King Xing of Qi suddenly made a grand visit, but the servants in the palace could not be vague and had to arrange everything properly.
Before Huan Xuan arrived, several groups of servants came from the palace.
Every servant was well-trained, and soon they had tidied up the place where the King of Qi stayed, removing weeds, trimming branches and leaves, and cleaning the Qinghan Courtyard where he stayed spotlessly. They replaced all the tables, screens, mats, curtains, incense burners and study desks with the ones he was used to.
Before the glow of the western sky faded away, lights were turned on in every corner of Shanchi Courtyard, especially in the main courtyard, waiting for the arrival of King Qi.
Smoke rose from the big kitchen, and more than a dozen cooks were coming in and out, busying themselves.
Uncle Fu and other servants of Shanchiyuan had been waiting outside the gate early in the morning, just waiting to welcome the emperor.
Everyone was busy, only Sui Sui and her servant Chun Tiao seemed to have been forgotten - Sui Sui had no name or status, and strictly speaking, she was not even considered a member of the Prince Qi's Mansion, so it was not even her turn to welcome the emperor.
Although Chun Tiao had been a maid in an official's family, how could a governor of a small border state compare with the prince's younger brother, the legitimate prince who commanded a large number of troops
She had never seen such a scene before, and she panicked. She could only ask Sui Sui for advice. She didn't even realize that she had gradually come to regard this cheap master as her backbone.
Lu Suisui, an orphan hunter girl, remained calm: "We take care of our meals, you eat first, I'll go take a bath and change clothes."
She said this and turned and walked out the door.
Chun Tiao opened the lid of the pot and saw the white soup boiling in the pot. The rich aroma burst out, making people's appetite increase.
She scooped a small spoonful into the dish, took a bite, and almost swallowed her tongue.
She gave him another small piece of drunken pine mushroom soaked in rice wine sauce and widened her eyes in surprise. This cooking skill was probably not even as good as that of the kitchen manager in their governor's office.
If we don’t let the King of Qi have a taste of such excellent cooking, wouldn’t it be like walking in the night in gorgeous clothes
Although there is still a long time to go, who knows when the King of Qi will come again
She rolled her eyes, turned around, opened the cupboard, picked and chose, and found a large celadon bowl with a lotus petal pattern, filled it with chicken soup, and also took out a plate of drunken pine mushrooms, put them in the food box, held it carefully, and walked towards the main courtyard.
Chun Tiao was lucky, because the guard Ma Zhongshun who was guarding outside the main courtyard gate happened to be familiar with her.
She also mended his clothes once.
Ma Zhongshun had a liking for this sweet-mouthed and charming round-faced girl, so even though it was a bit against the rules, he still sent the food box in.
When Gao Mai heard that the side dishes and chicken soup were made by Lady Lu herself, he pondered for a moment, ordered someone to take out a small amount to test for poison. After making sure that there was no problem, he put the chicken soup and the dinner that had just been prepared in the kitchen in a steamer and steamed it over a low fire.
Although His Highness treated the young lady as a substitute, since he came here so eagerly for her and didn't even go back to the palace, there's no guarantee that she will have a good future.
He didn't want to make a good relationship, but there was no need for him to make things difficult for the young lady.
Their prince has been torturing himself for so many years because of that woman, and they, the slaves, can't stand it anymore. They just hope that there will be someone who understands him by his side.
Just as he was thinking about it, he heard the sound of wheels and horse hooves in the distance. The King of Qi had arrived.
Huan Xuan got off the carriage and walked into the main courtyard. He glanced at the servants standing respectfully in the courtyard, but did not see the hunter woman.
He didn't ask and walked straight into the hall.
He looked around and saw that the mattresses and couches were almost the same as those he was used to in the palace. The incense burner was burning with familiar incense balls. Everything was to his liking, so he nodded slightly and said, "Serve the meal."
After a while, the eunuchs came in one after another carrying food tables, wine and dishes.
Huan Xuan was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, and was famous for his attention to food, clothing, housing and transportation. It wasn't that he was extravagant, he was just particular about things.
Although the food and drink at the border were simple, it was a compromise he had to make. As long as conditions permitted, his tongue would return to its former cunning state.
As everyone knows, the best chef in Chang'an is not in the Shangshi Bureau in the palace, but in the Prince of Qi's Mansion.
