As soon as these words were spoken, Yanshu could hardly believe her ears.
[A unique drug???]
[Such things still exist in this era???]
The system replied, [Of course they do, it's just not as widely known as in later times. For example, the Love-Inducing Powder that the Eldest Princess is growing now - its raw materials come from the Western Regions. After drying and processing, it's made into incense. When burned, people who smell it become addicted and gradually can't live without it.]
So that's how it is.
Yanshu hurriedly asked again, [How did the Princess become addicted to this...]
Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly remembered and quickly asked, [Could it be that top courtesan from Ruyi Brothel, what's his name, Pan something?]
After all, wasn't he from Rouran? And this unique drug also comes from the Western Regions?
The system confirmed, [That's right, it's Pan Zai'an.]
Yanshu drew in a sharp breath, [Why would he drug the Eldest Princess?]
Had the nightlife scene in this era already become so chaotic???
But the system explained, [Who is the Eldest Princess? She's seen countless handsome men, and even foreign royalty have proposed marriage before. Plus, after what happened with Zhao Chengwen, the Eldest Princess has become somewhat distrustful of men. So for someone from a brothel to try to win over the Eldest Princess, he'd have to put in quite a bit of effort.]
So this person resorted to drugging her?
Yanshu pondered quietly, [To curry favor with the Eldest Princess, he even came up with such methods. It seems Ruyi Brothel isn't just a simple brothel...]
Tsk, could it be that they use this Love-Inducing Powder on all the women who visit?
The system replied, [It's not that extreme. This drug is too expensive - it costs 100 taels of silver for just one stick. They would only use it on high-value targets.]
High-value targets...
Yanshu pondered quietly again -
Even if this Pan Zai'an won the Eldest Princess's heart, as a foreigner, he probably couldn't become the Imperial Son-in-law.
And if he was just to be a male favorite, why would he need to use such an expensive drug?
So his painstaking efforts to get close to the Eldest Princess must be... to gather intelligence?
Yes, that person is most likely a spy!
And the other foreign men at Ruyi Brothel, no wonder they're all tall and muscular with great physiques - they must all be specially trained experts.
They came to the Central Plains specifically to get close to those noble ladies, just to gather intelligence.
The system confirmed, [That's right, they were originally guards of the Rouran royal family. When the Rouran royals learned that the owner of Ruyi Brothel was recruiting people from the Western Regions, they planted these men there.]
Yanshu paused.
Tsk, this is no small matter! She needed to find a way to tell the Emperor, to make him vigilant!
She glanced anxiously at Yuwen Lan, not knowing that he was already aware.
Indeed, besides hearing Yanshu's inner thoughts just now, Yuwen Lan had also received a report from the Imperial Guard this morning that the foreign men at Ruyi Brothel were all connected to the Rouran royal family.
However, he hadn't expected that Yuwen Yan would have fallen victim to their poison.
This elder sister... she really never stops causing trouble.
He glanced at Yuwen Yan, who looked both aggrieved and impatient, and said, "Elder Sister, are you feeling unwell? If so, perhaps we should call for the imperial physician."
However, Yuwen Yan was completely oblivious and merely said, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I'm fine physically, just annoyed by this girl."
As soon as she finished speaking, Lan Jun, who was eating pastries beside the Empress Dowager, started crying again.
"My golden lion... my lion..."
The little girl cried as she spoke, making it hard for others to understand. The Empress Dowager asked, "Tell Grandmother slowly, what happened?"
The little girl pouted and said, "My golden lion, Mother took it away..."
Now everyone finally understood clearly - she was saying her mother had taken her golden lion?
But Yuwen Yan immediately scolded, "It's just a broken lion, when did I ever take yours?"
Then she said to the Empress Dowager, "Mother, you see, this girl has been bothering me about this for the past two days."
