Because they still had to go to the palace for the banquet in the evening, after eating lunch Yao Huang had the kitchen move the kneading board, dough, and vegetable-and-meat filling for making dumplings to the main hall of the rear courtyard.
Yao Huang wasn’t clear about distant places, but in the capital area, everyone ate dumplings on the morning of the first day of the new year, symbolizing the turning of the year and bidding farewell to the old while welcoming the new. Wrapping the dumplings to resemble small gold ingots could also bring the good fortune of attracting wealth and treasures. Getting up early in winter was difficult, so common folk usually made this batch of dumplings on New Year’s Eve night amidst the sound of firecrackers everywhere. The cold weather meant they wouldn’t spoil.
The Yao family’s dumplings were made by the whole family every year. Yao Zhenhu wielded the knife to chop the filling, Luo Jinhua kneaded the dough and rolled the wrappers, and siblings Yao Lin and Yao Huang would help for a while then run to the street to watch firecrackers being set off…
Now Yao Huang had left her parents, married a husband, and had her own small family. The customs of this small family had to be passed down by her and Prince Hui.
The dumpling filling had already been chopped by the kitchen, and the dough was already kneaded. Yao Huang alone could easily complete the work of rolling wrappers and wrapping the filling. Prince Hui only needed to paint at the side. Every family’s New Year atmosphere had its own unique aspects. Yao Huang thought having Prince Hui paint a “New Year painting” every year would be this small family’s unique New Year atmosphere.
Zhao Sui sat before the easel, watching the princess consort who had already started bustling about, not putting brush to paper for a long time.
Yao Huang glanced at him: “Why aren’t you painting? Do you want me to hold dumplings just for show without wrapping them?”
Zhao Sui: “No. I’m thinking about where I should paint myself in the picture.”
Painting only the princess consort—the composition was very simple. Adding himself, Zhao Sui didn’t know where to paint himself. Sitting at the table just watching was definitely inappropriate. Sitting at the table accompanying the princess consort making dumplings together… Zhao Sui had never done such a thing and couldn’t paint himself pretending on rice paper either.
Yao Huang thought for a moment and smiled: “Just paint yourself sitting beside reading a book, with Jinbao lying at your feet.”
Zhao Sui lowered his head. Jinbao was indeed lying at his feet. Seven or eight months old now, when Jinbao stood up it could be level with his knees when he sat. Even lying prone on the ground, it was a very conspicuous dog.
Hearing its master mention its name, Jinbao perked up both ears, its black eyes turning back and forth between the two masters.
Zhao Sui looked at the princess consort again and began to paint.
Yao Huang wrapped very quickly. Prince Hui painted very slowly. When the couple needed to change clothes to prepare to enter the palace, Yao Huang circled behind the easel and discovered Prince Hui had only finished painting the main hall’s furnishings, the princess consort’s hair bun, jewelry, dress, embroidered shoes, and a pair of hands that were slender and beautiful even while making dumplings. The facial features were still empty. Prince Hui himself from person to wheelchair was still empty. Only Jinbao had been painted early on, lying at the side.
Yao Huang asked curiously: “When will Your Highness approximately finish painting?”
Zhao Sui: “Tonight.”
This year’s New Year’s Eve should not be left incomplete to finish next year.
New Year’s Eve was reunion night. Tonight’s palace banquet only had Emperor Yongchang along with his consorts, sons, daughters, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren. Even Grand Princess Fucheng wasn’t invited.
With few people, the whole extended family sat in the central hall of Qianyuan Hall. Emperor Yongchang and Empress Zhou shared a table. The three princes and princess consorts shared tables. The unmarried First Princess, Second Princess, and Fourth Prince each sat at their own tables. Prince Kang’s residence’s three children also had wet nurses accompanying them, each assigned a small table.
Though the ministers didn’t come, every year at the New Year’s Eve palace banquet Emperor Yongchang would bestow several dishes upon his pillar ministers, influential noble families, and newly rising stars who had made great political achievements this year, to show imperial favor.
On such a day, Emperor Yongchang still thought about state affairs and asked Prince Qing: “Have all the students who came to the capital early to prepare for examinations been properly settled?”
