Lotus Cake
After confirming that her hair was completely dry, Wei Qiao picked her up and headed straight for the intricately carved canopy bed.
Xi Chun knew what he wanted to do, and shyly tugged at his clothes, saying, "My menstrual period hasn't ended yet."
Wei Qiao placed her on the bed, cupped her face in his hands, and whispered, "I know, just like that day." He then kissed her lips and placed his large hand over hers.
Xi Chun's hands ached terribly, but Wei Qiao, completely satisfied, held her close as they leaned against the headboard, twirling strands of her hair with his fingers.
Before he and Xichun did this, he thought sex was merely a means of procreation, devoid of any pleasure. But ever since that day he tasted the forbidden fruit with Xichun, he became uncontrollably addicted to it. Whenever he was with Xichun, he always wanted to do it with her. Like a child who has tasted sweetness, he always wanted more and more.
On the tenth day of the sixth lunar month, Wei Qiao went to Zizhu Lane to meet Qiu Jiu.
Qiu Jiu took two jars of Pear Blossom Spring, a secret brew from the palace, from A Gui, and invited Wei Qiao to drink tea in his own pavilion.
The pavilion was covered with lush green grapevines, but only four or five bunches of purple grapes were scattered among the abundant leaves. The grape bunches were not yet fully ripe, with at most a dozen grapes on each bunch. Qiu Jiu carefully cut off two bunches with scissors and told Old Zhang to wash them.
Wei Qiao watched with amusement as he presented two sparse bunches of grapes to him on a crystal plate as if they were treasures, and teased, "What rare and precious fruit is this that you treasure it so much?"
"You'll know once you try one."
Wei Qiao picked one up, and it tasted incredibly sweet. Besides the grape flavor, he could also faintly taste a floral fragrance.
Qiu Jiu could tell from Wei Qiao's expression that he too was captivated by the Purple Dew. After eating one himself, he explained to Wei Qiao, "These are Purple Dew grapes. Last year, I traded one of my calligraphy scrolls with a merchant from the Western Regions at the Wan Hua Lou. There's only one vine in the entire capital, and I put in a lot of effort, fertilizing and watering it for a whole year before these few bunches of fruit grew."
"In that case, I really have to thank Master Qiu for his warm hospitality," Wei Qiao said, bowing to him.
Qiu Jiu returned the greeting with a cupped hand, "How dare I, a mere commoner, presume to be so presumptuous before His Highness Prince Zhao."
Wei Qiao looked at his friend with some helplessness, "The Emperor has granted you permission to enter the palace as an official, why did you refuse?"
Qiu Jiu poured himself a cup of Pear Blossom Spring tea, which he had brought, and drank it all in one gulp. After savoring the taste for a while, he said, "I think my life is pretty good now. I'm free and at ease. I've earned enough money to live a life without worrying about food and drink. Why bother entering officialdom?"
"Whatever makes you happy." Wei Qiao nodded upon hearing this. Everyone has their own aspirations, and he couldn't force them.
Qiu Jiu poured him a cup of wine as well, "I see that you, King Zhao, can't hide the joy on your face lately. Are you happy because you're about to marry a beautiful bride?"
Hearing him mention Ming Chuqing, Wei Qiao didn't feel anything particularly special. He was looking forward to marrying her and was diligently preparing for the wedding. But his current joy wasn't because of her.
Since Wei Qiao didn't admit it, Qiu Jiu knew he had guessed wrong. His friend had no other women around him; if it wasn't Ming Chuqing, it was Jiang Xichun, whom he had lost and then regained. He'd heard from A Gui that Wei Qiao had only snatched her back after she was about to become someone else's bride, and the methods he used weren't exactly honorable. Wei Qiao always said he kept her by his side out of pity, but in his opinion, that didn't seem to be the case.
The two chatted about everything under the sun and played several rounds of chess before finally boarding their carriage to return to the Prince's mansion around midnight.
During the day, Xichun and Shuixian went to Luoyue Pond to pick lotus flowers. The two of them rowed on the lake and played for more than an hour before going ashore. When they returned, they felt very tired and washed up and went to bed early.