Just then, Yanshu heard the system say, [This little girl had a golden lion toy that her father Zhao Chengwen gave her. After Zhao Chengwen was divorced by the Eldest Princess, she ordered all his things in the house to be thrown away. An old servant woman looking after the little girl got greedy and took the opportunity to steal the golden lion and sell it for money. Then she told the little girl that the Eldest Princess had ordered all the things from her father to be thrown away.]
Yanshu understood, [So the servant stole it, causing a misunderstanding between mother and daughter?]
What kind of situation is this? If only the Eldest Princess had a bit more patience, she could just talk it through with her daughter.
However, Yuwen Yan's mind was filled with thoughts of that foreign spy.
Feeling quite sympathetic, Yanshu spoke to the little girl, "Although I don't have a golden lion, I do have a cloth tiger."
As she spoke, she took out a small cloth tiger from her sleeve.
-- This was actually a sachet that Rendong had made for her.
Seeing that the weather was getting hotter lately, she had filled it with some herbs to repel mosquitoes and insects, carrying it with her to ward off mosquitoes. Because she was born in the Year of the Tiger, the skilled Rendong had specially made it in the shape of a tiger, which looked quite adorable.
Sure enough, hearing her say this, little Lan Jun immediately looked over, momentarily forgetting to cry.
Yanshu continued, "Though this little tiger is a bit ugly, I wonder if the County Lord likes it?"
As she spoke, she gestured for Rendong to bring it to the little girl.
Lan Jun took the little cloth tiger, looked at it for a moment, and finally began to smile, saying, "Lan Jun likes it, thank you, Niangniang."
"The County Lord is too kind."
Yanshu smiled and said to the little girl, "Such a precious thing, how could it be lost? Perhaps someone has hidden it somewhere. Why don't you ask the servants around you, see if any of the maids or old women know anything?"
As she finished speaking, the Empress Dowager also said to the Eldest Princess, "Yi'pin speaks sense. Such a small child, how could she deliberately cause trouble? You should go back and investigate Lan Jun's servants properly, see where that golden lion went."
Yuwen Yan could only say, "Your daughter obeys."
As she finished speaking, someone else arrived outside the hall, and Yuwen Yan retreated to the side.
This time it was the Marquis of Xuanping who came.
Speaking of which, the Marquis of Xuanping's lineage was still related to the family of the Empress of the founding Emperor.
They were originally from Jiangnan, and after several decades and generations of titles being passed down, their relationship with the Emperor and Empress Dowager in the palace had become more and more distant.
So the last time this family entered the palace was when the previous Emperor was still on the throne.
If it weren't for the Grand Princess mentioning them first this time, Yuwen Lan might not have remembered them at all.
Now as this family arrived in the hall, the scene was quite grand. Apart from the Marquis of Xuanping and his wife at the front, a young man and a young woman followed behind.
After they had taken their positions, the Marquis of Xuanping hurriedly led his family in a grand salute, respectfully saying, "Your subject Feng Zhiyuan and family congratulate the Empress Dowager on her longevity and wish Your Majesty good health."
The Empress Dowager smiled politely and said, "You may rise. Thank you for coming such a long way, it must have been tiring."
The Marquis of Xuanping hurriedly replied, "To be able to pay our respects before the Empress Dowager and Your Majesty is our honor. We were delighted throughout the journey and didn't feel tired at all."
The Empress Dowager nodded again and cast her gaze towards the young man and woman behind him.
The young man appeared to be in his early twenties, with features seven or eight parts similar to the Marchioness, clearly her son. The young woman was about sixteen or seventeen, her features more delicate than her brother's, and her figure surprisingly voluptuous.
The Empress Dowager couldn't help but say, "It's only been a few years, and the children have grown so much?"
The Marquis of Xuanping quickly responded, "My unworthy son Yuan Qing has just come of age this year, and my little daughter Miao Qin had her coming-of-age ceremony two years ago. She's seventeen now."
He then instructed the brother and sister, "Quickly come and pay your respects to His Majesty, the Empress Dowager, and the ladies."