The civil service spring examination was set for the ninth day of the second month. To guard against catching a cold or fever on the road that would delay the journey with illness, and also to adapt early to the capital’s weather and local conditions, provincial graduates from distant places whose families didn’t lack lodging silver usually rushed to the capital before the new year, either staying at inns or renting quiet residences. However, there were also many unscrupulous merchants in the capital who deliberately raised room prices sky-high taking advantage of the spring examination, and there were even black merchants who disguised themselves as landlords, collected silver, and ran.
To ensure the provincial graduates could prepare for exams with peace of mind, the Ministry of Rites specially assigned officials to handle this matter. On one hand, they provided the provincial graduates with lists of reliable inns and landlords. On the other hand, they watched for those black merchants wanting to fish in troubled waters, promptly reporting them to the Capital Magistrate for arrest and punishment.
Prince Qing stood up and said: “They’re settled. Today this son also made a round of the capital’s various inns. For a few who were sick, this son sent people to call physicians to examine them carefully. For a few from poor families with thin clothing, this son distributed some old clothes to them. For a few others dazzled by the capital’s prosperity, this son also admonished them.”
Emperor Yongchang nodded.
Third Son was handling spring examination matters with reasonable dedication. Last summer he had even proposed having the court provide different amounts of silver subsidies to poor students who passed the local examinations and provincial examinations in various places, including supporting measures like evaluation of poor students, to ensure talented people wouldn’t be burdened by family circumstances, without even the opportunity to rush to the capital for examinations.
“After the new year, even more students will come to the capital. Continue to pay attention.”
“Yes!”
Emperor Yongchang waved his hand, letting Prince Qing sit down.
Prince Qing sat down as if nothing had happened, not looking toward his two elder brothers.
Consort Du saw Prince Qing steal the limelight and felt unhappy. She looked toward Prince Hui who was only quietly eating at the banquet: “Prince Hui has also been at the Ministry of Works for over two months. Has he helped share any of your father emperor’s worries?”
She naturally knew that these two months Prince Hui had been shut up in the office reading files. Apart from occasionally calling a few minor officials over to ask about trivial matters related to old construction projects, there had been no progress whatsoever. He probably hadn’t even recognized all the Ministry of Works officials. So she deliberately humiliated Prince Hui publicly, goading Prince Hui to quickly do something, lest Prince Kang and Prince Qing continue stealing all the limelight.
Consort Du had already planned it out. Before her Fourth Son grew up, she wanted to make good use of Prince Hui to blunt Prince Kang and Prince Qing’s edge.
Emperor Yongchang glared at her. At this time it wasn’t good to make excuses for Second Son, so he looked toward Second Son with slight worry.
Zhao Sui stated frankly: “This son is without talent and has yet to achieve anything.”
Consort Du: “Then work harder. Prince Qing is younger than you and only receives five taels in salary yet has accomplished so much. You as the elder brother receive twenty taels—how can you just sit at the Ministry of Works all day?”
Zhao Sui was about to say “yes” when suddenly the princess consort’s clear, smiling voice sounded beside him: “Mother Consort’s words wrong the Second Prince. The Second Prince reading files after arriving at the Ministry of Works is because he is modest and studious, deeply understanding that haste makes waste. He wanted to thoroughly understand the Ministry of Works’ processes himself before properly sharing Father Emperor’s worries. Otherwise, if he pointed fingers at the Ministry of Works officials without understanding anything, wouldn’t that be causing trouble instead of helping?”
Consort Du pressed her lips together. This damn girl really dared to talk back to her about anything!
Yao Huang continued: “Furthermore, Mother Consort must not think the Second Prince reading files is just casually flipping through them like we read storybooks. Previously I also misunderstood that the Second Prince’s assignment was easy. Later when I asked, I learned the Second Prince actually memorized the material price lists and participating officials’ performance evaluations for every construction project he read about. What’s the significance in this? Memorizing material prices means when actually undertaking new construction projects he can have a general estimate of the required silver. Memorizing officials’ performance evaluations means knowing which officials actually have the ability to complete the burden the court assigns them. Ai, so many details and methods—just listening to the Second Prince explain gives me a headache. It’s all thanks to Mother Consort teaching him so well from childhood, teaching the Second Prince such patience and perseverance. Mother Consort should understand the Second Prince’s hard work better than anyone.”
