Chapter 83
**Chapter 83: The Princess's Daughter**
Hearing the princess's scolding, Li Yao's bowl clattered to the ground, the leftover sweetened cold cake splattering on the floor, the deep red syrup spreading out like a spilled secret.
Li Yao's small face turned pale as she stammered, "M-Mother..."
The princess, seeing Li Yao, was even more furious. "At this hour, you should be in your room learning how to make tea! How dare you disturb your brothers' studies and ruin their future!"
Feeling wronged, Li Yao lowered her head. "Mother... my brothers work so hard. Recently, there's a dessert shop in Yanjing that sells the most delicious treats... I just asked the nanny to buy three portions to bring to them..."
Her brothers were always busy and tired, and Li Yao missed them dearly, wanting to bring them a taste of sweetness. It had been ages since they had shared a meal together.
She had thought the princess would be in the Buddhist hall tonight, but unexpectedly, she had come in, startling the three children.
The princess rubbed her temples. "Someone, take Yao'er back to her room. The nanny who bought her sweets will receive ten lashes."
Tears instantly fell from Li Yao's eyes as she choked out, "Mother, please don’t punish the nanny... It’s all my fault for being greedy."
With a tone of disappointment, the princess scolded, "You are the eldest daughter of the royal household. You must master the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, wine, and tea. Otherwise, when you marry, those cunning concubines will surely steal your husband’s affection. I want you to learn for your own good."
The princess had endured hardships herself and did not want her daughter to repeat her mistakes. Liu Ruyan excelled in poetry, Liu Qiaoer was skilled at playing the guqin, and Zhang Miaoyu was a master of tea. Each of those concubines had their own talents, which had drawn the prince's favor away from her.
Girls ultimately must marry. In a world where men are often fickle, if Li Yao could excel in "music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, wine, and tea," she would earn more love from her future husband.
The princess's voice turned icy as she warned Li Yao, "If you cause trouble again, your nanny will be punished. Eating too many sweets can make you gain weight, Yao'er. You must eat less sugar and maintain a slender figure. I only want what’s best for you."
Li Yao's tears fell, her heart aching as she looked at the red sweetened cold cake on the floor.
As the servants took Li Yao away, the study fell silent once more.
After sending off her daughter, the princess turned to her two sons. "Yao'er is a girl, and girls are expected to be virtuous without talent. My expectations for her are not high. But you two are boys, carrying the weight of the royal household's future. You cannot neglect your studies!"
Chengke and Chengzhen lowered their heads, silently setting aside the sweetened cold cake and opening their books to recite.
...
The next morning, the Prince of Yan rose with a clear mind and left, while Shen Wei jogged a few laps around the courtyard as usual.
"Master, is your mouth feeling hot?" Nanny Rong brought a towel to wipe the sweat and noticed that the corners of Shen Wei's lips were chapped and possibly swollen.
Nanny Rong couldn't help but worry. Could it be that she ate something that caused this?
Shen Wei waved her hand dismissively, rubbing her cheeks. "It's not that. Just get me some ice, I need to apply it."
She needed to soothe her lips and hands.
Last night’s events replayed in her mind, and she could hardly bear to think about it. That man had an energy level that was off the charts!
She had to take care of her hands; she couldn’t afford to develop "tenosynovitis" during her pregnancy.
After breakfast, Shen Wei noticed the weather was quite nice, so she took Cai Lian and Cai Ping to the royal garden to fish.
The garden was lush and green, with a wide lotus pond where emerald leaves spread out like fans. Shen Wei leisurely leaned against the soft couch in the pavilion, her fishing rod casually set aside, while she held the account book that Nanny Rong had brought her. On the small table lay several exquisite desserts.
This account book was sent by Ye Qiushuang, detailing the expansion of the dessert shop and the many expenses involved. Shen Wei flipped through the pages while snacking on treats.
"Master, there's news from the Confucian Temple," Nanny Rong leaned in, lowering her voice. "A woman visited yesterday."
Shen Wei raised an eyebrow. "Who?"
Nanny Rong replied, "It’s said to be your sister, Shen Qiang. The old lady Shen has already settled her at the Confucian Temple."
Shen Wei fell into thought. Sister Shen Qiang?
In her memory, this sister had married a merchant in the remote southwestern region a few years ago. It was said that Shen Qiang had been mistreated in her in-laws' home and had a hard life.
She never expected her to travel all the way to Yanjing and find their mother. Shen Wei planned to visit Shen Qiang in a few days to learn more about her sister's character.
As Shen Wei focused on the account book, occasionally poking a peeled lotus seed with a toothpick to taste, she glanced up and inadvertently caught sight of a small figure by the lotus pond.
It was a little girl in a pink shirt, slender in build, with big, curious eyes peering over. She seemed to have been watching Shen Wei for a while, her fair face showing signs of conflict.
Shen Wei recognized her immediately.
This was Li Yao, the eldest daughter of the Prince of Yan, only eight years old. The little girl rarely appeared in front of outsiders, and in the months Shen Wei had been in the royal household, she had seen Li Yao only a handful of times.
"Cai Ping, invite her over," Shen Wei instructed.
Cai Ping quickly complied, bringing Li Yao to the pavilion by the lotus pond. Shen Wei set down the account book and smiled warmly. "Yao'er, where is your nanny? Why are you here alone in the garden?"
Li Yao recognized the glamorous woman before her. The concubines in the royal household were all dull and lifeless, but Shen Wei from the Liuli Pavilion was the most vibrant.
"My nanny is sick, so I sneaked out by myself," Li Yao replied, her stomach betraying her with a loud growl.
Her cheeks flushed as she quietly rubbed her belly.
After secretly bringing sweetened cold cake to her brothers last night, she had been punished by the princess today and had her lunch reduced. At her growing age, that little bit of food was hardly enough, and her stomach was now protesting.
"Can I have a bowl of cold cake?" Li Yao looked longingly at the osmanthus-flavored dessert.
Shen Wei didn’t immediately agree. If the princess's daughter ate her food and later had any health issues, Shen Wei would be the first suspect.
But the little girl’s eyes were so pitiful.
After a moment of thought, Shen Wei told Li Yao, "The cold cake on my table isn’t fresh. Please wait a moment."
Then she instructed Cai Ping, "We have plenty of ingredients left for cold cake in the Liuli Pavilion. Cai Ping, have the guards bring the remaining ingredients here and make a fresh bowl for Yao'er. Also, bring some extra bowls."
Cai Ping eagerly accepted the task.
Before long, the guards from the Liuli Pavilion brought a large bucket of cold cake. Inside was a big block of chilled cake floating in cool well water.
Shen Wei waved her silk fan, glancing up at the clear, cloudless sky. The summer sun was blazing, even the lotus flowers in the pond seemed to wilt under its heat, and the maids trimming the garden plants were sweating profusely.
Shen Wei gently fanned herself and calmly said, "Cai Ping, Cai Lian, it would be a waste to let the leftover ingredients for cold cake go to waste. Make a bowl for Yao'er, and the rest can be shared with the maids and guards in the royal household."
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