Chapter 1 The Crown Prince Returns to the Palace
[Official First Release]
“Ah Kui, it’s like this… My mother arranged a marriage for me last month, and the other party is my distant cousin.”
"As you know, my grandfather is getting old and hopes I will settle down and start a family soon. I can't wait until you're twenty-five and leave the palace..."
"I'm so sorry, I have no face to see you... This is my savings of many years, please accept it, otherwise I will not be able to rest easy..."
Yun Kui was given a bulging money bag, and she secretly weighed it in her hand; it was quite a lot.
Even though she cursed him a thousand times in her heart, Yun Kui still put on an understanding look on her face and smiled as she blessed him, saying, "Brother Zhao, you have your reasons. I don't blame you. I haven't congratulated you on your wedding yet."
The man gazed at her with lingering affection.
The girl wore her hair in two buns, adorned only with two cherry-pink silk flowers. Yet, she possessed a beautiful face as radiant as spring blossoms, with a delicate nose, cherry lips, bright eyes, and snow-white skin. Her features were exquisitely perfect. Even without makeup, and dressed in the most ordinary light apricot-colored waist-length ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), she was the most eye-catching presence in the crowd.
Unfortunately, he was about to marry someone else.
Yun Kui was also very reluctant to part with it.
I can't bear to part with Guard Zhao's strong and robust physique, but I can't bear to part with his strong limbs and simple mind.
This was one of the husbands she had carefully chosen.
Yun Kui is sixteen years old and works as a palace maid in the Imperial Kitchen.
Despite being at the bottom of society, she thrived because of her sweet talk. Even a little food that her masters would let slip through their fingers was enough to make her look beautiful and full of hope.
As the saying goes, when people are well-fed and warm, they think of lust. Under the influence of Aunt Bizan, who was married to the commander of the imperial guard, she firmly chose to follow suit.
According to Aunt Bizan, "Girls trained in the palace are all well-mannered and know how to behave, which is a plus when it comes to marriage. Marrying a guard is the best option. The family is respectable, the man is handsome, and if you earn some military merits and rise through the ranks, you can at least become an official's wife."
She was young and beautiful, and she couldn't bear to spend her days in the greasy and mediocre Imperial Kitchen. So, in her spare time, she met with several unmarried guards.
If you're lucky, you can get married smoothly after leaving the palace at the age of twenty-five. If you're unlucky, you'll end up like this Guard Zhao, who started a relationship but then abandoned you.
Yun Kui has no parents, so there's no question of her being betrothed or engaged without a matchmaker. She's like a rootless duckweed, and she can only plan for herself as soon as possible.
There were regrets, but not many. Even without Guard Zhao, she still had Guard Qian, Guard Sun, Guard Li... To be honest, there were very few particularly ugly guards in the palace; almost all of them were tall and strong.
But people's hearts are fickle. Yesterday someone might say they love her, but tomorrow they might abandon her and marry someone else. That's why you need to have more options, just in case.
Guard Zhao was a good person and even gave her some money. With this money, she could use some of it to treat Guard Sun's old and frail mother, making him extremely grateful and devoted to her.
Thinking this with such delight, Yun Kui's steps became lighter.
However, the next morning, devastating news arrived from the palace—
The Crown Prince, who was known for his violent and tyrannical nature, bloodthirstiness, and ruthlessness, whose reputation could stop children from crying at night, is returning to the palace.
Feng, the guard she had just met a few days ago, rushed over to see her. “Xiao Kui, the border war is over, and His Highness the Crown Prince will be returning to the capital soon. There are many affairs in the palace, so I’m afraid I won’t be able to see you often for a while.”
Yun Kui asked curiously, "The Crown Prince?"
The way he addressed him seemed taboo, and even the imposing and upright guard Feng couldn't help but shiver.
Looking around to make sure no one was watching, he lowered his voice and said, "A great victory in the northern frontier! His Highness the Crown Prince slaughtered seven cities in Northern Wei. Wherever he went, there was only mourning and devastation. He's known as the Jade-Faced Rakshasa, the Living Yama. You don't know him..."
The Crown Prince had been away on campaigns for many years, and Yun Kui had indeed never seen him before, but... Jade-faced Rakshasa? Not Iron-faced, nor Green-faced, which meant that he must be quite handsome?
The news that the Crown Prince was about to return to the palace quickly spread throughout the Forbidden City.
However, when the young palace maids, who were just as curious as Yun Kui, asked the elders of the Imperial Kitchen about it, everyone chose to keep quiet, for fear of getting into trouble.
"Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask."
"From now on, when the Crown Prince returns to the palace, never go near him, otherwise..."
