The next morning, Jiang Yunshu awoke with her entire body sore and weak.
She wanted to get up to help Xie Lin dress, but… she simply couldn’t rise.
Xie Lin let out a low chuckle in the dim morning light, his laughter both amused and teasing.
"Stay lying down."
Xie Lin didn’t need Jiang Yunshu’s assistance. He dressed himself with practiced ease. After all, before Jiang Yunshu had arrived, he had never allowed even children under ten to help him with such tasks—he always did it himself.
After watching Xie Lin leave, Jiang Yunshu lay back in bed and let out a long sigh.
Xie Lin’s actions last night had been punishment for her foolish fantasies.
Ah… if only she hadn’t gotten so close to Concubine Qiao.
Concubine Qiao had endured too much sorrow in her life. Jiang Yunshu had only wanted to bring her some joy, but instead, she had ended up causing her more grief.
Still, Jiang Yunshu knew that Concubine Qiao was a woman with a delicate appearance but an unyielding spirit. She had weathered countless storms in life—this time, she would surely pull through as well.
Silently, Jiang Yunshu prayed for Concubine Qiao.
This test had extinguished any lingering hopes in Jiang Yunshu’s heart.
Officially, she had already died as a sacrificial offering for the late emperor. A dead woman could have no further connections with the living.
For the rest of her life, she would be confined within the walls of Weiyang Palace, never stepping beyond its four-sided courtyard.
Was there any difference between living like this and being dead?
Jiang Yunshu: Oh, there’s a huge difference!
Dead people can’t taste mango sago pudding (made with glutinous rice instead of sago).
After discovering she could order whatever dishes she pleased, Jiang Yunshu’s first priority was figuring out what ingredients the kitchen had in stock.
This was crucial!
Her approach to meals in Weiyang Palace was the same as her mindset at a buffet—among the foods she liked, she always went for the most expensive first!
Back in the modern world, when Jiang Yunshu went to buffets, she would start by devouring seafood, interspersed with bites of fruit to cleanse her palate, and couldn’t resist grabbing a couple of pretty little cakes along the way.
She had seen people at buffets eating fried rice or plain congee… Sorry, but she just wasn’t that enlightened.
The same logic applied to dining in Weiyang Palace. If the kitchen had abalone and sea cucumbers at her disposal, eating braised pork every meal would be a waste—she might as well go for abalone braised pork!
After taking stock, Jiang Yunshu realized the kitchen in Weiyang Palace was indeed stocked with treasures.
—Mangoes! Cherries! Mangosteens! Lychees!
When Jiang Yunshu saw a plate of freshly washed lychees, chilled on ice, their shells still glistening with droplets, perfectly ripe with more red than green… her eyes nearly popped out of her head!
Since transmigrating to ancient times, she had never seen these fruits again.
In the Great Qi Dynasty, such fruits were rare luxuries. The Marquis's Mansion might have them, but her Yunshu Courtyard had never received any.
Lychees—after more than a decade apart! Jiang Yunshu eagerly peeled one and popped it into her mouth. Mmm…
The freshness was about the same as those sold at half-price in modern supermarkets, left in the fridge for three days.
Not spoiled, not sour, no off flavors—just a little watery, with juice squirting onto her face as she peeled.
Knowing how precious these fruits were now, Jiang Yunshu disciplined herself… not to gorge on one type. Instead, she rotated them daily!
This way, she wouldn’t eat too much of any single fruit… and hopefully, it wouldn’t inconvenience Xie Lin?
There was actually a better solution. Jiang Yunshu tried asking the kitchen about Xie Lin’s preferences.
She could eat what he disliked and leave his favorites for him. After all, she loved everything!
But the kitchen staff grew wary and sent a young maid to rebuff her: "Why are you asking about this?"
"This is not something you should inquire about!"
Left with no choice, Jiang Yunshu stuck to her rotation system.
For dinner that evening, she pre-ordered grilled meat in the courtyard.
After last night’s exertions, she deserved a reward—something delicious.
Jiang Yunshu took a nap and woke at noon, finally regaining some strength in her limbs, no longer feeling like a limp noodle.
To save room for the grilled meat at dinner, she kept lunch light. In the afternoon, she busied herself preparing for the courtyard barbecue!