There were not many dishes on the table, but all of them were the chefs’ signature dishes that were prepared with great effort, with well-balanced five flavors and good color, aroma and taste.
If a dish can get a "not bad" from His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi, the chef will be proud for the whole year.
Huan Xuan seemed to be uninterested. He raised his jade chopsticks, picked out the ones he liked and tasted them, without saying a word.
Gao Mai gave a wink, and someone brought Sui Sui's soup and one dish on a tray.
The tableware had naturally been changed. The chicken soup was served in a Shanghao Yue porcelain bowl, and the drunken pine mushrooms were placed on a silver plate with curling grass patterns. But compared with those exquisite dishes, it was still plain and almost shabby.
Huan Xuan picked up the silver spoon and tasted the chicken soup, then nodded: "This soup is good."
He took another sip, put down the spoon, picked up another Drunken Pine Mushroom and put it into his mouth, raising his eyebrows slightly: "Not bad."
He paused and said, "Has there been a new cook in the mansion?"
He even said two good points, which surprised even Gao Mai.
He felt that he had done something great, and was slightly proud of himself. He rubbed his hands and said with a smile, "Your Highness, this side dish and this soup were made by Lady Lu herself.
Cooked... "
Huan Xuan was stunned for a moment before he remembered that Lady Lu was the hunter woman. His face darkened slightly and he retracted the jade chopsticks that were reaching for the second piece of Drunken Pine Mushroom.
He put down his jade chopsticks and said coldly, "Call the hunter girl over here."
When the eunuch came over to deliver the message, Sui Sui was having dinner with Chun Tiao - they were not formal master and servant, but they would eat together as long as there was no one else around.
Sui Sui put down the bamboo chopsticks, wondering what Huan Xuan asked her to do at this time. The palace had strict rules and there were special eunuchs to serve meals, so she should not be needed.
Chun Tiao, however, was giggling, with a smug look on her face. She had held back on mentioning the lunch box being sent to the main courtyard because she wanted to give her a surprise.
Sui Sui didn't understand what was going on, so he straightened his clothes and followed the eunuch to the main courtyard.
After passing through two doors and arriving at the inner courtyard hall, the eunuch lifted the bamboo curtain and casually saw Huan Xuan sitting at the dining table.
Although his face was expressionless and his eyes were slightly cold, which was very different from the man in her memory, as soon as she saw that familiar face, she couldn't help but ignore his expression and attitude, and her eyes immediately softened.
"I, Lu, pay my respects to Your Highness." She bowed and saluted, her movements somewhat awkwardly. As soon as she raised her head, her eyes were fixed on Huan Xuan's face again.
Huan Xuan frowned slightly when he heard her voice.
This woman's eyes were brighter than those of ordinary people. Wild girls had no idea what shame was, and the way she stared at him greedily and passionately made his eyes seem particularly dazzling.
A lady from a noble family like Ruan Yuewei would never look at others in this way.
He glanced at the food tray: "Did you make this?"
Sui Sui then noticed that the bowl in front of him contained the chicken soup and drunken pine mushrooms she had made.
She immediately understood the whole cause and effect and realized that it was the little girl Harujo who had made things worse.
She replied calmly: "Your Highness, it was done by me."
Huan Xuan turned to Gao Mai and said calmly, "Take it out and pour it out."
When these words came out, the eunuchs present were all shocked. They saw that His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi did not even return to the palace, but ran to the Shanchi Courtyard eagerly, and thought that he valued this lady Lu.
It was clear that he admired her craftsmanship just now, and they thought he called her over to commend her or even reward her, but who knew this would be the result.
Gao Mai was a worldly-wise man after all. He was the first to react and realized that he had meant well but ended up doing something wicked.
Back in the Empress Dowager's Palace, Ruan Yuewei would occasionally cook on a whim and would always send the food to His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi first to taste. Gao Mai naturally thought that Lu Suisui's action would please him.
However, the same thing also depends on who is doing it.
If the daughter of the marquisate, who grew up with your Highness as a childhood sweetheart, did it, it would be like washing her hands and cooking for the soup; but if the poor and helpless hunter girl did it, it would be like currying favor and fawning on you, which shows that her intentions are not right.
Unfortunately, it was too late to realize it now.
When the King of Qi got angry, everyone present was silent, shrinking their necks and looking at their noses and their noses.
