Mingxiu picked up a piece with her chopsticks, took a bite, nodded in satisfaction, scooped some out, and let them share the rest.

The deliciousness of spicy strips was irresistible even to her, who had been bombarded with all sorts of modern delicacies, let alone these people nowadays.

Judging from the way the people behind them were slurping up the spicy food, looking for water, and still eating with chopsticks in hand, you could tell how effective it was.

When Mingxiu was little, she loved to eat these things, but her family wouldn't let her eat too much of them, even the ones they made themselves were junk food.

When I grow up and leave home to go to school or work, I can eat whatever I want, but eating too much will cause acne and diarrhea. For the sake of beauty, I can only control myself and eat less.

Now, seeing it suddenly makes me lose control; the more I eat, the more my appetite increases.

Mingxiu showed off a whole plate of it, and sure enough, the next day small red bumps appeared on her face. Looking at the small red bumps in the mirror, she sighed.

Junk food really lives up to its reputation.

With a touch of melancholy, I quietly took out a face mask from my spatial storage and applied it. Looking at the remaining spicy snacks, I knew I couldn't eat them anymore, and I'd probably have to eat something bland for the next few days.

Hearing the hoarse voices of the servants, Mingxiu felt a little guilty and quickly ordered them to boil more mung bean water so that everyone could drink some to cool down.

I repackaged the remaining spicy strips and decided to take them to deliver to those in need.

Of course, there are some rules to follow when it comes to showing care. You can't give gifts to people you don't get along with, Mingxiu doesn't want to give gifts to them either, you can't give gifts to children who are weak, and you can't give gifts to elderly people who are too old, otherwise who will be responsible if they get sick from eating them?

All things considered, there aren't many people left who can be given gifts.

He had one portion delivered to Consort Hui's palace, and took the rest to the Qianqing Palace.

The weather at the turn of spring and summer is pleasantly warm, and a gentle breeze blowing on your face brings a cool sensation that is very comfortable.

Mingxiu was dressed in a peach-pink palace dress with lotus patterns and entwined branches, with a matching hairpin in her hair, and she walked slowly down the road with a green bamboo ornament.

Originally, Mingxiu had planned to be carried there in a sedan chair, but after seeing the weather outside, she decided to walk instead.

Anyway, I'm not worried about the spicy strips getting cold and not tasting good, so I'm not anxious at all.

When they arrived at the Qianqing Palace, Mingxiu was slightly surprised to see Liang Jiugong standing outside from a distance.

Liang Jiugong was the emperor's chief eunuch, and he usually served him in many matters. The fact that he was standing outside this time indicated that something very serious had happened.

"Your Highness, why did you walk here?" Liang Jiugong greeted her with a smile.

Mingxiu nodded: "The weather is nice, so I thought I'd take a walk. It's not comfortable to sit all day. What brings Eunuch Liang here? Is His Majesty really that busy?"

Liang Jiugong nodded: "Your Majesty, why don't you sit down for a while? His Majesty is still busy, and we don't know when he'll be finished."

Mingxiu nodded, understanding—the matter was serious, and the things that needed to be discussed were important.

"No need for that. I don't have anything important to do. These are some novel dishes that I made. I originally wanted to send them to His Majesty to try, but I'll have to trouble Eunuch Liang to do it for me."

Green Bamboo stepped forward and handed the things in her hands to Liang Jiugong.

“This small one is for the eunuch, so that he can also try my cooking,” Mingxiu said.

"Oh dear, then this servant will shamelessly accept it. Everyone in the palace knows that Your Highness has plenty of delicious and novel foods here." Liang Jiugong was even happier.

After delivering the gifts, Mingxiu went back, since the Emperor was too busy anyway.

Back in the room, Mingxiu took off her shoes, put on her socks, and collapsed onto the bed, letting out a long sigh of relief. Although inactivity is bad for her health, being active was really tiring.

The walk back from the Qianqing Palace was so long that the soles of her feet were still aching. She lay on the quilt and let Yu Qing massage her legs to relax her calf muscles.

Looking at the dinosaur pillow on the bed, Mingxiu remembered that Yinreng's birthday was in two days. She didn't know how to celebrate it this year. She had made preparations some time ago, but Yinreng contracted smallpox, which delayed the celebration. Now, there were only a few days left until his birthday.

After thinking about it, I decided to listen to Yinreng's own thoughts. Anyway, he's grown up now and can make his own decisions.

Without hesitation, Mingxiu called Yinreng over after school at noon.

"Mother Consort, what brings you here today?" Yinreng ran over. He had other things to attend to lately and was indeed very busy.

Mingxiu glanced at him, sensing the tone in his voice: "What's wrong, Your Highness? Is something you're busy with? Then Your Highness should go ahead and attend to your business. My matter here isn't urgent."

Hearing Mingxiu call him His Highness the Crown Prince, Yinreng's heart skipped a beat. He immediately changed his tone, smiling as he placed his small hand on Mingxiu's arm and playfully punched it: "No, my affairs are not as important as those of Consort Ming. So, what does Consort Ming want to say to me?"

Feeling the weak little hand on her arm, Mingxiu rolled her eyes at him before continuing, "Your birthday is coming up soon. I wanted to ask you, what do you want to celebrate it like this? Is there anything you wish for?"

Yinreng thought for a moment and said, "I don't want anything. I'll just invite my brothers and Father Emperor over for dinner, and have a small cake. As for the rest, Consort Ming can do whatever she wants. Just tell Granny Xu if you need anything."

Mingxiu thought about it and agreed. She wasn't expecting him to say anything; she just wanted him to feel involved. "Alright, I'll prepare the rest. You can invite the people you want to invite, okay?" Mingxiu said, patting Yinreng's head.

Yinreng nodded: "Then if Mother Consort has nothing else, I'll take my leave. I need to go back to my studies later." After saying that, Yinreng couldn't wait to leave.

Mingxiu narrowed her eyes, looking at Yinreng: "Aren't you going to eat here before you leave?"

"No, no, Mother Consort, please enjoy your meal. I'll treat you to something delicious next time I visit."

The moment she finished speaking, the figure vanished. Watching the person run away so fast, Mingxiu's brows furrowed even more deeply. Something was wrong, very wrong.

Every time this kid came, he had to be urged three or four times before he would leave after the meal, and he always took some food with him when he left, claiming that he was growing up and would get hungry easily at night.

What's going on today?

"Green Bamboo, send someone to follow the Crown Prince and see what he's doing," Mingxiu instructed, squinting her eyes.

"yes"

Having received the instructions, Green Bamboo quickly went out.

Hmph, she wanted to see what was so captivating to Yinreng that even his favorite food and toys couldn't hold his attention.

When it was lunchtime, the person Green Bamboo had instructed returned.

Mingxiu brought someone up and said, "Tell me, what did His Highness the Crown Prince do today?"