Ch. 291 Fox Fur Capes
Chu Lian patted Royal Princess Duanjia's tiny little hand. "Don't worry, I'll teach you how to cook roast duck today. Once you know how, you can make it more often for your father!"
Royal Princess Duanjia felt a little better from Chu Lian's assurance.
Chatting as they walked, they quickly reached the parlour of Princess Wei's courtyard.
Princess Wei was wearing an elegant silver and red court dress. She was sitting on the warm hearth bed with a gentle expression as she watched Royal Princess Duanjia and Chu Lian enter.
The two young ladies bobbed in greeting to Princess Wei together.
Senior Servant Lan quickly stepped forward to help the young ladies up.
She smiled as she said, "The Princess has been waiting for Honoured Lady to return for some time."
Princess Wei waved Chu Lian over. "Come, come over here quick. Let me take a good look at you."
When Chu Lian moved closer, her hands were clasped by Princess Wei's.
The princess looked at Chu Lian with a motherly and loving gaze. She inspected her for a bit before exclaiming, "You've lost weight! You're much thinner than you were last winter. We'll have to get the imperial physician in to check your pulse later."
Chu Lian quickly shook her head. "Princess, there's no need for that. The doctor in our estate has already done an examination and given me a clean bill of health!"
Princess Wei put on a stern face and disagreed. "Li Yue has already spoken with me. You were injured in the north. Although you had some treatment and the doctor said that the wound has already healed, you can't guarantee that it has healed all the way. Let's have the imperial physician look at you anyway, so that this princess can rest easy."
Chu Lian's heart felt warmed by the princess's obvious affection for her. She smiled and agreed to it. "Then I'll have to trouble Princess."
Royal Princess Duanjia pouted. "Chu Liu, see, with you around, Mother forgets that I even exist."
Princess Wei glared at her daughter helplessly.
She caught sight of the dress Chu Lian was wearing today and her expression softened even more. "Ah, so the dress fits you perfectly. Duanjia has the exact same measurements!"
Senior Servant Lan was similarly happy and began to tease them. "If it isn't so! Honoured Lady looks beautiful in this dress. Honoured Lady and Royal Princess look like sisters standing together in these matching outfits."
Since both her mother and Senior Servant Lan had already said so, Royal Princess Duanjia scooted over to Chu Lian's side and compared their outfits. Even she was surprised as she exclaimed, "That's true! Chu Liu, you're as tall as me now!"
Chu Lian was also mystified by their strong resemblance to each other.
If she took a closer look, not only were their figures about the same, even their facial features seemed to be similar.
Royal Princess Duanjia became even more interested in their appearances.
She held Princess Wei's arm and swung it as she tried to plead coquettishly, "Mother, didn't you have two brocade dresses made for me recently? Why don't we change into them for you to see?"
Princess Wei's eyes lit up at the idea and she quickly nodded in approval.
Thus, Royal Princess Duanjia pulled Chu Lian away to her room to change into the new outfits.
When the two ladies finally returned to the parlour, even Senior Servant Lan was stunned still.
The young ladies were now wearing two dresses of the same style, one red and one blue. Their hair was put up in the same hairstyles and they had the exact same items all the way down to their accessories. When they held hands and stood before Princess Wei, they looked like real sisters.
The impact they gave the onlookers was even greater than before.
Chu Lian felt a little awkward. She had the strange feeling that Princess Wei's gaze was rather heavy with emotion while looking at her, as if she were not merely her daughter's friend.
Senior Servant Lan's eyes misted over with unshed tears.
Royal Princess Duanjia tugged Chu Lian into spinning around on the spot to show off their dresses before she beamed at Princess Wei and asked, "Mother, don't we look pretty?"
Princess Wei gripped the handkerchief in her hands tightly, restraining the dam of emotions about to break within her. She nodded hurriedly and said, "Yes, of course!"
Royal Princess Duanjia walked up to Princess Wei, hand in hand with Chu Lian. She turned to Chu Lian with a mischievous air and said, "See, Chu Liu, I told you that these dresses were pretty!"
She glanced over Chu Lian from head to toe before wrinkling her nose in dissatisfaction. "You're so beautiful! You're wasted on that brat He Sanlang."
When Princess Wei noticed that her daughter's mouth was running out of control again, she quickly reached out and tugged on her arm. "Duanjia! What are you saying! He Sanlang was personally named Marquis Anyuan by the Emperor!"
Royal Princess Duanjia rolled her eyes. "So what if he's a marquis now? He wasn't able to protect Chu Liu anyway! She got injured out there in the north and she suffered so much."
