Ch 107: Guide to Feeding a Villainous Husband

More than half an hour quickly passed, and after Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque had their brief rest, they got up. Soon after, the attendants woke the young crown prince as well.

When the crown prince opened his eyes, the unfamiliar furnishings around him left him momentarily confused until he remembered that he was at Yu Jiuque’s residence.

Seeing that the crown prince was awake, the eunuchs quickly presented him with a refreshing tea to help him fully wake up.

Not long after, Yu Jiuque entered the room.

“How did Your Highness sleep?” Yu Jiuque asked as he took the crown prince’s outer robe and personally helped him put it on.

The crown prince, meanwhile, was savoring the lingering taste of the tea, which was sweet and unlike what he was used to in the palace.

“That was sugarcane and reed root water. Since I cannot drink tea due to my pregnancy, my husband prepared tea bags with different dried fruits depending on the season. We always have them on hand. The tea you just had included pear,” Yu Jiuque explained.

The crown prince couldn’t help but marvel, “Even the water in your home tastes better than in the palace.”

Yu Jiuque smiled gently.

“It’s nothing compared to the palace, but since Your Highness hasn’t had it before, I’m glad you find it refreshing. If you like, I can send some of the tea to the Eastern Palace.”

The crown prince nodded happily, and then suddenly remembered that he had wanted to reward Qin Xia earlier.

At the restaurant, he had been so focused on asking about the food that he had forgotten to do so.

Qin Xia was summoned and received a jade pendant from the crown prince, who untied it from his waist.

The pendant, made of flawless white jade, was carved into the shape of a small gourd. It had no special connection to the royal family, making it an appropriate gift.

After giving the jade pendant, the crown prince thought about how his father would usually give a few words of encouragement when bestowing rewards, so he quickly thought of something to say and, with his hands behind his back, said to Qin Xia, “I hope you continue to stay true to yourself and make delicious food. Also, take good care of my Grand Attendant. If I ever find out you haven’t treated him well, I’ll hold you accountable.”

Qin Xia smiled and replied, “I understand, Your Highness. I will obey.”

Yu Jiuque cleared his throat softly.

“Your Highness needn’t worry. My husband treats me very well.”

The crown prince, with a mature air beyond his years, patted Yu Jiuque’s hand.

“I know.”

Though he didn’t fully understand love, he could see the way Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque looked at each other—something he rarely saw in the palace.

Not even his father looked at his mother with such intensity.

It made sense, though. His father had three palaces and six courts, while Boss Qin had only Grand Attendant Yu.

In that regard, Qin Xia had already surpassed many men in the world.

The adults in the room had no idea what the crown prince was thinking as they helped him dress and prepared for the next part of the day.

“Gagagaga! Gagagaga!”

A loud goose call echoed from outside the courtyard. Qin Xia immediately knew it was Da Fu looking for its master.

The crown prince, confused, looked around.

“What is that sound?” he asked, bewildered.

He almost thought he was still at the countryside estate in the suburbs of the capital.

Qin Xia responded, “Your Highness, this is our family pet, a white goose named Da Fu.”

The crown prince, with his childlike curiosity, said he wanted to see the goose, while also wondering, “Why do you keep a white goose as a pet?”

Yu Jiuque didn’t know how to explain it fully and simply summarized, “It was by chance.”

Da Fu was then brought into the courtyard of Heguang Pavilion. Today, it wore a collar made of turquoise-green braided rope, its feathers smooth and pure white.

Having grown up in the deep palace, the crown prince had seen pets like the Pekingese dogs, spotted cats, and even talking parrots that were kept in the harem, but he had never seen a goose before.

Da Fu, sensing the presence of a child and recognizing no threat, didn’t show any aggression. Instead, it picked up a fallen leaf from the ground, as if wanting to offer it to the crown prince.

The crown prince was thoroughly amused, petting Da Fu’s back repeatedly.

“Da Fu, you’re so well-behaved.”

The bond between the child and the goose formed quickly. Even when the guards came to report that the sedan chair was ready, the crown prince was reluctant to leave.

He patted his body, found a small, exquisitely crafted goldfish from his pouch, and presented it to Da Fu as a reward.

