Yesterday in the garden when she brought up entering the palace to pay respects to Emperor Yongchang, Yao Huang had asked Prince Hui for instructions: “If Imperial Father asks where you and I escaped the summer heat, should we say we went to Lingshan?”
Zhao Sui: “Yes, one cannot deceive the sovereign.”
Since they couldn’t deceive the sovereign, Lingshan would definitely be mentioned. So among the gifts Yao Huang prepared for Emperor Yongchang, she added an extra catty of dried polygonatum that had been steamed and sun-dried nine times.
Polygonatum grew in sections like lotus root, with only one section per year, so just by looking at the number of sections one could judge the polygonatum’s age. Those Doctor Liao selected to painstakingly steam and dry were all old polygonatum purchased at high prices from mountain folk. From over thirty catties of fresh polygonatum processed front to back, only about four catties total of dried polygonatum were obtained. The couple used some. Yao Huang deliberately selected one catty with the most sections from what remained to show filial devotion.
The finished dried polygonatum was dark with a hint of deep red. Several strips laid side by side on oil paper looked at first glance very much like charred thin tree roots.
Noticing the confusion in Emperor Yongchang’s eyes, Yao Huang explained while pushing the wheelchair inside, first discussing polygonatum’s nourishing therapeutic effects, then the wonderful qualities of Lingshan polygonatum. For some words, she simply used the simple, vivid original phrases of the mountain folk at the market, including the townspeople’s envy of them frequently drinking polygonatum stewed soup.
Emperor Yongchang had originally been worried about how to spend the several quarters of an hour before the meal was served with his son and daughter-in-law. Unexpectedly, listening to his daughter-in-law talk about polygonatum took a whole quarter hour!
The key was he still hadn’t heard enough!
Yao Huang couldn’t just talk! For something ingested orally, she needed to prove to Emperor Yongchang that the medicinal material she and Prince Hui sent was non-toxic and harmless.
When Emperor Yongchang took his seat and Prince Hui’s wheelchair also stopped steadily at Emperor Yongchang’s lower left, Yao Huang twisted off a piece the size of a pinky fingernail from one strip of polygonatum and said to Emperor Yongchang: “This thing can be stewed in soup, cooked in porridge, steeped in water or wine, and can also be eaten dry. It’s a bit sticky and a bit sweet, like dried sweet potato, but not as delicious as dried sweet potato.”
Speaking, she placed the dried polygonatum in her hand into her mouth and chewed it right in front of Emperor Yongchang.
Emperor Yongchang: “…”
Eunuch Wang: “…”
Zhao Sui was silent for a moment, then said: “Imperial Father, prepared polygonatum has stronger medicinal properties. It would be better to let the imperial physicians arrange the dosage according to Your Majesty’s dragon body.”
Emperor Yongchang naturally understood this principle. Looking at this tray of gifts, he instructed Eunuch Wang: “Send it to the imperial kitchen. Make the cucumbers into a cold dish, and wash the grapes before sending them over.”
Eunuch Wang carried away the tray.
Yao Huang was still standing. She lifted the teapot, first pouring tea for the imperial father and son, then pouring herself a cup, using it to rinse her mouth.
Emperor Yongchang sensed in his daughter-in-law a newborn calf’s fearless candor. During the Dragon Boat Festival willow shooting, this daughter-in-law had also dared to speak, laugh, and run.
Having been emperor for thirty years, having seen how many ministers in person or their memorials both in and outside the capital, Emperor Yongchang had also encountered some straightforward, outspoken ministers, including beauties of similar temperament. It was just that this was the first time seeing such a daughter-in-law, and because the daughter-in-law lived outside the palace, she could bring in some folk foods.
Having figured out his daughter-in-law’s temperament, Emperor Yongchang quickly adapted. He looked at his son: “Returning from this summer escape, Sui’er’s complexion has improved considerably. Could it be that Lingshan polygonatum is especially nourishing?”
Zhao Sui: “In reply to Imperial Father, Lingshan polygonatum is only slightly superior to ordinary polygonatum from elsewhere. It has no miraculous effect on health cultivation. It was the princess pushing your son outside to bask in the sun for half an hour each morning and evening. After persisting for several dozen days, the sickly air on your son’s body was dispelled.”
Emperor Yongchang thought to himself, the second hasn’t spoken so many words in one breath in a very long time!
