When Yinzhen returned to the manor, he originally intended to go straight to Qingzhi Courtyard, but he bumped into Chaoxia, who was blocking his way in the study. Yinzhen recognized her; she was a maidservant of the Fujin (Prince Consort), so he patiently asked, "Is there something between the Fujin and the First Prince?"
Zhaoxia nodded and bowed. "Yes, Your Highness, the Princess Consort wishes to invite you to dinner."
Yinzhen pursed his lips slightly. Compared to serving the emperor in bed, he was more afraid of dining at his wife's place. His wife was very proper and disciplined, just like everyone else in the palace. He was used to court etiquette and didn't think much of it, except that he didn't like the food.
However, after dining with Changning a few times, he discovered that this girl truly knew how to enjoy and appreciate fine food. For the sake of elegance and etiquette, they rarely ate strongly flavored food, but Changning seemed to have no such concern, enjoying braised pork knuckles, roasted lamb, and roasted duck every day. Now, he even enjoyed eating pork knuckles dipped in minced garlic.
But a princess is a princess after all, and he patiently went to the main courtyard.
Ulanara Yanhua had no intention of complaining. The two concubines bickering would only embarrass her as the primary consort, making it seem as if she was failing in her management of the household. Although she disliked Consort Fucha, a woman of noble birth and favored by the emperor, she knew better than to prioritize the greater good. With the nine princes vying for the throne, the atmosphere at court was becoming increasingly tense. The more leverage the Prince held, the better it would be for her and Honghui's future.
The two ate in silence and slept in silence. Yinzhen was thinking about Changning, who liked to serve him food during meals, and wondered what she had eaten tonight.
Changning ate dumplings tonight.
The Fuca family's ancestors came from Northeast China, and Boder had also served in Heilongjiang for several years, so the family had some Northeastern habits. Changning especially loved dumplings, all kinds of fillings, especially sauerkraut dumplings.
To satisfy Consort Fucha's cravings, Chef Ma from the Prince's residence specially learned how to pickle sauerkraut. Today, he painstakingly made sauerkraut dumplings for Changning, who ate them with great satisfaction.
Yinzhen's meal was not to his liking, and he only drank a bowl of soup, which made Su Peisheng anxious. His wife also stopped eating.
After finishing their meal, Yan Hua began discussing the gift list for Prince Zhi's residence with Yinzhen. Prince Zhi was Yinti, the eldest son of Emperor Kangxi and Consort Hui. Prince Zhi's wife, Lady Irgen Gioro, had given birth to four daughters before finally having a son last month, much to the delight of Prince Zhi, who had been longing for a legitimate son.
The full-moon celebration for the eldest son of Prince Zhi was naturally to be grand and magnificent, and the gifts had to be carefully selected. The couple chose and chose again before finally settling on the gift.
Before leaving, Yinzhen said, "Let Lady Fucha go with you to the full moon banquet the day after tomorrow."
Yan Hua nodded. "Sister Fucha is of noble birth and is a secondary consort, so it is only natural."
At this point, Yinzhen frowned. This little incident that happened during the greetings in the backyard could not be hidden from him. He was also quite dissatisfied with Consort Li's arrogance, completely forgetting Changning's outstanding performance. So, he frowned and said, "Consort Li has a bad temper. In the future, she doesn't need to attend these banquets. Just stay home and take good care of Hongfen."
Yan Hua was secretly delighted, but kept a composed expression. "Sister Li really needs to work on her temper."
After saying that, Yinzhen went to Qingzhi Courtyard.
In Qingzhi Courtyard, Changning had just finished a plate of fifteen dumplings and was about to eat more, but Zhuiyu stopped her, saying, "Your Highness, please eat less. Your belly is already bulging. If you get fat, you'll start complaining about jumping rope and playing shuttlecock again. We servants don't have the energy to keep you company."
"You little devil! I made you run and jump around for your health, and you're complaining about it! Also, if anyone's belly gets bulging, I can eat ten more!" Changning complained.
Granny Zhang also disagreed, saying, "Master, it's already late. Eating too much will cause indigestion. If you like it, why don't you have them make it again tomorrow? Master Ma said that he has also prepared sea cucumber filling, mackerel filling, and mushroom filling for you."
Yinzhen entered with a smile and casually asked, "What dishes are you going to name?"
Upon seeing Yinzhen enter, everyone hurriedly bowed, but Changning, as if seeing a savior, exclaimed, "Your Highness! You've finally arrived! They've been keeping an eye on me and not letting me eat my fill!"
Yinzhen laughed, "Don't say that, I heard you clearly, you've eaten quite a lot. Oh, it's dumplings, why are you eating them on a holiday?"
Changning smiled and put her arm around Yinzhen's arm. "Dumplings aren't something you can only eat during festivals. At home, we can eat them whenever we want. Fourth Master, have you eaten yet? These are sauerkraut dumplings. Try them, they're delicious."
Sauerkraut? Yinzhen admitted he'd never had it before. So, he took the chopsticks Changning handed him, picked one up, and the plump, white dumpling looked very appealing. He dipped it in the minced garlic Changning offered, took a bite, and it was steaming hot. Inside, the golden sauerkraut was tangy and delicious, and the pork was neither oily nor greasy. With the added flavor of soy sauce and minced garlic, it was indeed delicious.
"It's delicious. You just love making these kinds of things."
"Sir, just tell me if it's delicious or not. I've also asked Chef Ma to stew some pickled cabbage and pork bones on the stove, so you can have it tomorrow morning."
Yinzhen laughed, "Who eats bones so early in the morning? What kind of bold way of eating is this?"
"Don't laugh, sir. This is how our family has always been. We lived in the Northeast for four or five years before, and they ate meat like crazy there."
Yinzhen nodded. "That's true. Your family are proper Manchus, and you eat meat even more fiercely than I do. You're the fiercest."
Changning could easily tell that this was a mockery of her, so she quickly snuggled into Yinzhen's arms and rolled around, throwing a tantrum, "You're bullying me! I hate you! You're the worst!"
Yinzhen quickly put his arm around the woman who was throwing a tantrum. "Stop making a scene. I'm hungry. Let me have a good taste of your sauerkraut dumplings."
Hearing this, Changning stopped making a fuss, but then asked in confusion, "Didn't Master go to the Princess's courtyard? Why didn't he eat enough?"
Granny Zhang gave Changning a subtle look, implying that she shouldn't be asking about the Prince and his wife. However, Yinzhen didn't think too much about it. This girl was indeed like a girl from Northeast China, too straightforward and without any guile. She said whatever came to mind.
"The Princess Consort has come to discuss something with the Prince. The day after tomorrow is the full moon banquet for the eldest son of the Prince of Zhi. You and the Princess Consort will go together."
Yinzhen disregarded the rules of not speaking while eating or sleeping here. Changning was a chatterbox, her little mouth constantly chattering, never quiet even while eating, let alone in bed. Her charming voice, panting, made him cough... He couldn't think about it anymore. He focused his attention on the dumplings again.
Changning was somewhat surprised to hear the news: "The Prince of Zhi has finally had a son."
"Cough cough cough cough cough"
Yinzhen rolled his eyes at her and said, "You're so simple-minded, you really don't use your brain. You speak so bluntly."
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