The incident of the Seventh Prince causing a commotion in the Imperial Kitchens quickly spread throughout the rear palace.
The reactions of the consorts from various palaces varied, but most adopted an understanding attitude. After all, it was just a matter of some missing food. They weren't foolish enough to hold a grudge against a prince over such a trifle.
No matter how unfavored he was, he was still the Emperor's flesh and blood.
At Fragrant Elegance Palace.
The Grand Imperial Kitchens hurriedly delivered Consort Lan's lunch.
Fragrant Elegance Palace had its own small kitchen dedicated to Consort Lan, but some dishes were inconvenient to prepare there and had to be entrusted to the Grand Kitchens. The palace had recently received a batch of nourishing snow ginseng and bird's nest.
She had waited all morning, only to receive news that completely ruined her mood.
She poked at the snow ginseng congee. "Why is it so watery again today?"
"The people from the Grand Kitchens said the head chef prioritized the Seventh Prince's order first, so today's batch had slightly less time on the fire."
Consort Lan: "His Majesty's intention..."
She suddenly threw the half-eaten pastry in her hand onto the floor. "Why on earth has His Majesty started paying attention to that little bastard now!"
"Last time, that medicine... given to him, might have inadvertently saved his life instead. How tenacious. When Consort Yun was alive, she opposed me at every turn, stealing all of His Majesty's attention. Could it be that now her son will also steal the attention His Majesty should have for my child?"
Emperor Chongzhao hadn't visited the rear palace for a long time.
Even when he did come, he would only sit for a while at the residences of the consorts raising princes and princesses, examine the princes' studies, occasionally go to the riding grounds for archery, but mostly stayed in the Purple Zenith Hall reviewing memorials.
If he's starting to pay attention to that little bastard now, what will happen when the three years mentioned in the Imperial Astrology Department's prophecy pass? But since the Emperor is now watching the Residence of Peaceful Dwelling, she could no longer act as she did last time.
Consort Lan could only console herself that the little bastard wasn't raised by the Emperor's side. Even with Consort Yun's factor, the Emperor couldn't have much affection for him.
Just then, the Sixth Prince returned from his studies.
He rushed in cheering, "Mother! Mother!"
Consort Lan immediately concealed the anger on her face and gently waved her hand. "Finished with school? Come here to Mother."
The Sixth Prince threw himself into her arms.
He mumbled and complained, "School is so boring, Mother. I don't want to go anymore."
"You must not!"
Consort Lan's tone was stern.
She held the Sixth Prince's shoulders. "You must listen well to the tutor and learn better than all the other princes. Only then can you earn your father's greatest regard. Otherwise, Father's favor will be divided among others, understand?"
The Sixth Prince pouted, looking rather indifferent.
Only after Consort Lan repeated herself did he say, "Yes, I understand, Mother."
Consort Lan hugged him. "Come, tell Mother what you learned today. Mother will prepare, and later we'll have your father come over to make him happy too."
Sixth Prince: "But what the tutor teaches is so difficult."
Consort Lan: "You must remember it anyway! Otherwise, when your father asks you and you don't know, how could he be happy?"
"Father only asks Big Brother, Second Brother, and Third Brother. He won't ask me."
"No. Starting today, you will stay up an extra quarter-hour, do you hear me?"
Sixth Prince: "..."
-
All the palace departments were purged by the furious Emperor, and even the matrons who had left their posts without permission received their due punishment.
Eunuch Fu was confined to a lightless room, starved day after day.
Eunuch Yu had given orders: wait until he's starved to a skeleton, then cut him open and weigh him to see exactly how many pounds he had, daring to withhold supplies from a prince and even lay hands on his master.
With this example made to warn others, no one dared to look down on the Residence of Peaceful Dwelling anymore.
For several days in a row, the Residence of Peaceful Dwelling saw a constant stream of visitors, all wearing polite, enthusiastic smiles.
With just a downward glance from the Son of Heaven, this previously neglected residence immediately became a coveted spot.
Everything that was owed and needed replenishing was fully supplied.
Ye Xiaoyuan was busy running around until the storage rooms were packed full before stopping—originally, there hadn't been this much.
But the entire rear palace now knew about His Majesty's renewed attention to the Seventh Prince. The Empress was the first to plead guilty to the Emperor, admitting her fault in not taking better care of the imperial offspring. Even though everyone knew the real situation, this gesture of contrition was necessary.
The Empress also felt some annoyance. She had given orders that the Residence of Peaceful Dwelling should not be treated too harshly, yet things had still ended up this way.
After pleading guilty, she was the first to send gifts.
With the Empress having sent gifts, the consorts of the other palaces also followed suit, sending more or less something. It was a matter of social niceties. Even if it was just a superficial gesture, the items were still fine goods that the Residence of Peaceful Dwelling had never seen before.
Gifting children's wooden toys, fabrics, and brocades was the least likely to cause offense, so the storage rooms gained many small, miscellaneous items.
