Chapter 140
Zhou Li lived in a side hall of the prince's bedroom. After all, she was the master. Even though she was the prince's concubine, her status and position were higher than those of other palace maids. Even Hong Gu, as a female official, did not dare to make arbitrary arrangements. She could only teach Zhou Li some things to pay attention to when serving the prince, and then let her wait for the opportunity to act.
"The prince generally doesn't like to be served. If he needs anything, he will call us. We just need to be prepared."
Zhou Li nodded.
"The prince usually goes to the Bamboo Pavilion to sit when he has nothing to do. He doesn't need anyone to accompany him at this time. We will wait outside. When the time comes, the prince will naturally come out."
Bamboo Pavilion...
Zhou Li was stunned. Isn't this the place where she lived when she was Liu Yingzi in Gong Yinai or the Prince's Mansion?
Hong Gu thought Zhou Liang Di didn't know about the Bamboo Pavilion. She glanced around and saw no one around before she dared to mention it to Zhou Li. "The Bamboo Pavilion was the residence of the previous concubine. It wasn't called that before. After the concubine left, the Crown Prince changed it. I heard that the furnishings inside are the same as before. The Crown Prince doesn't let anyone in easily. Generally, when the Crown Prince goes there, it's best not to disturb him unless it's urgent."
Is that so...
Zhou Li fell silent.
Seeing Zhou Liang Di silent, Hong Gu thought that Zhou Liang Di was sad that the prince had someone in his heart, so she comforted him, "The former concubine was an old man in the prince's mansion. The friendship between the two was deep, so naturally it cannot be compared. But the former concubine is gone, you have to look forward to it."
Zhou Li smiled at Hong Gu, "I understand."
Hong Gu then taught Zhou Li how to make tea. There were many tricks involved, and Zhou Li was very serious about learning. Hong Gu said with satisfaction, "The tea that the master wants must be just right. The prince likes to drink hot tea. Once the tea is served, you must add water in time. If you see someone in the prince's study, don't go in. The prince doesn't like to be disturbed when he is discussing things."
Zhou Li felt helpless. Gong Yinai was really arrogant now. When he learned from Hong Gu, he only heard a lot of "no", "don't", and "may not be allowed". There were taboos everywhere, and it would explode like a firecracker if he was not careful.
Zhou Li wanted to laugh at himself.
Hong Gu originally thought that Zhou Liangdi was just here to learn, after all, the work of servants was very boring and required great care. Unexpectedly, Zhou Liangdi not only learned seriously, but also laughed after studying for a long time. She couldn't help laughing too. It seemed that Zhou Liangdi really liked the prince, so she was willing to do these things.
If Zhou Li knew what Hong Gu was thinking, he would probably sneer at her.
She was like a person hanging on the edge of her pants next to Gong Yinai, not knowing when Gong Yinai would take action. She was forced to do these things, but since it was inevitable, she had to make the best of it. There was no point in thinking about it.
After studying all day, Zhou Li still didn't see Gong Yinai come back. At night, Hong Gu said, "We will be here tonight. Zhou Liangdi, go to bed first."
Zhou Li didn't bother to be polite with them and went straight back to his room to sleep.
She lived in the prince's side palace, which was fully equipped with everything and had a little palace maid to serve her. This palace maid was much smarter than the ones in her palace. When Zhou Li came back, hot water and toiletries were all prepared. When Zhou Li went to bed, the bed was made and Zhou Li fell asleep peacefully. Who would wait for Gong Yinai?
Gong Yinai was busy all day and returned home on the moonlit night.
Before entering the house, she glanced at the side hall and asked, "What is Zhou Liangdi doing today?"
Hong Gu quickly replied, "Your Highness, Lady Zhou Liangdi will study with me again today."
"Oh?" Gong Yinai raised his eyebrows.
Seeing that the prince was in a good mood, Hong Gu quickly stepped forward and said a few more words: "Zhou Liangdi is very smart and learns things quickly."
