Chapter 26: The Fifth Princess Consort

Chapter 26: The Fifth Princess Consort

An Qing pulled out all the stops to please Concubine Yi, making her so delighted that she seemed to float on air. How could she remember that her original purpose was to reprimand someone?

It wasn't until just before leaving that Concubine Yi suddenly remembered the real reason for her visit. But when she looked at An Qing's innocent face, the words stuck in her throat.

Then, she turned to Yinqi and said earnestly, "Fifth Son, take good care of your Princess Consort."

Yinqi: "..."

When did his mother become so easy to please?

But then he recalled An Qing's demeanor earlier. Alright, he admitted it wasn't that his mother was easier to please; it was that some people were just too skilled at pleasing others.

Yinqi turned to look at An Qing with a complex expression, wondering how she managed to say those things so effortlessly.

If it were him, he would never be able to utter such words.

"How about that? Impressive, right?" An Qing said proudly, raising her chin.

Without even needing his help, she had single-handedly won over the beautiful mother-in-law. Given Concubine Yi's initial aggressive demeanor, it was clear they were both in for trouble.

Yinqi looked at her quietly, hesitating before saying, "Yeah, you're quite good at flattery."

An Qing: "..."

Actually, if one can't praise, it's better not to try.

In the following days, Doctor Qi really came three times a day to check on An Qing, meticulously observing and recording everything as if she were a rare animal.

Especially later, after Doctor Qi confirmed that the tomato was non-toxic, his innate curiosity as a physician emerged.

"Fifth Princess Consort, how does the tomato taste?"

"It's pretty good, sweet and sour, with plenty of juice. The texture is excellent."

"Have you noticed any significant changes in your body recently, or do you think the fruit has any effects?"

"Hmm, effects... I've noticed my skin feels smoother lately. It might have beautifying properties."

"..."

Cui Liu rolled her eyes from the side. Could their mistress be more reliable? Just half a tomato wouldn't have any beautifying effect. One might think she ate the Queen Mother's peach.

And Doctor Qi, asking now isn't a bit late?

These two, one daring to ask, the other daring to answer.

Days passed, and An Qing finally saw the end of the long and tedious observation period. She was incredibly excited, feeling the dawn of victory approaching.

However, she couldn't help sighing occasionally. Who would have thought eating a tomato would become a palace-wide sensation?

As the saying goes, good news doesn't travel far, but bad news spreads quickly. An Qing hadn't expected Doctor Qi's frequent visits to stir up rumors, but she never imagined becoming the talk of the palace.

It was truly mortifying!

How did An Qing find out? It started when the Fourth Princess visited her early one morning. The young girl was quite reserved, gently inquiring about her health and spending most of the time chatting to keep her company.

At the time, An Qing didn't think much of it, assuming the princess had heard from Concubine Yi. But when Xiao Jiu (Yin Tang) and Little Ten (Yin'e) arrived in the afternoon, she realized something was amiss.

These two weren't as considerate as the Fourth Princess. They blurted out everything, including how the entire palace viewed the incident.

Only then did An Qing realize she had inadvertently become the first person in Great Qing to eat a tomato.

"Fifth Sister-in-Law, I really admire you. The tomato looks so bright and poisonous, yet you dared to eat it. I'm truly impressed!"

An Qing replied sarcastically, "No need to praise me, no need to praise me!"

What was there to admire? He should admire the true first person who ate a tomato.

Compared to the first tomato eater, she admired the first crab eater even more. Crabs looked much harder to eat than tomatoes.

After learning about this, An Qing felt down for only an afternoon before bouncing back.

Forget it; everyone talks behind others' backs. Once the palace had new gossip, her trivial matter would be forgotten.

If these things didn't affect An Qing much, one thing did cause her direct distress.

Ever since witnessing her eating the tomato, Yinqi seemed to develop a stress response. Every time he left her courtyard, he would sternly remind her: "Don't eat anything random."

An Qing found this frustrating. Wasn't this making her seem like an idiot? She wasn't going to put everything in her mouth!

And...

"Sir, why are you so free lately?" She curiously watched Yinqi, who had been reading books in her courtyard all morning.

