Yuan Jiangwen, the second son of the Yuan family, had a big business in the Jiangnan area, but it was far away from the capital, and he was away from home for most of the year. Fu Zhiyu had seen him no more than ten times in total, but Yuan Jiangwen was a cheerful person, and he had doted on his sister Yuan Wanyun since she was a child. After Fu Zhiyu was born, this doting continued to him. Every time he came back from outside, he would bring back some rare toys for Fu Zhiyu to make him happy.
"Yes," Imperial Concubine Yun sighed, "I haven't seen my two brothers for a long time. However, apart from this, there is another important event recently."
Fu Zhiyu was puzzled: "What's the big deal?"
"Your birthday is coming," Imperial Concubine Yun touched his head with a doting look on her face, "Zhiyu will be seventeen years old."
In this dynasty, seventeen years old is considered the threshold of adulthood for men. At this age, they can get married, take imperial examinations, or take on other responsibilities.
Fu Zhiyu was stunned. If it hadn't been brought up now, he really wouldn't have remembered this matter.
Fu Zhiyu thought for a while and said, "There is an imperial examination recently. My birthday is not a big event, so it is not appropriate to have a big celebration. If it is really possible, I would like to go back to Yuan Mansion and have a family gathering with us."
Imperial Concubine Yun smiled and said, "Not yet, but maybe in the future."
"It's not maybe," Fu Zhiyu held her hand and said firmly, "It's definitely possible."
However, I haven't seen Xie Ke during this period of time.
Fu Zhiyu originally thought that he would be discouraged for a while after knowing that he had been reborn, but not long after, he tasted the familiar flavor of thousand-layer cake in the Glazed Palace.
He could tell from the taste that the ingredients of this thousand-layer cake had improved. After all, the ingredients in the palace were carefully selected, and naturally different from those outside. However, the craftsmanship was indeed made by the proprietress of the small restaurant, and it was unique.
It is delicious, but that doesn’t mean Fu Zhiyu wants to eat it in the palace.
After some inquiries, he found out that the Xie family had sent a group of chefs to the palace as tribute. Those who could make some folk cakes were specially sent to the small kitchen of the Glazed Palace by the emperor, because it was said that Imperial Concubine Yun liked the taste.
"I really like it. I ate a few more bites of this cake at the banquet last time, and the emperor asked her to come to the small kitchen of the Glazed Palace." Concubine Yun was very confused when she heard Fu Zhiyu specifically ask this. "It's just a small matter. What's the problem?"
"… No problem," Fu Zhiyu rubbed his brows and said, "Just asking casually. The pastry is well made. Give some silver to the cook and ask the servants in Liuli Palace to treat her well and make sure she has enough food and clothing."
In the previous life, my mother really liked the thousand-layer cake from this restaurant, and he often brought a portion to the palace for her.
Fu Zhiyu sent her maid to ask in detail. The proprietress said that her mother needed money for medical treatment and happened to meet a nobleman from the Xie family. She took a large sum of money and voluntarily entered the palace. She felt very lucky to be appreciated by her master and she lived a good life.
After listening to this, Fu Zhiyu sighed and could only reward some more silver. This was the most he could do for the proprietress. Her happiness now did not seem fake, but what she had not yet experienced was that it was difficult to enter the palace, and even more difficult to leave. The cooks who had been sent to the palace had to reach a certain age before they could leave. If they did not reach that age, they would become ghosts in the palace after death. The gains and losses could only be experienced slowly by themselves.
As a result, this originally delicious pastry no longer tasted good to Fu Zhiyu.
Xie Ke seemed to be conveying a message to Fu Zhiyu through this piece of pastry that he would never give up, which made Fu Zhiyu even more depressed.
No matter what, Xie Ke will not change, he will still be the same.
In his previous life, Fu Zhiyu didn't understand why Xie Ke could always be so arrogant. When Xie Ke was still a bastard in the general's mansion, Fu Zhiyu felt the arrogance in his bones when he was with him. At that time, he didn't understand how this arrogance was formed, he only understood it as being conceited because of his talent. Well, he did have the ability to be arrogant.
