Chapter 45 Food Protection
Song Tangning was completely unaware of what was happening in the palace. After moving to Jiyun Lane, there was no elder in the mansion who required her to pay her respects every day, and the house was full of her own servants.
Madam Qin told her that she needed to rest more so that she could recover soon. Everyone in the mansion knew that she was injured and did not dare to disturb her. Hua Wu stayed under the eaves, dismissed the servants who were cleaning the yard, and roasted sweet potatoes around the charcoal stove.
Tang Ning slept until noon, and was awakened by the aroma of roasted sweet potatoes coming from outside.
"This girl's nose is really amazing. She can even smell the fragrance in her sleep."
The servant girl came with water for Tang Ning to wash her teeth, and then tied her hair into a small bun for her.
Hua Wu held the peeled sweet potato and handed it to Tang Ning's mouth: "I just baked it, and the lady woke up when she smelled the aroma. It's a good opportunity to try it and see if it tastes good."
Tang Ning took a bite from her hand and her eyes lit up: "So sweet."
"Yes, last night I was looking for it in the kitchen. I peeled a raw one and took a couple of bites. It tasted sweet, so I thought the girl would like it if I roasted it."
The little girl considerately peeled the skin, placed the sweet potato in a small celadon bowl, took a spoon and placed it in the bowl, letting Tang Ning scoop it up and eat it.
Tang Ning held the spoon in his palm and ate with his eyes curved. He said to Hua Wu, "Bake a few more and send them to the next door later..."
After saying this, she thought of Xiao Yan's noble and cold appearance, as if he didn't care about worldly things. It was hard to imagine him holding a sweet potato and chewing it, so she quickly regretted it.
"Forget it, I'm afraid brother won't eat it."
"What are you not eating?"
There was a sound outside the door. Tang Ning looked up with a spoon in her mouth and saw Princess Cheng leading Nanny Jiang in from the outer room.
She had powdered her face, but the thin rouge could not cover the dark circles under her eyes. Even though she looked normal when she entered, Tang Ning could still see the fatigue and helplessness that could not be concealed on Princess Cheng's face.
"aunt."
Tang Ning quickly put down the spoon and tried to get up, but Princess Cheng pushed her back.
"Rest well, why are you moving around so much? I forgot what Madam Qin said. You need to walk less and move less until your leg is healed."
Tang Ning had no choice but to sit back.
"Has Madam Qin come? Are you feeling better today?"
Princess Cheng sat beside her and glanced at the things on the table: "Is this your lunch or a snack?"
Tang Ning was a little embarrassed: "I just got up."
Hua Wu brought over the boiled tea, and the faint aroma of tea instantly overwhelmed the aroma of sweet potatoes.
"The girl slept a little late last night. She seemed to be sleeping soundly this morning, so I didn't wake her up."
"Madam Qin came over early, took a look at the girl's complexion, gave her some medicine, and left. I thought she would sleep a little longer, but she woke up when she smelled the aroma of my roasted sweet potatoes."
Princess Cheng laughed when she heard this: "You're still a little greedy cat."
Tang Ning glared at Hua Wu angrily, and said to Princess Cheng with a red face: "No, I didn't. I just couldn't sleep last night because I was thinking about something..."
Being stared at and teased, Tang Ning couldn't stand it and quickly changed the subject.
"Auntie, you're here now and haven't eaten yet, right? Lunch is being prepared in the kitchen. Auntie, please come and eat with me. Hua Wu, go ask the kitchen to add a few more dishes. Remember to add the sauced duck breast, and don't put the smell of ginger in the other dishes. Auntie doesn't like it."
Hua Wu suppressed her laughter and agreed, then turned and walked out.
When Princess Cheng heard that Song Tangning still remembered her taste and preferences, her eyes couldn't help but soften: "Look, it's amazing that you still remember my taste."
Nanny Jiang sighed softly. The girl was so well-behaved and considerate, no wonder the princess loved her so deeply.
The sweet potato was a little cold, so Tang Ning put it aside and didn't eat it anymore. She chatted with Princess Cheng for a while, and when she saw Nanny Jiang turned around and went to the outer room, she moved closer to Princess Cheng.
"Aunt, what happened when you went to Jingzhao Prefecture yesterday? Lord Wu from Jingzhao Prefecture sent someone to bring me Song Shulan's books."
Princess Cheng was stunned for a moment: "He sent a book of membership?"
Tang Ning nodded. "He said someone from the Song family went to Jingzhao Prefecture to ask for the registration book, and that the original copy was destroyed by a fire. Lord Wu sensed something was amiss with the Song family, so he had another copy made and sent to me."
"He's quite clever."
Princess Cheng understood Wu Huai's intention at a glance, knowing that he probably wanted to use Tang Ning to pass the thing to Xiao Yan.
She originally didn't want to talk to Tang Ning about Prince Cheng so early, but then she thought that there was no need to hide some things.
"The book wasn't destroyed, it was taken away by Xie Tianyu."
Seeing Tang Ning's eyes widen, Princess Cheng curled her lips and said, "Isn't it incredible? He had already been to Jingzhao Prefecture a few days ago. Not only did he already know that Song Shulan's identity was unusual, he also secretly took her books away. But he never mentioned a word to me, and even pretended to send people to Anzhou, helping the Song family deceive me."
"I've been married to him for nearly twenty years, and it wasn't until yesterday that I realized he was so different from the person I'd known all those years. It seems I've never really understood him."
"Aunt..." Tang Ning was a little worried.
Princess Cheng reached out and stroked her hair. "I've already asked someone else to investigate the matter between Song Shulan and the Song family. Keep the letter in your hand for now. Don't let anyone know. Once I've investigated thoroughly, I want to use this incident to see how far your uncle can go to keep this secret from me."
Tang Ning said worriedly, "Then aunt should be careful."
"What are you worried about?" Princess Cheng laughed. "Xie Tianyu is just reluctant to part with his Song family relatives and wants to keep the peace and cover up for the Song family. Can he really harm me?"
Tang Ning's lips moved, and just as he was about to say something, she pulled his hair hard.
"Okay, don't worry. I know what's going on. Just take care of yourself."
Princess Cheng obviously didn't want to talk about Prince Cheng, so she changed the subject and talked about something else. Seeing this, Tang Ning had no choice but to keep quiet.
After the meal was ready in the kitchen, Hua Wu led people to bring it up. Princess Cheng seemed to have forgotten about Prince Cheng and happily accompanied Tang Ning to have dinner. She also invited Hua Wu and Nanny Jiang to the table. With the intention of relaxing the atmosphere, the four of them, master and servants, all enjoyed the meal.
A while after dinner, Uncle He came in with a smile and said, "Girl, a few days ago you said you wanted to buy some servants. The governor sent some people over this morning from the market. Would you like to choose some yourself?"
Tang Ning was surprised: "Brother, aren't you going to court?"
Uncle He said, "I instructed you to do this before I went to court. Guard Jin went to do it. He's in the front yard right now."
Princess Cheng sat aside, sipping freshly brewed tea to help digest her food, and said with a smile, "Your brother is really considerate. I originally thought that you only had Hua Wu by your side, and you should have a few more people. Since he has sent them here, why not call them over and take a look? It's just right to choose a few suitable ones."
Tang Ning also had this idea: "Uncle He, please let them come over."
When the Governor's Mansion needs someone, the best boys are sent from the human market. They are not too eye-catching in appearance but are handsome and well-proportioned, and they can all read and write.
I heard that half of them were female slaves who were convicted of crimes in their families. Not to mention Tang Ning, even Princess Cheng was surprised.
After Jinyun asked each of them to introduce themselves, Princess Cheng discussed with Tang Ning and selected four people. After naming them Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, they stayed in the courtyard to temporarily assist Hua Wu as third-class female servants. As for the rest, nearly twenty menial servants were selected to fill the mansion. Uncle He took the ones selected by Tang Ning away, and the rest were taken away by the brokers.
After selecting the person, Jinyun led in a woman dressed in green with a cold face.
"Your servant Lingyin greets Madam Song."
"This is..." Tang Ning looked at the woman who was saluting with a puzzled look on his face.
Jinyun explained, "Lingyin is one of the eight hidden guards under the governor. She is very skilled and well-informed about the affairs of the capital. The governor asked her to stay with Miss Song to protect you."
Tang Ning stared at the kneeling woman in astonishment. Although she didn't know how powerful Ling Yin was, she knew that to be Xiao Yan's hidden guard and to be valued by him, she must be no ordinary person. She quickly shook her head and said, "That won't do. My brother has taken the trouble to train her, so she must be of great use. How can I let her stay with me and waste her talent?"