The Empress even sent two seamstress matrons to take Qu Dubian's measurements. Ye Xiaoyuan no longer needed to make cotton clothes himself; the palace would handle it.
Furthermore, they no longer needed to fetch their meals from the Grand Kitchens themselves. The newly appointed meal distribution eunuch specially assigned two people to deliver meals to the Residence of Peaceful Dwelling. If there was anything specific they wanted to eat, they just needed to mention it the day before.
Apart from the residence still being remote and the halls still dilapidated, Qu Dubian finally received the basic treatment due to a prince.
All of this, simply because of a bit of attention from his cheap father.
The blow Qu Dubian received on the back of his hand only felt slightly painful at the time—that part was an act—but it later truly began to turn bluish-purple.
Ye Xiaoyuan fussed over him for a good while, applying medicinal ointment daily to disperse the bruise. A child's skin is tender and bones soft, and Qu Dubian grimaced in pain.
He thought to himself, although using the prank dream had gained his cheap father's attention, it clearly wasn't enough.
The main sticking point still lay with the Imperial Astrology Department's prophecy from back then. As long as the reputation of being a mother-killer remained for a single day, that layer of discomfort would always linger in his cheap father's heart.
Although life at the Residence of Peaceful Dwelling was better now, the Emperor still hadn't ordered him to leave this place, indicating that deep down, he still leaned towards believing the Imperial Astrology Department.
And if the Imperial Astrology Department could utter one prophecy unfavorable to him, they could utter a second, a third.
That old fogey who believes in feudal superstitions.
Anyway, life was finally bearable now. Having just stirred up some trouble, it was possible to ease off for a while. If not necessary, Qu Dubian would prefer to live peacefully like this and not confront the Imperial Astrology Department so soon.
While they were here tending to his bruise, Wen Xiaochun was not at the Residence of Peaceful Dwelling.
On the third day after the commotion at the Grand Kitchens, Ye Xiaoyuan and Wen Xiaochun spoke privately for half an hour. After their talk, Wen Xiaochun left.
With Eunuch Fu's downfall, the Grand Imperial Kitchens also underwent a purge. But the Grand Kitchens were also a place that couldn't afford to be short-handed, so if one wanted to secure a position there, they had to act quickly.
Wen Xiaochun was from the Residence of Peaceful Dwelling, and with the Emperor's attention currently on it, the head eunuch of the Grand Kitchens didn't give him a hard time. Instead, he smiled kindly.
"I saw you at noon today, didn't I? You're from the Seventh Prince's side, right?"
Wen Xiaochun nodded. "I heard the Chief Steward assigned two eunuchs to be in charge of the daily meals for the Residence of Peaceful Rest, but His Highness, having been neglected for so long before, is always uneasy. So, he thought of having me come here regularly to keep an eye on things. That way, if Eunuch Yu asks about it later, we'll have something to report."
The meaning was to give him an official position here, acting as a supervisor. If anything ever went wrong with the meals at the Residence of Peaceful Rest, with a supervisor present, it wouldn't be the Chief Steward's direct responsibility.
A single position to mitigate risk.
The Chief Steward was quite a character. Hearing this, he immediately made a decision. "So that's all it is! In that case, you—"
"Wen Xiaochun."
"Ah, Xiaochun. That's a nice name," the Chief Steward praised. "Perfect timing. We happen to have a vacancy for a minor overseer in charge of oils in the main kitchens. It's the easiest job. You can just hold the title. Come when you feel like it, and when you don't, it's convenient for you to look after the young prince."
"However, the monthly salary might be a bit... What do you think, Eunuch Xiaochun?"
Wen Xiaochun replied, "That's perfectly fine." All he needed was a platform and access.
This was what he and Ye Xiaoyuan had agreed upon. With an official identity, they could gradually build connections and slowly climb their way up.
After some polite small talk, both parties left satisfied.
In the past, neither the Residence of Peaceful Rest nor Wen Xiaochun would have had the standing for such a conversation or exchange. Things were just different now.
-
After a period of bustling activity, life at the Residence of Peaceful Rest returned to calm.
Qu Dubian dismissed the unfamiliar palace servants assigned to him—given the previous incident with the excessive medicinal ingredients, he was hesitant to use them. Using the excuse of disliking strangers, he sent them all away.
He was easy to care for; Ye Xiaoyuan and Wen Xiaochun were enough for him.
Now that he could eat his fill and dress warmly, Qu Dubian began to think about the next step. After all, he had to write his reflections, didn't he? But he was illiterate.
Furthermore, the Residence of Peaceful Rest currently had no ink, brushes, paper, or inkstones.
However, his status had changed. Shortly after he once again made a request for writing materials, he received what he wanted.
"The paper is here!" Wen Xiaochun hurried in. "Your Highness, you can write now."
"Let me see!" Qu Dubian exclaimed with delight.
Wen Xiaochun carefully placed the items on the table.
"Since you're not yet three years old and lack special permission from above, we couldn't get the best or too many supplies. They only gave us these."