The siblings immediately came forward and performed another salute, "Yuan Qing and Miao Qin pay our respects to Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager, and all the ladies."
This allowed everyone to see their appearances clearly.
Yanshu observed the two for a moment, silently pondering: the son has a square face like his father, and his features clearly take after his mother, but the daughter has an oval face, and her features don't seem to resemble either her father or mother?
Tsk tsk, how did she manage to avoid her parents' flaws and inherit all their good points?
Then she heard the system say, [Simple, this girl isn't born of the Marchioness, but of a concubine. The concubine is beautiful, so she takes after her mother.]
Yanshu raised an eyebrow, [So she's a daughter of a concubine?]
The system confirmed, [The Marquis of Xuanping's legitimate daughter was born with a lame foot and isn't very attractive. They've finally managed to come to the capital once, of course they'd bring the pretty daughter of the concubine, otherwise wouldn't it be a wasted trip?]
Hmm?
Yanshu accurately grasped the key point, [For free? Are they thinking of sending their daughter into the palace?]
The system replied, [That's right. Seeing their relationship with the imperial family in the capital growing more distant, the Marquis of Xuanping is certainly anxious. With a beautiful concubine-born daughter, he definitely wants to form a marriage alliance with the Yuwen family again.]
Yanshu asked, [But a concubine's daughter from a marquis family... I'm afraid she can't enter the palace, can she?]
The system explained, [That's why he just evaded the Empress Dowager's question, not mentioning his lame legitimate daughter at all.]
Yanshu deduced, [Keeping the lame legitimate daughter at home, bringing the beautiful concubine-born daughter to the palace, yet not speaking clearly... Does this mean they want the concubine's daughter to replace the legitimate daughter's identity to enter the palace?]
Damn, if this is discovered, it could mean execution!!!
The Marquis of Xuanping is really bold!!!
Listening silently to this point, what else was there for Yuwen Lan not to understand?
Very well, a mere Marquis of Xuanping dares to toy with imperial power.
He then said, "I remember hearing a few years ago that your daughter had difficulty walking. Now it seems there's no trace of that at all. May I ask where your family found such a miraculous doctor?"
As soon as these words were spoken, panic flashed in the Marquis of Xuanping's eyes.
After a moment's hesitation, he finally stammered, "Your Majesty is correct, my eldest daughter indeed has had difficulty walking since childhood. This... is my second daughter."
Second daughter?
Then the Empress Dowager also spoke up, "I remember, didn't your wife only give birth to one son and one daughter?"
The Marquis of Xuanping was now sweating profusely and had to honestly reply, "In response to Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, this girl... was born to my concubine."
As his words fell, the people in the hall looked at each other, immediately understanding the situation.
The Empress Dowager gave a cold laugh and said, "I thought my memory was failing me. So that's how it is."
The Marquis of Xuanping, with cold sweat already soaking his back, could only kneel and say, "I am at fault. I didn't explain clearly earlier. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."
The Empress Dowager didn't speak for a moment.
Yuwen Lan didn't even acknowledge him.
Their displeasure was already quite evident.
After a while, it was the Grand Princess, the daughter of the founding emperor's empress, who spoke to ease the tension, "The Marquis of Xuanping must have been away from court for too long and has forgotten how to speak properly? In the future, you must be more mindful."
The Marquis of Xuanping hurriedly agreed, "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare." He then led his family to kowtow repeatedly.
Seeing this, the Empress Dowager finally gave face to the Grand Princess and sighed, "Very well, you may retire and rest now."
The family, as if granted a great amnesty, hurriedly agreed, got up, and retreated from the hall.
Yanshu, who had been quietly observing the drama, thought to herself, "..."
Tsk, did this family just come to the palace to check in? They didn't even finish a cup of tea before leaving again.
But come to think of it, did the Emperor really hear from someone that his legitimate daughter was lame?
Yet judging from the Empress Dowager's reaction, she clearly didn't know about this...
Tsk, why does something feel off?
