The Grand Concubine's condition kept relapsing, sometimes she was conscious and sometimes she couldn't recognize people.
Jiang Yanyi had said before that he would go to pay New Year's greetings, but because the Grand Empress Dowager was ill again, only the Chu family came forward to send gifts.
That day, Feng Shuo sent someone to deliver a message saying that the Grand Empress Dowager wanted to see her.
Jiang Yanyi usually takes good care of herself as long as she doesn't go out. She always does whatever is comfortable for her. Thanks to her innate advantages, her skin is as smooth as milk. If the winter in Xizhou wasn't too dry and cold, she would have been too lazy to apply moisturizing ointment.
She hurriedly washed and dressed again. Jiang Yanyi's facial features were too bright and she was afraid that the Grand Concubine Dowager would not like it, so she pulled down the ends of her eyebrows when putting on makeup, which made her look more gentle. She only applied a light powder on her face and put on some crimson lipstick, and her jade-like face was already considered a national beauty.
The dress was a lotus-colored brocade ribbon with silver silk satin, which was neither gaudy nor too plain. In this era, thinness was considered beautiful, but unfortunately Jiang Yanyi was not thin at all. Fortunately, she had a slender waist. She tied the waistband tighter, revealing her willow waist, which also made her figure more exquisite.
Aunt Guo was helping Jiang Yanyi to put her hair into a bun. Huo Jianjia stood by and looked calmly at Jiang Yanyi's bulging chest, then stared at her own flat chest, and then looked at Qiu Kui beside her.
Qiu Kui has gained weight recently, and the newly made wedding dress is too tight for her body, and her chest is naturally very ample.
Huo Jianjia tightened the collar of her shirt a little with an expressionless face.
The heavy weight of fighting on your chest is a burden!
***
After finishing her makeup, Jiang Yanyi took a hundred-year-old ginseng and went to Feng Mansion.
The housekeeper Fuxi was very warm to her and led her directly to Mingtan Courtyard where the Grand Empress Dowager was staying.
Even though he had prepared himself mentally, Jiang Yanyi was still amazed when he saw Feng Shuo's mother.
It was the first sunny day after the snow, the morning light was faint and thin, and the cold light and shadows shone on the quaint and deep courtyard. There were water stains on the bluestone floor tiles left by the melted snow, which made it inexplicably cold.
The Grand Empress Dowager was picking plum branches in the courtyard herself. She was wearing a crimson purple dress made of soft silver and a fox fur cloak on her shoulders to keep her warm. The skin on her face was so white that it seemed to glow in the morning light. Because of the posture of raising her hands to pick the branches, half of her frosty white wrists were exposed. She didn't wear any gold, silver or jade bracelets on her wrists, only a copper coin strung together with a red thread.
But the red line seemed to be old, dull in color and badly worn.
"My lady, Miss Chu is here."
As soon as Fuxi entered the courtyard, he reported to the Grand Empress Dowager.
Jiang Yanyi bowed and saluted: "Greetings to the Grand Empress Dowager."
The Grand Concubine handed the plum blossom branch she had just picked to the maid behind her. When she turned to look at Jiang Yanyi, a smile appeared in her eyes: "Hurry up, good boy. I've been waiting for you to come."
She stepped forward and held Jiang Yanyi's hand. Perhaps because of the wind outside, her fingertips felt a little cold.
The Grand Concubine looked Jiang Yanyi up and down, and the more she looked, the deeper her smile became: "I don't know how many lifetimes it took for that rascal to have such good fortune."
Jiang Yanyi was really worried and said hurriedly, "You are embarrassing me."
The Grand Empress Dowager took her hand and walked towards the warm room, smiling and saying, "Why bother? I said it was his blessing, so it is his blessing. You are a child with a soft temper. You have to be more powerful in the future to subdue that brat."
As soon as they entered the warm room, maids came forward to help them take off their cold-proof cloaks.
There was a floor heater in the warm room, and it was so warm that I felt a little hot just wearing a satin jacket.
Seeing that Jiang Yanyi had only taken off his cloak and had no intention of taking off the rabbit fur scarf around his neck, the Grand Empress Dowager couldn't help but ask, "Are you feeling cold?"
