Chapter 151 What do you think?

Chi Li was cooking a delicious meal in the small kitchen, his eyes fixed on the flames and the broth in the pot, adding fuel and charcoal from time to time.

Chi Cheng sat on a small stool, smiled at Chi Li's unusually cautious demeanor, and whispered, "The Emperor has already entered the palace, and he'll probably see you today. Brother, how can you still be in the mood to wander around the kitchen?"

Chi Li smiled and said, "The Emperor loves my cooking the most. She must be tired from her journey and hasn't eaten yet. If she can have a delicious meal, she will be in a great mood. These ingredients were specially brought from Jiang Kingdom. She can't get them here, and she will definitely like the fresh taste."

Chi Cheng smiled and sighed, "Ah, His Majesty is naturally in a great mood to see my brother, why bother with what we eat?"

He sniffed, "It smells so good! This aroma is making my mouth water. I'll try some first."

As Chi Cheng spoke, he reached for chopsticks, but Chi Li quickly slapped his hand away. "Nonsense! This isn't for you. Wait until the Emperor finishes eating, and if there's any left, then you can try it."

Chi Cheng snorted and complained, "Brother, you've gone too far! You used to dote on me the most. I was thinking that I wouldn't be jealous because you doted on Yang'er, since she's your own daughter. But now that you have the Emperor, I don't know where you've put Yang'er and me. You're so biased!"

Chi Li laughed, "You still have something to say? I thought your needlework was better than mine, so I asked you to make a tiger-skin hat for Yang'er. But what did you do? You only finished half of it and then left it there, saying you were rushing to make gloves for the Emperor. You should have just shut up before I said anything, but now you're bringing it up again!"

Chi Cheng chuckled, “Winter is almost here. I heard from the Emperor Consort that he has already had people make new winter clothes for all the princesses, more than a dozen sets for each of them. He even had someone measure Yang’er’s size, so naturally there will be one for her. Yang’er doesn’t need me to make hats for her, but it’s different for the Emperor.”

"Consort Yuan said the Emperor praised my shoemaking skills, which made her extremely happy. If I don't show off my abilities, won't I be outshone?"

Chi Li smiled and shook her head. "What's the point of comparing? If the Emperor likes you, you don't need to fight for anything; he'll like you too. Look at the Imperial Consort; he doesn't compete or fight for anything, and he's so kind. He treats people like me very well, which shows he's truly virtuous. He doesn't need to fight for anything, and the Emperor still values ​​him."

Chi Cheng hurriedly said, "Oh my brother, how can we newcomers compare to the Emperor? How can we compare to you? You either have feelings for each other, or you have children, or both. Even if you don't enter the palace, the Emperor still cares about you."

“But those of us who beg to enter the palace to serve the emperor don’t have children to rely on. We can only rely on some tricks to keep the emperor’s heart. There are so many men in the palace. Today she favors this one, tomorrow she favors that one. There are always more handsome, more obedient and more likable ones. If we don’t work hard, we will be discarded in the blink of an eye.”

"Brother, you have a broad mind and have always been indifferent to the power struggles in the palace. But I advise you to try harder. There are dozens of men here courting her; don't be foolish and stare at your own pot. The other concubines' clothes are scented with flowers, fruits, and even herbs. How can you compare to them with your worldly appearance?"

"I'll watch the pot for you. Go and change your clothes."

Chi Li looked at her red dress. "Isn't this dress nice? The Emperor bought it for me that year, and I wore it specially today. What's wrong with it being down-to-earth? We even slept in a thatched hut together one night back then, and she didn't mind at all. It's just..."

Chi Li touched his face. "It's been several years. I wonder if she still likes my appearance now."

Chi Cheng laughed and said, "Brother, stop worrying unnecessarily. They say that people with a peaceful mind don't age easily, and your mind is practically cultivated to the point of immortality. Your appearance is naturally just as captivating as before, without any change. I'm so envious! I also cultivate poisons every day to nourish my body and mind, how come I can't stay young like you?"

Chi Cheng sighed again as he spoke, and Chi Li lowered his eyes and said, "Actually, I don't ask for my appearance to last forever, as long as she doesn't get tired of me, that's enough."

Before the words were finished, a voice announced from outside, "The Emperor has arrived!"

The two quickly straightened their clothes and hurriedly went out to greet the emperor.

Chi Li walked ahead and had just stepped out the door when he saw Lu Jinlan standing under the plum tree, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe.

He froze, his vision blurring instantly. A surge of emotion made his body tremble; his throat tightened, and he couldn't utter a single word.

Chi Cheng, standing behind him, saw his brother forget to bow and gently tugged at his sleeve, reminding him in a low voice, "Brother, please pay your respects."

Seeing Chi Li's appearance, Lu Jinlan's eyes also reddened. "A-Li."

"Jinlan!" Chi Li rushed over as if waking from a dream and hugged her tightly.

Since Lu Jinlan ascended the throne, among her men, only two dared to call her by name: Song Lincheng and Chi Li.

Lu Jinlan was not angry. She knew Chi Li's personality; he always regarded imperial power and wealth as nothing.

He looked at her, remembering only that she was the boy who had rescued him from the cage years ago.

She pulled him out of the damp, cramped hut, and led him out of the heavily guarded palace. They squeezed together in a waterwheel and slept together in a thatched hut...

She ignited a flame of hope in his dull life, bringing love, children, and something to care about to his lifeless existence.

The two were reunited after a long separation and embraced each other tightly. Even Chi Cheng was moved by the atmosphere and burst into tears.

The sensible palace servant bowed and withdrew, but Helian Yang entered at that moment.

