Chapter 3 Wen Shan thought that since Yinzhen was somewhat...
Since Yinzhen had a slight cold, Wenshan decided to make him a modern "folk remedy"—canned yellow peaches.
She pickled this food a while ago, and now it's ready to eat.
Lunch at Xianfu Palace was prepared in the small kitchen within the palace itself. Unlike the monotonous dishes served in the Imperial Kitchen, there were many dishes that even Yinzhen had never seen before.
Although it doesn't look as exquisite as the dishes presented in the imperial kitchen, it smells far superior.
Today is the first day that Yinzhen has come to Xianfu Palace. Wenshan also personally cooked a few of her signature dishes. She made three dishes and a soup for the two of them, and steamed a basket of fresh pork dumplings.
"This is peach honey soup made by Consort Xuan herself. It's best to eat when you have a cold. Try it." Wen Shan placed the can of peaches in front of Yinzhen.
The term "canned food" doesn't exist yet, so she adopted a different name to fit the local custom.
Yinzhen nodded, thanked him sincerely, and then picked up a small silver spoon and scooped up a piece of yellow peach.
Yinzhen was still young and hadn't shaved his head yet. The black hair on his forehead was freshly shredded and fluffy. He wore a brown rabbit fur jacket over his nightgown, making him look very well-behaved.
The more Wen Shan looked at him, the cuter he seemed. You couldn't tell that Yinzhen would become the cold-faced king in the future. His little face still had some baby fat, and his eyes were as black as grapes. However, he was indeed a bit too serious. Although he was only three years old, he was very well-behaved and lacked the innocence and liveliness that children his age should have.
Although Crown Prince Yinreng, who was four years older than him, was carefully taught by Emperor Kangxi and was among the best in terms of manners and knowledge among the princes, he still sometimes had a childish temper.
There weren't many yellow peaches in the silver cup, and Yinzhen finished them all in no time. He even secretly licked his lips at the end, which made Wen Shan very happy. Children of this age are indeed the most lovable. They are sensible but still look delicate and cute.
It seems that Yinzhen likes sweets; he didn't leave any of the fried milk or canned yellow peaches.
Wen Shan silently noted down Yinzhen's preferences, thinking that she would make him some desserts when she had time later.
For lunch, Wenshan cooked mostly home-style dishes: stir-fried bok choy, twice-cooked pork, shredded chicken with scallion oil, and fish fillets in sour soup.
After the dishes were served, the palace maids and eunuchs withdrew. Usually, Wen Shan would cook extra food, and the palace servants would take a portion from the small kitchen. Wen Shan enjoyed cooking and sharing her culinary skills with the palace servants of Xianfu Palace. After all, no one dislikes being praised, which greatly satisfied her.
Of course, it was also to pass the time when we were bored in the palace.
Yinzhen was very proper at mealtimes. Seeing that the palace servants had all left, he felt a little lost and hesitated for a long time before cautiously asking, "Does Your Highness not need the palace servants to serve the food?"
In the Qing Palace, the masters usually had maids and eunuchs serving them food when they ate. However, Wen Shan really couldn't stand having someone standing next to her to help her serve food when she ate. So, in Xianfu Palace, she usually let Zhenzhu and the others eat by themselves, while she leisurely ate her meal by herself.
There are many eccentric masters in the palace, and compared to them, Pearl and the others didn't find it strange that their master liked to dine alone, so they obediently followed Wen Shan's arrangements.
"...Empress Xuan prefers to eat by herself; the palace servants feel uncomfortable around her." Wen Shan smiled and made up an excuse on the spot.
Fortunately, Yinzhen didn't delve into it. He simply nodded and sat down properly, waiting for Wenshan to start eating.
Wen Shan picked up a piece of chicken for him, and Yinzhen thanked her before starting his meal.
Wenshan sighed silently in her heart, "So many rules for such a young child."
At first, Yinzhen was a little unaccustomed to picking up food for himself, but after Wenshan picked up some for him, he gradually started eating faster.
Consort Xuan served him some food, and he tasted it...delicious!
After finishing his food, he looked at the plate of crisp and tender stir-fried bok choy with a bit of anticipation, and then took the first step, picking up a piece with his chopsticks.
Wen Shan also noticed that Yinzhen was eating faster and faster, becoming more and more satisfied like a little hamster, and slowly starting to pick out his favorite dishes himself.
The two ate for almost half an hour. Yinzhen hadn't eaten so much in a long time, and his face was rosy. Wenshan took him to wash up and then led him to the side hall that had been prepared in the morning for an afternoon nap.
