Resplendent – Chapter 567

Chapter 567: Keep Your Distance

Chu Mubai had a peculiar trait: once he set his sights on a weapon, he couldn’t sleep until he got his hands on it. That he could abandon his own prized possession for Gu Ye showed just how deeply he cherished his little sister.

Princess Anya shot him a look of contempt. “A grown man with a purse cleaner than his face; I’m embarrassed for you! Xiao Ye, if you’re short on silver, I’ll lend you some. I don’t have much, but a few thousand or so, I can manage!” With that, she gave Chu Mubai a defiant glare.

Princess Anya’s dowry from her mother, the Princess Consort of Qing, had caused quite a stir in Fanjing back in the day. Over the years, under the careful management of loyal stewards, the family fortune had grown considerably. 

Before her passing, the Princess Consort of Qing had set aside a substantial dowry for Princess Anya, which she now held firmly in her grasp. This princess was absolutely a little rich girl!

Upon hearing this, Chu Mubai felt his masculine pride trampled upon, fuming with indignation: “Sister! Though I may not have much silver myself, don’t forget you have six elder brothers! Besides, our Defender Duke’s family hasn’t fallen so low as to need borrowing money from others!”

Gu Ye, fearing her fifth brother might suffer a stroke from anger, turned to soothe him: “Princess Anya meant no offense. She merely wished to help me resolve a dilemma. She spoke as a friend, not to disparage you or our family in any way!”

Realizing her bluntness could easily offend, Princess Anya glanced at the gentle, smiling Lady Jun beside her and whispered in her defense, “Exactly! Xiao Ye really understands me!”

Gu Ye gently removed her arm from her shoulder and smiled. “I appreciate your kindness, Princess. If I truly run short of funds later, I won’t hesitate to ask. We’ve reached Guanyin Hall. They say it’s most effective for seeking marital fortune. Would you like to draw a fortune slip?”

“I…” Princess Anya blushed, a rare occurrence. She stammered, “With my reputation, what good match could I possibly find? It’s better not to ask, lest I only bring myself sorrow! Besides, I came to deliver your invitation. This wasn’t my main purpose. I fear the Bodhisattva would blame me for insincerity… I’ll skip the divination today!”

Gu Ye smiled as she glanced at her fifth elder brother, then turned back to Princess Anya. “Since we’re here, it’s best to pay respects to all the deities and Buddhas. I’ll accompany my mother to fulfill our vows first. After we finish the vegetarian meal, shall we return together?”

Princess Anya hesitated briefly before nodding. “Very well, I’ll wait for you!”

The vegetarian cuisine at Anguo Temple was renowned throughout the capital. Unlike other vegetarian dishes, it typically avoided seasonal vegetables in favor of wheat gluten, tofu products, and fried tofu skins as primary ingredients. These were complemented by shiitake mushrooms, button mushrooms, lily bulbs, wood ear mushrooms, lotus seeds, and peanuts as complementary ingredients. 

Seasoned with cinnamon, Sichuan pepper, and star anise, the dishes fall into three main categories: braised, rolled, and fried. They blend the rich flavors of northern cuisine with the fresh sweetness of southern dishes, achieving excellence in color, aroma, taste, and presentation to form a unique style.

Among Anguo Temple’s vegetarian offerings, the most renowned are Shiitake Mushroom Gluten, Vegetarian Assortment, and Imperial Rolled Fruit. Notably, the Royal Rolled Fruit was once praised by the Empress Dowager! 

This delicacy combines fruit pulp, date paste, yam, honey, sugar, and osmanthus flowers. The mixture is wrapped in tofu skin, steamed and fried, then glazed with honey. Plated with red and green candied fruit strips, golden cake shreds, and a dusting of sugar, it presented a vibrant, eye-catching array of colors.

The Duke’s Manor had pre-ordered this vegetarian feast, which included this sweet dessert. Gu Ye sampled a piece, and it was indeed refreshingly sweet and delicious. Princess Anya, however, was critical: “The flavor is just so-so! I think the pastries at Tasty Delights are better!”

Gu Ye stuffed a roll into her mouth, savoring it carefully. She had already figured out the recipe with near certainty. Hearing the criticism, she replied calmly, “Do you know why Tasty Delights’ pastries taste so good?”

“Why?” Princess Anya asked casually, her words dripping with disdain, yet she didn’t pause eating for a moment. She picked up another roll, popped it into her mouth, and asked without hesitation.

“Because…” Gu Ye deliberately paused for effect before continuing, “every single pastry at Tasty Delights has to pass my strict inspection before it can be sold. My taste is very picky. Any pastry I don’t approve of simply isn’t allowed to go on the shelves!”

“What? Is Tasty Delights your business?” Princess Anya wore an expression of astonishment.

“What’s so strange about that? Don’t tell me you didn’t know. Tasty Delights is part of my mother’s dowry! To be precise, it belongs to our beautiful, elegant, gentle, and kind Duchess of the Defender Duke!” Gu Ye took a few bites of other vegetarian dishes before setting down her chopsticks. Though the temple cuisine at Anguo Temple was tasty, she still preferred meat.

Lady Jun shot her daughter a disapproving glance. This girl was always up to mischief—now she was even making fun of her own mother!

Princess Anya looked at Lady Jun, her tone slightly awkward. “Of course I know the shop belongs to the Duchess. Over half a month ago, I saw it had been converted into a pastry shop. I assumed the Duchess was too busy to manage it herself and had rented it out!”

“From now on, when you buy pastries at Tasty Delights, just mention my name. I’ll have the shop assistants give you a discount!” Gu Ye’s words were generous, but his face betrayed a look of pained reluctance.

