At Ming’an Hall, after sharing a sumptuous lunch of eight dishes and two soups, Zhao Sui was about to return to Bamboo Garden. Before leaving, he informed Yao Huang he would come over again in the evening.
Yao Huang rose: “I’ll see Your Highness off.”
Zhao Sui: “No need for excessive courtesy.”
The words were quite polite, but the expression was indisputably cold.
Yao Huang understood this emotion. Sometimes when she visited others’ homes, elders wanted to give her certain foods. If Yao Huang didn’t want to eat them but the elders thought she was being shy and insisted on giving them to her, Yao Huang would thank them outwardly while feeling extremely annoyed inwardly. If she were a princess, she could simply say with indifference “Don’t want it, don’t force it” to dismiss the matter.
Since His Highness didn’t want her to see him off, Yao Huang could only stop at the hall entrance, watching as Qing Ai pushed the wheelchair away.
Once master and servant’s figures completely disappeared, Yao Huang relaxed, and the five people including A’Ji in the courtyard also became much more at ease.
Yao Huang returned to the table. Of the eight meat and vegetable dishes, Prince Hui had only touched the two before him. Yao Huang had tasted all the other six dishes, but even with her appetite, she’d only eaten about a plate and a half in total. Of the two soups, she’d drunk one bowl while Prince Hui had only tasted half a bowl.
Yao Huang asked Hua Mei: “What does Consort Du usually do with dishes she can’t finish?”
The Yao family had few members—at most they’d leave a tiny bit each meal, rarely wasting anything.
Hua Mei silently scoffed inwardly while maintaining a respectful appearance: “The consort rewards palace servants with them.”
The vegetables and meat sent to Yikun Palace were all the freshest. How much could the consort eat alone? Many dishes would basically be carried away untouched, heated in a pot, and become delicacies on the palace maids and eunuchs’ tables.
Yao Huang looked toward Bai Ling. Seeing Bai Ling nod to confirm Hua Mei’s words were true, Yao Huang said: “Fine, take these down for yourselves to eat. While you’re at it, have the head chef from the kitchen come see me.”
A’Ji: “I’m not hungry. I’ll stay here to attend the Princess Consort.”
Yao Huang waved her hand: “Go eat first. Come back after you’re full. I’m resting now—don’t need you all.”
There were still second-class maids arranged by the manor in the courtyard. Yao Huang would use this chance to get familiar with them.
Soon, the kitchen’s head chefs arrived—surprisingly, there were two.
The head chef Prince Hui was accustomed to was Chef Kong, who normally worked in Bamboo Garden’s small kitchen. With His Highness changing to eat at Ming’an Hall these three days, Chef Kong had followed back. Gao Niangzi was specifically selected by the manor to serve the princess consort and would remain permanently at Ming’an Hall.
Yao Huang asked Chef Kong: “Are there requirements for how many dishes His Highness has for each of three daily meals?”
Chef Kong: “Yes. Without special instructions, His Highness eats two main foods and two small dishes for breakfast, four dishes and one soup for lunch, two dishes and one soup for dinner.”
Yao Huang: “How is His Highness’s appetite?”
Chef Kong sighed: “This past year His Highness’s appetite has been poor. If he eats thirty percent of the food brought to the table, that’s already a lot.”
Yao Huang had her answer and instructed both: “His Highness dislikes extravagance, and I don’t have such a large appetite either. Continue following His Highness’s habits from now on. Change breakfast to four small dishes, dinner to three dishes and one soup. If I want to eat specific dishes, I’ll tell you in advance.”
The two head chefs nodded. Gao Niangzi took the opportunity to ask about the princess consort’s dish preferences.
Having resolved this matter, Yao Huang went to rest on the daybed in the side room. With strong sunlight outside the window, now wasn’t a good time for touring the garden.
After the five senior maids returned, Yao Huang had Hua Mei and Bai Ling keep watch while A’Ji and the other two went to rest their afternoon nap in the rear building.
Hua Mei was still bold enough to speak. Seeing Yao Huang’s eyelids growing heavier, she probed: “Princess Consort, why didn’t His Highness accompany you for the afternoon rest?”
Yao Huang glanced at her: “His Highness personally said he prefers quiet. From now on, His Highness will have even more time alone. You all should get used to it early and stop prying needlessly.”
Bai Ling nodded repeatedly.
Yao Huang turned over, her back to them both: “Go keep watch outside. Wake me in half an hour.”
Hua Mei: “…”
Bai Ling pulled her outside.
After waking, Yao Huang washed up again, then took all five senior maids in a grand procession to the rear garden to familiarize them with the paths.
This time, Yao Huang started touring from the west side. Whether garden paths or stone-paved walkways leading to pavilions and towers, wherever there was a path, Yao Huang wanted to explore.
This was her second visit. For A’Ji, coming for the first time, it was like arriving in a dreamland from fairy tales. Wherever the princess consort ran, she followed, making Hua Mei alternately scoff and mock inwardly until finally becoming numb to it. When Yao Huang led A’Ji in one breath up Cuiping Mountain, the low hill on the north side, Hua Mei was left only gasping for breath with aching waist and weak legs.
Standing in the pavilion atop the mountain, Yao Huang removed her shoes and stood on a beauty couch, supporting herself against the bright red lacquered pavilion pillar while looking south over the entire garden. She exclaimed in delight: “This place is wonderful—can see everywhere.”
A’Ji’s mouth hung open, too shocked for words.
Even Hua Mei, accustomed to the Imperial Garden, was astonished. Everyone said Prince Hui’s Manor’s garden was larger than Prince Kang’s Manor because Emperor Yongchang was biased, but Emperor Yongchang’s own Imperial Garden appeared only half this size!
Cuiping Mountain spanned almost the entire northern side of the garden. Various places on the mountain also featured common mountain scenery like rock walls, flying waterfalls, springs, and secluded pools.
Yao Huang followed the scenery, going up and down the mountain, walking from west to east—touring for over half a shichen.
Descending the mountain, Yao Huang retraced part of her path and turned to tour the garden’s central area.
When the red sun inclined westward, Yao Huang finally circled back to Cuiping Mountain’s base, following the eastern stone-paved path southward.
First she passed that abandoned vegetable plot.
Yao Huang toured a circle through the vegetable plot, getting both shoe soles covered in yellow earth, and emerged satisfied.
Further south was the bamboo grove.
Though Yao Huang was very curious what Prince Hui did alone inside, she didn’t crane her neck to peer in and quickly left the bamboo grove behind.
On Bamboo Garden’s side were three main rooms, one kitchen, one medical hall, and one servants’ room. The front and rear courtyard stone walls were all about ten chi high. Tightly against the walls’ exterior, another circle of verdant bamboo had been planted, enclosing Bamboo Garden so tightly not even wind could penetrate—only the southern main gate provided entry.
Just as Yao Huang’s party entered the garden, in the east room’s kang bed of the main building, Physician Liao was massaging Zhao Sui’s legs after his afternoon nap.
For those with disabled legs, without massage, leg muscles would gradually atrophy. Ordinary commoners who became disabled might not have conditions for daily massage, but Zhao Sui was an imperial prince and grandson. Ever since he’d been willing to accept physicians’ close attendance, except for yesterday’s wedding when there was no time, Zhao Sui’s three daily massage sessions had never been missed. This was what made his legs appear no different from ordinary people’s.
The two-ke-period massage continued with Zhao Sui’s eyes closed throughout while Physician Liao cooperatively maintained silence until the end.