Had Kangxi changed his ways? Why wasn't he working his son to the bone anymore?

Thinking about it, Yinqi had indeed been less busy recently. Sometimes he came in the morning, sometimes in the afternoon, and sometimes he stayed all day, a stark contrast to the past when he was nowhere to be found until nightfall.

This was too unusual.

Yinqi's hand holding the book paused. She had finally noticed.

"There's nothing much. I submitted a memo to His Majesty and took some time off."

An Qing raised an eyebrow, "Would His Majesty agree?"

Yinqi gave a light "Hmm."

An Qing was even more puzzled. This didn't seem like Kangxi's style at all.

She seemed to think of something and suddenly turned to look at Yinqi. "Hey, you're not using me as an excuse, are you?!"

Yinqi glanced at her and didn't deny it.

Lately, due to the auspicious peony incident, his brothers had been finding fault with him for no reason. Yinqi took advantage of An Qing's situation to take leave from his father, the Emperor, also giving him a chance to avoid the limelight for a while.

However, he looked up at An Qing, wondering if she thought he lacked ambition.

Unexpectedly, An Qing said, "That's right. Sometimes, when serving His Majesty, one needs to take a break. You can't be too earnest; it's important to balance work and rest."

Though she didn't know that Yinqi was avoiding trouble, she fully supported his decision. After all, why strive so hard when there's no desire for that position?

Yinqi was taken aback by An Qing's words and remained stunned for a moment before lowering his head, lost in thought.

Seeing his reaction, An Qing assumed he was shocked by what she said. After all, being driven by Kangxi, the demanding father, for years, it was normal for him to find her laid-back attitude hard to accept.

But just as she was thinking about how to smooth over her previous remarks, Yinqi suddenly spoke up, "You... don't hope for me to advance further?"

An Qing was startled, a clear surprise flashing in her eyes. Could he mean...

When their eyes met, she confirmed it: Yinqi meant exactly that.

Seeing her surprised expression, Yinqi realized he had startled her, and a hint of guilt passed through him.

But he believed that as husband and wife, they had a long journey ahead and some things needed to be clarified sooner rather than later.

An Qing didn't answer but asked instead, "Do you like it yourself?"

Yinqi paused, then shook his head. "I don't like it, and I'm not suited for it."

Sitting in that position required mastering the art of ruling and wielding power over ministers and nobles, even family members. He couldn't learn it and didn't want to.

Yinqi's admission that he wasn't suited for it truly stunned An Qing. She quietly looked at the young man before her, realizing that she had underestimated him. Even though she had known he wasn't as mediocre as history suggested, this moment made it clear that she still hadn't fully grasped his character.

An Qing understood what he meant by "not suited." Indeed, kind and honest people were not fit for that position.

But for a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old boy to be so clear-headed about himself, without arrogance or pretension, was extraordinary.

"So, if you don't like it, don't do it. If it doesn't suit you, don't do it. Life is short; why make things difficult for yourself? Do what you like and what suits you, follow your heart," An Qing said calmly.

Hearing this response, Yinqi wasn't surprised at all.

She always had these 'unconventional' reasons and could simplify complex matters, cutting through the fog.

"What if you don't know what you like or what suits you?" Yinqi asked.

An Qing shrugged. "Then try and find out slowly. We're still young; there's no rush. Eventually, we'll figure it out..."

Eventually, they would find it, sooner or later!

The two-week observation period finally passed safely, and An Qing bid farewell to the thrice-daily pulse checks.

*

However, just as she thought the tomato's safety had been proven and she could indulge herself, Yinqi coldly refused her.

His reason was that she only ate half a tomato that day. What if she ate more and got poisoned?

An Qing was dumbfounded. If she had known, she would have eaten a few more behind his back.

Of course, she didn't give up easily and began arguing her case. It wasn't that she loved tomatoes so much; it was just that after all this trouble, if tomatoes were still considered poisonous and off-limits, what was the point?

However, Yinqi was stubborn. No matter what An Qing said, he had a counterargument. Finally, she remembered that tomatoes were proven safe to eat in Europe by the mid-17th century. According to the timeline, it was now the late 17th century, Kangxi's thirty-sixth year!

