Humph, this is good. She was forced not to serve that dish. Now she wants to see what this plain cabbage tastes like. She doesn't believe that Meng Qi dares to let the emperor eat it raw.
Concubine Xiang also asked everyone's question at this time, "Sixth Wife, what is the name of this dish? Do you eat it like this?"
"Of course not. We're still one step away." Meng Qi said briskly, and then turned to the emperor, "Your Majesty, the dish your daughter-in-law is serving today is called Blooming Flowers and Prosperity."
"Oh?" The emperor raised his eyebrows when he heard the name, "How does it bloom?"
Meng Qi clapped her hands as Wang Chenghai approached, carrying the long-spouted teapot. Princess Jing was startled, suddenly having a bad feeling. Could this be the dish Meng Qi had prepared today? And what was in her wine jar?
Meng Qi took the teapot and poured the boiling soup into a large bowl. The leaves of the peony in Meng Qi's mouth began to stretch out one by one. There were meatballs, scallops, diced ham in the soup... the red and green colors looked very beautiful.
Watching Lu Chengbao approach, Meng Qi whispered, "Father, please be careful. The soup that was just boiled over the charcoal fire in the west side hall is still very hot."
The emperor nodded, took the soup bowl from Lu Chengbao, stirred it gently with a silver spoon and took a sip.
Everyone looked at the emperor nervously. He frowned slightly, then nodded. He drank the soup in his bowl in one gulp and said to Lu Chengbao, "Give me another bowl, and bring the 'peony' as well."
Everyone could not hide their surprise, and Princess Jing even pulled the handkerchief in her hand until it was deformed. She caught a look of dissatisfaction from Prince Jing out of the corner of her eye.
After the emperor took a bite of the cabbage, he whispered, "This is cabbage? So delicious?"
Meng Qi nodded. "It's made with cabbage. My daughter-in-law believes that cabbage is the king of detoxifying and laxative vegetables. This soup is simply made with seafood, not heavy or greasy. It's meant to be light and refreshing, not greasy, and is best for health."
The Emperor nodded. "Indeed, this soup is rich yet not greasy, mellow and elegant, clear and transparent. It is tender and smooth, and has an unusually fresh and fragrant aroma. Empress and all the concubines, please try it."
In one word, Lu Chengbao hurriedly led the palace maids to distribute it to everyone.
Fanghua took her portion and took a sip, frowning. This Meng Qi was really talented. She could make such a bland dish so delicious.
Princess Jing had to drink it even if she didn't want to. Although she didn't want to admit that it tasted good, it was actually not as good as "Buddha Jumps Over the Wall". She really didn't understand why the emperor was so indifferent to her dish.
Princess Duan couldn't bear to see Meng Qi steal the show, so she put down her bowl and said with a smile, "I saw that Sixth Brother's wife also brought a wine jar. I don't know what's in it. Could it be that she's secretly saving it for Concubine Lian?"
When Concubine Xiang heard what Princess Duan said, she looked up at the emperor and was relieved to see that the emperor did not look unhappy.
The emperor said "oh" and looked at Meng Qi with a puzzled look.
Meng Qi had just returned to her seat when she stood up again, saying sheepishly, "This is plum blossom wine I brewed myself. The prince has a few white plum trees in his outer study. A few days ago, I cleared the snow and made tea with them. It was very fragrant. I wondered what it would taste like if I used it in wine. Since it's not been so long, but I wanted to celebrate the emperor's birthday, so I eagerly brought it in. It might not be palatable yet, but with the emperor's permission, I'll keep it in my mother's palace for a while. I think it will be just right after the first month of the lunar year."
When the emperor heard this, he nodded first, then laughed, "Your little thoughts are similar to Fanghua's."
Fanghua snorted coldly when she heard this. "How could I be as clever as Sixth Sister-in-law? Just now, when Fourth Sister-in-law was offering the dishes, Sixth Sister-in-law stared at the wine jar and her expression changed. I thought Sixth Sister-in-law was preparing the same dishes as Fourth Sister-in-law. Sixth Sister-in-law, could you tell me why you had that expression just now? I'm really curious."
Meng Qi pretended to be helpless, looking at Princess Jing as if she wanted to say something, leaving Princess Jing confused.
Song Chengze stood up and tugged at Meng Qi, who was hesitant to speak. "Meng was just doing this out of boredom. I originally forbade her to bring her into the palace, but she brought him in anyway without telling me. I hope your Majesty will not blame me."
The emperor hadn't said anything yet, but Meng Qi muttered quietly, "You're not going to say it?"
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