Princess Wei did agree on that point. She thought privately that He Changdi hadn't taken good care of Chu Lian.
The bodyguard siblings, Li Xing and Li Yue, had served Chu Lian throughout the whole journey to the north, so Princess Wei knew all the details of what had happened there.
It was at this time that Chu Lian spoke up. "Husband came to the estate today and he was invited to the study by Royal Prince."
When she heard Chu Lian's words, Royal Princess Duanjia looked like she was gloating at someone's misfortune. "Chu Liu, did you say that my second brother invited He Sanlang to the study?"
Chu Lian nodded, not quite understanding why Royal Princess Duanjia looked so excited.
"Haha! That He Sanlang deserves it! Second Brother loves to play pranks on others!"
Ah?
Lu Tai liked to play pranks?
What a strange pair of siblings! Chu Lian was at a loss for words and she started to worry a little for He Changdi.
Her lunatic husband wouldn't be so silly as to fall for someone else's prank, would he?
Once Royal Princess Duanjia finished speaking, Princess Wei shot her a glare and took Chu Lian's hand to reassure her. "Don't worry, although Tai'er is a little mischievous, he's not malicious. Marquis Anyuan will be fine."
Although that was what Princess Wei was saying, she hoped inwardly that her youngest son could teach He Sanlang a lesson and make him understand his role. Even though Chu Lian's maiden family couldn't be counted on, she still had Princess Wei to stand up for her!
The topic was glossed over just like that. Royal Princess Duanjia was all smiles as she sidled up to Chu Lian and said, "Chu Liu, didn't you say you brought something new to eat? Why haven't you taken it out yet?"
Chu Lian's lips unconsciously lifted into a smile and she instructed Xiyan and Wenlan to bring the food in.
A cloth-wrapped package and a food container were soon placed on the table.
Chu Lian opened the package personally and took out two bright red capes.
Princess Wei and Royal Princess Duanjia had discerning eyes and were able to tell that the capes Chu Lian were holding were made of top-quality red fox fur.
Royal Princess Duanjia was startled by the sight. "Chu Liu, where did you get these?"
The two capes had slightly different designs and Chu Lian gave one to each princess.
"I brought these back from the north. I was lucky enough to happen upon these fox pelts, so I had them made into capes for Your Highness and Princess Duanjia."
Red fox pelts were even more rare than white fox pelts in the Great Wu Dynasty.
The two capes that Chu Lian had brought were sleek and practically perfect, making them almost priceless.
Royal Princess Duanjia immediately draped it over her shoulders and twirled around to show it off. "Mother, look! Isn't this pretty!"
Princess Wei glared at her before 'scolding' Chu Lian. "These furs are too valuable! I'll accept them this time, but you're not allowed to spend so much on gifts in the future."
Chu Lian froze up a little and her face took on a tinge of embarrassment. "Your Highness, I actually didn't spend that much..."
The way she spoke piqued their curiosity.
"How much is not that much?" Royal Princess Duanjia asked to satisfy the itch in her heart.
Chu Lian displayed one slender finger in response.
Royal Princess Duanjia guessed, "A ten-thousand tael note?"
The corners of Chu Lian's mouth twitched and she coughed before shaking her head.
Ten thousand taels? She hadn't even had five thousand taels up in the north...
Royal Princess Duanjia covered her mouth in shock. "Don't tell me it was a hundred thousand taels!"
"Not at all," Chu Lian replied awkwardly.
Princess Wei was also watching curiously. Finally, she sent a glare to her daughter first before stating, "It can't be a hundred thousand taels, even our estate doesn't have that much. I'm afraid Jinyi must mean a thousand taels."
"What! A thousand taels?! Isn't that a steal? Chu Liu, your luck is ridiculously good! A thousand taels for these two fox pelts of such great quality... What a huge bargain!"
Royal Princess Duanjia bit her handkerchief in jealousy, wondering why she didn't have that sort of luck too. Whenever she played the gambling card game Madiao with her mother, she would lose terribly.
A chuckle escaped from Chu Lian, which she quickly turned into a cough. "Your Highness, it's not a thousand taels, but a hundred catties of brown rice..."
These red fox furs had been traded for grain and food by a barbarian in the simple market she had opened in the north. One of the workers there had reported the furs to Manager Qin, who had then sent them over to her.
When Chu Lian finished speaking, Royal Princess Duanjia wailed and threw herself at Chu Lian.
"Chu Liu, what kind of crazy luck do you have?! Let me have some of it! Aren't you breaking the laws of heaven with your luck?"
