Chapter 498: Chapter 270: Need to Give the Xiongnu a Display of Strength
At noon, after class, Zhao Yao went to Kunde Hall for lunch.
When Yu Meiren saw Zhao Yao arrive, she hurriedly helped him take off his raincoat, then immediately reached out to feel his face and then his hands.
"Why are your face and hands so cold? Did you catch a chill?" she asked, then instructed the palace maid beside her to quickly bring a bowl of ginger soup from the kitchen.
"Second Consort Mother, I’m not cold, no need for ginger soup."
Pan Cairen said from the side, "It’s raining so heavily outside and the wind is so strong, it’s better to drink a bowl of ginger soup to warm up, so you don’t catch a cold."
Zhao Yao wanted to resist further, but the palace maid had already brought the ginger soup. He had no choice but to drink it down; otherwise, Lady Liang would forcefully make him drink it.
Seeing Zhao Yao drink the ginger soup, Yu Meiren still felt uneasy and instructed Tong Xi to keep an eye on Zhao Yao. If Zhao Yao felt uncomfortable, the Imperial Physician must be called immediately.
Tong Xi quickly said she understood.
"Second Consort Mother, my body isn’t that fragile; I won’t get sick from a bit of wind or rain." Zhao Yao was frustrated that Yu Meiren and the others viewed him as fragile as porcelain, "I haven’t gotten sick in the past few years." He had maintained drinking sheep’s milk and exercising, becoming stronger and falling ill less frequently.
"Still, you mustn’t be careless." Ever since the Fifth Princess married, Yu Meiren has been watching Zhao Yao as if he were her very eyes.
Lady Liang looked at Zhao Yao and said, "Your Second Consort Mother is worried about you; you should listen to her."
Zhao Yao obediently nodded, "Alright, I’ll listen to my Second Consort Mother, I’ll definitely take care of myself."
"That’s how it should be." As Yu Meiren spoke, she personally served Zhao Yao a bowl of soup, "Come, have a bowl of soup to warm your stomach first."
Pan Cairen said, "Yao Yao, this is the soup your Second Consort Mother personally made for you early this morning, you should drink several bowls."
"Then I’ll surely drink several bowls." Zhao Yao said this, although he felt quite helpless inside. Ever since his Fifth Sister left the palace after marrying, his Second Consort Mother became increasingly attentive, often making various nourishing soups for him. Drinking soup every day, no matter how delicious it is, he was tired of it. Now the smell of soup made his stomach churn.
He really wanted to ask his Second Consort Mother to stop making soup for him, but every time he saw her looking at him expectantly, he couldn’t bring himself to say it. If he said he didn’t want to drink the soup anymore, she would probably feel very disappointed, maybe even saddened.
Upon hearing Zhao Yao say this, a look of relief spread across Yu Meiren’s face, "Drinking more soup is good for your health." Yu Meiren learned to make several nourishing soups for the Fifth Princess’s sake. Unfortunately, since the Fifth Princess was unwilling to enter the palace, only Zhao Yao could drink them.
"Second Consort Mother is right." Ever since his Fifth Sister married, his Second Consort Mother seemed to lose her spirit. Although she focused all her attention on him, she hadn’t really recovered from Fifth Sister’s departure. "Second Consort Mother, you should drink some too."
Yu Meiren chuckled lightly, "Alright, alright, I’ll drink some too."
During the meal, Yu Meiren kept serving Zhao Yao dishes, urging him to eat more.
After the meal, Yu Meiren made Zhao Yao a set of clothes and a pair of shoes and socks. Zhao Yao accepted them without hesitation.
Seeing that Yu Meiren had spent the whole morning stewing soup for Zhao Yao, Lady Liang advised her to go back and rest for a bit. Yu Meiren was indeed a little tired; she took Lady Liang’s advice and went back to her room for a nap. Before leaving, she told Zhao Yao she would make his favorite snacks in the afternoon to send to his room.
Zhao Yao didn’t hold back and directly named the snacks he wanted, saying he’d like to eat steamed sugar rice cheese, new chestnut cake with osmanthus sugar, and water caltrop cake...
Yu Meiren laughed heartily and said she would make them all for him.
Zhao Yao also mentioned that his sachet was old and he wanted a new one. Yu Meiren promised to make one for him right away, a very nice one.
After Yu Meiren left, Zhao Yao sighed softly, "Mother Consort, Second Consort Mother can’t continue like this." He couldn’t keep creating things for his Second Consort Mother to do. "Mother Consort, you should find other things for Second Consort Mother to do."
"What can I have her do?" Lady Liang looked out at the light rain outside and said, "Once it stops raining, maybe she could be taken to plant vegetables or flowers." It’s been raining continuously, and the garden’s vegetable patch hasn’t been tilled.
"Mother Consort, why not summon Fifth Sister back to the palace?"
"Little Five is pregnant, it’s inconvenient for her to travel; if something happens to her during frequent trips to the palace, it would be bad." The Fifth Princess was now five months pregnant, making travel indeed inconvenient. "Besides, your Second Consort Mother wouldn’t agree to having your Fifth Sister come to the palace at this time."
Lady Liang thought of the resentful look in the Fifth Princess’s eyes before leaving the palace to get married, and she couldn’t help but let out a heavy sigh, "Sigh, your Fifth Sister resents us; she doesn’t want to see us in the palace."