The prince longs for me every night after mastering thought-reading-Chapter 17 - Your Highness Comes to Scrounge for Food
Chapter 17: Chapter 17: Your Highness Comes to Scrounge for Food
Chapter 17 -17: Your Highness Comes to Scrounge for Food
Xiyun Pavilion
Shen Chuwei tied a red ribbon into a beautiful bowknot around Xuetuan’s neck.
She looked it over from left to right and was very satisfied with her own creation.
“Hehe, this makes it even cuter.”
Xuetuan’s deep blue eyes were wide open, gazing at Shen Chuwei with confusion.
Chun Xi stared at the oversized bowknot on Xuetuan’s neck for a while before suggesting, “Young lady, you can take this chance to send Xuetuan back and meet His Highness.
Strike while the iron is hot and get pregnant with a baby soon.”
Shen Chuwei shook her head vigorously, “I’m still a baby myself.”
Chun Xi continued to persuade, “Young lady, girls your age are already mothers.
With the privilege of having a child, even if you can’t become the empress, being a noble concubine is not a bad deal.”
Shen Chuwei retorted, “Why isn’t it that a son has status because of his mother?”
Uh!
Chun Xi kept coaxing, “Young lady, look at today’s lunch and pastries; with His Highness’s affection, you’ll have meat at every meal.”
Shen Chuwei sipped her hot tea, “I ate a bit too much meat today, having vegetarian for a couple of days would be nice.”
Chun Xi, “You won’t want meat in a few days?”
“Let’s talk about it when I feel like it,” Shen Chuwei said in an indifferent tone.
Chun Xi had hastily studied all sorts of schemes characteristic of palace intrigue, all for the sake of being useful.
But to end up with such a master, palace intrigue?
How could she engage in it alone?
*
Just after the Imperial Kitchen had delivered the meals, Shen Mingzhu came, her timing was just perfect.
Shen Mingzhu approached with a gentle smile and curtsied, “Concubine pays her respects to Your Highness.”
Xiao Jinyan caught a glimpse of Lady Shen’s thin clothes and a trace of disgust flashed through his eyes.
His voice was cold and distant, “Dispense with the formalities.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.” Shen Mingzhu stepped forward a few paces and took the food box from Cai Xia’s hands.
She then carefully placed each dish in front of Xiao Jinyan.
Her radiant eyes shyly met Xiao Jinyan’s, her red lips painted with rouge uttered modest words, “Your Highness, these are dishes I personally cooked.
Please try them and if they are not good, I will improve next time.”
In her heart, however, she was confident, her cook was a famous chef in the Capital, skilled in culinary arts, and His Highness would surely like it.
Xiao Jinyan heard her thoughts and, without a change in expression, praised, “Lady Shen’s culinary skills are not bad.”
Shen Mingzhu’s eyes lit up with joy, “Thank you for the compliment, Your Highness.”
Xiao Jinyan continued, “The Empress has had a poor appetite these past few days and doesn’t enjoy the meals from the Imperial Kitchen.
You should go and prepare some delicious food for the Empress to try.”
Since she liked to take all the credit for her skills, then she should go and perform well for the Empress!
Lady Shen was stunned on the spot.
She hadn’t actually cooked the dishes herself; she had only said so to win His Highness’s favor.
How could she possess such skills?
If she were to showcase her ‘skills’ in front of the Empress, wouldn’t her deceit be exposed?
“Your Highness, my culinary skills are hardly presentable for distinguished guests, and the Empress is extremely precious.
I…”
Xiao Jinyan cut her off coldly, “Lady Shen needn’t be modest.
I find these dishes to be quite good, and the Empress will like them.”
“…I obey,” Shen Mingzhu could only reluctantly accept the command, yet she couldn’t help but grumble inwardly.
His Highness really had no appreciation for delicate women.
My hands, that have never touched spring water, are now to prepare meals for that picky Empress?
Are my hands, which I spend a fortune to maintain, meant for cooking?
Xiao Jinyan glanced at Lady Shen’s pampered hands and showed not a hint of pity.
“You may leave if there’s nothing else.”
Shen Mingzhu had wanted to serve him in bed tonight; how could she possibly leave empty-handed?
She deliberately bent lower, displaying her full figure in front of the Crown Prince, and spoke softly, “Your Highness, may I have the honor of dining with you tonight?”
