Chapter 8 Gift "I will take good care of the princess."...

Yu Qing was sitting alone in the outer hall. Qing Jia had been in there for a while, and no one knew how her meeting with her mother went.

The hall was filled with a bitter medicinal aroma, and she unknowingly ate a few more snacks.

At this moment, the sound of footsteps could be heard from behind the door. Then, a maid supported someone and slowly walked out, followed by the tall Qingjia. Yu Jin, who had been standing by her side, said, "The Queen is here."

The woman's features were roughly similar to Qing Jia's without any makeup. Yu Qing immediately stood up and bowed, saying, "Yu Qing greets Concubine Rong."

Rong Fei was speechless and stunned. Qing Jia explained, "Mother, this is my husband, Yu Qing, the son of the Marquis of Xuanbei."

The woman seemed to have finally recovered. She looked at Yu Qing. Yu Qing was inexplicably nervous, thinking that this was the princess's biological mother.

She even felt that Concubine Rong's eyes were somewhat shrewd and sharp.

It must be an illusion. She has been ill for many years.

Rong Fei said, "Okay, I recognize you... How old are you now?"

Yu Qing said, "I am twenty-two this year."

Concubine Rong nodded and was helped by Yu Jin to the main seat. Yu Jin then asked her some questions in a soft voice. It seemed that Concubine Rong was still sober today, and Yu Qing answered everything she asked obediently.

Rong Fei's mind was indeed a little unclear. She looked far from old, but she spoke vaguely when asked questions and forgot what she said the moment she turned around.

Yu Qing spoke to her patiently and slowly, and Qingjia would add a few words from time to time.

Afterwards, Concubine Rong asked Yu Jin to go to the warehouse to get something for her.

"This is a white jade flute. Legend has it that the sound of the flute can attract phoenixes," Rong Fei said. "I don't have any other valuable treasures, so I'll give this to you as a gift."

Yu Jin brought up a long wooden box with gold threads, inside of which was a flute that was crystal clear and definitely not an ordinary item.

Yu Qing subconsciously glanced at Qing Jia, who nodded slightly and said, "This was made by Master Lin Tinghai. It's the only one of its kind in the world and a truly exceptional piece. My mother treasured it for many years and wouldn't give it away to anyone else. Today, she's willing to give it to you, so please accept it."

Yu Qing was overwhelmed with such precious things. Rong Fei meant that she accepted her as her husband and expressed her goodwill.

Yu Qing had nothing in his hands and could not offer any return gift, so he could only promise Rong Fei: "I will definitely take good care of the princess."

Not long after sitting there, Concubine Rong pressed her forehead and nearly spilled her tea. Yu Jin hurriedly said, "You usually don't talk so much. Today, Your Majesty is tired and has a headache. I will take Your Majesty to the bedroom first. Xiao Ruanzi will bring the medicine."

Headache is a sign that Concubine Rong is ill, so even if she wants to stay longer, she can't.

Qingjia followed her reluctantly, watched her mother leave, and then instructed Yujin to let Rongfei have a good meal and pay more attention to rest at night.

When turning around, Qingjia wiped the corners of his eyes with a handkerchief.

Yu Qing understood her sadness.

When Xuanbei Hou was seriously ill, he was also extremely worried but helpless. Seeing Qingjia crying, he hurriedly advised: "Your Highness, don't be sad... Let's come to see the queen next time."

She also regretted not learning how to speak sweet words. Some people could make a girl laugh with a few witty remarks, but she could only say dry words.

Qingjia looked at her and nodded.

The princess's eyes were really beautiful, black and bright, and even when she shed tears, there was no bloodshot.

Aunt Yujin first settled Concubine Rong inside, then came out and ordered someone to bring two food boxes. She gave them to Yu Qing and Qing Jia's attendants to take away, saying, "I just told them to make these. Your Highness loved these flavors when he was a child, and the Empress still remembers them. I think they will suit your husband's taste, too. I'll give these to you to take away."

Qing Jia said: "Well, thank you aunt."

