WK Chapter 35

Consort Yun was posthumously honored as Empress Dejing, and her recognition ceremony concluded without incident.

 

Afterward, Emperor Chongzhao summoned Xu Jianyan, Minister of Imperial Household Affairs and Qu Dubian’s second great-uncle.

 

Xu Jianyan had already heard about the issue with the ceremonial meal prepared for the Seventh Prince. As soon as he entered, he knelt down to plead guilty: “Your Majesty! This minister failed to supervise properly. Please punish me!”

 

Emperor Chongzhao said calmly: “So you’re saying you didn’t know about this? That it was done by someone under your command?”

 

Xu Jianyan replied quickly: “Your Majesty is wise.”

 

Emperor Chongzhao chuckled lightly. “I wasn’t aware that anyone outside your Xu family could make Mai Xian Geng. Who else but someone from your family would know how?”

 

Xu Jianyan froze on the spot.

 

What? Mai Xian Geng??

 

All he had done was instruct his subordinates to use high-quality ingredients for the Seventh Prince’s ceremonial meal!

 

In fact, when he was summoned earlier, he hadn’t thought much of it. After all, his Xu family shared distant kinship ties with the Seventh Prince! Even if there were some minor breaches of protocol due to personal bias, surely His Majesty wouldn’t take issue with it?

 

Hurriedly clarifying himself, Xu Jianyan said: “Your Majesty, I truly had no knowledge of this!”

 

Emperor Chongzhao raised an eyebrow slightly and nodded. “These days, Old Madam Xu rarely leaves her residence. Your family is currently the only branch still holding official positions at court. If it wasn’t you who arranged this meal, then it must have been your son or someone else under your command. Either way, someone is responsible for mishandling matters and causing issues with a prince’s ceremonial meal. How should this crime be judged?”

 

“Your Majesty—” Xu Jianyan began but stopped abruptly when he met Emperor Chongzhao’s deep gaze. His heart sank instantly as any arguments he had prepared died on his lips. “Your Majesty… this matter has nothing to do with my son. It was me—I missed the taste of that dish and had a bowl prepared. Perhaps my subordinates made an error in their haste.”

 

The excuse was clumsy at best.

 

Emperor Chongzhao didn’t press further but said: “The Mai Xian Geng that only Xu family children are allowed to eat—you served it as part of my son’s ceremonial meal. Are you trying to suggest that even though he’s a prince, he’s also just another child of your Xu family?”

 

Xu Jianyan felt cold sweat trickle down his back as his limbs turned icy. “Your Majesty! This old servant would never dare!”

 

Emperor Chongzhao crouched slightly and patted him on the shoulder. “Don’t be so tense—I’m just joking with you. I trust you greatly. When Xiao Qi grows up, he’ll inevitably have dealings with your family.”

 

Xu Jianyan didn’t dare lift his head. “This minister has never harbored any ulterior motives.”

 

“Alright then—stand up,” Emperor Chongzhao said dismissively. “However, since there was indeed an error made here, memorials from both the Ministry of Rites and Censorate will likely arrive tomorrow accusing you of negligence. I can’t simply ignore them. You’ll be fined six months’ salary—any objections?”

 

“This minister thanks Your Majesty for your grace!”

 

Only then did Xu Jianyan withdraw from Xinuan Pavilion.

 

—

 

Sword-Holding Marquis’ Residence

 

The Old Madam burned a small slip of paper in her brazier and couldn’t help but smile gleefully.

 

“Tingfeng actually swapped in Mai Xian Geng.”

 

“But isn’t that also against ceremonial meal regulations?” Mama Fang asked in confusion.

 

The Old Madam explained: “There’s more to it than meets the eye. Originally, based on what Xu Jianyan submitted, if the ceremonial meal exceeded specifications, even though my grandson is very young, his image among external officials would inevitably suffer.”

 

“Swapping it for Mai Xian Geng has two benefits: First, its appearance is so plain that it looks far below ceremonial standards. External officials won’t criticize my grandson but will instead focus on blaming mistakes made by the Ministry of Imperial Household Affairs. Second, while ceremonial meals shouldn’t anger His Majesty,Mai Xian Geng can irritate him enough to teach Xu Jianyan a lesson—not to meddle with my grandson again.”

 

Mama Fang asked curiously: “Why would Mai Xian Geng anger His Majesty?”

 

The Old Madam explained further: “Mai Xian Geng represents blessings from Xu family elders to younger generations. At such a critical moment when His Majesty is choosing a foster mother for Xiao Qi, serving this dish implies reminding Xiao Qi of their familial ties—and indirectly expresses dissatisfaction with His Majesty’s decision regarding Xiao Qi’s foster care.”

 

“If His Majesty didn’t punish him after this stunt, I’d be surprised! Besides,” she added slyly, “as long as our Marquis’ residence doesn’t adopt any offspring from their second branch into our main lineages during inheritance disputes—their selfishness won’t implicate us or Tingfeng’s third branch.”