"I counted. There are about two hundred sheets of paper, a small inkstone, an ink stick, a small brush. No one was using the charcoal sticks, so I took three of those as well."
The paper could barely be considered good quality, but it was damp, which was why it had been set aside. The ink stick wasn't the standard size, likely made smaller from scraps, but for Qu Dubian, these were all perfectly usable.
He delightedly examined them over and over, already planning to fully experience the first, second, and third levels of fever and write reflections on them. Three times nine is twenty-seven—that was a full 270 days of lifespan!
Was this just paper? No! This was clearly lifespan!
Ye Xiaoyuan found a small bowl, filled it with water, and dripped a few drops into the inkstone. As he was about to start grinding the ink, he saw Qu Dubian wave his hand and pick up a charcoal stick with his left hand. "Ye Xiaoyuan, let's use this for now."
Qu Dubian was left-handed. In his previous life, he had practiced calligraphy for several years and achieved modest skill, but his writing speed with a brush still couldn't match that of a charcoal stick.
"Ye Xiaoyuan, you know how to write, right? Xiaochun, do you? If you both do, you can teach me together."
Ye Xiaoyuan: "..."
Wen Xiaochun: "..."
Master and servants looked at each other, a moment of silence hanging in the air.
Qu Dubian: "..."
He couldn't believe it. "Ye Xiaoyuan, I've clearly seen you write things on white cloth with a charcoal pencil." Weren't those scribbles that looked like ghost drawings the script of the Great Zhou?
Ye Xiaoyuan said awkwardly, "Your Highness, very few servants in the palace are literate. To make exchanging things easier, we created some symbols of our own. They just need to be understandable. But I truly don't know how to write properly. While serving by Her Ladyship's side, I only barely learned to recognize a few characters."
In the palace, few servants were literate. Self-created scribbles were the common marks used for communication.
He added hesitantly, "Now that conditions are better, I can borrow a few primers."
"Thank you for your trouble, Ye Xiaoyuan."
Qu Dubian sighed deeply inside.
But what use was that? He still couldn't read. Perhaps he could find a few palace servants in the entire palace who were barely literate, but his ultimate goal was to produce a complete written manuscript.
Whoever taught him would need to be at least at the level of a proper tutor.
He put down the charcoal stick, rested his chin on his hand, and worried. "Where on earth can I learn to read..."
Wen Xiaochun softly reminded him, "The Residence of Peaceful Rest where Your Highness resides is in the westernmost part, the residence where princesses of previous generations lived and studied before marriage. The easternmost part is where the young princes study."
Ye Xiaoyuan frowned and glanced at Wen Xiaochun.
Qu Dubian immediately became interested. "The study place? Is it far from here?"
Ye Xiaoyuan said, "It requires a long walk, and entry is forbidden without permission." He tried to dissuade the young prince from this idea, phrasing it tactfully.
But Qu Dubian wouldn't let go of this opportunity; a small spark seemed to ignite in his eyes.
He decided firmly, "We'll get up very early and sneak in!"
Was this for learning? No! This was for survival! He had had enough of waking up every day with his lifespan value at a mere 1.
...
Ye Xiaoyuan pulled Wen Xiaochun outside.
"What did you mean by suggesting His Highness go to the princes' study area? What if he runs into His Majesty... If His Majesty gets angry, the young prince's situation, which has just improved with great difficulty, would be at risk."
Wen Xiaochun replied, "During my days in the main kitchens, I've learned a bit. His Majesty has never been to the Six Halls of the Eastern Gardens. Even when checking the princes' studies, he only goes to the inner palace or has the princes go to the Purple Dawn Hall themselves. He wouldn't break the taboo of the inauspicious prophecy about meeting."
Ye Xiaoyuan frowned. "We could have played it safe and waited until after His Highness's third birthday to bring it up. It's the rule for princes to begin their studies in the Eastern Gardens at three..."
Wen Xiaochun had come from outside the palace, experiencing many schemes along the way. Even though his horizons weren't broad yet, he had developed an animal-like keen sense for danger.
In the current calm, he sensed a hint of an approaching storm.
He felt it was best if the young prince didn't stay cooped up in the Residence of Peaceful Rest all the time.
But this kind of intuition was hard to articulate.
Wen Xiaochun changed his approach. "Half a year holds too many variables. How do you know there isn't someone in the inner palace who doesn't want His Highness to live to see his third birthday? Actually, you probably understand this better than I do."
Ye Xiaoyuan's pupils contracted sharply.
He dug his nails into his palm, glanced towards the bedchamber, and quickly calmed down.
After a moment of thought, he said, "Later, go find some primers. On the way, scout out the route. Tomorrow, we'll take the young prince there, but we mustn't attract attention."
"Alright."
Wen Xiaochun smiled. Ye Xiaoyuan's protective instinct towards the young prince was very strong, but as long as things were made clear, he never made mistakes at critical moments.
These two inconspicuous little eunuchs within the imperial city also had their own calculations and plans.
Having agreed, they each went about their own tasks.