Only Sui Sui showed no fear at all, and still looked at Huan Xuan with her bright eyes.
She had known for a long time that Huan Xuan had a bad temper. Although they had hardly ever met properly, she understood him much better than he imagined.
If Chunjo had discussed it with her beforehand, she would never have let her send the soup and vegetables over.
The waiter picked up the tray, lowered his head and walked out quickly.
Sui Sui couldn't help but reveal a look of regret.
Those pine mushrooms are very rare.
Chang'an has a dry climate, which is not suitable for the growth of fungi. Thanks to the heavy rain this autumn and the damp forest, the fungi are able to grow.
Matsutake mushrooms are even rarer, and she searched for a long time in the woods before finding just this small handful.
Chicken soup is fine, but drunken pine mushrooms with porridge are a great dish.
If you don't want to eat it, you can give it to others. At least it's not a waste after entering your stomach. But he just threw it away.
Sui Sui should have been angry, but when she saw his face, she couldn't be angry anymore.
No matter what bad things he did, she would not care about it, because she knew that she was destined to get more from him than he did.
Huan Xuan ignored her and just looked at Gao Mai with eyes as sharp as a knife.
Gao Mai was used to observing people's words and expressions, and he knew that he couldn't escape this time, so it would be best for him to plead guilty.
Lu Suisui was not a servant of the palace after all, so it was natural that she didn't know the rules, and His Highness couldn't really punish her. But they were different.
He knelt down on the ground tremblingly: "Your Highness, please calm down. It is the old servant's fault. Madam Lu does not know the rules of the mansion. Your Highness, please punish me."
He is usually very agile, but whenever necessary, he can immediately act like an old man.
Huan Xuan could see what the old man was thinking, and snorted coldly: "Of course he should be punished."
He paused and said, "I will spare you the caning because of your old age, but I will fine you one year's salary."
He then punished all the eunuchs and cooks who were involved in the incident, and even those who knew about it, with a monthly salary of three to six months.
The most miserable one was Ma Zhongshun, who took the food box at the beginning. Not only was he fined one year's salary and beaten with twenty sticks, he was also punished to stay in this mountain pond courtyard to guard the garden for a year.
Gao Mai glanced at Lu Suisui with sympathy. It was not known whether this young lady was kind-hearted or ignorant of the world, but she still looked as if nothing had happened. She didn't know that after this punishment from their prince, she would be isolated and helpless in the future.
He had a wealthy family, so being fined one year's salary was not a big deal to him. But many eunuchs relied on this monthly salary to make a living, so how could they not feel the pain
His Highness's punishment is to tell everyone clearly that he does not care about this woman.
Who will dare to meddle in other people’s affairs and lend a helping hand in the future
Sui Sui noticed the old eunuch's gaze and showed an apologetic look. She was not worried about being excluded. After all, she could handle any situation no matter what it was.
But because many people were implicated because of her, she felt a little guilty.
Huan Xuan quickly dealt with the servants and then looked coldly at Sui Sui.
It was such a shame in public. If it were a woman with a thinner skin, even if she wasn't extremely ashamed and angry, she would at least cover her face and cry.
But this hunter woman still has the leisure to feel pity for others.
Huan Xuan's gaze swept across her face like the north wind, as if to scrape off a layer of skin.
Lu Suisui showed no fear at all, and still looked at him with those burning eyes, which were full of affection.
I don’t know if she is too confident about her beauty or if she is really too bold.
Huan Xuan somehow recalled the feeling of her slightly calloused hand touching his cheek. It felt itchy, numb, and rude, but it didn't seem that annoying.
His throat felt dry and his Adam's apple moved.
He cleared his throat unconsciously and said in a deep voice: "Do you want to stay?"
In fact, there is no need to ask. Anyone with eyes can see that this girl is eager to stay with him.
Sure enough, the hunter girl nodded and said frankly, "Reporting to Your Highness, I want to."
Huan Xuan's face seemed to be covered with a layer of frost: "Then do less unnecessary things."
After a pause, he said, "This king hates people who think they are smart the most."
Sui Sui said respectfully: "Yes, I understand."
Huan Xuan did not feel relieved, but instead felt a surge of nameless anger in his heart.
Her submissiveness made him seem unreasonable.
His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi certainly does not think that he is taking advantage of the situation.
He raised his eyebrows and said coldly: "If you understand, then leave."
He bowed and obediently left.