Chapter 3: She is the person who is not favored and has no children to support

Chu Yu was feeling dizzy when she first crossed over to this world. The famous Emperor Yongzheng was her husband, and she was the short-lived empress in history. She was not favored and even failed to raise her only child.

It was the 33rd year of the Kangxi reign, and Emperor Kangxi was still in his prime, far from the time when the fourth prince would ascend to the throne.

Chu Yu thought she should try to improve her relationship with the fourth prince, who was her direct superior and a lifelong bond.

Having watched Qing Dynasty dramas, she knew that Emperor Yongzheng had many favored concubines, such as Noble Consort Nian and Consort Xi. There was also Consort Qi, who bore many children for Yongzheng. Thinking about her future, Chu Yu felt worried.

The fourth prince didn't seem to like her much now, probably because of her past, right?

Chu Yu felt that she needed to work hard for a better future. Who knows, there might be a turning point?

After all, those favored concubines didn't know where they were now, did they?

"Madam, it's already past the hour of the Rabbit. You should get up," Xing'er called Chu Yu softly from outside the curtain, but Chu Yu just grunted and continued sleeping.

Xing'er seemed used to it. Her mistress seemed to love lying in bed more and more.

She didn't rush and waited for almost an hour before hearing some movement. Only then did she call someone in to serve, while she quietly opened the curtain.

Upon seeing Chu Yu, Xing'er blushed and wished she could bury her head in the ground.

Zao'er had finally finished making the little clothes for Chu Yu, and she had changed into them the previous night. Xing'er had seen the finished product, and seeing it on her mistress made her blush and her heart race.

Chu Yu was wearing a bright red improved bellyband and sleeping gown, with the straps of the gown open, revealing the bright red bellyband against her fair skin.

Stretching her arms up lazily and yawning, she exuded an inexplicable charm, making Xing'er's heart race.

Xing'er had never seen such a scene before and felt that she would never forget it.

Her mistress had such a beautiful appearance, and Xing'er sincerely felt that this was how a favored woman should look. Who could resist her, even the fourth prince, who was still a man, right?

Unknowingly, Xing'er was looking forward to the fourth prince seeing her mistress's appearance. It had been almost half a year since the fourth prince had seen her mistress.

Chu Yu was unaware of her maid's thoughts, but she found her shy and blushing appearance quite amusing and couldn't help but look at her several times.

Xing'er was left feeling hot and flustered under her mistress's intoxicating gaze, not knowing where to direct her own gaze. She took a few deep breaths before helping Chu Yu get up to wash and dress.

Half an hour later, Chu Yu sat at the dining table, and as soon as she sniffed, she perked up.

Xing'er thought her mistress was adorable and had finally recovered from her illness. She hadn't cried as much in the past half month, which was a relief.

Unbeknownst to Xing'er, her original mistress was no longer in this world, and the current Chu Yu, who had crossed over, naturally lived a comfortable life.

The fourth prince had not yet divided his household, and Chu Yu lived with him in the third residence of the East Palace.

In the palace, the main meals were prepared by the Imperial Kitchen. According to the rules of the Qing Dynasty, there were only two main meals a day, usually around seven or eight in the morning and two or three in the afternoon. At other times, they could only have snacks, so the princes and princesses and the palace ladies usually had their own small kitchens.

Chu Yu was different from the original mistress. She found herself to be a wealthy woman and spared no expense on her own food. She had a good appetite and didn't quite like the meals from the Imperial Kitchen, so her small kitchen became very popular and envied in the main residence.

It's not that the meals from the Imperial Kitchen were not good, but the Qing Dynasty mainly served meat dishes, with few vegetables, and the variety of dishes was overwhelming.

Although the dishes were exquisite, they were inevitably greasy, and many times they were served lukewarm. Although lukewarm was not bad, the distance from the kitchen to their residence was not close, especially in the cold winter, and the lukewarm food was the result of the original mistress spending money. The main residents also had their share of cold food. Chu Yu didn't want to compromise and was willing to spend more on ingredients in her small kitchen to ensure she ate well. Why not?

Chu Yu now had plenty of money. She found that she might not be able to spend her dowry in several lifetimes.

She couldn't leave the Forbidden City now, and she didn't mind spending money on food and other things. Having too much money and nowhere to spend it was really... enjoyable!

Just a few days ago, she saw a young eunuch who was quite handsome and poorly dressed, so she gave him some silver.

The young eunuch then cried and begged to serve in her palace, and everything was done quickly and efficiently.

Zao'er had said she was a big spender a few days ago, but she hadn't mentioned it again in the past two days.

The people in Chu Yu's small kitchen were really skilled.

The head chef in the small kitchen is named Wang Dali. He is in his thirties, with a plump figure and a love for cooking. He also has an apprentice named Xiao Anzi, who is a likable child.

Before, Chu Yu wanted to eat pan-fried buns, and with just a few instructions, Wang Dali made them perfectly.

The sight of the pan-fried buns makes one's mouth water. The bottom of the pastry is golden and crispy, sprinkled with sesame seeds, and smells delicious. With each bite, the mouth is filled with soup, and the thin pastry doesn't break or burn. The filling is chicken and carrots, which Chu Yu likes. She ends up eating more than she intended.

There is still a large portion of the table's food untouched. Nearby, a young maid named Qingmiao steals a glance at the plate of fatty meat and silently swallows her saliva.

Seeing this, Chu Yu stands up and says, "Xinger, you all shouldn't stand around. Let's divide this food."

"Thank you, Mistress," the maids happily respond.

Qingmiao is overjoyed, and Xinger is naturally happy too. The servants' meal times are irregular, often eating cold food or simply having some bread with pickles. This is all to reduce trouble and better serve the mistress, as it's not easy to have a hot meal.

Chu Yu watches them eat and can't help but smile.

She particularly enjoys watching Zao'er eat. Today, the little maid is on a day off and not present. Her appetite is always amusing to watch.

Chu Yu is currently a prince's consort, and according to the rules, she can have two senior maids, four eunuchs, four first-rank maids, eight second-rank maids, and an unlimited number of third-rank and junior maids.

She currently doesn't have any senior maids, has two eunuchs, Jiang Fuhai and Xiao Quanzi. She has two first-rank maids, Zao'er and Xinger, and a full complement of second-rank maids: Qingning, Qingmiao, Qingfang, Qingzhu, Yunzhu, Yunqian, Yunjing, and Yunwei. There are over ten third-rank and junior maids, and Chu Yu still hasn't gotten to know all of them.

She has relatively few people in her palace. Who would want to follow a consort who isn't favored?

Those with ambition have already found new paths. If they are chosen by the consort, they will likely never have a chance to leave the palace.

Most of those remaining are honest and have no better options.

For now, Chu Yu is satisfied with the people around her. When she leaves the palace in the future, she plans to take them all with her, and those who serve her faithfully will not be wronged.