The Yunhui Hall was brightly lit, with Zong Duo inside discussing matters with his advisors.
Since he entered politics at fifteen, he had gathered a large group of advisors and retainers around him—mostly his trusted confidants in the Dragon Imperial Guard, loyal protégés of the Xu family, and talented individuals he had recruited over the years.
Those permitted into the Yunhui Hall's council chamber were his core inner circle. It was not uncommon for discussions to run late into the night, and on such occasions, the palace eunuchs would deliver meals inside.
Today was no exception. A eunuch entered carrying a large food box and first placed two porcelain bowls before Zong Duo. He had intended to mention that the Princess Consort had personally prepared the soup, but seeing the solemn atmosphere within, he dared not speak further and hurriedly set down the meal before retreating.
Zong Duo lifted the porcelain lid, and the aroma of steaming chicken soup wafted up.
He frowned almost imperceptibly. Usually, to facilitate discussion, the kitchen sent simple fare like plain meat and flatbread, and he never made exceptions—eating whatever his advisors ate.
Still, such a trivial matter wasn't worth dwelling on. Zong Duo skimmed through documents while quickly finishing the soup in the bowl.
When the eunuch came to clear the dishes, everyone took tea to rinse their mouths and resumed discussing the Salt Inspection Commissioner matter.
Since the Emperor had dangled the Salt Inspection Commissioner position as the prize, the Dragon Boat Festival race would certainly be worth watching.
Every year at the Dragon Boat Festival, various government offices in the capital dispatched their elites to compete. Civilian offices like the Six Ministries, Five Courts, Censorate, and Hanlin Academy posed no real threat—their main rivals were the Brocade Guard, the Military Command, the Commander-in-Chief's Office, and the Divine Engine Battalion.
Unfortunately, the Brocade Guard's commander was a man loyal to Second Prince Zong Yue, while Fifth Prince Zong Mao commanded the Divine Engine Battalion.
Zong Yue was cunning, and Zong Mao was ruthless—both required vigilance.
"Liufang, help Chief Steward Xiao keep an eye on the movements of the Brocade Guard and the Divine Engine Battalion. Zizhen, lead the team in training as usual. Xiao Jiang, you're in charge of all food and drink for the team."
Liufang was Xu Pei's courtesy name.
Zizhen was the courtesy name of Han Yao, heir to the Marquis of Peace. He served as Left Commander in the Dragon Imperial Guard and was Zong Duo's most capable deputy.
Xiao Jiang was the son of the Imperial Medical Institute's chief physician and had known Zong Duo since childhood.
These men were also Zong Duo's most trusted friends. Though his ranks had grown considerably over the years, the most important matters were still entrusted to them.
Everyone rose to accept their assignments.
It was getting late, and they each returned to their residences to rest.
Dark clouds shrouded the moon that night—rain was likely tomorrow. The air was thick with oppressive summer humidity.
Zong Duo went to the training grounds as usual to practice his sword, working up a sweat within moments.
He sheathed his blade, ordered water to be prepared, and moved to the bathhouse to bathe.
Stepping into the tub, Zong Duo closed his eyes in contemplation, carefully considering potential pitfalls in the Dragon Boat race.
To win first place, Zong Yue and his allies would certainly make their move. Having sparred with his brothers for so many years, Zong Duo knew their temperaments well.
Take Fourth Brother Zong Kai, for instance—born of the same mother as Zong Yue, he had always been Zong Yue's vanguard. That one required caution.
As for Eldest Brother Zong Dian, though his achievements at court were unremarkable, Zong Duo knew he was biding his time. With the Salt Inspection Commissioner position dangling like a carrot, there was no telling whether Zong Dian might make a desperate bid.
Zong Duo was deep in thought when he suddenly sensed something amiss.
The water was cold, yet he felt increasingly hot.
This heat wasn't the summer humidity in the air—it was a restless agitation rising from within.
Zong Duo frowned slightly, lowering his gaze to see the flushed tip standing erect against his belly.
He had always been abstinent and restrained, rarely even indulging in self-gratification. Whenever arousal stirred, a few rounds of breath regulation would suffice to calm it.
But this time, it strained upward, begging for relief, the heat in his blood boiling as if about to overflow. Zong Duo recited the Mind-Calming Mantra several times to no avail.
His breathing grew heavier. His hand moved to grip the tip and stroke it firmly a few times, yet his eyes suddenly sharpened with clarity.
This was abnormal.
"Yuan Yi," he ordered in a low voice to those outside. "Send in two buckets of ice water. Also, have the person who delivered tonight's meal come here immediately!"
An acknowledgment came from outside. Soon, ice was brought in and dumped entirely into the tub. The bone-chilling cold suppressed the treacherous fire in his abdomen, and the clamorous member finally subsided.
Zong Duo rose and draped a wide-sleeved Daoist robe over himself, his wet hair hanging loosely down his back, softening the sharp features of his face. But his clear eyes were tempered like ice—cold enough to inspire fear.
