Chapter 13
Qi Yu didn't know what Wu Shiyan liked to eat, so she picked out her favorite dishes and asked the imperial chef to make more of them, including sweet, sour, and spicy ones.
Although summer is not a suitable time for soup, considering Wu Shiyan's constitution of being sensitive to cold, she had the imperial chef make several bowls, making sure they were taken off the stove just before the meal was served and brought to Wu Shiyan piping hot.
Qi Yu loves to eat meat, so Wu Shiyan probably loves it too, otherwise he wouldn't still be in a normal shape despite the torment of the cold poison.
Once the meal was almost ready, Qi Yu sent someone to invite Wu Shiyan.
The palace maids had just left Zhaoyang Palace when Wu Shiyan arrived.
Qi Yu was somewhat surprised. She and Aunt Jin Rong bowed to Wu Shi Yan. Because she stood up in a hurry, the hairpin in her hair slipped out of her smooth hair bun before she could put it in properly.
Wu Shiyan grasped the gold hairpin and handed it to Qi Yu.
After Qi Yu took it, she gave it to a palace maid, who then stepped forward and put it in her hair.
The entire set of movements was fluid and graceful; the movements were executed without resorting to physical force.
A belated realization flashed across Wu Shiyan's eyes.
Qi Yu said, "Your Majesty, I will have someone bring the meal."
She led Wu Shiyan to his seat.
To be honest, she rarely dined with Wu Shiyan. Usually, Wu Shiyan would come in the evening when it was dark and go to the morning court before dawn.
This was the first time Wu Shiyan had dined at Zhaoyang Palace.
Qi Yu didn't just go through the motions; you could tell from the fact that the table was laden with food.
"What is this?" Wu Shiyan asked, picking up a pastry.
Qi Yu: "The bread was made with honey by my cook. It's sweet but not cloying. Your Majesty, please try it."
Without hesitation, Wu Shiyan took a bite and found it wasn't very sweet.
"If you want it sweeter, you can spread some jam on it."
Wu Shiyan thought the taste was just right, so he didn't use the jam that Qi Yu presented.
Seeing this, Qi Yu put the jam aside without the slightest disappointment. This was a jar she had worked so hard to make, and the fact that Wu Shiyan didn't need it suited her perfectly.
Qi Yu continued to introduce some of the dishes she had researched to Wu Shiyan with great interest.
She was very happy to receive a single good comment.
Although the palace maids often praised her, the recognition came from the emperor, which made her feel more proud.
Everyone in the palace knows that His Majesty Wu Shiyan is quite difficult to deal with. Although he lives deep in the palace, he is insightful and rarely can anything be hidden from him.
Therefore, the rumors in the capital were not so rampant.
If we discuss His Majesty's preferences in the morning, it would be a great loss if my husband lost his official position in the afternoon.
Moreover, since it involves Lord Pei, it naturally makes people think twice before speaking.
Therefore, when Wu Shiyan says "not bad," he means "extremely good."
It was called a meal, but it really was just a meal.
Qi Yu had no ulterior motives whatsoever. After the meal, the two moved to another room, where palace servants served tea to cleanse their palates.
At the same time, a cool breeze swept by, indicating that the weather was getting warmer and the Zhaoyang Palace was using ice chests.
Fortunately, the capital city has never experienced unbearably hot days; even in summer, it is not unbearably hot.
Qi Yu is afraid of the heat.
Wu Shiyan knew this, and after thinking for a moment, he said, "If the Imperial Concubine finds the palace boring, she can go to the Imperial Estate outside the capital for a short stay. It is a cool place with mountains and water, and she can also pick fruits and vegetables herself on the estate."
"Is that alright?" Qi Yu's eyes lit up slightly, but she hesitated and said, "But I have palace duties to attend to and I'm afraid I can't stay away from the palace for long."
Wu Shiyan: "Of course. The imperial estate is not far from the palace. Sending a eunuch who can ride a horse will not be a problem."
