Fang He didn’t want to cry either, but her hormones were all over the place right now, and she didn’t want to hold in her grievances.
Sister Naren and Sister Liang often sent letters; their lives were becoming more and more carefree.
The main inn had been moved to Jiangning, with branches opened in Hangzhou and Yangzhou, much larger and livelier than the inn back in Yizhen County.
She trusted them.
When Fang He returned to the palace in the twenty-sixth year, she had already reported to the Empress Dowager.
Eastern Pearl was only for royal use; ordinary people dared not accept it, and even if they did, it would be a hidden danger if it leaked out.
So it had to be sent back to the palace.
But the Golden Casket was different — Fang He could dispose of it as she saw fit.
She wrote to Sister Naren and Liang Madam, telling them to exchange the Golden Casket for silver and to expand and strengthen the Tianya Inn.
She even wrote them a plan for a chain of inns, hoping that one day they could open a chain in the capital.
But who knew how long that day would take.
She longed to go down south to Jiangnan to visit Fan Lianghan, the little boy who often mentioned Guoguo’s mother.
She had heard little Lianghan was especially smart, able to recite the Three Hundred Tang Poems fluently at just five years old.
Maybe that little boy would become a prince consort someday.
A son-in-law naturally had to be cultivated from a young age.
Even if Jiujiu didn’t like it, since they had been green plums and bamboo horses, he would still be a great help to Jiujiu and the child in her belly.
The Fan family was much more reliable than the Zashuhu Li clan in her eyes.
But just as she was finally waiting for Kangxi to go down south, she couldn’t go with him.
Even after the confinement period, she couldn’t leave the palace with a child only a month old.
The more Fang He thought about it, the more wronged she felt, but she only let out a few sobs before covering her mouth with her small hand.
She was already a Noble Consort after all; she had to keep some dignity.
She stomped her foot at Kangxi, supported her back with her hand, and whimpered softly as she walked into the hall, settling the harsh words she had spoken about not playing with Kangxi.
Beside her, Xinhua and Liu An were holding back laughter, watching the Emperor follow the mistress smiling gently into the hall.
How to put it—when their mistress cried, it never really called for pity; instead, it made people want to watch the spectacle.
Xinhua hurried after, and Liu An stood guard like a sentinel outside the hall, stretching his ears to listen.
Whenever their mistress whimpered or sobbed, it was never without reason.
Fang He lay half-reclined on a soft pillow for pregnant women inside the hall, continuing her quiet sobbing.
Before Kangxi could come to comfort her, she stole a glance and caught him looking at her with an amused half-smile.
Fang He: “…Wah wah~ It’s only been a few years, and I’ve already become a yellow-faced hag. The Emperor doesn’t love me anymore!”
“My life is meaningless like this; I might as well go accompany the Empress Dowager in her quiet devotion!”
Kangxi thought to himself: ‘nonsense. The Imperial Mother believed in Eternal Heaven, afraid the Buddha wouldn’t understand Mongolian, so she rarely went to see the Buddha—where would this quiet devotion come from?’
But even if she was a little fox putting on an act, he couldn’t help but soothe her.
Kangxi poured a cup of Jin Yinhua Dew, propped up the sulking troublemaker, and fed her water first so she wouldn’t dry out her throat crying.
“Speak, what must I do for you to… play with me?”
The last few words were spoken with a smile he couldn’t suppress.
The low vibrations of Kangxi’s chest trembled against Fang He’s back, making her cheeks flush slightly.
Feigning youth was a bit shameless… but when had she ever demanded anything in private?
She adjusted to a more comfortable position, poking him with her finger.
“You go down south to play, but I have to stay in the palace. It’s not fair at all!”
“Since I returned to the palace, it’s been years—I haven’t set foot outside even once.”
Kangxi smiled, correcting her grammar: “You haven’t been to Changchun Garden in these two years?”
That scoundrel always knew how to get to the point!
Fang He: “….”
She grumbled and continued poking him.
“That’s not the same. Don’t pick on my words now.”
