Ziwei and Jinsuo, who were standing to the side, also placed the Luohan cakes they were holding on the table and bowed to the Empress Dowager and Anke.
The Empress Dowager walked directly to the head seat and sat down. Anke sat to the Empress Dowager's right. Qing'er followed beside the Empress Dowager.
The old lady's expression was unreadable. Her face remained completely expressionless. She glanced around. "I heard you went to the rose garden a few days ago and picked a lot of flowers?"
Little Swallow, completely oblivious to the anger in the Empress Dowager's tone, cheerfully continued, "The flowers there are growing exceptionally well. We originally wanted to pick some in the Imperial Garden, but the flowers there seemed rather small. As we strolled around, we stumbled upon the rose garden, and seeing how beautiful the flowers were, we picked a lot to make Luohan cakes." As she finished speaking, Little Swallow turned slightly, revealing the exquisite Luohan cakes laid out on the table.
"Oh, really?" The old lady glanced at it casually, not really caring.
Don't they think about what good food the Empress Dowager hasn't eaten? If the Empress Dowager wants something, the imperial kitchen will rush to make it. Even if it's better than what the imperial kitchen makes, the Empress Dowager won't find it surprising.
"Yes, Ziwei did a wonderful job," Xiaoyanzi said proudly, pulling Ziwei aside. It was as if she were praising her, not Ziwei. She felt a sense of pride too!
The Empress Dowager then looked up at Ziwei again. She said indifferently, "Bring it up for us to see."
Granny Gui darted over like lightning and, in a fawning manner, served the plate of Luohan cakes to the Empress Dowager.
The old lady picked up a piece and looked at Anke and Qing'er. "You two should try some too."
An Ke remained noncommittal, simply taking a piece. She'd made Luohan cakes herself before, after all. She gently brought it to her nose and sniffed it. It smelled quite good. The appearance was also nice. So, without hesitation, she took a small bite.
Well, how should I put it? Maybe the imperial kitchen doesn't usually make it this sweet. Otherwise, I couldn't taste anything else that was different.
Qing'er also picked up a piece and put it in her mouth, savoring it carefully.
"An'an and Qing'er, what do you think?" The Empress Dowager ate some herself, but didn't offer any comments, instead letting An Ke and Qing'er give their opinions.
An Ke glanced at Qing'er but didn't say anything. Qing'er tried to smooth things over.
Anke: I've eaten it so many times, I'm getting a little tired of it, why do you say that?
Qing'er: I'll do it!
"Your Majesty, what do you think, Qing'er? This pastry is sweet but not cloying, and its appearance is exquisite. It's quite good." After saying that, Qing'er wiped the crumbs from the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief.
Empress Dowager, "I remember you're from Shandong? Which part of Shandong?"
"Your Majesty, this servant is from Jinan, Shandong," Ziwei replied, neither humble nor arrogant.
"Oh, so you're from the same place as Xiao Yanzi." The old lady's eyes darted between Ziwei and Xiao Yanzi.
"Yes, Your Majesty." At this point, a small lie had to be told. Otherwise, there was no way to cover it up.
"That's perfect, the Imperial Kitchen is short-staffed right now. You could go over there and help out." The Empress Dowager asked, "Ziwei, what do you think?"
Ziwei now views her father's relatives with a biased perspective. She especially views the Empress Dowager with a biased view, often tinged with familial affection. She even feels the Empress Dowager is testing her.
"Yes, ma'am, I'll go to the imperial kitchen in a bit," Ziwei replied with a smile.
"Yes, Granny Gui, you will come along too. Give Ziwei some guidance from the side." The Empress Dowager directly assigned the task to Granny Gui.
Granny Gui's eyes lit up instantly, as if to say, "I guarantee I'll complete the mission, Sir!" "Yes, sir!"
This delighted Granny Gui, who thought she had won the Empress Dowager's favor. She began to act smugly, as if she had a trivial matter to command.
"Little Swallow, when you go to pick flowers in the future, don't pick them so badly that they're all broken and tattered. The flowers in the rose garden are the best; none of you from Shufangzhai should go in there." After saying this, the Empress Dowager said directly, "Qing'er, An'an, go back to Cining Palace."
"Yes!" Qing'er glanced at Ziwei, then exchanged a look with Anke.
Alas, a storm is brewing!
*
Imperial Kitchen
The plump Master Zhuang was instructing the young eunuchs on how to make pastries, cook for the dignitaries, and clean up miscellaneous items.