Yu Jiuque thanked the crown prince on Da Fu’s behalf, saying they would replace the bell on Da Fu’s neck with the small goldfish as a charm.

“Da Fu, next time I’ll ask Father to let me out of the palace again so I can visit you!”

Da Fu nuzzled against the crown prince’s palm and escorted him all the way to the gates of Heguang Pavilion.

As the crown prince walked toward the exit, he asked tentatively, “Uncle, do you think I could keep a goose in the Eastern Palace?”

But no sooner had he asked than he dismissed the thought himself.

“No, I can’t. I am the crown prince, and I can’t indulge in frivolities.”

His father had taught him that, though a ruler might command all under heaven, he must not show his preferences too obviously. Even if the ruler was clear-headed, it could lead to sycophants exploiting that knowledge to their own advantage, harming the innocent in the process.

By the time he reached the sedan chair, the crown prince had already come to terms with the idea.

However, in his sleeve, he still held onto the small leaf that Da Fu had given him.

Qin Xia accompanied them for the afternoon outing.

The reason for this was that the crown prince had overheard Yu Jiuque instructing the disguised guards to be extra vigilant on the streets in the afternoon, ensuring the prince’s safety in secret.

The southern part of the city was bustling with people, making it easy for accidents or collisions to occur.

When the crown prince heard this, he glanced at Yu Jiuque’s rounded belly and began to worry. If all the guards were busy protecting him, what would happen to his Uncle?

So, he spoke up, ordering Qin Xia to accompany them as well.

“I’m entrusting Uncle to you,” he declared, pulling their hands together.

Qin Xia found the crown prince incredibly thoughtful and sweet. If they had more time, he would have loved to cook more dishes for the young prince just to see him smile.

Since another person had joined, an extra sedan chair was prepared, but Qin Xia shared the ride with Yu Jiuque.

Knowing that Yu Jiuque hadn’t eaten enough at lunch, Qin Xia discreetly opened his pouch and fed him snacks during the ride, keeping the Grand Attendant’s mouth busy the entire journey.

There were three charity clinics in Shengjing—one in the northern city, one in the southern city, and one in the outer city.

They brought the crown prince to the southern charity clinic, which had once housed Gao Han, Gao Yang’s daughter.

The matron, an elderly woman, recognized Qin Xia and knew that he and his husband had donated silver, rice, and cloth to the city’s charity clinics. Seeing them arrive with their family, she quickly came out to greet them, bowing respectfully.

Qin Xia explained that they were simply there to visit the children of the charity clinic.

“You and your family are so kind. Please, follow me,” the elderly woman said as she led the way to the back courtyard.

The southern charity clinic was the largest of the three. From the outside, it didn’t seem like much, but upon entering the courtyard, they discovered that it housed dozens of children, most of them girls and ge’er children.

Many of these children weren’t in perfect health, and the clinic’s monthly expenses for medicine alone were substantial.

“Are there really so many orphans in the capital?” The crown prince was surprised. He had assumed that, at least under the emperor’s rule, every child would be cared for and every elder looked after.

The elderly woman sighed, “There are unfortunate souls everywhere, Your Highness, and Shengjing is no exception. But many of these children aren’t originally from the capital. Some people from smaller towns sneak into the city and leave their children at the doors of the charity clinics.”

Everyone knew that the charity clinics in Shengjing were the wealthiest, and children taken in here would be well-fed, clothed, and even have access to doctors.

Of course, some of these children weren’t true orphans—some likely still had both parents, but because they weren’t boys, they were abandoned.

The elderly woman didn’t mention this last point, as she didn’t think it appropriate to explain such a harsh reality to a child.

To care for these dozens of children, the clinic had employed quite a few helpers.

As Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque looked around, they suddenly recognized a familiar face among the women helping in the clinic.

“Isn’t that Gao Yang’s wife?” Qin Xia remarked.

One of the women was none other than Gao Yang’s wife, who had recently arrived in Shengjing from Qinan County.

She had originally intended to bring her son along, but her in-laws refused, fearing she would take their beloved grandson and never return. Over the years, the rift between her and her in-laws had deepened due to her and her husband’s determination to search for Gao Han. In a moment of resolve, she left her son in Qinan under the care of her in-laws and traveled to the capital alone to reunite with her daughter.