 

Mama Fang sighed in amazement after hearing this explanation: A single bowl of Mai Xian Geng carried so many intricate layers behind it.

 

Not only did it neutralize potential harm caused by exceeding ceremonial standards for Xiao Qi’s meal—it also used His Majesty’s authority to reprimand Xu Jianyan for overstepping boundaries.

 

“Young Master Tingfeng truly has remarkable methods,” Mama Fang remarked admiringly.

 

—

 

After Consort Yun’s recognition ceremony concluded peacefully, Qu Dubian’s life temporarily returned to normalcy—though he politely declined visits from consorts who came under pretenses of greeting Emperor Chongzhao but were clearly there for him instead.

 

Qu Dubian was pragmatic by nature; when faced with consorts harboring ulterior motives, he responded with polite smiles—but kept his distance internally.

 

After all—this wasn’t something trivial or playful in ancient times where filial piety held immense weight. Choosing a foster mother meant binding himself not only to that individual but also potentially entangling himself with her entire family lineage—it wasn’t something to take lightly at all!

 

He had asked his cheap father about this matter, even pouring him a cup of tea, and inquired who his foster mother would be.

 

Emperor Chongzhao responded like this: “Tell me which one you like, and I’ll screen them. If none are suitable, we’ll choose again. And—I don’t drink hot tea.”

 

With two fingers, he pushed the teacup away.

 

A domineering father with a domineering response—classic strongman behavior.

 

You can choose, but your father has veto power.

 

Qu Dubian could only pay more attention to which consort his father seemed to favor. He actually wanted to go to Consort Xuan’s palace, but just because he was willing didn’t mean Consort Xuan would be.

 

This kind of thing was a lifelong decision—it had to be mutual.

 

—

 

The Next Day

 

After finishing a set of tai chi, a notification sounded in his mind.

 

[15-day streak achieved. Reward unlocked.]

[Reward drawn.]

[Wuxia Novel X1 (Includes protagonist’s internal energy cultivation technique – Part 1) has been added to the host’s inventory.]

 

Qu Dubian: “?”

 

There was actually something for the mind!

 

A wuxia novel? Wasn’t that basically an e-book in his head?

 

He quickly wiped the thin layer of sweat from his forehead with the cloth Ye Banban handed him and began browsing through his mind. The wuxia novel was 150,000 words long, and the included internal energy cultivation technique, Mianshou Jue: Part 1, was about 600 words.

 

[Is this cultivation method real? Can I learn it?]

 

Simulator: [This cultivation method is suitable for the host’s physique.]

 

Qu Dubian skimmed through it briefly. After reading, a message popped up showing “1/0 books remaining” and offering an option to purchase new books. Clicking on it, he saw a variety of novels available for purchase along with the second part of the internal energy cultivation method—

 

Priced at three years of lifespan points.

 

“……”

 

Why not just rob me?!

 

Forget the internal energy technique—just looking at the variety of novels was enough to make him angry.

 

How infuriating.

 

The simulator must have noticed that he had saved up over 30 days’ worth of lifespan points without spending them and was now trying to tempt him into wasting them!

 

And it really had…

 

Hit the mark.

 

Qu Dubian protested: [Isn’t this unreasonable?! The cost in lifespan points is way too high—it’s clearly intentional!]

 

Simulator: [Any purchased book becomes the host’s property and can be freely disposed of.]

 

Oh, so he could copy the book and share it with others or even sell it. But even if he had the means to do so, no amount of money could buy even fifteen minutes of life.

 

He tried bargaining for a while, but the simulator remained utterly unyielding. When pressed further, it simply fell silent.

 

Qu Dubian grumbled: [Did you write these novels yourself? Are there any cheaper techniques available?]

 

Simulator: [In this vast world, countless stories form within books. Cheaper techniques exist, but this one is most suitable for the host. You were already very fortunate to draw Part 1 through a reward system. The bundled price for both parts is ten years of lifespan points.]

 

Qu Dubian fell silent. What could he say? He was just a little pauper right now.

 

A vast world… Perhaps his own experiences were just another story in someone else’s eyes.

 

The 600-word internal energy technique was filled with technical terms he didn’t understand. Reading it now would be pointless, so he decided to set it aside for later and focus on reading the wuxia novel at night instead.

 

He vowed to read only 10,000 words before bed each day—no more.

 

If he read more than that, he’d punish himself by eating an extra bowl of rice the next day.

 

—

 

After breakfast, while rinsing his mouth with tea leaves, Qu Dubian suddenly remembered his cheap father’s comment: “I don’t drink hot tea.” His teeth immediately started itching with annoyance again.

 

He asked: “Eunuch Bao, where does Father keep his tea?”

