CHAPTER 645: [639] QING CHUAN CHENG WANGFEI 8 (3 MORE UPDATES)

The dark night was pierced only by the relentless chirping of crickets, and since it was already past midnight, Yuanming Garden was exceptionally silent.

Earlier in the night, Yun Mi had attended to Yong Zheng’s illness in his quarters, and after Yong Zheng had fallen asleep with steady breathing in the latter half of the night, he and Little Yuanzi headed toward their own residence.

On this summer’s night, not a breath of wind was present, rendering it somewhat sultry. Little Yuanzi had grown up alongside Yun Mi and was somewhat of a constant companion. Although there wasn’t much age difference between them, Little Yuanzi was a bit more timid, especially after hearing rumors that Yuanming Garden was haunted by ghosts.

Despite two guards following close behind, Little Yuanzi was still a bit nervous, walking with his head down behind Yun Mi, feeling a chill slither down his neck, which frightened him so much that he was not careful and bumped into Yun Mi, who had abruptly stopped, "Ow, my Lord, why did you suddenly stop? Is there something wrong?"

Yun Mi noticed his hand felt empty and remembered he had left his fan in the Lord’s quarters. That was why he had stopped, and Little Yuanzi had bumped into him. Looking back at the road they had come, which was devoid of any lanterns, Little Yuanzi’s neck recoiled in fear, "My Lord, let’s go back, shall we? Can we come back tomorrow morning to search for it?"

"How can one bear this heat without a fan?"

"Don’t we have ice basins? In a few hours, it will be light. Once it’s light, your servant will fetch it for you. What do you say?"

But Yun Mi insisted on going back for it, and since Little Yuanzi was afraid, he asked the guards to go back and get it because they were faster on their feet.

The guards went back without a second word; however, when Yun Mi and Little Yuanzi returned to their residence, waiting left and right, the guards did not return.

The more Little Yuanzi waited, the more anxious he became. His anxiety was so strong that he paced back and forth, unsettling Yun Mi as well.

At last, the two of them, along with the remaining guard, ended up waiting until daylight. After the sun rose, Yun Mi personally took Little Yuanzi to search the way back.

But no clues were left, and the guards of the Emperor’s garden had not seen the missing guard. On the way back to the garden, Little Yuanzi burst into tears.

"It’s all this servant’s fault. If it weren’t for my fear, this wouldn’t have happened,"

"Shut your mouth. This matter is not over. I will personally order an investigation to find out the truth. Don’t spread word of this,"

Although the 17-year-old Yun Mi did not yet hold an official position, he had been arranged by Yong Zheng to study with Prince Bao Hongli and Prince He Hong Zhou.

Because he had not slept all night, Yun Mi’s complexion looked particularly bad, but he still pushed himself to attend lessons, which Prince Hongli noticed right away.

"What’s wrong, Uncle? Weren’t you only on duty for the first half of the night? Didn’t you rest well in the second half?"

Since the young Prince Hongli had won over Emperor Kangxi’s affection and admiration to the extent that even the glass he lifted involuntarily went back down,

It went to show that among the many princes and grandsons, Prince Hongli’s appearance aligned most with Emperor Kangxi’s aesthetic preferences.

As Hongli stood before Yun Mi, already 22 years old and thus naturally taller by half a head, his figure not only towered and robust but also bright and handsome, easily outshining the proud and capricious Prince He Hong Zhou (of the same age).

"Isn’t that obvious? I heard that his Princess Consort is not only ugly but also not too clever. Who’s ever seen a bride knock herself out on her wedding night? Maybe Uncle went out looking for a mistress last night. I’ve heard there’s no end of private courtesans at Nanchizi,"

Before Hong Zhou could finish, Yun Mi’s face turned ugly in an instant, "Hong Zhou, is that how you speak of your uncle and auntie? Even if my Princess Consort is ugly, it’s not for a junior like you to gossip about her! And what’s this about mistresses? You’re the one who frequents that place, don’t assume everyone is like you!"

Yun Mi swept out of the room. Hongli was a few months older than Hong Zhou, so naturally he looked up to him as a big brother. Seeing that he had so thoughtlessly angered Uncle, Hongli couldn’t help but give him a stern look.

"What’s wrong with you? When did you start gossiping like those women? And to have the nerve to say such things about Auntie right in front of Uncle, aren’t you just slapping his face?"

Hong Zhou’s plump face could not help but sneer with disdain,

"If she’s ugly, she’s ugly, why can’t people say it? Thank goodness Ms. Wuya wasn’t matched with you. Your Princess Consort was specially reserved by Father Emperor, who didn’t favor her enough to bring into his own harem but gave her to you. Just count yourself lucky. Besides being General Hai Wang’s daughter, what else does Ms. Wuya have? Does she really think Father Emperor favors her? What a joke. A brother’s bond is never as strong as a son’s. Look, when it comes to selecting our Princess Consorts, both of us have got the better deal!"

Hong Zhou’s own wife, Mrs. Wu Zha Ku, was the daughter of Vice Commander Wushen Tu from a General’s Family; she was valiant and heroic in bearing, and deeply beloved by Hong Zhou.

When compared, they naturally felt Father Emperor favored them more.

But how could Hongli agree with such talk? He sighed helplessly at that moment, unable to find words to describe his brother. All day long, he was foolishly babbling nonsense and often made shocking statements, truly... ridiculous!

By the time Hongli caught up with Yun Mi to inquire what exactly had happened, Yun Mi had already lost all desire to discuss it and went straight to the tutor General to ask for leave, returning to Prince Manor. Watching his retreating back, Hongli fell into thought and summoned his personal guard,

"Go find out if Uncle encountered any troubles last night!"

When Yun Mi returned to Prince Manor, he stumbled upon Xiyuan practicing making deboned pork hock because she particularly felt like eating meat today and had asked her master to teach her this court delicacy.

"Deboned pork hock" is a dish made using Imperial Kitchen methods, so Chef Zhao from Prince Manor was specially invited to teach her.

Chef Zhao, originating from the Imperial Kitchen, often prepared this delicacy for the ladies of the harem, as it was known for maintaining one’s complexion.

Its appearance was grand, with a tender and soft texture that melted in the mouth and left a lingering taste; a beauty dish that was excellent in flavor, appearance, and aroma.

Chef Zhao was originally reluctant to teach Xiyuan, but how could he refuse when the Prince had ordered him to come and instruct her?

In fact, he worried that if the Princess Consort learned to cook, he would no longer have a place in the kitchen, but it was Little Yuanzi who reassured him,

"A woman from the Princess Consort’s household won’t cook often, will she? Besides, just because you teach her doesn’t mean she’ll be able to learn it perfectly. It’s just for show. You’ve earned her favor; the Princess Consort will surely remember you. And in the future, if you need anything, wouldn’t you rely on her intervention? You see, the Princess Consort can even manage the accounts so accurately. The future meals will be in her hands; you’ll have plenty of opportunities to rely on her favor."

It was Little Yuanzi who had come over to instruct, but in reality, it was Prince Bao who agreed to let him teach the Princess Consort cooking. Furthermore, he could clearly see that even though the Princess Consort was young, her capabilities were not meager. The Prince might seem indifferent on the surface, but was quietly attentive, which surely meant he valued her.

Once he understood this, Chef Zhao eased up. Beside, it was he who had volunteered to offer the deboned pork hock recipe!