After dinner, the two of them washed up separately.
When Pei Yan came out of the bath, Tao Ti was sitting on the long couch, holding a pen in her right hand and resting her chin in her left hand in a pose of thinking.
He walked over slowly and asked, "What are you doing?"
Seeing him, Tao Ti's eyes lit up, and she hurriedly said, "Your Highness, you came just in time, and I'm thinking about how to send those youth groups."
"I made a total of more than one hundred youth groups, eight in each box, four boxes have been sent out today, and there are still seven boxes left... Well, I plan to send two boxes to Yongwei Houfu, two boxes for you Take it to Zixiao Hall to eat, give one box to His Majesty, and another box to Mother Lan... there is one box left, do you want to give it to the Queen?"
Pei Yan didn't expect that she was counting on this, and glanced lightly at the booklet on the table indifferently, and said softly, "You don't need to send it to the queen, even if you send it to her, she won't eat it, it's a waste of your heart. "
When Tao Ti heard his words, she couldn't help but looked up at him.
His long hair was disheveled, still a little damp, with black hair, cold white skin, and snow-white pajamas, under the dim light, his whole body looked like a splash-ink landscape painting.
His expression was calm, seeing her looking at him, his brows moved slightly, "What's wrong?"
Tao Ti shook her head, thought for a moment, and said, "Then it's up to you, I won't give it away... I just keep it for myself to eat."
After her time's observation, Pei Yan's attitude towards the queen... well, how should I put it, neither cold nor indifferent, as if the well water does not interfere with the river water, of course, there is still some kindness on the surface.
It's understandable when you think about it, the stepmother has her own children, how good will she be to the child left by her predecessor
What's more, Pei Changzhou and Pei Lingbi are bad-hearted brothers and sisters who are not human beings, and they used the original owner to get the prince at the beginning, which shows that they have bad intentions...
If it were me, I would have broken up with them a long time ago, and still maintain a ghostly superficial harmony
After arranging the distribution of several boxes of Youth League, it was getting late, so the two went to bed together and settled down.
…
Early the next morning, Tao Ti received another thank you gift from Concubine Xu Gui.
As soon as the Fifth Prince brought the Youth League back yesterday, Concubine Xu Gui tasted it and was full of praise immediately. She also picked a few freshly colored brocades from the storeroom and sent them to Yaoguang Hall.
"The imperial concubine said that the five princes were bothering her a lot yesterday, which made the crown princess bother. These six pieces of satin are all the new spring tribute materials from the Suzhou government, and the patterns and colors are most suitable for the crown princess at your age. The empress also said, if The Crown Princess is free, so she can come to Mingyue Palace to drink tea and enjoy flowers at any time." The big palace lady who gave the gift smiled respectfully and submissively.
"Okay, thank the imperial concubine for me, I will definitely visit you when I have time someday." Tao Ti smiled politely.
After seeing off the maids of the Mingyue Palace, Tao Ti turned around and touched those silky and gorgeous brocades, feeling deeply:
Concubine Xu Gui is really generous, every time she gives some snacks, she will always return some gifts. As far as the value of these few bolts of brocade is concerned, let alone a box of Qingtuan, even 10,000 boxes of Qingtuan are not worth it.
"Linglong, send the willow-yellow horse and the alizarin red horse to the Neizhi Bureau, and cut me two summer clothes." Tao Ti picked out two of her own colors, and said, "As for the other four horses, first Received in the warehouse."
"Yes." Linglong agreed.
Tao Ti went back to the house and picked up her small account book, and added an account to it—six pieces of brocade, as a gift from Concubine Xu Gui.
Although the exact day when Heli will leave the palace is still unknown, it is better to figure out how much property she owns, so that even if Pei Yan suddenly... leaves in the future, after she leaves the palace, she can plan according to the assets at hand as soon as possible after the arrangement.
To use the words of the little Pixiu next door neighbor, one must know how to manage money, know how money makes money, isn't it good to make money lying down, who would think there is too much money
On the other side, Tao Ti was calculating her assets, while on the other side, boxes of youth groups were sent to the inner and outer palaces.
Inside the Qinzheng Hall.
