Where is the early stage of the marriage alliance?

Ling Xi left the main hall with a puzzled look on her face. Pei Lan and Wu Shuang were already waiting anxiously outside.

When they saw the Crown Prince emerge with an even colder face than usual, they became even more worried, fearing that their princess had suffered some injustice at the hands of Princess Rui.

"Princess, are you alright?"

Pei Lan was outspoken and didn't pay any attention to Prince Rui and Princess Rui, who were still sitting in the hall, or Butler Mu, who was standing to the side.

Although Wushuang did not speak, a sharp glint flashed in her eyes as she carefully examined Ling Xi's face, fearing that she might be slapped.

"Don't be afraid, I'm fine."

Ling Xi glanced at the awkward smile on Butler Mu's face and quickly pulled the two away.

......

"Princess, what exactly did the Princess and the Prince want you to do? Did the Princess make things difficult for you again?"

Perrin asked while wielding the small shovel in his hand.

The florist just delivered the dozens of orchids that Ling Xi bought today.

The maids of Yuehua Courtyard had all transformed into flower servants, moving flowerpots and shoveling soil, busy but orderly, creating quite a lively scene.

Ling Xi stood under the eaves, her fingertips gently brushing the leaves of a pot of white orchids.

"Don't worry, Princess Rui has already said that she will not make things difficult for us in the future."

It's just that I might occasionally say some unpleasant things.

"real?"

"Um."

"That's wonderful, Princess!"

Pei Lan was an easily satisfied girl. After all, ever since they came to Jinling, Ling Xi had either been locked in a dungeon or almost slapped, and the people of Jinling had spread those nasty rumors about her.

Ling Xi looked at the orchids she had chosen today under the eaves. They were all rare and excellent, but unfortunately they would probably not bloom until next spring. However, even the orchid leaves could add some life to her courtyard.

She walked over, bent down and personally supported a plant, letting the maid slowly fill in the soil and tamp it down. Her movements were skilled and gentle, showing that she was someone who spent her life with flowers.

Unfortunately, the winters in Chu were too harsh for orchid cultivation. Her brother specially ordered a greenhouse to be built for her, with thickened bricks and stones. A heater was kept burning every day during the winter to control the temperature, and the orchids in that room remained lush and green year-round.

Ling Xi paused slightly, her gaze drifting unconsciously into the distance. She wondered how her room full of orchids had fared now.

"Princess Consort...did I do something wrong?"

Seeing that she was lost in thought, Qingqing called out softly. Ling Xi then came back to her senses, smiled faintly at Qingqing, and then lowered her head to focus on the orchid in front of her.

Qingqing was a cleaning maid sent by Steward Zhou when she first entered the manor. There were three other maids sent with her. Ling Xi didn't trust them much at first, but after spending more time with them, she gradually let her guard down and found that they were honest and dutiful.

Just past dusk, in the study of Chuixing Courtyard, Xiao Ce was engrossed in his writing. Directly in front of the desk stood a maidservant, Qingqing, who had been helping Ling Xi plant orchids in Yuehua Courtyard just two hours earlier.

"Has the Crown Princess been behaving strangely lately?"

Xiao Ce's hand continued wielding the brush without pausing, and he didn't even lift his head. Everyone in the Prince Rui's mansion knew that Qingqing used to work in the Chuixing Courtyard, except for Ling Xi.

"Your Highness, the Princess Consort has recently been frequently dining at Hongyue Tower, but there is nothing else unusual about her."

Hongyue Tower? Xiao Ce finally put down his pen and looked up to ponder.

"Oh, by the way, the Crown Princess also bought dozens of orchids today and ordered us to plant them in the courtyard of Yuehua Courtyard."

Orchids? Xiao Ce couldn't help but recall the courtyard he had seen that night. It was dilapidated and empty, without a single decent flower or tree. In the dead of night, it looked even more desolate.

Now, she's suddenly remembered that she should take care of it.

"The Crown Princess also said today... that the Princess Consort will no longer make things difficult for her, so the Crown Princess was in a good mood today and even gave each of us a gold leaf as a reward."

As Qingqing spoke, she took out the gold leaf from her purse and presented it with both hands. The gold leaf, which was neither too big nor too small, shimmered in the candlelight.

Feeling good? Xiao Ce squinted, suddenly remembering that his mother had asked him to choose a concubine for him in the main hall earlier that day. She seemed more at ease than he was. Xiao Ce glanced at the gold leaf again and found it extremely irritating.

"Keep the gifts from the Crown Princess and leave."

"Yes, this servant will take her leave."

It wasn't until long after the door closed that Xiao Ce blinked, and his eyes regained their previous clarity.

The following evening, at Hongyue Tower.

"Yizhi, what brings you to Hongyuelou for dinner today? I remember you never really liked Hongyuelou before, complaining that it was too crowded and noisy."

The speaker was Qin Qi. As a member of the Imperial Guard, he was not as free as Xiao Ce and Lu Baixu on ordinary days, but he devoted almost all of his rare free time to the two of them.

"No particular reason, I just heard they had some new dishes here, so I came to try them."

Xiao Ce leaned back in his chair with a lazy air, one hand on the table, his index finger tapping lightly on the surface, making a barely audible sound.

"Yizhi, something's not right with you! You've never been one for indulging in food; even when presented with delicacies, you've always only taken a small bite. But now you've come specifically for this new tea?"

Xiao Ce remained expressionless. He had only remembered Qingqing's words yesterday when he was about to finish his shift, and on a whim, he called the two of them over as well.

"I heard that a few days ago, Hongyuelou specially invited a chef from the State of Chu, and since then, people have been flocking to the restaurant. Today, let's try it out and see what's so special about this Chu cuisine."

Lu Baixu smiled calmly, casually picked up the teacup in front of him, and took a sip.

Before long, the innkeeper personally led several servants in, and one exquisite dish after another was served. The innkeeper bowed, his face full of smiles.

"It is an honor for our humble establishment to have you gentlemen here! Today, we have prepared some of our most popular Chu dishes for you."

The first dish is ginger-roasted tender duck, marinated in aged Shaoxing wine and slowly roasted over a low flame. The second dish is braised abalone and tripe with Jiaodong abalone, incredibly delicious. This dish is truffle-roasted venison, venison from the deep mountains, roasted with truffles over a low flame until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. This bowl is braised beef shank with eight treasures, the beef shank is slow-cooked until tender, and then braised with mushrooms and dried fruit, resulting in a rich and lingering flavor. This dish is vegetarian stir-fry with orchid-like filling, tender bamboo shoots and white mushrooms are finely sliced, stir-fried in a light oil, and have a jade-like color; it was a favorite refreshing dish of noble ladies from the Chu Kingdom. Finally, this bowl of honey-soaked kumquat soup is refreshing and soothing to the throat, truly nourishing.

The table was filled with the flavors of Chu, and the aroma was irresistible. Qin Qi couldn't wait to pick up his chopsticks.

Xiao Ce merely glanced at it indifferently, his expression unchanged. To him, this table full of delicacies was no different from the meals at the Prince's residence; it was nothing more than filling his stomach.