"You, hurry up!" Master Zhuang couldn't help but say, looking at the slower-moving eunuch beside him. "This is for the noble ladies of the harem. If you're late, do you even have a spare head?"
"Yes, yes." The little eunuch hurriedly brushed the dipping sauce onto the chicken.
Just then, a group of people arrived outside. They marched in a grand procession towards the imperial kitchen. Upon seeing this, Chef Zhuang narrowed his eyes, dusted off imaginary dust, and went out to greet them.
"This servant greets Princess Huanzhu, may Princess Huanzhu be blessed." As the saying goes, one doesn't hit a smiling face, let alone someone like Master Zhuang. Master Zhuang can practically be called a "smiling tiger," adept at judging people by their appearance. He's so cunning that you can't find a single flaw in his deception.
"Master Zhuang, the Empress Dowager wants Ziwei to help out here, so I'm entrusting Ziwei to your care," Xiaoyanzi said to Master Zhuang, putting her arm around Ziwei's shoulder. She hoped that Master Zhuang would treat Ziwei well, at least by giving her some lighter tasks, considering her status as a princess.
"Yes, yes." Anyone can say polite words, especially the smooth-talking Master Zhuang. As for how you treat Ziwei after you leave, that's another matter.
At this moment, Granny Gui also appeared in the imperial kitchen.
Upon seeing Granny Gui arrive, Master Zhuang immediately abandoned Princess Huanzhu and the others, heading straight for her. A professional smile graced his face as he walked. "What brings you here? Is there anything the Empress Dowager needs? Just tell me, and I'll have someone do it right away."
Granny Gui glanced at Master Zhuang indifferently, "This old servant was sent by the Empress Dowager to assist and train Ziwei. The Empress Dowager doesn't need anything."
"Yes, yes." Now it was Master Zhuang's turn to get nervous. He wiped his forehead, which was covered in non-existent cold sweat.
Granny Gui glanced at the large group from Shufangzhai who had formed a small fold, and then at Ziwei, who was being fawned over in the middle. She was inwardly disdainful; "She's just here to help out in the Imperial Kitchen, why all this fuss?" But upon seeing Princess Huanzhu, she had no choice but to step forward and bow. "This servant greets Princess Huanzhu, may Princess Huanzhu be blessed."
Before Xiao Yanzi could say anything, he turned directly to Ziwei beside him and said, "It's getting late, Miss Ziwei should get to help as soon as possible." He didn't say anything threatening, but his words were so impeccable that no one could find fault with them.
Seeing this, Ziwei quickly and gently advised Xiaoyanzi, who was standing to the side, "Princess, this servant has already arrived at the Imperial Kitchen. It's time for you to go to the Imperial Study for your lessons." She winked at Xiaoyanzi as she did so.
Even if Xiao Yanzi wanted to say something, she could only swallow her words after seeing Ziwei's actions. "Alright, then I'll be going now."
Jin Suo was also reluctant to part and wanted to say something to Ziwei. Ziwei quickly stopped her with a look.
Granny Gui, however, scoffed at this, holding her head high and puffing out her chest, like a proud rooster leading the way. Ziwei quickly followed Granny Gui with small steps.
"Master Zhuang, since Ziwei is here to help, why don't you share some of your work with her?" Granny Gui instructed without blinking. The Empress Dowager probably only wanted her to supervise, not to do the work herself.
"Then please wash all these beans clean, Miss Ziwei." Master Zhuang didn't make things too difficult for Ziwei. He pointed to the beans beside him. Several bags of beans were gathered in the corner.
Seeing this, Ziwei didn't object. She tried to lift the bag of beans, but couldn't, so a kind eunuch helped her carry it to the backyard.
Neither Granny Gui nor Master Zhuang said anything about it.
Ziwei moved a small wooden basin, poured the beans out of the bag, and filled another small wooden basin with water. An empty wooden basin was placed next to her. She then began to rinse the beans.
This washing session lasted all day. Ziwei's hands were soaked in water all day, and they even turned a little white.
Granny Gui, on the other hand, seemed to be on vacation, watching from the sidelines. She neither stepped forward to tease or help. She simply sat on a chair to the side, resting with a handful of freshly roasted melon seeds in her hand.
Master Zhuang didn't say anything about it. Seeing the eunuchs helping, he turned a blind eye, doing his best. He couldn't very well ask the eunuchs in the imperial kitchen to put down their own work and help Ziwei wash beans, could he?
