In the carriage, Su Lele and Leng Yichen remained silent all the way.
Fortunately, before long, they arrived at the imperial palace.
At the palace gate, they got off the carriage. What came into view were two large vermilion doors edged with gold. The two walked inside.
This was Su Lele’s first time in the palace, and she was full of curiosity. She kept looking around left and right, slowing her steps unconsciously, unlike Leng Yichen, who walked briskly ahead.
The ancient palace resembled the ones she had seen in modern times in some ways. It soared into the clouds, magnificent and resplendent, filled with grandeur. The interior was exquisitely decorated, with carved beams and painted rafters of breathtaking beauty. The murals were ancient and elegant, their colors vivid and dazzling.
After walking for a while, they finally reached the main hall.
The palace pillars were round, and between each pair was a carved dragon connecting them. The dragon’s head extended beyond the eaves while its tail stretched deep into the hall, perfectly combining practicality and decoration, enhancing the imperial majesty of the hall.
“Your son pays respects to Father, Mother, and Grandmother,” Leng Yichen said.
“And I pay my respects…” Su Lele and others followed.
“Rise,” came the response.
“Come, Princess Consort, sit and have breakfast,” the Empress Dowager said, examining Su Lele—her fair skin like snow, almond eyes and red lips, her gaze bright and clear.
“Yes, Empress Dowager,” Su Lele replied.
The palace breakfast had far more variety than what the Su family usually ate, mostly steamed and boiled dishes.
Today, the Crown Prince, Crown Princess, and their pair of dragon-and-phoenix twins—Leng Yetian and Leng Yening—were also present. The Third Princess, Fourth Prince, and Fifth Prince were there as well.
The Third Princess, Leng Yiwei, was sixteen and already engaged but not yet married. The Fourth and Fifth Princes were twelve-year-old twins.
Su Lele looked at this gathering of the imperial family and found it rare and impressive. At first she felt a bit restrained, but gradually relaxed.
“Mother, I want milk mini bread,” Leng Yening said while looking at the table.
“Be good. Try this osmanthus cake—it’s very nice,” the Crown Princess coaxed. The palace did not have milk mini bread, so she could only let her daughter try other pastries. She herself also missed those soft, milky buns—last time the Second Prince had sent some snacks to the Crown Prince’s residence, and they were all delicious, especially the pastries.
“Second Imperial Uncle, I want some too. When will you bring more for Grandmother?” the Empress Dowager said pitifully, looking at her grandson. She was already tired of palace food.
Leng Yichen felt several gazes on him. He ignored them and calmly turned his cold eyes toward Su Lele.
Su Lele immediately understood and smoothly said, “Empress Dowager, if you like the milk mini bread, I will have someone return to the Su residence later and send some to the palace and the Crown Prince’s residence. We can deliver more every few days.”
“So those pastries are made by the Su family!” someone exclaimed.
“Yes, our household now runs a snack business,” she replied.
“Candied hawthorn slices, sugar-roasted chestnuts, salted pine nuts… are all of these made by your family?” someone asked.
“Yes. I will have people send some to the palace for everyone to try.”
She did not mention that she was the one who developed these snacks. There was no need to take credit or flatter anyone. She and Leng Yichen were not truly a married couple anyway.
After breakfast, Leng Yichen went to attend court, while Su Lele returned to the prince’s residence.
“Qiu Yu, go back to the Su residence and have them send some snacks to the palace and the Crown Prince’s residence. From now on, send more every few days,” she instructed. To live comfortably in the prince’s residence for the next two years, she needed to rely on Leng Yichen’s influence and strengthen his connections.
After returning to the residence, Su Lele took a nap.
When she woke up, she had lunch alone in her courtyard. It was quite nice—she didn’t have to eat with him every day.
In the afternoon, she planned a “half-day tour” of the prince’s residence.
There were six courtyards in total. Leng Yichen lived in Yijing Pavilion, which was very quiet and secluded. Su Lele now lived in Yanyu Pavilion, which had its own kitchen. She was very satisfied with this arrangement—anything she wanted to eat, she could cook herself without going to the main kitchen. It would also be useful for developing new snacks.
She walked into the kitchen and took a look. The utensils were complete and very clean, but there were no ingredients or seasonings. She instructed the servants to prepare everything she needed. In the evening, she planned to cook a good meal for herself to celebrate her first day living in the prince’s residence.
The residence had many pavilions, ponds, and fruit trees. Some were blooming, others already bearing fruit.
“Huh? Is that a mango tree?” she thought in surprise. She had assumed mangoes didn’t exist in this kingdom. The fruits were still small—she would see if they were sweet when ripe. If not, she could make dried mango instead.
She also found several green plum trees with growing fruit. In about half a month, they could be harvested to make crunchy pickled plums or plum wine.
After strolling for a while, she decided to visit the main kitchen.
Several chefs were busy inside. Although the residence previously had only one master—Leng Yichen—he was very particular about food, and the chefs often complained.
Now there was one more person (her), though when she had free time she planned to cook herself, which would reduce their workload.
“Qiu Yu, go call the steward. I need to speak with him,” she said.
Soon, the steward arrived at the kitchen after being informed that the princess consort had summoned him.
“Steward, tomorrow please hire craftsmen to come to my courtyard, Yanyu Pavilion. I plan to build several ovens,” she said.
She intended to develop more pastries in the future, so ovens were necessary. It would also be inconvenient to keep returning to the Su residence.
“Yes, Princess Consort. Is there anything else?” the steward replied respectfully.
“I will cook dinner myself in the courtyard tonight. Ask the prince if he wants to come and eat.”
Out of politeness, she still extended the invitation. Otherwise, if she secretly ate alone and angered him, it might cause trouble later. Having one meal together could be considered a “partner meal.”
“Understood. This old servant will ask the prince,” the steward said, though inwardly surprised.
Back at Yijing Pavilion, the steward reported the matter to Leng Yichen. He was also slightly surprised—she wanted to cook and even invited him.
At first, he intended to refuse. He preferred quiet meals without disturbance. But after a moment of thought, he agreed.