Just came in from outside, Jiang Yanyi's face was steamed pink by the hot air, gorgeous and a bit charming. She shook her head and said, "It's not cold, it's just that I have a cold, so I dare not be careless."
If the Grand Concubine saw the shocking marks on her neck, she would be afraid that she would not be able to live as a human being.
When the Grand Concubine heard that she had caught a cold, she said some caring words, then took out a warm-colored mutton-fat jade bracelet from her jewelry box and put it on Jiang Yanyi:
"I'm sick from time to time, so I don't have the energy to take care of Yannu even if I want to. That child has been through a lot, and his temperament is a little more paranoid than others, but his nature is not bad. I'm handing him over to you. If I'm gone in the future, I hope you can support him and live your life with him."
Feng Shuo's nickname was Yannu.
The emperor's name was Feng Shiyan, and Feng Shuo's nickname somewhat meant Feng Shiyan's servant.
Jiang Yanyi knew something about Feng Shuo's past, and after hearing what the Grand Concubine said, she felt distressed. She said, "Don't worry."
The Grand Concubine Dowager then revealed a relieved smile.
The two talked about other things, and when they talked about the flower house, the Grand Concubine Dowager was quite knowledgeable about flowers. The peppers that Jiang Yanyi planted in the flower house of Feng Mansion had been picked all the time, and now there were still some green and red peppers hanging on the pepper plants.
The Grand Concubine Dowager smiled and said, "This pepper is hard to take care of. You planted so many, I'm afraid it must have taken a lot of effort."
The Grand Concubine Dowager was so beautiful that when she smiled, Jiang Yanyi felt a little dizzy. He said honestly, "It's mainly for food."
"Eat?" The Grand Concubine Dowager was slightly stunned.
Jiang Yanyi finally realized what stupid thing she had said. She could only bite the bullet and said, "Chili peppers are much more fragrant than pepper when used as seasoning."
The Grand Concubine Dowager was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter: "You are really an open-minded child. Things that are worth a fortune outside are just condiments for your meals."
Jiang Yanyi felt guilty after being praised, and said, "Your Majesty, you are too kind. I just wanted to satisfy my appetite."
The joy on the face of the Grand Concubine Dowager became more and more obvious: "Life is only a hundred years long, and we must always have something to pursue. What's wrong with satisfying our appetite? I still miss the taste of the rose shortbread on the Yangzhou Grand Canal. The rose shortbread I ate in the palace didn't taste that way. Now in Xizhou, no one knows how to make it if I want to try it."
When the Grand Concubine Dowager spoke of this, there was a hint of melancholy on her face, and she smiled and shook her head.
There are dietary differences between the north and the south, and transportation was inconvenient in that era, so some snacks unique to the south were difficult to find in the north.
She is from Yangzhou, but has been in the opera troupe in Yangzhou city since she can remember. She has no idea who her father or mother is.
Jiang Yanyi said, "I am fortunate to have learned how to make rose shortbread. If Your Majesty doesn't mind, I can make it for you to try."
The Grand Concubine Dowager's eyes showed some joy: "How come you are so skillful? I will have a good meal today."
There were ready-made roses in the greenhouse of the Feng Mansion. When the servants in the mansion heard that the Grand Empress Dowager wanted to eat rose cakes, they immediately went to the greenhouse and picked a lot of fresh rose petals and brought them over.
There was someone in the kitchen watching over the food being prepared for the Grand Empress Dowager. The Grand Empress Dowager was a humble person, so she followed the food into the small kitchen.
It was still early, and the rose petals were still covered with dew after being picked. The petals were thick and fragrant. They were spread out in a bamboo sieve, and they were particularly pleasing to the eye just by looking at them.
Jiang Yanyi washed the petals with water and drained them, then added sugar and rubbed them into rose jam. Since it looked a bit dry, she added some honey to increase the moisture and adjust the fragrance. The mixed rose jam was marinated in the dark for a while, which could retain the original fragrance of the flowers and remove the bitterness in the petals.
The more troublesome part is preparing the water-oil dough and pastry for the filling.
