There is an important announcement to be made in Fengluan Palace today, so all the concubines in the palace must go to pay homage to the emperor.
Across from Wei Shuyi was Zhang Da Ying. Unlike their last meeting, Zhang Da Ying finally stopped rolling his eyes. Instead, after an unintentional exchange of glances, he revealed an awkward smile.
Wen Yu quipped quietly, "The young master's ointment is still more effective than any punishment."
"Not necessarily."
Through Zhang's figure, she was remembering another person. She gave him the medicine out of compassion, not deliberately trying to win him over.
As to whether the other party is worth making friends with, further observation is needed.
The Queen was in a bad mood today. After glancing coldly at the palace, she spoke lazily, "Last year at this time, the Queen Mother was still in the mood to hold a Qushui Liushang poetry gathering. This year, things are a little different. Due to the death of Liangcairen, the Queen Mother has been injured and has lost her appetite. Therefore, I have taken the initiative to change the previous year's gathering into a cooking competition."
"What? Cooking?"
"Did I hear correctly? I've never been in the kitchen before!"
"I don't know what the requirements are. What if it requires complicated dishes? No one can learn it!"
…
For a moment, the concubines around him were whispering to each other, fearing that they would show their weakness in the competition.
They were all daughters of officials, trained in the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. None of them had ever gone to the kitchen to learn cooking from the servants. Only a few of them were interested in it themselves and mastered the recipes of a few dishes.
Wei Shuyi listened to their whispered complaints and couldn't help but think of himself: the Duke's Mansion did not force boys to take exams or girls to learn skills, but instead tried its best to guide them to pursue their own interests.
When she was young, she craved the cakes from Liuyanzhai, and her mother personally taught her how to make them. She was afraid she might get burned, and she also warned her of many precautions. Later, when she was sent to the palace as a servant, she experimented with making fire to heat dishes and secretly developed new recipes to avoid eating cold dishes.
Apart from not being able to compare with the imperial chef in the palace, she does have some advantages in cooking skills.
"Alright, don't be nervous." The Queen surveyed everyone's faces and raised her demands. "Even if it's just a porridge dish, it's considered mission accomplished. The key is to put ingenuity into it, making it visually appealing, fragrant, and tasty, while also whetting the Queen Mother's appetite! If the Queen Mother tastes someone's dish and praises it highly, not only will I receive a reward, but His Majesty will also receive a reward!"
The mention of the emperor's participation perked up their enthusiasm. Previously, they had been complaining, but now they couldn't wait to rush back to the palace and learn how to make a few appetizers.
Concubine Wen was not anxious, but instead sighed with regret: "Sister, I have started to have morning sickness recently, and I am afraid that I will not be able to win the favor of the Queen Mother. Sister, your cooking skills have always been good, you will definitely be able to do it!"
"Thank you so much, sister."
Wei Shuyi responded simply, and when she turned to look at the queen, her smile gradually faded: She had never provided Concubine Wen with any homemade pastries, so how did the other party know?
After the crowd dispersed, Concubine Xin was still at her side. "Oh, what trouble! My parents told me that as long as I stayed out of trouble after entering the palace, I could focus on catching ghosts. But instead, trouble kept coming my way. I finally have some free time, and now I have to learn to cook. It's such a hassle!"
"That's fine. When the time comes, I'll teach you some simple dishes that will be enough to get you by."
"That's great! Sister Yi...eh? Why do you always follow us?"
When Concubine Xin caught sight of Zhang Da Ying peeking over from the side, her face immediately fell.
"I, I didn't mean to follow you." The woman walked out awkwardly, and at the nanny's signal, she bowed reluctantly, "I pay my respects to Noble Lady Yi and Concubine Xin."
Wei Shuyi asked gently: "Is there something you want to tell us? Or..."
"Can you also teach me how to cook?"
Zhang agreed to respond first, but then lowered his head in fear, afraid of hearing a rejection.
The old nanny also explained: "You two young ladies may not know, but even when I was in the mansion, my young lady was not good at kitchen work. If I could get guidance from Noble Lady Yi, I would be grateful and feel more at ease!"
"You said you didn't eavesdrop, but you obviously heard everything!"
Concubine Xin was sulking because Zhang Da Ying had deliberately framed Wei Shuyi, and she also disliked the nanny, so naturally what she said was unpleasant.
"This, this..." Mammy smiled awkwardly and motioned for the person next to her to speak again, "Young Master, how about you tell me yourself?"
"I'm still not very good at reciting high-sounding excuses. In fact, from the time I entered the palace until today, I haven't even slept with the emperor. If I can show my talents at this gathering and catch the emperor's attention, my future life will be easier."
Zhang Da Ying did not respond as instructed by the nanny, but instead spoke out his true feelings in a helpless tone.
In a trance, Wei Shuyi seemed to see Wang Changzai leaning against the door and complaining to him, with their faces overlapping.
"If you don't mind the distance between our two palaces, you can naturally come and learn cooking skills."
She did not refuse, because every time she saw this self-deprecating yet unyielding woman, her heart would be moved and she could no longer stand idly by.
——Noble Lady Wen is free from worries.
After returning from Fengluan Palace, besides continuing to enjoy her favorite berries, she also read books and looked at the popular novels outside the palace.
"These people's writing is really lacking in originality. They just repeat the same formula over and over again. I can guess the ending just by reading the first few sentences on the title page. Where do all these infatuated men and women come from in this world?"
The maidservant waited on the side: "Yes, the young lady is right."
"What's even more interesting is that the stories in the novels often feature daughters from official families marrying impoverished young men. I find them rather shortsighted. They're leaving the open road behind and instead plunging into the ditch! Poor mountains and bad waters breed unruly people. Let's not even talk about the man's good nature. Just the thought of having to deal with a bunch of village women after the wedding gives me a headache."
Lady Min hated seeing women in a low position the most in her life. Whenever she read a similar plot, she would criticize them.
The maidservant could barely read and had no idea what was written in the book, so she just nodded in agreement.
Suddenly, I was asked: "Mu Tao, if it were you, what would you do?"
"Ah? My dear, what do you want to ask?"
"The handsome young man from the Qu Mansion, or the golden storefront in the capital, which one do you want?"
The maid thought for a moment and answered decisively: "Of course it's the former! I'm stupid and don't know how to run a shop."
"Alright, get out! No wonder you can only be a slave. Your nature determines your fate."
Lady Wen didn't get the answer she wanted, so she dismissed them with disgust and stared at the storybook in a daze.
"I just wonder what Zhang next door will choose. If she's also someone who only cares about love, I'll have to get rid of her as soon as possible to avoid bad luck."
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