“Anyway, I’m just a bird trapped in a cage. You don’t like that I remember Jiangnan, but back then I was carefree—how could I forget?”
Kangxi nodded in understanding, set down the tea cup, gently wiped the corner of her mouth, and asked with a smile, “Then what must I do to make up for the regrets in the Noble Consort’s heart?”
‘Hmm?’
This mouth is getting more eager.
Fang He immediately propped herself up with his arm, flipped over, pressing her belly against his dragon robe, and barely managed to hug his neck while swaying gently.
“If you go out, I go out too. Count how many times you’ve left the palace. When the child is a bit older, I want to go out and play as well!”
When Sister Naren and Liang Madam expanded the inn to the capital, she absolutely had to leave the palace.
Otherwise, with so many exciting events and handsome ladies and young men at the inn… how lonely would it be!
Fang He had been worrying how to get Kangxi to agree to let her leave the palace, and such a rare chance couldn’t be wasted!
Kangxi’s body tensed slightly but silently supported her lower back to keep her from moving too much.
His gaze swept over her slightly reddened eyes, knowing she was genuinely upset about not being able to go south.
“Wait until I’m free, and I’ll go out with you.”
Fang He was stunned for a moment—how was she supposed to interact with the handsome ladies and young men if he came along?
Her eyes darted around; since they still had a long wait ahead, there was no rush to reveal her true intention.
Otherwise, that scoundrel would definitely go back on his word.
Fang He took the hint and kissed the corner of Kangxi’s lips.
“Then it’s settled. The Emperor’s golden words—don’t lie to me.”
Kangxi had already committed her mischievous expression to memory and raised a brow, guessing her thoughts.
But he still smiled and assured, “I won’t.”
Even if she insisted on going out herself, he couldn’t exactly follow?
Whether he was shameless or not depended on the situation.
Fang He’s worry was resolved, and she was delighted.
Suddenly, she remembered Concubine Jing’s advice and cautiously tested Kangxi.
“All the other consorts are also trapped in the palace. Before, they could still hope for the Emperor, but going forward… they’ll be stuck here for life.”
Kangxi knew this little fox had a kind heart.
Helplessly, he gently stroked Fang He’s belly, feeling the occasional mischief of the little one inside, patiently explaining, “There are always some in the harem who fall out of favor; that’s how it’s been since ancient times.”
“Having you leave the palace is no problem—I’ll accompany you. But I don’t have enough time to bring others out, and I can’t keep making exceptions.”
Fang He instinctively lowered her gaze, hiding the reluctance in her eyes.
It wasn’t just that others in the past had suffered; future generations would also have to endure.
No pain, no gain.
Without a spirit of change, women in later eras would never see freedom.
More importantly, she couldn’t accept that she could only leave the palace when accompanied by Kangxi—how was that different from being a prisoner?
But she understood clearly—the times were different, and so were the ideas.
Even if Kangxi loved her, he couldn’t oppose the entrenched conservative mindset of all men in the realm just for her.
But Master Kang’s words were right: patience brings success; take it slow…
Fang He leaned into Kangxi’s embrace, closed her eyes, and slowly fell asleep, hiding the thoughts in her gaze.
Babies sleep a lot, like little trees covered by snow, quietly taking root and growing in peacefulness.
So whether it was Yanxi Palace or Shoukang Palace, as long as Jiujiu was around, the whole place would quiet down when she slept.
Only when Jiujiu woke up would the hall burst back into lively babbling and laughter.
***
The rear hall of Yanxi Palace was separated by a corridor from Yonghe Palace, and sometimes one could faintly hear the bustle of Yanxi Palace at Yonghe’s entrance.
Yonghe Palace was no longer as glorious as it was in the days when the Uya and Zhang Jia clans were still present.
From nobles to servants, many had sighed more than once that in a palace where status and rank mattered so much, only Yanxi Palace really lived life to the fullest.
But no one expected Yanxi Palace’s flavor to become even more vivid and colorful!
Since the Golden Grain entered the palace, Fang He no longer lazed about on the soft couch.