The speaker turned pale and made a throat-slitting gesture.
The crowd exchanged bewildered glances and dared not utter another word.
Yun Kui came to the conclusion that His Highness the Crown Prince was not someone to be trifled with.
But she still ate and slept as usual every day.
After all, the Crown Prince is far away in the Eastern Palace, so what does he have to do with her, the Director of the Imperial Kitchen?
However, a few days later, the head of the Imperial Kitchen announced a major event—the Crown Prince was about to return to the palace, but the Eastern Palace kitchen had been abandoned for many years. The Imperial Household Department decided to transfer ten chefs and dozens of eunuchs and palace maids from the Imperial Kitchen to serve the Crown Prince's meals.
Rumor has it that the Crown Prince is not only violent and tyrannical, but also extremely lecherous, and he is indiscriminate in his lust for both men and women. Therefore, the eunuchs transferred from various palaces are all fair-skinned and soft-spoken, and the palace maids are all delicate and tender. In short, they are all different and beautiful, and none of them can offend the Crown Prince's eyes.
Yun Kui unfortunately became one of them.
She couldn't understand it either. The Crown Prince was just lustful, and wasn't it enough that he had a whole host of beauties serving him in his room? Why did he even have to choose the best-looking people to serve in the kitchen? Did he think that good-looking people cooked better?
Looking at her former companion's grief-stricken expression, as if she were going not to the Eastern Palace but to the King of Hell, Yun Kui felt a little uneasy.
Upon entering the Eastern Palace, she discovered that it was much larger than she had imagined, with all its departments fully staffed, hundreds of people of all ranks performing their duties, and its own Chamberlain's Office and subordinate officials. There were more than a dozen officials of the seventh rank or above, making it a miniature version of the Forbidden City.
However, since the Crown Prince has been away on campaigns for many years, these official positions are mostly held concurrently by court officials. Once the Crown Prince returns to the palace, the Eastern Palace will naturally resume its operations.
In comparison, the Imperial Kitchen was just a tiny department, and the Crown Prince would never see them or even notice them. The meals had to go through many layers of checks before they were served to the nobles.
If the crown prince is lustful, he should do so in his own palace. How could he possibly go to the kitchen to favor someone?
Yun Kui breathed a sigh of relief and, adhering to the principle of "since I'm here, I might as well make the best of it," continued to eat and sleep well as usual.
As the Crown Prince's return to the capital approached, everyone in the Eastern Palace was busy every day, repairing, sweeping, and setting up. In less than half a month, the entire Eastern Palace was completely renewed, and even the glazed tiles on the roof of the palace were polished to a bright shine.
While things were bustling outside, the kitchen staff spent their days just figuring out food and drink. The ingredients were all handled by the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, making it much more relaxed than they had imagined.
However, the guards she had previously met were wary of her working in the Eastern Palace, and since it was not as convenient as the Imperial Kitchen, they met less and less often, which made Yun Kui somewhat disheartened.
Fortunately, there's no rush. Once His Highness the Crown Prince returns to the palace and she has established a firm foothold in the Eastern Palace, she can then make further plans.
That evening, Dan Gui, the palace maid who shared a room with her, suddenly had a stomachache and had no choice but to ask for her help. "The food for Lan Yue Pavilion hasn't been delivered yet. If you have nothing to do, could you run it for me and Sister Xiang Xing?"
The Lan Yue Pavilion is located in the southwest corner of the East Palace. It is said that the palace specially selected more than ten beauties from the Jiaofangsi (Imperial Music Bureau) to welcome the Crown Prince back to the capital. These beauties have been practicing singing and dancing in the Lan Yue Pavilion for the past two months so that the Crown Prince can enjoy them when he returns to the palace.
Yun Kui was more than happy to oblige: "You should rest well, I'll go in your place."
It just so happens that she doesn't know the location of the various halls in the East Palace yet. The East Palace is well-ordered, and it's impossible for her to run around aimlessly. This trip to Lan Yue Pavilion is a good opportunity to scout out the location.
Xiangxing was a veteran of the Eastern Palace. She had worked in the Eastern Palace kitchen before the Crown Prince went on his expedition. Over the years, she had developed a timid and hesitant nature. Seeing this new girl looking around fearlessly, she quickly whispered a reminder: "His Highness the Crown Prince is about to return to the palace. You must be careful!"
Yun Kui leaned closer to her and whispered, "Sister Xiangxing, tell me, what kind of person is His Highness the Crown Prince? We're new here, so we can prepare ourselves."
When Xiangxing heard the word "Crown Prince," her face turned pale. How could she dare to speak ill of that King Yama in private!
