Yu Mu woke very early the next morning.
Mainly because she wasn’t used to having someone sleeping beside her.
Lying there with her eyes open, she wasn’t sure what to do. Since no servants had come in to wake them yet, it was obviously still early. She turned her head slightly and looked at Yinreng sleeping beside her, unable to describe what she was feeling.
Yinreng was already close to his usual waking time. Feeling someone’s unwavering gaze on him, he soon opened his eyes.
“What’s wrong?” he asked with a smile. “Why are you staring at me so early in the morning?”
His sudden awakening startled Yu Mu.
Her cheeks immediately grew warm—not from shyness, but from sheer embarrassment.
She’d been caught staring.
“I… I just wanted to look at Your Highness.”
“Oh?” Yinreng chuckled. “And what conclusion did you reach?”
“Your Highness is exceptionally handsome.” Yu Mu lowered her eyes as she spoke, pulling the quilt up to hide half her face. “I… I got so absorbed in looking that I lost track of myself.”
“Haha…”
Yinreng laughed heartily.
“I haven’t even done anything yet, and you’re already blushing? Come out from under there. You’ll suffocate yourself.”
He was genuinely pleased with Yu Mu.
Not only because of her appearance, but for several reasons.
As such, he didn’t mind chatting with her for a while. It added a bit of amusement to his daily routine.
Outside the room, the servants had long since heard voices from within.
However, since neither of their masters had called for them, no one dared interrupt.
Fortunately, Emperor Kangxi had granted the Crown Prince three days away from his regular duties for the wedding.
Otherwise, there would hardly have been enough time.
Knowing he didn’t need to report to the Imperial Study today, Yinreng had allowed himself to sleep in.
“Your Highness,” Yu Mu asked softly, “would you like to get up now? Shall I have the servants come in?”
“That sounds fine.”
“I’ll go exercise for a while.”
“Take your time. If you’re tired, don’t rush yourself.”
He smiled knowingly at her.
The moment he mentioned being tired, Yu Mu immediately remembered the previous night.
She had never imagined that the gentle and refined Crown Prince could become such a different person after dark.
Passionate.
Commanding.
Before she could blush again, He Zhong, Madam Zhang, and the other attendants entered the room.
Yinreng finished dressing quickly.
“I’ll come back for lunch,” he said before leaving.
Only after he was gone did Yu Mu finally relax completely, allowing Lüxiu and Linglan to help her get dressed.
Meanwhile, Madam Zhang directed the two younger maids to prepare breakfast.
Linglan was a perceptive woman.
She guessed that Madam Zhang had important matters to discuss privately with the Secondary Consort.
Smiling, she excused herself by saying she would go help the younger maids in the kitchen so they wouldn’t make mistakes.
The thoughtful gesture earned a few extra points in Yu Mu’s eyes.
A clever one, she thought.
Once they were alone, Madam Zhang immediately began reporting everything she had learned overnight.
“Your Ladyship, His Highness currently has three concubines in his rear court.”
“Lady Tang.”
“Lady Zhang.”
“And Lady Lin, who was originally one of the palace teaching maids.”
“Lady Lin is older and isn’t particularly favored.”
“Lady Tang is petite and delicate.”
“Lady Zhang is curvier and rather quiet.”
“His Highness treats the three of them fairly evenly, spending about two nights each month with each. The rest of the time, he usually sleeps in the front courtyard.”
“The three ladies all live together in Bamboo Fragrance Courtyard.”
“Our residence is Qingzhi Courtyard in the eastern wing. Aside from the future Crown Princess’s residence, ours is the largest courtyard.”
“I’ve also learned that the Luoxue Pavilion in the western wing is being renovated.”
“It’s most likely being prepared for Secondary Consort Liujia.”
Yu Mu nodded.
“What about their personalities? And have you found out anything about the servants assigned to our courtyard?”
“Lady Tang is rather outspoken and likes playing little tricks.”
“Lady Zhang is quiet and keeps to herself.”
“As for Lady Lin…”
“She’s older than His Highness, and her temperament isn’t to his liking. She rarely leaves her own courtyard.”
