“Crown Princess, His Highness asked this subordinate to come and let you know that today’s midday meal will need to be served a little later — not just for you, but for the entire Prince Xuan’s Palace.”
Yan Yunning blinked, then said with certainty, “He hasn’t gone off to cook, has he?”
“Crown Princess, how did you know?”
Yan Yunning leaned helplessly back against the soft couch, the corners of her eyes lifting in amusement. “Isn’t your face proof enough?”
First fetching charcoal, then a delay in the midday meal — with the whole of Prince Xuan’s Palace made to wait — it had to be because Xuan Yanyu had taken over the Imperial Kitchen all by himself, and evidently had not succeeded. He must have made a mess of things.
Ye Chen raised an eyebrow slightly. “Crown Princess, you don’t know the half of it. Everyone was actually on track to have the midday meal on time — but His Highness said that people around him would disturb him, so he drove all the maids and cooks out of the Imperial Kitchen.”
“Then His Highness still failed, and made quite a sorry spectacle of himself. He then composed himself and had Ye’an call the maids and cooks back in.”
“His Highness went to the sleeping chamber to wash up and ran straight into His Majesty, who was fuming — and His Majesty gave him a thorough scolding, saying that if he wanted to starve him to death and harm his Imperial grandson, he needn’t beat around the bush.”
Yan Yunning broke into laughter. She could just picture Xuan Yanyu standing there with a darkened face — he must have been utterly disgruntled.
Qiuci asked curiously, “The Crown Princess doesn’t even enjoy the food made by the Imperial Kitchen’s master chefs — how could she possibly eat a meal cooked by His Highness the Crown Prince, who has never set foot in a kitchen before?”
Ye Chen scratched his head and said plainly, “The food His Highness made — this subordinate is afraid it would have poisoned the Crown Princess.”
Whether it was cooked through or not was anyone’s guess, and the color of it was a dreadful blackened mess. His Highness had even tasted it himself, and the expressions that crossed his face were quite a spectacle.
Looking at those dishes, this subordinate didn’t even need to taste them — yet His Highness still sampled them himself.
Yan Yunning propped herself on one side, elbow resting on the soft pillow, cheek in hand, and said with a curving smile, “So I would have been the only Crown Princess in all of Xuanzhao’s history to be irreversibly poisoned by something she ate?”
“Not quite.” Ye Chen wiped a smear of ash from his face. “Crown Princess, there have been Crown Princesses in Xuanzhao’s past who were poisoned to death by what they ate — but those were made by the Crown Prince’s secondary consorts. You are different. You would be the first Crown Princess to have been……”
Ye Chen snapped his mouth shut decisively and left the rest unsaid.
“Crown Princess, not only is His Highness the Crown Prince’s affection for you something special — even in this, you would have been something special. Are you pleased?” Qiuci crouched beside Yan Yunning with a bright smile and gently patted her legs.
“Be careful — His Highness might overhear you in a moment.” Xiaoyue laughed as she cut a peach and handed Yan Yunning a slice.
“With the Crown Princess here, it won’t matter even if His Highness hears.” Xiao Wan tucked a soft pillow behind Yan Yunning’s waist and smiled warmly. “Crown Princess, eat a little less fruit, or you won’t be able to eat much of the meal in a bit.”
As long as the Crown Princess didn’t sneak away like last time, His Highness would not concern himself with anything they said or did. Serving at the Crown Princess’s side required no guarded words — the Crown Princess was truly easy to get along with. The only adjustment needed was to be a little more proper when His Highness came by.
“It’s all because of your Crown Prince that we still don’t know when we’ll be eating.” Yan Yunning pushed aside the thin blanket covering her and said in good spirits, “Let’s go — I’m going to find Xuan Yanyu.”
“Yes, Crown Princess.” Qiuci said with a teasing smile. “Truly cannot be apart from His Highness the Crown Prince for even a moment.”
“Well, isn’t that natural? Our Highness is wonderful.” Ye Chen shot her a sidelong glance.
“Ye Chen’s words are well said.” Xiao Wan chimed in with a laugh.
Qiuci: “……”
“This servant agrees as well.” Xiaoyue also chimed in.
“My lady, this servant feels she is being ostracized.” Qiuci scrunched her mouth and looked utterly aggrieved.
“……” Yan Yunning arched her brow. “Then be a good girl and stay by this Consort’s side, and don’t speak to any of them.”
This little maid pulled this same “my lady, this servant is being ostracized” scene every few days without fail, and she couldn’t even be bothered to change her lines.
