Did the Crown Prince's Grandson Get Scared to Tears Today?

Cui Ying works in the palace quarters of an unfavored consort, who is also her fellow townsman. Their days are comfortable.

They have no master-servant distinction. They sip tea in spring and admire the lotus flowers in summer, lazing around and enjoying good food on a warm kang.

The Crown Prince's eldest son has nightmares every day in the Eastern Palace, so the emperor orders a consort to be chosen to raise him.

To take the boy's wishes into account, each consort will spend half a month with him. In the end, the consort he likes best will be chosen to raise him.

While the palace consorts vie to soothe the young heir, Cui Ying and her mistress can't be bothered to join the fray.

Consort De prepares eighteen kinds of sweets the child will love.

They just serve him a plate of pickles, then sneak off to eat their own special meal.

Consort Xian makes five brand-new toys for the young heir.

They leave him in the courtyard. Here, go play in the dirt.

Consort Li fusses over the young heir, wishing she could cradle him in her palm and cherish him like the apple of her eye.

When they see him looking gloomy, they pay no heed to his mood and chat away, playing leaf cards and laughing merrily.

They thought the young heir would surely run off in tears, but who could have guessed he'd come by more and more often?

Even the genuinely stern Crown Prince keeps finding excuses to sample Cui Ying's special cooking.

Theme: Teaching and nurturing, and a love of good food