So, An Qing suggested Yinqi consult the European missionaries in the palace since the tomatoes came from abroad. Seeing her insistence, Yinqi agreed to try.

To his surprise, he found a European missionary named Zhang Cheng who had entered the palace a few years ago. According to him, people in Europe had been eating tomatoes for decades and had proven them safe. However, he personally disliked the taste and thus never mentioned it in Qing China.

For caution, Yinqi also consulted several other missionaries, both inside and outside the palace. Some even ate several tomatoes in front of him, which convinced him.

Finally, the tomatoes' 'injustice' was cleared.

Soon, news spread throughout the palace that tomatoes were safe to eat, but due to long-standing fear, no one dared to try them easily.

But An Qing, like a wild rabbit let loose, started indulging in tomatoes, seemingly making up for all the days she couldn't eat them.

Watching her, Perilla and the others were alarmed. Was it really okay to eat so many?

But once they tasted dishes like tomato and egg stir-fry, tomato-braised beef, and ketchup with everything, they quickly surrendered.

If their mistress could eat it, why should they worry?

With the personal experiences of the servants and the repeated servings of tomato dishes from the imperial kitchen, people gradually began to try them.

An Qing was very satisfied. This was the way it should be. Otherwise, all her efforts would have left her with just a reputation for gluttony. Now, she had discovered a new edible food, a true innovation.

That made all the difference.

Days passed quickly. After settling the tomato issue, An Qing received great news—her watermelons were ripening!

One evening, after walking around the watermelon patch, she called Little Xizi over.

"Go check if Master is in the front yard. If he is, ask him to come to our courtyard for some melon!"

Little Xizi was initially confused but then realized An Qing meant the watermelons she had grown. Excited, he asked, "Mistress, your watermelons are ripe?"

An Qing, in a good mood, generously replied, "Later, you'll get to taste how sweet the melons I grew are!"

Little Xizi readily agreed and didn't forget to flatter, "That would be a great honor for this servant. Thank you, Lady An Qing, for your kindness. The melons you grow are the sweetest."

This flattery made An Qing feel very comfortable. With a generous gesture, she said she would give him two pieces later, which made Little Xizi grin from ear to ear. Whether they were tasty or not was beside the point; what mattered was the face given by the master, and two pieces meant double the honor.

Little Xizi quickly headed to the front courtyard. As soon as he entered, he bumped into Ma Xiang. "Greetings, Chief Ma. Is Master here?"

Ma Xiang pointed towards the study. "Master is in the study discussing matters. It should be almost over. Did Lady An Qing send you?"

Little Xizi nodded. "Alright, I'll wait here then."

Ma Xiang gave a light "Mm," but seeing Little Xizi's beaming face, he couldn't help but ask, "What has you so happy?"

Little Xizi chuckled, rather smugly saying, "Lady An Qing said she would give me two pieces of watermelon later."

Upon hearing this, Ma Xiang laughed and scolded, "You good-for-nothing, is that really worth being so happy about?"

It's just watermelon. Anyone else might think Lady An Qing had given something extraordinary.

Little Xizi merely smiled without further explanation. After all, the watermelon was grown by Lady An Qing herself, which made it far superior to any ordinary melon.

However, although Ma Xiang said this, he secretly admired Little Xizi's luck for serving such a generous master. In the entire brotherhood of servants, their courtyard's servants had eaten the most watermelons this summer, envied by many.

Moreover, Little Xizi knew how to reciprocate. Every time Lady An Qing shared her portion of watermelon with them, Little Xizi always brought some to Ma Xiang. Reflecting on it, Ma Xiang realized he had benefited quite a bit this summer.

"You're lucky to have caught Lady An Qing's eye. You must serve diligently in the future and never slack off," Ma Xiang reminded him, softened by the favors.

The worst thing for a servant was to become arrogant, a grave taboo.

Little Xizi wasn't foolish and understood Ma Xiang's advice. "Thank you, Chief Ma, for your reminder. This servant will remain loyal to Lady An Qing."

Ma Xiang nodded, pleased with his response.