Emperor Zhaokang sat in front of the case and reviewed the papers as usual. Li Gui counted the time and saw that the emperor had approved about twenty books, so he sent tea and refreshments at the right time and persuaded, "Your Majesty, use some refreshments. Take a break."
"Hmm." Emperor Zhaokang pinched the center of his brows with one hand, took the Yundingxiang slices from Li Gui with the other hand, took a big sip, and swept towards the plate of dim sum on the table.
The jade-like green balls are packed in white porcelain plates one by one. They are bright in color and cute in shape, which makes people's eyes shine.
"This is the Qingtuan?" Emperor Zhaokang said with a pale face, "Isn't the cold food already over? Why did the Imperial Dining Room send this here?"
"Return to Your Majesty, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince sent it this morning. He said it was made by the Crown Princess himself. It tastes good. I specially sent it to honor you." Li Gui bent down and explained.
"It was sent by the prince..." Emperor Zhaokang thought of such a thing.
Since it was sent by the prince, he thought for a moment, then picked up the silver chopsticks and picked up one.
As soon as the green ball is delivered to the mouth, the faint wormwood fragrance pours into the nose, take a bite, the soft and tough skin is mixed with the salty and delicious filling, which gives great enjoyment to the taste buds.
A look of astonishment flashed in Emperor Zhaokang's eyes, it was the first time he had eaten salty green balls.
The Qingtuan in my memory is sweet and greasy, and it lasts a long time after one bite, but the Qingtuan I am eating now is not only fragrant and refreshing, but also not greasy at all. It's very drinkable when you take it out...
Seeing the emperor eating a green ball the size of a baby's fist in two or three strokes, Li Gui felt a little greedy.
"You said it was made by the princess?" Emperor Zhaokang asked.
"Yes. His Royal Highness also said that the Crown Princess made four flavors in total, both salty and sweet, with different flavors. If Your Majesty likes it, you can try all of them."
Emperor Zhaokang let out a "hmm" slowly through his nasal cavity, then picked up his teacup, and took a sip of tea to moisten his throat.
Li Gui watched from the side, thinking, Your Majesty is not eating anymore? Didn't it taste delicious just now
He had just thought of this, and the next moment he saw Emperor Zhaokang pick up another one and slowly put it into his mouth. This time it is stuffed with red bean paste, which is fragrant and delicate, and has a strong rose aroma. After eating such a piece, the teeth and cheeks will be fragrant.
Next, Emperor Zhaokang ate pork stuffing with fresh bamboo shoots and sesame peanut stuffing. Li Gui on the side rolled his eyes and tried to persuade him, "Your Majesty, this green ball is made of glutinous rice. If you eat too much, it's not easy to restrain it. Take it easy."
After eating the four green balls, although they were still a little unsatisfied, it was really not easy to continue eating.
Emperor Zhaokang wiped the corners of his mouth with a handkerchief, and ordered Li Gui, "Go, pack up the remaining four, and follow me to Fengyi Palace."
Li Gui was slightly stunned, and then he understood that this youth group was mostly used for sacrifices, and His Majesty wanted to worship the former queen, so that she could taste the good taste in the spirit of heaven.
However, what he didn't know was that Fengyi Palace had offered up this youth group early on.
In the morning, when she received the green ball from His Royal Highness the Prince, Mother Lan couldn't bear to eat it, so she offered it directly to the mourning hall.
"Your Majesty, I heard from the little eunuch who delivered the Youth League that the Crown Princess made it herself. She is really a good lady with a heart. Even though you are gone, she is still thinking about our place. It is really good..."
Sister Lan carefully wiped the black tablet with a handkerchief, and muttered, "I also heard people say that the Crown Princess is a good cook, and she is a good cook for our Highness all day long." Cook all kinds of delicious food. With her accompanying His Highness, you can rest assured."
Sister Lan carefully cleaned the mourning hall, and after an unknown amount of time, there was a sound of His Majesty's arrival outside.
The movement of wiping her hands paused.
Immediately, she hurried to the front of the hall, turned the tablet of the eldest prince around, and only after making sure that she couldn't see it from the front at all, she went out to pick him up.
"Your majesty pays homage to your majesty, your majesty is blessed and safe."
"Get up."