After washing up at Ming'an Hall, Wei Qiao went to Chaoxia Courtyard to find Xi Chun. The candles in the bedroom were all out, and only moonlight shone into the room through the window. Following the thin veil of moonlight, Wei Qiao walked to the bedside.
The early summer weather was a bit hot. Xichun was only wearing a light jacket, her two slender white arms wrapped around the brocade quilt, and she was sleeping soundly with her whole body facing inward.
Wei Qiao carefully got into bed and lay down. He only wanted to sleep next to her, but when he turned to his side and saw her bare back, his body felt like it was on fire.
Xi Chun's sudden embrace woke her up. She reached out to push him away, but he only held her tighter.
“Wei Qiao, I’m hot,” Xi Chun protested.
Wei Qiao reached out and grabbed her wrist, his lips gently licking her sensitive earlobe.
"Xichun, I miss you."
His voice was low and husky, his hands never stopping, and Xichun's body felt hot from his touch. She missed him too. Thinking of September approaching, Xichun turned over and cupped his angular face in her hands.
"Me too." She finished speaking and placed a deep kiss on his lips.
Then she stripped Wei Qiao of his inner garment and took off her own undergarments. Following her own desires, she let her hands roam freely over his body.
For the first time, Wei Qiao was completely led by her, and as he felt her soft hands climb up his back, he felt a shiver run through his body.
Xi Chun's strength was ultimately insufficient, and after a while, she succumbed and wanted to finish. Wei Qiao was in the throes of passion, and the fire she had ignited within him still burned within him. He rolled over, reached out to brush the damp hair from her forehead, and kissed away the fragrant sweat.
When Wei Qiao had finished his pleasure, Xi Chun felt as if her whole body was falling apart. After taking a bath, she fell asleep again around four in the morning.
The next day at noon, while Xichun was reading, Wei Qiao personally fed her a grape. Seeing her eyes light up, he handed her the whole plate of grapes.
"These grapes are so sweet."
"You like it?"
Xi Chun nodded.
Wei Qiao beckoned to A Gui and gave him a few instructions. The next day, A Gui traded ten jars of imperial wine for all the remaining Purple Gold Dew on Qiu Jiu's grapevines. Looking at the empty branches, Qiu Jiu sighed sadly. He had waited a whole year and only got to eat one bunch. He was determined to keep next year's Purple Gold Dew for himself and enjoy it slowly, never sharing it with that scoundrel Wei Qiao again.
After spending a few days with Xichun at his residence, Wei Qiao returned to the court. Yan Zhongxing relied heavily on him, and although he was removed from his post as commander of the Dragon Feather Guard, he was appointed Minister of War.
The Ministry of War had previously been controlled by the Cheng King's faction, and there had been numerous instances of embezzlement of military funds and rations. This caused several incidents during Yan Zhongxing's battles against Xi Hai due to insufficient supplies from the rear. Fortunately, Yan Zhongxing's rich combat experience allowed him to avert danger on several occasions. Although he had submitted memorials impeaching the officials, under Yan Zhongyou's protection, the cases were ultimately resolved without much real consequence.
The Ministry of War was a rotten block of wood from top to bottom. Although King Cheng was dead, there were still many corrupt officials, both big and small, within its ranks. Although the borders were peaceful and there was no war for the time being, the officials could not be allowed to continue to be so decadent. Wei Qiao both purged the corrupt officials and promoted capable ones. In just half a month, the atmosphere in the Ministry of War was completely transformed.
For several days in a row, Xi Chun only saw Wei Qiao at night. When he returned, she was already fast asleep, and when he left, she was still asleep. Sometimes, when Xi Chun woke up in the morning and looked at the empty bed next to her, she wondered if he had ever come back at all.
Wei Qiao returned home late that night as usual. Xi Chun had only intended to take a nap in the afternoon, but unexpectedly slept until sunset. Sleeping too long not only gave her a terrible headache, but also made her feel no sleepiness at the time when she should have been sleeping. Unable to fall asleep, she simply lit a lamp and got up to sew an undergarment for Wei Qiao.
