Chapter 54: Posture

Early in the morning, civil and military officials streamed out from the Hall of Golden Palace. 

“Grand General, please wait!” A slightly older eunuch approached, bowing with a smile to stop Yu Yuan. “By the decree of the Emperor, Grand General is invited to the Hall of Golden Palacefor a discussion.”

Suppressing the slight surprise in his heart, Yu Yuan adjusted his cap and then proceeded with a bold stride towards the Hall of Golden Palace. After the eunuch conveyed the message, Yu Yuan entered the hall, where he found Minister Xue also present, sitting on the left with a smooth purple sandalwood cane, nodding slightly in acknowledgment.

The person grinding ink by the Emperor’s side was the elusive chief eunuch, Cui An.

“General Yu, please rise,” the Emperor commanded, gesturing for them to take their seats. He then spoke solemnly, “Both of you are important pillars in the civil and military affairs of the court, working tirelessly day and night over the years. I appreciate your efforts.”

Yu Yuan stepped aside, well aware that the Emperor’s summoning was not a simple casual conversation.

Every word from the monarch was like a sharp knife cutting into the bones with elusive meaning.

With a solemn expression, Yu Yuan respectfully replied, “I am grateful for Your Majesty’s favor. Serving the sovereign and sharing the worries is the duty of a subject.”

The Emperor shook his head, saying, “Last night, I dreamt that General Yu blamed me for burdening him too much. With responsibilities for defense in the capital and assisting the Ministry of Justice in investigations, there’s hardly any time left to care for family. Upon waking up, I felt deeply ashamed.”

Just as Yu Yuan was about to speak, the Emperor sighed heavily and continued, “General Yu is a rare talent in the history of our Great Ning Dynasty. If I overburden you and cause fatigue, I fear the people will criticize me for mistreating a meritorious general. Therefore, I have discussed with Minister Xue whether it is possible to assign the Ministry of Revenue’s secretary and the chief eunuch, Cui An, to assist General Yu and share the trivial tasks.”

Upon hearing this, Yu Yuan suddenly looked up.

How could he not understand? The Emperor intended to have generals, civil officials, and eunuchs jointly manage military affairs, nominally as a burden-sharing measure but, in reality, a delegation of power.

With a firm expression, Yu Yuan clasped his hands and said, “I appreciate Your Majesty’s concern and care, but I am afraid! Military affairs are crucial to the fate of the nation, and handling them requires caution. The Secretary and Chief Eunuch are not experienced in such matters. I hope Your Majesty will reconsider.”

“General Yu, please rest assured. Although I am a eunuch, I had a military background in my youth,” Cui An interjected, speaking slowly with narrowed, insidious eyes. “I have some understanding of military affairs.”

Yu Yuan glanced coldly at Cui An upon hearing his claim of a military background. He seemed somewhat familiar but couldn’t recall which military unit he was from. Only someone who had committed a grave mistake would be demoted from a soldier to a eunuch.

Regardless, Yu Yuan looked down on such individuals. Without saying a word, he turned to Minister Xue, not only due to their good relations but also because the old man had the ability to control the situation with just a few words.

Minister Xue, rubbing the handle of the purple sandalwood cane, remained silent.

“It seems the state affairs have been resolved. Now, we must also address the family matters of these two esteemed gentlemen,” the Emperor laughed and stood up. “I’ve heard that Minister Xue’s grandson, Xue Erlan, is as outstanding as jade, and General Yu’s daughter is both talented and beautiful. I am thinking of arranging a marriage between them. What are your thoughts on this?”

Upon hearing this, Yu Yuan already understood.

The Yu family has always adhered to their principles, and the only recent factor that could make the Emperor so wary is the existence of the Seventh Prince. The Emperor is aware of the private interactions between the Yu family and the Seventh Prince, hence using this opportunity to issue a warning and suppress them.

Above the palace, thick clouds covered the sun, casting a floating shadow.

…

The Yu family’s traditions were upright and harmonious. Although Yu Huanchen had already established his own household after marriage, he still brought his wife to the main residence for meals every day.

In the morning, Yu Lingxi looked at the empty main seat and asked, “Where is Father?”

Yu Huanchen, in the midst of changing into his regular attire, replied while fastening his wrist guards, “After the morning court, the Emperor detained Father and Minister Xue. There seems to be important matters to discuss.”