Yuwen Lan, revealing no emotion, took a sip of tea, keeping his thoughts to himself.
Next, several more groups of guests arrived, and then Madam Mu from the Marquis of Zhenhai's household came to pay respects with her children.
A few days ago when she first entered the palace, Madam Mu only brought her "adopted daughter" Ni Xiangwan. Today, for such a formal occasion, her son, the current Marquis of Zhenhai, also made an appearance.
Yanshu quickly cast a glance their way.
She saw that this Marquis of Zhenhai's features greatly resembled his mother, Madam Mu.
In contrast, the young Miss Ni showed no trace of Madam Mu's features, nor did she resemble her half-brother.
Yanshu secretly marveled—this was practically heaven helping Madam Mu. If the girl had looked like her mother or brother, wouldn't it have aroused suspicion?
Looking at it this way, that Vice Commander Zong must have been quite handsome, otherwise he couldn't have produced such a delicate daughter.
But speaking of which, when will this family finally acknowledge their true relationship?
After all, letting this young lady continue to believe she was adopted is quite cruel.
...
All these thoughts entered Yuwen Lan's ears, and he finally realized that the protagonist in her story that day was Madam Mu.
In other words, the adopted daughter that the Marquis of Zhenhai's family had always claimed to have was actually Madam Mu's own flesh and blood...
And the other protagonist in the story, the man who ran away, must be the Vice Commander Zong she mentioned?
This surname wasn't common, and it was related to the Marquis of Zhenhai's family...
Yuwen Lan thought for a moment and seemed to recall that there was a commander surnamed Zong in the coastal defense camp of Mingzhou Prefecture.
This man had had several opportunities for promotion, all of which he had politely declined, insisting on staying in Mingzhou to guard the coastal defenses.
Could it be for this lady?
...
Only then did Yuwen Lan realize that the two parties were of such identities.
However, after a brief moment of surprise, he also understood why Commander Zong would make such a choice.
—Love had already blossomed, and because of love, they had crossed the line. Whether he stayed or left, it was already a mistake...
After all, no one is perfect. This story left one with mixed feelings.
...
True friendship was indeed different. After Madam Mu led her children to pay their respects, the Empress Dowager immediately invited her to sit close by.
Lan Jun, who was playing with a cloth tiger next to the Empress Dowager, saw Ni Xiangwan and immediately cast a curious glance, calling out, "Sister..."
Ni Xiangwan quickly responded, "Greetings, Princess."
The Empress Dowager, seeing this, said, "You two can play together."
Then she said to the Eldest Princess Yuwen Yan, "Since you're tired, why not let Lan Jun stay in the palace for a couple of days? I'm also planning to have Madam Mu stay in the palace for two days. This way, Lan Jun can play more with Xiangwan."
Yuwen Yan had been hoping for this and immediately said, "Then I'll trouble Mother Empress."
The Empress Dowager nodded, then couldn't help but advise her, "As a mother, you should change your temperament in the future and set a good example for Lan Jun."
Yuwen Yan perfunctorily agreed, "Your daughter will respectfully follow Mother Empress's teachings."
Madam Mu, observing this, could only instruct her own daughter, "Keep the Princess company well, and be very careful."
Ni Xiangwan also agreed and began to play with Lan Jun.
By the time they had received all the guests who came to offer birthday wishes, it was nearly noon.
Poor Yanshu had been sitting formally with the Empress Dowager for most of the morning and was now famished.
Fortunately, today's banquet was set in the garden of the Palace of Benevolent Peace.
Speaking of which, this was a feast Yanshu had been looking forward to for a long time!
—Now that it was early summer in April, various fruits and vegetables were coming into season, and the ingredients were much more abundant than in winter and spring. It would certainly be different from the various banquets during the New Year.
As everyone took their seats, the palace servants began to serve the dishes one by one.
Watching the various aromas wafting towards her, Yanshu became even hungrier.