After all, her in-laws adored their grandson, so she believed her son would be well cared for.

Upon arriving in the capital, she learned that Gao Han had no desire to return to Qinan, so she sent a letter home and decided to stay in the capital for a while to live with her husband and daughter.

During this time, while her husband and daughter worked at Heguang Pavilion during the day, she volunteered at the charity clinic, saying she wanted to do more good deeds to accumulate blessings for her children.

She stepped out from among the children and greeted Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque. Yu Jiuque then took the opportunity to tell the crown prince the story of the Gao family.

The crown prince had never heard of human traffickers before—those who abducted children from ordinary families and sold them far away.

“Doesn’t the government do anything? Why didn’t you report it to the authorities?” he asked, his tone more filled with genuine curiosity than naïveté.

Gao Yang’s wife lowered her eyes in sorrow. “Young master, not every problem can be solved by reporting it to the authorities. These traffickers move constantly, and even the officials struggle to catch them. Besides, the buyers pay silver for these children, so they naturally keep quiet. If the government were to find out, the buyers would lose both the child and their money.”

Hearing this, the crown prince began to understand why his father had sent Yu Jiuque to bring him to the charity clinic.

The world was vast, and there were many hardships he had never imagined.

These people were his father’s subjects, and one day, they would be his as well.

After saying farewell to Madam Gao and the children running about, the elderly woman led them to the kitchen.

Her intention was to show Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque that the rice, grain, and other donations they had made were being put to good use.

When they entered, a few workers were making grey grass cakes.

The charity clinic not only had to care for the children within but also provided porridge and food outside for the poor at regular intervals.

Since grey grass powder had become a popular food item recently, the clinic had received several sacks of it and had quickly put it to use.

Seeing how intently the crown prince was watching, Qin Xia whispered to Yu Jiuque, and after a brief discussion, he stepped forward and asked, “Would young master like to give it a try?”

The title “young master,” or Ah lang, was an affectionate term used by elders for juniors in the Dayong culture, something they had agreed upon before leaving the palace.

The crown prince’s face lit up, eager to try his hand.

Qin Xia had someone bring a small bowl of grey grass powder and rough flour and began to teach him step by step.

The crown prince took the task seriously, kneading the dough with a level of concentration as if he were attending a lecture by a great scholar in the Eastern Palace.

Soon, even the attendants joined in. What was originally meant to take until evening was finished early thanks to the extra help.

The first batch of grey grass cakes was soon ready. Qin Xia took a piece that the crown prince had made himself and offered it to him to taste.

The crown prince puffed his cheeks, blew on the hot cake, and took a bite…

The texture was coarse, and even swallowing it felt like it was scratching his throat. He quickly realized that this food wasn’t particularly enjoyable.

One of the workers, unaware of who they were, saw the little boy frowning as he ate and jokingly said, “Looks like the young master hasn’t eaten such rough food before. You can’t savor it too much—just swallow it whole to fill your stomach.”

The crown prince, still puzzled, asked, “I see that there is fine rice and good grain here. Why not cook those for the poor?”

The workers exchanged glances at his question.

“One look at him, and it’s clear he’s a wealthy young master who’s never had a rough day in his life. What he said leaves us unsure how to respond!”

Qin Xia understood the deeper meaning behind the crown prince’s question. After thinking for a moment, he carefully chose his words to explain.

“Young master, you may not know, but these porridge meals are prepared for those who are truly homeless, those who don’t know where their next meal is coming from. If the food were too delicious, it would attract those who can afford to eat but still want to take advantage.”

These coarse grains and grey grass might not taste good, but they were enough to fill the belly and give people the strength to work.

As soon as Qin Xia finished speaking, the workers at the charity clinic started chiming in with their own stories. It was clear they had seen their fair share of freeloaders.

The crown prince had heard many stories during this outing. Although the food was hard to swallow, he didn’t waste it. He finished the small cake he had made himself, even though it made his throat itch and he couldn’t help but cough a few times.

Standing a few steps away, Qin Xia softly said to Yu Jiuque, “That emperor truly has his heart in the right place.”