“As for our own staff…”
“The two young eunuchs, Deshun and Qingxi, were assigned here by the Imperial Household Department when His Highness first moved into Yuqing Palace.”
“They’ve always served in this courtyard.”
“The two junior maids are Yuehe and Yuelian.”
“Yuehe used to work in the imperial gardens.”
“Yuelian has always been stationed here.”
“And Linglan, the senior maid, has also served in Qingzhi Courtyard from the beginning.”
“On the surface, none of them appear suspicious.”
“But this old servant will continue watching them closely.”
“Good.”
Yu Mu nodded.
“I’ll have to trouble you to keep a careful eye on everyone.”
“If anything unusual happens, tell me immediately.”
“Lüxiu, I’ll leave my personal rooms and the storeroom in your hands.”
“Don’t let anyone take advantage of us.”
“Rest assured, Your Ladyship.”
Lüxiu immediately stepped forward.
“I’ll guard our courtyard well.”
Yu Mu smiled.
“I trust all of you.”
“Come.”
“It should be about time.”
“Let’s go meet the ladies in the rear court.”
By the time Yu Mu arrived in the reception hall, the three concubines had already been waiting for quite some time.
The moment they saw her, they rose together and bowed.
“We greet Secondary Consort Liya.”
“May Your Ladyship be blessed.”
“Please, stand.”
Yu Mu smiled warmly.
“We’re all sisters serving His Highness.”
“There’s no need to be so formal.”
As she looked at the three women before her, she couldn’t help sighing inwardly.
Each possessed her own unique charm.
The Crown Prince truly is fortunate, she thought.
The three women were equally surprised.
They had known Lady Liya came from a better family than they did.
But none of them had expected her to be so graceful and beautiful.
Each silently developed her own thoughts.
They already held low status in the household.
None of them had ever been especially favored.
If Lady Liya captured all of the Crown Prince’s attention…
And next month another beauty, Lady Liujia, entered the palace…
Would there be any favor left for them at all?
“Today is my first day in Yuqing Palace.”
Yu Mu smiled gently.
“Although my rank is higher, all of you entered His Highness’s service before I did.”
“I’m not someone who enjoys creating unnecessary trouble.”
“Besides…”
“I’m not the Crown Princess.”
“So from now on, there’s no need for you to come greet me every morning.”
“Just continue living as you always have.”
She genuinely disliked the idea of daily greetings.
She wasn’t the principal wife.
Nor would she ever become one.
There was no benefit in clinging to a reputation for strict dignity.
She’d rather enjoy sleeping a little longer.
The three women exchanged uneasy glances before quickly standing again.
“How could that be appropriate?”
“If we stopped paying our respects, wouldn’t that be disrespectful toward Your Ladyship?”
None of them dared accept so easily.
Who knew what kind of person this new Secondary Consort truly was?
If they actually obeyed and later she accused them of disrespect…
They would be the ones punished.
Seeing the panic on their faces, Yu Mu almost laughed.
They’re overthinking this.
She simply didn’t want to deal with them every morning.
And honestly…
She also hoped to avoid giving them opportunities to scheme against her.
“Sit down.”
She waved them back into their seats.
“I simply prefer peace and quiet.”
“I enjoy staying in my own courtyard.”
“I’m the one excusing you.”
“How could that possibly count as disrespect?”
“Let’s leave the matter at that.”
“Yes, Your Ladyship.”
Seeing that Yu Mu seemed slightly displeased, none of them dared argue further.
It appeared…
The new Secondary Consort had a bit of a temper.
Since she didn’t particularly want their company…
That suited them perfectly.
Better to avoid drawing attention to themselves.
The rest of the visit consisted mostly of polite compliments and light conversation about food and daily life.
After finally seeing the three women off, Yu Mu wanted nothing more than to crawl back into bed.
Unfortunately…
Yinreng had said he would return for lunch.
She still had to decide what to prepare.
Meanwhile, every detail of the morning’s events in Qingzhi Courtyard had already been faithfully reported to Yinreng by He Zhong.
Even he hadn’t expected Yu Mu to dismiss the daily greetings so quickly.
He could roughly guess her reasoning.
