After the Mid-Autumn Festival, the osmanthus trees in the palace gradually lost their golden hue.

Some of the early-blooming chrysanthemums have already begun to open slightly.

With nothing to do in Yuqing Palace, Tong Wanyan took Chunque and Xiazhu to pick flowers and make some pastries and dishes.

She doesn't need to cook or get oil fumes herself, but it's quite fun and elegant when she's playing.

Whether it's osmanthus or chrysanthemum, any edible variety used as ingredients, after being skillfully prepared by Wang Yan, who had taken them back to the palace by Yinreng, became an unparalleled delicacy.

After tasting the food made by Tianhua for three to five days, Yinreng felt that his mouth was fragrant and that he had become a beautiful woman with a sweet scent.

After enduring several consecutive days of court sessions, Yinreng returned to Yuqing Palace early, a rare occurrence for him.

Tong Wanyan was making osmanthus wine by mixing honey and osmanthus petals.

The delicate jar was filled with golden osmanthus blossoms. Paired with sweet osmanthus honey and other ingredients, it looked incredibly appealing.

Yinreng, without even changing out of his court robes, walked forward with a big smile and bent down with Tong Wanyan to fiddle with the jar.

"You're back so early today, Master," Tong Wanyan said to Yinreng as she sealed the jar with cloth and rope.

Yinreng gazed at the jade earring on her fair earlobe and suddenly felt an itch to flick it.

The small earrings, following the force of the impact, gently bumped against Tong Wanyan's neck, feeling cool to the touch.

She gave him a reproachful glare: "You're such a naughty boy."

"Does it hurt? Let me rub it for you." Yinreng smiled ingratiatingly.

It didn't hurt, but the red mark on her fair skin made people easily mistake it for some other kind of mark.

Yinreng placed his hand on her neck, feeling her soft skin; his mouth was dry.

The easily angered and lecherous Yinreng quickly closed his eyes and silently recited the Heart-Cleansing Mantra to avoid embarrassing himself in front of the servants.

After calming down, Yinreng tried his best to stop overthinking.

"Father Emperor said we should visit my estate in Xiaotangshan tomorrow. It's been over a month since you last left the palace, so I'll take you with me tomorrow," Yinreng explained, revealing the reason for his early return.

Yinreng owned many properties, which were generally managed by Lingpu. Lingpu never made any mistakes and instead made a lot of profit every year.

Otherwise, the extravagant expenses of Yuqing Palace could not have been allocated solely from Qianqing Palace.

You spend the money you earn yourself. Others might say something like, "You can't be frugal," but they can't say anything else.

After Tong Wanyan entered the Eastern Palace, she would occasionally bring up some novel ideas, which made Yinreng earn even more.

"There are quite a few estates in Xiaotangshan, which one should I choose, Master?" Tong Wanyan had never been there, but she knew a little about them.

She deftly sealed the jar and stood up straight with satisfaction.

Yinreng took the wet handkerchief from Xia Zhu's hand and personally wiped her hands clean.

Don't think he didn't know; the way this servant looked at Xiao Yan every time was strange. Such intense gazes—if he weren't certain it was a woman and she harbored no improper thoughts, he would almost suspect Xia Zhu was a man deeply in love with Tong Wanyan.

Xia Zhu looked down regretfully at her empty hands. The Crown Prince's possessiveness was truly too strong. He even stole the chance to wipe his master's hands.

Chunque nudged Xiazhu gently with her shoulder, trying to calm her down.

They knew that the Crown Prince was a jealous man who was prone to swaying his master, and that he was even jealous of Prince Hongzhao, let alone them, his servants.

Tong Wanyan ignored Yinreng's little tricks and let him fawn over her as usual.

Holding Yinreng's hand, the two sweetly moved to another place to rest.

The porcelain jars on the table were taken away by the kitchen helpers and carefully stored away.