This statement wasn't something Qu Dubian fabricated.
According to the memories of this body, Ye Xiaoyuan would occasionally take him out for walks, and they would encounter gossiping passersby who would say such things, pointing and whispering at him.
That kind of behavior inevitably had a psychological impact on a child. After one or two times, Ye Xiaoyuan stopped taking him out much, at most playing in the garden not far from the Ju'an Hall.
A normal child wouldn't understand these things, and even if they remembered, they would likely forget quickly.
He was different; he could remember it for a lifetime.
"Who said that?!" Eunuch Yu said angrily. "What utter nonsense. Your Highness must eat well and grow strong, then His Majesty will be pleased. The other princes are the same; they must eat well and eat plenty to grow up and share His Majesty's burdens."
"Today, you may choose freely, eat whatever you wish."
"Really?"
"I wouldn't lie to you."
He watched as the little prince immediately brightened up, and personally reached out to pick the child up—the areas around the stoves were all too high, and the good food was placed up there. Without help, he couldn't see most of it.
"This one!" Qu Dubian pointed at the fragrant roast chicken.
"This one, and this one!"
Milk, rose cakes, crystal shrimp dumplings, bird's nest and white fungus soup, crispy horse-hoof meatballs, radish and pork rib stew... It wasn't until Wen Xiaochun was carrying a full four meal boxes that Qu Dubian finally stopped, satisfied.
His own appetite wasn't large, but Ye banban and Xiaochun were at an age where they could really eat; he needed to nourish them.
From now on, the food for their Ju'an Hall would definitely not be withheld anymore, but it also definitely wouldn't be like today, with so many fine things for him to choose from.
The servants of the Great Kitchen exchanged uneasy glances.
Because most of what Qu Dubian had picked were the delicate dishes specifically requested by various mistresses of the rear palace. Taking them all at once would make it difficult to account for.
But with Eunuch Yu standing there, his will represented the Emperor's will.
Even if the various consorts in the rear palace were displeased, they wouldn't openly show anger over a matter concerning a prince.
Therefore, they did not speak up. To object at this moment would be no different from saying outright that one had a death wish.
Qu Dubian returned fully laden, and Eunuch Yu saw him off to the entrance of the Great Kitchen with a beaming smile.
"Your Highness, take care on your way back."
He even sent two young eunuchs to help carry the food, looking at him as fondly as if he were his own son.
After Qu Dubian left, the smile on his face instantly froze, and he turned to face the various stewards of the Great Kitchen.
A savvy one brought a chair for Eunuch Yu.
Eunuch Yu sat down, accepted a cup of tea handed by someone beside him, took a sip. The scraping of the lid against the cup made a sharp sound. "Those who need to deliver meals to the other palaces should go now. If anything is missing, explain clearly. Say it was the Emperor's wish."
"All stewards of the Great Kitchen, stay. I have something to say. And, while we're at it—summon all the other officials in charge of palace internal affairs from the Fuel Office as well, so I don't have to go to each one."
The Emperor had begun to open his eyes and pay attention to the Ju'an Hall, and his top hound, Eunuch Yu, had also opened his eyes. Today at the Imperial Kitchen was merely an appetizer.
The reckoning had only just begun.
-
Qu Dubian returned to the Ju'an Hall with a pile of things.
Ye Xiaoyuan and Wen Xiaochun felt as if they were in a dream; the events of this noon were rather fantastical. After all, that was Eunuch Yu, the most influential eunuch in the entire palace.
Having grown up with the Emperor since childhood, his attitude was almost equivalent to the Emperor's own.
Ye Xiaoyuan thought dazedly, could it be that the late Consort had appeared to the Emperor in a dream, urging him to pay attention to His Highness, leading to this turn of events?
It wasn't until the people sent by Eunuch Yu to help carry the meal boxes had left, the food inside the boxes was laid out on the table, and Qu Dubian stuffed a crystal shrimp dumpling into Ye Xiaoyuan's mouth, that the latter suddenly snapped back to reality.
He had been so overjoyed it had addled his brain.
"Your Highness should eat these, there's no need to give them to this servant."
Qu Dubian held his small bowl, contentedly sipping the radish and pork rib soup, while Wen Xiaochun shredded some roast chicken meat and placed it on the small plate before him.
"I can't finish it all. I mainly got them for you two."
He was only so big; even eating to the point of bursting, he couldn't eat much.
Good heavens, it's so delicious.
The soup is so savory, the meat so fragrant. Wuwu, what was he eating before?
So happy.
Nothing was more important than the prince eating his meal. Seeing Wen Xiaochun continuously shredding meat and picking dumplings for Qu Dubian, Ye Xiaoyuan sighed.
"He can't eat like this."
He gently stopped him.
"His Highness hasn't eaten much meat before. Eating so much all at once won't be easy to digest. Just a little of each is fine. He can drink more soup."
He also moved a portion of the food from the small plate away.
"And he can't eat this fast either."
Wen Xiaochun: "It should be fine, right? His Highness seems to be enjoying it so much. Just this once..."
His remaining words died under Ye Xiaoyuan's cold glare.
Wen Xiaochun silently closed his mouth.
Fine then.
Because he tended to indulge instinctively, he never had much say in matters concerning the prince's diet.
Qu Dubian pretended not to see, eating happily by himself. If he really wanted to eat more, a little acting spoiled and Ye banban would absolutely compromise immediately.
After their midday meal, people from the Imperial Hospital came to deliver bruise ointment. After applying it, Qu Dubian grew drowsy and took an afternoon nap.
During this time, Eunuch Yu came by.
He surveyed the dilapidated state of the Ju'an Hall in silence for a moment, then waved his hand. The young eunuch beside him took notes with a solemn air.
Ye Xiaoyuan didn't dare disturb, just followed silently.
Eunuch Yu was quite polite to him. "I've noted down what's lacking in the hall, all according to a prince's allotment. Think, is there anything extra you need to add?"
Ye Xiaoyuan thought for a moment: "Milk, more of that. His Highness is growing." He mentioned quite a few trifling things, and Eunuch Yu had them all noted down. From start to finish, he didn't mention a single thing useful for himself.
Eunuch Yu sighed: "You are a good one. The little prince has lived to this day, thanks largely to your efforts. Alright, I won't disturb His Highness's rest. Later, various offices will deliver things. I'll instruct them to do so quietly, without making a commotion."
Ye Xiaoyuan: "Thank you, Eunuch."
Eunuch Yu nodded: "No need to see me out."
Over the course of the afternoon, various daily utensils were delivered, even including fabrics for making clothes. Along with that, six new palace maids and eunuchs were assigned. Considering the Seventh Prince was not yet three years old, they additionally provided a wet nurse.
By the time Qu Dubian woke up, the hall could even extravagantly afford to light two basins of charcoal.
Running into Eunuch Yu, who had come to visit him today, was truly heaven's favor. He wasn't the least bit surprised by the complete overhaul of the hall's personnel.
"Ye banban."
Ye Xiaoyuan was keeping watch by Qu Dubian's bedside. Seeing him awake, he brought over a cup of warm water.
He had been crouching here. After the excitement of the afternoon faded and calm returned, he had thought for a long time.
His Highness had always been clever, but since the last high fever, that cleverness and quick-wittedness had become increasingly evident. He had simply thought the prince, being so young, understood nothing. But in truth, children are the most sensitive to indifference and malice.
Today at the Great Kitchen had made that clear.
If he could climb to Eunuch Yu's position—no, even to a chief steward role one rank higher.
He would be able to shield His Highness from more storms.
But for now, with His Highness so young, he certainly couldn't leave to pursue other paths; he would have to pick someone else to climb up. Regardless of why Eunuch Yu helped them today, he ultimately wasn't the prince's own man. His Highness needed connections he could truly rely on.
Well, His Highness is still young after all. There's time to build things up bit by bit.
Remembering how the little prince had thrown himself into Eunuch Yu's arms with admiration today, and the mesmerizing way Eunuch Yu had resolved the troubles of the Juyan Palace in just a few moves—
No, it wasn't his appearance that was captivating.
It was power.
