Chapter 28: Matmaking fathers (1):

Meanwhile on the same day:

Chiu Yeung POV:

" An-Ping, have you seen Li Tian You recently? I haven't seen him since the ball," I asked " No your highness," she replied. " Uhhh it's so boring, I know let's walk around the garden, it's spring right now the flowers would have bloomed," I commanded whilst getting up from the sofa and bringing a flower with me. Chu Ling*(1) and An-Ping followed me with some of my court ladies.

"This rose smells sweet, the orange colour reminds me of sunset," I commented. " Oh wow enemies do meet on a narrow road," a spiky voice sneered "Imperial elder sister, what do you mean by that," I answered. " Oh I don't know I was just talking to Xiao Yu*(2)," She sneered. " Girls, how nice to see you both strolling in the royal garden, such nice HARMONIOUS atmosphere, isn't it nice," Imperial father interrupted as he walked over to us " Yun Xi, Chiu Yeung greets imperial father," we chorused whilst curtsying. "You both are real siblings I'm sure you have both heard of the saying blood flows thicker than water. When I die you guys will only have blood-related siblings left, and your prince consort. What I'm trying to say is learn to love one another, whether you like it or not you guys are both related by blood," imperial father lectured " Imperial father is correct, I apologies eldest sister," I uttered batting an eyelid at Yun Xi "Well done Chiu Yeung. I miss the glutinous rice ball*(3) you use to make, I am coming over to have some tonight how does that sound?" he asked. " sure, father," I replied. " And Yun Xi what do you have to say?" he commented " I'm sorry as well..." she hummed 'she is so fake, it's as if she means it. "Your majesty, the Apollo state envoy has something to discuss with you," Eunuch Wang whispered " I leave first you guys can continue looking at the flowers," father stated as he began walking away. When the father was way out of earshot eldest sister spoke up saying " Li Chiu Yeung don't you ever dare to imagine yourself as my sister my father is the emperor of Dong Yue as for my mother she was the late empress, your mother is nothing but commoners maid. Remember what position you're in," she brushed past me and I walk in the other direction mentioning " You never learn do you elder sister. An Ping come let us head back and prepare to make the rice balls," I uttered.

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8 pm:

" Chiu Yeung, you and your mum of a good pair of hands, your rice balls are the same taste as hers," father commented "Father that's because both me and mom have inherited po po's*(4) skills," I replied. " Thinking back to that year, I met first your mother was on lantern festival*(5). Back then I was going on a tour to the southern province where I met Yu Yan*(6) in Lin Zhou. At that time she was at the coast side when she smiled my blue heart had become a red one. Later on, your mother made me a bowl of five colours rice balls. Although she used normal flour and sugar when I ate it (it was so sweet and filled with love) something I would never forget," father reminisced " I remember Wai Po*(7) said that making Rice balls are is like the concept of being married, you need to be careful and patient. The husband is like flour, savoury but has no taste. If you add on the taste of sugar representing the wife, both of them mixed would create the sweet and tasty rice balls, that would make people feel happy," I claimed. "This taste of sugar is truly the duty of a wife. It's the same as a wife treating your husband," the father remarked. " But Wai Po said before that mother's five colours rice balls have change taste, it became not as sweet, because mother was crying when making those rice balls," I provoked. "It is I who did not live up to Yu Yan's expectation. You even had to suffer outside of the palace until you were six before I collected you back to the palace," father added. "Chiu Yeung receives a lot of love and care from imperial father, it is my fortune I don't think it's a hardship," I remarked. "Well, apart from me you still have that suitor of yours. I think Prince Sithuka is a fine man he even still insisted on your hand in marriage this afternoon when we were talking. Why can't you give him a try?" pressured father " Imperial father I know you mean well but if I were to marry someone I would marry someone who likes me back. And I have no feelings for Prince Sithuka," I refused. " So what about Li Tian You?" father asked as I pinched myself on my leg away from father's eyes I blushed ( due to the pain ) and asked shyly "Imperial father what do you mean by that?". " Your whole face shows your answer. Ok, I'll talk with Prince Zi to see if I can set you up," he replied as he stood up and left " Chiu Yeung sends Imperial father back," I chorused.

" Princess, were you blushing?" A ping asked " Of course not I had to pinch myself just to make it look real. Hurry up and find me some ailment I don't want a scar," I ordered as she nodded and hurried off.

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Glossary:

1. Another one of Chiu Yeung's maid's harbours hate towards the princess though Chiu Yeung still doesn't know it yet.

2. Xiao Yu is the eldest princess maid.

3. It is a ball shape food made of glutinous rice flour. The shape and the pronunciation of tangyuan symbolize being together with your beloved one and a family reunion. ( More can be found on google).

4. Maternal grandmother in mandarin.

5. The Lantern Festival (元宵节 or Yuánxiāojié in pinyin) is a Chinese holiday that traditionally marks the end of the Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) celebrations. Chinese people celebrate this holiday by enjoying coloured lantern displays and eating sweet rice balls called tangyuan.

6. Chiu Yeung's mother died of a sickness a month after Chiu Yeung was born. Chiu Yeung was brought up by her grandmother outside of the palace until she was 6 when her father finally found her, sadly her grandmother had passed away but she had a father to finally look after her.

7. Another way to call maternal grandmother is in mandarin.