By the end of April, the tender green lotus leaves in the small pond outside the main hall of Yilan Palace had gradually emerged from the water, their tips breaking the surface—it was already early summer.
Since that day, Xie Chongyuan had come to Yilan Palace every day to share the midday meal with Ming Hua, but each day he left after the meal and never stayed overnight.
The noble consort had been in the palace for over half a month now. Though she shared the midday meal with the emperor every day, and the emperor sent a steady stream of gifts to Yilan Palace daily, word had it that she had still not yet been summoned to the imperial bed.
Rumors spread like wildfire through the palace, and no one could guess what the emperor truly intended.
The emperor had never been fond of women. Many believed that he did not actually care for the noble consort and was merely showing her face out of deference to the Duke Protector's Manor behind her. Once His Majesty firmly secured his hold on the court, the noble consort would surely face his cold indifference or outright rejection.
But the attendants who had long served in Zichen Palace knew better—every day, when the emperor returned from his midday meal at Yilan Palace, there was a faint smile in his eyes and brows, a sign of excellent spirits.
During this period, any minister who came to Zichen Palace in the afternoon to discuss court affairs received far fewer scoldings than usual.
Moreover, a young palace maid who delivered meals to Yilan Palace had witnessed with her own eyes the emperor peeling shrimp and cracking crab for the noble consort with tender affection, coaxing her gently and indulgently to eat.
One was tender and affectionate, the other shy and demure—they looked utterly devoted to each other!
If it were merely a matter of saving face for the Duke Protector's Manor, the endless stream of gifts would have sufficed. Why would the emperor stoop so low as to personally attend to the noble consort's meals, going to such lengths?
And so, these baseless rumors collapsed on their own before they even reached Ming Hua's ears.
Xie Chongyuan did not know why, but ever since he had come to know the young lady, whenever he sat alone in Zichen Palace reviewing memorials, he would find himself distracted from time to time, thinking of her.
He thought that he should also fulfill his duty as a husband, spending more time accompanying and caring for his wife. Besides, the two of them truly needed time to gradually get along and grow familiar with each other. And so, he went to Yilan Palace every day to share the midday meal with her.
Though Xie Chongyuan had not known at first how he should treat the young lady in the future, from the moment he decided to bring her into the palace, he had regarded her as his wife, and had never harbored any intention of concealment or wariness.
During these days, at their midday meals, Xie Chongyuan spoke freely with the young lady about everything—from his past habits to matters of the court—without the slightest guard.
Ming Hua had never traveled farther than the outskirts of the capital in all her life, and she had always yearned to see the scenery beyond the capital. Whenever her father or elder brothers returned from military campaigns or travels, she would pester them to tell her about all they had seen and heard.
These past days, whenever Xie Chongyuan spoke of his time in Qianxi, she would curiously press him for more details about the local customs and culture there, listening with great relish.
Though she had never paid much attention to court affairs, she came from the most illustrious aristocratic family in Da Qi. From childhood, she had been steeped in the intricate web of relationships among the noble houses and officials, and she had studied the classics and histories diligently at the clan academy, her learning rivaling that of imperial examination candidates.
When Xie Chongyuan discussed court matters with her, she could offer her own insights with poise and measure.
During these days, at each midday meal, as Xie Chongyuan watched the young lady's charming smile while she listened to him speak of Qianxi's customs, and listened to her sweet, soft voice sharing her unique perspectives on current governance, he felt a lightness and joy he had never known before.
He discovered that with each passing day spent with the young lady, with each new thing he learned about her, his fondness for her grew by another measure.
He began to look forward each day to the arrival of the midday meal, so that he could go to Yilan Palace to see her.
Ming Hua was a young lady of the inner chambers, and now that she was in the palace day after day, when she spoke of herself during their midday meals, it was only of trivial daily matters and amusing anecdotes from her past or present.
Xie Chongyuan, for as long as he could remember, had followed his father to the military camps, and in recent years had been drilling troops and fighting wars. He knew nothing whatsoever of a young lady's daily preferences, but he listened earnestly nonetheless, taking it all in, never once showing a trace of impatience.
Whenever he heard the young lady speak with animated delight about the interesting, fulfilling life she had led before entering the palace, he found it amusing, but it also stirred guilt in his heart.
He grew even more tender and attentive toward her, more gentle and considerate in their time together, more meticulous in his care—fearful only that she might suffer any grievance in the palace.
Knowing that she had been raised in luxury and had always loved fine clothing and beautiful adornments, he had people select various brocades, jewels, and rare curios from his private treasury every day to send to Yilan Palace.
In this half month, more than half of Xie Chongyuan's private treasury had been moved to the young lady's Yilan Palace.
Ming Hua had already been quite pleased with Xie Chongyuan's appearance. And in these past days, seeing how attentively he treated her, she could feel that he was sincere in his intentions toward her, genuinely wanting to grow familiar with her slowly.
Now she too was becoming more and more satisfied with Xie Chongyuan, and she looked forward every day to his coming to Yilan Palace to share the midday meal with her.