Emperor Zhaokang said casually, and strode towards the mourning hall, but when he saw the Qingtuan enshrined on the table, he was slightly taken aback, "Who is this Qingtuan?"
Sister Lan quickly replied, "It was specially sent by the Crown Princess."
Emperor Zhaokang raised his thick eyebrows slightly when he heard the words, and said in a deep voice, "She really has a heart."
Sister Lan quietly raised her eyes to look at Emperor Zhaokang, and then at the food box in Li Gui's hand. Li Gui and Nanny Lan had known each other for many years, so he exchanged glances with her, and Nanny Lan immediately understood what was going on, and silently stepped aside and stood quietly.
After a moment of silence, Emperor Zhaokang ordered, "Li Gui, I remember that Lingnan sent some new decorations recently, and there is a two-color agate flower vase of Pisces Zhaorui in it, which is not bad. Take it out, and pick two more pearl hairpin jewelry, five pieces Silk and satin, send it to the Crown Princess."
Li Gui was in a hurry to respond.
Emperor Zhaokang said again, "You all step back, I will talk to the queen."
Li Gui and Nanny Lan retreated together, and closed the door by the way.
In the mourning hall, the sun shines in through the windows, casting a golden light on the ground.
Emperor Zhaokang went straight to the dark tablet, reached out and took it down, stared at it for a while with an indistinct expression, then put it in his arms, and walked step by step towards the bedroom on the right.
Everything in the dormitory remains the same as before, the cranes soaring into the clouds, the Ganoderma lucidum pan flower candlestick, the purple purlin wooden ivory-carved plum blossom Linghan screen, the ebony gilt treasure elephant entwined branch bed, the brocade mattress embroidered with five bats holding clouds and clusters of flowers on a red background, and the brocade mattress Put on that bright red phoenix robe, and the exquisite and gorgeous phoenix crown...
Everything was exactly the same as the day she closed her eyes.
Emperor Zhaokang sat down beside the bed holding the memorial tablet, and lightly stroked the exquisite embroidery of the phoenix robe with his fingers. He still remembered very clearly how beautiful she was when she wore this phoenix robe. At that moment, as if Everything in the world was eclipsed.
"Yuanyuan, the daughter-in-law you chose for Yan'er is quite filial, and she knows how to respect your mother-in-law."
"By the way, the Zhou family seems to have gotten a little carried away recently. Our son is still fine now, but they all hope that he will not get better... Yuan Yuan, I want to transfer your brother back to Chang'an to check and balance the Zhou family. What do you think? ?”
"Well, I know you miss them, and I promise you I won't hurt them... Yan'er has grown up so much, we haven't seen the Gu family a few times. Gu Changming is Yan'er's uncle anyway, so he has to come back to help Yan'er ,Am I right?"
He was holding a tablet, talking to himself in a rambling manner, with a bit of madness in his eyes.
The sun is shining brightly outside, but the coldness and loneliness inside the hall are growing crazily.
...
Yongweihou Mansion, Wende Academy.
"Ma'am, you see, our girl sent someone to send this back. It can be seen that she still misses you in her heart." Zhang's close wife bent down and opened one of the boxes of green balls. Ying Ying's youth group couldn't help but praise, "Oh, madam, take a look, this youth group is so beautifully made, it really deserves to be the craftsmanship of the palace dining room."
"It's just some youth groups, it's worth your praise." Sitting upright on the long couch, Mrs. Zhang's eyes fell on the youth groups. few.
"Ma'am, politeness is light and affection is heavy..." The old lady looked at her expression, and persuaded softly, "Are you still angry about what happened last time? Hey, why bother, girl, she left home suddenly at a young age. Married, I must feel wronged in my heart. She said some childish things, Madam, you mother, do you care about her?"
Mrs. Zhang sighed leisurely, "I don't want to argue with her, it's just that what she said last time really... oh, it really made me sad..."
The mother-in-law was slightly startled, and hurriedly said a good word to comfort her, and then said, "Okay, madam, don't think about that, and taste the taste of this green ball? This is the girl's heart."
"Hmm." Mrs. Zhang randomly picked up a piece, thinking it was an ordinary pastry, but after biting into it, she was stunned.
Seeing her expression, the mother-in-law thought something was wrong, and asked in surprise, "Ma'am?"