The cook at Shuifeng Mansion had learned how to make egg tarts from Jiang Yanyi before, so the two knew each other and she could also help Jiang Yanyi when he prepared the dough.
When kneading the water-oil dough, add sugar and knead until the surface of the dough is smooth. However, the oil pastry is made by adding boiled oil to the flour and kneading it.
The cook was surprised to see that Jiang Yanyi had prepared two kinds of dough. "So, to make these rose shortbreads, you need two kinds of dough. I was trying to make them according to the recipe that the young lady taught me before, but no wonder they were always wrong."
Jiang Yanyi smiled and said, "The base for making egg tarts is oil puff pastry. Without the water-oil dough, the tarts will easily fall apart and will be difficult to place on a plate."
The taste will also be a bit greasy, covering up the original fragrance of the rose filling.
The cook nodded as if she had been taught.
After the water-oil dough and the oil pastry are made, roll them into equal-sized dough pieces. Jiang Yanyi demonstrated to the cook, "Wrap the oil pastry dough with the water-oil dough like the glutinous rice balls. Flatten it with a rolling pin and roll it up. Flatten it again and roll it into a dough roll. Press the index finger in the middle and the dough roll will be folded in the middle. After flattening, the dough piece is ready."
The cook got the hang of it quickly. After Jiang Yanyi had her cook a few dishes, the cook basically learned it.
The Empress Dowager was curious and tried to make the dough herself after washing her hands.
Jiang Yanyi gave instructions from time to time and corrected the actions of the Grand Concubine Dowager, and then said: "The dough of the wisteria flower shortbread is also made in the same way. When spring comes, your Majesty can try making wisteria flower shortbread. The taste is no worse than the rose shortbread."
The Grand Concubine Dowager said: "Thanks to your child, I will have to give it a try when the time comes."
Jiang Yanyi was an expert in cooking, and the Grand Empress Dowager was kind, so she was not as reserved as she had been at the beginning. The two of them discussed almost all the flowers and trees that could be used to make cakes and dishes in different seasons.
The Grand Empress Dowager asked people to write down all the flowers and trees, saying that she would pull out all the flowers and trees that could not be used for cooking in the greenhouse and replace them with those that could be used for cooking. Jiang Yanyi didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and thought that the Grand Empress Dowager was also an interesting person.
The cook was responsible for making the dough, and Jiang Yanyi started to prepare the filling.
After frying the glutinous rice flour over low heat, she also fried some chopped peanuts, chopped almonds and white sesame seeds and mixed them into the rose jam. The glutinous rice flour can increase the viscosity of the rose jam, making it soft and sticky, while the peanuts and almonds are crispy, with a very rich taste and a fragrant taste.
Knead the mixed rose filling into small balls, flatten the dough with a rolling pin, wrap the filling and press it into a pancake shape, brush a layer of egg liquid on the surface, poke some small holes with a thin bamboo stick and bake in the oven to prevent the pancake from expanding due to heat and breaking.
When a tray of shortbread comes out of the oven, the crust is crispy and yellow, and you can smell the faint rose fragrance inside before you even bite it open.
The cook of Feng Mansion was a discerning person. She could see that the Grand Concubine also liked Jiang Yanyi, so she praised him: "Miss Chu is really skillful. I can smell the delicious food just by smelling it."
Jiang Yanyi took one and handed it to the Grand Concubine Dowager: "Try it."
The Grand Concubine Dowager was delighted, and the food she ate tasted a little sweeter: "This filling is well seasoned."
"Your Majesty, the prince is here!" Fu Xi went into the small kitchen to deliver the message, his face almost wrinkled with laughter.
The Grand Concubine glanced at Jiang Yanyi, smiled and shook her head: "Normally, he couldn't spare the time to come here even though I repeatedly ordered him to do so. Today, it's not even time for dinner yet, and he's here now."
Jiang Yanyi felt embarrassed by the look from the Grand Concubine Dowager, and said, "The prince was just busy with official duties in the past, and he must have been thinking about honoring you in his heart."
The Grand Concubine Dowager laughed and said, "Your mouth is as sweet as honey."
The two of them left the kitchen, and the little maid followed them to the warm room carrying freshly baked rose cakes.