Yu Jin personally escorted the two out of the hall.

The group left the palace and got on the marquis's carriage.

Yu Qing felt that Princess Qingjia was always unhappy, and wondered if she was still worried about Concubine Rong.

She decided to chat with the princess, thinking that it would help to divert her from her sadness.

"Your Highness, do you like the jade flute that Concubine Rong gave me just now?"

Qing Jia said: "Hmm?"

"If Your Highness likes it, please give it to Your Highness for safekeeping."

Qing Jia said in surprise: "This is a gift from your mother."

Since ancient times, no one has ever given a gift from someone else a second time. Yu Qing certainly didn't mean that.

She was thinking that, after all, Qingjia was Rong Fei's biological daughter, and it was normal for Rong Fei to be a little confused as she had been ill for a long time. She had just given the flute to Yu Qing on a whim, but Qingjia did not receive anything.

"I know this is the Empress's intention. However, I am a simple man, only good at wielding swords and spears, and not very knowledgeable in music. Such a precious instrument would be a waste of the master's hard work in my hands. Why not give it to Your Highness? If you miss your mother, you will have something to rely on."

Yu Qing calls himself a rough man, but he is clearly a handsome man, and this flute actually suits him very well.

Xie Jing said calmly, "It's alright. Mother can't play it herself, so she gave it to you because she loves you. Your Highness is a master of martial arts, having fought for his country. How could he be so vulgar? This flute, no matter how valuable it is, is just an artifact. It only has value when it's given to you. Even if you just play with it, it won't be wasted."

Yu Qing felt a little embarrassed by the compliment. Seeing that the princess was determined not to accept the flute, she gave up and turned to talk about the snacks in Chunhui Palace.

"How is this snack made? It's so delicious. I've never tasted anything like it before."

"It's a craft from Aunt Yujin's hometown. I don't know how to make it," Qingjia smiled. "I loved it when I was a child. Aunt Yujin always made it for me in the small kitchen. It's not available in other palaces."

Yu Qing said, "I'll keep an eye out for this next time. Maybe I can find something similar in the capital. Or maybe I can hire a pastry chef from Yu Jin's hometown to come to our house and make it for His Highness."

Qing Jia said: "...It's just a bite of food, no need to go to such trouble."

There are countless extravagant people in prominent families, and all the young masters and young ladies are very lavish.

In terms of status, Qingjia is actually higher than all of them, but even finding a cook is a hassle for her.

Take the eldest princess, Princess Ningle, as an example. Not only was her mansion magnificent, the soldiers and salaries in the mansion were never insufficient, and her daily expenses were extremely particular, with gold and silver spent like water.

Compared with it, Qingjia is really too simple and plain.

Maybe it has something to do with her background.

She was not the emperor's favorite daughter, and the queen was not her biological mother. Perhaps she had never received the same support as other princes and princesses. No wonder she was so calm and introverted.

The Marquis's Mansion was quite wealthy, and Yu Qing could not give Qingjia anything else, so he decided to satisfy Qingjia with anything that could be solved with money.

*

After returning home, Yu Qing asked the servants to take all the gifts from the emperor and empress to Wenhua Garden, along with two large boxes of snacks from Chunhui Palace. She did not keep anything for herself except the gift from Concubine Rong. However, Qing Jia took one box of snacks back to Yu Qing.

"Don't forget to take this half. Yu Jin brought it to you specially." said the princess.

This snack should have been brought specially for the princess by the palace maids. She just took advantage of it. The princess liked it, so Yu Qing certainly didn't want to snatch it from her.

But Qingjia said that the dim sum was too big and she couldn't share it all, and it would go bad if left for too long, so Yu Qing had no choice but to take the food box.

"After staying in the palace for so long today, the prince consort must be tired," Qing Jia said, "There's no need to come here tonight. Take a good rest."

Yu Qing wasn't tired. She thought the princess was tired and didn't want to be disturbed, so she said, "Yes, I understand."

