Chapter 190 - 189

Zi Yue didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

"Is there really a particular way to do this?"

Xia Ruqing tilted her head back, righteous and confident.

"Of course there is!"

"If I wanted something ready-made, why would I go to all this trouble?"

"Wouldn’t it be more convenient to just go to the Imperial Kitchen and get a meal?"

Zi Yue thought about it and agreed.

She suddenly understood.

"Mistress, you just... can’t sit still, can you?"

It’s just like me,

she thought.

There were a few times I caught a cold, and Mistress told me to rest. It would have been so nice to rest properly while sick. But the moment I was idle, I’d feel terribly uncomfortable. Not just uncomfortable—my mind would start to wander. I’d think about my family, wonder what it would have been like if I hadn’t entered the palace, or if I’d never met my current mistress! After thinking for ages, I couldn’t come up with any answers, but I’d end up feeling all sorts of unease in my heart. That wasn’t resting at all. It was clearly just torturing myself!

In the end, despite her illness, she had strongly requested, "Please give me some work, Mistress. This servant is of humble birth; I can’t stand being idle!"

When Xia Ruqing heard her question, she thought for a moment and then said,

"Exactly. Being idle makes one restless and bored..."

"Finding something to do passes the time and is fulfilling. How nice is that!"

Having said this, she happily went back to adding soil to her Lotus Root Pond.

"Later on, I’ll raise some fish here, hmm..."

"This will be called... ’Fish Playing Among the Lotus Leaves’!"

Xiao Xizi, who had just arrived, heard this and immediately clapped in approval.

"Mistress is truly Mistress; even while working, she recites poetry..."

Xia Ruqing looked at his adoring expression and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

"Xiao Xizi, you truly are..."

"You truly are... a real character!"

Zi Yue giggled nonstop, and Xiao Xizi scratched his head.

"As long as you’re happy, Mistress!"

And so, crisp laughter once again echoed through the small courtyard.

After a few spells of rain, the sky cleared up. The autumn air was crisp and invigorating, and the gentle breeze felt wonderful.

Honored Lady Xi could bear it no longer. Finding it dull to stay cooped up with Honored Lady Lan, she came over to Qingya Residence for a visit.

Although Xia Ruqing was indifferent toward them, she couldn’t exactly kick them out, could she?

She entertained them as hospitality dictated.

The pastries were ordered directly from the Imperial Kitchen, not passing through other hands.

As for the tea... well, there was no other way but to have Zi Yue brew it in their presence.

No matter what, it was always right to be extra cautious.

However, Xia Ruqing herself was still talking and laughing as usual. She gave no indication at all that she was on guard against anything.

Honored Lady Xi sat under the grape arbor, her eyes wide with admiration.

"Elder Sister Xia, it wasn’t like this the last time I visited. Now it’s truly... so beautiful..."

Qingya Residence was indeed quite large. It was said that at its peak, it housed as many as three masters. A single pavilion was practically used as an entire palace. Perhaps it was because there were too many women.

But now only she lived here.

It was spacious, close to the Imperial Garden, not remote, yet very quiet.

With relatively few women in the palace currently, this arrangement didn’t violate any rules.

The place was large, and with a little decoration, the courtyard looked beautiful.

"There’s a bamboo grove, a garden, a swing, a wooden fence, a grape arbor..."

"Elder Sister Xia, looking at it makes me want to move in and live with you!"

Honored Lady Xi gazed around, her eyes taking in every detail.

Xia Ruqing just smiled.

"Your own courtyards aren’t small, and Consort Yun treats you well. If you tidy them up a bit, they’ll look lovely too!"

Live together? Not a chance! I’d rather have a smaller courtyard, even a tiny one, than live with others. Seeing a love rival every time I look up or down—that’s no way to live!

"Consort Yun..."

"She probably wouldn’t agree, would she?"

Consort Yun was the principal master of Yaoyue Palace; they couldn’t make such decisions.

Xia Ruqing didn’t want to dwell on this issue.

Just then, Da Bai came over, rubbing against her, and Xia Ruqing happily began to play with the cat.

She pretended not to have heard a thing.