“At the same time?”

Upon hearing this, Yu Lingxi pondered.

Currently, the border was stable, and there were no disasters or conflicts. What major affairs could prompt the Emperor to summon both the civil and military officials at the same time?

They say the ruler’s mind is hard to fathom, and Yu Huanchen was also contemplating this matter. He hurriedly took a few bites of his meal, changed into his official robe, and left, not even in the mood to taste the red bean cake personally made by Su Guan that remained untouched on the table.

The disappointment in her eyes flashed by. Yu Lingxi knew that her sister-in-law had just arrived, and this was the time when she needed company the most. So, she approached and said, “The red bean cake made by my sister-in-law is so delicious. Can you teach me?”

Su Guan also smiled gently and said, “Sure.”

Red bean cake ingredients are simple, but it requires some ingenuity. After boiling the red bean filling in sugar water, it is wrapped in soft and tasty glutinous rice skin. It is then pressed into a peach blossom shape using a mold, and finally, crushed salted egg yolks are used to decorate the flower core. A delicate and exquisite peach blossom red bean cake is then made.

With osmanthus honey, Yu Lingxi tasted one. It was a bit sweet, but the fragrance was delightful. Su Guan wiped the flour off her hands with a handkerchief and gently said, “you are very interested in culinary matters, learning kitchen skills all of a sudden. Could it be because there’s someone special in your heart?”

Yu Lingxi’s heart, which had not fluttered for two lifetimes, suddenly skipped a beat.

“It’s for Mother.”

She lowered her gaze and smiled lightly, dividing the just-made peach blossom red bean cake into two portions and putting them in a food box.

“There’s another portion for myself.”

Su Guan blinked, smiled, and remained silent.

On the way from the Western Residence back to the main residence, Yu Lingxi saw Ning Yin standing on the lotus pond bridge in the Flower Garden. He was leisurely feeding koi, and his fingers, when raised, presented a white as cold jade in the sunlight.

Lately, he seemed to rarely leave the residence. Yu Lingxi knew that such tranquility was the calm before the storm. According to the time in her previous life, the time left for her and Ning Yin was not much.

Just as she was thinking, Ning Yin seemed to sense her presence and slowly turned around.

The sunlight was dazzling, and Yu Lingxi had a momentary daze. It was as if the overbearing Regent from her previous life and the current disguised bodyguard merged as one, exhibiting the same elegance and strength.

At the border between the two residences, guards were frequently passing by. In such a critical moment, Yu Lingxi didn’t want to attract too much attention to Ning Yin.

She focused her thoughts, instructing Hutao, “Take out the portion of red bean cake from above and give it to Wei Qi.”

Hutao replied, carrying the food box over. However, after a short while, she returned with the food box untouched, wearing a frown. She pouted and said, “Wei Qi said there’s something wrong with this pastry and refused to accept it.”

“Something wrong?”

Yu Lingxi furrowed her brows. She had tasted it herself, and there was nothing wrong with the taste. The problem was probably Ning Yin’s cautious thoughts.

After a moment of contemplation, Yu Lingxi understood what he was paying attention to.

“Hutao, take this red bean cake to Mother,” Yu Lingxi said, taking out Ning Yin’s portion and putting the remaining one in a food box, handing it to Hutao.

Hutao glanced at Wei Qi, finally giving a respectful bow, and obediently retreated. 

On the bridge, after throwing all the bait, Ning Yin cast a glance at Yu Lingxi, then walked towards the backyard with hands behind his back. Heh, Wei Qi’s intention wasn’t on the fish; it was clearly a ploy to lure her in.

Yu Lingxi muttered in her mind, holding Ning Yin’s portion of the red bean cake and following his footsteps through the Moon Gate into the backyard.

Summer sunlight is always bright, half leaping on treetops, half reflecting in Yu Lingxi’s eyes.

She placed the plate heavily on the table, speaking with a bit of harmless coquetry, “May I ask, what’s wrong with this pastry?”

In her past life, she had only reached the level of brewing wine, making tea, and embroidering wide robes, never personally trying her hand at making pastries. Who knew that this cat-tongued little lunatic would not appreciate it?

Ning Yin sat beside the table, wiping his hands, looking at the plate covered with orchid-patterned silk handkerchief. After a moment, he raised his eyes and said, “It lacks a bit of sugar.”