Yinzhen had taken medicine for a cold and was starting to feel drowsy. Wenshan covered him with a blanket and he fell asleep shortly afterward.
Pearl quietly entered with the ointment left by the imperial physician, and Wenshan took it and gently applied it to Yinzhen's still somewhat red and swollen forehead.
The ointment was very cooling, and as soon as it was applied, Yinzhen's tightly furrowed brows relaxed. Wenshan took some more ointment and applied another layer to his forehead, chuckling softly, "Such a young age, and you like to furrow your brows so much."
Pearl stood to the side with a smile on her face. It seemed quite nice for them to have a child in Xianfu Palace.
...
Yonghe Palace
Consort De was also keeping the one-year-old Sixth Prince, Yinzhuo, company during his afternoon nap.
Yinzhuo was carefully raised by Consort De, and he was fair-skinned and tender like a little lucky baby. Even Emperor Kangxi was very fond of this exceptionally pleasing-looking youngest son and would come to see him every two days.
Consort De gently rocked the cradle, humming a tune to lull her son to sleep. Although Yinzhuo was asleep, he still had a sweet smile on his face, his little fist placed next to his mouth as he slept peacefully.
Xia Yun, Consort De's personal maid, lifted the curtain and entered, leaning down to whisper in Consort De's ear, "Your Majesty, the Emperor has just issued an edict that Consort Xuan will take care of the Fourth Prince until the Noble Consort gives birth. The Fourth Prince is now in Xianfu Palace."
Consort De paused in rocking the cradle, lowered her eyes and remained silent for a while before saying, "Fine, no matter who raises him, he won't be considered my son anymore."
The child now in the cradle, Yinzhuo, is truly her child, her future support.
Xia Yun advised, "Your Highness, please don't say that. After all, the Fourth Prince is still your son on the imperial genealogy. Before, the Noble Consort wouldn't let us visit the Fourth Prince, but now that the Fourth Prince has gone to Xianfu Palace, Consort Xuan is easy to talk to. If we visit Xianfu Palace more often, maybe your mother-son bond with the Fourth Prince will be restored."
"Whether it's Consort Gui or Consort Xuan, they are all noble ladies from the Manchu and Mongol tribes. What's the difference?"
She was merely a bondservant of the Imperial Household Department, so her son could be easily taken away by these concubines from powerful families, like an insignificant toy.
"Alright, Yinzhuo has woken up from his afternoon nap and wants to drink eight-treasure soup. Go to the small kitchen and see if it's ready." Consort De didn't want to mention her eldest son, who had been taken away at birth, and focused all her attention on her youngest son.
Xia Yun had no choice but to obey and retreat.
Yinzhen slept for a full hour. When he woke up, he felt that his forehead and knees were cool and comfortable. He vaguely remembered seeing Consort Xuan gently applying medicine to him. However, his consciousness was hazy and he only remembered that Consort Xuan's hands were very soft and her movements were gentle.
She looks a lot like... his imagined mother.
Yinzhen lay with his eyes open for a while before sitting up. The palace maids by the bed heard the noise and quickly lifted the bed curtains, helped him get dressed, and washed his face.
After finishing his preparations, Yinzhen felt somewhat lost. In the past, he would start studying after his afternoon nap in Chengqian Palace, and his mother would check his studies before dinner. However, since his mother became pregnant, she had been in poor spirits and rarely paid attention to his studies anymore.
On his first day at Xianfu Palace, it seemed he should pay his respects to Consort Xuan and follow her instructions.
Thinking this, he went to the main hall. There were no palace servants at the entrance. Yinzhen hesitated for a while but still went in. As soon as he entered, he heard a burst of laughter.
"My lord, what do you think of this drawing I made?"
"Sister Pearl's skills still need improvement. Master, do you think this butterfly kite of mine is lifelike?"
Wen Shan sat cross-legged on the couch, wearing a pink blouse, holding a half-painted kite in her hand. Several of her personal maids, including Pearl, sat on footstools and stools, each holding a kite pattern, vying to show it off to Wen Shan. Bao Quan was weaving the kite frame with rattan nearby.
Outside, it was freezing cold, but inside, the atmosphere was warm and harmonious.
Wen Shan usually spends her time cooking or doing handicrafts with the palace servants. They make paper-cuts and palace lanterns themselves. While doing handicrafts, she listens to Pearl and the others gossip about the various palaces. She lives a very leisurely life.
"Yinzhen, when did you wake up? Come in quickly!" Wenshan turned her head and saw Yinzhen standing by the door, so she quickly put down the kite in her hand and greeted him.
Several palace servants also stood up and bowed.