She probably didn’t want the future Crown Princess to think she was trying to establish authority before the principal wife even arrived.
Still…
Her eagerness puzzled him.
Fortunately, he didn’t enjoy dwelling on unanswered questions.
He could simply ask her himself.
Yinreng had never been one to leave himself wondering.
After finishing his morning exercises, he returned to his study.
Although he wasn’t required to attend lessons at the Imperial Study for the next few days, he still had work to complete.
As for this small matter…
He could casually bring it up over lunch.
The answer wasn’t particularly important anyway.
Back in Qingzhi Courtyard, Yu Mu was worrying about the menu.
“Linglan.”
“You’ve served in the palace longer than I have.”
“Do you know what His Highness likes to eat?”
Linglan bowed respectfully.
“Your Ladyship, I’ve always served here in Qingzhi Courtyard and haven’t had much opportunity to learn His Highness’s preferences.”
“However…”
“I’ve heard the kitchen staff mention that His Highness generally prefers stronger flavors.”
After answering, she lowered her head and quietly waited.
Yu Mu thought for a moment.
“Very well.”
“Have the kitchen prepare two of His Highness’s usual favorites.”
“Then add two richly seasoned dishes and two lighter dishes.”
“Also prepare a mild soup and a couple of refreshing side dishes.”
“Linglan, I’ll leave this to you.”
“Yes, Your Ladyship.”
Linglan was delighted.
Entrusting her with something as important as arranging the meal meant her mistress was willing to place some trust in her.
She absolutely couldn’t disappoint.
The better she performed…
The more indispensable she would become.
Before entering Yuqing Palace, Linglan had worked in the imperial embroidery workshop.
After being transferred here, she’d remained in Qingzhi Courtyard ever since.
Now that the courtyard finally had a mistress, failing to earn her trust would likely mean being sent back to the Imperial Household Department.
Servants returned there rarely met good ends.
“Your Ladyship…”
Lüxiu looked worried.
“This is your very first meal with His Highness.”
“Is it really safe to leave everything to Linglan?”
“What if she angers the Crown Prince?”
Yu Mu smiled.
“Even if I sent you instead, what could you do?”
“You don’t know His Highness’s preferences.”
“Nor are you familiar with the kitchen.”
“Linglan is the better choice.”
“Besides…”
“It’s a good opportunity for me to observe whether she has any ulterior motives.”
“But…”
“What if she’s the sort of person who’s very good at hiding them?”
“What if she waits until later to trap us?”
Yu Mu laughed.
“Then at least she won’t do anything today.”
“As for later…”
“By then, I’ll already have established myself here.”
“I won’t be so easy to deal with.”
Lüxiu was loyal in every way.
Only…
Sometimes her thinking wasn’t particularly flexible.
Still, Yu Mu had no grand ambitions.
Once the Crown Princess entered the palace, everyone’s attention would naturally shift toward her.
Yu Mu fully intended to remain in the background, eating well and living peacefully.
The待遇 of a Secondary Consort wasn’t bad at all.
She received a monthly stipend.
Food and lodging were provided.
She had servants attending her every need.
It was practically the comfortable life she’d dreamed about in her previous life.
What more could she ask for?
By noon, Qingzhi Courtyard had become lively.
Knowing that the Crown Prince would dine there, the palace kitchen bustled with activity as servants carried food boxes in and out.
Compared to the quiet Bamboo Fragrance Courtyard behind it, the difference was striking.
Lady Zhang remained as reserved as ever.
Lady Lin, being unfavored, said nothing.
Only Lady Tang watched the commotion with growing resentment.
She had always believed herself to be beautiful.
Being chosen to serve the Crown Prince had convinced her she was one of Heaven’s favored daughters.
But Lady Liya’s arrival had shown her exactly how insignificant she truly was.
It wasn’t that she had become less important.
She had simply overestimated her own importance all along.
The realization struck Lady Tang hard.
Back in Qingzhi Courtyard, everything had been prepared.
The Crown Prince still hadn’t arrived.
Yu Mu glanced at the dishes on the table.
If they waited much longer, the food would grow cold.
Just as she was about to send Deshun to the front courtyard to inquire…
She heard familiar footsteps.