As evening approached, Granny Gui patted the melon seed shells off her hands. She stood up and looked at the beans Ziwei had washed. "Alright, Ziwei, you can go back to Shufangzhai now. Come to the Imperial Kitchen at this time tomorrow to help Chef Zhuang." Without even looking at Ziwei's expression, she turned and left.
Ziwei looked at her pale hands and pursed her lips tightly. Her expression was conflicted; she couldn't just go back like this. If Xiaoyanzi saw her, she would worry again.
With a heavy heart, Ziwei finally returned to Shufangzhai. The atmosphere in Shufangzhai was tense at this moment.
Xiao Yanzi sat on the chair to the right, with the Fifth Prince beside her, and Erkang pacing back and forth opposite them. Compared to Erkang, Ertai was more composed, sitting diagonally opposite Xiao Yanzi, sipping his tea indifferently. Benjamin also looked somewhat anxious, but not as anxious as Erkang.
"You mean the Empress Dowager wants Ziwei to help out in the Imperial Kitchen? What kind of help does she want Ziwei to do in the Imperial Kitchen?" Erkang asked, puzzled, his words coming out quickly and his tone a little angry.
"The Empress Dowager tasted the Luohan cakes made by Ziwei yesterday and said that Ziwei's skills were good, so she asked her to go and help out in the Imperial Kitchen," Xiaoyanzi explained from the side.
The Fifth Prince looked thoughtful. "Did the Empress Dowager send Granny Gui there to supervise Ziwei?"
Benjamin didn't know Granny Gui well, but he could still sense the tension in everyone's expressions, and a hint of worry crept onto his face. After all, they were all on the same team. Besides, she was Xiao Yanzi's sworn sister, and Ziwei was so kind. It was understandable that people were worried about her.
Ziwei looked at the brightly lit Shufangzhai and quickened her pace.
Pushing open the door, they saw all four guards inside, as well as Little Swallow. Erkang was pacing back and forth inside.
As soon as Erkang saw Ziwei enter, he rushed over and hugged her. Then, he released her and looked her over, checking if she was injured anywhere. "Ziwei, did anyone from the imperial kitchen give you a hard time today? Are you hurt anywhere?" Erkang was eager to know the answer.
"No, no, I'm not hurt anywhere. The people in the Imperial Kitchen are all very kind; they even helped me today." Ziwei quickly waved her hand upon hearing this, forgetting that she had been washing beans all day and her hands were now white from washing.
Erkang took Ziwei's hand with concern. "What happened to your hand?"
Little Swallow was jumping around too, "Ziwei, was it Master Zhuang who made you suffer, or Granny Gui?"
"Miss!" Jin Suo, her eyes also reddening, called out softly to Ziwei.
"It's nothing, I'm really fine. I just washed beans all day. Erkang, look at me, I'm perfectly fine, aren't I?" Ziwei circled around in front of Erkang, gently reassuring everyone. "Really, I'm really fine. Everyone in the imperial kitchen is very kind."
"Why don't you skip tomorrow? You already made so many beans to wash on the first day." Erkang looked at Ziwei with concern, wanting to persuade her and undermine her resolve to go to the imperial kitchen tomorrow.
“Really, there’s no need. Erkang, I think this is fine, and it will also show the Empress Dowager my determination. Look at this whole day, didn’t I persevere? If I were to tell the Empress Dowager I wouldn’t go tomorrow, it wouldn’t be good to leave a bad impression on her.” Ziwei’s eyes were full of light. “Besides, Erkang, do you know? I feel like I’m one step closer to the Emperor and the Empress Dowager. Let me go help out in the Imperial Kitchen again tomorrow.”
Ziwei was convinced that even eight horses couldn't pull her away.
Seeing that he couldn't persuade Ziwei, Erkang gave up. He sighed inwardly, thinking that he could take the opportunity to check on Ziwei when he was on duty the next day. If anyone bullied Ziwei, he would definitely stand up for her.
Ertai seemed distracted, lost in thought. Yongqi noticed Ertai's odd behavior but didn't take it to heart.
Ertai: It's been so long since I've seen the Princess. I wonder what she's up to? qAq, ???
The next morning, Ziwei rushed to the imperial kitchen. A short while later, Granny Gui also arrived.
He glanced at Ziwei, wondering what chores he should have her do today. Then he looked at the beans she had washed yesterday.
“Ziwei, you’re from Shandong, so why don’t you use the beans you washed yesterday to make some Shandong-style soybean paste?” Granny Gui said from the side.
Ziwei glanced at the vat of beans. She wondered how much soybean paste these beans would make, and whether such a large quantity was necessary.
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