As soon as he entered the warm room, Jiang Yanyi smelled a peculiar fragrance.
The Grand Empress Dowager was also startled: "Stinky tofu?"
Jiang Yanyi remembered that he had mumbled last night that he wanted to eat stinky tofu, and his face flushed. He secretly glanced at Feng Shuo.
Today Feng Shuo was wearing a black python robe with silver cloud patterns embroidered on the cuffs. He looked like a falling star when he walked. He had his jade crown tied high on his head, but his eyes and brows still revealed a coldness that kept strangers away.
He had never seen Jiang Yanyi wearing a dress that showed off her waistline like this. His eyes swept across her slender waist, which could be grasped with one hand, and lingered for a moment on her chest, which was forced to be more prominent in order to highlight her slender waist.
The chaos of last night flashed before his eyes. His ears turned red and his eyes darkened. He quickly looked away and called out, "Mother."
When the Grand Empress Dowager came into the room and saw the stinky tofu on the table, she smiled from ear to ear: "You are so thoughtful. I only mentioned to Nanny Song that I wanted to eat it before, and you ordered someone to buy it back today."
"As long as mother likes it." Feng Shuo responded absentmindedly, seemingly thinking about his own things with his eyes half closed, but his eyes glanced towards Jiang Yanyi from time to time. It was obvious that he didn't know in advance that the Grand Concubine Dowager also wanted to eat stinky tofu.
The maid in the mansion put the plate of rose shortbread on the table. The Grand Concubine took a piece and handed it to Feng Shuo: "Try it. This is what I learned from the girl from the Chu family. I don't know how you coaxed such a good girl to come here."
Jiang Yanyi smiled awkwardly and didn't dare to look up.
Feng Shuo curled the corners of his mouth, said nothing, took the rose biscuit and took a bite. He didn't like sweets very much, but this rose biscuit was not greasy at all. The crispy but monotonous taste of the biscuit further highlighted the sweetness of the rose filling.
He said, “Yes.”
The Grand Concubine Dowager knew that he had lost his sense of taste due to poisoning in his childhood. No matter what he ate in recent years, he could not taste anything. Besides feeling sorry for her son, she couldn't help but blame herself. Although she still smiled, it seemed a bit forced.
Probably because of the headache, the Grand Concubine held her forehead and frowned after a moment and said, "Madam Song, it's time to serve the meal."
Nanny Song bowed and said, "I will go and pass the message right away."
The maids came in one after another carrying exquisite dishes, put them on the table and then retreated silently, leaving only a few maids to serve the dishes.
Jiang Yanyi didn't realize anything was wrong at first, until the Grand Empress Dowager said while picking up some food for Feng Shuo: "Grandmother knows that you are busy with government affairs. It's ok that you don't come here often, but you should still visit the Queen's Palace more often. When will I be able to hold my great-grandson in my arms?"
Jiang Yanyi looked at Feng Shuo in confusion, but Feng Shuo seemed to have been accustomed to it. He just followed the words of the Grand Concubine and said, "Don't worry about it."
Jiang Yanyi had only heard that the Grand Concubine Dowager would sometimes fail to recognize people, but this was the first time she had seen it with her own eyes. She did not dare to show any strangeness and just kept silent and ate her own food.
The stinky tofu that Feng Shuo bought tasted pretty good. The dark-skinned tofu was crispy on the outside, while the inside was tender and not greasy. After scooping it open with a spoon, he filled it with sour beans and poured it with a secret broth. It was really delicious.
The Grand Concubine saw Jiang Yanyi taking several chopsticks of stinky tofu, as if she had just discovered this dish. She frowned and said, "Why are you eating such crude food?"
Jiang Yanyi paused while biting the tofu, glanced at Feng Shuo, and said, "Your son wants to eat it."
The Empress Dowager looked a little helpless, but at least she was not angry.
When the Grand Empress Dowager was not in her right mind, she mistook them for Feng Shiyan and Empress Gao. After dinner, Feng Shuo took her to say goodbye to the Grand Empress Dowager.
After leaving Mingtan Courtyard, Jiang Yanyi asked Feng Shuo, "Has the Grand Empress Dowager always been like this?"