Princess Wei didn't know how to reply to her daughter's silly exclamation.
Chu Lian hadn't even mentioned the new northern trade market to Princess Wei, but the two red fox fur capes alone were enough to make them all jealous.
It was clear how profitable the market was.
Guilin Restaurant's income was now a paltry sum compared to the sky-high profits that the northern market was bringing in.
No matter how cheap the two red fox fur capes had been, Princess Wei and Royal Princess Duanjia were still touched by the gifts.
This wasn't due to the value, but due purely to the sentiment behind the gifts.
Chu Lian opened up the box of food and took out an exquisite porcelain plate. "These are some hawthorn balls I made yesterday. Your Highness, Princess, please try them."
Royal Princess Duanjia loved eating Chu Lian's novel treats the most. She immediately picked up one of the balls and stuffed it into her mouth.
The sweet, yet mellow sugared ball melted in her mouth. When she bit into it, there was a burst of sourness that complemented the sweetness. There weren't any cores or seeds inside, so she could swallow it down right after chewing.
Sweet, sour, delicious, and easy to eat. Royal Princess Duanjia wanted to eat another one immediately after finishing the first.
Princess Wei took one to taste as well, and praised Chu Lian.
"What a marvelous taste this little candied fruit has. It's sour and sweet at the same time and very appetising. But this doesn't seem to taste like hawthorns?"
Chu Lian hadn't expected Princess Wei to be able to tell the difference.
She nodded and said, "Your Highness is right. Although I call this dessert 'hawthorn balls', they're not actually made from hawthorns."
It wasn't good for pregnant women to eat too much hawthorn, so Chu Lian had kept that in mind while making this confection. She had swapped out the hawthorns for a special fruit she had found in the north called 'gooseberries', which looked and tasted very similar to hawthorns. However, their medicinal uses were entirely different from hawthorns.
After they finished their desserts, the imperial physician that Princess Wei had called for arrived.
She had sent for an imperial physician skilled in treating external wounds. Once Doctor Min had taken Chu Lian's pulse and declared her to be completely healthy, Princess Wei was finally able to relax and set aside her worries.
The moment Doctor Min left, Royal Princess Duanjia pulled Chu Lian off to cook roast duck.
Princess Wei had no choice but to let them go, sending one last glare at Royal Princess Duanjia.
Ch. 292 Four Beauties
While Chu Lian was worrying over He Sanlang, the man in question was currently seated opposite the young Prince Lu Tai with a cool expression. There were already three pieces of men's accessories laid out on the table to his side.
Lu Tai stared at the Go board with agitation. He was already regretting the move he had just made. Wasn't he leaping right into He Changdi's trap? Why didn't he notice it earlier?!
However, he couldn't withdraw the move due to his pride.
While Lu Tai was getting frustrated with himself, He Changdi's long fingers reached into the bowl beside him and picked up a Go stone made of black jade. With a clack, he set it down on the board and sealed the fate of the white stones.
He Changdi glanced at the rigid young prince. When he noticed that the young prince didn't have any more accessories left on him to bet, he generously said, "Thank you for going easy on me, Prince. Let's forget about this round."
This young royal prince of Prince Wei's estate was also a famed and talented person. Although he was a legitimate son, he wasn't the heir apparent. The estate would be succeeded by his elder brother in the future. However, he had already been bestowed a separate princehood by the Emperor, showing that he was more favoured by the Emperor than his elder brother in the imperial court.
Unfortunately, Prince Lu Tai had the strange habit of bullying those who played Go with him.
Although he had a rather mischievous personality, he respected those who were skillful at Go.
A game of Go was the best way to befriend him.
He Sanlang had never thought of befriending Lu Tai, but since Lu Tai had come knocking, he wouldn't let this opportunity go.
Lu Tai stared deeply at the pieces lined up on the board with incredibly bright eyes. He would never have thought that this newly promoted Marquis Anyuan was so skillful at Go.
It had been a long time since he had suffered such a crushing defeat.
"Brother He, let's start another round!" While speaking, Lu Tai was already placing the black and white stones back into their respective bowls.
His friendly actions were a complete opposite to his haughty teasing a while ago.
His way of addressing He Changdi had also changed from the distant Marquis Anyuan to the more affectionate Brother He...
He Changdi was stunned for a moment, and the edges of his mouth twitched.
Actually, He Changdi hadn't attained outstanding skills in Go from training hard.
The fact of the matter was that Lu Tai was a terrible Go player, while He Changdi was only a tiny bit above average in Go.
