CH 8

Chapter 8 – Entering the Palace

After nearly a month, Yuan Fu was certain that His Royal Highness must have taken a liking to one of the palace attendants in Xi Li Palace Hall.

His Royal Highness went to Xi Li Palace Hall almost every day. He would sneak into the courtyard, and peek inside from the window. Every time Yuan Fu followed along, he would be very scared and on edge.

His Royal Highness would even climb a tree in the Xi Li Palace Hall courtyard to watch the palace attendants inside the courtyard.

Aiyo! Your Royal Highness, what on earth are you doing! If the guards patrolling the palace saw this, it would not be a good thing at all! This was too shameful! Yuan Fu was going crazy.

He has been with the crown prince for a long time, but he never thought that His Royal Highness would have such a hobby. He liked gers and ones that were so young too, ah!

Yuan Fu was really curious, what kind of ger was he that he would cause His Royal Highness to be so hooked?

In the inner study that day, Xuan Yuan Han Cheng called Yuan Fu to his side and dismissed all his other servants. “I think you have also guessed, your future master is in Xi Li Palace Hall. I will assign a task to you right now. You must manage it well. How is your relationship with the Royal Snack Kitchen’s Lin momo from my imperial mother’s palace?”

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng thought about it a lot and still decided to place Jia Bao in his imperial mother’s palace. His palace was still not cleaned out yet. He wouldn’t be at ease.

The Royal Snack Kitchen* was a small kitchen in his imperial mother’s palace that specialized in making refreshments and snacks. Usually, there wasn’t much work to do, and the work was not very hard. There also weren’t many people in the Royal Snack Kitchen, so there were very little disputes.

[*T/N: It’s called 御点房 yu dian fang in Chinese, which doesn’t translate into anything coherent, so I straight up called it the Snack Kitchen, based on its function. Then I felt that it didn’t sound elegant enough, so I tacked on a Royal at the front. XD If you have a better name idea, I’m open to suggestions.]

He knew that Lin momo was part of his imperial mother’s dowry, and was in-laws with his imperial mother’s trusted aide, Zhou momo. Lin momo’s craftsmanship was exceptional, and she had some face* in front of his imperial mother.

[*T/N: face = respect / regard / good reputation]

Moreover, Lin momo had a good temper, and will not easily scold or hit the servants under her. Place his treasure there first, and then he could be a little more at ease.

“This… our relationship is not bad.” Yuan Fu considered carefully. His popularity in the palace was quite good.

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng nodded. “Have Lin momo select him to go work with her in the Royal Snack Kitchen, and look after him. His name is Lin Jia Bao. In the palace he is called An Zhu. Twelve years old. From Pei County. He has big eyes, and two small dimples on his face. Go take a trip to the small warehouse*, and get this done. If you don’t handle this well, then you don’t have to follow me anymore.”

[*T/N: This isn’t explained very well in the raws, but it seems like XYHC is telling YF to go to the small warehouse to pick up a bribe to help grease the wheels.]

“Yes. This slave* will definitely get it done.” Yuan Fu saw that His Royal Highness’s expression was serious and replied promptly.

[*T/N: 奴才 nu cai translates to “slave or flunkey.” I know it sounds horrible in English, but that’s how all the servants in the palace address themselves. I considered using the term “servant,” but that seems to lack the same nuance. Servants in the palace got a salary, but they lacked human rights and weren’t really in control of their lives. Any of the masters within the palace could kill a servant for wrongdoing with no repercussion.]

Yuan Fu received the crown prince’s order, and went to the empress’s Yong Shou Palace.

When Yuan Fu arrived at the Royal Snack Kitchen, Lin momo was making refreshments with several palace maids. Seeing Yuan Fu coming over, she set down the work in her hands and went to greet him. “Yuan Fu gong gong, what are you doing here at this time? Does His Royal Highness have some command?”

“For what reason? Last time, when His Royal Highness was here with the Queen Mother, he ate the kidney bean cakes made by your Royal Snack Kitchen, and he was extremely fond of it. Returned to the East Palace and got the chef to make it*, but His Royal Highness said that the taste is not the same. So that’s why I came here.”

[*T/N: No pronouns specified in the raws, so he could be saying that the ML ordered the chef to make it, or that he, Yuan Fu, wants the desserts to make ML happy. Either way, it’s just an excuse.]

“Then I will go make it now. Please wait a moment, Yuan Fu gong gong.” Lin momo heard that His Royal Highness liked the dessert that she made and was very happy.

“Momo, don’t rush yet. Let your subordinates do it, ba. I’m not in a hurry… hehe…” Yuan Fu quickly grabbed Lin momo.

Lin momo looked at Yuan Fu’s expression and knew that he had something to say. She ordered the maids in the kitchen to make pastries, and then she pulled Yuan Fu out of the kitchen and came to the servant residences in the back.

Lin momo took Yuan Fu into her own room. As the head momo of the Royal Snack Kitchen, Lin momo’s place of residence was a bit bigger, with a front room and a back room.

Lin momo took him into the front room and had him sit down. “What’s the matter, Yuan Fu gong gong?”

“Lin momo, we can be considered old friends. To be honest, I really do have a favor to ask you this time,” Yuan Fu said to Lin momo. “Today, new people came into the palace, and tomorrow, they will receive their assignments. I have a distant relative among them. I think Lin momo is kind and friendly, and your craftsmanship is so good. If he could work under you then that would be good.”

“Just this, ah? It’s not difficult at all.” Lin momo had thought that it was something bad. There weren’t many people working under her in the first place, and it wasn’t a problem to have one more person.