In the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Emperor Yong’an slightly raised his eyelids and asked his trusted eunuch Zhou Shan, “Has the Crown Prince made a fool of himself again?”

Zhou Shan bowed slightly and replied, “It was His Highness’s inner attendant who was bitten by a goose kept at the tavern.”

Even though Emperor Yong’an, with his profound thoughts, had already heard about this matter, he couldn’t help but twitch his lips upon hearing it again.

An inner attendant serving the Crown Prince was someone of considerable status, yet he was bitten by a goose—truly absurd.

“Was it that Youjian Tavern opened by Luo Chi’s daughter?”

“Precisely so.”

Emperor Yong’an raised his eyebrows and asked, “I recall that an inner attendant serving the Crown Prince was once scalded at Youjian Tavern?”

Zhou Shan replied, “It was that same attendant.”

Emperor Yong’an fell silent for a moment, his tone flat: “I understand. You may withdraw.”

Zhou Shan bowed his head and retreated to a corner. From the corner of his eye, he glimpsed that dignified dragon countenance and secretly sighed for the Crown Prince.

Time passed swiftly, and soon it was April. Throughout the capital, grass and trees flourished everywhere, flowers blooming in clusters.

Those tribute scholars whose names appeared on the examination list spent less time calling on friends, using outward calm to suppress their inner excitement and nervousness.

The palace examination was approaching. After the palace examination, they would become newly appointed imperial scholars and then participate in the selection for Hanlin compilers.

By that time, they would have officially entered official service, becoming members of the civil bureaucracy—finally accounting for their years of studious dedication.

The jujube tree in front of Youjian Tavern had blossomed, and the willow trees lining both sides of the street swayed with verdant grace.

On this day, an unremarkable sedan chair with blue curtains stopped not far from the tavern, and a woman descended and entered the main hall.

The visitor was Nanny Dou from Noble Consort Xiao’s palace—it was time again to fetch beggar’s chicken for Noble Consort Xiao.

As usual, she was well received. Nanny Dou carried the food box back to the palace.

In the early summer season, people inevitably felt somewhat languid. Noble Consort Xiao reclined against a beauty couch, resting her spirit while allowing a young palace maid to massage her shoulders and pound her legs.

“Your Ladyship, Nanny Dou has returned.”

Hearing the palace maid’s report, Noble Consort Xiao lazily nodded.

Now that the weather was hot, compared to winter when she could still eat several bites of the hot, plump, tender chicken, having Nanny Dou go to Youjian Tavern to fetch beggar’s chicken was now purely for the sake of sentiment.

Noble Consort Xiao didn’t find it troublesome, nor did she consider it wasteful.

She had so many servants who needed to be employed anyway, and how wasteful could one beggar’s chicken be? Moreover, Nanny Dou would also relate some observations from outside the palace, which brought some amusement to her lonely life in the deep palace.

Actually, in the eyes of palace people, Her Ladyship the Noble Consort could hardly be called lonely in the deep palace.

Her Ladyship the Noble Consort was deeply favored by His Majesty. Not only did His Majesty frequently visit, he would also from time to time invite Her Ladyship the Noble Consort to enjoy song and dance together or stroll in the imperial garden.

Even in the households of all the officials and nobles, the mistresses of the house didn’t necessarily see their husbands so frequently.

How could this be called lonely?

But only Noble Consort Xiao herself knew that her heart was as lonely as ash, a complete wasteland.

Sometimes she thought that perhaps she was simply a woman who was difficult to satisfy—no amount of favor, no amount of wealth and honor could make her happy.

As a woman of the Emperor yet without a single child by her side, her prime years had actually already reached their peak.

Just thinking about the long years ahead, how she would continue walking downhill—what was there to be happy about?

However glorious things were now, they would be equally desolate in the future.

Nanny Dou walked in with light steps. Sensing that Noble Consort Xiao’s mood was somewhat off, after paying her respects she silently handed the food box to a palace maid.

Perhaps because emotions had risen, Noble Consort Xiao had no interest in asking questions. She waved her hand to dismiss Nanny Dou and gestured for the palace maid to open the food box.

Inside the food box, besides the unchanging beggar’s chicken, there was unexpectedly also a plate of pastries.

“What is it today?” Noble Consort Xiao asked listlessly.

