Shen Xihe felt a tightness in her chest, yet she also thought his words held some truth. For a moment, she could neither vent her anger nor refute him, left standing helplessly on the spot.
Though Xiao Huayong couldn’t see, he could sense the stiffness in Shen Xihe’s demeanor and the tense atmosphere around her. Hastily, he softened his tone: “I… I only wish for you to treat me a little better…”
Shen Xihe gazed at the dejected Xiao Huayong, reflecting inwardly: How does this person always manage to make me look like a heartless scoundrel or a fickle lover?
And he even had a pile of twisted logic to back it up: “I’ve suffered such severe injuries, yet Youyou remains so cold toward me. In the past, Youyou was always coming and going from the Eastern Palace. If anyone were to claim Youyou feels nothing for me, no one would believe it. But now that I’m gravely wounded to this extent, and Youyou shows no concern, people are bound to doubt whether my injuries are even real.”
Shen Xihe: …
Fine. So she had ended up hoist with her own petard, hadn’t she? Back then, when she engaged in polite exchanges with him and visited the Eastern Palace, little did she think it would become his excuse now to demand favors from her. If it hadn’t been her own choice back then, Shen Xihe would almost suspect he had been setting up this scheme from the very beginning!
“What does Your Highness want?” Shen Xihe asked, a note of warning implicit in her tone.
Hearing the chill in her voice, Xiao Huayong didn’t dare push too far. Instead, he cautiously tested the limits of her tolerance: “I’d like to eat wontons made by Youyou.”
Preparing a meal, was it? That fell within what she could accept. Shen Xihe turned to leave, but she had barely taken a step when the voice behind her spoke up again: “Youyou, the kitchen in the Hall of Eternal Peace is crowded and chaotic. Whether Youyou puts her heart into it or not, everyone will see.Shen Xihe: …
So he was afraid she might casually boil some dough lumps to brush him off, was he?
He probably had no idea how meticulous her standards for food were. When outside, she could make do due to limited conditions. But if she was the one preparing it, even a simple bowl of dough lumps had to be perfect in appearance, aroma, and taste.
Xiao Huayong hadn’t lied to Shen Xihe—the kitchen in the Hall of Eternal Peace was indeed bustling with people, largely because the Empress Dowager had been absent from the palace for years. However, as the Empress Dowager and the emperor’s birth mother, no one would dare scheme against her. The Empress Dowager herself saw no need to rigorously purge the staff; it was better to let them keep each other in check, allowing her to enjoy peace and quiet. This way, no one would think she held a grudge against anyone and start stirring up trouble because of it.
The kitchen in the Hall of Eternal Peace was well-stocked with ingredients. Upon arriving, Shen Xihe selected what she needed and had the eunuchs and palace maids clean them. She then tasked a eunuch who specialized in dough-based dishes with kneading the dough, while she herself prepared the fillings.
Feeling like having wontons as well, she decided to make “Twenty-Four Energies Wontons”—twenty-four different fillings, each wrapped in twenty-four distinct styles.
As she wrapped the dumplings, her lingering irritation gradually dissipated. She thought about how much effort he had expended, all for a bowl of food. Considering he was the Crown Prince, it couldn’t be easy for him either. So, she put even more care into her work and prepared a portion for the Empress Dowager as well.
The palace chefs were also skilled, but seeing Shen Xihe’s practiced technique and the plump, adorable shape of each wonton she made, they couldn’t help but marvel in admiration.
Because the Hall of Eternal Peace was so crowded and gossip spread quickly, news that Zhaoning County Princess had painstakingly prepared Twenty-Four Energies Wontons for the Crown Prince had already flown to every corner of the palace before the wontons were even cooked and served to Xiao Huayong.
The Youning Emperor had just finished handling court affairs and was inquiring about the progress of both Yangling Princess’s matter and Xiao Huayong’s poisoning case when he heard this news. Deciding to set aside the unresolved issues for the time being, he brought Liu Sanzhi along and headed to the Hall of Eternal Peace.When Shen Xihe arrived with the wontons, she found the Youning Emperor was also present.
"Today, the Emperor and I are blessed by Qilang's fortune to taste Zhaoning's culinary skills," the Empress Dowager teased.
Shen Xihe had prepared four portions, anticipating unexpected circumstances—and indeed, the unexpected had occurred.
The wontons came in varied shapes, each with a different filling, creating a sense of anticipation with every bite. The Empress Dowager and the Emperor praised the flavors incessantly.
However, the Crown Prince faced difficulties. Blindfolded, he and the eunuch attending him lacked coordination—he frequently missed bites, or the food was offered too close, causing him to accidentally knock it aside. The Youning Emperor watched with a deepening frown.
Shen Xihe wondered if Xiao Huayong was feigning blindness for the Emperor's benefit. Silently, she ate a few more wontons.
When Xiao Huayong dislodged another wonton into his bowl, the Youning Emperor finally snapped, "How are you serving your master? If you cannot even perform this duty, what use are you?"
At the emperor's wrath, guards, eunuchs, and maids dropped to their knees in unison, not daring to breathe.
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger," Xiao Huayong spoke weakly. "It is I who am unaccustomed to sudden blindness. They have yet to adapt—the fault is mine. Do not punish them."
With Xiao Huayong's intervention, the Youning Emperor waved them away. He then turned as if to select someone else to attend to Xiao Huayong.
Seeing this, Shen Xihe stood. "Allow me."
Her appetite was small; after a few bites, she was full, having finished her small bowl.
The blindfolded Xiao Huayong's lips curved imperceptibly. Shen Xihe noticed and became convinced it was deliberate.
With Shen Xihe feeding him, Xiao Huayong cooperated perfectly, never missing a bite.
The Empress Dowager observed with a smile, "Zhaoning truly knows how to care for others. I entrust Qilang to your care these next few days."
Shen Xihe: "..."
So now she had to go to the Eastern Palace daily to tend to Xiao Huayong? It wouldn't do to have a blind man traveling here instead.
"Since the Empress Dowager places such trust in me, Zhaoning dares not fail this duty," Shen Xihe acquiesced.
She glanced back to see Xiao Huayong's smile widen. Shooting him a stern look, she finished feeding him the bowl of wontons.
Later, under the Empress Dowager's commission, when Xiao Huayong needed to return to the Eastern Palace, he shamelessly requested her escort.
On the way, even with Tianyuan and eunuchs supporting him, he either stumbled or missed steps, making the journey nerve-wracking. After another stumble, Xiao Huayong said, "Youyou, could you assist me? They lack attentiveness..."
Tianyuan: "..."
I was being careful—it's Your Highness who's being too deliberate!
His act was so obvious that even Hongyu and Zhenzhu saw through it, stifling their laughter.
Shen Xihe stepped forward to support him. He grasped her hand, his rosy lips curling in a triumphant smile.
Once inside the Eastern Palace, Shen Xihe pushed him away and yanked off his blindfold. "Even the best medicine harms the eyes if applied too long."
Xiao Huayong, suddenly exposed to light, smiled. "Do not be angry, Youyou. This is merely a performance for outsiders. They must believe my blindness is recent. It will improve in a few days."
He then had the audacity to ask, "How was my acting just now?"
"In the art of performance, who in this world could surpass Your Highness?" Shen Xihe retorted coldly. "That is precisely why I dare not trust your sincerity."Xiao Huayong still smiled upon hearing this: "Youyou is speaking in anger again. Drama is observed with the eyes, but sincerity is felt with the heart. Youyou... won't you feel it with your heart?"
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