Yesterday in the garden, when they brought up the matter of entering the palace to pay their respects to Emperor Yongchang, Yao Huang asked Prince Hui for instructions: "If Imperial Father asks where we went to escape the summer heat, should we say we went to Mount Ling?"
Zhao Sui: "Yes, we cannot deceive the sovereign."
Since they could not deceive the sovereign, they would definitely mention Mount Ling. Therefore, Yao Huang added a pound of dried Huangjing, which had been steamed and sun-dried nine times, to the gifts prepared for Emperor Yongchang.
Huangjing grew section by section like lotus roots, adding only one section each year, so one could determine its age simply by counting the sections. The ones Doctor Liao selected to painstakingly steam and dry were all aged Huangjing bought at a high price from the mountain folk. Out of about thirty pounds of fresh Huangjing processed, only around four pounds of dried Huangjing were produced. The couple had used some themselves, and Yao Huang specifically took a pound of the pieces with the most sections from the remainder to show their filial piety.
The prepared dried Huangjing was pitch black with a hint of dark red. A few pieces laid side by side on oil paper looked at first glance very much like charred, thin tree roots.
Noticing the confusion in Emperor Yongchang's eyes, Yao Huang began to explain as she pushed the wheelchair inward. She first talked about the nourishing effects of Huangjing, then the wonders of Mount Ling's Huangjing. She even used the simple, vivid original words of the mountain folk at the market, including the townspeople's envy of their frequent drinking of Huangjing stew.
Emperor Yongchang had originally worried about how to spend the few quarters of an hour with his son and daughter-in-law before the meal was served, but he didn't expect to listen to his daughter-in-law talk about Huangjing for a whole quarter of an hour!
The main point was that he hadn't heard enough!
Yao Huang couldn't just talk. For something meant to be consumed, she had to prove to Emperor Yongchang that the medicinal herbs she and Prince Hui presented were non-toxic and harmless.
When Emperor Yongchang took his seat and Prince Hui's wheelchair was securely parked to the Emperor's lower left, Yao Huang pinched off a piece the size of a pinky fingernail from a strip of Huangjing and said to Emperor Yongchang, "This thing can be used to stew soup, boil porridge, steep in water, or infuse in wine, and it can also be eaten dry. It is a bit chewy and a bit sweet, like dried sweet potato, but not quite as tasty."
Saying this, she popped the dried Huangjing into her mouth and started chewing right in front of Emperor Yongchang.
Emperor Yongchang: "..."
Eunuch Wang: "..."
Zhao Sui remained silent for a moment before saying, "Imperial Father, the prepared Huangjing has stronger medicinal properties. It would be best to let the imperial physicians prescribe the appropriate dosage based on the condition of your dragon body."
Emperor Yongchang naturally understood this reasoning. Glancing at the tray of gifts, he instructed Eunuch Wang, "Send these to the imperial kitchens. Have the cucumbers made into a cold salad, and have the grapes washed and brought back here."
Eunuch Wang carried the tray away.
Yao Huang was still standing. She picked up the teapot, first poured tea for the royal father and son, and then poured a cup for herself, using it simply to rinse her mouth.
Emperor Yongchang sensed a straightforwardness in his daughter-in-law, like a newborn calf unafraid of tigers. During the willow-shooting event at the Dragon Boat Festival, this daughter-in-law had also been bold enough to speak, laugh, and run.
Having been an emperor for thirty years, he had seen countless officials and their memorials both inside and outside the capital. Emperor Yongchang had encountered some straightforward and outspoken subjects, including beauties with similar temperaments, but this was the first time he had seen such a daughter-in-law. Moreover, because she lived outside the palace, she could bring in some folk delicacies.
Having figured out his daughter-in-law's temperament, Emperor Yongchang quickly adapted and looked at his son. "Returning from this summer retreat, Sui'er's complexion has improved quite a bit. Could it be that Mount Ling's Huangjing is exceptionally nourishing?"
Zhao Sui: "To reply to Imperial Father, Mount Ling's Huangjing is only slightly better than ordinary Huangjing from elsewhere; it has no miraculous effects on nourishing the body. It was the Princess Consort who pushed me outside to bask in the sun for half an hour every morning and evening. After persisting for dozens of days, it finally dispelled the sickly air from my body."
Emperor Yongchang thought to himself that it had been a long time since his second son had said so many words in one breath!
He looked gratifyingly at his daughter-in-law sitting next to his son.