Now at the midday meal hour, the emperor and his consort were always chatting and laughing together in the double-eaved pavilion by the small pond in Yilan Hall.
Qingyun and Nuanxue watched as the emperor came every day to dine with their mistress, and saw their mistress and the emperor growing ever closer—the heavy stone that had weighed on their hearts finally settled.
The Empress Dowager had heard that her son, who only ever concerned himself with state affairs, now set aside time every day for the midday meal to go to Yilan Hall and dine with the young lady.
But she had yet to hear any news of the two sharing a bed, and she fretted and worried herself sick on the sidelines, thinking that her wooden-headed son was incapable and didn't understand romance.
Today, the Empress Dowager cooked personally, bustling about the small kitchen in Yanfu Palace for most of the afternoon, preparing a lavish spread for the evening meal. She had Xie Chongyuan bring the young lady to dine with her.
The sun gradually slanted westward, the golden crow sinking below the horizon, and the afterglow of sunset cast a faint layer of golden light over the glazed tiles and vermilion walls of the palace.
Xie Chongyuan had been busy with state affairs lately, spending all his free time visiting the young lady, and it had been quite a while since he'd gone to Yanfu Palace to share a meal with his mother.
When he heard the messenger from Yanfu Palace, he set down his official documents at the evening meal hour and went to Yilan Hall to fetch the young lady. The two of them walked together toward the Empress Dowager's Yanfu Palace.
The moment they entered Yanfu Palace and passed through the covered corridor, they caught the fragrant aroma of delicious dishes.
Ming Hua was the most food-obsessed, and she said happily, "So fragrant! Huahua's mouth is watering just from the smell! Mother's cooking must be even better than the chefs in the Provisions Department!"
"It looks like Huahua will get to feast her fill tonight!" Ming Hua's fair, delicate little nose twitched like a puppy's, utterly adorable.
Xie Chongyuan turned his head to look at the young lady beside him, a doting smile in his dark phoenix eyes.
"Then Huahua should eat a bit more tonight. You eat like a little kitten every time, and these days you've been eating even less each day. If Duke Fuguo saw how thin Huahua has become, he'd probably think I was starving you in the palace!"
As the weather grew warmer, Ming Hua had always been fond of ice. Now that she was in the palace, without her parents and elder brother to watch over her—and with Xie Chongyuan still unaware of her habit of indulging in iced drinks without restraint—everything was left to her own pleasure.
These days, Ming Hua had the small kitchen prepare all sorts of chilled sweet drinks for her in every conceivable variation, and she could down several bowls a day.
Her appetite was small, so when it came time for proper meals, she naturally had little room in her stomach. Every day she'd take only a few bites before setting down her chopsticks and chattering away with Xie Chongyuan, and her slightly round, cute face had begun to show a hint of a pointed chin.
When Ming Hua heard Xie Chongyuan mention her father, she felt a twinge of guilt and averted her eyes, lowering her head to explain in a small voice, "It's getting hot now, and Huahua always suffers from summer heat loss when the season comes. I do eat a little less than usual."
"Huahua is truly delicate—a fragile flower that can bear neither cold nor heat."
Though the words sounded like a scolding, Xie Chongyuan's tone was full of doting affection, as if he took great pleasure in nurturing this delicate flower, with even a hint of pride that this flower was now his to tend.
"Your Majesty is teasing Huahua again!" Ming Hua's little face flushed crimson at his words. She hung her head, stomping her small foot—shod in a cloud-patterned brocade shoe with an eastern pearl set into the toe—in shy indignation.
The Empress Dowager had the evening meal laid out in the octagonal double-eaved pavilion before the courtyard.
From a distance, she saw the two of them—a perfect match of beauty and talent, one smiling with tender affection, the other shyly hanging her head—and she grinned from ear to ear.
The two of them now seemed even closer and more familiar than when they'd come to Yanfu Palace together to offer tea and pay their respects a while back. It seemed that with her arrangements tonight, they would surely be able to consummate their union smoothly.
The Empress Dowager teased them, saying, "What are Chongyuan and Huahua whispering about over there, hiding from this old woman? Come quickly and have your dinner, and tell me all about it too."
The palace attendants serving nearby heard the Empress Dowager's teasing and all lowered their heads, covering their mouths with soft laughter.
Xie Chongyuan and Ming Hua looked over at the sound, both wearing slightly awkward expressions as they made their way toward the octagonal double-eaved pavilion where the Empress Dowager sat.
The Empress Dowager was accustomed to keeping busy. Though she now held the exalted rank of Empress Dowager, she still often cooked with her own hands to feed her two sons, Xie Chongyuan and Xie Chongzhou.
The many vegetables and fruit trees planted in the courtyard of Yanfu Palace were all things she'd grown to pass the time when she had nothing else to do.
Xie Chongzhou had left the capital on official business for him these past days. Xie Chongyuan had originally assumed his mother was simply feeling lonely tonight and had cooked a few dishes, wanting her two children to come keep her company.