The eunuch who had delivered the meal knelt trembling on the ground: "Y-Your Highness, what instructions do you have?"
"I'm asking you." His voice was as cold as if soaked in snow water. "Who told you to deliver tonight's meal?"
"Tonight's meal?" The eunuch froze for a moment, then quickly said, "It was the Princess Consort! Th-that was a soup specially prepared for Your Highness by the Princess Consort. She worked on it from the hour of You all the way to the hour of Xu—this servant witnessed it with his own eyes!"
Having said this, he secretly glanced up at Zong Duo.
He saw His Highness's long brows knitted together, thin lips pressed into a straight line, his expression darker than the night outside. The eunuch hastily lowered his head again in fright.
It was a long moment before a few icy words were hurled down from above: "You need not serve in the kitchen anymore. Since you don't even understand the rules, go watch the main gate. Get out!"
The eunuch was struck as if by lightning. He was, after all, a palace attendant who could regularly show his face before his master. To be demoted to watching the main gate—wouldn't that mean starting over from the lowest rank of gatekeeper!
But with his master's thunderous wrath still simmering and unspent, he dared not plead his case. He scrambled away on all fours as fast as he could.
Zong Duo watched the retreating, stumbling figure and let out a cold laugh.
She had quite the nerve.
Baoying slept soundly through the night.
In the latter half of the night, a torrential rain had fallen. When she woke in the morning, Xiaolian cracked open the south-facing window a sliver, letting moisture-laden cool air drift in, dispelling the summer's oppressive heat.
Baoying was seized by a playful whim. She had the young maids in the courtyard block up the drainage ditches, and the rainwater that couldn't escape flooded the yard into a small pond, so everyone could gather and splash about for fun.
This was a game she used to play with Xiaolian before she married—in the scorching summer heat, playing in water was the best way to cool off.
The young maids were hesitant at first, but seeing Baoying and Xiaolian playing with such abandon and not a trace of airs, they too joined in the water games one by one.
The four senior maids, including Bailu, mindful of their status, naturally refused to join in such foolishness.
Sitting indoors and looking out the window, the maids' crisp laughter drifted in, grating on their ears like harsh noise.
Qingshuang curled her lip: "The Princess Consort has no sense of propriety at all. This is the Prince's residence, not that little courtyard of the Shi family!"
Hongxia nudged Bailu: "You're the head maid, after all. You should go advise the Princess Consort."
Bailu shot her a sidelong glance and snorted: "The Princess Consort can't tell good advice from bad. Say it lightly, and she'll think we're joking with her; say it firmly, and she'll start crying buckets, making us look like servants bullying their mistress. If you want to advise her, go ahead—I won't go looking for that trouble!"
Consort Xian had sent them over precisely to keep the Yan Princess Consort in check.
If she were an ordinary daughter of an official family, out of respect for Consort Xian, she would have treated them with courtesy. But this Princess Consort had no idea what was what—she never ordered them around, true, but she showed them not a shred of respect either.
Bailu was a clever woman and naturally refused to be the one to stick her neck out.
Next time she entered the palace and saw Consort Xian, she would lodge a proper complaint against the Princess Consort and let Consort Xian give her a good dressing-down.
Baoying sat at the edge of the veranda, wearing wooden clogs, swinging her feet and splashing them against the water's surface. In a moment of carelessness, one clog came loose and floated away across the water like a little boat.
"Xiaolian!" she called hurriedly. "Quick, push my shoe back to me."
The maids giggled and chattered, grabbing a bamboo pole to push the clog floating in the middle of the courtyard back.
Suddenly, all their laughter ceased. Only the sound of rain remained, making the silence all the more eerie.
Baoying saw everyone staring at the courtyard gate without a word. She turned to look and saw a rare visitor standing at the entrance—upright and elegant in bearing, with a cold, stern expression, gazing impassively at the scene in the courtyard.
None other than her husband, who almost never set foot in Zhaoming Hall.
Baoying froze for a moment, then belatedly tucked her bare feet beneath her skirts.
Zong Duo swept a cold glance over everyone in the courtyard and strode toward the main hall.
"Princess Consort, come in."
Those four short words inexplicably made Baoying sense danger. When she was little, whenever she'd done something wrong, her father would also darken his face and beckon to her: Baor, come here.
Though she had no idea what she'd done to offend him, judging by his expression, he didn't seem to be here with good intentions.
Baoying instinctively sought to avoid trouble. Reluctantly, she put on the clogs Xiaolian handed her and dawdled her way into the hall.
The soles of her clogs were wet, and she wasn't watching her step. As she crossed the threshold, she tripped on the door sill and pitched forward, landing flat on the ground.
Zong Duo had already seated himself on the arhat couch and was pouring himself a cup of tea. He suddenly heard a dull thud. Looking up, he saw her sprawled on the floor like a turtle, having taken a proper spill.
It was an eyesore.
Baoying was dizzy from the fall. She lifted her head in embarrassment to find Zong Duo staring at her coldly with no intention of helping her up. She had no choice but to scramble awkwardly to her feet and shuffle over to him, stopping and starting along the way.
