"Yang Zixuan, you bandit."
Zhou Guiren, who was lowering her head to gobble down her dinner, suddenly heard Yang Hong's furious roar, which startled her so much that her chopsticks fell.
"Nyah~~"
A crisp laugh echoed in her ears, and then a small figure, carrying four large baskets with both hands, swaggered past her.
Yang Zixuan deliberately passed by the dining hall of the [Wang Wen Ge], showing off in front of Zhou Guiren.
"Heh heh~ You've been very well-behaved for the past six months, this is a reward for you."
Yang Zixuan even stopped in front of Zhou Guiren, shaking her right hand and dropping a few items from the top basket.
Then she ran off with her short legs.
Leaving behind a trail of cheerful laughter.
"Hee hee~"
Yang Hong looked at the departing figure and just smiled lightly, showing no displeasure.
The little girl had good judgment. She only took ordinary vegetables of the fourth and fifth grades, leaving the high-grade vegetables of the eighth and ninth grades untouched.
She had emptied all of Yang Hong's vegetable inventory just to vent her little emotions.
Leaving absolutely nothing for Yang Hong.
If it weren't for the rice being too heavy, she would have considered taking that too.
Zhou Guiren looked at the small, departing figure and felt a pang of envy.
At the same time, she was reminded of her own childhood, how her two elder brothers at home doted on her just like this.
But those happy, innocent times were gone forever.
Having been in the Cold Palace for six months, Zhou Guiren had also faced reality, knowing that Emperor Yang Jian would never let her out.
"Alas~"
With a sigh, Zhou Guiren turned her gaze back towards the backyard, where there was a prince in the Cold Palace,
A prince in the Cold Palace who was suspected to be a Grandmaster.
"Your Highness, Princess Zixuan left some cucumbers."
While Zhou Guiren was lost in thought, two young palace maids had already picked up the items Yang Zixuan had dropped.
"Cucumbers?"
"Wash these cucumbers for me, I want to eat them tonight."
...
"These cucumbers are truly delicious, better than any cucumber I've ever eaten.
The Sixth Prince is indeed skilled in farming.
It seems I need to get closer to the Sixth Prince in the future."
...
Yang Zixuan, unaware that she had brought her brother a little trouble, impatiently carried four baskets of vegetables with her short legs to the training hall located south of the imperial palace on the third day.
Along the way, Yang Zixuan paid no mind to the strange glances from the guards and princes, even letting out disdainful snorts from time to time.
"Wahaha~ City bumpkins, I've brought you delicious food."
Upon arriving at the temporary courtyard where the princesses resided, Yang Zixuan placed the baskets down with a laugh and loudly called out to the other princesses.
"Zixuan is back, what delicious food did you bring?"
"Hmph~ She must have hidden the beast meat from yesterday and is showing it off today."
"Exactly, she always loves to hide meat."
A group of princesses sauntered over, their voices filled with disdain.
Yang Zixuan's mother was absent, and although she was raised by the Empress, she was not favored.
Even though she displayed considerable cultivation talent, she was still unwelcome.
Some princes and princesses would even look down on her.
This was the reason she often got into fights.
"Hmph~ You bunch of city bumpkins, what do you know? These are vegetables even tastier than meat, only my imperial brother can grow them."
Yang Zixuan's small face scrunched up, about to flare up, but she thought of the punishment for fighting in the training hall and temporarily held back.
She planned to put more effort into her attacks during combat practice, making these people beg for mercy on their knees.
Just then, a tall and graceful princess walked out from the crowd and curiously looked at the baskets.
"Sister Zixuan, are these the vegetables you said were so delicious?"
"Yes~ Sister Lanying, these were grown by my imperial brother, they are very delicious, try one."
Seeing the newcomer, Yang Zixuan's scrunched-up face broke into a smile. She happily pulled her towards a basket and offered her a cucumber.
Yang Lanying looked at the emerald green cucumber, still with a shriveled little flower on it. It was clearly fresh and very appetizing.
However, thinking that the cucumber had not been cooked and was raw, she swallowed and politely refused.
"Sister Zixuan, I just had breakfast, I'm not hungry yet."
"Oh~ Then wait for lunch."
Yang Zixuan withdrew the cucumber with a hint of regret, but not disappointment, as it was indeed just after breakfast.
However, she did not notice Yang Lanying vigorously wiping her hand behind her back with a silk scarf, and a flash of disgust crossed her face.
"Haha~ Yang Zixuan, aren't you the real city bumpkin? Not only do you treat broken cucumbers like treasures, but you also bring them out to embarrass yourself.
Don't you dare say you're from the Great Sui royal family when you go out in the future, I'm ashamed to be associated with you."
A sturdy, but not bloated, princess also walked over.
"Heh heh~ Cucumbers, radishes, carrots, pumpkins, indeed, they are all just vegetables.
Eh~ There are yellow spots on them, could it be that thing~ Eww~"
After speaking, this person exaggeratedly stepped back a few paces.
The other princesses, who had been curious and about to step forward, all took a few steps back in disgust upon hearing this.
Including Yang Lanying, who had just shown friendliness towards Yang Zixuan.
"Yang Qingning, do you want to fight?"
Yang Zixuan was so enraged that she wanted to lash out.
She was a lonely person. After coming to the training hall, her girlfriends had become closer, so she thought of sharing some delicious food.
Unexpectedly, not only did these people not appreciate it, but they also scorned her, even despising her as a person.
"Heh heh~ If you're not afraid of being punished by Grandfather Emperor, I don't mind fighting you."
Yang Qingning did not back down and directly accepted the challenge.
"Hmph~"
Yang Zixuan still did not dare to attack directly, as Yang Qingning in front of her was eighteen years old and already a second-rate martial artist.
So she snorted coldly and took the four baskets of vegetables back to her room.
"Heh heh~ Now do you all know who the city bumpkin is?"
"She really looks like a farmer."
"I heard those vegetables were grown by the Sixth Prince. Has the Sixth Prince been demoted to a commoner?"
"Possibly, and she might also be married off to a commoner in the future."
The princesses whispered amongst themselves. Yang Zixuan didn't hear them, but she suppressed her anger, preparing to lash out.
The training for the princes and princesses soon began.
Because next month, on the twentieth of September, the Great Sui Heavenly Pride Competition would commence.
After a day of training, everyone was exhausted, not even having the energy to fight.
Except for Yang Zixuan.
"My imperial brother's vegetables are indeed delicious, and after training, eating them helps to quickly recover physical strength and internal energy."
"Now, I won't give any to anyone who asks!"
Unintentionally, Yang Zixuan discovered the usage of the special vegetables.
On the twentieth of August, the fourth day of recovery training, Yang Zixuan easily broke through to the second-rate martial artist realm.
A second-rate martial artist at fifteen years old was something that the Great Sui royal family had not seen in two hundred years.
Yang Zixuan's breakthrough this time alarmed many people.