A Foodie Transmigrated into the Palace

On his way back to the front courtyard, he suddenly remembered the two figures secretly following behind him.

”Was that the Princess and a Palace Maid?”

The corner of his lips hooked into a faint, almost invisible cold smile.

”Rules?”

”Who was it that said their Royal Family is all about rules again?”

If they were so bound by rules, would they be secretly asking around about him?

If their character were so good, would they be tailing him before an engagement is even set?

Which just shows that this County Princess isn’t anything great either!

”It’s a joke, that’s what it is!”

”If Mother weren’t so taken with her, I’m afraid I wouldn’t spare her a second glance in this lifetime!”

”Let alone marry her through the front gates!”

After all, in the Capital City, the ’brilliant exploits’ of Princess Yi Zhao, County Princess Yilan, and Miss Chen had long since spread far and wide.

For example... the three little girls mastered horseback riding and archery.

And for another... they would gallop on horseback right down the main street.

And then there’s how they learned martial arts that other women could never manage—fine, that much could be tolerated—but they even dared to show their faces in public, roaming the streets to right wrongs in the name of chivalry.

Their behavior and everyday dress were just like men.

Where was there even a hint of the gentleness and decorum of a proper boudoir girl?

The Fourth Princess was at least somewhat understandable; after all, as the only legitimate daughter of the Emperor and Empress, she had been spoiled and pampered since childhood.

A bit willful wasn’t really that big of a deal.

In the future she would have her own Princess’s Mansion, and the Emperor and Empress, and even the Crown Prince as her backing; she would never be bullied or have to look at her husband’s family’s faces.

She could even do as she pleased with her own marriage. One imperial decree from the Emperor, and whoever was named Prince Consort would have to be the Prince Consort, without a single word of complaint.

That was her confidence. No one else could compare, nor would they dare.

But County Princess Yilan and Miss Chen were a bit baffling.

They were ordinary young ladies from respectable families. Instead of staying obediently in their boudoirs, learning needlework and proper etiquette, what were they doing tagging along with the Princess making trouble?

He didn’t dislike straightforward women, but he didn’t like a ”grand young lady” like that, and liked such a wife even less.

(This has nothing to do with moral character; in ancient times, more or less all men thought this way:

The main wife is the pillar of the household, the crucial partner for maintaining family interests, managing the estate, and bearing heirs. What’s needed is a good temper, strong capability, high status, gentleness and magnanimity, and deft social skills.

But the concubine is the key to life’s pleasures: romance, flirtation, moonlit trysts, lovers whispering sweet nothings, poetic, painting-like, fairy-tale love. So... the standards for a concubine are actually higher: she has to be pretty, gentle, good-figured, and... in short, as long as her personality is pleasing and her status is appropriate, she can be married into the house—no, taken into the house as a concubine!)

So...

He had no problem taking a straightforward woman as a concubine, but marrying a straightforward woman as his main wife—that would be a huge problem.

He didn’t like it.

...

Summer was half over, and the three hottest weeks of the season arrived right on schedule.

The scorching sun baked the air until it felt like a steamer; the usually lush green leaves were now wilted and curling, and even the cicadas were stopping and starting with their calls, baked as if their last breath were about to give out.

Even the usually coolest lakeside of Taiye Pool was now unbearably hot. The lake water was roasted by the sun, and the steam rising up mixed with the heated wind to form waves of suffocating heat, rolling toward the shore in gust after gust.

Don’t even talk about sitting by the shore to enjoy the breeze; just walking a circle along the bank would have your clothes drenched in sweat.

Duanning Palace.

Xia Ruqing was lying on the bed taking her noon rest.

Even though there were three ice basins set out in the room and two Little Palace Maids fanning her continuously, she was still drenched in sweat from the heat.

Her sticky clothes clung to her skin, soaked with sweat. The wisteria lounge chair beneath her was heated by the air until it felt hotter than her skin; brushing against it made it stick to her, and when she got up it would peel off with a ripping sound.

They say if your heart is calm, you will naturally feel cool.

Xia Ruqing tried her best to patiently and carefully fall asleep, but the beads of sweat constantly seeping out of her skin, and the clothes that were still damp no matter how many times she changed, left her tossing for half a Shi Chen and still too hot to fall asleep.

”Forget it, I’m not sleeping!”

She sat up helplessly.

”Zi Yue, move the ice basins a bit closer to me!”

Zi Yue smiled and refused her, eyes crinkling.

”Master, the turning of seasons, cold and heat, is Heaven’s own pattern. Now it’s the three hottest weeks—how could it be right not to sweat at all?”

”Don’t the Imperial Physicians often say that winter ailments should be treated in summer?”

”Your health wasn’t very good before. Now is exactly the time; sweating more is no big deal!”

”Please bear with it!”

Xia Ruqing was about to fall apart.

She knew Zi Yue was doing it for her own good.

In the past, her body had suffered cold damage, and childbirth had put her through a lot of hardship; her constitution was extremely weak.

On top of that, within traditional Chinese medicine, women’s bodies are considered cold in nature and must not be chilled, so Zi Yue was strict about how close the ice could be.

But still...

She shot a resentful look at Zi Yue.

”I’m really so hot!”

Zi Yue frowned and thought for quite a while, then her eyes suddenly lit up.

”How about this, this servant will go heat some water for you to bathe. After a bath you won’t feel so hot!”

Xia Ruqing’s mouth twitched.

”I’ve already bathed three times today. I don’t want another bath!”

Zi Yue laughed guiltily and was just about to say something more.

When suddenly, a voice came from outside announcing: The Emperor has arrived!

Zhao Junyao came in, with Yue Er following behind him, her little face flushed red.

Xia Ruqing endured her discomfort and got up.

”You father and daughter really do arrive as a set!”

Zhao Junyao and Yue Er sat down on either side of her.

Zi Yue turned to bring up two bowls of tea.

Xia Ruqing frowned.

”No tea, go switch it for mung bean soup!”

Zi Yue froze for a moment, answered ”yes,” and turned to leave again.

Two bowls of ruby-clear mung bean soup were brought up.

Zhao Junyao tilted his head back and downed his. Yue Er also cradled her bowl and gulped it down.

Xia Ruqing couldn’t help laughing.

”Are you two short on food and drink everywhere else? Why is it that whatever you have at my place, you act like it’s rare and wonderful?”

Her gaze fell on Yue Er’s flushed, sweat-soaked face.

She felt distressed and reached out to wipe the sweat off Yue Er’s face.

”Where have you been running wild this time, to end up this hot?”

Yue Er glanced at her imperial father, then scooted up to her imperial mother and carefully started negotiating.

”Imperial Mother, I didn’t go anywhere!”

”The Capital City is too hot. I can’t even properly ride my horse anymore—I’m getting rusty!”

”So I was thinking...”

Zhao Junyao gave his daughter a languid sideways look, then spoke out Yue Er’s true intention.

”She wants to go to The Summer Resort.”

Xia Ruqing’s eyes lit up.

”Great, I want to go too. When do we leave?!”

Zhao Junyao was a bit speechless, feeling like he’d just fallen into a pit.

But if he was honest, he really wanted to go as well.

Previously he’d worried that Qingqing would say he was always dumping state affairs on Chenchen just so he himself could slack off in comfort, so he didn’t feel right bringing it up first.

Now... with both mother and daughter wanting to go, it was only natural for him to go along.

After secretly feeling pleased for a moment, he put on a show of helpless indulgence.

”All right!”

”Since you both want to go, then we shall go!”