Wei Qiao always wore the two undergarments she had given him before, which were already worn out from washing. When asked to change into new ones, he only said that the ones she had sewn were the most comfortable for him, so Xi Chun had no choice but to agree to make him a few more sets to change into.
When Wei Qiao returned, he saw Xi Chun sitting on the daybed, head bowed, intently sewing clothes. The dim candlelight illuminated her graceful figure, making her breathtakingly beautiful. Wei Qiao couldn't help but stop and quietly gaze at her.
When Xichun heard the door open, she looked up and saw him standing behind the beaded curtain, looking at her with tender eyes.
"You're back," she said joyfully.
Wei Qiao parted the beaded curtain, walked up to her, took the needle and thread from her hand and put it aside, saying with pity, "Don't sew clothes tonight, it's not good to ruin your eyes."
"It would break my heart."
Xi Chun noticed his voice was a little hoarse, and upon closer inspection, she saw an abnormal flush on his face. Sensing something was wrong, she got up and gently touched his forehead; it was indeed alarmingly hot.
"Wei Qiao, do you know you're sick?" she said with a helpless reproach.
After helping him sit on the daybed, Xichun hurried out to find Agui in the back room of the courtyard. Whenever Wei Qiao stayed at Shiliu Courtyard, Agui would accompany him in case he needed someone to serve him, so Xichun let him stay in the tidy, empty room in the back room.
Wei Qiao did feel a bit dizzy and lightheaded today. His throat started to hurt and itch when he was talking to his subordinates this morning, but he forgot about it when he got busy. Now that Xi Chun reminded him, he realized that he was really sick.
A-Gui hadn't gone to sleep yet when he heard from Xi-Chun that the Prince was ill, so he quickly took a lantern and went to the front yard to find the royal physician.
"Your Highness, this is due to wind-heat evil entering your body, causing disharmony between the Ying and Wei. Fortunately, it is only in the early stages of the illness. I will prescribe a formula to relieve the exterior symptoms for Your Highness. After taking it for a few days, you should recover."
After seeing the physician off, A-Gui took the prescription to a herbal medicine shop outside the mansion to get the medicine. Xi-Chun prepared the medicine for Wei-Qiao in the small kitchen and watched him eat it before she felt at ease.
Wei Qiao drank the bitter medicine, but his heart was warmed. With her care, he would rather be sick a few more times.
Hearing Wei Qiao talking nonsense, Xi Chun angrily shook off his hand that was holding hers. "You know I'm worried, yet you still say such things, deliberately making me feel bad."
Wei Qiao quickly apologized to her, "Alright, alright, I misspoke. I'll get better soon and I won't get sick again."
Due to illness, Wei Qiao took two days off. When the emperor heard of his illness, he not only sent an imperial physician to treat him but also specially allowed him to rest at home for a few more days. Wei Qiao was worried about the affairs of the Ministry of War. After taking medicine a few times, he felt much better. Although he did not return to the yamen to be on duty, he still handled the Ministry of War's documents in Ming'an Hall during the day.
After lunch, Xichun was tidying up the several boxes of jewelry that Agui had recently brought over. When she saw a pearl chrysanthemum hairpin inside, it immediately reminded her of the one that Zhang Yunyao had given her when she was at the Wei residence.
Zhang Yunyao had indeed done many bad things, but Xichun still remembered the care she had received from her when she was in the Wei family. So she asked Shuixian to buy some incense and candles on the street and performed a simple prayer for her under the peach blossoms next to Chaoxia Courtyard.
When Wei Qiao heard A Gui mention Xi Chun's memorial service, he casually asked her about it that evening. Xi Chun truthfully replied that it was for Zhang Yunyao. Wei Qiao felt somewhat displeased, but said nothing.
Two days later, Chef Wang made another lotus flower cake, supposedly using a mold he had specially commissioned to carve. The finished cake was a pale pink color, appearing translucent, and contained a filling of lotus petals and fresh lotus seeds.