"Your Highness," she said cautiously, studying his expression, "who got your goat?"
Zong Duo said nothing, merely gazing at her with a face as dark as water.
Baoying's skin crawled under his stare, and her temper flared: "If you won't talk, then I'm leaving!"
She'd barely turned around when his words pinned her in place.
"Come back!" Zong Duo barked coldly, finally getting to the point. "What did you feed me last night?"
Baoying scratched her head before remembering. Yesterday, the Prince's residence had sent the finest ginseng and ornamental stones to her family. To repay his generosity, she'd personally cooked him a warming, kidney-tonifying soup—though, of course, she'd have cooked it for him even if he hadn't sent her family gifts.
"Angelica and black chicken soup, and ginseng-antler pigeon egg custard," she said, not without a hint of pride. "Tasted pretty good, didn't it? If Your Highness likes it, I'll make it for you every day."
Zong Duo's temple throbbed uncontrollably. What a load of nonsense! No wonder that strange fire had burned all night and still hadn't subsided today!
"Shi Baoying!" He rose abruptly, lowering his gaze to coldly glare down at her. "Who told you to feed me these things? I'm warning you—don't get clever with me!"
Baoying was stunned.
In all her life, no one had ever called her by her full name so directly, and no one had ever spoken to her so harshly—and this person was actually her husband!
She stamped her foot in fury. "Who's getting clever? I've been married to you for days now, and every single night I've slept alone. If you were capable, would I be standing over a stove in the middle of summer brewing medicinal food for you?"
Zong Duo prided himself on having mastered the art of concealing his emotions, but even he couldn't help letting out a laugh of sheer exasperation.
She actually thought he was impotent and had fed him aphrodisiacs!
"You want to share a bed with me?"
He raised one thick eyebrow slightly.
Baoying froze, then instinctively nodded. Wasn't sharing a bed what husbands and wives were supposed to do?
"Unfortunately, I have absolutely no interest in women who are eager to throw themselves at me."
Zong Duo's expression was cold and stern, his amber eyes looking down at her with disdain. "Mind your own business. Don't meddle in my affairs again. Otherwise, don't blame me for being rude!"
Baoying's eyes went wide as she struggled to process his words.
What did he mean, a woman eager to throw herself at him? Hadn't he been the one begging to marry her? What did he mean, no interest? Wasn't it him who couldn't perform? Did he have to say such hurtful things just to save face?
She was so angry she couldn't speak, and could only glare furiously at his retreating figure as he strode away.
The maidservants outside held their breath, watching Zong Duo walk out of the courtyard gate.
They hadn't caught what the argument in the main hall was about, but judging by His Highness's dark, grim expression, the two must have had quite a falling out.
None of the maidservants dared go in to console the Princess Consort. Only Xiaolian, worried about her young mistress, hurried to the doorway—only to be shoved aside by Bailu and the other four senior maidservants.
Bailu and the others swarmed into the room, and seeing Baoying still standing where she was, they all began chattering at once:
"Princess Consort, what did you do to anger His Highness?"
"His Highness had a famously good temper when he was in the palace—he never so much as raised his voice at anyone. The Princess Consort must have gone too far."
"I'll say, Princess Consort, you'd better watch yourself. If it weren't for His Highness, do you think you'd even be here?"
…
Baoying covered her ears and shouted, "Xiaolian!"
Xiaolian squeezed her way in, shoving Bailu and the others aside with her backside. "I'm here, miss!"
"Pack our things—we're going home!" Her voice trembled with rage.
"Yes, miss!"
Xiaolian, who always followed Baoying's lead without question, immediately went into the inner chamber to pack.
Bailu and the others didn't try to stop her. They exchanged knowing glances, folded their arms, and stood by to watch the show.
Threatening to run back to her family—who did she think she was? Going against His Highness the Prince of Yan, and acting like she was so important.
The rain outside pattered down harder. Xiaolian held up a green bamboo umbrella while Baoying clutched a bundle of clothes, and the mistress and maid made their way to the stables.
As the coachman was harnessing the horses, Nanny Sun got word and came rushing over, pleading repeatedly, "Princess Consort, don't throw a tantrum. Go back inside—you'll catch a headache in this rain."
Baoying turned her face away and ignored her.
Nanny Sun was about to persuade her further when a young eunuch in purple robes walked slowly through the curtain of rain.
"Yuan Yi." Nanny Sun's face lit up. "Did His Highness send you? Come, help me persuade the Princess Consort."
Yuan Yi stepped forward and greeted Baoying with a bow, but then pulled Nanny Sun aside and whispered in her ear, "His Highness said not to bother with the Princess Consort. Once she realizes she's in the wrong, she'll stop making a fuss on her own."
Xiaolian had exceptionally sharp ears. Through the sound of the drizzling rain, she caught every word Yuan Yi said and repeated it verbatim to Baoying.
Baoying ground her teeth in fury.
Saving a snake and having it bite you—that was gratitude for you! She didn't even want to be this damn Princess Consort anyway!