When Lu Tai played Go with others, they didn't dare to win due to Lu Tai's status, so they racked their brains trying to give way to him. He Sanlang had won four consecutive rounds, but he had only used an average level of skill.
It was the young prince's own fault for taking a fancy to the green jade ring on He Changdi's thumb and demanding it as a bet.
He had gone through great pains to receive a present from his dearest wife and it was a precious treasure to him. How could he possibly lose it to someone else? Thus, he had gone all out when playing.
He Sanlang stood up and bowed towards the young prince. "Prince, I have to go to the Left Military Guards to settle some urgent matters, but I can visit again another time to play Go with you."
Since He Changdi had spoken so politely, Lu Tai couldn't possibly decline.
In a spontaneous decision that was completely out of character for him, he decided to follow He Changdi to the Left Military Guards.
There were many steps to preparing roast duck. As it was only two hours to midday, they would only be able to eat roast duck at dinner.
Chu Lian and Princess Duanjia changed into more lightweight casual dresses. They each brought a handmaid along to Princess Wei's kitchen to start cooking. There were also two skillful lady chefs assisting them.
There were many different styles of roast duck. Chu Lian had travelled to many cities back in the modern world, trying all the local styles of roast duck that she could to sample their special flavours.
Her favourites were the Nanjing Duck and Peking Duck.
As she hailed from Nanjing, what she first learned was of course the Nanjing style.
The origins of the Nanjing Duck could be traced back to the era of the Ming Dynasty's first emperor, the Hongwu Emperor. The most common ways of cooking it were by grill or with a stone oven.
Chu Lian was more practiced at cooking roast duck with a stone oven, so she was going to teach Princess Duanjia this method.
There were many steps they had to prepare before roasting the duck in a charcoal oven. While the steps were pretty complicated, with two chefs aiding them, things were a lot easier for Chu Lian and Princess Duanjia.
The usually haughty Princess Duanjia was now learning conscientiously. She pressed her lips together and tried her best to memorise every single step.
She also asked Chu Lian from time to time if she was doing it right.
When Princess Duanjia asked about the oil coating step for the third time, Chu Lian looked at her with a puzzled expression. "The recipe for roast duck is quite complicated and I only managed to memorise it after doing it many times. Since it's your first time, it's normal to forget the steps or make some mistakes. You just need to practise it a few more times, Princess. If you're worried that you can't remember the recipe, I can write it down later when we're finished."
Princess Duanjia's features froze in shock for a moment before blooming into a beautiful, genuine smile. She grabbed Chu Lian's arm and shook it from side to side, saying, "Chu Liu, are you serious? You're really giving me the recipe?"
Chu Lian didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. Since she was already teaching her exactly how to roast the duck, the recipe was simply trivial in comparison!
"Of course. There are so many steps, how could you remember it all in one try, Princess?"
Princess Duanjia hugged Chu Lian's arm, her eyes turning a little misty. "Chu Liu, you're the best!"
Although Princess Duanjia had been born into a sheltered life, as the only daughter of Prince Wei, her life was actually extremely lonely due to Prince Wei's high status.
The other noble ladies in the capital only befriended her because of her status and none of them actually wanted to be true friends.
Chu Lian was the first friend that she had ever opened her heart to.
The lady in question pursed her lips and smiled, shining like a bright jewel. "Princess, you've only realised how good I am now?"
Princess Duanjia glared at her and raised a little clenched fist. She threatened, "Chu Liu, you're really stupid. You have no idea what giving away this roast duck recipe means! You're just lucky that it's me you're dealing with. If you gave it to someone else, you'd definitely regret it."
Still feeling uneasy, Princess Duanjia added, "Chu Liu, listen to me. Don't give away your secret recipes to others so casually."
Chu Lian found it funny, but she could only agree and nod.
These recipes might be precious and priceless in the eyes of others, but to her, their only value was to cook up a delicious meal.
If she wanted more recipes, she had plenty in her mind.
After seeing Chu Lian's nod, Princess Duanjia finally relaxed a little. Princess Duanjia gave a weird sigh and said, "This princess is now a little worried for Marquis Anyuan. Since he married such a silly wife, he'll have to watch you closely in the future."
The side of Chu Lian's lips twitched. "I thought you didn't like my husband, Princess?"
Princess Duanjia burst into giggles. "That was in the past! That was when I thought he was a useless person! I didn't expect him to become a marquis from a single trip to the northern border... Although you're already a fifth-ranked noble wife, the title of Marchioness Anyuan is way more valuable than Honoured Lady Jinyi."
