Yinqi trembled unconsciously, biting his lower lip tightly, his eyes vacant, looking completely absent-minded. Zhenzhen didn’t know what to do for a moment and didn’t dare call loudly for others, fearing to startle him. She stood stiffly in silence for a while. Seeing Yinqi remain motionless but with cold sweat seeping from his temples, she picked up the water bottle from the tea table, poured a cup of warm water, and tried to offer it to him with a handkerchief supporting the cup bottom, hoping to ease the atmosphere. But just as she gently called “Young Master,” he swatted the cup away with his hand. He immediately grabbed her right wrist, pulled her in front of him, and his bloodshot eyes flashed with sharp light, piercing straight at her: “You – who are you trying to harm again?”

His voice was now hoarse and low, like a different person entirely. The grip on her hand gradually tightened, and Zhenzhen’s wrist bone was almost crushed by him.

His entire state changed abruptly. The somewhat timid and frightened expression from moments before vanished completely. Now he looked at Zhenzhen with unusual coldness, anger leaping in his eyes ready to erupt, as if he viewed her as prey about to be torn apart.

And he indeed began to act. Before Zhenzhen could open her mouth to call for help, he raised both hands and gripped her neck.

He continued applying force, trying to strangle Zhenzhen’s life in his dazed confusion. Zhenzhen struggled desperately, trying to pull away his hands locked around her throat, but those hands clamped around her like steel – no matter how hard she tried, they wouldn’t budge.

Zhenzhen collapsed to the ground. Just before losing consciousness, her weakly falling hand suddenly touched the cup that Yinqi had knocked down earlier. Having a sudden inspiration, she mustered her strength to kick over the small tea table nearby. The silver water bottle and teacups on it all fell, clanging and crashing loudly on the ground.

Soon, the maidservants and Lady Luo from outside heard the commotion and came running one after another.

Lady Luo was greatly alarmed at the sight. She immediately stepped forward, raised her hand to slap Yinqi’s cheek, and shouted: “Little ancestor, wake up quickly!”

Yinqi was stunned and gradually loosened his hands that were strangling Zhenzhen’s neck.

The maidservants hurriedly pulled Zhenzhen away from Yinqi with hands and feet.

Zhenzhen’s neck was covered with bruises from the strangling, her throat swollen and painful, unable to speak. She was also dazed and had to lie in bed for two days. On the third day, Lady Luo came to see her. Seeing Zhenzhen’s miserable state, she felt quite pitiful and deliberately comforted her, saying: “About this incident, I hope you’ll be understanding and not hold it against the Young Master. He’s ill and doesn’t know what he’s doing.”

Zhenzhen remained silent. After a while, she forced herself to ask Lady Luo in a hoarse voice: “So the palace rumors that the Young Master once killed a maidservant are true?”

Lady Luo didn’t answer, only let out a long sigh.

Zhenzhen’s eyes reddened. She wanted to turn her head inward so Lady Luo wouldn’t see her expression, but moving her neck caused piercing pain. Feeling even more wronged, she couldn’t help but shed tears.

Lady Luo explained: “That time, it was a palace lady from the Eastern Palace who didn’t know the taboo and made wontons for the Young Master. When the Young Master raised his hand to knock it over, some soup spilled on him. The palace lady took out a handkerchief to wipe it for him, which triggered his heart ailment again, causing him to go into a rage…”

“Why do wontons and handkerchiefs…” Zhenzhen pressed.

Lady Luo looked around, saw no one nearby, then lowered her voice to tell Zhenzhen: “When Food Service Director Liu eloped with someone, she was later captured by Grand Tutor’s men and brought back to the Grand Tutor’s residence. That day, Lady Chen Guo happened to be bringing the Young Master back to her natal home. The Young Master saw Food Service Director Liu and ran over to hug her. Understanding in his heart that those guarding Liu would harm her, he refused to let go no matter what, crying and insisting she return to his room. Whenever anyone tried to take Liu away, he would punch, kick, and bite them like a little beast. Those people could only give face to the Young Master and Lady Chen Guo, letting him take Liu away. The Young Master talked with Liu for half the night, keeping her by his side constantly, wanting to protect her. But in the deep of night, when the Young Master was tired and hungry, he dozily said he wanted to eat wontons. Liu went to make them for him, and once she left, she never came back…”

Zhenzhen suddenly understood: “So the Young Master feels it was his fault, and from then on he’s been afraid to see wontons.”