But he later understood that as an actor playing the protagonist, Xie Ke would naturally develop a sense of pride when facing these data with set trajectories. This was even more advanced than the strict hierarchy of this dynasty. After all, Xie Ke was a destined controller, and he could play however he felt fit.
What's more, they were just minor characters, a couple who ran a restaurant and lived an ordinary life. They deserved whatever arrangements he made for them, even if it was just to use them as a tool to please others, even himself.
Fu Zhiyu did not tell Ming Dao and his mother about these thoughts. They all liked the pastry. Although Fu Zhiyu could not eat it due to nausea, the proprietress only knew how to make these pastries. If the master did not order her pastries all the time, or even ate less of them in a meal, the servants in the palace would find out. The palace servants were all flatterers, and would think she was unimportant and bully her. He could not keep an eye on her all the time.
The incident with the thousand-layer cake refreshed Fu Zhiyu's perception of Xie Ke. He just felt that he was really scary and it was better to stay as far away from him as possible.
Outside the Liuli Palace, this imperial examination went very smoothly. Fu Zhiyu heard some of the things that happened even when he stayed indoors.
All those who made it to the top this time were from poor families. As expected, Shen Yang was the top scorer in the civil examination. Xie Ke did not participate in the military examination, so the runner-up in his previous life became the first this time. He was also a commoner with the surname Wang. Fu Zhiyu remembered his dark and muscular body. He was obviously less than twenty years old, but as strong as a small mountain. This person happened to be called Wang Xiaoshan.
The emperor held a banquet in the imperial garden, which was very lively. Fu Zhiyu could not refuse this occasion. As a prince who had been crowned king, he could not not come.
Come now, Fu Zhiyu just sits in the seat where he is supposed to be, without saying a word. When he feels hungry, he eats the fruit on the table, concentrating on eating without paying attention to anything else.
But just because he doesn't want to pay attention to others doesn't mean others don't want to pay attention to him.
Xie Ke's look alone was enough to make people uncomfortable, but Shen Yang, the top scholar, refused to accept other people's flattery and insisted on squeezing in front of him.
"Prince Zhao," Shen Yang bowed to him, "Do you remember me?"
Fu Zhiyu swallowed the peach in his mouth, glanced at him lazily, and said, "Shen Zhuangyuan is now a favorite of my father, so how can I not remember him?"
"It's good that Prince Zhao remembers it," Shen Yang seemed not to hear the indifference in Fu Zhiyu's tone, or he didn't care at all and just smiled and moved closer, "I am lucky to be favored by the emperor, but in terms of talent and reputation, I can never compare to Prince Zhao. I still remember that when I was under the tutelage of Xu Daxueshi, I saw Prince Zhao painting, and it's not an exaggeration to say that it was a stroke of genius."
"Really?" Fu Zhiyu raised his eyebrows. "But I can't paint anymore. Shen Zhuangyuan should just forget about the past. If you remember it so clearly, it will only leave regrets."
The Qionglin Banquet was now in a joyous mood. Such banquets were never bound by formalities. The emperor on the throne was drinking happily. Although there was a little chaos below the seats, it was lively and he was happy just watching it.
Shen Yang seemed to want to say something, but some people suddenly appeared behind him. They should be his fellow Jinshi students, and they started to pull him away.
"Shen Zhuangyuan, let's keep drinking!" those people said noisily, "We won't leave until we're drunk!"
"If you don't drink, you're not giving me face!"
Shen Yang couldn't control these people at all and was soon dragged away, but he kept turning his head to look at Fu Zhiyu, and his expression seemed to be very anxious. He also kept talking to Fu Zhiyu, and his lip shape probably meant "be careful", but it was noisy here and his words were immediately drowned out by the crowd.
Fu Zhiyu ignored him and lowered his head to stuff another piece of peach into his mouth. The peaches tributed to the palace were very sweet and juicy, better than any peach at the banquet.
But when Shen Yang left, another person came.
He heard a voice coming from behind him. It was low in pitch and not loud, but it was hard to ignore.
"Zhiyu," Xie Ke stood behind him at some point and said, "I think we need to talk."
He no longer addressed Fu Zhiyu as King Zhao. At this distance, only each of them could hear each other's voices. Fu Zhiyu understood immediately after hearing it. Xie Ke was almost certain that he had been reborn as well.