"Your viewpoint switches really quickly, Princess!" Chu Lian teased.
Princess Duanjia was feeling a little guilty inside. The reason she was flattering He Changdi now wasn't just because of his accomplishments; most of it had to do with his elder brother He Erlang...
The perceptive Chu Lian noticed the odd expression on Princess Duanjia and asked, "What's wrong? Is the smoke in the kitchen making you unwell?"
Princess Duanjia quickly waved her hand to deny that notion.
It was already past lunch time when they finished the basic preparations for the duck. All that was left was to hang it in the oven above charcoal-fuelled flames and to turn it several times. Once it was out of the oven, they just had to brush it with a specially made oil. These could all be done by the two lady chefs, so Chu Lian didn't need to continue supervising them anymore.
The guards of the front courtyard informed them that He Changdi had gone to the Left Military Guards, so Chu Lian had her lunch in Princess Wei's courtyard.
When it was evening time, the roast ducks were taken out of the oven.
Chu Lian personally brushed a layer of fragrant oil on the duck. By doing this, she could make the duck's skin shinier and counteract the overly intense smoky flavour, making the duck's taste stand out instead.
The whole kitchen was enveloped in the alluring aroma of duck fresh out of the oven.
It was getting dark, so Chu Lian wanted to return home, but she was kept there by Princess Wei.
"Jinyi, let's have dinner together. My husband will be back in a while. You've been here so many times, but you've never gotten to meet him!"
Princess Duanjia also chimed in. "Chu Liu, aren't you hungry? We haven't even enjoyed the roast ducks we spent most of the day cooking!"
Chu Lian couldn't put a downer on Princess Duanjia's enthusiasm, so she decided to return after having dinner in Prince Wei's Estate instead.
Who could have known that, when night fell, Prince Wei would return with a few familiar-looking young men?
The Great Wu Dynasty was more open-minded. When there were senior family members present, young men and women could speak freely with each other. More progressive families even allowed men and women to sit at the same table, but it was still a rare sight in the noble circles.
A maidservant came from outside to announce that the prince had returned.
Princess Wei led Princess Duanjia and Chu Lian over to the parlour to await his arrival.
They waited for less than ten minutes before they could hear the sounds of servants greeting the prince.
Chu Lian and the others seated in the parlour suddenly frowned in uncoordinated unison.
When the curtains of the parlour were pulled to the side by two maidservants, a middle-aged man walked in with a majestic air. He was tall, and despite the marks left on his face by the vestiges of time, he still possessed an amazing presence.
When Prince Wei saw Princess Wei, it was as if a strong breeze lifted a veil on his face and his stern expression instantly turned gentle.
There were four young men who entered following Prince Wei.
The most well-built figure amongst them belonged to He Changjue, He Sanlang's second brother.
He was wearing his Dragon Guard uniform, which was a white martial arts robe with black embroidery, his sword hung at his waist. His chiseled jaw, wide shoulders, slim waist, and tanned skin gave off a manly aura. Despite his burly looks, he had a very cheerful vibe unlike the two men right behind him, who were about to form a blizzard from their iciness.
He Changdi cut a striking figure in all black. His handsome face was kept stiff and cool, while his eyes were like deep pits of darkness. When he stood next to Xiao Bojian, it almost seemed like there was a repelling field between the two of them.
He was taller than Xiao Bojian and had a more chilly countenance. He Changdi gave off the feeling of a beautiful flower on a tall cliff, refined but unattainable...
Xiao Bojian was dressed in a purple robe and a large cloak in a complementary darker shade of purple. He had a slim figure which made him look like a typical court official. However, his features seemed to be crafted by the gods themselves. He was so beautiful to the point that people could forget to breathe while looking at him. With the slightly sullen expression in his eyes, it gave others the urge to coddle him more.
The last man entering was the young Royal Prince Lu Tai, in his royal blue robe and white jade crown. As he hadn't come of age yet, only half of his hair was bunned up, while the other half hung freely. The baby fat that he had yet to shed gave him the handsome charm of youth.
Lu Tai's mouth was slightly upturned. His eyes were narrowed so that it was impossible to tell if he was smiling. On such a cold day, he was still holding a sandalwood fan and swaying it slightly, seemingly unafraid of catching a cold.
The looks of the four men were all impressive in their own ways and practically embodied the different tastes of all the noble ladies in the capital. However, if they judged them according to the aesthetic sense of the Great Wu Dynasty, the winner would definitely be Xiao Bojian.