Chapter 15

In the afternoon, Yue Niang came to report to Qi Yu about the affairs of the estate.

Beside Qi Yu was a bunch of washed grapes, plump and with delicate, firm flesh, and a fragrant aroma after peeling them.

The palace maid with the most beautiful fingers peeled the meat for her and fed it to her mouth.

Qi Yu felt deeply ashamed of her own depravity, and after Yue Niang arrived, she gently pressed down on the palace maid's hand.

As she listened to Yue Niang talk about the monthly expenses of the estate, how many servants were employed, and how many horses there were, she gradually began to talk eloquently about when and what kind of fruit the fruit trees would bear.

Qi Yu opened the account book and read it quickly. Having seen many account books in the palace, she was quite familiar with their intricacies.

Seeing that there were no problems, she put the account book on the table, and Yue Niang also fell silent.

Qi Yu said softly, "You did a very good job."

Pei Jiu stepped forward and handed the reward money to Yue Niang.

"I will need your help during my summer retreat at this estate."

Moon Lady smiled and said, "This is what I should do."

Half an hour after seeing Yue Niang off, a servant reported that a maid from the neighboring estate had sent some food.

Qi Yu looked puzzled and had someone invite him in.

Two women entered the courtyard. One wore a token representing a female official in the palace and a long, narrow-sleeved robe. She moved with great efficiency. The other woman following behind her looked young, with a round face. She was carrying a food box and wearing brocade clothes. She was clearly a maid raised in a wealthy family.

After the two entered the room, the woman in the lead curtsied and said, "This servant is Shuangzhi, and I am Princess Yunping's personal maid. A few days ago, the princess went to Yunliu Manor to relax. Today, upon hearing that the Imperial Concubine has arrived at Canglan Manor, she sent this servant to pay her a visit. The princess only has one chef from Zuixianlou who is quite capable, so I specially prepared some food to bring to Your Highness for your enjoyment."

Qi Yu knew what was going on as soon as she saw Shuangzhi's waist tag.

Female officials were only available to members of the royal family's close relatives.

For example, her, the Empress Dowager, and Princess Yunping.

When she was first conferred the title of Imperial Concubine, there were no female officials in Zhaoyang Palace except for Aunt Jinrong. She later promoted Peijiu, but Peijiu was not senior enough to be a high-ranking female official.

Princess Yunping, Wu Shiyun, left the palace to establish her own residence shortly after entering the palace, and even held two flower-viewing banquets in the capital, becoming the most popular woman in the world for a time.

Qi Yu had only met this princess a few times and remembered her as a fair-skinned and delicate woman, but had no other impression of her.

However, it's likely that princesses raised in the palace wouldn't be without cunning; they're just used to presenting themselves as harmless within the palace walls.

The manor where Qi Yu lived was called Canglan. It was indeed adjacent to Yunliu Mountain Manor and both were imperial manors, but the distance between them was by no means short.

Why did Princess Yunping start thinking about her?

Qi Yu smiled and said, "Your Highness is too kind. I am quite accustomed to the cooking of the imperial chefs, and I am genuinely curious about the dishes of the popular Zuixianlou restaurant in the capital. Yunping, are you here at the estate to relax? Is something troubling you?"

Shuangzhi glanced at the maid and placed the food box on the table, then replied carefully, "No, it's just that the estate has the princess's favorite foals, and that's why the princess came. The princess also said that if Your Highness is bored by yourself, you can ask the princess to keep you company."

Upon hearing this, Qi Yu thought of the fine horses she kept on her estate and realized that if she had time, she could learn to ride one.

Horse archery was one of the skills highly sought after by women in the capital.

Qi Yu said, "If I obtain anything interesting, I will certainly ask the princess to appreciate it."

Qi Yu did not refuse. Princess Yunping wanted to befriend her, so why should she turn her away? She was just a pampered young girl.

Qi Yu was puzzled, however, because Princess Yunping had invited Zhao Wanyi to both of her flower-viewing banquets, and had even embarrassed a lady for Zhao Wanyi's sake during one of the banquets.

It's clear that she knew who Wu Shiyan was in love with.

However, Wu Shiyun's decision to leave the capital for a short stay at the estate at this time was not a secret, but Princess Yunping's arrival was far too timely.

Zhao Wanyi is still in the capital.

Shuangzhi and the maid she brought took their leave and returned to report to Princess Yunping.

The palace servants stepped forward and laid out the food; the colors of each dish were very appetizing.

It was almost time for dinner, and Qi Yu was a little hungry, so she asked someone to bring her chopsticks and began to eat.

After tasting a few bites, she understood why Princess Yunping wanted to send her meals.

The tastes inside and outside the palace are quite different, and the chefs at Zuixianlou have the best skills.

After a satisfying dinner, Qi Yu stopped thinking about Princess Yunping's intentions. Since the other party was trying to please her, she would just play along.

Qi Yu strolled around the veranda in the courtyard a few times, took a bath, and then went to sleep.

The bed here was naturally not as big as the one in Zhaoyang Palace, but with the fragrance of lotus flowers and the faint scent of mosquito-repelling herbs, she quickly fell into a deep sleep.

The next day, Qi Yu changed into a neat outfit and did not wear any extra accessories.

Open the window, and the fresh scent of grass mixed with the smell of earth wafts in.

Qi Yu spent her mornings at the farm, picking fruits and vegetables, feeding the fish, and drinking tea, which quickly filled the morning.

In the afternoon, Lanlan came to find Qiyu, and they agreed to go up the mountain together.

Qi Yu was at the age where she was curious about everything and had a lot of energy for everything, so she immediately agreed. She took a small hoe, and Pei Jiu carried her basket on his back as they went up the mountain.

Lanlan often goes up the mountain and knows what is edible and what can be used as medicine.

