On the fourth day, at dinner, there was a bowl of bright red vegetables on the table, along with a pot of chrysanthemum tea.
"What kind of dish is this?" It looks like it has meat, vegetables, and mushrooms. Is it a mixed dish?
Yinzhen frowned. He was hesitant to take a bite, especially since it looked very spicy. He always ate a light diet, a fact known to everyone in the mansion. What was this woman up to?
Nan picked up a mushroom and fed it to his mouth. "Eat it, I guarantee you won't regret it." He looked at her, not quite believing her, and hesitantly opened his mouth.
"How is it?" Nan asked expectantly.
As soon as Yinzhen put the food in his mouth, he frowned. The burning sensation in his mouth went straight to the top of his head. He chewed a few times hurriedly, and even choked a couple of times when he swallowed. Nan Yi handed him some tea, and he drank several mouthfuls, but the spiciness still didn't subside. He could only purse his lips tightly and drink tea from time to time.
Nan saw that he was feeling better, so she stopped paying attention to him and ate happily by herself. Occasionally, she would put a piece of food on Yinzhen's plate, which Yinzhen would accept without hesitation. He would stroke her stomach with his hand. Tongshi had a big appetite and her eating manners were not elegant, but watching her eat made people feel very hungry.
When half the dishes were gone, Yinzhen's appetite seemed to have been awakened. He took the chopsticks from Nan Yi's hand and finished the rest. "It was very good. It would be even better if it were a little lighter," he said, savoring the taste. He had drunk three pots of water, and his stomach was still burning.
Nan Yi pouted, rested her head on Yinzhen's lap, and squinted her eyes, "Bland food isn't satisfying enough. Besides, you haven't had enough of bland food yet."
“That’s true,” Yinzhen thought to himself that he ate a light diet every day, and it would be nice to eat spicy food occasionally to change things up. Yinzhen then drank some chrysanthemum tea to cool him down. That night, the two of them continued to take a walk to aid digestion. However, they had an extra problem when they went to bed: they frequently got up to sleep.
On the fifth day—or rather, not the fifth day—Yinzhen ate spicy food and developed a sore throat, with bubbles appearing on his lips. After court, he went straight home and lay in his study to ask the imperial physician to clear the sore throat.
In the west courtyard of the main compound, "Lingyu, where will Master stay tonight?"
"Reporting to the Madam, the Master is resting in the study today."
Nara paused, "Have you been to the Orchid Academy?" Lingyu shook her head slightly.
"I haven't been back for more than ten days, but now I've been staying at the Orchid Courtyard for four days in a row. What a big face I have!" Nara asked after a moment of contemplation.
Lingyu thought for a moment and said, "There is a maid who does menial tasks."
"That's good. Keep her close; she'll come in handy sometime," Nara instructed.
"This servant understands."
Eighth Prince's Mansion
At dawn, Little Li woke the Eighth Prince up on time. As the prince sat up and slipped on his shoes, he noticed the package on the table and asked with a hint of suspicion, "Where did this come from?"
"Sir, what is this from?" Little Li asked, puzzled.
"Didn't you bring that package on the table?" The Eighth Prince walked to the table to check.
Little Li looked over, his face full of confusion, "Sir, you didn't put it there? Perhaps it was the Fujin who put it there."
The Eighth Prince pondered for a moment, then lifted the cloth bundle. His eyes widened suddenly, and his mouth gaped open. "Huh?" He touched the contents. Didn't the Ninth Prince say that Nan Yi had taken it? Could it be...?
"Master, there's another note." Little Li noticed the slip of paper with faint writing on it. The Eighth Prince unfolded it, read it, and shook his head with a sigh. He had angered her again, angry that he had left without saying goodbye, not even leaving his name, only the words "returning the item as is."
He was also somewhat annoyed, wondering if the young woman knew anything about it. She was always mysterious and unpredictable, appearing and disappearing without a trace. He tried to sleep alone as much as possible now, fearing the example of his ninth brother.
But... what to do? Every time he sees her, his longing deepens. What will he do if they never see each other again?
When the heart has no place to rest, feelings arise without knowing their origin, and deepen with each passing moment.
Imperial Study
A group of adult princes stood at the lower end of the table, with the Fourth Prince, Eighth Prince, Ninth Prince, and Tenth Prince prominently featured.
Kangxi put down his pen, relaxed, and leaned back on the dragon throne. Li Dequan served him tea. After Kangxi took a sip, he said, "Fourth Prince, I heard from your mother that the porridge in your household is quite good."
Yinzhen was taken aback. What did that mean? Would it be inappropriate to mention his family's porridge in the Imperial Study?
Unable to fathom his father's intentions, the Emperor could only go along with it and say, "Your Majesty, that is indeed true."
Xiao Shunzi went to Lan Yuan several times to ask for the recipe, but Tong Shi wouldn't budge. He secretly asked the cook, but she also claimed not to know. He hadn't tasted it for two days and missed it terribly.
"Hmm, then give the recipe to the Imperial Kitchen so I can try it too," he said. He had heard about it from Consort De and was quite curious, and today he was also in the mood to chat with his sons about private matters.
Yinzhen thought for a moment, "Reporting to Father Emperor, this is a secret."
Upon hearing this, Kangxi sat up straight, intrigued, and jokingly asked, "You're keeping it a secret from your father? You can't bear to part with it?"
Everyone burst into laughter, and the Ninth Prince said, "Fourth Brother, just say it! Let the brothers have a good meal too, don't be so stingy."
"that is."
"Exactly," the crowd agreed.
Yinzhen shook his head. "It's not that I don't want to tell you, it's just that the person who made the porridge said it was a secret. I asked for it several times, but it didn't work out."
“That’s easy, just have Father Emperor issue an oral decree,” the Tenth Prince said.
"You greedy old man, you want me to step up for you? I don't want to be known as a glutton just for a bowl of porridge."
Everyone burst into laughter. The Eighth Prince chuckled lightly, recalling a fleeting figure and the scene of dining with her.
"Fourth brother, this porridge probably wasn't made by the cook, was it?" the crown prince asked.
“The Crown Prince is wise; it’s Consort Tong in the mansion,” Yinzhen explained. The Tenth Prince teased, “Oh, Fourth Brother, you’re losing your paternal authority!” Everyone burst into laughter.
The eldest prince glanced at him and said, "Tenth brother, in a month, the brothers will be waiting to see how you assert your authority as husband. Don't disappoint us then."
The primary wife betrothed to the Tenth Prince was a famously fiery beauty from the grasslands. The Tenth Prince had a fiery temper, and the two were bound to have some kind of fight.
Even Emperor Kangxi chuckled and looked at him. The Tenth Prince touched his nose and chuckled foolishly without saying a word. The people in the Imperial Study dispersed.
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