“Sigh, that’s not all… such sin…” Lady Luo sighed heavily. “When the Young Master woke up from his nap and didn’t see Liu, he quietly ran to the kitchen to find her, and ended up seeing…”

She shook her head, frowning and sighing endlessly, not continuing for the moment.

Zhenzhen somewhat understood: “He saw Liu Sishan being murdered?”

Lady Luo nodded, then added after a moment: “She was tied to a long bench in the kitchen, with someone using wet cotton handkerchiefs to cover her face one by one…”

Zhenzhen shuddered, deeply furrowing her brows and closing her eyes, her hands secretly gripping the bedding tightly, as if feeling Liu Sishan’s pain and despair from that time.

Lady Luo continued to Zhenzhen: “The Young Master was only six years old then. Seeing such a thing, the shock he received can be imagined… After crying and making a fuss and running a fever for several days, he developed this hysteria. When stimulated, he goes into a rage. During episodes, he can’t recognize people clearly. He didn’t intentionally harm you. When he comes to his senses, if he knew he had treated you this way, who knows how heartbroken and self-reproaching he would be.”

Zhenzhen sighed: “I understand. I won’t blame the Young Master.”

“I know you’re reasonable and won’t take it to heart,” Lady Luo held one of Zhenzhen’s hands and patted it gently, then instructed: “However, keep these matters to yourself. Never mention them to the Young Master or anyone else, or it might cause trouble.”

That night, Zhenzhen woke up in the middle of the night and, by the candlelight that hadn’t been extinguished in her room, was startled to discover someone sitting by her bed.

Zhenzhen was greatly alarmed and sat up abruptly. Seeing her awake, that person instantly broke into a pure, childlike smile: “Auntie, you’re awake?”

In the candlelight, Yinqi’s face was gentle and beautiful, his eyes looking at her tenderly, with no trace of violence whatsoever.

He took out a pastry wrapped in oil paper, carefully unwrapped it, and presented it to Zhenzhen like offering a treasure: “Auntie, are you hungry? I have a crispy seal pastry here. Would you like to try it?”

His eyes still looked somewhat confused, as if shrouded in a thin mist. However, he offered Zhenzhen a warm smile, waiting for her response, his childlike expression almost pleading.

Zhenzhen thought of his past with Liu Sishan and inexplicably felt sorrow rise from her heart, two tears instantly bursting from her eyes.

Yinqi was stunned, lowered his hand to set down the pastry, and asked Zhenzhen: “Auntie, why are you crying?”

Noticing the bruises on Zhenzhen’s neck, he appeared quite anxious and asked with concern: “How did Auntie get hurt? Who hit you?”

Seeing Zhenzhen didn’t answer, he stood up resolutely and said: “I’ll go find them.”

Not knowing who he meant to find, he turned to leave. Zhenzhen grabbed him and said gently: “It’s nothing, it’s nothing. No one hit Auntie. Auntie just accidentally got slate paint for drawing eyebrows on her neck.”

He sat down again, staring blankly at Zhenzhen’s neck for a long time, then reached out to cautiously touch a bruise lightly and asked: “Does it hurt?”

Zhenzhen shook her head and gently embraced him like hugging a child.

The thirty newly arrived Royal Kitchen palace ladies remaining in the palace also found their placements during this time. The emperor didn’t summon them but merely looked at their names and casually selected four to be managed by Pei Shangshi for future imperial meal duties. The rest were assigned by the Royal Kitchen to serve various princes and noble ladies.

Pei Shangshi saw that Yun Yingge had excellent culinary skills and was usually cautious and careful in her conduct, so she assigned her to the Eastern Palace. Hearing that Feng Xian was good at medicinal cuisine, she intended to have her serve the weak and frail Consort Li. When announcing this decision to Feng Xian, Pei Shangshi sensed obvious silence from her – she didn’t immediately express gratitude and accept the assignment cheerfully like the other palace ladies.

“Are you unwilling to go?” Pei Shangshi asked Feng Xian directly.