Princess Anya smiled slightly and said, “No need for discounts. Just make sure I can get pastries every time I visit. You’ve been busy lately, so you might not know how popular your family’s pastries have become. They’re practically as sought-after as Gu Pharmaceutical’s medicines!”

“Oh? Really? They’ve become so popular so quickly?” Gu Ye sounded not the least bit surprised. “Well, they’re delicious pastries, and with their novelty, they’ll naturally sell like hotcakes. Next time, just have someone go through the back door to the kitchen and grab some fresh out of the oven.”

When she said ‘back door,’ she didn’t mean what everyone was thinking. The front door was located in the shopfront, naturally off-limits to outsiders. There was a side entrance at the back of the shop, which was used by the staff of Tasty Delights. But upon closer reflection, it did carry a hint of the backdoor implication.

“Then you absolutely must remember to give them a heads-up at the shop, lest my people knock on the back door only to be turned away. How embarrassing that would be!” Princess Anya wasn’t particularly demanding when it came to pastries. Her brother, however, had a discerning palate and a sweet tooth. Though he’d grown more restrained as an adult, she could sense his mood lift whenever he tasted a truly delicious pastry.

As the sage once said: Eating sweets relieves stress and eases the mind. (Quoted from the Food Sage Gu Ye’s Collections)

Gu Ye took out a piece of beef jerky and chewed it slowly to satisfy her craving. Hearing this, she nodded and said, “Don’t worry. When we pass by the shop on the way back, don’t forget to remind me. What can I say? I’m a busy man and tend to be forgetful!”

Princess Anya snatched a piece of beef jerky from her hand and stuffed it into her mouth. “Oh, yeah! A sacred Buddhist temple, and you dare to partake in meat? That’s a huge disrespect to the Buddha!”

Gu Ye looked at her with contempt—What are you chewing in your mouth, and you have the nerve to lecture me?

“Wine and meat pass through the gut, while the Buddha resides in the heart. Our compassionate Buddha won’t hold such trifles against us.” Gu Ye caught his mother’s disapproving gaze and quickly stowed the jerky away, planning to eat it outside Anguo Temple.

The temple’s scenery was another reason for its thriving incense offerings. Peonies bloomed in spring, lotuses in summer, chrysanthemums in autumn, and plum blossoms in winter. Though early winter had arrived, the late-blooming chrysanthemums still held some charm.

After the vegetarian meal, Lady Jun rested in the meditation hall while Princess Anya took Gu Ye to admire the chrysanthemums. Ever since she had cured the Crown Song of Qing’s illness, Princess Anya no longer treated her as an outsider. Still, her usual tone and demeanor hadn’t improved much in the eyes of others.

Gu Ye knew her true nature and was always straightforward with her, never holding back when she needed to speak her mind. Princess Anya didn’t mind this; on the contrary, she found her frankness endearing.

In the chrysanthemum garden of Anguo Temple lay a pond. Jagged rockeries edged its banks, while banana trees retained only their deep green leaves. Along the shore, vibrant lotus flowers intertwined with the emerald-green water, creating a scene of remarkable beauty.

Princess Anya pulled Gu Ye to the other side of the pond. “Over here are several ink chrysanthemums of exceptional quality. A certain presumptuous concubine in our household, feigning refinement and claiming to be as noble as a chrysanthemum, once shamelessly begged for one. She should have known better than to ask, given her station. She deserved to be refused!”

Gu Ye thought to herself: This likely had nothing to do with status. Any other noble lady would have been refused as well. Still, among all the capital’s dignitaries who came to admire the chrysanthemums, none had ever requested a chrysanthemum. That favored concubine of Prince Qing was truly peculiar.

“Miss… Miss Chu!” A delighted male voice cut through the air behind them. Gu Ye paused for a few seconds before Princess Anya tugged at her sleeve, making her realize that ‘Miss Chu’ was indeed addressing her.

Having lived in this world for years, she’d grown accustomed to being called ‘Miss Gu.’ After reclaiming her ancestral lineage, most now addressed her as Miss Ye, while only those less familiar still used Miss Chu.

Gu Ye turned to see a fair-skinned, strikingly handsome young gentleman dressed in scholar’s attire, his face radiating excitement and delight as he gazed at her. His features were exquisitely refined, like a brushstroke in an ink-wash painting—a high, straight nose, rosy lips, and pearly teeth. His beauty was so ethereal it seemed carved from jade, his gender indistinguishable…

She raised an eyebrow, her inner monologue screaming: Do I know this pretty boy? Impossible! I couldn’t possibly have no memory of such a stunningly handsome young man!!

Noticing her gaze, Ning Dongchen stepped forward with refined courtesy. “Miss Chu, it has been many days since our parting at Xiang Mountain. I never imagined we would meet again here. For the debt of saving my life, I, Ning, am at a loss for how to repay you…”

Don’t! For heaven’s sake, don’t pledge yourself to me! I’ve saved too many people already, I’m afraid I can’t take on another one. Gu Ye had a vague idea of the other’s identity. Among the scholars she had rescued in Xiang Mountain, wasn’t the one surnamed Ning none other than Ning Dongchen, the Young Master Ning of the Capital’s Twin Heroes?

“It was nothing, Young Master Ning. Don’t mention it!” Gu Ye considered herself no scholar and generally kept her distance from those pedantic literati. Even if a pretty boy happened to match her aesthetic preferences, he wouldn’t pique her interest. At most, she might spare him a few extra glances for the sake of visual pleasure!