It didn't rain this morning, so the mushrooms didn't sprout. Instead, they dug up wild vegetables and dried flowers that could be soaked to cool them down.

Lanlan only said that there would definitely be wild mushrooms after the next morning when it rained.

Perhaps because many people have walked along the mountain path, there were no large animals around, only small insects and sparrows.

Just when Qi Yu thought she wouldn't find any wild game, a gray shadow suddenly flashed past in her field of vision.

Qi Yu quickly looked over and asked, "What is that?"

Lanlan, with her experience, said, "A wild rabbit, but these things can outrun you, so they're not easy to catch."

Upon hearing this, Qi Yu eagerly chased after him.

The hare remained calm and collected. Even though it sensed someone chasing it from behind, it was not affected in the slightest. Instead, it would speed up and slow down at will, making it impossible to catch.

No wonder it grows so plump and smugly appears in front of people.

Qi Yu was a little deflated and said angrily, "You stinky rabbit."

No sooner had she finished speaking than a pebble shot out of thin air toward the rabbit. Caught off guard, or rather, because the pebble was too fast, the rabbit had no chance to dodge and fell to the ground with a thud.

Qi Yu's eyes lit up, and she quickly ran forward and picked up the rabbit.

Pei Jiu caught up and exclaimed in surprise, "Your Highness, you caught a rabbit?"

Qi Yu smiled and said happily, "It was Lin Qi. She stopped the rabbit with a pebble."

Lin Qi, who was hiding in the shadows, suddenly paused. She did want to help Qi Yu, but there was a wooden stake in front of the rabbit. Others would only think that the rabbit had accidentally run into the stake, rather than that it had been knocked unconscious by a stone.

But Qi Yu was able to see the stone's trajectory, thus discovering that it was she who had made the move.

The wild rabbit was the biggest reward of the trip, and Qi Yu didn't ask for anything else before descending the mountain.

When she returned to the manor, she heard from the palace servants that Shuangzhi, who was by Princess Yunping's side, had come again that afternoon, but this time she brought a small dog.

Seeing that Qi Yu was not there, he left after settling the puppy in.

Qi Yu went to see the puppy first. Its back fur was yellowish-brown, and its belly was white. It was about a few months old and had a憨厚 (honest and simple) appearance. Because its paws and tongue were pink, it had a unique kind of cuteness.

The little guy is now lying in his makeshift little nest, looking timid and shy.

Seeing this, Qi Yu couldn't help but feel a little pity and stroked its fluffy fur.

Seeing their mistress's appearance, the palace servants knew that the little dog would be kept.

Qi Yu said, "Have the kitchen prepare some palace dishes and send them to the princess's estate. I imagine the princess must be missing the palace's culinary skills during these months away from the palace."

The palace maids agreed.

Qi Yu stayed there for a while longer, playing with the puppy and watching it finish eating the meat, before belatedly instructing someone to move its kennel to her yard.

So that I can see it at any time.

She then asked the craftsman to make a few more puppy toys.

Upon hearing this, the palace maid took out a cloth tiger from the chest and handed it to the puppy. The puppy pressed the cloth tiger under its paws and used it to sharpen its teeth.

Qi Yu couldn't help but laugh: "So cute."

During dinner, Qi Yu was distracted, worried that the little one might get cold or hungry.

Princess Yunping's gift truly touched her heart, and the estate was large enough that even a small dog could run around freely.

In the following days, Qi Yu became increasingly enamored with the puppy. The puppy had already been given a name when it was delivered: Jin Nu. Qi Yu often called it Xiao Jin.

Xiao Jin is a girl with a good personality. After getting to know Qi Yu, she started showing her belly.

Because of Xiao Jin, Qi Yu and Princess Yunping became acquainted.

She also knew that Princess Yunping was guarding her manor because of the fine horses on her estate.

Before long, he couldn't wait any longer and went to visit in person.

Qi Yu took her to see Ma.

Wu Shiyun said incredulously, "His Majesty actually gave these horses to my sister-in-law."

Even though she had received prior notice, seeing this scene in person still surprised her greatly.

This is why she was willing to stay at Yunliu Manor and gradually build a closer relationship with Qi Yu after she moved in.

Qi Yu's focus was on Wu Shiyun's address of "Imperial Sister-in-law." If she remembered correctly, Wu Shiyun had respectfully addressed her as Consort Yu when they first met.

Shouldn't the ambiguous title of "Imperial Sister-in-law" have been applied to Zhao Wanyi after she entered the palace?

However, it's also possible that Wu Shiyun is too excited right now, hence calling her that.

Qi Yu asked, "What's the secret behind these horses?"

Wu Shiyun said, "These two newly matured horses are the offspring of His Majesty's White-hoofed Black Horse. Not only are they brave and skilled in battle, but they can also travel a thousand miles a day. Their offspring are born with extraordinary bloodlines and have been trained by superb horse trainers, making them rare and excellent horses."

However, Qi Yu had several such horses.

Even though Wu Shiyun knew that the world was at peace and these horses didn't need to be used for battlefield raids, she never expected that her brother would give them to the Imperial Concubine.

He didn't even tell the imperial concubine where the horses came from, letting them languish in the stable.

Qi Yu could tell the horse was good, but she didn't expect it to be this good. However, she had recently acquired a batch of treasures from Wu Shiyan's private treasury, and although she was excited, she could only marvel at the wealth of the royal family.

Today was supposed to be a day for learning to ride horses, but noticing Yunping's gaze, Qi Yu said, "If you like, you can choose one to ride."

Wu Shiyun smiled slightly, her face beaming with joy: "Then I shall respectfully accept your invitation. You may call me Shiyun, Your Majesty."

Qi Yu readily agreed: "Alright, Shi Yun."

A note from the author:

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