“Crown Princess, that really isn’t necessary either.” Qiuci blinked her eyes rapidly.
“……” Yan Yunning shook her head with an amused smile.
——
Qilan Kingdom — Third Prince’s Residence.
These days, Yan Shiyao had drunk so much medicinal broth she was nearly sick of it. Every morning without fail, as steadily as she had in those first two days, Qi Qingchen would have a maid bring a bowl and stand watch while she drank it down.
Yesterday she had gone to see her mother again. Her mother had grown much thinner, and her spirits were very poor — but how could they not be, confined in the imperial prison? Her father, who had been rescued, had more or less recovered his health.
“Yan Shiyao?” Qi Zhiyuan’s voice turned sharp. “Pour this Princess’s tea — and you’re standing there in a daze?”
She had nearly been scalded!
“I’m sorry.” Yan Shiyao set down the teapot and made a perfunctory swipe at the tea that had spilled onto the round table.
How irritating. Qi Zhiyuan came to the Third Prince’s residence every few days.
Qi Zhiyuan studied Yan Shiyao. She simply could not understand why her Royal Brother would be with her. In what way was she better than Sister-in-law Jiang Jin?
“First Miss Yan, do you know that you are currently the laughingstock of the capital?” Qi Zhiyuan said with disdain.
She genuinely looked down on Yan Shiyao.
Living in her Royal Brother’s residence without any proper status.
Yan Shiyao lowered her eyes and hooked her lips in a sardonic smile. “And so what?”
As long as Qi Qingchen could help her rescue her mother, what did it matter if she was a laughingstock?
“You……” Qi Zhiyuan slapped the table, beautiful eyes brimming with fury. “Yan Shiyao, you are nothing but Royal Brother’s maidservant! You dare to speak to this Princess in that tone?”
“Shiyao knows she is in the wrong.” Hearing the faint sound of approaching footsteps, Yan Shiyao dug her nails hard into her palm and said with reddening eyes, “I’m sorry, Your Highness the Princess. I’m sorry.”
“Qi Zhiyuan, has this Palace not said before that Yan Shiyao is this Palace’s maidservant and you are not to reprimand her — did you not take that to heart?” Qi Qingchen quickened his steps and moved to shield Yan Shiyao, who was close to losing her footing.
“Royal Brother, I……”
“Silence.” Qi Qingchen looked at Yan Shiyao and said in a gentle voice, “Are you all right?”
Yan Shiyao bit her lip and shook her head. “Third Highness, there is no need to worry. I’m fine.”
Qi Zhiyuan puffed out her lips in grievance. “Royal Brother, she was the one who offered to pour tea for me — and nearly scalded me in the process, and then her tone was poor, and that’s why I got angry.”
“Hmm.” Yan Shiyao managed a strained smile. “The Princess is right. Third Highness, it was Shiyao who offered to pour tea for the Princess.”
Qi Qingchen narrowed his eyes and gave a teasing smile. “Yan Shiyao, would you be kind-hearted enough to volunteer to pour tea for Zhiyuan?”
Yan Shiyao clenched her jaw behind her composed expression. She said softly, “Does that mean Third Highness is implying the Princess lied?”
She would never be kind-hearted enough to pour tea for Qi Zhiyuan of her own accord — which, by implication, meant Qi Zhiyuan was the one lying.
Qi Qingchen licked his lips and shifted the subject. “Let’s go eat.”
Qi Zhiyuan pinched her fingers, her eyes growing slightly red with fury.
Royal Brother was simply biased toward Yan Shiyao!
At the dining hall.
Qi Qingchen picked up a strip of meat with his chopsticks and held it to Yan Shiyao’s lips with a gentle smile. “Taste this — is it good?”
Yan Shiyao’s lashes trembled. At the sight of the glistening pork belly, her throat rose with a wave of nausea. She hurriedly pressed her handkerchief to her mouth and forced the sourness back down.
Qi Qingchen’s eyes shifted almost imperceptibly. He calmly ate the strip of meat himself.
“Try this instead.” Qi Qingchen switched and picked up some greens for Yan Shiyao.
“Thank you, Third Highness.” Yan Shiyao smiled with narrowed eyes.
Qi Zhiyuan, unable to stomach the sight any longer, set down her chopsticks and stormed out of the dining hall in a huff.
She had wanted to drive Yan Shiyao out of Royal Brother’s residence — only to receive a fierce scolding from His Majesty. She truly could not fathom why His Majesty and her Royal Brother treated Yan Shiyao this way!