Upon waking, she would cradle her watermelon-sized belly and happily run to the small kitchen.
Jiujiu no longer liked to sleep in, becoming Mother’s little shadow, running back and forth, even serving tea and water to Eunuch Liu and Eunuch Chen in the small kitchen, moving the two eunuchs to tears with gratitude.
Before coming to Yanxi Palace, they never imagined they would live with such dignity in their lives.
The Emperor even ordered them to go to the Imperial Kitchen and personally teach the chefs how to prepare the Golden Banquet when the mistress didn’t dine.
The previously arrogant chefs had no choice but to hold their noses, address them politely as “brothers,” and follow their instructions, their eyes bloodshot as they learned.
Every time they returned from the Imperial Kitchen, they would laugh heartily, clutching their bellies.
They were not ungrateful; they knew this dignity, rarely found in the entire palace, was given by their mistress.
Serving Lady Zhao made them even more attentive, inventing new dishes with care.
Many venison meats were sent from the Imperial Manor, frozen in the snow.
The two chefs displayed their skills, braising a thick pot full of venison, potatoes, and vermicelli in a large newly made iron pot, baking corn cakes with cornmeal pressed on the pot’s edge.
No other dishes were needed—this was a feast by itself.
“Sizzle—”
The pork lard entered the pot, swirling around in the heated iron pot, turning into clear and fragrant oil with a homey aroma.
They then stir-fried the venison fiercely over high heat, and when the potatoes went in, the rich, inviting aroma surged out from the kitchen, wildly billowing in every direction on the cold winter day.
The little servants and eunuchs in Yonghe Palace, upon hearing Princess Jiujiu’s high-pitched baby voice start to cry and whimper, needed no guessing.
Within moments, they would press against Yonghe’s gate, sniffing hard and holding back tears.
Here it comes.
It smells so good!
What exactly is so fragrant that even if the Imperial Kitchen spends silver, they can’t replicate it?
Even Yonghe Palace, a building away from Yanxi Palace, could smell it—let alone Yuqing Palace, which faced the main hall of Yanxi Palace.
Yuqing Palace stood between the Zhaigong and Fengxian Hall.
The two palace maids serving the Crown Prince, lived in the rear hall just a corridor away from the small kitchen.
Yinreng often stood by either of the two ladies’ doors, able to faintly distinguish Jiujiu’s cries from the kitchen entrance.
He was so tempted that he couldn’t even concentrate on his studies.
It wasn’t his fault; the reason was… Fang He’s potato noodles were ready.
Eunuch Chen and Qiao Xiaoyuan were both from the Shu Region and loved spicy food.
Though the palace originally had no chili peppers, Eunuch Chen could use chili oil with Zanthoxylum and mala pepper oil to imitate the flavor of mala grilled fish.
Since Kangxi ordered the search for Golden Grain down south, Fang He naturally wouldn’t miss good things like chili peppers and specially requested some from the coast.
The people Cao Yin sent didn’t know exactly what Fang He wanted, but since the coast had a variety of chili peppers, they brought back several kinds.
Now planted in the Imperial Manor were small chili peppers, luosi peppers, red peppers, caijiao, and green peppers.
The imperial doctors found the flavors too pungent and spicy, so they only delivered some red, green, and caijiao peppers into the palace.
Eunuch Chen jumped at the taste of the red pepper at the door and hit his head on the kitchen doorframe hard.
But that didn’t stop him from grinning dizzily and turning the red and green peppers into bright red chili oil and pickled peppers.
Fang He was especially excited, watching Eunuch Liu prepare the potato noodles eagerly, and hastily had someone make golden bean noodles instead.
They simmered chicken frames and pork bones into a fragrant hot broth, boiled it, sprinkled in some black pepper powder, a bit of salt, a pinch of sugar, and threw in the almost transparent golden bean noodles to cook.
The clear coarse noodles twisted and turned in the soup like water snakes, looking delightfully beautiful.
Eunuch Chen added several spoons of vinegar and a scoop of fermented rice wine, then a small spoon of chili oil…