The golden autumn sunlight, like molten gold, streamed through the cracks in the carved window lattices of the Qianqing Palace, creating winding rivers of light across the golden brick floor. Chen Weiwan knelt beneath the imperial steps, her fingertips unconsciously rubbing the dark lines on her palms. The aftermath of yesterday's poetry gathering, where she had humiliated her aunt Liu and sent her into exile three thousand miles away, still lingered. And now the emperor had suddenly summoned her. Was he going to reward her with two baskets of Quanjude's crispy roast duck? Thinking of the glistening duck skin, her Adam's apple rolled unconsciously, and she even forgot the coolness of the golden bricks resting against her forehead.

"My dear Lord Shen, please rise." The old emperor, sitting on the dragon throne, twirled his goatee and smiled until the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes formed blooming chrysanthemums. The golden dragon on his bright yellow dragon robe seemed to soar into the sky in the light and shadow. "Yesterday's revision of 'The Memorial to the Emperor on Leaving the Capital' was so wonderful! It made my old bones want to recite 'The late emperor died before his founding was halfway through.' I almost dropped my teacup on the memorial!"

As Shen Weiwan bowed, she secretly raised her eyes. The light from the glass lamp made the golden dragon scales on the emperor's robe sparkle, making her dizzy. "It is a blessing for me that the emperor likes it. I am just pouring out the plain words in my heart."

"Tell the truth!" The emperor slammed the armrest of the dragon throne, causing the jade paperweight on the desk to jump with a clang. "You are a hundred times better than those bookish scholars in the Hanlin Academy! Come, bring up the reward I gave to Lord Shen!"

Shen Weiwan's heart leaped into her throat. Could it be a hundred taels of gold? Or perhaps brocade tribute from Shu? At the very least, ten roast ducks in a hanging oven, like last time, would be fine! But then she saw two young eunuchs, their backs hunched, carrying in a half-man-high purple bamboo basket. The contents were dazzlingly green, with fresh black soil still clinging to the roots of the leaves, and water droplets tumbled down the veins of the leaves to the basket's edges—a basket full of freshly dug cabbages!

The court was suddenly so quiet that the tinkling of jade pendants could be heard. The jade Buddhist beads in Madam Taifu's hand fell to the ground with a clatter, rolling three feet across the gold bricks. Standing beside the dragon throne, Seventh Prince Xiao Yu coughed violently, nearly dropping the folding fan in his sleeve. His mouth twitched, but he forced himself to hold it back, his ears flushing.

"Emperor...Emperor?" Shen Weiwan pointed at the bamboo basket, suspecting that she was dizzy from the sun. "This...is this the new cabbage from the imperial vegetable garden?"

"Hahaha!" The emperor laughed so hard that the hem of his dragon robe trembled. "I've heard that your poems always mention 'Aunt's abacus is so clever, it's gone all the family fortune,' so I specially asked the imperial vegetable garden to pick the most juicy cabbages!" He stroked his beard, his eyes narrowed into slits, like an old naughty boy hiding candied fruit. "I hope that in the future, you will calculate wisely and eat wisely, and not just try to twirl the beads on the abacus!"

Chen Weiwan stared at the moist dirt on the cabbage stalks, muttering to herself, "Your Majesty, this cabbage stew with pork ribs would be even more delicious if it had some vermicelli..." But she smiled like a sunflower facing the sun, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for the reward! Look at this cabbage, it's as green as emerald. When I get home, I'll ask the kitchen to make me a 'Emerald White Jade Soup'. I'll eat it every meal, just as if I'm swallowing the emperor's teachings into my stomach!"

"Very good, very good!" The Emperor nodded with satisfaction, his dragon eyes sweeping over the trembling remnants of Minister Liu's followers in the corner. The official fell to his knees with a thud, his forehead banging against the golden bricks. "My dear Lord Shen, you are so honest! Unlike some people, who are full of twists and turns, calculating and calculating until their entire family is executed!"

When the court was dismissed, Shen Weiwan walked out of the palace gate, carrying a bamboo basket. The green leaves hurt her chin, and the edge of the basket made her forearm numb. Chuntao followed behind with a bitter face, her skirt blowing in the wind. "Miss, this basket of cabbages is half a head taller than you. How are you going to carry it to the general's mansion? I can't let you carry it like a vegetable girl, right?"

"What are you panicking about?" Chen Weiwan raised her eyebrows and nodded towards the gilded carriage under the palace wall. The guards standing on the shafts were exactly the standard for the Seventh Prince's Mansion. "Didn't you see His Highness the Seventh Prince's carriage parked under the old locust tree?"

Sure enough, the car curtains swished open, and Xiao Yu poked his head out. His dark jade eyes fell on the bamboo basket in her arms. He was stunned for a moment, then laughed out loud. He snapped open his folding fan to cover half his face, but his knuckles were slightly white from trying to hold back his laughter. "Miss Shen, is this the 'gold and silver mountain' that the Emperor has rewarded you with? Why does it look greener than a gold brick?"

"Go to hell!" Chen Weiwan put the bamboo basket on the carriage, and the green leaves rubbed against the vermilion painted carriage, leaving a spot of mud on it. "The emperor told me to 'calculate wisely and eat wisely' - Your Highness, I'll give you half of this cabbage, and you have to treat me to stir-fried cabbage with pork tonight, and I want pork belly!"

Xiao Yu reached out to smooth her wind-twisted hair, his fingertips brushing against her earlobe, sending a slight tingling sensation. "Okay, have the kitchen steam two more baskets of sugar-curd pastry, as much as you can." He paused, then suddenly leaned in closer, the scent of cedar mixed with the scent of sunshine filling her nose. "But I have a condition."

"What conditions?"

"This stir-fried cabbage with meat must be made by you yourself."

The carriage rolled over the bluestone slabs of Suzaku Street. Shen Weiwan lifted a corner of the curtain and saw a street storyteller slapping his head and spitting: "Ladies and gentlemen! It's said that Miss Shen recited a passage from "The Memorial to the Emperor on Leaving the Capital" at the poetry gathering, and the emperor was so pleased that he rewarded her with a whole basket of cabbage!"

"What? Chinese cabbage?" The candied haws vendor's eyes widened, and a hawthorn fell off the bamboo skewer. "Why doesn't the emperor give me gold or silver?"

"What do you know?" The old scholar in a long gown beside him stroked his beard and shook his head. "This means 'passing down a clean record'. The Emperor is praising Miss Shen for her open-mindedness, unlike some people who are full of calculations!"

Shen Weiwan couldn't help laughing and turned to look at Xiao Yu: "Your Highness, do you think the people think I'm stupid? Others reward gold, but I get cabbage."

Xiao Yu held her hand, the warmth of his palm radiating through his moon-white sleeves, as warm as a quilt bathed in the sun. "In my eyes, you are more astute than anyone else." He suddenly leaned over, his warm breath brushing against her ear. "Besides, I'm looking forward to trying your cooking of stir-fried cabbage and pork."

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