There’s actually a huge difference between northern and southern dumplings. In the South, dumplings made from wheat flour aren’t commonly eaten, so at first, Liu Wangfei didn’t think much of these dumplings.
She simply thanked Qi Yuan solemnly.
Although she had long figured out that the reason Qi Yuan had worked so hard to find her and then helped her deal with Duke Chu’s household was because Qi Yuan and Qi Wang were natural-born enemies, locked in a life-and-death rivalry—
But at her age, she no longer dwelled on people’s motives.
She only looked at the outcome.
And the outcome was: Qi Yuan had done her a great favor. Thanks to her, she had returned to the capital with dignity, returned to the palace, and was able to drag Duke Chu’s leeching household—who had fed off her and her mother’s blood—back into h*ll.
That mattered more than anything else.
When the steaming hot dumplings were brought out, they weren’t the usual white kind, but rather a large bowl of dumplings in soup, nearly amber in color and semi-translucent.
Liu Wangfei looked at Qi Yuan in surprise.
She hadn’t expected someone so young to know about this traditional snack all the way from Songcheng in Jiangxi.
Even Xiao Mo, who had been sulking moments ago, stood up the moment he smelled the aroma. His eyes widened as he rushed toward the dumplings: “Fish dumplings! Fish dumplings! I want fish dumplings! I want to eat fish dumplings!”
When you looked into Xiao Mo’s eyes, it was hard to imagine that this man—who looked so pure and childlike—was already a man in his thirties.
The Crown Prince was a few years younger than him, and he was already thirty-four.
Xiao Mo, who was thirty-eight, still behaved and perceived the world like a five- or six-year-old.
Liu Wangfei hurried to soothe him, “There aren’t any fish dumplings right now. Tomorrow, tomorrow morning, Mother will go catch some fish and make them for you. How about that?”
Xiao Mo’s favorite taro flour dumplings were stuffed with spicy marinated fish and deep-fried in oil—his beloved “fish dumplings.”
Liu Wangfei didn’t want to make things difficult for Qi Yuan.
Being able to make ordinary taro flour soup dumplings was already more than enough.
Xiao Mo was very obedient to her. Though unhappy, he still clutched his cricket cage and gave a reluctant hum of agreement.
Qi Yuan quietly accepted the food box handed over by Baizhi and asked cautiously, “Is it this kind?”
The dumplings had been pan-fried until crispy, the outer skin golden and fragrant.
Xiao Mo’s eyes lit up. He pounced, grabbing one with each hand and stuffing them into his mouth without hesitation.
The scene should have been amusing.
But no one present laughed.
Watching someone who was once destined for greatness end up like this—a fool—was hardly something to smile about.
Xiao Yunting stood by Xiao Mo’s side and offered him a cup of jasmine tea, “Slow down, slow down, Uncle. They’re all yours.”
Yes, in terms of seniority, Xiao Yunting was indeed Xiao Mo’s nephew.
The Eldest Princess let out a long, quiet breath, her chest tight with pain. “How cheap it is for that little Noble Consort Xiao Liu and her lot!”
She bit her lip, unable to help herself from quietly complaining to Liu Wangfei, “Sister-in-law, you’re just too softhearted. What are you afraid of? You still have us! We’ll definitely drag her down!”
How could they still let her prance around freely?!
Everyone turned to look at Liu Wangfei.
Liu Wangfei merely let out a quiet laugh, her gaze suddenly sharp: “Who do you think wants them dead the most?”
No one spoke for a moment.
Liu Wangfei pointed at herself and said coldly, “It’s me. The person who wants them dead the most is me! But I know very clearly that things between the emperor and me are no longer what they used to be. He keeps saying he misses me, that he wants to restore my position— but has he summoned the cabinet to discuss it?”
Qi Yuan clicked her tongue inwardly.
As she expected, someone who could survive such relentless pursuit while protecting her child couldn’t possibly be weak.
Sure enough, this was a woman who saw everything with clarity.
The Eldest Princess bit her lip and said, “Then—then Sister-in-law, you could cry in front of the emperor…”
Who couldn’t cry, after all?
Was crying a skill only Noble Consort Xiao Liu and her daughter had mastered?
Liu Wangfei suddenly let out a laugh.
She looked at the Eldest Princess with a faint smile, though the smile never reached her eyes. “When they cry, it’s like Xi Shi holding her heart in pain. If I cry now, it’s just Dong Shi imitating a frown— better for both sides to preserve a bit of dignity.”
The Eldest Princess wanted to argue, but couldn’t.
What Liu Wangfei said was brutal—but brutality was the essence of this world.
Yes, their tears looked delicate and pitiable like falling blossoms, but how could the weathered and worn Liu Wangfei compare?
With a sharp slap, the Eldest Princess put down her chopsticks in frustration: “Are we really going to let it go like this?! I’m not willing!”
Most of all, Noble Consort Xiao Liu had managed to cry her way into a lifetime of glory and wealth. Who knew what kind of revenge she would exact once she gained even more power?
After suffering through so many bitter years, the Eldest Princess no longer wanted to live each day in fear of being framed or manipulated.
Liu Wangfei calmly bit into a dumpling, then looked at Qi Yuan in mild surprise, sincerely praising her: “Miss Qi, your cooking is superb! Even in places like Huichang, Quannan, or Ningdu, I’ve rarely tasted dumplings this authentic and delicious! The dipping sauce is perfect, too—you’ve been so thoughtful!”
Xiao Yunting had already eaten three bowls. If he hadn’t seen how troubled the Eldest Princess was, he’d have gone for a fourth.
Seeing her so distressed now, he chuckled, “There’s no need for you to worry. It’s not just Noble Consort Xiao Liu who knows how to sway His Majesty—Grand-Aunt does too. You’ll see—by retreating to Baiyun Temple, she’s advanced instead. Grandfather will surely come tomorrow to beg her to return to the palace!”
Even if Emperor Yongchang didn’t want to.
The laws and rites were still there. The Empress Dowager was still present, and so were the censors. He couldn’t just do whatever he pleased.
Qi Yuan nodded slightly and looked at Liu Wangfei: “Wangfei, if you have any conditions, make sure to raise them all tomorrow at once.”
Liu Wangfei suddenly put down her chopsticks and lowered her voice: “Do you all know why I didn’t press the issue tonight with Liu Wanqiu and Baorong?”
The Eldest Princess frowned immediately. “Wasn’t it because Ah Mo injured Baorong and Noble Consort Xiao Liu begged and cried so pitifully?”
Liu Wangfei slowly shook her head. “No, it wasn’t that. It was because—at that moment, Baorong was holding a dagger in her hand.”
A dagger…
Qi Yuan instantly understood: “If you had kept pressing Noble Consort Xiao Liu, that dagger would’ve ended up in Xiao Mo’s hand, and he would’ve been made to stab Princess Baorong!”
After all these years apart, her old adversary had become even more ruthless and calculating.
How intriguing.
At that very moment, Princess Baorong was quietly turning the small sharp dagger in her hand, smoothly tucking it back into her sleeve.
What a pity.
But it didn’t matter— That dagger was meant for Qi Yuan’s heart anyway.
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