“Qing’er, you’re finally back. Earlier, I sent Qingfeng to check why you hadn’t returned yet. He said he saw you, but when he went over, only Honglian and the others were there. Did something happen? And this is…”
Wanqing approached the anxious and restless Prince Ning, who had been waiting for her. Seeing her unharmed, he stepped forward joyfully. Concerned about her prolonged absence, he was about to inquire when he noticed the boxes of pastries in her hands and asked in surprise, “What are these?”
“These were given to me by Her Majesty the Empress Dowager. She said they weren’t to her taste, so she gave them to me. By the way, Brother Ning, did you know the Empress Dowager loves osmanthus cakes?”
Noticing Prince Ning’s expression, Wanqing smiled faintly and proudly handed the pastries to Wanchun, who stood nearby. As they walked out together, she couldn’t help but ask curiously about what she had just witnessed.
“When I was very young, I knew my mother loved making osmanthus cakes. She would add lotus seed paste to them, which most people rarely do. She would either boil the lotus seeds until soft or use freshly picked sweet ones, enhancing the flavor of the cakes. Back then, my father and mother used to make them together for the Empress Dowager. Osmanthus cakes were both my favorite and the Empress Dowager’s. But after my mother passed away, my father became too busy with state affairs and never made them for the Empress Dowager again. Why do you ask about this suddenly?”
Speaking of the Empress Dowager’s fondness for osmanthus cakes, Prince Ning’s face filled with nostalgia. Puzzled by her question, he turned to her and asked, “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing much. Just now, when I returned, the Empress Dowager happened to be having pastries. She picked up an osmanthus cake and mentioned this to me. Brother Ning, could anyone replicate the osmanthus cakes your mother and the Emperor made?”
Prince Ning’s suspicion grew as he considered her words. Wanqing smiled faintly, deflecting his curiosity, and pressed further about the Empress Dowager’s remarks.
“Not just anyone can make those cakes. Though many know the ingredients, no one can recreate the exact flavor my mother and father achieved. But the Empress Dowager still has a plate of osmanthus cakes every day. Over the years, many imperial chefs have tried, yet none have succeeded in replicating that taste…”
Wanqing’s question made Prince Ning chuckle. Though he had witnessed his mother making the cakes as a child and even tried himself, he could never reproduce the original flavor. With a hint of melancholy, he shared this with her, his voice trailing off as he spoke of the cakes.
“Oh? So, aside from the Emperor and your mother, no one in the palace can make the osmanthus cakes the Empress Dowager loves? Why haven’t you asked the Emperor to make some for her?”
Prince Ning’s words stirred confusion in Wanqing. Even if the Emperor had wronged her mother, the Empress Dowager was his own mother. Surely, no matter how busy he was, he could fulfill this simple wish for her?
Noticing Prince Ning’s expression, she nodded understandingly but couldn’t resist probing further about the oddity.
“The Empress Dowager has asked him before, but he always brushes her off, claiming he’s too busy. I’ve suggested it too, but he scolded me, saying I should focus on state affairs and bettering myself instead of dwelling on trivial matters like food, unworthy of my royal status.”
At Wanqing’s inquiry, Prince Ning’s eyes filled with disappointment as he recounted the past. Clearly, he was both puzzled and resentful of his father’s behavior.
“Let’s not dwell on unhappy matters. The Empress Dowager will recover fully in two more days, and Matron Xu is gradually improving. Once she regains consciousness, we’ll uncover the truth of what happened back then.”
Seeing her brother’s rare despondency, Wanqing, though filled with doubts, gently comforted him. When he smiled silently in response, she looked at him with hopeful eyes.
“Yes, I trust you. But Qing’er, what about your engagement to Sun Fengyu? Are you just going to keep delaying it indefinitely?”
Prince Ning’s reminder brought a faint smile to Wanqing’s lips as she thought of Sun Fengyu, who had been so terrified by her earlier scare that he hadn’t dared return to the Marquis’s residence. “I didn’t have a plan before, but now I do. I’ll need your cooperation when the time comes—I’ll explain later. Let’s go…”
As they walked forward, a figure suddenly rushed toward them.
“Trying to leave?”
It was a man in scholar’s robes, fleeing in panic with two black-clad guards in pursuit. Though dressed as guards, their uniforms differed entirely from those of the palace guards they had seen earlier.
“Who are they…?” Wanqing murmured to Prince Ning, eyeing the two guards chasing the scholar, whose face remained obscured.
“Let’s go. Best not to meddle in others’ affairs,” Prince Ning advised, his brow furrowed at the palace’s endless intrigues. He guided her forward, but she hesitated.
“Wait, Brother Ning, who was that man just now? His silhouette seemed oddly familiar…”
Though she understood his caution—palace incidents were common—the familiarity of the fleeing figure nagged at her. Unable to place it, she followed Prince Ning but couldn’t resist asking quietly.
“Familiar? Silly girl, such things are routine here. Who knows which unfortunate soul offended the wrong person? Let’s go—”
Prince Ning sighed, knowing his sister wasn’t one to stir trouble. But as he spoke, she turned toward the direction the men had gone. Shaking his head, he followed reluctantly.
“Stay back! Don’t come any closer! I warn you, I’m an honored guest invited by the Emperor and sent by Prince Ji to treat His Majesty! If you dare disrespect me—”
A familiar, panicked voice reached them as they approached.
“Brother Liu…?” Prince Ning murmured in confusion, leading Wanqing forward.
They found Liu Yufeng slumped against a rock, his chest stained with blood, his face pale with fear as two guards advanced with daggers. He struggled to move away, his voice trembling.
“This…” Wanqing’s eyes widened. Though she saw no visible wounds, the blood on his robes indicated severe internal injuries. Surprised he wasn’t with Leng Mingye and wondering how he’d ended up in the palace, she instinctively moved to help.
“Wait—” Prince Ning grabbed her arm, stopping her. Though equally puzzled by Liu Yufeng’s presence and state, the unclear situation made him cautious. He pulled her aside to observe.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage