Chapter 18 Lantern Festival These Lantern Festival dumplings were barely acceptable, but they were just too…
The study in the main courtyard of the East Palace was quiet. The smoke rising from the incense burner quietly dissipated in the sunlight. Shen Yujiao stood behind the desk by the window, writing a letter with great concentration.
It's less like writing a letter and more like copying a model.
On the desk were two sheets of paper. The one on the left was written in delicate, small regular script, while the other was the letter that Shen Yujiao was going to write to the Duchess of Chengguo, copying Miss Shen's original handwriting. Any letter that didn't look right was crumpled up and thrown aside. By the end of the morning, the floor was covered with crumpled paper.
After an unknown amount of time, Shen Yujiao put down her pen, rubbed her sore right wrist with her left hand, picked up the two sheets of paper on the desk and compared them carefully. After examining them for a while, Shen Yujiao was certain that her imitation of Miss Shen's handwriting was flawless. Only then did she carefully put away Miss Shen's original manuscript. Afterward, she burned a stack of discarded letters. Once everything was in order, she called Mu Jin.
When Mu Jin saw that her young mistress had actually written a letter to the madam, a rare look of joy appeared on her face. When Shen Yujiao saw her turn around and run out to deliver the letter, she had to swallow the words she was about to ask.
At noon, Jiang Chen returned home exhausted after court. Upon entering the East Palace, he went straight to the main courtyard. As soon as he entered the hall, he saw Shen Zheng enthusiastically circling around the table.
What's going on here?
Upon hearing that Jiang Chen had returned, Shen Yujiao raised her hand to brush away the stray hairs that were obscuring her eyes, pointed to the round table next to her, and said, "The food has just been delivered. You go and eat first. I'll come over after I finish making the glutinous rice balls."
Jiang Chen stepped forward, looked at the flour stain on her face and chuckled, "The Lantern Festival has just passed, why are you making glutinous rice balls again?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Yujiao replied matter-of-factly, "Last night was a palace banquet. We ate a Manchu-Han Imperial Feast all night long, but we didn't get to eat the Yuanxiao (sweet rice balls) that we were supposed to eat."
The Lantern Festival banquet naturally included glutinous rice balls. However, with officials and distinguished guests filling the hall, and Shen Yujiao bearing the weight of maintaining the dignity of Kunyi Palace the previous night, it was already difficult enough for her to manage the entire banquet. She barely ate any of the dishes, let alone the glutinous rice balls that went cold shortly after being served.
"Go eat, I'll make the glutinous rice balls for the Lantern Festival," Jiang Chen said, as he lowered her rolled-up sleeves.
"Jiang Xiaochen,"
Jiang Chen paused in his movements.
"Don't you trust my cooking skills?"
Realizing it was a declarative sentence, Jiang Chen said gently, "No... how could that be..." He looked up and saw that Shen Yujiao was still staring at him, so he immediately smiled and said, "I'm just worried that you'll get tired. I can wrap it quickly, it'll be done in a bit."
"snort."
Shen Yujiao looked incredulous. After brushing the flour off her hands, she pulled the person next to her and said, "You can eat first. We'll do it later."
"Alright, thank you for the seat, Your Highness."
The two were chatting and laughing happily, but Mu Nan, who was serving them, was practically drooling. Meanwhile, Mu Jin, who appeared calm on the surface, was inwardly turmoil. She was extremely grateful that there were no outsiders in the hall at the moment. If others were to see the two princes interacting like this, her young lady's reputation would be ruined.
After lunch, Jiang Chen changed into some casual clothes and then stood in the spot where Shen Yujiao had been making glutinous rice balls. Shen Yujiao, on the other hand, was leaning over the table, holding a ball of dough that Jiang Chen had just handed to her.
As Jiang Chen wrapped the dumplings, he would occasionally feed Shen Yujiao some filling. Shen Yujiao ate and commented, "This black sesame filling is a bit too sweet. Next time, ask the kitchen to add less sugar."
"Try the red bean paste."
"Mmm, this is delicious. As expected, handmade food is much richer than machine-made food."
"How does that compare to what my grandma makes?"
"Grandma Jiang's cooking is definitely the best!"
In the secluded flower hall, the two chatted as they wrapped glutinous rice balls, ignoring court affairs and palace intrigues. The afternoon sun shone through the windowpanes, warming the entire room. Shen Yujiao stretched lazily on the table, like a cat that had just finished a good afternoon nap.
Jiang Chen took in this scene, and a smile involuntarily curved his lips. Thinking of the gift that had not yet been given in the bedroom, the movements of his hands gradually slowed down.
"Jiang Chen," Shen Yujiao's dough was gradually taking shape, and she was staring at it with increasing concentration. When Jiang Chen saw this, his eyes were filled with the gentle warmth of the winter sun, and he simply sat down to watch her knead the dough.
"What's wrong?"
"You said—" Shen Yujiao flipped the dough over, her voice softening with the movement of her hands. She asked intently, "If Young Master He is indeed Brother Zhiju, will he be able to eat Yuanxiao on his journey?"
Silence answered Shen Yujiao, but she was completely absorbed in kneading the dough and was oblivious to Jiang Chen's silence. She continued, "I remember when we were little, he was the one who led the two of us in making glutinous rice balls."
Staring at the table full of perfectly round glutinous rice balls in front of him, Jiang Chen's smile vanished completely. He stood up, untied his apron, and dusted off the flour from his clothes. His tone was extremely cold: "I don't know."
"Alright!" The dough in Shen Yujiao's hands finally took shape. She held up the puppy in her hands as if presenting a treasure, but when she looked up, she could only see Jiang Chen's back.
Where are you going?
"I'm tired, I'm going to rest now."
"Oh...okay..." Shen Yujiao slowly lowered her hands, which were holding up the dough puppies. She looked at the table full of glutinous rice balls for a long time, then murmured, "He even taught me how to make a puppy, saying it would look like you..."
As soon as Mu Jin entered, she saw the Crown Princess sitting alone, holding a dough ball in her hands and staring blankly at a table full of glutinous rice balls. She quickly stepped forward and asked, "Your Highness, why are you sitting here alone?"
Shen Yujiao blinked blankly. "His Highness the Crown Prince has gone to rest first." Then, as if she suddenly remembered something, she said, "Come, Mujin, pack some of these Yuanxiao (sweet rice balls) and have someone send them to Her Majesty the Empress."
"Your Highness," Mu Jin said with a somewhat troubled expression, "should we pack what you wrapped as well?"
"Of course, this is my way of showing filial piety."
So, in the evening, the Lantern Festival dumplings from the Eastern Palace were delivered to the Kunyi Palace.
When the Lantern Festival dumplings arrived, a quarrel had just taken place in the palace. At this moment, the Empress and the Lady of Xiangguo were still in a tense atmosphere. The servants outside had long been sent away, and only a few trusted confidants stood guard at the door. When they saw that the person from the Eastern Palace had only brought a bowl of Lantern Festival dumplings, none of the senior palace maids dared to go forward to receive them.
The Empress has probably just unleashed her fury inside the palace; anyone who goes in now will suffer.
Seeing that no one dared to step forward, Zhiyuan took the box of Yuanxiao herself, smiled and thanked the person from the East Palace, then turned around and saw the palace maids all bowing their heads. She sighed silently.
"Knock knock knock—"
"Your Majesty, someone from the Eastern Palace has delivered some things. Would Your Majesty like to take a look?"
After a moment of silence in the hall, the Empress said in a deep voice, "Come in."
It was already evening, and the palace, which had not yet been lit, was rather dim. Zhiyuan stepped forward with a carved lacquer box in her hands, respectfully bowed to the Empress and the Lady of Xiangguo, and then opened the box.
The lacquer box contained round, snow-white glutinous rice balls. Upon seeing the box, the tense expressions on the two people's faces relaxed a bit. It was Lady Xiangguo who spoke first: "They look like they were made by yourself."
As she spoke, she took the lacquer box and examined it closely. Seeing that there were a few oddly shaped ones mixed in with the pile of perfectly round glutinous rice balls, Lady Xiangguo smiled and said, "These few should have been made by the Crown Prince."
Upon hearing this, the Empress glanced over, and with just that one look, her expression softened considerably. "It seems they did choose the best ones to send over; the Crown Princess is indeed more skillful."
Hearing her say this, Lady Xiangguo couldn't help but chuckle and said, "For the Crown Prince to do such delicate things as cooking is already a sign of his filial piety. Does Your Majesty expect him to be as skilled as a young lady?"
Despite saying this, she still picked up a glutinous rice ball and looked at it in her hand. The glutinous rice ball was round and plump, and it felt quite heavy in her hand. The Duchess of Xiangguo nodded in praise: "However, the Crown Princess is indeed thoughtful."
The Empress took the Yuanxiao from her mother's hands, a faint smile on her lips. "Yes, since the wedding, even Chen'er has become much closer to me. It seems that the Crown Princess has indeed lived up to the Emperor's words—she is well-positioned to hold the position of Crown Princess."
The room was dimly lit, while outside there was still a sliver of the setting sun. The Empress sat in this dim light, her expression inscrutable as the light and shadow shifted. Her eyes were slightly narrowed, her gaze no longer on the Lantern Festival dumplings.
That evening, a bowl of glutinous rice balls appeared on the dinner table in Kunyi Palace. Just then, the Emperor came to visit and, seeing this, couldn't help but ask about it. Upon learning that the Crown Prince and Crown Princess had made and sent it by themselves, the Emperor also praised it.
The Emperor had originally come tonight to inquire about the Empress's health, but since the topic of the Eastern Palace came up, he casually asked, "It's been over a month since the Crown Prince's wedding, hasn't it?"
"Yes," the Empress said, her face now full of maternal tenderness, "in two more days, it will be exactly two months."
The Emperor nodded, then asked, "What does the Empress think of the Crown Princess?"
"In my opinion, the Crown Princess is indeed worthy of her noble birth from the Shen family, and the Shen family has also lived up to the Emperor's favor. When she came to the capital as a child, I only thought she was a gentle and dignified girl. Now, after her marriage, she has quite the demeanor of a Crown Princess."
"Yes, I also see that the Crown Princess is indeed a virtuous wife. Today in court, the ministers were debating the salt and iron system, but it was the Crown Prince who pointed out the key points by citing classics. Since the wedding, the Crown Prince has been much more attentive to the affairs of state than before."
The most distinguished couple of the Great Xia Dynasty exchanged a knowing glance, and the Empress lowered her eyes slightly: "As long as Chen'er makes progress, that is the best."
The Emperor agreed with this statement and nodded upon hearing it. Then, noticing the Empress's somewhat haggard face, he added, "You have worked hard these days, but you will still have to manage the palace affairs from now on. If you are unable to do so, you can have the Crown Princess come to the palace to help out for a few days."
"Yes," the Empress nodded in agreement. "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I am now much better and will certainly live up to Your Majesty's trust in matters of the palace."
The year-end has passed, and the turmoil in the palace has quietly come to an end. The couple casually brushed the matter aside, and the Empress suddenly fell ill and then recovered. The power in charge of the six palaces, like a kite, was twirled around a thin string and slowly returned to Kunyi Palace.
As for whether the scheming manipulators behind this game have benefited from it, only they themselves probably know.
A note from the author:
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Mini-theater:
He Zhiju was always the "perfect child" from a young age.
Unlike his peers who were playful and mischievous, he was always gentle and always had a book in his hand. In the military compound, he was the big brother to all the children, and Jiang Chen and Shen Yujiao were especially attached to him.
Sure enough, just as the New Year holiday arrived, He Zhiju had only had two days to rest from the endless visits to relatives and friends when he was pestered by the two little ones again on the Lantern Festival.
"Brother, Mom said you know how to make glutinous rice balls. Shen Jiaojiao and I want to make them too, but no one is willing to teach us. Brother, can you teach us?"
Four-year-old Jiang Xiaochen is still a little toddler who clings to his leg and wiggles around, but He Zhiju, who has just turned eight, already has a mature demeanor. He raised his hand and patted Jiang Xiaochen's head, then replied good-naturedly, "Okay, then Xiaochen and Jiaojiao go wash your hands first, okay?"
"well."
He Zhiju returned to the Jiang family home with one child in each hand. When Jiang Chen's mother saw him, her face was half helpless and half apologetic: "I'm sorry, Zhiju, these two kids have been bothering you again."
"No, Aunt Jiang, don't worry, Xiao Chen and Jiao Jiao are both very well-behaved." He was pulled by the two children to wash his hands, but he didn't forget to nod and greet all the adults in the room.
Seeing his politeness, the adults shook their heads with smiles: "I wonder when these two little rascals will grow up."
After washing their hands, He Zhiju led Jiang Xiaochen and Shen Jiaojiao around the table and taught them how to wrap glutinous rice balls: "First, pick up a piece of dough, then press down in the center with your thumb to make a small indentation..."
He Zhiju taught with great care, and the two children learned diligently. At first glance, it really did seem like they were doing it right.
Ms. Qiao turned around with a smile and said to Ms. Jiang, "See? These two children are only well-behaved in front of Zhiju."
Ms. Jiang dipped her nail polish in her hand, looked up, and then bent down again to paint Ms. Qiao's nails. As she painted, she said with a smile, "It's because Zhiju is such a sensible child. Let me tell you, I just like Zhiju. If it weren't for the current ban on having more children than allowed, I would like to have another daughter with my husband, and then I would let Zhiju be my son-in-law."
"Oh dear, your dream is about to be shattered. Your Chief Jiang will never agree to it. But our Jiaojiao still has a chance. Maybe Jiaojiao can marry Zhiju in the future?"
Although Shen Jiaojiao was small, she had sharp ears. She overheard the two mothers chatting and raised her flour-covered little hands above her head: "Great! When I grow up, I want to marry Brother Zhiju!"
Jiang Xiaochen, who was standing opposite her with the bread and glutinous rice balls, immediately retorted, "No way! My brother has to stay with me!"
The two mothers, who were in the living room, were already laughing so hard they were doubled over. While dodging Ms. Qiao's nail polish, Ms. Jiang laughed and scolded, "You're so untrustworthy! You promised that Jiaojiao would be our Xiaochen's wife!"
"Mom, what are you saying! Who wants to marry Shen Jiaojiao!" Jiang Xiaochen jumped off the chair like a puppy with its fur standing on end and ran towards the living room.
The adults and children were making a ruckus. Shen Jiaojiao, sitting at the dining table, tugged at He Zhiju, leaving a small white handprint on her black cuff. He Zhiju raised his hand and tapped her nose: "You little rascal, what are you doing?"
"Brother Zhiju, do you think Jiang Xiaochen looks like Grandma Wu's Leon right now?"
Leon is a Shih Tzu owned by Grandma Wu in the compound. Although the dog is beautiful, it has a bad temper, and the children in the compound both love and fear it.
"Jiaojiao is a little rascal."
"Brother Zhiju, can you sculpt Leon? I want to sculpt a puppy and name it Jiang Xiaochen."
"You—"
The two, one big and one small, looked at each other and then burst out laughing. He Zhiju was very skilled and quickly sculpted a puppy. Shen Jiaojiao pestered him to learn, and after ruining several pieces of dough, she finally managed to sculpt a puppy shape.
That evening, He Zhiju went home after teaching the two children how to make glutinous rice balls. Ms. Qiao was worried about him walking alone at night, so even though they lived in the same compound, she insisted on personally escorting him. When she returned from He's house, she heard the deafening cries of the two children as soon as she went upstairs.
What happened?
As soon as she opened the door, Ms. Qiao saw Jiang Xiaochen and Shen Jiaojiao sitting on either side of the small dining table, crying. Ms. Jiang stood to the side with a large spoon, looking helpless. There were two bowls of glutinous rice balls on the table, and a few more were scattered on it.
Jiang Xiaochen pointed at a glutinous rice ball on the table and cried aggrievedly: "Shen Jiaojiao made a strange creature and insisted that I am it."
The accused, Shen Jiaojiao, also had tears in her eyes: "Mom! Jiang Xiaochen insisted that the puppy I wrapped was ugly!"
Upon hearing the other person's accusation, the two burst into tears: "Waaah—"
"I'm never talking to Jiang Xiaochen again!"
"I'm never talking to Chen Jiaojiao again!"
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