"I came to save you. Your maid came to Changning Palace and told me that the Queen had something on you. The situation was urgent, so she asked me to come and save you."
Gu Yinwei patted her shoulder and said, "Thank you."
"No need to thank me. I must have lost at least ten pounds after running this distance. You have to treat me to a barbecue to make up for it, otherwise I won't do it."
"Okay, I'll treat you to barbecue, okay?"
"Barbecue is more lively when there are more people. Xiaoyu, go and call Concubine Jin, Concubine Xian, and the four ladies Zhao Qian, Sun, and Li."
Concubine Shu held the cat and walked towards Cangzhu Palace with an arrogant gait. Gu Yinwei corrected her, "You are going in the wrong direction. Go east."
"East? Did the Emperor grant you permission to live in the Pepper Palace?"
"It should be."
"Just get ready to experience the wrath of the concubines in the harem." Zhen Fei tickled the cat in her arms, then gave Gu Yinwei a look of pity.
"Thank you for the reminder. I've learned my lesson." The Queen of Qiwu Palace was so angry that she almost burned him to ashes.
"How does it feel? Is it stimulating?"
"Wandering on the edge of life and death, don't you think it's thrilling?"
"Just listening to it makes me feel very excited."
"Do you want to experience it?"
"I'm old and my heart isn't good, so I'm only suited to a comfortable life with cats and dogs."
"Old? You're only three years older than me. An eighteen-year-old girl is a flower in her prime."
Zhen Fei corrected him, "I am eighteen years old this year, but I eat the food of a nineteen-year-old. I am aiming to be twenty years old, so rounding it up equals twenty years old."
"Empress Zhen, an ordinary little math genius."
Gu Yinwei was talking to Concubine Zhen when Concubine Jin came in a sedan chair, with the palace maid Aqiu beside her holding a chess set.
"According to Sister Zhenfei's calculation, I am even older."
Zhen Fei said, "Sister Jin Fei, you are eternally youthful." Then she stepped forward, took Jin Fei's hand and called out, "Let's go eat some barbecue."
"Barbecuing doesn't smell as good as playing chess, Gu Gengyi. Today, I will definitely kill you without a single piece of armor left."
As the sun sets, Concubine Xian Gui, Zhao Qian Sun Li and the four other ladies also arrive. Gu Yinwei stands with her back to the setting sun, and suddenly realizes something: the most shining thing about a person is not killing and oppressing each other, but always having a compassionate heart, warming each other, and helping each other.
There is an open space behind the Pepper House Hall. Next to the side hall, there is a long corridor enclosed by a fence. Above the corridor are some high and low bamboo poles hung, and the bamboo poles are covered with grape vines. It is late autumn, and the leaves of the vines are gradually falling, leaving only dark brown branches.
Xian Guipin walked slowly along the corridor. "In the summer when the grapes are on the shelves, this must be a summer resort."
Concubine Jin said, "When you mentioned grapes, I suddenly remembered that I forgot to bring the purple jade chess set. What a pity."
A barbecue grill was set up deep in the corridor, and four ladies, Zhao, Qian, Sun and Li, gathered together and told jokes.
Concubine Zhen pointed at the empty space in the backyard and said, "Build a cat's nest on the east side, a dog's nest on the west side, and a fox den on the north side."
Gu Yinwei shook her vigorously, "Princess Zhen, look carefully, this is the Pepper Room, not the Changning Palace."
Zhen Fei lay at the gate of the courtyard and asked, "How do you plan to use such a large open space?"
Gu Yingxia walked over from outside the palace, laughing as she walked: "How can I plan it? She will definitely use it to grow vegetables and flowers."
Gu Yinwei went forward and took her hand: "I was just about to ask someone to call you, and you came."
"Bian Tao sent me a message early on. By the time you remembered me, they had eaten all the meat."
Concubine Jin called out, "Gu Shurong, come and play chess."
Gu Yingxia lifted her skirt and ran towards Concubine Jin. Her four chess partners gathered around her and watched. Everyone was concentrating on the game, and the people watching were even more nervous than the players.
The charcoal fire was already burning red, and a brand new iron net was hung on the iron rack. Fresh venison was cut into thin slices and coated with dipping sauce. The meat was delicate and tender. When it was grilled, it made a sizzling sound.
Xiaoyu was very excited and rolled up her sleeves to show off her skills. She volunteered to prepare a bowl of secret sauce for Zhenfei. She added twelve chopped green onions, a small spoonful of minced garlic, a spoonful of sesame paste, a spoonful of mushroom sauce, a mixture of crushed cornus officinalis and green peppercorns, and added soy sauce and balsamic vinegar, and stirred evenly with chopsticks.
Concubine Zhen looked at the bowl of red and green dipping sauce and didn't dare to eat it. Concubine Xian said, "Xiaoyu, you forgot to put in the peanut butter that Concubine Zhen likes."
Xiaoyu quickly put a spoonful of crushed peanuts into the bowl, and then added half a spoonful of peanut butter.
For the sake of the peanut butter, Zhenfei picked up a piece of meat, dipped it in the sauce, and was reluctant to put it in her mouth.
"With such a mix of flavors, how can it be delicious?"
Xiaoyu looked expectant, "My Lady, please try it."
Zhenfei gritted her teeth, picked up the barbecue and put it in her mouth. It was a bit spicy when she first put it in her mouth. This spicy taste was unique to Cornus officinalis.
When you take the first bite, the aroma of sauce and vinegar spreads from your mouth. When you take the second bite, you can feel the burnt aroma of barbecue.
Xiaoyu waited for Zhenfei's evaluation with anticipation.
"Although the sauce you made is not very attractive, it is still quite delicious."
As soon as Concubine Zhen said this, Concubine Jin snatched the sauce bowl from her hand and said, "You don't share the good things with me, but eat it all by yourself."
Zhenfei also took it seriously and chased after Jinfei without caring about her image at all.
Gu Yingxia was holding a pot of fruit wine and was drunk. Ah Qing advised her not to drink, but she encouraged Ah Qing to drink with her. Half a minute later, both the master and the servant became drunk cats.
"Ah Qing, look, there is a moon on the ground, and there is also a moon in the sky."
Ah Qing looked drunk, "There are two moons, one on the ground and one in the sky."
Gu Yinwei looked in the direction Gu Yingxia was looking, but it was empty, there was nothing there.
Concubine Zhen asked, "There seemed to be a lantern at the palace gate just now. Is someone coming?"
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
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