She stood at the palace gate, looking at the two of them with surprise.

My father, who was usually indifferent to joy or sorrow and always took everything calmly, suddenly burst into tears.

And is that woman in the dragon robe the mother Father often mentions?

She had never met her mother, but her father said she looked very much like her. She had seen a portrait of the deceased emperor of Jiang, and when she returned, she told her father that she didn't seem to resemble her mother at all.

Her father told her that her mother was only a nominal mother, and that her real mother was not dead and was still alive and well.

Her own mother was a peerless heroine who was ennobled at a young age. She was skilled in both literature and martial arts, capable of bringing peace to the world. She commanded the three armies and possessed the courage of ten thousand women.

Whenever Dad talks about Mom, a proud and happy smile always appears on his face. Every time he receives a letter or a gift from Mom, Dad is so happy that he can't sleep for days and nights.

Her father always said that her mother possessed extraordinary abilities. Young Helian Yang was somewhat puzzled, and one day she couldn't help but ask, "Then why doesn't Mother take us with her?"

Father said sadly, "She said she would forcibly take us away, but I didn't agree."

She quickly pressed, "Why?"

A touch of sorrow appeared on her father's beautiful face. "Because what happened between us is dishonorable, she doesn't care what the world thinks, but I can't bear to let her bear the infamy because of me."

"In the end, it's my father's fate that's unfortunate; he's not good enough for her. By chance, we've come together, and with you, it's already a blessing earned over many lifetimes. I dare not hope to be together day and night, to stay by your side every day."

Her father's voice was filled with sorrow as he spoke those words, and his eyes were brimming with tears. Helian Yang, being intelligent, dared not mention it again, lest she upset her father.

Not long ago, Father happily announced that his younger brother had married his mother, and Father could bring her to visit relatives in Huaguo. She would finally be able to see her mother.

The mother before her was even taller and more imposing than she had imagined, and Helian Yang couldn't help but walk to her side.

She looked up at Lu Jinlan and gently tugged at the hem of her bright yellow dress. "Mother."

Lu Jinlan looked down, smiled, pinched the little face that looked so much like hers, and bent down to pick up the child. "Yang'er is so big now, Ali, thank you for your hard work."

Chi Li quickly wiped away her tears and smiled, "What are you saying? If it weren't for Yang'er, I would feel lost and helpless when I miss you. With her, the days are not so hard to bear."

Seeing that the two seemed to have endless things to say, Chi Cheng quickly said, "Your Majesty, please give the child to me. It's rare for you and your brother to see each other, so I won't disturb your time alone."

Upon hearing this, Helian Yang immediately hugged Lu Jinlan's neck. Lu Jinlan smiled and said, "Yang'er, be good. Mother will play with you later. Your father said in his letter that you are a child prodigy, able to compose poems at the age of three. Go down with your uncle and write a few poems. Mother wants to see them later."

"Alright," Helian Yang reluctantly agreed, and was carried away by Chi Cheng.

Lu Jinlan sniffed. "What's burnt?"

"Oh! I made you braised pork!"

Chi Li hurriedly ran into the kitchen to get busy, while Lu Jinlan smiled and shook her head.

Before long, eight dishes and a soup were laid out on the table.

Chi Li laughed and said, "I haven't been idle these past few years. I've been studying cooking whenever I have free time. Our Yang'er is just like you, very picky about food. She doesn't like most things. If the food doesn't suit her taste, she won't even touch it. I've researched a lot of new recipes for her. You should try them."

Chi Li excitedly introduced, "I used more than ten kinds of fresh mushrooms for this mushroom soup, and also added ham, salted pork, and chicken oil for flavor. There are no poisonous mushrooms this time, you should try it."

Lu Jinlan took a bite and praised it repeatedly, "Mmm! It's incredibly fresh, even better than what the imperial chefs in the palace make."

Chi Li laughed and said, "Have a few sips of soup to warm your stomach first, and then try this rice cooked with rice, millet and chicken soup. I just thought of it yesterday and thought it would be delicious. I haven't tried it yet, so you should be the first to try it."

Lu Jinlan smiled and said, "Alright, it certainly won't taste bad."

Chi Li busied himself serving her soup and rice, and introduced several stir-fries. In the end, he still said regretfully, "It's a pity that the braised pork was overcooked and turned into burnt pork."

Lu Jinlan said, "We'll do it tomorrow. You're not leaving immediately. I want to take you and your daughter around the capital and spend some time with you."

Chi Li hurriedly replied, "The current emperor of Jiang is busy fighting with the daughters of the other former emperors and has no time for me. I told him I was bringing Yang'er to visit relatives, and she hoped for friendly relations between the two countries and even advised me to stay longer. However..."

Chi Li said somewhat uneasily, "My position is awkward. You came here as soon as you returned. Won't your husbands and servants be unhappy?"

Lu Jinlan scoffed, "What they're unhappy about is none of my business. I'll see whoever I want. I'm the greatest under heaven; who can tell me what to do?"

Chi Li chuckled, watching Lu Jinlan eat with great interest, and couldn't help but straighten her clothes and tuck her hair in.

Lu Jinlan was eating heartily when she looked up and saw him staring blankly at her. She couldn't help but laugh and say, "You're eating even though you're looking at something?"

Chi Li laughed and said, "You look really good in this dragon robe. You are so heroic and dashing, even more imposing than the statues in the temple."

Lu Jinlan smiled and said, "You can't just look and not eat! Eat properly, there are still things to do after you finish eating."

Chi Li picked up the bowl and hurriedly asked, "What is it?"

Lu Jinlan curled the corners of her lips, her eyes conveying a suggestive glint, and said, "What do you think?"