Mrs. Zhang came back to her senses, shook her head, "It's okay."
As he spoke, he ate the green ball stuffed with rose bean paste in one bite after another.
The mother-in-law saw how delicious her food was, and said with a smile, "The cakes made by the imperial chef are different. Our family also made some green balls, but I don't see you like them so much, madam."
Mrs. Zhang seemed a little embarrassed, picked up a handkerchief to cover the corners of her lips, and said softly, "This taste is quite good, you should take one and try it too."
The mother-in-law tried again and again, but in the end Zhang stuffed one. After eating it, her eyes widened and she exclaimed, "God, is this something that gods eat? This old slave has lived for most of his life. Having eaten such a good dim sum... It's not a servant bragging, it's not in vain to taste such a mouthful in this life."
Mrs. Zhang was amused by her, "It's not so exaggerated."
"Some, some." The mother-in-law couldn't bear to eat half of it, and carefully wrapped it in a handkerchief, thinking about taking it home for her grandson to eat.
"Ma'am, the girl sent such delicious green balls, maybe she is apologizing to you for what happened last time." The woman said, "Don't annoy her, mother and daughter don't have overnight grudges."
Mrs. Zhang pursed her lips, stared at Qingtuan for a while, then murmured softly, "I'm sorry..."
What's wrong with Artie? When I went back to the door last time, there was no noise or disturbance, I just left a word like that lightly, and then left indifferently.
But such a detached and calm attitude made her terrified, as if she was going to lose her daughter in the next moment.
"You said, should I find a chance to visit her in the palace? I don't know if she is suitable for life in the palace." Zhang Shi pursed her lips unnaturally, and said in a low voice, "Before, before maybe It was because I pushed her too hard that this child resented me... "
The mother-in-law didn't know how to answer, so she faltered and didn't make a sound.
"But I did all that for her own good. I am her own mother. Can I not look forward to her? Why doesn't she understand me?" Mrs. Zhang seemed to be explaining, but also seemed to be doing it for herself. Find an excuse for peace of mind.
As for her daughter who keeps blaming her, saying that she is cruel and has booked this marriage with the prince...
Mrs. Zhang closed her eyes heavily. When she and Yuan Yuan made the marriage arrangements for their children, she never thought that Yuan Yuan would pass away soon, let alone that the prince would fall into the ice lake, and his body would be broken and he would become a sick body.
But the marriage has already been decided, and Yuan Yuan has been friends with him for many years, how could he break his promise and dissolve the marriage after her death
What's more, the marriage with the royal family can't be dissolved just by saying it.
Thinking about the past, Mrs. Zhang felt a lot of melancholy, wanted to blame, but didn't know who to blame, and finally could only blame the impermanence of this world and the mischief of nature.
...
Because of the cold food festival, the Qingtuan received a bunch of rewards from Tao Ti, and they kept a book of them in satisfaction. They even wondered if they should send more food to the emperor and concubines in the future, so as to receive more rewards
Of course, she was just thinking about it, and if she gave too much, it would seem too deliberate.
Besides, since the last time we ate the Youth League together and played a few games of catching the blind, the fifth prince and the sixth princess would run to Tao Ti almost whenever they had time, and they tended to regard her Yaoguang Palace as their second home.
Tao Ti didn't expect that she would be liked by children like this, but she also knew that a large part of the reason why these two little guys ran so diligently to Yaoguang Palace was because they were greedy for her food.
On this day, the fifth prince and sixth princess came to Yaoguang Palace again.
Tao Ti cooked a pot of stewed red beans, taro, and milk, and also fried a plate of crispy chicken tenders. These two snacks are easy to make and delicious, and both adults and children love to eat them.
To make red bean and taro milk stew, first boil the soaked red beans until soft, steam the taro, peel it and cut it into small pieces, then put the two ingredients and milk together to cook.
There was no condensed milk in ancient times, so Tao Ti put some maltose and rock sugar, the milk was bubbling, and the rich aroma of milk and sugar wafted around, making the air softer.
After the dessert here was ready, Tao Ti asked the palace staff to divide it into three bowls and let it cool down a bit.