Gong Yinai thought to herself that as a lady from a wealthy family, Hong Gu had probably learned all these things at home, so she was naturally quick to learn. None of the girls who were chosen to enter the palace were easy to deal with, otherwise how could the royal family choose the best from the best?
Hong Gu took off the prince's outer robe and untied the high crown that tied his hair. She put her things away and went out. Gong Yinai's long hair fell behind him like a waterfall, his clothes were loose, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
The court has been very busy with political affairs recently, and the imperial examination is coming soon. There are many more candidates coming to the capital to take the exam. When the former crown prince was in power, Gong Yinai had acted as his lackey and had found candidates for him. However, he did not expect that a cheating case in the imperial examination would seriously damage the former crown prince's vitality. This time, Gong Yinai did not understand the thoughts of those candidates. They were all disciples of the emperor. If she contacted them, it would be bad if she was accused of forming a clique for personal gain.
Four brothers died, but Gong Yinai still has four brothers, so we have to be on guard.
There are many things that worry him, but when it is late at night and everyone is asleep, Gong Yinai will think of Liu Yingzi again.
Liu Yingzi really did it and made her never forget it.
Whenever she closed her eyes, Gong Yinai would feel as if there was someone lying in her arms, looking at her quietly.
Gong Yinai knew who that was, it was Liu Yingzi's shadow.
Gong Yinai lay on his side, his arms subconsciously wrapping around the air, as if he was holding someone in his arms.
She slept through the night in an uncomfortable position, and her arms were numb when she woke up in the morning.
Gong Yinai lay down, silent and dazed for a while, until the palace servant called out softly, "Prince, it's time to get up."
Gong Yinai sat up, put on his clothes, and then said, "Come in."
Zhou Li was woken up early in the morning by Hong Gu, who said, "Today you will follow me to take care of the Crown Prince. Liang Di, don't do anything yet. Just watch me."
Zhou Li nodded obediently.
In fact, although she is the Prince's Consort, to be frank, she is only slightly better than the palace maids in the palace. A female official with a rank like Hong Gu, as an elder by the Prince's side, has a much higher status than them. Even the Crown Princess would probably be polite to her.
Thinking of the Crown Princess, Zhou Li calculated in his mind that the day was approaching.
Gong Yinai has been so busy these days because of his wedding.
Gong Yinai lowered her eyes and placed her hands in the basin. When she looked up, she saw Zhou Li, who was following Hong Gu. She paused for a moment, then glanced at him, skimming the surface of the water like a dragonfly, and instructed Hong Gu, "The people from the Imperial Household Department will come to decorate Jinhua Palace today. You should keep an eye on it and ask them to fill in any gaps promptly."
Jinhua Palace is where the future Crown Princess will live.
Hong Gu lowered her head and said, "I know."
"The Ministry of Internal Affairs handed over a gift list last time. Master, have you reviewed it? Are there any additions or deletions?"
Gong Yinai thought about the betrothal gift for the Crown Princess. She thought for a moment and said, "I have a pair of jade ruyi in my private vault. Let's add them in."
"Yes." There was a smile in Hong Gu's eyes. She was afraid that the Crown Prince was not interested in the Crown Princess. Only if they were harmonious with each other could they do their work well.
Zhou Li stood in the corner with her head down. Gong Yinai had just finished washing up and was about to turn on the light. She stretched out her long sleeves and went out to attend court. She basically always went to court this early.
After seeing the prince off, Hong Gu opened all the doors and windows to let in some air, and made the bed. Zhou Li then came to help. Seeing that Zhou Li was quiet, Hong Gu knew from their interactions over the past few days that Zhou Liangdi was a person with her own ideas. Although she was quiet, she was the only one among all the beautiful girls who could serve the prince.
Hong Gu also wanted to give Zhou Li a warning. After all, Zhou Li had a certain status. Although he had the upper hand, seeing that the prince had not yet entered the backyard, she knew that the prince was probably trying to save face for the princess. After all, it would be bad if someone died before the wedding, and the eldest son must come out of the princess's belly.