These past days, he'd squeezed out time every day to go to Yilan Hall and grow familiar with the young lady, and in this half-month he hadn't come to Yanfu Palace much to share the evening meal with his mother. A pang of guilt suddenly rose in Xie Chongyuan's heart.
But when he drew closer and saw that the food cases were laid out entirely with dishes like black-boned chicken and sea cucumber soup, ginseng and venison soup, and velvet antler with black-boned chicken soup—all heavily nourishing fare—the guilt in his heart vanished without a trace.
It was almost midsummer now—hardly the season for such nourishing medicinal dishes. His mother was clearly going out of her way tonight to push him and the young lady into sharing a bed.
He was strong and vigorous, his blood running hot and youthful. After this dinner, he'd probably have to soak in ice water all night—thankfully, the weather was warming up now.
Xie Chongyuan glanced at the dishes on the table, then looked at his meddlesome mother with a mix of exasperation and helplessness.
The Empress Dowager, as if she hadn't noticed her son's look at all, cheerfully took the young lady's hand and guided her to sit on a cushion beside her.
"Huahua, sit down quickly and taste your mother's cooking. These vegetables were all grown by me in the palace when I had nothing to do—just picked and stir-fried moments ago, so fresh!"
"So fragrant!" Ming Hua had no idea what these dishes were for or what the Empress Dowager intended tonight.
She naively felt her appetite stir just from the aroma, her eyes curving with delight as she exclaimed, "Mother's cooking is wonderful! Perfect in color, aroma, and taste!"
"Even the most skilled chefs in the Palace Kitchen Service probably can't compare. Huahua must have two extra bowls of rice here with Mother tonight!"
"This child, what a sweet tongue," the Empress Dowager said, the lines at the corners of her eyes deepening with her smile as she ladled out a bowl of savory deer antler and black-boned chicken soup for the young lady. "If Huahua finds it fragrant, then hurry and pick up your chopsticks to taste it. Don't be shy—treat this like your own home."
"Thank you, Mother. Huahua can serve herself!" Ming Hua quickly accepted the white porcelain soup bowl from the Empress Dowager with flattered surprise and took a sip, her apricot eyes sparkling as she praised sincerely, "So delicious! It's wonderfully savory!"
"If Huahua likes it, come often to Mother's place. Tell Mother whatever you want to eat, and I'll cook it all for you! You look even thinner than when you first entered the palace—you need to eat more!"
With that, the Empress Dowager also ladled a bowl of ginseng and venison soup for Xie Chongyuan, who had taken his seat beside the young lady, and said with smiling eyes, "Chongyuan works hard on state affairs every day—you should drink more too, to nourish your body…"
"Your son thanks Mother for her thoughtful care," Xie Chongyuan said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes as he accepted the bowl his mother handed him.
The Empress Dowager then turned to Xie Chongyuan and lectured him earnestly, "Though state affairs are important, family matters cannot be neglected either."
"It was one thing when you were alone before, but now you have Huahua by your side, and you still shut yourself in Zichen Palace reading memorials every day—that's truly unacceptable!"
"Huahua is such a delicate young lady who just entered the palace not long ago, yet you don't spend more time with her or show her more care. If Duke Supporting the State learned you were neglecting his precious daughter like this, he'd surely be furious with you!"
Hearing this from the side, Ming Hua quickly defended him, "Mother, please don't blame His Majesty like that. His Majesty cares very much for Huahua and treats her very well!"
"His Majesty is busy with state affairs, but he still comes every day to have lunch with Huahua and check on her. Huahua is already very content with that! As His Majesty's consort, it should be Huahua who cares more for His Majesty. If Mother must blame someone, blame Huahua—don't blame His Majesty."
Ming Hua understood that the Empress Dowager was placing the blame for their unconsummated marriage on Xie Chongyuan, but in truth, it was she who wasn't ready. She couldn't bear to see the tolerant Xie Chongyuan being blamed.
Xie Chongyuan watched the young lady so anxiously coming to his defense, and his heart felt deeply warmed.
His eyes carried a gentle smile as he glanced at the young lady, then without refuting her words, he smiled and accepted his mother's scolding. "Yes, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager's lesson is right. Your son admits his fault."
Seeing how eagerly the young lady protected her son, the Empress Dowager was also delighted. She smiled reassuringly, "Huahua is so considerate and understanding—Mother couldn't bear to blame you."
"Chongyuan has spent these years either drilling troops or leading armies into battle, never having spent time with a young lady, so he doesn't quite know how to cherish someone. He's made you suffer, child."
Then she turned to Xie Chongyuan, feigning sternness, "Since you admit your fault, then tonight don't return to Zichen Palace to read memorials. After dinner, escort Huahua back to Yilan Hall and properly keep her company. Memorials will never run out anyway."
"Very well, your son will follow the Empress Dowager's words." Xie Chongyuan smiled helplessly in agreement.
After all, having eaten this heavily nourishing dinner tonight, he doubted he'd be able to calm his mind enough to handle state affairs anyway.