Yinqi had just finished discussing matters with his advisors and saw Little Xizi and Ma Xiang whispering when he came out of the study. He gestured for them to come over.

"Did Lady An Qing send you?" he asked.

Little Xizi hurriedly knelt down. "Reporting to Master, Lady An Qing sent this servant to invite you to eat watermelon in our courtyard."

Yinqi immediately thought of the melons An Qing had grown.

Recently, she had been mentioning that the watermelons were nearly ripe. He had assumed it would take longer, but apparently, they were ready sooner than expected.

"Let's go and see," Yinqi said, stepping forward.

Ma Xiang initially didn't understand, but seeing his master's slightly hurried pace, he suddenly realized something.

If Lady An Qing invited Master to eat watermelon in her courtyard, it must not be an ordinary melon.

He turned to Little Xizi, who mouthed back, "Watermelon grown by Lady An Qing."

Ma Xiang suddenly understood why Master reacted that way and why Little Xizi had that expression earlier.

He kicked Little Xizi lightly, annoyed that the boy had kept it a secret. Did he think Ma Xiang would covet his piece of watermelon?

Still, Ma Xiang knew about Lady An Qing growing watermelons. Coincidentally, whenever Master visited her courtyard, Ma Xiang wasn't there to serve.

This time, he would observe closely. Perhaps if Master and Lady An Qing were in a good mood, he could get a piece too.

When Yinqi arrived, An Qing hadn't yet picked the watermelon from the field. Eating a watermelon personally picked from the field was entirely different from having someone else pick and cut it for you.

Especially for her and Yinqi, who had been eagerly anticipating the growth since the seedlings, picking it themselves was essential.

Standing at the edge of the field, Yinqi was stunned.

He hadn't visited the field in days. Last time, the watermelons were only fist-sized, but now they were much larger!

The lush green vines and large watermelons nestled among the leaves looked even bigger than those supplied by the palace, truly delightful.

Standing amidst the field, he felt the joy of a farmer during harvest.

"How do we pick them?" Yinqi squatted down, looking at a round watermelon nearby.

An Qing glanced at the watermelon and said, "Not that one; it's not ripe."

Yinqi exclaimed, "Ah," clearly puzzled. "How can you tell if it's ripe?"

An Qing lifted her chin proudly. "Of course, I told you I'd pick the sweetest one for you."

Yinqi couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, let's see how you choose."

An Qing became excited and began showing off. "I have three unique tricks for selecting watermelons: look, listen, and tap."

She squatted next to Yinqi and pointed at the watermelon near his feet. "First, look at the patterns. Ripe watermelons have deeper patterns with shorter intervals between them, and they feel slightly indented when touched. But this one has shallow patterns, indicating it's not ripe."

Yinqi observed it and asked eagerly, "And what about listening and tapping?"

An Qing explained, "Listening means listening to the sound. When you tap a ripe watermelon, it makes a clear 'thunk' sound."

She tapped the watermelon. "Listen, this sound is dull, indicating it's not ripe."

"As for tapping, when you tap the rind with your index finger, your hand should feel a slight tremor, indicating ripeness."

Yinqi listened intently, feeling like he had opened a new world. Following her methods, he found significant differences between the watermelons.

Indeed, as An Qing had said, there was much to learn from the field.

"An Qing, you're amazing," Yinqi praised sincerely.

An Qing, usually unbothered by self-praise, blushed at the genuine compliment. "No, no, it's simple. Many people know this; it's nothing special."

This was almost common knowledge in her previous life. She had learned it from the elderly at the market back then.

Yinqi thought she was being modest and strongly disagreed, "I wouldn't know how."

An Qing waved her hand, "You're different."

Yinqi asked in confusion, "How am I different?"

An Qing paused, "Your family is rich."

Someone like him, born into a family with a real imperial throne, didn't need to know such basic life skills.

Yinqi countered, "Your family isn't short of money either."

A Princess from a noble Mongolian family, a little princess of their tribe—he absolutely didn't believe she knew these things because of a lack of money.

An Qing was clearly taken aback, "But... not as rich as yours!"

After saying this, they looked at each other and suddenly burst out laughing.