He looked with gratification at the daughter-in-law seated beside his son.
Yao Huang smiled: “Imperial Father need not praise me. If His Highness didn’t want to bask in the sun, I wouldn’t dare push him. Calculating carefully, credit for this matter should still go to Lingshan’s polygonatum.”
The daughter-in-law’s smile concealed a story. Emperor Yongchang became interested: “How so?”
Zhao Sui had just understood the princess’s meaning when she had already begun: “Imperial Father didn’t see—that day when His Highness accompanied me to stroll the small town’s market, we came to the mountain folk selling polygonatum. The mountain folk didn’t know His Highness’s identity and only took His Highness for a weak, pale-faced scholar. They vigorously praised polygonatum’s effects to us, hahaha…”
The princess telling the story herself laughed until her face reddened and her waist bent. Clear, continuous laughter floated through Qianyuan Hall, accustomed as it was to quiet.
Emperor Yongchang also found it funny, but glimpsing his son’s lowered eyes showing no expression, Emperor Yongchang secretly pinched his own leg, forcibly suppressing his mirth.
Halfway through her laughter, seeing that neither father nor son was playing along, Yao Huang felt both embarrassed and regretful. Oh no, would His Majesty misunderstand that His Highness was truly weak? Would His Highness, guessing that His Majesty would misunderstand this way, be annoyed at her for speaking wrongly?
Yao Huang hurried to remedy: “But how would those mountain folk know that His Highness is only covered up so especially pale because he likes to shut himself in the study reading books? In terms of strength, His Highness can win the willow shooting championship. Over a hundred young military officers can’t compare to him. Lingshan’s polygonatum, however good, is only icing on the cake for His Highness, just supplementing his usual expenditure. Including Imperial Father—we’re sending you polygonatum only because Lingshan small town has just this one local specialty that’s somewhat presentable, hoping that when Imperial Father grows tired from reading memorials, a bowl of polygonatum soup will refresh your spirit.”
Emperor Yongchang understood. His son was willing to go out and bask in the sun because he didn’t want others to misunderstand from his complexion that he was weak.
But his daughter-in-law being able to persuade his son to go out to the market to watch the excitement—this was already a great achievement!
The meal hadn’t been eaten yet. No rush for rewards. Emperor Yongchang picked up on his daughter-in-law’s topic and reminisced about the one time in his youth when he toured Lingshan. Mentioning that Lingshan’s main peak reached five or six hundred zhang high with majestic, upright mountain势, Emperor Yongchang, moved by the scene in his memory, sighed with emotion: “Time flies like an arrow. In the blink of an eye, twenty or thirty years have passed. If Zhen went to Lingshan now, Zhen probably couldn’t climb it anymore.”
Yao Huang: “Seventy-year-old elders can still enter the mountains to chop firewood and gather medicine. If Imperial Father can’t climb, it’s only because you’re too lazy to move.”
Emperor Yongchang smiled. Considering his son might not like hearing the word “climb,” he promptly changed the topic: “Lingshan Town—Zhen remembers now. Last month the Court of Judicial Review received a lawsuit forwarded from Lingshan County, saying an old squire’s second wife and her son, in order to compete for family property, smashed his corpse to frame the eldest son from the original wife’s family. Was it the town where you stayed?”
This case wasn’t major. Because it involved a biological son laying hands on his old father’s corpse—unfilial and perverse—Emperor Yongchang had retained an impression.
Yao Huang, seeing Prince Hui had no intention of speaking, took up the conversation again: “Yes, the old squire was surnamed Qi and lived right next door to us. In the middle of the night, he alarmed the entire street’s neighbors… Imperial Father doesn’t even know—that night His Highness just went to the scene and looked a few times before deducing who the culprit was…”
Next, Yao Huang poured out Prince Hui’s two analyses. Because the princess genuinely admired her prince’s penetrating insight and brilliant wisdom from the bottom of her heart, this admiration flowed from her bright eyes. Including her tone when reaching the exciting parts, the gesture of raising her own wrist to analyze the bloodstains—it was actually more interesting than storytellers at teahouses.
She was the princess and already like this. Emperor Yongchang was Prince Hui’s own father! For Lingshan County’s magistrate to solve the case was what he should do. But when it was his own son who solved the case, Emperor Yongchang felt incomparably proud. His second was just this accomplished in both civil and military arts, capable of doing everything!