Seeing he didn’t make a move, Yu Lingxi picked up a plate of osmanthus honey from the food box, poured it all onto the red bean cake, delicately pinched it, and handed it to Ning Yin, “This time, I guarantee it’s sweet enough.”

Ning Yin didn’t reach out; he just leaned over and took a bite.

The sweetness spread along his tongue and flowed into his throat.

Ning Yin frowned, then tasted it again, “It’s a bit lacking in sugar.”

Seeing that he didn’t reach out, Yu Lingxi picked up the remaining half of the cake and placed it in the plate glazing with more honey, holding back a smile, “Is it up to His Highness’s standards this time?”

Not knowing which sentence pleased Ning Yin, his eyebrows relaxed, and he carefully tasted the overly sweet flavor. Then, half-closed his eyes, as if savoring the most delicious thing in the world, picked up the remaining cake, and continued to savor it slowly.

Ning Yin’s lip color was pale, and the deep red bean paste was pinched between his lips, incredibly elegant and attractive. For some reason, Yu Lingxi thought of that night on the attic during Qiqiao, when Ning Yin tasted the yogurt and bit her lips delicately…

Memories were like tiny bubbles, occasionally surfacing in the mind, popping and disappearing with a ripple.

Yu Lingxi patted her face to regain focus and reminded, “This pastry is too sweet and can cause bloating. It’s better to eat less.”

“For the first time, Miss personally cooking for me, such hospitality should not go unreturned.” 

While speaking, Ning Yin picked up another piece of red bean cake, “What wishes does the Miss have?”

Yu Lingxi thought for a moment and said, “I hope that both my family and His Highness can be well.”

When she decided to shelter Ning Yin, it was merely for the protection of the Yu family’s future. Now, this bargaining chip had gained the weight of another person. It’s not the kind of live-to-extremes lifestyle from the previous life. She hopes that he can live in the warmth of the human world like an ordinary person.

Perhaps her eyes were too pure and sincere at this moment, Ning Yin was somewhat surprised, then slowly smiled.

“Making requests shouldn’t be like this. Miss’s answer is too vague. It’s better to be more specific,” he said, finishing the red bean cake, and then spoke slowly, “For example, what power, what status…”

Or for example, him.

Upon hearing this, Yu Lingxi just shook her head lightly. Those empty titles were not what she truly cared about. What she truly cared about was right beside her, in this moment.

Ning Yin swallowed the last piece of pastry, seeing that there was still no trace of desire or attachment in Yu Lingxi’s eyes. He sneered discontentedly.

Yu Lingxi didn’t pay attention to the depth of his gaze. Her gaze swept over the carving knife that hadn’t been put away on the table, and curiously asked, “Have you been doing handicrafts lately?”

Ning Yin glanced at the carving knife, picked up the teacup, took a sip, and said, “Just playing around. When I’m done, I’ll show it to Miss in the future.”

His expression naturally mentioned “in the future,” as if the not-too-distant future was not separation but a long reunion.

As she was pondering, Ning Yin said again, “Since Miss is here today, why not make a reference for my jade carving?”

“A reference?” Yu Lingxi blinked, not understanding his meaning.

“Sit properly.”

Ning Yin put down the teacup, indicating for Yu Lingxi to sit on the small couch.

Yu Lingxi was pressed onto the couch. Subconsciously, she sat upright, but heard a very light sneer from above. Ning Yin held one of her arms and placed the other hand against her waist, guiding her into a side-leaning position on the couch.

The warm palm, through the thin summer clothing, pressed against her skin, causing Yu Lingxi to involuntarily tense.

“Relax.” Ning Yin’s hand patted gently on Yu Lingxi’s waist.

Yu Lingxi trembled, glared at him unwillingly. Ning Yin chuckled, smoothing her skirt. The bright and beautiful hem of the girl’s dress hung down, revealing the tip of her delicate shoe.

Ning Yin examined the fragrant softness of the beauty leaning on the couch. His gaze lingered briefly on her clean bun, and he said, “Miss seems to rarely wear hairpins.”

His recent powers of observation suddenly became more meticulous.

Yu Lingxi touched her bun, feeling tired, and said, “I haven’t found a suitable hairpin. Gold hairpins are tacky, silver ones are too light, so I find pearl flower headbands more convenient.”

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