Xie Jing watched Yu Qing's back as she walked away, then turned and entered Wenhua Garden.

There weren't many servants in Wenhua Garden. Xie Jing had a hunch that the Xuanbei Marquisate and Yu Qing wouldn't send anyone to monitor him, but he didn't dare to believe it. Qiu Lian and Dong Li were the only ones serving him closely, and the others were doing odd jobs in the courtyard.

It seems that Yu Qing did not suspect him or Chunhui Palace today, and she kept comforting him unnecessarily along the way. Should we say that she is kind or naive?

Of Yu Jin's two food boxes, the one in his hand had a mark on it. When the food box was opened, it had two layers. He took out the top layer and broke open the tea cakes in the middle row of the bottom layer. In the middle of each piece was a black pill.

Dong Li put the medicine into a porcelain bottle and sealed it. This was the amount of medicine for Xie Jing for the next few months.

This medicine comes from Nanzhao. The herbs in the recipe are rare in the Central Plains and can only be collected there. The amount produced is also limited. Each time, someone secretly sends it to Xie Jing every few months.

Xie Jing didn't have much medicine left, and since he had just arrived at the Marquis' Mansion, it was not convenient to deliver it directly to him, so he went to Chunhui Palace this time to get the medicine.

In Huaifeng Pavilion, Yu Qing also opened the food box, took out a few pieces for Qiying to taste, and asked her to pay attention to whether there was any place in Beijing selling similar pastries, or if there was any chef who could make this kind of pastry.

"Was this brought back from the palace?" Qiying asked curiously, "Judging from the style, it doesn't seem to be made by the imperial chef."

Qiying has been with Yu Qing for so many years, so of course she has a lot of experience and can naturally recognize the standards of imperial cuisine.

Yu Qing said: "Yes, Concubine Rong made it herself in the palace."

Qiying was stunned. "Rong Fei...Princess Qingjia's mother? Isn't she living in seclusion in the deep palace? Why did you go to see her?"

Yu Qing recounted everything that had happened in the palace. It was Qingjia who missed her biological mother and went to ask the emperor for help, and only then did the emperor allow the two of them to visit the sick in Chunhui Palace.

The princess was very worried about her biological mother and didn't allow herself to pay her respects at night.

"Qingjia's life wasn't easy," Yu Qing sighed. "The Queen wasn't particularly kind to her. No wonder she decided to marry me."

"Life is not easy for people in this world," Qiying said. "The royal family is already the most noble of births. Even if life is not easy, it is still better than that of ordinary people."

“That’s true…”

Although this is the truth, Yu Qing still feels that Qingjia has been wronged.

Qiying asked, "What is this? Did you also bring it back from the palace?"

She pointed at the wooden box and Yu Qing said, "Oh, this is the flute given by Concubine Rong. It's very precious."

Qiying opened it carefully, took a look, and said, "It's a good flute. I wonder what the tone is like. Do you want to try it?"

Yu Qing said: "I haven't played the flute for a long time."

She paused, then picked up the jade flute and looked at the crystal clear jade and the clear carvings.

Her brother had taught her to play the flute. Back then, when she was far away at the border, the sky was always filled with yellow sand, and the wind could blow her down, but her mother wouldn't let her run around. She would still sneak up on the city wall and look out, trying to find the tents in the distance, where her father and brother were training.

When Yu Lang returned to the city, she was extremely happy and pestered her brother to play with her. Yu Lang then took out his bamboo flute and played some music for her.

The north is dry, and bamboo flutes are prone to cracking and damage. Even though the tone is flawed, Yu Qing never gets tired of listening to it.

She stroked the spotless jade flute, a trace of nostalgia in her eyes. Back then, her brother was still alive, her father was still a man of integrity, and she was just a little girl who knew nothing.

In the blink of an eye, more than ten years have passed and personnel have changed.

The elder brother certainly could not have imagined that his sister, now a skilled warrior, would inherit the throne and even marry a gentle and beautiful princess. Even he himself did not have such good fortune.