Hong Gu said, "Don't overthink it. Everyone has their own destiny. The Crown Princess is from the Xiao family of Jinling. Her grandfather was a first-rank official and a cabinet minister, highly regarded by the Emperor. Even the Crown Prince respects the Crown Princess very much, otherwise he wouldn't have given her the pair of jade ruyi."
When Zhou Li heard this, she was stunned at first, and then she found it funny. When she was Liu Yingzi, she held the key to the prince's private treasury. Although An Qinan was in control of the harem, in fact, she controlled how much money came in and out. She knew very well what was in the prince's private treasury. The pair of jade ruyi was a treasure presented to her by Gong Yinai, and she put it there because she didn't want it.
Zhou Li smiled slightly, "I know, Hong Gu, what are we having for lunch?"
Naturally changing the subject, Zhou Li did not want to argue with her. Everyone stood on a different standpoint and naturally saw something different. Zhou Li knew that Gong Yinai was still testing her and wanted to dig out the person behind her. After she entered the palace, she had agreed to contact people from Wen Taifu's side every half month, but now she had cut them off. In fact, there was only so much information that could be conveyed every month. Although Zhou Li was Wen Taifu's person, it was naturally impossible for her to frame Gong Yinai. She had her mission, which was to watch a female emperor ascend the throne, help her restore her identity, and suppress the dissatisfaction of the court and even the people. After all, since ancient times, there has never been a precedent for a woman to ascend the throne. It is conceivable how great the obstacles Gong Yinai will face in the future.
Zhou Li was thinking in his heart that Gong Yinai was not well-known at the moment and had no foundation in the world. Although she was talented and knowledgeable, she had no chance to show it and her reputation among the people was not high either. But something would happen soon, and as long as she seized the opportunity, it would not be a problem to improve the prince's reputation.
Hong Gu was shaking her head, but her thoughts were completely unrelated to Zhou Li's. She thought, Zhou Liangdi was still young, she said so much, but she was only concerned about what to eat for lunch.
During the past few days of getting along with Zhou Liangdi, Hong Gu also found that Zhou Liangdi had a kind heart and did not fight or compete with anyone. Her biggest concern every day was eating.
"For lunch, we'll have fish soup, Dong'an chicken, and lion's head. There should also be a few cold dishes. Is there anything Liang Di would like to eat? We can ask the kitchen to make it."
Zhou Li shook her head. Her mouth was watering when she heard about Dong'an Chicken. This was a Hunan dish that no one in the palace knew how to make. But because she loved eating spicy stir-fries with thick oil and red sauce when she was Liu Yingzi, Gong Yinai specially asked the kitchen staff to learn how to make it.
She had missed this dish for a long time, but none of the chefs outside the palace could make it as delicious as the ones in the palace. The kitchen in the palace that was responsible for this dish only supplied it to the prince, not to the concubines. Zhou Li hadn't eaten it for a long time, and she didn't expect to be able to eat it today. She squinted her eyes happily. The best thing about coming to Gong Yinai was that the quality of the food had improved dramatically.
At noon, the long-awaited dish was finally served. Zhou Li was about to sit down to eat when Hong Gu stopped him and said, "We can't eat yet. We have to wait for the prince."
"Huh?" Zhou Li asked in confusion. This had never happened before. Since they had changed the venue today, Zhou Li had thought they were going to eat here.
Hong Gu explained, "Usually, we servants can only eat after the master has finished his meal. The master was busy a few days ago and didn't come back, so we ate first. Today, the master sent a message that he would be back, so of course we had to wait."
Zhou Li looked at the dishes on the table, and forced himself to stand aside with Hong Gu waiting for Gong Yinai. When the dishes on the table were cold, Hong Gu took them away and served new ones, but Gong Yinai still didn't come back.
