Chapter 39 (Sugar Cookies)

The next morning.

Yan Qiushu woke up early, even earlier than Zhou Zhaoheng, who had been eagerly anticipating this moment all night.

For the past five years, he had lived with his parents, a family of three, day in and day out. Suddenly, on New Year’s Eve, his father had an accident, and his mother caused quite a scene, alarming everyone outside. After that, the three of them were taken away.

The palace was in chaos at that time. Everyone gathered around his father, while his mother knelt and wept in front of the emperor. He stood in the corner, feeling completely out of place.

During this chaotic time, Xiao Huaiting took him under his wing and brought him back home after the New Year’s Eve dinner.

Though this brought some comfort to his troubled heart, he struggled to sleep during the two days away from his parents. He wanted to return, but could only ask Nan Qi to go back and check on them. After all, his arrival at the Xiao family had already disrupted their lives significantly.

When he was turned down, he didn’t dare to press further.

In these five years of confinement, he had become quite different from other princes.

This was also why Yan Qiushu didn’t initially treat him like a prince.

After they finished packing, Xiao Huaiting sent word: “Miss Yan, the carriage is ready. It’s cold, so hurry up.”

“Okay.” Yan Qiushu took Zhou Zhaoheng’s hand and made her way to the outer courtyard.

The young man, now dressed in a dark official uniform, appeared much more mature. He nodded when he saw them approach and opened the carriage door. He reminded them, “The carriage can’t go directly to your destination; you’ll need to walk from there. There are many rules in the palace. If anything happens, just stay behind me.”

“I understand. General Xiao, don’t worry. My luck shouldn’t be that bad,” Yan Qiushu replied with a smile.

The young man raised an eyebrow and casually said, “Actually, I’m quite unlucky. Otherwise, how could I have met this general?”

Yan Qiushu immediately recalled the original owner’s misfortunes with bandits, feeling a bit upset. That was the original owner’s fate, not hers! However, it was hard to explain, and not wanting to seem outdone, she blurted, “At least it’s good I met the general.”

Her clear voice lacked the coldness and distance of his second sister-in-law; it was like the sound of jade beads clinking together. He felt an inexplicable shiver, and then the boy’s hand trembled, causing the door curtain to fall again.

Zhou Zhaoheng, who was about to enter the carriage, got his face covered by the curtain, stumbling slightly.

Yan Qiushu quickly supported him. “Be careful.”

Xiao Huaiting coughed lightly, hurried over to lift the curtain again, and said in a more reserved tone, “Go ahead.”

Yan Qiushu realized her comment had been slightly inappropriate. Her cheeks warmed, and she quickly followed Zhou Zhaoheng inside, saying nothing more.

The curtain was drawn, the carriage door closed, and it began to sway as it moved.

Prince Chang had previously been the crown prince and lived in the East Palace. Now that he had been crowned king, he could reside outside the palace. However, since he had just been crowned on New Year’s Eve, there was no suitable residence for him outside. Due to his poor health, he was still staying in the prince’s residence.

Initially, five years ago, the other princes should have been crowned kings and given fiefs. However, during a crucial moment, the crown prince had a fierce disagreement with the old emperor. Overnight, the crown prince was deposed, and the decrees to promote the other princes to kings were also halted.

The fifth and sixth princes, both unmarried, still resided in the prince’s residence.

Now, there was one more King Chang.

So Yan Qiushu had to enter the palace this time. Although there were many procedures for entering, they faced none of them, thanks to Xiao Huaiting leading the way. They went empty-handed and passed through very smoothly.

The carriage stopped at the second palace gate, and the three of them walked toward the prince’s residence.

At the door stood a woman with simple makeup, anxiously awaiting something. She looked somewhat worn out, her eyes bloodshot. She stared at the door until she spotted the little boy coming around the corner, her eyes welling up with tears.

Zhou Zhaoheng was the same; tears flowed freely down his face, faster than when he faced Xiao Huaiting the night before. He rushed at her like a young swallow, knocking her back two steps as he clung to her. “Mom! I missed you so much!”

The woman stroked his head, tears in her eyes, yet she smiled bravely. “Well, mother missed you too. Ah Heng, don’t worry; mother is fine, and your father is too.”

Zhou Zhaoheng sobbed, “Mom, you’re lying!”

The woman didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, her heart melting. She looked up and noticed Xiao Huaiting and Yan Qiushu approaching. Quickly, she wiped away her tears and tried to regain her composure.

“Greetings, Princess,” Xiao Huaiting said as he bowed with Yan Qiushu.

Princess Chang nodded, smiling, and looked at Yan Qiushu. “General Xiao, this is…”

Before Xiao Huaiting could respond, the child in her arms eagerly piped up, “This is Sister Shu! Mom, it’s Sister Shu from Dongdong’s family who cooks really well! Mom loves her cooking! I asked Sister Shu to teach me how to make sugar cakes, and I’ll make them for Dad and Mom later.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Miss Yan,” Princess Chang said, realizing who she was and glancing at her son, who couldn’t stop talking. She apologized, saying, “Ah Heng must be acting silly. I’m sorry to trouble you for coming here.”

Yan Qiushu quickly shook her head. “Princess, you’re too polite…”

After exchanging pleasantries, Princess Chang guided them inside. 

The prince’s residence is quite expansive, with each prince having his own courtyard. Although they live in close proximity, each has everything they need.

As they walked, they spotted a little princess insisting on being lifted by her nurse. A boy around fifteen or sixteen was scolding her, clearly frustrated: “Zhou Lingyan, if you keep causing trouble, I won’t bring you here again next time.” 

The little princess instantly became subdued. She pouted and sulked, kicking the wet nurse in annoyance.

The young man glanced over and quickly bowed to greet them. After exchanging pleasantries, he and the princess continued on their way.

They were the fifth prince and the fifteenth princess, siblings from the same mother.

The fifth prince’s mother is Concubine Lu, who currently wields significant power in the harem and has been favored by the old emperor for seventeen years. Since her entry into the palace, no other grown princes have emerged, except for the sixth prince, who was born at the same time as the fifth prince.

Following the deposition of the Crown Prince, the Fifth Prince has become a strong candidate for the Crown Prince title. However, due to his youth and lack of real authority, he is often overshadowed by the Third Prince. It is said that he slightly lags behind the Sixth Prince in literary talent and military strategy, placing him in a difficult position.

As they approached, Yan Qiushu caught a strong whiff of medicinal herbs.

They then arrived at King Chang’s residence, and further inside was the inner chamber.

Since Prince Chang was unfamiliar to Yan Qiushu, her status did not allow her to enter, so she waited outside. Zhou Zhaoheng and Xiao Huaiting went inside, while Princess Chang remained outside to converse with Yan Qiushu.

Princess Chang was originally slated to become the Crown Princess. She was exceptionally talented and gracious in her discourse. Although Yan Qiushu wasn’t well-acquainted with her, their conversation flowed easily, and they enjoyed each other’s company.

About fifteen minutes later, Zhou Zhaoheng emerged with red eyes.

Princess Chang’s expression softened as she beckoned her son to come closer.

Zhou Zhaoheng remained still, forcing his swollen eyes to open and said, “Mom, I don’t want to cause trouble at home, so I want to make medicine for Dad and cook something. I hope he feels better soon.”

Princess Chang nodded immediately, “Alright, shall I accompany you?”

“Yes.” Zhou Zhaoheng nodded, looking at Yan Qiushu.

Yan Qiushu stood up: “Let’s go.”