No matter the time, eating was always the most important thing.
This was a habit Lin Wanyi had developed over the years.
Chunqi, knowing her young lady's love for food, began counting on her fingers. "The imperial kitchen sent some water chestnut powder today. I made it into cakes—I'll fry them later, and they'll be perfect with nectar. Also, I stewed half a pig's trotter in a small pot. I added a few ingredients, and now the soup's gone milky white. You've been exhausted these days in the palace, miss—it's good to replenish with some soup. Oh, and I made a dipping sauce today—sour and spicy. It cuts through the grease and boosts the flavor!"
Lin Wanyi's stomach growled just listening to her.
Perhaps there wasn't much else to do in the palace, so Chunqi's culinary skills had grown more refined by the day.
"If you ever opened a restaurant outside the palace, I bet you'd make a fortune," Lin Wanyi said jokingly.
But Chunqi just grinned. "I don't want to leave the palace. I want to stay with you, young lady!"
"Silly girl. When you get married one day, will you still stay by my side every day? What about your husband and children?"
"Young lady..."
Chunqi, still quite young, blushed at the mention of such things. Flustered, she stamped her feet and fled the room.
Lin Wanyi took a sip of warm water and couldn't help but feel a wave of emotion.
Today had truly been a day full of ups and downs.
Xia An, noticing her mood flickering between high and low, quietly kept her company.
After the three of them had dinner, they turned in early.
In the following days, Lin Wanyi's life became much more relaxed.
Perhaps because of Concubine Lin's subtle support, others began avoiding her. Fewer people caused trouble, and her quarters became peaceful.
But peace did not mean idleness.
The emperor's nightgown was now Lin Wanyi's top priority.
Her embroidery skills had been taught by her mother, so stitching wasn't a problem.
At home, she had made clothes and socks for her father and brothers, so tailoring wasn't a problem either.
But this was a nightgown for the most noble man in the world—there was no room for error.
That alone demanded every ounce of her focus and care.
She recalled the emperor once mentioning that his current nightgown was too dazzling—bright yellow fabric embroidered with golden dragons and pearl thread. While majestic, it was also eye-catching, even blinding.
So this time, she chose soft silk brocade and plain-colored silk thread.
For the pattern, she finally settled on clouds.
Cloud motifs were simple to embroider, but Lin Wanyi added a twist—hidden within the clouds was the faint outline of a dragon's body.
You could glimpse the head but not the tail—like a dragon shrouded in mist.
It was the perfect design for a nightgown—noble, subtle, and in line with the emperor's taste.
Because of the hidden pattern, every stitch required thought about its placement and final effect.
So Lin Wanyi embroidered slowly.
Even Chunqi couldn't help but comment, smacking her lips, "I've served you for so many years, but I've never seen you work this slowly. I guess slow work really does make fine work. The eldest lady was right!"
In the past, even outer robes and long gowns would take Lin Wanyi no more than half a month. A nightgown, with only small areas of embroidery, should've been even quicker.
But after four or five days, she had only finished one cuff.
Still, the results were worth it.
Chunqi picked it up and marveled, "If the eldest lady saw how hard you're working now, she'd be thrilled. I've never seen such beautiful embroidery!"
Xia An, who helped thread the needle, echoed her, "It really is lovely. And it even smells nice."
Yes, it was fragrant.
Before embroidering, Lin Wanyi had fumigated the silk thread with agarwood. The result was a faint, calming scent that lingered on the cuff—barely noticeable unless you paid attention, but enough to relax the wearer.
She had done this after remembering the emperor's weary face when she served him that night.
"This cuff is just a sample," Lin Wanyi explained. "Once the stitch method is fixed, the rest will be easier."
At this pace, she would finish in two or three days. But how should she present it?
Bring it along when serving the emperor?
Send someone to deliver it?
Neither seemed appropriate—it would draw too much attention, and that wasn't what she needed right now.
Just as she was pondering this, Xiao Luzi rushed in.
"My lady, Eunuch Dong is here!"
Oh?
Why would Eunuch Dong show up at this time?
Though puzzled, Lin Wanyi responded calmly, "Invite him in."
Chunqi and Xia An both knew this Eunuch Dong was close to the emperor, so they busied themselves—one preparing tea, the other bringing out stools. The room suddenly felt bustling.
As soon as Dong Yuzhong entered, he caught sight of the half-embroidered nightgown in her hands.
He smiled. "Your Majesty and the young lady really think alike. Just yesterday, His Majesty told me to ask how your embroidery was going."
Lin Wanyi was delighted—this saved her a lot of trouble.
She set the silk thread aside and said politely, "Eunuch Dong came at the perfect time. The nightgown will be ready in three days. Shall I send someone to deliver it, or...?"
She trailed off, but Dong Yuzhong was sharp—he understood at once.
"No need to trouble your people. I'll send Qiu Ming to fetch it."
"Thank you, Eunuch Dong. That's very considerate."
With the delivery issue resolved, Lin Wanyi asked with a smile, "May I ask why Eunuch Dong has come?"
"Oh! Look at me forgetting. His Majesty recently acquired a beautiful piece of calligraphy and asked me to invite the young lady to admire it."
Calligraphy?
Why her?
Lin Wanyi was thoroughly confused. She had never shown any particular artistic talent in front of the emperor. Why would he call her over?
Still, since someone had come to summon her, she couldn't refuse.
She kept her composure and said warmly, "Please wait a moment, Eunuch Dong. I'll wash up and accompany you shortly."
"Of course, I'll wait outside."
Dong Yuzhong bowed and stepped out to wait in the courtyard.
Xiao Luzi brought over a round stool, but Dong Yuzhong declined.
"It's not proper for a servant to sit before the master. You've got good intentions, but you still need to learn the rules."