 

Eunuch Bao replied: “Does Your Highness want some tea?”

 

Qu Dubian said: “I want to choose for myself.”

 

Emperor Chongzhao had instructed that as long as Qu Dubian didn’t cause trouble or start fires in Zichen Palace, he could use or eat whatever he pleased. Eunuch Bao brought out all of Emperor Chongzhao’s treasured tea cakes.

 

Red tea, white tea, green tea—every variety imaginable. The fact that they were part of the Emperor’s private collection spoke volumes about their value.

 

Eunuch Bao asked: “Which one does Your Highness want?”

 

Qu Dubian waved his small hand decisively. “All of them!”

 

Eunuch Bao: ?!

 

Wen Xiaochun immediately took all the tea cakes from the wooden tray. Qu Dubian declared: “To the main kitchen! I’m going to make something delicious.”

 

Excitedly leading Ye Banban and Wen Xiaochun toward the main kitchen, Qu Dubian found that with its new steward in charge, no one dared neglect him anymore. Upon hearing that he wanted to personally instruct the cooks, they immediately allocated him a large stove.

 

Standing on a stool at the table, Qu Dubian directed them to boil water and prepare small bamboo tubes and straws. He instructed them to crush tapioca pearls into powder and mix red date paste and taro into a sweetened mash with sugar and oil until smooth.

 

It wasn’t quite like taro paste from his previous life but close enough.

 

Once the large pot of water boiled, Qu Dubian broke off a quarter of one tea cake and tossed it directly into the pot.

 

Eunuch Bao clutched his chest in anguish. His Highness’ bold actions stood in stark contrast to Emperor Chongzhao’s careful handling of tea cakes—it was almost painful to watch.

 

When the tea soup was ready, Qu Dubian added a small bucket of milk. The unique aroma of milk tea immediately filled the main kitchen.

 

He didn’t add too much sugar; once satisfied with how it looked and smelled, he scooped out a small spoonful to taste after blowing on it gently.

 

As expected from imperial tribute-grade tea cakes—the blend of tea fragrance and milk aroma exceeded all expectations! Drinking a cup of freshly brewed milk tea in winter was simply divine.

 

He quickly instructed them to strain out the tea leaves before pouring the milk tea into bamboo cups. Each cup contained different ingredients—some had taro paste or tapioca pearls mixed in; others had red date powder added for a sweet jujube flavor.

 

After filling several bamboo cups, any remaining milk tea was poured into bowls for everyone else.

 

“Everyone should try some.”

 

Qu Dubian distributed bowls of milk tea among all those serving in Zichen Palace who had accompanied him.

 

The sound of slurping echoed through the main kitchen as everyone enjoyed their warm drinks. On such a cold winter day, few could resist such a fragrant and sweet treat.

 

“This is delicious!” The main kitchen steward praised sincerely. “Such an innovative creation—how did Your Highness come up with this?”

 

Qu Dubian replied casually: “I dreamed about it.”

 

The steward eagerly asked: “Could we use some kitchen tea leaves to make more? Perhaps present this as a new dish for noble guests?”

 

“Not within three days,” Qu Dubian said.

 

“Of course, of course, Seventh Highness—it’s entirely up to you.” The steward of the main kitchen was already thrilled that this new creation could even make it onto their menu. The Seventh Prince was truly easygoing. Smiling, he asked, “Your Highness, are these bamboo cups meant to be gifted?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Qu Dubian pointed out a few flavors. “These ones are for the Empress and Consort Xuan. These are for the study hall, for my brothers, and one for Tutor Fang as well. Leave one for me, and distribute the rest among those in Zichen Palace who take care of me.”

 

“The tea leaves we strained out can still be boiled a second time. If anyone else wants some, you can make another pot.”

 

The palace attendants in the main kitchen were overjoyed—many of them hadn’t gotten a share earlier. “Thank you, Seventh Highness.”

 

Qu Dubian had arranged the distribution of the milk tea meticulously.

 

He even secretly set aside a portion for Yi Shi’er, planning to leave it in a hidden spot to see if he would take it.

 

Recently, Yi Shi’er’s proximity to him had been strange—sometimes very close, sometimes so far that he couldn’t sense him at all. It was as if he were clocking in and out of work every day.

 

Logically, this shouldn’t be the case. Since Yi Shi’er was stationed at Zichen Palace, it didn’t make sense for his cheap father to send another shadow guard to spy on him.

 

Eunuch Bao, though touched that the little prince had thought of him, couldn’t help but remind him: “Your Highness, haven’t you forgotten someone?”

 

Qu Dubian tilted his head. “Who?”

 

Eunuch Bao stomped his foot. “His Majesty! The Emperor!”

 

How could they not let His Majesty try this new creation?

 

“Oh—”

 

Qu Dubian suddenly realized and said, “But he doesn’t drink hot tea.”

 

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