Mrs. Wei's pupils shrank slightly, but her expression remained unchanged. "Princess, I have served the Concubine Dowager for decades. I know the Concubine Dowager's taste best..."
"Then you should also know how the Concubine Dowager would deal with you if she knew that you were working for Concubine Dao under her name?" Jiang Changning interrupted her and said with a smile.
The concubine was born into a noble family and was particular about pomp and face. Even if she was eating the best food, she would not lower herself to ask her daughter-in-law for it.
Mrs. Wei's action violated the Dowager Concubine's taboo. Even though she was an old lady serving the Dowager Concubine, she was afraid that she would not get any good result.
"Princess, I have come here specially to tell you what the Concubine Dowager likes. A dish of pig stomach and chicken can please the Concubine Dowager. Why not, Princess?" Old Woman Wei softened her voice.
Apparently she remembered the maid who was sent to the washroom to do laundry because of Jiang Changning's complaint, and she quickly changed her attitude.
"Mother Wei, do I look like a fool?" Jiang Changning raised her eyebrows. "Mother Wei, you have to remember that this is the Prince Jin's Mansion, and I am the Princess of Jin."
After saying that, Jiang Changning ignored her and turned back to the warm room.
"Mrs. Wei, please." Fang Ju sent the annoyed Mrs. Wei out.
At noon, when it was almost time for dinner, Jiang Changning brought two dishes and personally delivered them to Liuxuanyuan.
The concubine was happy that her daughter-in-law was filial, but Jiang Changning's next words made her unable to laugh.
"Mother, Madam Wei told me this morning that the pig stomach and chicken dish we had yesterday was very popular with you, so she asked me to send it again today. I thought that since we had eaten it yesterday, I might get sick of it if I eat it again today, so I asked the cook to make two other dishes that are also refreshing. Mother, please try them and see if they suit your taste."
Jiang Changning prepared one dish and one soup for the concubine. The dish was a vegetarian assortment with sesame sauce, and the soup was bamboo fungus liver paste soup.
Madam Cui's cooking skills are quite good, and Jiang Changning has always been very satisfied with her.
After tasting it, Toffee also thought it was good, "You are thoughtful."
After having lunch with the Concubine Dowager, Jiang Changning returned to Rujingyuan. She didn't care how the Concubine Dowager scolded Mrs. Wei.
Prince Jin returned to the palace in the middle of the night. Fearing to disturb Jiang Changning, he stayed in the Hongyi Courtyard in front.
The next morning, when Mrs. Qiao learned about this, she was very happy. "As expected, treating the emperor with beauty cannot last long. It only took more than a month before she fell out of favor."
But her joy did not last long. After having breakfast with the Concubine Dowager, the Prince of Jin said, "Mother, I have something to do and need to take you out. We will not be back for dinner."
"What's the matter?" asked the concubine.
"An old friend is coming to Beijing, so we will host a banquet in his honor," said the King of Jin.
"Your Highness, you can invite them to your house as guests. I will ask the kitchen to prepare the meal." Qiao interrupted.
Prince Jin did not respond to her words, but stood up and said, "Mother, your son is taking your daughter-in-law out."
Jiang Changning curled the corners of his lips, then stood up and bowed, saying, "Mother, I'm leaving."
"Go ahead." The toffee said with a smile.
When the couple returned to Rujingyuan, Jiang Changning asked King Jin, "Do you need to prepare a gift for our old friend?"
"No old friends." King Jin laughed.
Jiang Changning looked back at Prince Jin in surprise. She didn't expect that Prince Jin would lie to the Concubine Dowager.
King Jin walked up to her, stretched out his right index finger, and tapped her nose lightly, "Ningning, do you remember what you promised me?"
Jiang Changning looked confused. Did she promise him anything
"You really don't remember." There was a hint of disappointment in Prince Jin's eyes.
Jiang Changning smiled flatteringly and said, "Yong Zhou, please remind me."
"I want to remind you of this." Prince Jin tapped his lips with his finger.
Jiang Changning was not reserved and put out her hand to hook Prince Jin's neck. They had done intimate things many times before, including kissing and nibbling, so there was no need to be shy.
Looking at her watery eyes, Prince Jin wanted to break his promise. How about going out another day
His little princess probably wouldn't agree to that in broad daylight, so the Prince of Jin resisted the urge to carry her to bed and chuckled, "The day after you were conferred the title of County Princess, you went to the palace to express your gratitude and promised me outside the palace gate, do you remember?"
Jiang Changning remembered and smiled, "I promised to treat you to a meal."
"We have promised for so long, isn't it time to fulfill it?" asked King Jin.
Jiang Changning smiled and said, "I'll do it today. Once I change my clothes, we'll go out. I'll treat Yong Zhou to the Lin'an Guild Hall and let him eat the famous Hangzhou dishes."
"Okay, I'll listen to Ningning today." Prince Jin said with a smile.
Jiang Changning left the warm room and called the maid to help her dress and put on makeup.
A quarter of an hour later, the couple went out with their entourage and headed for the street.
The capital city, located at the foot of the emperor, has always been the most prosperous and lively place.
Even in the coldest months of winter, the streets are still bustling with people, and the street vendors are shouting their wares.
The couple both wore ordinary clothes with simple styles and luxurious fabrics. In addition, they both had elegant temperaments and outstanding looks, so they were quite eye-catching when walking on the street.
The hawkers' cries became quieter. It was obvious that the couple were from a wealthy family and they would not buy cheap goods from the roadside stalls.
But to their surprise, Jiang Changning stopped in front of a stall selling jewelry, trinkets and spices from the Western Regions.
"These jewelries are too simple and not suitable for you to wear. If you like this style, let the Neizaofu make it for you." Prince Jin said in a low voice when he saw her picking up the pair of bracelets.
"I like this pattern, but it's too much trouble to describe it to the craftsman. Why not buy this pair of bracelets and let the craftsman make them accordingly?" Jiang Changning's eyes flickered. "Yong Zhou, don't you want to buy it for me?"
"Buy it. Even if you want the moon in the sky, I will pick it for you." King Jin smiled dotingly.
Jiang Changning raised his eyebrows and asked, "When you ask someone for the moon, do you mean you want a basin of water?"
Thanks, she doesn't need it.
"How much are these bracelets?" Jiang Changning asked the stall owner.
"Three taels of silver." The stall owner asked for an exorbitant price.
Jiang Changning smiled, "Fifteen cents."
When the King of Jin saw her bargaining, he laughed and said, "Three taels of silver is not expensive."
Jiang Changning glanced at him and said, "Don't talk. The fun of shopping is bargaining."
"Madam, all these things of mine are from the Western Regions, which are very far away from the capital. It's not easy to travel thousands of miles to the capital, sleeping in the open air, and traveling by boat and carriage. I can only earn enough money to support my family." The stall owner complained.
"If you tell me a real price, I will buy it. If you keep asking for a random price, forget it. I don't really like this bracelet either." Jiang Changning said, putting the bracelet back on the stall.
"One penny, madam, take it."
"Fifty cents, will you sell it to me?" Jiang Changning raised the price readily.
The stall owner glanced at King Jin and said with a smile, "Thank you, ma'am."
"Husband, give me money." Jiang Changning picked up the bracelet.
Prince Jin smiled, took out a copper coin from his purse and handed it to the stall owner.
(End of this chapter)