She couldn't help but think to herself, [I hope the Emperor's toast is brief, so we can start eating soon! I only had time to eat a small bowl of porridge this morning to allow time for grooming, I'm starving!!!]
Fortunately, she wasn't far from the Emperor, and her voice reached Yuwen Lan's ears in time.
Yuwen Lan thought to himself, "..."
Having only eaten a bowl of porridge in the morning was indeed tough on her. After all, she had the appetite to eat two more baskets of steamed buns.
So he complied with her wish and simply said, "Today, family and friends gather to celebrate Mother Empress's birthday. We wish Mother Empress longevity and prosperity, as enduring as the sun and moon."
With that, he toasted the Empress Dowager.
Everyone raised their cups and congratulated the Empress Dowager in unison, "We wish the Empress Dowager longevity and prosperity, as enduring as the sun and moon."
The Empress Dowager accepted the toast and smiled, "There's no need for formalities today, please start eating."
Everyone agreed and began to use their chopsticks.
Yanshu, as if granted a great amnesty, immediately started eating.
She had already quietly surveyed the dishes on the table countless times, and now with a clear target, she first reached for the chrysanthemum pork loin.
It's worth noting that this dish was fried and topped with a sweet and sour sauce. If left any longer, the texture wouldn't be as good.
Fortunately, there wasn't much delay. With one bite, she found the pork loin crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Coupled with the orange sauce on top, it was indeed tangy, sweet, and very appetizing.
After the pork loin, she hurriedly tasted the coriander-fried squab.
This dish relied on the heat of the wok, and wouldn't taste as good if it cooled down.
Mmm, after tasting it, she found the cooking was indeed perfect. The squab meat was soft, tender, and delicious. After being stir-fried at high heat with coriander in the wok, it had an intense aroma, making it a favorite for a coriander lover like Yanshu.
The early-season fat crabs were also very tempting. Rendong helped her mistress take one, and as soon as the crab shell was opened, they saw it was full of crab roe, almost overflowing.
Truly worthy of being specially prepared for the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet! Yanshu took a bite and felt her mouth full of umami flavor, utterly satisfied.
Of course, besides the fat crabs, there were also Yangtze River shad fish, rushed to the capital by express horse from Jiangnan.
To ensure the guests could fully enjoy the flavor, the imperial chef specially prepared half of the fish steamed and half braised, offering two tastes from one fish - a truly thoughtful touch.
These few dishes were already quite satisfying, not to mention the shark fin soup with phoenix tail, kung pao wild rabbit, braised fish lips, and crispy suckling pig - dishes that usually only appear at banquets. Each was spectacular in its own way.
What impressed Yanshu the most was the cherry custard.
It was the season when cherries were in market. Fresh cherry juice was steamed with milk to make custard, then topped with pitted cherry flesh over the chilled custard. With just a thin drizzle of honey, it was refreshingly sweet and perfect for cleansing the palate.
Looking around the banquet, some guests were earnestly offering auspicious words to the Empress Dowager, while others chatted among themselves. Only Yanshu was carefully savoring each dish, eating with great focus.
After finishing the cherry custard, the lychee sweet rice that Yanshu had been most looking forward to was served.
Lychees have a short season, as fleeting as an epiphyllum bloom. Especially since they needed to be transported from the southern Guangdong region to the capital, each fruit was worth its weight in gold.
This dish involved removing the pits from the translucent white lychee flesh and stuffing it with soaked glutinous rice and raisins. After steaming, the glutinous rice fully absorbed the lychee's sweetness, while the lychee flesh was infused with the unique fragrance of glutinous rice. It left a sweetness in one's heart that was unforgettable.
Due to its preciousness, this dish only appeared once a year at the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet, and each person could only have three pieces.
Yanshu was already delighted after eating one piece.
Just as she was about to eat the second piece, she noticed a little girl curiously watching her.
It was none other than Lan Jun, the daughter of the Eldest Princess.
Yanshu: "..."
Why did she always attract children's attention when she was eating?
