It seemed that the princess consort was genuinely concerned about the prince. The chief steward finally felt a bit reassured.
Hearing her words, Xiao Jinyan smiled faintly. “Princess Consort, your thoughtfulness is appreciated. Whatever you do, I shall accept.”
Hua Miao Miao couldn’t help but feel a little thrilled. Even in the modern world, a husband like this would surely be considered the best kind.
Though the mansion was small in scale, it had everything a proper estate should: pavilions, corridors, small bridges, flowing streams—the scenery was quite lovely.
It fulfilled all her imaginings of a traditional Chinese garden. The only catch was, she couldn’t reference any historical era to judge it by, since this dynasty didn’t exist in the history books.
As she looked around, eyes darting from one spot to another, she felt like Liu Laolao walking into the Grand View Garden—amazed by the layout and design of the prince’s residence.
Xiao Jinyan kept a careful eye on her movements, and he found her curiosity rather endearing.
When they reached the side hall, Leng Feng was already waiting. He had personally instructed the morning meal to be prepared by the palace chefs, who had made their specialties.
After Hua Miao Miao helped Xiao Jinyan into the main seat, she finally looked at the breakfast spread.
Before taking a wife, the prince’s meals had been entirely managed by Leng Feng.
It was mostly a performance for the spies the empress had placed in the mansion. Leng Feng would introduce the dishes in front of the servants, then the prince would choose what he liked, and Leng Feng would serve it to him.
Now that the prince had married, the servants were genuinely shocked. They knew he had taken the “ugliest woman in the capital” as his wife—and she truly lived up to that reputation.
They thought it was a waste of such a perfect-looking prince. Except for the empress’s spy, none of the servants could openly complain, so they could only grumble silently in their hearts.
But Hua Miao Miao’s next move completely stunned everyone. She picked up her chopsticks, tasted each dish, and then set them down.
Then she took up the prince’s chopsticks, picked a piece of osmanthus rice cake, and said, “Prince, this osmanthus rice cake is quite good. Try it!”
She fed him the rice cake herself. Everyone assumed the prince wouldn’t accept it—but to their shock, he did.
The servants were utterly flabbergasted. They thought he must be blind, unaware of the extreme ugliness of the bride he had married, which explained why he accepted the food.
Before this, even Leng Feng would never have dared to feed the prince directly. Yet this newly arrived princess consort did it openly—and he didn’t refuse.
Even Leng Feng’s brow twitched slightly at the sheer audacity. It was astonishing!
Still, Leng Feng quickly regained composure. His gaze lingered on Hua Miao Miao, curious why the prince treated her with such deference.
Though the prince often appeared weak and non-confrontational in public, Leng Feng knew it was all a facade to protect himself.
In reality, the prince was brilliant, highly skilled, and cunning. Leng Feng had seen his patience over the years.
Anyone who had dared act against him had already vanished.
The prince’s genius lay in his flawless plans—no matter how thoroughly investigated, none of the blame could ever touch him.
People like him were not to be trifled with. Cross him, and you wouldn’t even know how you died.
Leng Feng watched as Hua Miao Miao personally fed the prince, bite by bite. The prince’s expression showed not the slightest discomfort.
Outsiders assumed the prince’s blindness and weakness explained his behavior, but only Leng Feng knew the truth: the prince wasn’t blind. His actions remained inscrutable even to him.
After breakfast, Hua Miao Miao led the prince on a stroll through the back garden to aid digestion.
Word of the morning events quickly spread throughout the mansion. Everyone stared at the princess consort as if she were a monster.
The servants could only watch their master allow the princess consort to take his hand and wander the garden freely.
Though the princess consort was incredibly ugly, her voice was exceedingly pleasant.
Wherever she went, she described the scenery and shared her impressions. Even the servants who had never noticed the beauty of the garden before began to think it quite lovely through her words.
While the estate still paled in comparison to other princes’ mansions, her storytelling made it seem much better than it really was.
Xiao Jinyan allowed himself to be led by her. The touch of her hand was wonderful.
Listening to her animated descriptions, the hatred that filled his heart softened. For the first time since his mother and elder brother passed, he allowed himself a rare moment of relaxation.
He was used to hiding behind carefully constructed masks, meticulously planning his revenge. Being pulled out of that “cage” felt liberating.
Even so, he only allowed himself a brief respite; his mind had to remain sharp and alert.
Xiao Jinyan looked down at the hand she held, then glanced at the back of her head.
Her jet-black hair was simply tied up with a jade hairpin.
As she walked briskly, the tassels swayed gently.
Hua Miao Miao didn’t notice his gaze.
She continued describing the scenery—the koi pond, the garden corners—everything fascinated her.
In the past, she had missed so many sights due to training and missions. Now, having been given a second chance at life, she cherished it deeply.
She was determined to make the most of her marriage, vowing to be his knight and protector.
Her plans had to remain in her heart, though, as her husband’s situation in the court was truly precarious.