Judging from Wu Shiyan's words, even if she goes to the royal estate for vacation, the palace affairs will still be hers.
But Qi Yu didn't feel exploited. Compared to the benefits that palace power could bring, the hard work she endured in palace affairs was nothing.
Besides, she has people on hand to rely on, so in most cases she only needs to make the decision.
She wasn't foolish enough to push Gong Quan away when Wu Shiyan didn't even care.
Qi Yu said happily, "Then let's do it that way. I'll go to the estate at the end of May. It's not hot now anyway, and I need to prepare properly."
Wu Shiyan acquiesced.
Qi Yu had already begun planning to have the palace embroiderers make more summer clothes, and she couldn't forget her usual items.
Of course, the craftsmen must also be brought along, as the craftsmen in the imperial estates are probably not as good as those in the palace.
If there were mountains and water, she could also fish, pick wild vegetables, barbecue outdoors, and make sweet drinks.
Previously, ordinary concubines were not allowed to leave the palace at will, but since Wu Shiyan had few concubines, the usual rules could not be applied.
The entire palace was dominated by Wu Shiyan's absolute authority; whatever he said was law, and no one else was allowed to question what he had decided.
Qi Yu had already begun to look forward to the days at the estate, and naturally found Wu Shiyan extremely pleasing to the eye.
She tried her best to recall Wu Shiyan's tastes during the meal and found that he liked to eat sweet and sour meat and drink sweet and sour soup, and he ate more of the dishes than others.
With so many dishes, even Qi Yu couldn't help but use a little of everything. Wu Shiyan ate a few more bites, which was enough to show how much he liked it.
Qi Yu said, "If Your Majesty likes the dishes in Zhaoyang Palace, why not take the imperial chefs with you and have them cook for Your Majesty? That way, Your Majesty can have more of the food."
Zhaoyang Palace originally did not have a designated imperial chef, but when Qi Yu saw that Zhaoyang Palace had a small kitchen, she naturally couldn't resist ordering dishes. So she selected a chef from the imperial kitchen who could accurately understand her intentions, and over time the chef became a member of Zhaoyang Palace.
Seeing that Qi Yu was conflicted but tried her best to appear generous, Wu Shiyan's eyes warmed up again: "The imperial chef can only play a greater role if he stays in Zhaoyang Palace."
Upon hearing this, Qi Yu quietly sat up straight and became dignified.
That's right, it was she who made the imperial chef play a crucial role!
Qi Yu believed that the meal was a pleasant one for both host and guests. Wu Shiyan returned to the Xuan Shi Hall to handle state affairs a while later.
There were still about two weeks left until the end of May.
During this period, Wu Shiyan naturally visited Zhaoyang Palace several times, and his visits were no different from the previous ones.
Qi Yu's status as a favored concubine became increasingly secure, and Wu Shiyan silenced the rumors with concrete actions.
If this were to further implicate Zhao Wanyi and Pei Jin, it would be disrespectful to His Majesty and to the Imperial Concubine.
The last time, however, because Qi Yu was going to the estate the next day, she felt much freer, like a bird flying out of its cage. Her face was gentle, and she smiled as she watched the palace maids tease each other.
The palace servants of Zhaoyang Palace were the happiest to be able to leave the palace.
Qi Yu hadn't expected Wu Shiyan to come at this time, so naturally she didn't have anyone waiting for her beforehand to inform her.
So much so that she didn't even notice when Wu Shiyan entered Zhaoyang Palace.
Qi Yu was covering her face with the handkerchief that Zhao Wanyi had given her that day. The handkerchief had already been washed clean, and its original fragrance had become faint. So she asked Aunt Jinrong to scent it again, which barely locked in the fragrance, but it was still somewhat different.
She felt an inexplicable closeness to Zhao Wanyi, and she always remembered the handkerchief Zhao Wanyi gave her.
Qi Yu sniffed lightly, the handkerchief sliding from her face to her hands, and only then did she notice Wu Shiyan.