Really, if they were looking for sisterly affection in the Harem, they’d come to the wrong person. All I want is to live my life peacefully, that’s all!

Honored Lady Xi visited a few times, and Xia Ruqing always greeted her with a radiant smile and impeccable hospitality. But... Honored Lady Xi always felt something was missing, something wasn’t quite right.

Gradually, Honored Lady Xi stopped coming as often.

Xia Ruqing, on the other hand, felt a sense of relief.

Zi Yue was a bit puzzled.

"Mistress, this servant observes that Honored Lady Xi and Honored Lady Lan seem to bear no ill will. Why does Mistress..."

Xia Ruqing curved her lips into a smile.

"Whether they bear ill will or not, I simply don’t like associating with them!"

Zi Yue asked no more questions.

In the blink of an eye, the Mid-Autumn Festival arrived.

Admiring the moon, eating mooncakes, and the Mid-Autumn banquet were all essential traditions.

Due to the good weather, the Empress ordered the banquet to be held in the Imperial Garden.

While discussing it with the Emperor, the Empress said with a smile,

"Firstly, the place is spacious and the scenery is lovely. Secondly... it’s closer to our younger sister, the Noble Consort."

"She loves a lively atmosphere, and it will be convenient for her to come and go!"

Zhao Junyao thought for a moment, then nodded in satisfaction.

"It’s commendable how thoroughly you’ve considered everything."

Lately, the Empress’s conduct had been very much to his satisfaction.

Perhaps she has finally understood. Or... has she been disciplined into submission? In any case, as long as she behaves herself, I am willing to grant her due respect. The women of the Harem, or rather... the Empress, the mother of the nation, should be exactly like this!

That night, Xia Ruqing had trouble falling asleep.

She was homesick.

The moon in the countryside of her childhood had also been very round.

Every Mid-Autumn Festival, her grandmother would preserve many flower petals to use in making mooncakes.

Tender chrysanthemum petals were pickled with granulated sugar until translucent, then mixed with roasted and ground black sesame seeds, walnut kernels, peanuts, and other dried nuts.

A bit of hawthorn, rock sugar, and colorful candied fruit shreds were also added.

Everything was mixed vigorously with large chopsticks, and the mooncake filling was ready.

The mooncake pastry also included many ingredients: shortening, goat’s milk, eggs, salt, and sugar.

Grandmother’s culinary skills were always unique.

The prepared mooncakes were placed in the large pot over the wood-fired earthen stove found in a farmer’s kitchen.

They were first steamed until semi-cooked, then baked in the oven chamber beneath the stove.

The resulting mooncakes had a filling where all the ingredients melded together, fragrant and sweet, with a golden-brown, crispy, and delightfully sweet crust.

Oh, how I miss it!

As she reminisced, Xia Ruqing found herself salivating.

Perhaps she was too lost in thought, or for some other reason, she didn’t even realize the Emperor had arrived.

It wasn’t until Zi Yue frantically shot her meaningful glances that she realized something was amiss.

"Zi Yue, what’s wrong with your eyes?"

Zi Yue despaired.

As she casually glanced around, Xia Ruqing spotted that familiar shade of imperial yellow, and her mind momentarily blanked.

Before she had time to think further, she knelt.

"Greetings, Your Majesty!"

Why was there no announcement?

she wondered.

Because the Emperor hadn’t allowed it.

Zhao Junyao found a place to sit down. He rubbed his temples, then pulled her into his embrace.

Xia Ruqing was a bit stunned.

"Your Majesty, are you tired?"

Zhao Junyao didn’t say anything.

After a while, he patted her.

"Have you eaten? I’m hungry..."

Why does he come to me when he’s hungry?

Xia Ruqing grumbled internally.

The Imperial Kitchen and the Small Imperial Kitchen in Zhaochen Palace aren’t just for decoration... They have the best chefs; it’s just that His Majesty doesn’t utilize them. No, it’s not that he won’t, it’s that he can’t! I’ve heard of degenerate emperors who spend all day scheming how to sleep with women. But I’ve never heard of one who spends all day scheming what to eat. That wouldn’t be an emperor; that would be a complete idiot!