How childish, what was there to compare? The fact that they were both so serious about it only made them seem even more immature.

Cui Liu, Little Xizi, and Ma Xiang, standing nearby, exchanged glances and tactfully took a step back, afraid to break the harmonious atmosphere between the two.

Cui Liu and Little Xizi were fine; they had witnessed An Qing and Yinqi working together in the fields before and were somewhat used to this kind of interaction.

But for Ma Xiang, this was his first time seeing such a scene, and he was nearly speechless.

Although his master had a gentle temperament, he had never seen him interact with anyone so casually—too relaxed, indeed.

An Qing and Yinqi picked just two watermelons but spent a full quarter of an hour doing so. After washing them, they placed the melons on the stone table in the courtyard.

Everyone gathered around in a circle, as if participating in some sacred ritual.

An Qing invited Yinqi to cut the melon, "Sir, you picked this melon, why don't you cut it?"

Yinqi didn't refuse, but when he took the knife, he realized he had never cut a watermelon before and wasn't sure how to start.

"Just cut it in half down the middle," An Qing demonstrated.

Yinqi nodded slightly, but for some reason, he felt inexplicably nervous when the blade touched the melon's skin.

He took a deep breath, applied force, and everyone held their breath, watching the knife slowly slice through the melon.

Finally, the blade reached the bottom, and the melon split in half, revealing its bright red flesh to everyone...

The vivid red flesh immediately caught everyone's eye, followed by the sweet aroma unique to watermelons. This dual assault on the senses made it easy to imagine how sweet the melon must be without even tasting it!

Yinqi stared at the melon for a moment, having never seen one like this before. The rind was much thinner than the ones they usually ate, and he barely needed to apply any pressure to cut through it.

Moreover, the flesh looked incredibly tender, and there were no white fibers!

Seeing everyone's reactions, An Qing couldn't help feeling smug, "I told you my watermelons are good, hmph, you didn't believe me."

Everyone: "..."

They believed her now.

Yinqi had only cut the first slice, and the rest of the task fell to Little Xizi, who was skilled at it. Typically, in the palace, melons were cut into small pieces and eaten with toothpicks, but An Qing insisted on having the melons cut into chunks with the rind still attached, to be held and eaten.

This time was no exception, and soon the watermelon slices were arranged on the stone table. Just looking at them made one's mouth water.

An Qing picked up a piece and offered it to Yinqi, "Sir, please taste it?"

Yinqi didn't hesitate, taking the melon and eating it. As he took the first bite, his eyes lit up.

After swallowing the first bite, An Qing eagerly asked for his opinion.

Yinqi thought for a moment and replied honestly, "The rind is thin as paper, the juice flows like a spring, and the flavor is sweet as honey. It's the best watermelon."

An Qing beamed, clearly pleased with this response.

Without delay, she picked up a piece and started eating, inviting Cui Liu and the others to join her.

Ma Xiang instinctively wanted to decline, believing that servants should only eat what was left over from their masters. However, before he could speak, Cui Liu and the others had already accepted, and Little Xizi, though a bit slower, had already grabbed a piece and brought one for Ma Xiang as well.

Ma Xiang turned to look at Yinqi, who nodded slightly, and he finally took the watermelon from Little Xizi and began eating.

An Qing and Yinqi sat on the stools by the stone table, both thoroughly enjoying their melons.

The others squatted nearby, each holding a piece of melon, savoring every bite. It was clear they cherished every moment.

The sunset cast a warm glow over the courtyard, giving everything a soft, golden hue.

They thought they would never forget this summer evening, for they had tasted the sweetest watermelon of their lives, grown by the Princess herself!

An Qing had the most satisfying watermelon of the summer, eating a quarter of one herself. If not for Mai Dong stopping her, she might have eaten half a melon.

Yinqi also ate quite a lot, even more than An Qing. Together, they finished about half a melon, and the rest was shared among the people in the courtyard, each getting a small piece.

Oh, right, Little Xizi was given an extra piece at An Qing's insistence, which drew envious looks from everyone.

However, with the watermelons gradually ripening, An Qing was not only delighted by her watermelon freedom but was also seriously considering a question—how to distribute the melons!