Who is spreading rumors that my filial piety towards them has changed?

She had never heard of this essential oil before. She had only heard of alchemists who could press the fragrance of flowers into a pill so that a woman's body would smell of flowers shortly after taking it, but she had never heard of anything about "extraction" or "purification".

This small bottle must have been hard-won.

Just as Chu Mingkong received the notification that his filial piety donation had been credited to his account, he heard Princess Yongzhen ask, "You only sent this essential oil to me?"

"I first presented a bottle to Madam Zhen, because when I visited during the day, Madam Zhen mentioned that Princess Yongzhen was unwell. I had intended to give her an essential oil as a gift to show my concern, but unfortunately, I couldn't. I also came to see the princess secretly, without Madam Zhen's knowledge, because I was so worried about her!"

[System reward has arrived, 30 points of filial piety!]

Good heavens! Is the princess really that fat?

Is it possible that the princess is older than me, and therefore recognized as an elder by the Filial Piety System? If so, then I have an older sister...

On the bed, a beautiful woman, though somewhat haggard, held a bottle of essential oils, her delicate brows furrowed slightly as she pondered something.

Mrs. Zhen, what a familiar name, she's Yongzhen's mother... I am Yongzhen, and she is my mother?

Why did I feel a subtle sense of transgression, like I was cheating on my wife and having an affair, when I heard Chu Mingkong say that he came to see me secretly under the cover of night? It felt like I was doing something outrageous, but I am clearly an unmarried girl, so why do I feel this way?

Or is it that I admired someone and subconsciously regarded that person as my dream partner?

The woman tried to recall and capture the memories in her mind, but all she felt was a coldness; she never found the warmth of admiration.

Perhaps... my illness has confused me, and I've even forgotten that I'm not married yet.

"You're not allowed to call me Princess anymore. Call me Yongzhen. You'll be here tonight to serve me and tell me interesting things that happen outside."

"Huh?" Chu Mingkong was taken aback.

Let alone secular royal families, even in the slightly more open cultivation world, men and women sleeping together is not something that can be done without restraint.

Moreover, the princess's choice of words is a bit off; she asked me to serve her in bed...?

Even the Empress wouldn't dare say that, or is she the type who likes to joke with a serious face?

Yongzhen added, "I want you to stay and observe the effects of the Cold Fragrance Pill. If the effects are not right, where will I find you? If you want to leave, you must leave after I fall asleep. I will have to see you again after dawn!"

"Okay, okay," Chu Mingkong agreed.

Wow, this is the first time I've encountered such enthusiasm in all the "girlfriends" I've been assigned.

It's like... I never knew that my "girlfriend" would respond to my kindness!

Unexpectedly, Madam Zhen seemed a bit off, but Yongzhen was very warm and welcoming. Her filial piety showed that this family was fine and genuinely respected me. I was just being narrow-minded.

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Jinyu, are you getting beaten up again?

This was the hardest night Chu Mingkong had ever slept; to be honest, he was exhausted.

However, it wasn't the kind of physical fatigue I experienced, but rather the mental fatigue.

In his current condition, it's impossible for an ordinary girl to lie in bed with him. The extremely cold and yin energy emanating from his wounds is unbearable even for cultivators with weaker strength.

Although he was generously invited into bed, Chu Mingkong's energy was entirely focused on suppressing the aura emanating from his wounds.

Lying in another woman's bed after so long, Chu Mingkong missed his master terribly.

miss her.

It was past midnight when Princess Yongzhen fell asleep, and Chu Mingkong finally slunk away.

"You even said you'd want me when it's light. If Madam Zhen sees me lying on your bed when it's light, won't she think I've taken liberties with you? What will become of my filial piety then?"

Chu Yinan felt it would be better to go back and rest first, and then come over after dawn to perform the proper etiquette.

At the same time, Zuo Qiuchi said he was leaving, but in the end he managed to stay and sleep at Baiyun Taoist Temple.

That blindfolded, stunningly beautiful Taoist nun knows many secrets and has glimpsed many heavenly secrets; we must find an opportunity to dig out more of them.

"Ha—" Zuo Qiuchi yawned and lay down on the bed in the side room of the Taoist temple.

Yun Nongyu lived a simple life and did not seek luxury. This bed was very hard, but Zuo Qiuchi was used to the soft couch in the Prince's Mansion and could not change it for a while.