Xi Chun gave Chef Wang a few silver ingots as a tip, then took lotus flower cakes to Ming'an Hall to find Wei Qiao. Wei Qiao's study was in the east wing of Ming'an Hall. Before she even reached the door of the study after passing through the hanging flower gate, she saw A Gui politely seeing off a middle-aged man dressed in blue silk.
Zhao Yu came over to deliver tea to Wei Qiao and happened to run into Xi Chun. Seeing that she was holding a food box, he bowed to her and said, "Miss, are you here to deliver something to the Prince?"
"Yes, the cook in my courtyard made some lotus flower cakes. I brought them over for Your Highness to try."
"Oh, what a coincidence! Just now, the steward from the Ming family came over with a plate of lotus-shaped pastries, saying they were made by the eldest daughter of the Ming family herself. I wonder which is tastier, the one made by Chef Wang or the one made by Chef Wang?" Zhao Yu said with a smile.
Xi Chun's grip on the food box tightened unconsciously, and her smile froze on her face. Shui Xian glared at Zhao Yu opposite her, thinking to herself that Zhao Yu really didn't know how to speak.
Zhao Yu realized he had spoken carelessly when he saw Xi Chun bowing her head and remaining silent. He quickly laughed it off, "Master is inside, please come in, young lady."
As Xichun entered, she saw Wei Qiao's gaze fixed on the plate of lotus-shaped pastries. The pastries had layers upon layers of petals, with pink petals and tender yellow centers. The eldest daughter of the Ming family was not only of noble birth, but her pastry-making skills were also impeccable. Xichun felt extremely ashamed and wanted to turn around and go back to Chaoxia Courtyard.
"Why are you here?" Wei Qiao got up, went over to take Xi Chun's hand, and asked her softly.
"The young lady is bringing pastries to the prince," Zhao Yu interjected with a smile.
Wei Qiao smiled and took the food box from her hand. He took out the plate of lotus flower cakes inside, picked up a piece, and took a bite. The taste was refreshingly sweet with a rich lotus fragrance. He praised, "Delicious."
Seeing that he had finished the lotus flower cake, Xichun finally smiled and said, "I'm glad you like it, Your Highness."
Seeing that her gaze kept falling on the plate of lotus-shaped pastries, Wei Qiao immediately waved for A Gui to remove them. He then pulled her onto his lap and personally fed her the lotus-shaped cakes she had brought.
Seeing the two behaving intimately, Zhao Yu quickly pulled Shui Xian out and thoughtfully closed the study door behind him.
Seeing that only the two of them remained in the room, Wei Qiao no longer held back. He wrapped his arms around her waist, bent down, and kissed her red lips, wishing he could swallow her breath whole. Xi Chun accepted his kiss blankly, her mind still on Ming Chuqing. Wei Qiao noticed her furrowed brows and, thinking she was unwell, stopped his further advances and pulled her into his arms.
"What's wrong?"
Xichun grasped his fingers, looked up at him, and asked, "What brings the steward from the Ming family here?"
Wei Qiao kissed her forehead, surprised that she was thinking about this. He casually said, "It's nothing. Chu Qing knew I was sick and sent the housekeeper to visit me."
Xichun nodded and leaned against his chest without saying anything more.
"Now that I'm better, I'm afraid I'll be busy again when I return to the court. How about I take you on a boat trip on Dongyang Lake tomorrow?" Wei Qiao noticed that Xi Chun had been in low spirits these past few days and wanted to take her out to cheer her up.
The next morning, after breakfast, Wei Qiao took Xi Chun in a carriage from the Prince Zhao's residence and headed straight for Dongyang Lake. It was early summer, and the scenery along the shores of Dongyang Lake was enchanting, with lush green trees and rippling water. Standing on the painted boat, feeling the gentle breeze blowing in their faces, Xi Chun's melancholy mood instantly lifted.
After enjoying a meticulously prepared lotus feast and listening to two hours of captivating performances by a female storyteller invited by Wei Qiao, Xi Chun felt her mood, like the sunshine, warm and cozy as she left the painted boat in the early afternoon sun.
However, the good times didn't last long. They had only been in the carriage for less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn when they heard a noisy commotion ahead.
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