Zhao Sui: “…”
Finally, the time for dining arrived. The imperial kitchen’s eunuchs filed in, placing a full eighteen dishes on Emperor Yongchang’s own huanghuali dining table.
Emperor Yongchang: “Only the three of us. Didn’t have the imperial kitchen go to great trouble.” He was a fairly frugal emperor.
Yao Huang: “…”
There were special young eunuchs beside them responsible for serving food. Each young eunuch had good eyes. The moment Yao Huang observed a dish, the young eunuch immediately helped place that dish on the plate before her.
Sometimes Yao Huang truly wanted to eat, but most times she was purely curious what that dish was made of.
Unfortunately, this was dining with Emperor Yongchang. Yao Huang didn’t dare be too free. After being served by the young eunuchs four times, she stopped glancing at distant dishes, only picking from the few nearby.
Zhao Sui knew the princess had a good appetite. To let the princess eat slowly in a relaxed manner, Zhao Sui also ate methodically. Not until the princess finished eating and put down her chopsticks did Zhao Sui follow the princess in drinking soup.
Yao Huang noticed that the plate of cold cucumber dish sent by the imperial kitchen had actually been completely eaten, with more than half eaten by Emperor Yongchang.
Emperor Yongchang noticed that the several dishes near his son and daughter-in-law had also been eaten fairly clean, with the daughter-in-law eating more than half.
No wonder his son not only had good color but his face wasn’t as gaunt as before. Having someone with a good appetite nearby, anyone would can’t help but eat a few more bites along with them.
One meal leisurely took over two quarters of an hour. Emperor Yongchang had risen early in the morning. Once age advanced, the afternoon rest absolutely had to be taken well.
After chatting a while longer, Emperor Yongchang said: “Rare that while escaping the summer heat outside, you still thought of Zhen. You have filial devotion bringing Zhen local specialties. Zhen cannot send you back empty-handed either.”
Summoning Eunuch Wang over, Emperor Yongchang gave some instructions.
When Eunuch Wang returned, he held a box in his hands. Opening the lid, on the deep purple brocade inside lay two white jade ruyi side by side, like ice and snow.
Emperor Yongchang said to his son and daughter-in-law: “Zhen wishes you young couple daily auspiciousness and auspiciousness in all matters.”
Zhao Sui cast a glance at the princess. Yao Huang hurriedly knelt down to express gratitude.
Emperor Yongchang gave a nominal gesture of support, not letting her knees touch the ground, smiling: “One family, no need to kneel back and forth.”
Yao Huang accepted the box, feeling her face was about to be illuminated by the two jade ruyi. Smiling at Emperor Yongchang, she said: “Sending some local specialties can get such good things from Imperial Father. Then from now on, whenever His Highness and I go out, we’ll bring back local specialties for you.”
Emperor Yongchang laughed heartily: “You’re quite clever. But Zhen’s treasury is also limited. If you bring them too frequently, Zhen might not be able to afford to give in the future!”
Yao Huang: “Other fathers-in-law can say such words. When Imperial Father says it, this daughter-in-law doesn’t believe it.”
After separately sitting briefly with Empress Zhou and Consort Du, the prince and his wife finally left the palace. Yao Huang boarded the carriage first, helped Prince Hui up and secured the wheelchair, then turned to receive from Qing Ai’s hands the box containing the jade ruyi.
Sitting in the side seat, Yao Huang held the box and looked uncertainly at Prince Hui: “Your Highness, was my performance before Imperial Father today acceptable? I didn’t say anything wrong, did I?”
Zhao Sui met the princess’s gaze for several moments, finally saying: “Excellent.”
Imperial Father was not a person who loved laughing very much, yet the smiles before and after the meal hardly stopped.
Since Imperial Father liked the princess’s candor, the princess need not change.
Yao Huang felt relieved. She opened the box, took out one jade ruyi, held it in one hand, and used the other to stroke the brilliantly luminous jade ruyi from head to tail. On the white, delicate jade body were carved auspicious patterns like peaches, lingzhi, and bats. The more Yao Huang looked, the more she loved it. She held up the jade ruyi’s flat, round head and pressed it against her own cheek—cool and refreshing, comfortable all the way to her heart.
Seeing Prince Hui watching her, Yao Huang lifted the other jade ruyi and directly pressed it against Prince Hui’s handsome face, letting him cool down too.
Zhao Sui: “…”