Ye Xiaoyuan suddenly felt a surge of adrenaline, saying, "Your Highness, rest assured, I understand. I will strive hard."
Qu Dubian: "?"
He didn't know that his pitiful tale poured out to Eunuch Yu in the main kitchen had also pierced his own attendant's heart to shreds.
Still, having ambition was a good thing.
He patted Ye Xiaoyuan's shoulder in approval.
-
By the time Eunuch Yu finished handling the affairs at Juyan Palace and returned to the Zichen Hall, it was already evening.
Emperor Chongzhao was having his dinner.
The emperor's meals were specifically handled by the Imperial Kitchen; he didn't need to wait for deliveries from the main kitchen.
Since the previous emperor's reign, it became fashionable to have three meals a day: twelve dishes for breakfast, forty-eight for lunch, and thirty-six for dinner.
After Emperor Chongzhao ascended the throne, he advocated for frugality. He kept breakfast to simple porridge and pastries, reduced lunch to thirty-six dishes, and dinner to twenty-four. An emperor must not be gluttonous, and these numbers were already considered quite modest.
"You're back," said Emperor Chongzhao. "How was Juyan Palace? Tell me about it."
Eunuch Yu gathered his thoughts.
"His Highness, the Seventh Prince, only has two eunuchs attending to him." This opening alone made Emperor Chongzhao frown deeply.
"What do you mean, 'only two eunuchs'?"
Emperor Chongzhao said, "I remember a fair number of palace staff were moved to Juyan Palace together. What happened to the wet nurse and maids who followed him there?"
"This servant investigated. They left on their own initiative long ago."
"On their own?" Emperor Chongzhao took a deep breath. "How old was Xiao Qi when they left?"
Eunuch Yu replied, "According to the palace servants who have been serving the young prince all along, they left before His Highness was even one year old."
"Utterly preposterous!"
People in the palace were adept at flattering those in power and kicking those who were down. Emperor Chongzhao knew this. Or rather, he had vaguely guessed that the child he paid no attention to might not have lived well these years, but he forced himself to ignore it.
He held some resentment in his heart. He might have even thought that the child living poorly could be considered filial piety in mourning his mother. If he lived too comfortably and well, how could he atone for the sin of causing his own mother's death?
But Emperor Chongzhao never imagined that his own son, right under his nose, could live so wretchedly!
Of course, the emperor would not admit his own neglect and fault; he could only vent his anger on others.
"Yu Decai, continue. I want to see just how many more are courting death."
Eunuch Yu organized his thoughts and began from the incident at the main kitchen that day.
"The servants below are bullying their master. When we arrived at the main kitchen today, there was already an argument inside. The servant distributing meals gave His Highness hard steamed buns and pickled vegetables for breakfast. His Highness was truly hungry, which is why he went to the main kitchen to ask for food. Yet, even so, he was struck on the hand by a servant."
There was a slight bias in his account, but that soft, gentle embrace from Qu Dubian had made even this highly cunning chief eunuch willingly offer a measure of protection.
Bang—!
Emperor Chongzhao smashed a cup, his face terrifyingly cold.
Eunuch Yu quickly knelt. "Later, this servant went to Juyan Palace. Ah... it was truly desolate, lacking clothes and food. The clothes His Highness was wearing were probably the ones brought from Yongning Palace over two years ago."
"It wasn't until this afternoon that these missing and lacking items were slowly replenished."
Eunuch Yu continued, "There are also some gossiping servants who said who-knows-what right in front of the young prince. Today at the main kitchen, His Highness only took simple porridge and avoided other foods. This servant was curious and asked why. His Highness said, 'Eunuch, if I never eat these things, will Father Emperor like me then?' This servant found it truly heart-wrenching, so I took the liberty of letting His Highness choose freely from the main kitchen."
With these two sentences, he both conveyed the grievance and also officially reported his act of letting the young prince choose freely from the main kitchen to the Emperor, to avoid later resentment from the various consorts whose portions might have been reduced.
"Absolutely outrageous!"
Emperor Chongzhao's heart was pricked by those words. His anger had reached its peak. Looking at the table full of exquisite delicacies, he couldn't eat another bite.
