CH 54

Chapter 54 – A Sense of Loss

In the end, Lin Jia Bao went into the inner study room. The guards stationed outside the study respectfully saluted him and invited him in.

“Your Royal Highness… Lin-xiaozhu is here!” When Yuan Fu saw Lin-xiaozhu enter the study, he announced his arrival.

“My darling is here. Quick, come over here.” When Xuan Yuan Han Cheng saw Lin Jia Bao, he put down his brush and waved him over.

“Your Royal Highness, please try the dim sum I made.” Lin Jia Bao brought the food box over and opened it to take out a large plate of dim sum.

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng pulled Jia Bao onto his lap. Then he cupped Lin Jia Bao’s hands and examined them carefully. “Did you get any injuries? Are you tired?”

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“No, I’m not tired at all.” Lin Jia Bao was a bit embarrassed to be sitting on Xuan Yuan Han Cheng’s lap.

Upon seeing this, Yuan Fu left after pouring tea for the little master.

“This is yinzhen. It has a sweet aftertaste. Try it baby, and see if you like it.”

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng brought the teacup over to feed his darling. The sweet scent of the tea wafted up. Holding on to Xuan Yuan Han Cheng’s hand around the cup, Lin Jia Bao took a shallow sip of the tea.

Lin Jia Bao tasted the tea. “Sweet, it’s good.”

“It’s good as long as you like it.” Xuan Yuan Han Cheng said.

“Husband, try the dim sum I made. It won’t taste good when it’s cold.” Lin Jia Bao picked up a milk cake for Xuan Yuan Han Cheng. “The milk cake is delicious. It’s my favorite.”

Milk cake was the first dessert that Lin Jia Bao learned to make in the palace, and it was also his favorite. The rich milk taste left a lingering aftertaste on the taste buds.

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng kissed Lin Jia Bao and then complimented, “En, it’s delicious! It’s the best dim sum I’ve ever eaten. Darling is awesome!”

“Husband likes it. I will make it for Husband again in the future.” Lin Jia Bao was very happy that Xuan Yuan Han Cheng liked his craft.

The afternoon passed with Xuan Yuan Han Cheng and Lin Jia Bao feeding each other snacks.

Over the next few days, Lin Jia Bao would go to the Royal Snack Kitchen to make dim sum whenever he had free time. Within the Yong Shou Palace, the Royal Snack Kitchen was relatively safe. As long as his treasured one was happy, then Xuan Yuan Han Cheng would let him go as often as he wanted.

On this day, Lin Jia Bao finished making a snack and came out of the kitchen with a smile on his face. Today, he learned how to make a new hibiscus cake from Lin-momo, and he purposely made more than usual. He wanted to let everyone in Ping Le Courtyard have a taste of this dessert when he got back…

Thinking about this, Lin Jia Bao suddenly came to a stop, “Ah, I forgot about the other food box.”

“Little Master, look at my [poor] memory, it’s that I took one box less.” Yuan Qing said.

Lin Jia Bao turned around to go back, but Yuan Qing quickly stopped him.

“Lin-xiaozhu doesn’t need to go. Let this little one go back and get it.” Yuan Qing saw that the Imperial Garden was just in front of them. He accompanied Lin Jia Bao to a stone bench in the Imperial Garden to sit down, and put the food box on the stone table. Then he said to him: “Lin-xiaozhu, please sit here and wait for this little one. This little one runs fast. I will be back real soon.”

“En, I’ll wait here for you, go quickly.” Lin Jia Bao said.

Not long after Yuan Qing left, a little palace maid came running in from the other side. “Are you* Lin-xiaozhu?”

[*T/N: 您 nin – respectful form of you]

“I am.” Lin Jia Bao replied.

“Lin-xiaozhu, I beg you… please help our master. Please go and see our master. Our master, she, is on the verge of death.” Hong Wei knelt down before Lin Jia Bao and begged. While observing their surroundings in a flustered state, the maid pleaded tearfully to Lin Jia Bao. “I beg you…”

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Lin Jia Bao had never experienced such a thing before, and the little palace maid looked to be even younger than him. She was crying really pitifully. “Don’t cry, who is your master? What’s the matter? How about you get up first.”

“Lin-xiaozhu, I beg you, please come with me to see our master, please…” Hong Wei knelt and refused to get up. She just continued to beg him.

Lin Jia Bao didn’t know what to do with this crying girl. He could only go along with her.

Hong Wei brought him to the outside of a small courtyard. There was a small hole dug into the corner. The little palace maid got down on the ground and crawled in. “Lin-xiaozhu, please follow me.”

The hole was very small. They were only able to get through because both of their figures were small. When they entered the courtyard, the mournful sound of a guqin* could be heard.

[*T/N: 古琴 guqin – often translated as the Chinese zither]

“Lin-xiaozhu, please go it. Our master is right inside.”