After much pleading and coaxing, Jin Xi finally agreed to make vegetarian rice noodle rolls for Zhao Shu, but she had to watch Zhao Shu prepare breakfast for the Empress Dowager.

Zhao Shu nodded in satisfaction, her big eyes gleaming mischievously, which Jin Xi found rather sly.

Zhao Shu considers herself super cute.

As a student at a modern TCM college, Zhao Shu studied exceptionally hard, memorizing many practical books thoroughly.

The Empress Dowager is not young, so it is better to have breakfast later rather than earlier, with 8 or 9 o'clock being the most suitable time.

In summer, the days are long, and Zhao Shu gets up early, so she has plenty of time to cook porridge.

She took out a piece of paper from her bosom, waved, and called Xing'er, who was standing outside the kitchen, over.

Jin Xi somewhat disapproved of Zhao Shu's actions, but this was the Yongwang Mansion, so she could only disagree in her heart and didn't say it out loud. She made up her mind that even if the princess made breakfast for the Empress Dowager, she would make one too.

Xing'er timidly approached Zhao Shu and said, "Princess." Only a mosquito could hear her voice.

"Find everything on the paper for me."

Xing'er held the paper, her face flushed. "Princess, this servant cannot read."

“Aunt Jinxi.” Zhao Shu turned to look at Jinxi.

Jin Xi understood and pointed to a trusted palace maid, saying, "You and Xing'er go find what the princess wants."

Before long, after everything was gathered, Zhao Shu began to give instructions and handed over a piece of paper. "Aunt Jinxi, these are all the health preservation methods I learned from medical books. Although Ajun really wants to make breakfast for Grandmother herself, she is willing but unable to. You can do it yourself."

Actually, after all that, she really wanted to do it herself, but after thinking it over, she decided against it. After all, she had a lot of recipes, but her practical skills were absolutely terrible. If Ajiu were here, she definitely wouldn't have done it this way.

Thinking of her good friend in modern times, Zhao Shu sighed, wondering how she was doing now.

Jin Xi had long wanted this big shot to leave as soon as possible. With her around, she felt restricted in everything she did. Although Zhao Shu didn't put on airs in front of them, she was still a truly favored princess.

She felt scared even if someone spoke a little louder.

"Yes, Your Highness, I will definitely follow the recipe. You can rest assured."

Zhao Shu had already sensed that she was being disliked, but oh well, her poor practical skills were a real weakness.

Somewhat disheartened, he left the kitchen and went to the main courtyard to pay his respects to the Crown Prince, who was already up and studying in his study.

Hearing Zhao Shu's footsteps, Crown Prince Zhao Yi moved the book covering his face and said, "Good morning, my lord."

"Ah Jun greets Your Highness, what book are you reading, Your Highness?" Zhao Shu bowed and walked to his side.

“Here.” Zhao Yi opened the book’s title page. “It is a treatise on the strategy for governing the Qin state. I didn’t expect that Uncle Nineteen would have such a good book. I will definitely ask Uncle Nineteen to borrow it to read later.”

He was quite surprised. Wasn't it said that Uncle Nineteen couldn't even write a few characters?

“Brother Crown Prince, my father will definitely give you the book, but you have to promise Ah Jun one thing, otherwise even if my father promises to give you the book, I will not agree.” Zhao Shu said very seriously, she was not joking.

Zhao Yi found his serious little face quite adorable and couldn't resist wanting to pinch it, but she refrained. It has to be said that no matter who it is, as long as they get serious, they will have a kind of imposing presence that makes people dare not underestimate them.

"What are the conditions?"

If others were here, they would surely think that Zhao Shu was ungrateful and dared to make demands of the Crown Prince.

"The books taken from Prince Yong's residence are not to be lent to anyone else, not even your other brothers. Can you do that?" Actually, this was unnecessary, but she dared not gamble.

Even the slightest change is unacceptable.

Zhao Yi was taken aback. What kind of condition was this? Did anyone other than his grandmother, father, and mother dare to demand the book from him?

He immediately agreed, "I agree, really, you're more controlling than even the Empress Dowager."

Despite saying this, he wasn't angry at all, which shows that Prince Yong's family only favored him, and all the other brothers had to step aside.

When they were children, Zhao Yi and Zhao Shu competed for favor. Later, for some reason, he came to a peaceful understanding with Zhao Shu, and Zhao Shu treated him much more kindly than her other cousins.

At that time, all she thought was that this person was the Crown Prince, the future Emperor, and she couldn't afford to offend him.

Now, she feels that she is different from others in many ways from Zhao Yi.

As an only child, she also hoped to have an older brother.

Having received the promise, Zhao Shu happily said, "Brother Crown Prince, we'll read the book later. Let's go pay our respects to Grandmother first."

"If I hadn't been waiting for you, I would have left long ago." The Crown Prince tucked the book into his robes and followed Zhao Shu out of the main courtyard.

Of course, before going to Sendai-in Temple, you have to go to Shimatsu-in Temple first.

Clearly, Prince Yong had also gotten up very early. The three of them bumped into each other in the courtyard. After the two juniors greeted Prince Yong, they went to Sendai-in.

Upon arriving at Sendai-in, the palace maids and eunuchs were busily attending to the Empress Dowager as she washed up. The three waited for a while before the Empress Dowager finally came out.

"Your son/grandson/granddaughter greets Your Majesty/Grandmother." The three bowed in unison.

The Empress Dowager sat happily in the chair, looking energetic and not suffering from insomnia despite the change of location. "Get up! It's so early in the morning, you won't even let me have a moment's peace. Has the Crown Prince been studying this morning?"

Although she doted on Zhao Shu, she did not neglect the Crown Prince in the slightest, teaching him as she had taught Emperor Mingde in the past.

The Crown Prince clasped his hands and bowed, saying, "Reporting to the Empress Dowager, I have been studying national policies in my nineteenth uncle's study since early this morning."

"Good, good, good. Back then, your father also studied every morning. What he memorized in the morning was not easy to forget." The Empress Dowager was a loving grandmother at this moment, a good grandmother who hoped her grandson would become a dragon.

After asking Zhao Yi, she turned to Prince Yong and Zhao Shu and said, "There aren't so many rules here. You don't need to get up so early to pay your respects. We're not outsiders. You need to get plenty of sleep to have energy."

Zhao Shu sighed, "Being an empress dowager is actually very difficult."

She stepped forward and sat down next to the Empress Dowager. "Grandmother, a few days ago I had a doctor from the capital examine everyone in the household. The old doctor said that sitting for too long can easily attract evil spirits into the body, so he taught me a set of methods to strengthen the body. These past few days, Ah Jun has been practicing them and has felt much better. Would you mind teaching Grandmother?"

"I've heard that there was an ancient Five Animal Frolics, but it was gradually lost because the movements were considered unseemly. You said it was passed down by the old doctor, could it be the Five Animal Frolics?" The Empress Dowager tapped Zhao Shu's nose and asked with a smile.

Zhao Shu touched her nose. "Pretty much, but the movements were smooth and graceful, not at all as unseemly as you said. Go on, go on, Crown Prince and Father, come along too."

Having said that, he went to help the Empress Dowager up, and she stood up with ease. "You little monkey, you're becoming less and less like a girl. Has the Crown Prince corrupted my precious grandson?"