Stepping outside, she saw Yinreng approaching.
“Greetings, Your Highness.”
“Why did you come out?”
Yinreng smiled as he helped her to her feet.
“I arrived a little late.”
“Were you waiting anxiously?”
As he spoke, he naturally took her hand and led her inside.
“Not at all.”
“We only just finished preparing everything.”
“You arrived at the perfect time.”
“I wasn’t sure what Your Highness liked to eat, so I simply arranged a few home-style dishes.”
Yinreng glanced over the table.
Most of the dishes were indeed among his usual favorites.
A sensible woman, he thought.
She knew enough not to make unnecessary mistakes.
“You chose well.”
“Come.”
“Let’s eat together.”
Yu Mu had never intended to stand beside him serving food.
The moment he invited her to sit, she happily took her place.
Eating with the Crown Prince, however…
Was exhausting.
She had to match his pace.
Pay attention to which dishes he favored.
Avoid eating too much herself.
Otherwise, she’d leave him with the impression that she was greedy.
Personally, Yu Mu saw nothing wrong with enjoying good food.
But women of this era carefully controlled their appetites to maintain graceful figures.
Especially when dining with men.
No one wanted to appear gluttonous.
It was truly tiring.
After the meal, they moved to a side room for tea.
Only then did Yinreng casually raise the subject of the morning.
“I heard…”
“You told the others they no longer needed to greet you every morning.”
“Don’t you like them?”
The instant she heard the question, Yu Mu knew it was a dangerous one.
Those women all belonged to him.
How could she possibly criticize them?
“Of course not.”
She smiled awkwardly.
“I’m simply… rather lazy.”
“Since there’s no Crown Princess yet, I don’t have to rise early to pay my respects.”
“I thought I’d enjoy sleeping a little longer.”
“The other ladies also live quite far away.”
“I imagined they probably don’t enjoy getting up early either.”
“So I thought it would be easier for everyone if we skipped the formal greetings.”
“If there’s ever something important, I can simply invite them over for tea.”
Then she looked at him nervously, twisting her handkerchief.
“Your Highness…”
“Do you think I’m lazy now?”
“Will you dislike me because of it?”
Yinreng blinked.
He hadn’t expected that answer.
Since childhood, he’d risen before dawn to attend lessons in the Imperial Study.
Early mornings had become second nature to him.
Only after a moment did he remember…
She was a young noblewoman.
She hadn’t spent her childhood attending imperial lessons.
She probably wasn’t accustomed to waking so early.
In that case…
Skipping the greetings hardly mattered.
It wasn’t worth making her so nervous.
“I was only asking.”
He smiled reassuringly.
“Look how frightened you became.”
“I’m your husband.”
“You don’t need to be nervous when speaking with me.”
“Do you understand?”
“Yes…”
Yu Mu lowered her head obediently.
As if I’d believe that.
The imperial family is suspicious by nature.
Outwardly, however, she wore an expression of touched gratitude.
“As long as Your Highness trusts me, I’m happy.”
“This afternoon I have nothing scheduled.”
“I’ll keep you company.”
“Really?”
Yu Mu’s eyes lit up.
“I heard before entering the palace that Your Highness is an exceptional painter.”
“I wonder…”
“Would I be fortunate enough to ask Your Highness to paint my portrait?”
“I’d hang it in my room and admire it every day.”
“Oh?”
Yinreng laughed.
“Our Secondary Consort has already started giving me orders?”
“Very well.”
“I’ll paint you today.”
“But I’ve also heard your literary skills are excellent.”
“When I’m finished…”
“You’ll write a poem on the painting.”
“I’d like to see your talent for myself.”
Before Yu Mu could stop him, Yinreng had already instructed He Zhong to prepare the necessary materials.
She watched the chief eunuch hurry away.
Her smile froze.
Oh no…
I can’t write poetry.
If I end up producing some clumsy doggerel…
Won’t the Crown Prince laugh himself to death?
The thought haunted her all afternoon.
Even while accompanying Yinreng, she remained distracted.
She could only force herself to smile through the growing panic.
She had never felt so mentally and emotionally exhausted.