The palace maid was clever. After examining it carefully for several moments, she said, “It appears to be a small pastry made by steaming glutinous rice stuffed inside red dates, with osmanthus honey sprinkled on top.”

Noble Consort Xiao glanced at it.

On a white jade plate, red dates were arranged in the shape of flowers. The dates were split open in the middle, holding glutinous rice balls—red and white interspersed, exceptionally pleasing to the eye.

“It looks quite delightful,” Noble Consort Xiao praised faintly.

The palace maid tasted it first, then picked up one glutinous rice date with a silver toothpick and presented it to Noble Consort Xiao.

Noble Consort Xiao took it and tasted a bite.

The steamed dates were delicate and sweet. The glutinous rice in the middle had absorbed the fragrance of dates and osmanthus. The light sweetness wasn’t at all cloying, and the soft, chewy texture was difficult for those who loved sweets to resist.

Noble Consort Xiao chewed slowly and swallowed, her lips curving with more amusement: “These steamed glutinous rice dates are better than that red date cake from last time—”

Before she finished speaking, Noble Consort Xiao suddenly froze.

The palace maid didn’t understand why Her Ladyship reacted this way but didn’t dare ask more.

Her Ladyship appeared good-tempered, but when truly angered, she showed no mercy to others.

And Noble Consort Xiao, who had fallen into a daze, was desperately trying to capture that flash of inspiration.

Why had she just felt her heart tremble?

Noble Consort Xiao repeatedly pondered what she had just said.

Steamed glutinous rice dates, red date cake…

What pastry had Nanny Dou brought last time?

It was lotus seed and crab roe cake.

The time before that?

Osmanthus cake.

The time before that was peanut pastry.

Noble Consort Xiao recited silently in her heart: red date cake, peanut pastry, osmanthus cake, lotus seed and crab roe cake, and now these steamed glutinous rice dates.

From the red date cake in the twelfth lunar month of last year to the steamed glutinous rice dates of this April—what would the small delicacy be when it arrived in May?

Peanut pastry?

Noble Consort Xiao’s lips trembled slightly, and her eyelids also quivered incessantly.

If it wasn’t that she was overthinking, or that Youjian Tavern was too careless, she thought she understood the meaning of sending these small delicacies.

“Early birth of a noble son”—the other party was actually reminding her through this method to have an early birth of a noble son!

Upon realizing this point, Noble Consort Xiao’s first reaction was anger.

No, it should be said it was fury.

If she could, did she not wish to have an early birth of a noble son?

What right did the other party have to remind her of this!

In her fury, Noble Consort Xiao swept her hand and knocked over the white jade plate.

Those glutinous rice dates arranged in the shape of flowers rolled to the ground, causing the palace maids serving in the hall to feel both terrified and regretful.

The palace people knelt all over the floor, trembling like frightened quails, not daring to breathe loudly.

In their hearts, they were extremely astonished.

Just moments ago, Her Ladyship had clearly been smiling—how had she suddenly become so angry?

Could there be something wrong with the glutinous rice dates?

The palace maid who had tasted the food turned deathly pale, swaying as if about to collapse.

But Noble Consort Xiao stared at a glutinous rice date that had rolled to her feet and regained her composure.

Anger aside, she had to find Miss Luo and ask her to clarify.

Miss Luo was not the fool the world took her to be. To remind her in this manner surely wasn’t done out of idle mischief.

With Noble Consort Xiao’s status, having Luo Sheng summoned to the palace was effortless.

The beggar’s chicken from Youjian Tavern had pleased Her Ladyship the Noble Consort, so Her Ladyship the Noble Consort wished to meet Miss Luo, the owner of the tavern—wasn’t this perfectly normal?

When Luo Sheng received the message from the palace, she smiled with raised lips.

The net she had cast since the twelfth lunar month of last year had finally reached the time of harvest.

The next day, she chose a light green dress to wear. Luo Sheng followed the palace person who had come to summon her into Yuhua Palace, where she met Noble Consort Xiao.

“This subject pays respects to Your Ladyship. It has been quite a while. Your Ladyship’s grace remains as splendid as ever.”

Noble Consort Xiao looked deeply at the young woman curtseying in courtesy, and said faintly, “All of you, withdraw.”