While Kangxi was still living the life of a "working man," Wan Anran and the others began to ponder various ways to cook rabbits and roe deer.

The first thing to be processed was rabbit meat.

Upon hearing this, the eldest princess, whom she hadn't seen for some time, rushed over excitedly. Although her performance in the hunt this time wasn't outstanding, it was still better than Wan Anran and Consort Nara, as she had managed to catch three rabbits!

Most importantly, she was also holding the hand of another little girl.

She looked about seven or eight years old, with an almond-shaped face and peach-like cheeks. Her jet-black, shiny hair was tied into two small buns on top of her head. She was very cute, but she looked a little pale and frail.

The little girl held a small rabbit in her arms, looking at Wan Anran and the others nervously and cautiously. She lowered her head and called out softly, "Your subject greets Consort Xuan and Consort Qi."

This is the second princess.

This was the first time Wan Anran had seen the second princess born to Consort Rong. Her soft and adorable appearance touched her heart. Wan Anran held her heart and felt as if one or two little flowers were blooming in her heart.

What an adorable little princess! So wonderful!

The eldest princess sighed sadly, turning her regretful gaze away from the rabbit in the second princess's arms: "Consort Xuan, Consort Qi, I only have two rabbits left for you."

There's another one in the hands of the second princess.

As the eldest princess, who was a good older sister, she gave the uninjured one to the second princess.

This rabbit escaped the death knell, making it quite lucky. However, upon hearing the eldest princess's words, the second princess clearly showed a hint of fear. She took a step back and hugged the little rabbit in her arms even tighter.

Wan Anran noticed something amiss with the little princess's terrified expression and turned to look at her. The princess stuck out her tongue: "Second sister, after hearing that Mother Qi and you were going to make rabbit and roe deer meat, she's been like this ever since..."

Wan Anran's lips twitched.

Her gaze fell on the second princess's little bunny, and after a moment's hesitation, she explained, "We have enough bunnies, we won't use this one."

It wasn't just the imperial concubines who went hunting.

Moreover, rabbits reproduce so easily that there are always bunches or clumps of them. Controlling the rabbit population in Xiyuan is a major problem every year. People who want to eat rabbits wouldn't even consider pet rabbits.

After being comforted, the second princess visibly breathed a sigh of relief. She stood at a distance, looking with a hint of awe at Consort Qi, who was slicing meat with a loud slapping sound.

Wan Anran was tinkering with it with great interest.

First, skin and remove the tendons from the rabbit (this step is handled by the chefs in the kitchen). Then, remove the rabbit's head, legs, and tail. Cut the rabbit's body into small pieces, add the marinade, knead and massage it carefully, and set it aside to wait.

Once the marinated rabbit meat was ready, the stove in the yard was heated up. First, a lot of oil was poured in and the rabbit meat pieces were fried until golden brown and crispy. Then, various spices were added and stir-fried until fragrant. Finally, the fried rabbit meat was added. By this point, the whole yard was filled with a wonderful aroma, and everyone could feel their mouths watering.

This was the second princess's first time here, and she was both nervous and curious. Her round eyes were fixed on the iron pot, and she secretly swallowed.

It is said that even the Emperor praised the mother of the Qi family for her cooking skills! The Second Princess smelled the exotic fragrance and sighed with admiration. But when she looked down and met the eyes of the little rabbit in her arms, her heart skipped a beat.

wrong!

The pot is full of roasted rabbits!

The second princess took a step back.

She banished all her daydreams and stared intently at the rabbit meat in the iron pot, her eyes filled with confusion... Is the rabbit delicious?

Second Princess: ...No, that's not right!

How could you eat a rabbit?

As for the others, they didn't have the same resistance as the second princess at all. Even the eldest princess picked up her chopsticks and quickly grabbed a large piece from the pot. The fried rabbit meat was crispy and tender and juicy inside, while the marinated rabbit meat had a strong and stimulating spiciness that made one's whole body tingle upon taking a bite.