Grilled meat demanded a cold drink. Today was mango day, so Jiang Yunshu requested ice and cooked glutinous rice from the kitchen, making herself a cup of mango glutinous rice dessert.
This way, the grilled meat paired with an icy drink would feel just like a teppanyaki buffet!
And the ingredients in Weiyang Palace were far superior to those in the Marquis's Mansion.
Back then, Jiang Yunshu had been thrilled just to get some sliced pork belly. Now, in Weiyang Palace, she could have fresh beef whenever she wanted!
The Great Qi Dynasty had laws against eating beef to protect plow oxen… but what did that matter to Jiang Yunshu?
She was already a dead woman.
The law couldn’t touch the dead.
Tender young beef—Jiang Yunshu specifically requested chuck eye, ribeye, and short ribs!
Today, luck was on her side. The kitchen happened to have beef tongue, which she immediately claimed, instructing the chef to slice half thin and half thick.
She loved both styles.
As the meat sizzled on the grill, Jiang Yunshu stared intently, seizing the perfect moment to pluck a piece off the heat!
Too eager, she burned her tongue a little… but it was so good!
After more than a decade without beef, the taste was absolutely divine!
Her appetite fully awakened, Jiang Yunshu polished off the entire cup of icy dessert without realizing it—yet she still craved more grilled meat.
Eating just meat left her mouth dry, so she sent Xiaoman to fetch more fruit from the kitchen.
Xiaoman soon returned with a bamboo basket filled with an assortment—likely because the kitchen wasn’t sure what she wanted and had prepared a fruit platter instead.
Jiang Yunshu casually dropped two lychees into Xiaoman’s palm, and the maid retreated with a delighted smile.
Suddenly, Xiaoman stiffened, her expression turning solemn.
Following Xiaoman’s gaze, Jiang Yunshu saw Xie Lin strolling leisurely into Weiyang Palace.
Jiang Yunshu instinctively glanced at the sky—why was Xie Lin "off duty" so early today?
She wasn’t used to seeing Xie Lin in daylight, outside the bedchambers.
After a stunned pause, she hurriedly rose to greet him.
Xie Lin studied Jiang Yunshu for a long moment before tucking a small white porcelain vial back into his sleeve.
He had returned early intending to deliver medicine to her, but seeing her so at ease grilling meat in the courtyard, with no visible discomfort in her movements, it seemed she didn’t need it.
"You’re certainly enjoying yourself."
Jiang Yunshu’s heart skipped a beat. Hadn’t Xie Lin said she could eat whatever she wanted? Was grilled meat forbidden?
Fortunately, Xie Lin said nothing more and simply took a seat across from her.
Xiazhi, ever perceptive, swiftly brought a new set of tableware, placing it silently before Xie Lin before retreating.
Yet Xie Lin made no move to eat.
Jiang Yunshu hesitated too, but the meat on the grill was sizzling—any longer, and it would burn.
What to do, what to do… Then, inspiration struck. She tentatively picked up a piece of grilled meat and placed it in Xie Lin’s bowl.
Xie Lin ate it!
That meant she could eat too!
So Xie Lin wasn’t refusing the grilled meat—he just didn’t seem to grasp the concept of serving himself from the grill.
Quickly, Jiang Yunshu transferred all the cooked meat from the grill, dividing it between their plates, then added fresh cuts to sizzle.
With her serving him, Xie Lin ate just as much as she did. Jiang Yunshu noticed that Xie Lin had a particular fondness for honey-glazed barbecue—honey-glazed pork belly, honey-glazed chicken thighs… he loved them all.
Jiang Yunshu experimented by serving herself the savory grilled meats while placing the sweeter ones in front of Xie Lin. She observed that his chopsticks moved noticeably faster, and his expression grew even more relaxed.
Most of the barbecue Jiang Yunshu had prepared ended up in Xie Lin’s stomach.
As for the chilled drink she had made, she didn’t get to taste a single sip after Xie Lin arrived.
Xie Lin gave a slight nod of approval. "This chilled dessert is quite good."
Jiang Yunshu: …Chilled dessert? That was her mango sticky rice pudding!
After finishing it, Xie Lin remarked, "A bit too mild. Next time, add more sugar."
Jiang Yunshu could hardly believe it… The ruthless and cunning Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord actually preferred his sweet drinks with extra sugar!