Wu Shiyan stared intently at this scene.
He thought that he probably only liked this face, otherwise why would he be so happy and expectant when the handkerchief slowly slipped off and Qi Yu's eyes, nose and mouth were revealed?
It was as if you could feel the handkerchief sliding across her face, taking away a trace of warmth from her skin.
Even though they didn't touch, that warmth settled in his heart.
Wu Shiyan never felt ashamed, whether it was because he liked a married woman or because he made the matter public, thus changing the relationship between ruler and subject.
But now, he felt ashamed, realizing how foolish he had been to fall in love with...
He could clearly tell the difference.
Wu Shiyan became increasingly obsessive the more he thought about it.
Qi Yu quickly put away her handkerchief upon seeing Wu Shiyan, but even so, Wu Shiyan's aura became dangerous. He frowned, his brows were cold and stern, his gaze was deep, and the corners of his lips were downturned, clearly indicating that he was in a bad mood.
The palace servants in Zhaoyang Palace all fell silent.
"Your Majesty?" Qi Yu stepped forward and called to him softly.
Wu Shiyan did not react at all.
Qi Yu hesitated for a moment, then lowered her head and handed over the handkerchief.
The darkness in Wu Shiyan's eyes faded, and he patted his palm: "Why did you give me a handkerchief?"
Qi Yu looked up, puzzled, and said, "Isn't Your Majesty angry because I took this handkerchief?"
This is Zhao Wanyi's handkerchief, and Wu Shiyan must remember it. Apart from that, she really doesn't know what else could cause Wu Shiyan's emotions to fluctuate.
If Zhao Wanyi were to give her anything else, she would definitely hide it well so that Wu Shiyan wouldn't find it.
What's wrong with this handkerchief?
Wu Shiyan was even more confused. If it were any other time, he would have simply accepted a handkerchief that Qi Yu liked so much that she would put it on her face. But now, this handkerchief clearly had a hidden meaning.
Qi Yu blinked, hinting, "This is Zhao...'s handkerchief."
Considering the presence of palace servants, Qi Yu didn't explain herself too clearly.
Seeing that Wu Shiyan's eyes were clear and he seemed to have realized what was happening, she breathed a sigh of relief.
However, Wu Shiyan's apparent confusion was too obvious, and Qi Yu belatedly realized that he didn't seem to recognize the owner of the handkerchief.
Qi Yu looked at Wu Shiyan in silence and with a probing gaze.
Wu Shiyan pressed his temples: "I just had a sudden idea about a matter concerning the court."
Qi Yu paused for a second to mourn the ministers of the previous dynasty, as Wu Shiyan's condition had not been good just now.
With an emperor who thinks about politics even when he's in the harem, ministers no longer have to face the predicament of having no way to serve their country.
"And this handkerchief?" Qi Yu looked at it with reluctance, knowing without a doubt that she was about to part with it.
Wu Shiyan said, "Put away the items from outside the palace. I will have someone make another hundred for you."
Qi Yu was truly surprised; Wu Shiyan wasn't leaving after all?
She blankly replied with an "okay".
Before they knew it, the atmosphere in Zhaoyang Palace returned to normal. After taking a bath, Qi Yu and Wu Shiyan went to bed as usual.
A few lamps were left on inside the hall, casting shadows on the faces of those around them.
Qi Yu wasn't frightened earlier and was even able to comfort Wu Shiyan. Now that she was lying on the same bed with Wu Shiyan, she quickly got used to it and fell asleep soon after extinguishing most of the candlelight.
Only Wu Shiyan opened his eyes, seemingly lost in thought.
After a long while, he looked at Qi Yu.
He didn't regret letting Qi Yu stay at the estate for a while. Perhaps he would be able to see his own heart clearly when she returned to the palace, and it wouldn't be too late then.
Perhaps it was the occasional flare-ups of the cold poison that caused excruciating pain, that made him habitually put aside the people or things he liked, because once he endured the pain, things would be even sweeter afterward.
A note from the author:
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