"Is the Prince still not here today?" Standing at the study’s door, Ye Qiu wrapped in a thick cloak, her brows slightly furrowed, she asked weakly.
Qi Feng had a stony expression on his face as he replied coldly, "Responding to the Princess Consort, the Prince has stepped out. Please return first, your highness. This subordinate will report to you when the Prince returns."
"I see!" Ye Qiu looked visibly disappointed, then handed over the food box she was carrying behind her to him, "I personally made this for the Prince, there’s a charcoal fire underneath, so it won’t get cold. I’ll trouble Guard Qi with this."
"The Princess Consort is too polite." Qi Feng took it and then gestured for her to leave.
Ye Qiu did not linger, but took a deep look at the study behind Qi Feng and then left sowhat disheartened, taking Furong with her.
After they left, the study door, which Qi Feng had claid to be empty, was opened - it was Duan Huaijin, the man who had supposedly left already.
"Your Highness," Qi Feng reported emotionlessly, "The Princess Consort has been sent away by this subordinate. As for the al she left behind, would you like to have it now?"
"Put it inside," Duan Huaijin said, looking at the food box with an inexplicable expression, and then dismissed Qi Feng. It took a while before he opened the food box.
The design of this food box was quite ingenious, divided into three layers; at the bottom was a small iron basin with several pieces of silver charcoal. The food box had patterned holes around it which were not at risk of being extinguished.
Above the iron basin was a small iron rack, and above that were two layers of the food box; the lower layer contained a pot of sticky rice porridge still bubbling with rice foam, and the upper layer held so refreshing side dishes.
The food was simple, yet it revealed the care of the person who prepared it. Even though Duan Huaijin had already eaten dinner, he suddenly felt hungry at the mont.
After hesitating for a while, he decided to eat it after all. That girl wouldn’t know anyway; there was no need to worry about her getting too full of herself afterwards.
In fact, this wasn’t the first ti Ye Qiu had sent things over, but it was the first ti Duan Huaijin had partaken. After enjoying a food box full of hot porridge, he felt particularly comfortable and decided not to prevent her from sending more. Just as long as she doesn’t find out that he ate it, let her send it if she wants to, as he is not going to change his opinion about her.
So from that day on, Ye Qiu continued to deliver als every day, rain or shine. Sotis it was a bowl of hot porridge and a stack of side dishes, other tis it was so roasted at still sizzling with oil, and on occasions, it would be a bowl of hot noodle soup with beef slices thick and large, which made Duan Huaijin feel extrely satisfied, yet sohow left him wanting more. Was the kitchen running out of supplies? Just a few slices?
The two seldom t, let alone spoke, yet they coexisted in this silent agreent.
"Princess Consort, what shall we make today?"
"We made dumplings yesterday; how about we make braised rice today? Go to the kitchen and fetch so pork belly, green beans, and eggs."
After a while, Furong returned with a furious expression. She didn’t bring back the pork belly and green beans Ye Qiu had ntioned, only eggs.
"Princess Consort, they’re being too bullying. Clearly, I saw both pork belly and green beans there, but they just wouldn’t give them to . I even thought of asking for beef or cabbage and radishes instead, but they cooked them all right in front of , claiming it was for the mansion’s Tibetan Mastiff, as if everyone doesn’t know that the Mastiff only eats raw at. They’re just too overbearing."
"It’s alright; what can we do when the Prince does not favour ?" Ye Qiu sighed helplessly, "Furong, you know our current situation and my true identity. It’s already not easy for us to live as we do now. Let’s make do with eggs then; we’ll have egg fried rice today."
That night, as usual, Duan Huaijin opened the food box sent by Ye Qiu, frowning at the contents.
Why egg fried rice again? Not even a bit of at or vegetables added?
Duan Huaijin, holding back his discontent, ate the egg fried rice. It was indeed a bit simple, but the taste was still pretty good.
However, on the second and third days, when it was either plain noodles or egg fried rice again, he began to feel tired of it and sensed sothing was off. Weren’t the als previously varied? How co they had gotten so simple recently? Could it be that she’s fallen ill again and is lacking energy?
"Qi Feng, go inquire with Doctor Li, see if the Princess Consort is sick again?"
"As you command, Prince."
Thinking about Ye Qiu being sick, Duan Huaijin found that he couldn’t focus on his work and ended up picking up a book to read, but he didn’t turn the pages for a long ti.
After a while, the mont Qi Feng stepped into the room, Duan Huaijin imdiately put down his book and asked, "What did Doctor Li say?"
"Doctor Li said the Princess Consort has been recuperating well recently, with no new issues apart from her chronic condition."
"Then why are the als always these two things? Check it out, and make sure they don’t find out about it."
Due to Ye Qiu being out of favor, ever since her return from the Northwest, he hardly ever saw her, let alone shared a room with her. Consequently, the servants’ treatnt of her had shifted from initial respect to their current disdain and even oppression.
This behavior was no secret; the servants did not intentionally hide anything, so Qi Feng quickly discovered the truth.
Listening to those words, even soone as expressionless as him was affected. It seed that this Princess Consort wasn’t as scheming as he had thought.
After investigating thoroughly, he imdiately went to report to Duan Huaijin. The more he spoke, the darker Duan Huaijin’s face beca.
"That’s how it is. It’s not that the Princess Consort doesn’t want to make different dishes, it’s just that whenever she sends soone to the main kitchen to get ingredients, no one gives any. The kitchen staff would rather waste food, even dumping it in front of them. I also found out that today, the Princess Consort’s maidservant only managed to get so millet and didn’t even receive any eggs."
"So, it’s like this," Duan Huaijin’s voice sounded very dangerous, "I didn’t know that these servants dared to be so bold. What about the Princess Consort and her party? What have they been eating?"
"Since the Princess Consort’s maidservant went to the main kitchen for ingredients, the kitchen has not sent als to the Princess Consort’s quarters. Whatever they eat is made by themselves."
"So they are eating just plain porridge and so light dishes for all three als every day?"
"Yes."
"And in other respects?"
"I haven’t finished investigating the other aspects, but other than the first month when the Princess Consort arrived, the needlework room has never sent any more clothes. Also, the servants in the Princess Consort’s courtyard are exceptionally lazy. A maidservant of hers nad Shao Yao is said to be sick, and today it was the Princess Consort herself who swept the leaves."
"Good, how dare these brazen servants bully their master?" Anger filled Duan Huaijin’s eyes. "List out all the servants who have bullied the Princess Consort and her maidservants and send them to the stone quarry. And the steward, since he can’t manage the servants properly, he should be sent along too."
The steward was an old man who had followed Duan Huaijin for many years, respected by those below him. He had beco rather complacent over the past two years, and this punishnt was as shocking to him as a bolt from the blue. But it was his own fault for making a mistake and crossing the Prince at a bad ti!
Qi Feng thought silently, it seed that he would have to re-evaluate the Princess Consort’s position in the Prince’s heart in the future.
User Comments
0 comments from readers