She herself turned around to make crispy chicken tenderloin, selected fresh chicken breast, and patted it with the back of a knife a few times to make the meat more tender and firm, then cut it into small strips along the chicken texture, and wrapped it in egg liquid. Dip it in bread crumbs, put it in an oil pan, and fry it until golden. The children next door... oh no, the palace people of Yaoguang Palace, the five princes and six princesses are all crying!
Compared with the gentle and sweet aroma of red bean and taro milk stew, the aroma of fried chicken tenders is more attractive, and the aroma of meat fills the whole small kitchen at once.
Seeing the golden chicken fillets pulled out of the pan, the color was bright and the appearance was crispy, both the fifth prince and the sixth princess couldn't help swallowing.
"smell good!!"
"Sister-in-law, can I eat now, I'm hungry!"
"You two greedy cats, wash your hands first before you eat." Tao Ti smiled, and mixed two more dipping sauces for chicken tenders, one was chili sauce, and the other was sweet and sour sauce.
After bringing the snacks into the hall, Tao Ti picked up a chicken tenderloin and dipped it in the sweet and sour sauce.
The chicken tenderloin is fried to the right heat, golden and crispy. When you bite into it, the crispy skin makes a crackling sound. The chicken inside is tender and juicy. You can feel the oily and delicious juice of the chicken flowing on the tip of your tongue. The sweet and sour sauce has a moderate taste, and it has a different flavor when paired with chicken tenders, which is delicious.
Tao Ti thought about it while eating, and made some ketchup when she had time in the future, and then she could dip it in French fries.
The fifth prince and the sixth princess came back quickly after washing their hands. As soon as they were on the table, they ate happily, with scum hanging from the corners of their mouths.
The two of them especially like to eat crispy chicken fillets, and they put them into their mouths one by one, like two hamsters eating melon seeds. It didn't take long for a big plate of crispy chicken fillets to be drained.
The fifth prince's mouth was glistening, and he took a sip of the sweet and warm stewed red bean and taro milk, and asked casually, "Sister-in-law, I heard from my mother and concubine that it will be the 80th birthday of the fourth uncle in a short time. My brother is going to a banquet to celebrate his birthday, will you go with me when the time comes?"
Tao Ti was taken aback, then slowed down, and asked curiously, "Fourth uncle... who is it?"
Hearing this, the fifth prince immediately gave her a look of "No, you don't even know who the fourth uncle is, do you?"
Tao Ti raised her eyebrows slightly, as if she wanted to take away the red bean, taro and milk stew in front of him, the fifth prince hurriedly said, "No, no, sister-in-law, I will tell you!"
Tao Ti and the sixth princess couldn't help laughing when they saw how the fifth prince turned into a dog's leg in a second for the sake of food.
The fifth prince blushed, coughed pretentiously, and began to popularize science—
The fourth uncle in Xiaowu's mouth is Emperor Zhaokang's fourth emperor's uncle, Prince Yu of the Dayuan Dynasty. The old man has survived three emperors and is still healthy and vigorous. He is the oldest and most respected elder among the members of the royal family.
Five days later, it will be Prince Yu's 80th birthday. Emperor Zhaokang specially asked the prince to celebrate his birthday as a show of honor.
"I heard that all the dignitaries and dignitaries in Chang'an City will go. It must be very lively! Alas, it's a pity that Xiaoliu and I are still young, and we can't leave the palace, so we can't join in the excitement. Sister-in-law, when you go, if you meet Come back and tell us about something interesting?"
Tao Ti rubbed her nose in embarrassment, "But your prince brother hasn't mentioned this to me yet..."
"Sister-in-law, don't worry, the prince brother will definitely take you there. The fourth uncle likes the prince brother. He has been looking forward to the prince brother marrying a wife. Now that the prince brother has married you, he will definitely take you to meet the fourth uncle." Yes." Fifth Prince said.
The sixth princess also nodded her head, "Hmm!"
Tao Ti blinked, "Then I'll ask him tonight."
But he couldn't help thinking in his heart, did Pei Yan plan to tell himself later, or did he not plan to take him there at all
But on that kind of occasion, all kinds of royal relatives, wives, and noble ladies from aristocratic families will definitely be there. Just thinking about the scene of competing for beauty, Tao Ti couldn't help pursing her lips.
It's a large social Shura field!