The eldest princess, who couldn't handle spicy food, stuck out her tongue and panted, knowing full well she should stop, but she simply wouldn't. She had a bowl ladled full of rice, taking a bite of the spicy rabbit and then a bite of rice. Her cheeks flushed, and she didn't forget to remind the second princess, "Come and eat!"

Wan Fu and Crown Prince Bao Cheng also appeared.

Immediately afterwards, Fifth Prince Baoqing couldn't resist the temptation and peeked out from the courtyard gate. He had only been curious about the Crown Prince and Ninth Prince's anxious expressions, but he hadn't expected to smell such a wonderful fragrance.

The princes were like sparrows caught with millet or cats lured in with dried fish, one after another obediently offering themselves up.

Of course, compared to Bao Cheng and Wan Fu, who were not polite at all, Bao Qing seemed much more hesitant. He peeked out from outside the courtyard, suppressing his restless stomach, and lingered at the door.

To go in or not to go in.

Bao Qing was caught in a dilemma, so Wan Anran nudged Wan Fu and called Bao Qing in as well.

Bao Qing blushed.

He originally wanted to refuse, but before he could even finish the words, his stomach started rumbling, and he seemed ready to fight his owner if he didn't go in to eat.

Baoqing's face turned redder and redder.

In the end, he still chose to carry it into the courtyard. His previous reserve completely disappeared after seeing that most of the iron pot was gone. Baoqing hurriedly stepped forward, afraid of losing his share.

Even the second princess, who had resolved not to eat the rabbit, was stunned by her brothers' scrambling for it. Her round eyes were filled with disbelief as she ran to Baoqing's side: "Baoqing... is this delicious?"

"Delicious! Super delicious!"

Baoqing wished she could bury her face in the bowl, deeply regretting that she had stayed outside in the yard for so long before coming in.

He chewed the crispy fried bone with gusto, his words muffled: "It's very spicy at first, but it's also fragrant and spicy, with the numbing sensation of Sichuan peppercorns, the spiciness of chili peppers, and... the aroma of sesame seeds, it's really delicious!"

Wan Anran laughed: "I didn't expect our Fifth Prince to be such a foodie!"

Even the second princess couldn't hold back any longer.

She entrusted the little rabbit in her arms to a palace maid, then picked up a bowl and began to eat. The rabbit meat was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and the spicy flavor made the second princess cough, but she couldn't bear to stop eating.

The second princess immediately understood why everyone was reacting this way, and she too began to regret it. What had she been standing there for? Most of the pot of food had ended up in Bao Cheng and Wan Fu's stomachs!

She and Baoqing became members of the second tier.

Wan Anran was very satisfied with this, and even cooked another pot: "Kids are really something, look at their appetites!"

Consort Xuan hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped herself.

Consort Nara thought it was a good idea and nodded with a smile: "That's right, especially the Second Princess, who looks a bit thin. She should eat more."

The little ones ate until their bellies were round and full.

They stopped eating reluctantly, only then realizing they might have eaten too much. Muttering and groaning, they opened their mouths wide, the accumulated spiciness exploding in their mouths, making the princes and princesses feel as if their mouths were on fire.

Wan Anran was well prepared.

Hai Tao and several palace maids brought over milk with smiles. Bao Qing took a cup and gulped it down with gusto. He put down his teacup and pointed at Bao Cheng with amusement: "Your Highness, why is your face covered in milk?"

Prince Bao Cheng sported a full beard.

His cheeks flushed slightly as he glared at Bao Qing angrily: "Look at yourself in the mirror first!"

This was utter chaos, with chickens flying and dogs barking, and people and horses collapsing.

Wan Anran laughed out loud and pulled them one by one to suck their hands and wash their faces before finally managing to hold the group of little ones down.

The second princess smacked her lips.

After returning to her own courtyard, she was still staring blankly at the little white rabbit, which Consort Rong found strange. She held the rabbit, looking at it from left to right but couldn't see anything wrong, so she couldn't help but ask, "Nannan, what are you looking at?"