Yao Huang smiled and said, "Imperial Father need not praise me. If His Highness didn't want to bask in the sun, I wouldn't have dared to push him. If we really look into it, this matter still owes its credit to Mount Ling's Huangjing."
The daughter-in-law's smile hid a story, and Emperor Yongchang became interested: "How so?"
Zhao Sui had just understood the Princess Consort's meaning when she already began speaking: "Imperial Father didn't see it. That day, His Highness accompanied me to stroll through the town's market. When we got to the mountain folk selling Huangjing, they didn't know His Highness's identity and just took him for a frail, pale-faced scholar, vigorously boasting to us about the effects of Huangjing, hahaha..."
The storytelling Princess Consort laughed until her face turned red and she bent over. Her crisp, continuous laughter fluttered through the usually quiet Qianyuan Hall.
Emperor Yongchang also found it funny, but catching a glimpse of his son with lowered eyes and an unreadable expression, the Emperor secretly pinched his own leg and forced his amusement down.
Halfway through her laughter, Yao Huang saw that neither father nor son was playing along. She felt both embarrassed and regretful. Oh no, would the Emperor misunderstand and think His Highness was truly frail? Would His Highness be angry at her for misspeaking, guessing that the Emperor might misunderstand?
Yao Huang hurriedly tried to make amends: "But how could those mountain folk know that His Highness is only exceptionally pale because he likes to stay cooped up in his study reading? In terms of strength, His Highness can win the willow-shooting contest, outperforming over a hundred young generals. No matter how good Mount Ling's Huangjing is, for His Highness, it is merely icing on the cake, replenishing his usual exhaustion. Including Imperial Father, we gifted you the Huangjing simply because it is the only specialty of the Mount Ling town that is somewhat presentable, hoping that when Imperial Father gets tired from reading memorials, you can drink a bowl of Huangjing soup to refresh yourself."
Emperor Yongchang understood; his son didn't want others to mistake him for being frail because of his complexion, which was why he was willing to go out and bask in the sun.
However, the fact that his daughter-in-law could persuade his son to go out to the market and join the bustle was already a great merit!
The meal hadn't been eaten yet, so there was no rush for rewards. Following his daughter-in-law's topic, Emperor Yongchang recalled the only time he had traveled to Mount Ling in his youth. Mentioning that Mount Ling's main peak was five or six hundred zhang high with a majestic and towering landscape, Emperor Yongchang felt sentimental at the memory and sighed with emotion: "Time flies like an arrow. In the blink of an eye, twenty or thirty years have passed. Even if I went to Mount Ling now, I probably wouldn't be able to climb it anymore."
Yao Huang: "Even seventy-year-old elders can still enter the mountains to chop wood and gather herbs. If Imperial Father cannot climb, it is only because you are being lazy and do not want to move."
Emperor Yongchang smiled. Considering that his son might not like hearing the word climb, he promptly changed the subject: "Mount Ling Town, I remember now. Last month, the Court of Judicature and Revision received a case submitted by Mount Ling County. It said that an old squire's second wife and her son, in order to fight for the family property, smashed his corpse to frame the eldest son from the first wife's family. Is that the town you lived in?"
The case was not large, but because it involved a biological son raising a hand against his old father's corpse, an act of severe unfilial piety and wickedness, it had left an impression on Emperor Yongchang.
Seeing that Prince Hui had no intention of speaking, Yao Huang picked up the conversation again: "Yes, the old squire's surname was Qi, and he lived right next door to us. In the middle of the night, it alarmed the neighbors of the entire street... Imperial Father probably doesn't know, but that night, His Highness merely went to the scene and took a few glances, and he deduced the murderer..."
Next, Yao Huang poured out Prince Hui's two rounds of analysis. Because the Princess Consort genuinely admired her husband's keen insight and wise brilliance from the bottom of her heart, this admiration flowed from her bright eyes. Including her tone when speaking of the exciting parts, and the gesture of raising her own wrist to analyze the bloodstains, it was actually even more interesting than the storytelling masters in the teahouses.
Even she, the Princess Consort, felt this way, let alone Emperor Yongchang, who was Prince Hui's biological father. It was expected for the magistrate of Lingshan County to solve a case, but when his own son solved it, Emperor Yongchang felt incredibly proud. His second son was truly exceptional in both literary and martial arts, capable of doing anything!
Zhao Sui: "..."