Xiao Jinyan, feeling nauseated, lost all appetite.
He put down his chopsticks and ordered coldly, “Eunuch Liu, have all this cleared away.”
“Yes.” Eunuch Liu glanced at the untouched meal on the table and gestured for the palace maids to remove the food.
Shen Mingzhu watched as the palace maid removed the dishes one by one, and asked with some concern, “Your Highness, are you feeling unwell?”
Xiao Jinyan: “…” You know I’m uncomfortable when I see you, so why haven’t you left?
Shen Mingzhu was always full of confidence, thinking that she was extremely seductive at the moment.
“Is Your Highness tired?
Would it please you if this concubine massages you to relieve fatigue?”
As she spoke, she lightly moved closer to Xiao Jinyan.
The overwhelming scent of her rouge and face powder assaulted his senses, and Xiao Jinyan, fighting back nausea, said, “This pavilion has matters to attend to, Lady Mingzhu should return on her own.”
Having said that, he strode away from the sleeping chambers.
Shen Mingzhu had originally planned to stumble into the Crown Prince’s arms under the pretense of losing her balance, thereby naturally seducing His Highness.
However, Xiao Jinyan suddenly stood up, resulting in her making an intimate contact with the chair, which was so painful that tears came to her eyes.
When Xiao Jinyan left the chambers, he looked around the vast East Palace, finding nowhere he wished to go.
Eunuch Liu quickly followed, asking, “Your Highness, where would you like to go?”
Xiao Jinyan asked, “Where is Xuetuan?”
Eunuch Liu replied, “Your Highness, it seems Xuetuan has slipped out again.”
Xiao Jinyan knew that if Xuetuan had slipped out, there would only be one place she went – the Xiyun Pavilion.
The doubt in his heart persisted: why was Xuetuan so close to Shen Chuwei, close enough to almost surpass him as her master?
When Xiao Jinyan arrived at Xiyun Pavilion, what he saw was smoke curling up, with two figures in a small kitchen, one of them petite, dressed in lotus-pink clothes, skillfully frying with a spatula in hand.
The remote and desolate Xiyun Pavilion was filled with the warmth of home at that moment.
Eunuch Liu was about to announce the arrival, but Xiao Jinyan stopped him, “No need.”
After saying that, he stepped forward and walked over.
Once Shen Chuwei had served the fried-braised eggplant, Chun Xi couldn’t help but praise, “Miss, it smells wonderful.”
Chun Xi’s culinary skills were very good, but many of the vegetables grown in the backyard garden were unfamiliar to her, so Shen Chuwei took it upon herself to cook and show Chun Xi how to do it.
“Dinner is ready!” Turning around, Shen Chuwei was surprised to see the person standing behind her, “Your Highness, how come you’re here?”
Xiao Jinyan looked down at Shen Chuwei, who was wearing an apron of the same color scheme, her wide sleeves rolled up high to reveal slender and fair arms.
And that delicate little face of hers was smiling, not showy but lively and cute instead.
“This is the East Palace, is there any place I’m not allowed to visit?”
How could Shen Chuwei dare to say no?
“Of course you’re allowed, does Your Highness wish to join us for dinner?”
Xiao Jinyan nodded, “Mhm.”
Shen Chuwei was taken aback; she was just being polite, and he didn’t need to take it seriously~
Three dishes and a soup were brought to the table.
Shen Chuwei stood by, for who would make the Crown Prince wait?
Xiao Jinyan sat at the dining table, looking at the dishes in front of him.
He only recognized the scrambled eggs with tomatoes, none of the others were familiar to him.
Seeing Shen Chuwei standing still, he said indifferently, “You sit down as well.”
That was the phrase she had been waiting for.
Shen Chuwei sat down across from him, waiting for His Royal Highness to pick up his chopsticks first.
Xiao Jinyan exemplified the maxims of dining in silence and with grace during the meal, his every movement elegant and dignified.
Shen Chuwei had just reached into the dish with her chopsticks when she heard Xiao Jinyan ask, “What is this dish?”
“This is fried-braised eggplant.” This is the first batch of eggplants, lucky for His Highness to have them; this luck is no small thing.
Xiao Jinyan had just watched Shen Chuwei fry this dish, and he complimented, “It tastes nice.”