She shook her head like a rattle: "I have Hua Wu, Xi Chun and the other four by my side. That's enough. Let Sister Lingyin go back."
Ayane was stunned and couldn't help but look at Jinyun beside her.
Jinyun was also stunned: "Madam Song, don't you want Lingyin?"
Tang Ning said quickly, "It's not that I don't want her, it's just that it would be a waste for her to stay with me. I already have the protection of the Hang Guards, and I have so many servants. If I leave her here, I have no place to stay. Please tell my brother to let her go."
"You really don't want it?"
“Really, really.”
Jinyun saw that Tang Ning really didn't want to keep Lingyin, and his words were full of sincerity. There was not a trace of greed in his pair of black and white almond eyes. He suddenly seemed to understand why the usually cold and indifferent Governor was so special to Miss Song.
Jinyun's expression softened: "Since Madam Song doesn't want it, I'll let Lingyin go back first."
Tang Ning nodded quickly: "Sorry for the trouble."
When Jinyun and Ayane went out, they heard the faint voice of Princess Cheng behind them as soon as they turned the corner.
"That Ayane just now looked good and had good skills. It would be good for you to keep her around..."
"I know, but my brother is in a difficult situation. Many people in the capital want to make trouble for him. That sister looks powerful. It would be better for her to stay with me and continue to work for my brother. Besides, I have already taken advantage of my brother a lot. I can't be too greedy. Aunt, when Xichun, Nianxia and the others take over, I won't be short of people here."
"You."
Princess Cheng was helpless, and Tang Ning acted coquettishly with her.
The two spoke in very low voices, but it did not prevent Jinyun and the others from hearing them clearly.
Ayane's expression softened slightly: "This Miss Song seems quite good."
Jinyun nodded: "I was worried that the governor cared too much about her, but she can remember the feelings, I was wrong."
The governor's background cannot be discovered by others, and every step he takes is on the edge of a cliff. Any mistake will lead to eternal damnation. Miss Song can remember the governor's kindness to her, which is worth the governor's efforts for her.
There were many things going on in the palace, so Xiao Yan returned from the palace when it was getting dark. After listening to Jinyun's explanation of Tang Ning's reasons for not wanting to keep Ling Yin, he hummed, "If you don't want to stay, then don't keep her."
Anyway, he can protect her in the capital.
"Has the governor been in trouble in the court today?" Jinyun took the cloak he took off.
Xiao Yan sneered, "When has this governor never been embarrassed by others?"
Cang Lang, who was following behind, laughed out loud: "Our governor was a master in the court today, debating with many scholars, getting rid of a chattering censor, and making the old man of the Lu family so angry that he almost vomited blood."
Jinyun was silent for a moment, thinking of his governor's notoriety in the capital, who was hated by everyone and could scare children to tears, and felt that he had indeed asked a nonsense question.
"Master." Xiao Yan had just walked to the study when he heard someone come to report, "Miss Song from next door sent something over."
"Give it to me."
The man handed a food box to Xiao Yan. Xiao Yan opened it with some curiosity and saw some steaming food inside.
The dishes were simple, with only a spicy aroma. Next to the white rice were two roasted sweet potatoes.
"Hey, why are there still two sweet potatoes?" Canglang reached out to grab them.
Xiao Yan slapped him on the back of his hand, closed the lunch box, and took it over with the other hand.
"The Song family has been demoted today, so they might have other ideas. They might have someone keep an eye on them. And that He Zongran, don't let him die."
Canglang hissed in pain and watched his supervisor carry the food box into the study and close the door. He muttered, "Stingy."
Xiao Yan inside seemed not to hear the sound, and just walked to the table with the food box.
The room is filled with the fragrance of ink and books. When the red lacquer lid is opened again, the rich fragrance instantly hits your nose.
Xiao Yan pinched the still hot and round sweet potato, as if he saw the little girl calling him "brother" with her pretty eyes. The corners of his mouth raised slightly, and his handsome sword-like eyes were stained with tenderness by the candlelight.
The noble cold white fingers peeled off the burnt skin, the thin lips opened slightly, and took a bite of the soft yellow meat.
Xiao Yan's throat rolled slightly, it seemed... quite sweet
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