Although she worked in the Eastern Palace, as the most inconspicuous palace servant in the kitchen, she had only seen the Crown Prince once in all these years.
On the day an assassin appeared in Chengguang Palace, His Highness the Crown Prince was furious. In the end, the assassin and the eunuch who colluded with him both met a gruesome end.
Xiang Xing clearly remembers that on that day, His Highness the Crown Prince walked out of Chengguang Hall with a sword in his hand, his robes stained with blood, and his whole body exuded a murderous aura, as if he had crawled up from the deepest hell.
Even after many years, Xiangxing still feels weak in the knees and her hair stand on end whenever she thinks of that day.
His Highness the Crown Prince is known for his tyranny. It is said that he even went to the northern frontier to atone for his crimes by punishing several officials without prior authorization.
They finally managed to catch their breath and thought they could make it out of the palace, but they never expected that this demon would be back. He had even slaughtered seven cities in Northern Wei. His violent and bloodthirsty nature was exactly the same as when he left the palace. Who wouldn't be afraid?
It was already autumn, but Xiangxing's forehead was covered in cold sweat, and she felt a chill on the back of her neck. "In short, listen less, ask less, and speak less! His Highness the Crown Prince won't make trouble for our little kitchen."
"Don't worry, Sister Xiangxing, I will definitely not cause any trouble."
Influenced by her, Yun Kui also unconsciously lowered her voice.
In mid-October, news came from the palace that the Crown Prince had been assassinated by bandits on his way back to the capital, and had been hit by several arrows, and was on the verge of death.
The person has now been sent back to the Eastern Palace. The Emperor and Empress are extremely worried. All the imperial physicians from the Imperial Medical Academy have gathered here, the Imperial Pharmacy is extremely busy, and even renowned doctors from the common people have been summoned to the palace one after another.
Blood was poured out basin after basin, and for several days, the entire Eastern Palace was filled with a thick, pungent smell of blood, yet the Crown Prince remained unconscious.
The kitchen can only prepare some medicinal dishes and light soups and porridges to send over each day. However, His Highness the Crown Prince is still unconscious and cannot even be given medicine, let alone food.
Yun Kui carefully suppressed the joy in her heart—the Crown Prince was clearly not going to live, could she return to the Imperial Kitchen?
Yay!
Yun Kui was in a great mood and was about to take a good nap when she remembered that she had been in the East Palace for two months and wondered if Guard Zhao had gotten married yet. She thought she might as well ask him in his dreams.
Yes, Yun Kui has been seeing strange things occasionally after falling asleep, since she doesn't know when it started. For example, Dan Gui drools over a braised pork knuckle, Guard Qian rolls around on a mountain of gold, and Xiao Lu Zi, a eunuch in the Imperial Kitchen, discovers that his penis has grown back... In short, all sorts of bizarre things.
Why would she dream about Xiao Luzi for no reason? She doesn't care at all!
It wasn't until later, when chatting with Dan Gui, that Yun Kui deliberately probed her and discovered that the scenes in her dreams were actually other people's dreams.
However, she can only see dreams of people she frequently interacts with and is quite familiar with.
Someone like Guard Zhao is very easy to enter into a dream.
Silently reciting Guard Zhao's name, Yun Kui closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.
The bright red candlelight almost blinded her, but upon closer inspection, she saw two brides dressed in wedding gowns and wearing red veils sitting on the bed.
Did she stumble into the wedding night scene in Guard Zhao's dream?!
Wait... why are there two brides?
Just as she was about to investigate, she heard the door frame creak. Zhao, dressed in a bright red auspicious robe, staggered across the threshold, picked up the wedding scales from the tray, and lifted the red veils of both of them.
The bride sitting on the left side of the bed must be his cousin, she has a gentle and charming appearance. And look at the bride on the right who is looking at him with affection... isn't that herself!
Yun Kui stared in disbelief as Guard Zhao, holding a cup of nuptial wine in each hand, sat down between her and her cousin, and the three of them drank together in a harmonious yet eerie posture.
After drinking the nuptial wine, Guard Zhao, his face flushed, took the hands of the two women, placed them in front of him, and said with a smile, "From now on, the three of us living a good life together is better than anything else."
Yun Kui was furious! She was so angry that she woke up from her dream.
How outrageous! Marrying his cousin wasn't enough, he wanted to marry two of them!
You've been underestimated, you think you're so virtuous.
Just as she was about to utter a few more words, footsteps sounded outside, and the head cook of the kitchen hurriedly came in to light the lamps: "Dan Gui, Yun Kui! Get up quickly, pack your things and head to Cheng Guang Hall to attend to His Highness the Crown Prince!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