In the original novel, the emperor died before ascending the throne, leaving the crown prince to lose both his parents at a young age. Once he became emperor, Yu Jiuque was an overwhelming figure in his life, which made the young emperor develop a strange and obsessive nature later on. Now, though, with a kind and compassionate father as an example, things were different.

For a country, it’s harder to govern than to conquer.

Qin Xia could see that the current emperor was determined to raise the crown prince to be a wise ruler. But was it too early?

Looking at the little boy before him, Qin Xia couldn’t help but feel that his small figure was bearing a heavy weight.

After leaving the charity clinic, they still needed to visit the southern market to explore the shops and investigate the prices—part of the crown prince’s tasks for this trip.

To experience the market fully, none of them rode in sedan chairs; instead, they strolled through the streets, guarded discreetly by their attendants.

Qin Xia steadied Yu Jiuque as they walked, while Yu Jiuque held the crown prince’s hand. To passersby, they appeared to be a family of three.

Yu Jiuque handed the crown prince a small pouch of coins, containing loose copper coins and some small pieces of silver worth one or two qian.

“Your father said you could buy anything you like to take home.”

The crown prince nearly jumped for joy.

Unlike other children, many of the ordinary things sold in the market were unfamiliar to this boy, who had grown up in the most privileged household in the land.

Before long, he had purchased a variety of trinkets—spinning tops, clay whistles, wooden carvings, bamboo lanterns, small fans, sandbags, shuttlecocks…

What surprised the crown prince the most was that despite buying so many things, he had only spent a handful of copper coins and a little bit of silver.

In the palace, copper coins were a rare sight indeed.

In the palace, two copper coins might seem insignificant, but outside the palace, two copper coins could buy a steamed bun.

As the crown prince focused on exploring the market, Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque kept their eyes firmly on him, never daring to look away.

Working is tough, Qin Xia silently sighed on behalf of his husband.

As they continued walking, a sudden burst of laughter rang out from a nearby food stall by the window, accompanied by words in a foreign language, the sound of bowls crashing, and the slamming of tables. Yu Jiuque furrowed his brows and signaled for them to take another route.

Once they changed paths, they spotted the source of the commotion from across the street—it was a table full of foreign merchants.

The crown prince had already moved ahead into a grain store, where he was busy asking about grain prices and purchasing different types of rice and beans.

Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque stood by the entrance, and Qin Xia discreetly pointed toward the rowdy merchants.

“Lately, there seem to be more foreigners on the streets. Heguang Pavilion has hosted a couple of groups as well, but fortunately, none were as unruly as this bunch.”

Yu Jiuque narrowed his eyes, casting a quick glance at the group before whispering to Qin Xia, “Judging by their attire, they’re from Sharong.”

Qin Xia understood immediately.

The term “Hu” people was used broadly in Dayong to refer to foreign merchants and traders, including those from the Kingdom of Qiang and Sharong, as well as other smaller nations. Qiang had been in diplomatic relations with Dayong for years; in fact, the grandmother of the current king of Qiang was a Dayong princess sent there through an alliance marriage, resulting in decades of peace between the two nations.

Sharong, however, was a newly rising power composed of previously scattered nomadic tribes. They were known for their fierce temperament and had clashed with Dayong multiple times. Although they had been defeated in battles, their wild and untamed nature persisted.

Most of the Hu people causing trouble in Dayong were from Sharong.

Yu Jiuque’s expression darkened. Although Sharong and Dayong had a truce, Sharong’s ambitions never waned, and they frequently harassed Dayong’s borders.

Recently, Sharong had sent a letter announcing that one of their princes would be visiting Dayong, and the prince should already be on his way.

The thought of this gave Yu Jiuque a headache.

He raised his hand to rub his temples when suddenly, he caught a sweet aroma.

It turned out Qin Xia had bought a few skewers of candied hawthorn from a street vendor.

“Too much worry is bad for your health,” Qin Xia said, offering a candied yam ball to Yu Jiuque’s lips. Caught off guard, Yu Jiuque bit into one, only to realize something was different.

“Does the capital now have candied yam balls too?” he asked, surprised.

Qin Xia smiled.

“Isn’t that a good thing?”

Delicious food, like people, travels with migration and exchange.

Good things are meant to be shared.