"Hey, you brat, go get me a glass of water."

She patted the bed next to her, but found nothing.

Ugh, I'm not used to sleeping on this hard wooden bed, and I'm also not used to not having someone to bring me water in the middle of the night.

---------

The next morning, before dawn, Chu Mingkong left the Prince's mansion and headed towards the Princess's courtyard.

He left early, before the teahouse business had even started. Only a few odd jobs were waiting for customers to come in after dawn. Chu Mingkong had nowhere to go to hear his own reputation.

Helpless, I simply grabbed a quick breakfast and called it a day.

The place where he ate breakfast was completely opposite to the princess's courtyard. After eating, he had to go back and pass by his own palace. There was really no other way to avoid this trouble, since he didn't have a cook at home.

If Zuo Qiuchi were still at the manor, and she said she wanted breakfast, Chu Mingkong would have no problem making it for her himself.

When he's alone, his laziness kicks in, and he indulges in street stalls without a care in the world.

However, when passing by his own palace, he unexpectedly encountered Princess Jinyu.

The sky was already beginning to lighten, a deep blue tinged with a few starlight points, but a streak of orange-red had already ignited in the pale light on the horizon.

Chu Mingkong glanced at her entourage and didn't see Wei Qingning with her. Instead, there were several lightly dressed imperial guards.

He pretended not to see it, walked right past, and casually took out a bottle of milk from his storage ring to drink.

"Hey~!"

Princess Jinyu greeted him with a smile, and considering her public image, even her nameless "hello" sounded exceptionally polite and appropriate.

However, that smile was forced, and her gaze at Chu Mingkong seemed to be questioning: How dare you ignore this princess!

Chu Mingkong turned around and said irritably, "Although my surname is Chu, I'm not Yu Xun. Don't I have a name for you? What are you calling me?"

Princess Jinyu smiled elegantly, her eyes showing a look of doubt and confusion: "Young Master, you don't even dare to enter the main gate of your own palace when you see me. Could it be that you've done something wrong and want to avoid suspicion by going back through a side gate?"

Stop pretending to be an elegant lady, a refined young lady, or a pure princess in front of me. I've seen how unrestrained and carefree you were with Yongzhen, swaying and spreading your legs. Even if you're best friends, it doesn't have to be like this. Even male buddies rarely have any private sword fights.

Oh, wait a minute!

The secular royal families of this era might actually have a taste for this; those unfortunate members of the Cui family were a prime example.

However, perhaps because Princess Jinyu had given him a good look, and because Yongzhen, whom she "introduced," had a good personality, Chu Mingkong's impression of Princess Jinyu improved considerably, and he could even ignore her faint suspicions at this moment.

Recalling her demeanor in Yongzhen's room last night, and seeing her now so dignified and elegant, resembling the dream goddess of countless men in the capital, Chu Mingkong found the contrast inexplicably amusing.

"It's not that I'm afraid to go in, but I've just finished breakfast and was preparing to go to Yongzhen's residence to wait. I wonder who Princess Jinyu is here to see so early?"

"Have you had breakfast?" Princess Jinyu frowned, her smile fading for a moment before returning. She took a food basket from the maid behind her. "Your Highness is joking. You haven't eaten yet! I knew that, so I brought you some food so you wouldn't be hungry when you went to find Yongzhen. It would be embarrassing if you didn't. You also brought milk to help you recover. By the way, I'd like to talk to you about what Yongzhen likes so you can get to know her better."

So it turns out he woke up this morning wanting the taste of milk, so he brought a food container over to mooch some milk.

Chu Mingkong stretched his muscles and bones, extending the fingers of the hand that had slapped Jin Yu's buttocks yesterday:

"The stools and chairs in my residence are not very comfortable. What if Princess Jinyu feels uncomfortable sitting on them when she leaves?"

"It's alright~"

Princess Jinyu knew that Chu Mingkong, that little rascal, was threatening her with the slap on the butt. After replying with a feigned "It's alright," she immediately moved closer to him. Although their faces were still a little apart, her full, snowy breasts were almost pressed against Chu Mingkong's chest.

She whispered a warning, "If you dare hit your sister, I'll find someone and skin you alive!"

Chu Mingkong still led her inside, and without any hesitation, took out two bottles of milk for her to drink.

Two different flavors were served. One was buffalo milk, which was very sweet, like drinking a sweet soup. The other was pure milk, which retained some of the original milk flavor, but only a little, because unprocessed milk is really fishy and unpleasant to drink.