The second princess blushed.

She whispered, "Mommy, I don't want to raise rabbits anymore."

Consort Rong: "...Huh?"

She frowned slightly, her expression turning somewhat serious: "Nannan, choosing to raise rabbits was your own request, so you have to be responsible to the end. How can you be so inconsistent?"

Consort Rong didn't value rabbits; she just didn't want the Second Princess to develop this habit.

The second princess's eyes reddened.

She bit her lip, looking somewhat aggrieved: "No, Your Majesty, Your Majesty just feels..."

Consort Rong asked sternly, "What do you think?"

The second princess said dejectedly, "I think rabbit looks delicious... It always reminds me of dry-pot rabbit."

Consort Rong: ...? ? ?

She stared wide-eyed at her soft and adorable daughter in disbelief, her mind completely blank.

Wait a minute!? What, what's going on?

Consort Rong raised her head in disbelief, turning her questioning gaze to the palace maids and nannies behind her.

A stern-faced wet nurse seized the opportunity to complain: "Your Highness, you must stand up for the young master! Consort Qi and Consort Xuan made the young master eat three whole bowls of rice. What if he gets sick from overeating?"

The second princess's cheeks flushed.

She said indignantly, "Lady Nara said... children should eat more."

"What princess eats so much?"

"Big sister ate three bowls too!"

The second princess's eyes also reddened.

She grabbed the hem of Consort Rong's robe and cried, "Mother, actually, I'm not usually full! The nanny always says that the princess has to pay attention to her image and the rules. Whenever I'm only 60% full, she has the food taken away."

By the end, the second princess's eyes had turned red.

Consort Rong was stunned for a moment, then flew into a rage: "You wretched old woman, Zeng! How have you ever served your master?"

So, the reason I've always been worried about the Second Princess not gaining weight is because there was a traitor like Granny Zeng interfering!

Controlling the second princess's diet?

Are you kidding me? The second princess is at the age where she's growing!

Before Zeng Mama could speak, Consort Rong, with a dark face, ordered her to be taken to the Department of Cautious Punishment.

The second princess opened her eyes wide.

She looked up in confusion, her eyes wide with astonishment at her mother's excited and joyful expression: her mother hadn't blamed her but had instead punished Granny Zeng?

What bewildered her even more was her mother's delighted voice in her ear: "Good! Good! Good! Our little girl is amazing! She can eat three big bowls in one meal! Keep it up, the more she eats, the better!"

The second princess, still half-asleep, replied yes.

She hadn't quite grasped it yet in her little mind.

On the other side.

Wan Anran, who received high praise, did not forget her superiors this time. She also sent rabbit meat dishes to the Grand Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, and the Empress.

The two empress dowagers preferred milder flavors, so Wan Anran chose rabbit stewed in lotus leaves and roasted rabbit. The former is a medicinal dish that can clear the mind and reduce internal heat, and it is a perfect match with the slightly spicy roasted rabbit.

As for the emperor and empress, their tastes were much more extreme.

As soon as Wan Anran's dishes arrived, the eldest princess and the crown prince, whose bellies were already round and full, began to boast, which greatly excited them, and they ate heartily.

The Empress Dowager and the Emperor and Empress all praised it, and rabbit dishes became a sensation in the palace. In addition to spicy dry pot rabbit, other dishes such as double pepper rabbit, braised rabbit, stir-fried rabbit, roasted rabbit, taro hot pot rabbit, and braised rabbit legs and heads, which look scary but are actually irresistible, also appeared on the table.

Meanwhile, the chefs in the imperial kitchen racked their brains and created all sorts of rabbit dishes, such as braised rabbit with mushrooms, rabbit with green beans, rabbit with scallions, and rabbit stewed with reed roots... It was dazzling and eye-opening.

In the end, even the steward of the West Garden was greatly shocked. The rabbit plague that had been raging for a time was actually showing signs of abating? There were even strange incidents where the West Garden was in short supply of rabbits and had to ask for rabbits from estates outside the palace.