Finally, it was time to eat. The eunuchs from the imperial kitchens filed in, covering Emperor Yongchang's personal yellow rosewood dining table with a lavish spread of eighteen dishes.
Emperor Yongchang: "It is just the three of us, so I did not ask the imperial kitchens to go to too much trouble." He was a relatively frugal emperor.
Yao Huang: "..."
There were dedicated young eunuchs standing by to serve the food. They all had sharp eyes; the moment Yao Huang so much as glanced at a dish, a young eunuch would immediately pick up a portion and place it on the plate in front of her.
Sometimes she genuinely wanted to eat it, but most of the time she was purely curious about what the dish was actually made of.
However, since she was dining with Emperor Yongchang, Yao Huang did not dare to be too unrestrained. After being served by the young eunuchs four times, she stopped peering at the dishes farther away and only ate from the few placed closest to her.
Zhao Sui knew that the Princess Consort had a good appetite. To allow her to eat slowly and relax, he also ate at a leisurely pace. It wasn't until the Princess Consort was full and put down her chopsticks that Zhao Sui followed suit and began to drink his soup.
Yao Huang noticed that the plate of cold tossed cucumbers brought by the imperial kitchens was completely finished, and Emperor Yongchang had eaten the majority of it.
Emperor Yongchang noticed that the few dishes near his son and daughter-in-law were also mostly cleared, with his daughter-in-law eating the better part of them.
No wonder his son not only looked well but also had a less gaunt face than before. With someone who had such a good appetite by his side, anyone would be tempted to eat a few more bites.
The meal proceeded at a leisurely pace for over half an hour. Emperor Yongchang had woken up early in the morning, and given his advanced age, he needed a proper rest in the afternoon.
After chatting for a little while longer, Emperor Yongchang said, "It is rare for you to remember me while you are away escaping the summer heat. Since you have shown such filial piety by bringing me local specialties, I cannot let you return empty-handed."
Calling Eunuch Wang over, Emperor Yongchang gave him some instructions.
When Eunuch Wang returned, he was carrying a wooden box. He opened the lid, revealing two mutton-fat jade ruyi scepters, as clear as ice and snow, resting side by side on dark purple brocade.
Emperor Yongchang said to his son and daughter-in-law, "I wish for you young couple to have everything go exactly as you wish, every single day."
Zhao Sui gave the Princess Consort a meaningful look, and Yao Huang hurriedly knelt to express her gratitude.
Emperor Yongchang made a gesture of support, not letting her knees touch the ground, and smiled. "We are family; there is no need for all this kneeling."
Yao Huang accepted the box, feeling as if her face was illuminated by the two jade ruyi scepters. She smiled at Emperor Yongchang and said, "If giving a few local specialties can earn such wonderful gifts from Imperial Father, then from now on, whenever the Prince and I travel, we will be sure to bring back local specialties for you."
Emperor Yongchang burst into laughter. "You are quite clever, but my treasury is limited. If you bring things too frequently, I might not be able to afford the return gifts!"
Yao Huang replied, "Other fathers-in-law might say such things, but coming from Imperial Father, this daughter-in-law simply doesn't believe it."
.
After paying brief visits to Empress Zhou and Imperial Consort Du, Prince Hui and his wife finally left the palace. Yao Huang boarded the carriage first, helped Prince Hui up, secured his wheelchair, and then turned to take the box containing the jade ruyi scepters from Qingai.
Sitting in the side seat, Yao Huang held the box and looked at Prince Hui with a bit of uncertainty. "Your Highness, was my behavior in front of Imperial Father acceptable today? I didn't say anything wrong, did I?"
Zhao Sui met the Princess Consort's gaze for a few moments before finally saying, "Very good."
His Imperial Father was not a man who smiled often, yet his smiles before and after the meal had barely ceased.
Since his Imperial Father liked the Princess Consort's straightforward nature, there was no need for her to change.
Reassured, Yao Huang opened the box and took out one of the jade ruyi scepters. Supporting it with one hand, she stroked the brilliantly shining jade from top to bottom with the other. The smooth, white jade was carved with auspicious motifs such as peaches, lingzhi mushrooms, and bats. The more Yao Huang looked at it, the more she liked it. She pressed the flat, round head of the jade ruyi against her cheek; the cool, refreshing sensation brought comfort straight to her heart.
Seeing Prince Hui watching her, Yao Huang picked up the other jade ruyi and pressed it directly against his handsome face, letting him cool down as well.
Zhao Sui: "..."