Zhou Li's stomach was growling with hunger. She rubbed her stomach and asked, "How long do we have to wait? Can't we eat first? The food will get rotten if we heat it up any more."
Hong Gu checked the time and sent someone to the front hall to check. She said the master was still busy. She looked at the dishes and thought they would not last longer. Seeing that Zhou Liang Di's face was pale with hunger, she said, "Then take the dishes away first. Liang Di, go eat first."
Zhou Li's eyes lit up immediately, but before she could be happy for long, Gong Yinai came back. She strode in like a meteor and saw the servants clearing away the dishes. She said casually, "Don't clear it away."
The light in Zhou Li's eyes suddenly disappeared again.
Hong Gu asked, "Master, can you please heat it up again? The food has gotten cold."
"It's okay. I have work to do after eating."
Gong Yinai sat down, and Hong Gu hurriedly poured tea for the prince. Gong Yinai took a sip and was about to pick up some food with her chopsticks when she heard her stomach rumble. She was surprised and turned her head to look at Zhou Li who was standing behind Hong Gu.
Zhou Li was rubbing his stomach with a worried look on his face. This body was that of a young lady. He had gotten up very early in the morning with Hong Gu and had hardly eaten anything. He had not eaten on time for lunch either. His stomach had never been very hungry, so it had already been rumbling.
Gong Yinai found it funny. He hadn't seen such a lively person in the palace for a long time. It turned out that people would growl when they were hungry.
Gong Yinai waved his hand and said, "Please sit down and eat with me, my beloved concubine."
Even if she wanted to punish someone, she wouldn't resort to such low-level methods as starving them.
Zhou Li didn't see Hong Gu shaking her head, and sat down happily after hearing what Gong Yinai said.
Although she was rational and knew that she was neither Liu Yingzi nor Gong Yifu, she still acted casually with Gong Yinai, as if she had known him for a long time.
If an ordinary person were rude in front of the prince, they would probably be afraid or ashamed, but she was completely unaware of it and acted like a child.
Hong Gu serves food to the prince.
Zhou Li knew the rules of the palace. He was not allowed to pick up food by himself and could only watch.
Gong Yinai said, "You can go down too. I can eat this meal by myself."
Hong Gu knew the prince's character, so she bowed and left after the prince said that. However, before leaving, she was still a little worried about Zhou Li, worried that she would lose her manners in front of the prince.
Gong Yinai saw that Zhou Li hadn't started eating yet, so she said casually, "Eat, there's no need to be so restrained when eating with me."
When Zhou Li heard her say that, she naturally stopped pretending to be polite. She picked up the Dong'an chicken with her first chopsticks. The sour, spicy and fragrant taste attacked her taste buds, making her drool. After taking one bite, she wanted to take a second bite.
Gong Yinai was a little stunned when he saw her pick up the Dong'an chicken.
There are very few people in the palace who like spicy food. Many people can't eat this dish because they think it is too irritating. Only Liu Yingzi can eat it with wine. Gong Yinai couldn't eat it at first either. After a few bites, her eyes turned red. It was so spicy that she almost cried. She didn't expect to meet someone who likes to eat this dish again today.
She never had a good appetite, and could only eat a few more bites with Liu Yingzi. Now, seeing Zhou Li eating with big mouthfuls, she suddenly wanted to eat something too.
Gong Yinai picked up the Dong'an chicken. It still tasted the same, but it made her feel a little bitter.
She asked the kitchen to prepare this dish because she had been dreaming about Liu Yingzi recently. She was still as cheerful and free-spirited as ever, never dragging her feet. Gong Yinai chased her in her dream, but she didn't look back, and no matter how he called her, she didn't even look at her.
Gong Yinai's eyes were a little red. She put down her chopsticks and watched Zhou Li eat without knowing when.
Zhou Li didn't pay attention at first, until she was half full, then she paid attention to the people next to her. When she saw Gong Yinai put down his chopsticks, although she was not full, she remembered the etiquette taught by Hong Gu and reluctantly put down her chopsticks.
