tofu, and hot and sour soup—so homely it resembled canteen fare.
Shen Hui had initially been anxious, fearing Consort Zhao might not be accustomed to such ordinary dishes. To her surprise, Consort Zhao enjoyed them immensely. When she tasted the chicken-scrambled tofu, her expression grew distant, recalling her impoverished childhood. Her eldest sister had died in childbirth after marrying, her two brothers had succumbed to illness and starvation, leaving only a younger brother. Her parents, with no other choice, sent her into the palace as a palace maid. On the night before she left, her mother had specially bought tofu and fried it for her with the last bit of lard, letting her taste a hint of meat.
Consort Zhao showed no outward emotion but rewarded Shen Hui with an extra pair of gold hairpins, allowing her to no longer serve in the room. She instructed Xiangyun to take Shen Hui to the side chamber to eat, so she wouldn’t go hungry.
"From now on, stay out of this matter. The reasons behind it are likely more complicated than we initially thought." Consort Zhao spoke cautiously, her words veiled even though no outsiders were present in the room.
"So, the master behind those old shrews like Nanny Qu isn’t the Princess Consort?" Third Young Master was momentarily stunned before understanding dawned on him. "It’s the Empress, isn’t it?"
Consort Zhao neither confirmed nor denied it. "Don’t speculate."
"It must be the Empress. The Princess Consort may be cunning, but she has protected you before, whereas the Empress has never shown you any kindness." Young and full of fighting spirit, Third Young Master never considered tolerance when faced with challenges. "Why don’t you join forces with the Princess Consort to deal with her?"
"Deal with her?" Consort Zhao shook her head. "Filial piety comes first. Even your father can do nothing against the Empress."
"The Empress relies solely on the Xue family. If the Xue family falls, her arrogance will naturally diminish." Though young, Third Young Master had a sharp eye.
"Wishful thinking." Consort Zhao gazed at her precociously mature son, carefully admonishing, "You must never let such thoughts slip out. Once you've eaten your fill, be on your way. Spend more time studying and practicing archery and horsemanship. Your mother is perfectly fine; there's no need for you to come every day."
Third Young Master listened obediently.
But his obedience was a prelude to disobedience.
After the meal, Third Young Master went to find Shen Hui and casually tossed her a money pouch. "Sister Hui, here. How is Jinyun doing? Before winter sets in, we could take a few more rides in the suburban woods. I’ll take him out for some fun."
"I’m afraid Jinyun can’t keep up with you anymore, Young Master," Shen Hui replied, annoyed at having her meal interrupted but maintaining a smile. "He’s grown even fatter and struggles even with walking."
"Fatter again?" Third Young Master clicked his tongue.
In all of Chang’an, there was no lazier or plumper leopard than Jinyun. Aunt Jinkang’s household also kept a leopard, so wild and untamed that it took three burly barbarian servants holding it with iron chains to keep it in check. Compared to that, Jinyun was practically a house cat eager to please.
After this reflection, he raised his hand again, this time holding a dazzling gold ingot.
Gold possessed the miraculous power to heal one’s mood. Shen Hui’s annoyance vanished instantly, replaced by a beaming smile. "You’re too kind, Young Master. What is this for…?"
"You wrote down the recipes that greatly improved my mother’s appetite. That’s a meritorious deed, and the silver I gave you earlier was your reward for it." Third Young Master lowered his voice. "This gold ingot is for what comes next. The Beast House is near the Wangfu Jiaomen, and the mansion doesn’t restrict servants from coming and going freely. If anything happens, your information will reach me faster than mine."
"Yes, I will certainly serve as your eyes and ears, Young Master." Shen Hui found nothing strange in this.
In the original story, Third Young Master’s firmness was described more than once. Unlike his father, Prince Chu, who showed leniency toward imperial relatives after ascending the throne, Third Young Master wielded a firm hand, making the Xue family his first target.
As the saying goes, "The child is father to the man." The person he would become was likely already evident in his childhood.
By then, the story was nearing its conclusion. The female lead, Shen Wei, had married Duke of Zhao, Xue Rui, as his second wife. With her kindness and virtue, she reformed the wayward nobleman, leading him to help Third Young Master crack down on powerful families and contribute vast private assets to replenish the national treasury. Otherwise, he would have long been stripped of his title and imprisoned.
Among those private assets were also the restaurants and shops Shen Wei had painstakingly built from a humble wonton stall since childhood.
Thinking of this, Shen Hui couldn’t help but feel a chill.
Fortunately, it wasn’t too late. This time, Xue Rui wouldn’t be so lucky.
She hoped misfortune would befall him.
Servants’ Kitchen.
"Sister, you came just in time. I just fried some eggplant fritters. As you suggested, I used pork for the filling and added seasoned water while mixing it, so there shouldn’t be much gaminess left." After learning cooking techniques from Cook Wu, Shen Wei’s complexion had improved noticeably—her face was rosy and she looked much healthier.
Shen Hui had been craving eggplant fritters. Lately, she had been receiving so much reward silver that money was no longer an issue, so she asked Shen Wei to cook for her again.
The custom for ordering dishes in the kitchen was to offer tips both up and down the chain: above, to Steward Nanny Zhang, and below, to the cook. Shen Hui never let her sister work for free.
But Shen Wei, thinking only of her, saved every coin she received without spending a single one.
"So delicious. If only we could get lotus root, lotus root fritters would be just as tasty." The eggplant fritters were crispy, encased in a piping-hot oily shell. As she ate them, Shen Hui grew even more determined: she would never allow her wonderful sister to end up being drained by an old man.
"Could other ingredients be prepared this way?" Shen Wei wasn't particularly clever in general, but when it came to cooking, she excelled at drawing inferences. "Like hollowing out bottle gourds, stuffing them with minced meat, and steaming them."
"Absolutely, you could use sponge gourds too. That's called stuffed meat," Shen Hui replied, having already devoured three large eggplant boxes in one go, her lips gleaming with oil.
Suddenly, a commotion arose from beyond the beaded curtain.
Curious, Shen Hui was about to peek outside when Nanny Zhang hurried in, heading straight for Shen Wei. "A Wei, wake the kitchen maids who are napping. There's no time to rest now. Consort Zheng from Bei Yuan has passed away. The princess consort has ordered the Servants' Kitchen to quickly prepare fruits and pastries for the memorial offerings."