At this moment, Xiao Huayong, with a pale face, was supported by the eunuchs and slowly sat down in the Mingzheng Hall.
"If Qilang has any problems, just send someone to ask father for help. You are weak, so don't neglect you in the future." Emperor Youning's reproachful tone could not conceal his concern.
"Father, ka ka ka ..." Xiao Huayong gasped and said, "I heard about Anxi's affairs... and remembered meeting Princess Zhaoning before... When she mentioned Duanzhengyue, I was touched and promised to ask for an imperial decree to allow his brother to come to the capital... to accompany her for the festival... ka ka ka ka..."
After a violent coughing that made his face red, Xiao Huayong reluctantly said, "Please help me, Dad."
Emperor Youning looked at his frail appearance helplessly and said, "It's just an imperial decree, why did you have to come here in person? Look at what you have done to yourself."
Xiao Huayong coughed lightly and looked at Emperor Youning with admiring eyes.
"Father will issue an edict tomorrow." Emperor Youning said gently, and then joked, "Qilang, how about father betrothing Zhaoning to you?"
Xiao Huayong's eyes lit up, but that light was fleeting: "Kakakaka... Father, I don't have many years left..."
"Nonsense, didn't the Imperial Medical Bureau say that as long as we find the best snow lotus, your body will slowly recover." Emperor Youning patted his shoulder with his warm palm, "Yong'er, your grandmother and father both hope that you will be well and look forward to you getting married and having children."
"Father... I will... take good care of me..." Xiao Huayong's words became increasingly difficult to pronounce.
Emperor Youning sighed deeply: "Rest here for a while and have dinner with father."
"Um."
The next morning, Shen Xihe received the imperial edict from Emperor Youning. The eunuch who delivered the message also pointed out to Shen Xihe that this was something that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince had personally requested in His Majesty's bedroom yesterday.
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince asked His Majesty for permission for Prince Shen Yun'an, the Prince of the Northwest, to come to the capital to accompany Princess Zhaoning for the holiday, which caused many people to envy him. There was no shortage of generals' wives stationed at the border all year round in the capital.
Some are naturally sour remarks, and some are purely envy.
Shen Xihe ignored all this. She was extremely happy when she received the imperial decree, as she could finally see her brother.
After being happy, she began to think about how to express her gratitude to Xiao Huayong. She should thank him for the Anxi matter and for her brother's trip to Beijing.
"He... seems to like thinking about food." Shen Xihe thought of how Xiao Huayong would make delicious food every time she went to the East Palace, and would often send someone to deliver food boxes to her, "I'll make him a bowl of wontons."
After all, they are unmarried couples, so many things are inconvenient to give as gifts. Food seems to be the best way to show their care and the least likely to attract criticism.
Shen Xihe can cook. When she is in the northwest, she will prepare some delicious food for Shen Yueshan and Shen Yun'an.
A bowl of wontons is not difficult to make, but when she was in the northwest, the most she could do was to prepare the filling, while kneading the dough, wrapping and cooking were all the servants' jobs.
Her strength did not allow her to knead the dough with a good texture, but she was still responsible for making and cooking the wontons herself.
She prepared two kinds of fillings, one was a fishy filling, with pork, boneless fish and shrimp, and served with pepper, Sichuan peppercorns, onions and a special sauce.
The meat filling is made of boneless pheasant, with walnuts and pine nuts added, and served with the same seasoning.