To ease the awkwardness, she smiled and said, "Princess, try this lychee sweet rice. You'll surely like it."
But as soon as she said it, she realized it wasn't that the little girl didn't want to eat, but that there was no one to help her eat.
— Unlike the Empress Dowager and imperial consorts in the palace, guests couldn't bring their personal maids to serve them, so the little girl had no wet nurse or maid to look after her today.
In the past, when she occasionally entered the palace, her father would take care of her. Now that her father was gone, her mother Yuwen Yan was busy chatting and drinking with the guests on either side, how could she spare attention for her daughter?
So the little one had only eaten a few nearby pastries, not daring to touch the hot dishes.
Yanshu: "..."
Tsk, this little girl born from the Eldest Princess's womb was quite pitiful.
However, although Yanshu wanted to ask someone to help take care of her, she was afraid the Eldest Princess might make a scene about it later...
So Yanshu was a bit hesitant and didn't dare to speak up.
Fortunately, at this moment, the Emperor on the main seat noticed and immediately called for Fuhai to find a palace maid to attend to his niece. Only then did the little girl start eating.
Yanshu felt relieved and couldn't help but glance at Yuwen Lan, secretly pondering why this person always seemed to think the same as her?
Could it be... the legendary meeting of minds?
Yuwen Lan calmly took a sip of wine.
Of course.
After the lunch banquet, the Emperor specially arranged for a troupe to perform plays and acrobatics to entertain the Empress Dowager and the guests.
Yanshu continued to act as a companion by the side.
Fortunately, the short plays and acrobatic performances were very interesting, clearly having been rehearsed in advance for the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet.
Everyone was enjoying themselves, though a few people left early after bidding farewell to the Empress Dowager due to other matters.
For instance, Eldest Princess Yuwen Yan hurriedly left the palace right after lunch, citing that she wasn't feeling well.
Yanshu thought to herself, it's probably that her craving for the Love-Inducing Powder had flared up again, and she was rushing to find that foreign gigolo.
Tsk, although she didn't want to meddle in this woman's affairs, it did concern the court, so she should find a way to inform the Emperor.
But then she heard the system say, [Don't worry, as soon as Yuwen Yan left the palace, the Imperial Guard secretly followed her.]
Yanshu was startled, [??? Was this arranged by the Emperor?]
The system replied, [Who else could command the Imperial Guard?]
That made sense, but Yanshu still didn't understand, [Has the Emperor also noticed something off about Yuwen Yan?]
The system said, [Didn't he see Pan Zai'an with Yuwen Yan that night, just like you did?]
Yanshu then remembered.
Oh right, of course, the Emperor was still the Emperor after all. Seeing a foreign man by his sister's side, he definitely wouldn't remain indifferent.
With this in mind, she felt reassured.
At the same time, she had another thought—
If the Imperial Guard caught that foreign spy giving drugs to the Eldest Princess...
Wouldn't that lead to another big conflict?
Tsk, fortunately the Empress Dowager had kept Lan Jun in the palace.
And fortunately this child was still young.
If she were a bit older and knew about these outrageous things her mother was doing...
Who knows what impact it would have on her.
Thinking this, Yanshu watched the performance while waiting for news from the system.
However, as dusk approached, before any news about the Eldest Princess came, someone hurriedly entered the palace to see the Grand Princess, saying, "Your Highness, something terrible has happened. The Ankang county lord's husband just injured someone on Yang Lou Street, and now the other party wants to file a lawsuit."
Huh?
At these words, everyone around the Grand Princess paused.
Yanshu was also stunned and quickly asked the system, [What's going on? The Ankang county lord's husband beat someone up?]
The system replied, [That's right. Earlier, the Ankang county lord sneaked off to the Ruyi Brothel. Someone informed her husband, who quietly followed her and caught the gigolo who was seducing his wife red-handed. In a fit of rage, he broke the gigolo's leg.]
Yanshu: [...]
This, this, this... It's like a juicy melon being cut open and served right to her mouth.