Gong Yinai asked her, "You seem to be able to handle spicy food. Have you ever had this dish before?"
Zhou Li blinked. "You mean Dong'an chicken?"
Gong Yinai smiled and nodded slightly, looking very kind.
Zhou Li nodded.
Gong Yinai narrowed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again and looked at Zhou Li and said, "I remember your father was a small county magistrate in Quanzhou. He was from central Fujian, right?"
Zhou Li's heart skipped a beat.
Oops, there's a flaw in the character.
People from southern Fujian can’t eat spicy food!
Zhou Li was thinking about how to make up for it.
Not all people from southern Fujian can't eat spicy food.
She was about to open her mouth to explain when she heard Gong Yinai say, "Dong'an Chicken is a local specialty of Dong'an County. The recipe is basically not passed down to outsiders. You said you've eaten it before, but where did you eat it?"
Zhou Li's mind raced as she spoke, "I also ate there with my father. It was a restaurant in Quanzhou. I heard the owner was from Dong'an. It was my first time there, and I loved it."
Gong Yinai nodded, but he didn't believe it in his heart.
It is a consensus among all Qing people that people from southern Fujian cannot tolerate spicy food.
The spiciness of this dish was prepared according to Liu Yingzi's previous preferences. Not only could she not eat it, but even ordinary people couldn't eat it. However, Zhou Li had no reaction at all, which was totally unlike a Minnan person.
Gong Yinai was particularly suspicious of her identity, wondering if Zhou Li had been replaced by someone else as the Zhou family's concubine. However, she did not say anything and quietly watched Zhou Li act out the scene, with a slight smile on her lips as she said, "Since my concubine likes it, please eat more. I have someone waiting here, so I won't accompany my concubine for dinner."
Zhou Li was eager for her to leave quickly, so he stood up and said to her respectfully, "Goodbye, Prince."
Gong Yinai felt that she would eventually expose Zhou Li's skin, so she was not in a hurry. She strode out of the palace with great vigor. Hong Gu came closer and saw that Zhou Li was still eating. She said helplessly, "Zhou Liangdi, why don't you send the prince out of the palace?"
Zhou Li said aggrievedly: "I'm not full yet."
Hong Gu was even more helpless and had to wait until Zhou Li was full. At the dinner table, she laughed and said, "I just saw the prince smile when he left. I wonder what Liang Di said to the master? I haven't seen the prince smile for a long time."
Zhou Li put down her bowl and chopsticks, finally full. She asked in confusion, "Doesn't the prince ever smile?"
But she has smiled many times when she saw Gong Yinai, right?
Hong Gu sighed sadly, "The prince hasn't smiled in a long time since Concubine Li left."
When Concubine Li passed away, it seemed as if she had taken the prince's soul with her. The prince seemed to be just a walking corpse left in this world. It seemed that he only ate to fill his stomach. The prince had not said what he wanted to eat for a long time.
Hong Gu looked at the table and found that there were not many dishes left.
Hong Gu knew Zhou Liangdi's appetite and it was impossible for her to eat so much, so it could only be the prince.
Hong Gu looked at Zhou Li in surprise, as if she had discovered a treasure.
Zhou Li felt a chill run down her spine as she was stared at. She touched her arm and asked, "Hong Gu, why are you looking at me like that?"
Hong Gu smiled so hard that her teeth were visible. "I just think Liang Di has a good appetite. When Liang Di and I eat together, I will unconsciously eat a few more bites. This is a good habit. Liang Di should keep it up."
Zhou Li had never heard anyone praise someone for being a good eater. She felt a little embarrassed. She ate a little more than some other noble ladies. She blushed and said, "I'll just take it as a compliment."
Hong Gu laughed even more happily. Liang Di was good at making people happy. She was so happy when she was with Liang Di, let alone her master?
Hong Gu had a better impression of Zhou Li and wished she could make her master eat more.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