Feng Xian hurriedly bowed and paid respects: “Serving any noble person is our greatest blessing. Feng Xian naturally wishes to go. Thank you for your grace, Shangshi.”

After paying respects, she lowered her head again and added softly: “When Food Service Director Qin went to Pujiang to select palace ladies, she already told us this. Feng Xian has always remembered Food Service Director Qin’s teachings.”

Hearing her deliberately mention Food Service Director Qin, Pei Shangshi glanced sideways at Food Service Director Qin standing nearby and frowned slightly.

After the palace ladies withdrew, Food Service Director Qin immediately stepped forward, bowed to Pei Shangshi and said: “Regarding Ling Fengxian’s assignment, I hope Shangshi will consider more carefully. She and the Second Prince seem to have some connection…”

The next day, Feng Xian received a new assignment. The master she would serve had changed to Zhao Ai.

Liu Jieyu’s quarters also received two Royal Kitchen palace ladies. She accepted these two, then immediately selected two from her small kitchen’s original palace ladies and had them go serve Cheng Yuan.

Cheng Yuan didn’t dare accept and personally came to pay respects to Liu Jieyu, politely declining. Liu Jieyu smiled: “His Majesty added two palace ladies to my quarters – this is imperial grace, so I’m naturally pleased. It’s just that my kitchen is small and doesn’t need many people. I recently heard that you bought a new garden by the curved courtyard of West Lake’s Small New Embankment. You must be short of servants, so I selected two from the old hands who are skilled in culinary arts, hoping you’ll accept them. Why don’t you take them to add some life to your new garden and, incidentally, help me redistribute the staff.”

Cheng Yuan said: “Your ladyship’s kind intention is naturally appreciated. But the people in your quarters are also imperial palace ladies – how could they be given for a eunuch’s private use? This absolutely cannot be done.”

Liu Jieyu said: “Those two aren’t palace ladies but kitchen maids I brought into the palace. They’re not in the palace registry, so you can rest assured.”

Cheng Yuan firmly declined. Liu Jieyu had no choice but to change her approach: “It seems they have no fortune and must continue staying in my small kitchen. However, your joy in acquiring property must be celebrated. There’s a world-famous viburnum tree at the Houtu Shrine in Yangzhou. After our dynasty’s founding, it was transplanted to the Eastern Capital, but the viburnum couldn’t adapt to the soil and water and withered within a year, so it was moved back to Yangzhou. A few days ago, I casually mentioned this to His Majesty, and he mistakenly thought I wanted to see the viburnum, so he quietly ordered it moved to my garden. No matter how I care for it, the tree still doesn’t grow well and looks about to wither. I think viburnum is a sentient thing – if it meets someone who loves flowers, it could surely come back to life. I hear Master Cheng has always cherished flowers and trees, with luxuriant vegetation in your own garden planted with famous flowers and rare plants. Why not take this viburnum tree as well? With your careful nurturing, this flower will surely experience renewal and flourish with vitality.”

This time Cheng Yuan didn’t firmly refuse. After some polite demurral, he thanked Liu Jieyu and accepted the viburnum tree.

After leaving the palace, he didn’t immediately return to Compassionate Fortune Palace but ordered the little eunuch driving the carriage to head toward the curved courtyard of Small New Embankment, stopping outside his new garden “Shi’an Garden,” then walking into the garden alone.

This garden wasn’t vast in area but was ingeniously designed. The rocks were beautiful, moist, and precipitous, with scenery changing at every step. It also featured vermillion railings and jade streams, jade-green embankments and painted bridges, with hundreds of hibiscus and willow trees lining the banks, their reflections falling in the water like spread brocade.

Cheng Yuan walked along the small bridge in the pond toward the other shore. Opposite was a small mountain made of stacked Taihu rocks, with a small building of pink walls and slate-gray tiles on the peak, its flying eaves jutting toward the cloud-colored moon trace in the azure sky before dusk.

The light in the building must have grown dim, as someone inside had lit candles. A woman’s silhouette was faintly reflected on the window gauze.

Cheng Yuan gazed at that familiar shadow, his heart warming, unconsciously revealing a gentle smile at the corners of his mouth.

He quickened his pace and climbed the steps.