Some members of the royal family were specifically tasked with raising celestial dairy cows, as well as celestial birds and livestock, and celestial fruits and herbs. But these "celestial" creatures, to put it bluntly, simply possessed a touch of spiritual energy. Celestial milk was a tonic, and royal children had to drink it from a young age to nourish their bodies.

Princess Jinyu had grown up drinking cow's milk since she was a child, and the taste of it had tormented her to no end. Now, she was surprised to suddenly taste such delicious cow's milk and felt that she had really suffered in vain in the past.

There's actually a recipe circulating in the world that can make milk taste so good; those royal chefs in the palace must be completely useless.

Last night, after she returned home, she specifically asked her maid to inquire about the method of improving the milk, but the maid knew nothing about it; the cooks had never even heard of it.

Because they are used to the old saying "good medicine tastes bitter," they think it's normal for milk to taste bad since it's so nutritious.

Chu Mingkong tried two pastries. They tasted good, but they were far inferior to the enjoyment he had in his previous life. This made him miss the dim sum such as rice noodle rolls, chicken feet, beef balls, golden cakes, and custard buns.

"Mingkong, how is this milk made? What recipe was added to flavor it? There are quite a few flavors. Could it be that you've hidden some other flavors?" Princess Jinyu gently wiped the milky white marks on her lips with a handkerchief, still maintaining the air of a well-bred young lady.

Although she was somewhat disheveled at Chu Mingkong's residence yesterday, that was all—Jinyu was unaware that Chu Mingkong had seen the side of her that she had been hiding.

"The flavored kind is called milk, not cow's milk anymore. There are other flavors, though, but this thick kind, I call it 'yogurt.' You can watch me eat it~"

He bought this from Xiaoxin Shopping Mall. Buying these kinds of snacks and drinks is the least cost-effective, but he was able to buy drinks that he remembered drinking. That's impressive.

With a smug look on his face, he took out a small bowl of solid yogurt and ate it slowly with a spoon. Although his movements were slow, the spoon was big enough that Princess Jinyu hadn't even realized what was happening before he had finished eating the novelty called "yogurt".

The princess stared at him in disbelief, unable to imagine that this was the rumored "cowardly prince" who never voiced his grievances. Wasn't it said that no matter how cold Shangguan Rong was to him, Chu Mingkong was still as warm as ever to her?

Why has she become such a sleazy person now?

Chu Mingkong said, "Actually, I only planned to give you pure milk today, but since I've already taken advantage of you, I'll give you an extra one."

He was referring to the feast for the eyes he had last night. If he hadn't witnessed that scene, Chu Mingkong would have really made Jin Yu catch the milk with her mouth when she came to him for milk today.

Princess Jinyu took his words as "taking advantage" when he said "spanking," and she seemed to recall the burning, tingling pain behind her back. She wanted nothing more than to tear him apart and stomp on his foot.

She said sarcastically, "So, even if Jinyu got a little taken advantage of, it's still worth it for a bowl of milk? Young Master, you're really giving your sister too much credit!!!"

"That's true, you flatter me. You should go now, I need to go find Yongzhen. If you know anything about my past, you'll know I'm very dedicated. I go to the woman's house very early every day to wait for her. I'm already late today because of you, but I still thank Princess Jinyu for bringing breakfast."

This was the first time Jin Yu had ever received such "enthusiastic" treatment. In any prestigious family in the capital, they would have been eager to keep her as a guest, but Chu Mingkong was actually giving her the order to leave!

She didn't want to come!

Jin Yu stood up with a smile, her hidden mischievousness showing through Chu Mingkong's actions. She took off her embroidered shoes and white socks, revealing her delicate white feet, and stepped on Chu Mingkong's feet, twisting her soft forefoot back and forth.

The force of her stomping was negligible, not even as strong as Feng Ying's stomp on Chu Mingkong's face, but it was still a show of force.

Chu Mingkong also stood up, and then

--Snapped!

Princess Jinyu covered her plump, peach-shaped buttocks with a shy expression, her beautiful eyes glaring at Chu Mingkong.

He dared to hit me back, and he hit the same side of me!

Chu Mingkong, having had his fill of playing with his hands, took out a porcelain bowl of solid yogurt and placed it in the food box she had brought, as compensation for what he had just done.