Yinzhen felt a sense of defeat for a moment, as if he were the one who shouldn't have been there, and the harmonious atmosphere from before seemed to vanish the moment he arrived.
To be honest, Pearl and the others were quite afraid of this young but very serious Fourth Prince. He was even more imposing than Consort Xuan. It can only be said that he was a descendant of the dragon and phoenix and had the air of an emperor.
Yinzhen walked in sullenly and greeted her. Wenshan smiled and picked him up, only feeling relieved when she touched his forehead and found it wasn't so hot anymore.
"Is the place comfortable to sleep on? If there's anything you don't like, please let me know."
Wen Shan handed him a piece of chestnut cake, and Yinzhen took it and ate it in small bites. This chestnut cake was just sent by Consort Yi. Her son, the Fifth Prince Yinqi, was taken to Cining Palace to be raised under the Empress Dowager's care as soon as he was born. Wen Shan often went to Cining Palace and was favored by the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager. Consort Yi was concerned about her son, so she often visited her.
"What is Your Highness doing?" Yinzhen asked, glancing at the table every now and then as he ate chestnut cake.
"Making kites," Wenshan said with a smile. "Spring is just around the corner, it's time to fly kites."
"Would you like to paint a kite with Consort Xuan, Your Majesty?"
Yinzhen was somewhat surprised: "Is that alright?"
"Of course."
Wen Shan prepared paintbrushes and materials for him. Yinzhen hesitated for a moment before taking them, then asked somewhat shyly, "...How do you make this?"
Yinzhen's appearance relieved Pearl and the others. Emerald, being bold, stepped forward and said, "Fourth Prince, you can just hold the painting as you like."
Baoquan chuckled and said, "Once you've finished drawing, give it to your servant. I guarantee I'll make you a beautiful and sturdy kite that will fly the highest."
The relaxed atmosphere from before seemed to have returned.
Yinzhen hummed in agreement, a barely suppressed smile playing on his lips, and began to seriously learn how to draw a kite.
The group worked all afternoon until Yinzhen finally drew a kite that he was satisfied with.
When Baoquan was making kites, he even went over to watch. Baoquan also patiently taught the young master how to weave kites.
"Your Highness, look at the eagle kite I made!"
Yinzhen excitedly ran over to show Wenshan, who had just entered the room, the kite he had drawn and woven himself.
Wen Shan was in a good mood today. After making a kite for a while, she went to the small kitchen to cook dinner herself. Yin Zhen had never done these things since he was a child. Consort Tong Jia thought it was a waste of time and energy, so she rarely let him do anything other than reading and writing. The palace servants dared not let him play with them. So when he first came into contact with this, he was very interested and spent the whole afternoon making kites.
"It's so beautiful! Did Yinzhen make it himself?" Wen Shan immediately encouraged him.
Yinzhen nodded proudly, regarding the kite as a precious treasure.
"When the weather gets better, Lady Xuan will take you to fly a kite," Wen Shan said. "You can fly this one then."
Yinzhen nodded obediently: "Okay."
Yinzhen ate his fill at dinner, and Wenshan played with him for a while to help him digest before taking him to bed.
Then, Pearl and Amber helped her remove her hair and makeup.
"His Majesty stayed at Consort Gui's residence tonight." Pearl removed her hairpins and reported to her as usual which concubine Kangxi had chosen that day.
Although Wenshan didn't care about this at all.
As long as you don't browse her posts, you can browse anyone else's.
Yinzhen was taken away, and the Consort was pregnant and feeling unwell. It's a good thing that Kangxi went to accompany her today; he still has some conscience.
Wenshan listened but didn't take it to heart; instead, she thought of something else.
"Tomorrow we need to take Yinzhen to pay our respects to the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager, and then go to Chengqian Palace. In principle, we should also go to Yonghe Palace."
Yinzhen's birth mother was Consort De, and his adoptive mother was Consort Tongjia.
According to filial piety, Yinzhen should have greeted Consort Tongjia and Consort De every day. However, Consort Tongjia did not like Yinzhen to have too much contact with Consort De. On the grounds that she was unwell and needed Yinzhen to fulfill his filial duties, she asked Emperor Kangxi to exempt Yinzhen from going to Yonghe Palace to pay his respects.
What filial piety could a three-year-old child possibly fulfill? Everyone knew in their hearts that this was just an excuse. Kangxi naturally understood this as well, but seeing his cousin's pregnancy and the hardships she was going through, and considering that he had a deeper relationship with the Imperial Concubine than with Consort De, and that Consort De's rank was lower, he pretended to be confused and agreed.
But now that Yinzhen is being raised by her, he should logically go to Yonghe Palace.
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