Feng Shuo smiled nonchalantly, with a slightly bitter smile on his lips: "She recognized me before, but she thought she was the late queen. Now when she is sick, even I will be mistaken. But it's good this way. When I go to see her, at least she won't be angry."
Jiang Yanyi didn't know how to comfort him, so he just said, "The Grand Concubine's illness will get better day by day."
Feng Shuo looked at the mountains in the distance and said, "Of course."
When he turned around, there was no longer any sign of disappointment on his face, and he asked Jiang Yanyi, "How's your horse riding training going?"
Jiang Yanyi hadn't had time to practice recently, so he said, "I can run in a place where there's no one."
Feng Shuo said: "I'll make you a crossbow when I have time and take you to the martial arts arena to try it out."
He would also practice martial arts at home on weekdays, so naturally he had a martial arts training ground.
When Jiang Yanyi was dragged to the martial arts arena by him and a customized small crossbow was stuffed in her hand, she refused in her heart. Her hands were sore and weak from kneading the dough for making rose shortbread cookies before.
Feng Shuo thought she was trying to be lazy, so he pinched her rosy cheeks and said, "Remember what I told you? I will teach you how to ride a horse, wield a sword, swing a knife, and use a crossbow. This way, even if I'm not by your side one day, you will be able to protect yourself."
He held Jiang Yanyi's hand and taught her how to aim at the target opposite with a crossbow.
Jiang Yanyi tried to learn it carefully, but the arrow shot from the crossbow was so powerful that her hands were weak and she almost couldn't hold the crossbow.
"Do it again, and don't shake your hands."
Feng Shuo's tone was not harsh, but it gave people a feeling of being stern and even cold.
Maybe she was used to this man pampering her, and when he suddenly spoke in such a harsh and unfamiliar tone, Jiang Yanyi felt aggrieved and turned to look at Feng Shuo.
Feng Shuo noticed that her eyes were red, and was stunned for a moment, "Why are you crying?"
Jiang Yanyi felt even more aggrieved and stuffed the crossbow into his arms: "I'm stupid and I won't learn it anymore."
She wanted to leave but Feng Shuo grabbed her by the collar and asked, "Why are you so angry with me?"
Jiang Yanyi's eyes were red, like a rabbit: "You are mean to me."
Feng Shuo frowned, perhaps because he had never dealt with such a difficult problem in his life, "When have I ever been mean to you?"
"Just now."
Feng Shuo thought carefully about what he said before her eyes turned red, and felt helpless: "Saying that your hands are shaking means I am being mean to you?"
"You have a fierce expression."
Feng Shuo looked at Jiang Yanyi for a long time without saying anything, "Jiang Yanyi, if you were in the army and you couldn't hold your crossbow straight and it was shaking like that, you'd be lucky if I didn't punish you with a military stick."
Jiang Yanyi's eyes were completely red this time, and he said angrily: "Who can I blame for my shaking hands?"
She broke free from his hand and walked away, while Feng Shuo was still standing there in a daze.
It's only been over an hour, and her hands are still sore
The author has something to say: Jiang Yanyi: Big pig’s hoof!
Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or irrigated nutrient solution during 2021-01-31 23:59:19~2021-02-02 23:59:56~
Thanks to the little angel who threw the rocket launcher: pp 3;
Thanks to the little angels who threw grenades: Lan Sheng 2;
Thanks to the little angels who irrigated the nutrient solution: Tangtang Xiaopengyou 70 bottles; Sato, Sinking in Your Eyes 30 bottles; 40888055, Yuancongbencong 20 bottles; She and He 18 bottles; Chenlan, Staying Up All Night Cat, Konichan, Little White Dragon in the Waves, Bai Ze, Xiao Zhan is Wang Yibo's Little Sweet Wife, Yu, FAF, I'm the Yellowest in the Cauliflower Bush, 41847153, Norns 10 bottles; Jinxi 7 bottles; Aramina-y 5 bottles; 49136155 4 bottles; Fiona, Corner. , Emilia, Jiajia Jianjian, Yizhi Xiaoliangjin 1 bottle;
Thank you very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!