Consort Du: “…”
Empress Zhou and others who truly didn’t know what Prince Hui could accomplish shut up in the Ministry of Works flipping through files all day: “…”
Emperor Yongchang laughed. Before the court officials went on holiday, he had also met with Second Son alone, suspecting Second Son was deliberately not standing out for fear of his brothers’ suspicions. Second Son’s explanation had been as simple as always—he said he was learning the Ministry of Works’ processes. Just those few words—Emperor Yongchang had thought his son was brushing him off. Now hearing his daughter-in-law’s clear explanation pouring out like beans, Emperor Yongchang truly understood Second Son’s deep consideration and planning before acting.
“Alright, let’s eat.”
Emperor Yongchang didn’t continue dissecting these matters.
Yao Huang openly smiled at Consort Du who glared over. Prince Hui might not care about such empty reputation, but she wouldn’t tolerate Consort Du’s stinking habit of dragging Prince Hui out to humiliate him for no reason. She wasn’t his birth mother. As long as she and Prince Hui had reason on their side, ultimately only Consort Du would look bad.
After smiling, Yao Huang picked up a piece of deer tendon from the phoenix feet stewed with deer tendon for Prince Hui. Phoenix feet were chicken feet. The fastidious Prince Hui definitely wouldn’t eat these. Yao Huang wasn’t so particular—whatever dishes the imperial kitchen dared serve, she dared eat. Moreover, she could also gnaw chicken feet both fragrantly and properly.
After the palace banquet ended, there was still the fireworks display. The palace’s fireworks were made by the most skilled craftsmen in the Great Qi Dynasty. Besides gorgeous fireworks like peony flowers and carp, they actually set off “Twin Dragons Playing with a Pearl” that covered almost half the night sky. Watching it, Yao Huang pulled First Princess’s hand and exclaimed repeatedly, feeling she had broadened her horizons once again.
After all the fireworks concluded, the three couples of princes and princess consorts living outside the palace should leave.
Prince Kang held the sleeping little heir apparent, unable to compete for the wheelchair anymore, and strode beside the wheelchair with large steps.
At first the three brothers walked in front. Later Prince Qing discovered the two sisters-in-law chatting lively in low voices while Zheng Yuanzhen walked alone at the side looking rather pitiful, so he slowed his pace, stood beside Zheng Yuanzhen, and accompanied her in conversation.
After leaving the palace gate, the three couples separately boarded their own carriages.
After Yao Huang sat properly, she smiled mysteriously at Prince Hui and pulled from her sleeve a handheld firework stick.
Zhao Sui: “…Where did that come from?”
Yao Huang: “Just sent any young eunuch on an errand and he fetched it.”
After speaking, Yao Huang pulled out a flint and steel, hung up the curtain on one side, then held a firework stick outside and lit it with the flint.
The firework stick crackled and burned, lighting up a patch of night and also reflecting the princess consort’s smiling face red.
Yao Huang had Prince Hui also set one off, even helping him hang up the curtain on the other side.
Prince Hui didn’t want to set one off, but was forcibly stuffed with a firework stick by the princess consort, who even placed his hand on the window frame.
The flint approached. The firework stick lit up.
Zhao Sui looked at that patch of jumping light, inexplicably thinking of Third Brother who had run past him showing off while holding a firework stick when they were young.
Prince Hui had to paint, and painted too slowly. After accompanying him for over half an hour, Yao Huang couldn’t hold out and first burrowed into the quilt.
Not knowing how much time passed, Prince Hui came over. His slightly cool lips fell on her neck, gradually warming.
It was a very long session, burning until Yao Huang’s mouth was parched and tongue dry. She put on clothes and got up to pour water, glimpsing the hazy outline of the easel in the darkness. Yao Huang lit a lamp and went over to look.
On the rice paper, the princess consort slightly lowered her head making dumplings. The person was smiling, as if talking about something amusing.
Prince Hui sat not far away in the rosewood wheelchair, holding a book in his hands with Jinbao lying at his feet. But Prince Hui wasn’t reading the book or playing with the dog. His eyes looked at the princess consort. Though not smiling, his gaze was gentle.
Yao Huang looked for a very, very long time.
Afterward, she extinguished the lamp, put back the tea bowl, and came to the bedside with a mouthful of water, bending down to feed Prince Hui who had also painted her beautifully.