The arrival of Emperor Zhaokang made the situation very awkward for a while.

Tao Ti was still a little confused. Pei Yan gently pinched her fingers and she came to her senses. She hurriedly followed everyone to greet the guests.

Emperor Zhaokang raised his hand and said, "Everyone, get up. Just continue to have fun as before. Don't become restrained just because I'm here."

Although everyone said they obeyed the order, they knew in their hearts that as long as the emperor was there, there was no way they could have fun.

Pei Yan walked up to Emperor Zhaokang and smiled warmly, "Father, I am very happy that you are here."

Emperor Zhaokang looked at his son, who was taller than him, patted his shoulder, and showed kindness in his eyes, "Well, please take your seat."

Fortunately, the round table was big enough, so it wasn't too crowded even with Emperor Zhaokang sitting there.

Emperor Zhaokang sat at the top, with Princess Jingyang and Pei Yan on his left and right. Concubine Xu and the fifth prince sat next to Tao Ti. After they sat in a circle, Tao Ti suddenly realized that the layout of the seats was a bit awkward.

According to their status, Emperor Zhaokang sat in the upper seat, and the Gu siblings sat opposite him. The two younger Gu brothers did not dare to raise their heads during the whole process, after all, the death of their grandfather and aunt was related to Emperor Zhaokang. Moreover, the emperor banished their Gu family to the bitter cold place of Shazhou for so many years, so they had complicated feelings towards Emperor Zhaokang, respecting, fearing and resenting him.

On the other side, the Xu siblings happened to be sitting opposite Qinghe and Young Master Xie. Qinghe and Xu Guangji were fine, and they looked at each other from time to time, both of them were full of affection, shy and happy. But the more they exchanged glances, the more embarrassed Xu Wenchan and Young Master Xie became...

Young Master Xie held the teacup tightly. He looked at Xu Wenchan several times, but she deliberately avoided looking at him and stared at the porcelain bowl with lotus pattern on the table in a daze.

He didn't understand why she rejected him so much.

He checked himself and felt that there was nothing offensive or inappropriate in the previous contacts.

If he had to find something wrong, it might be that his words at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet were too abrupt, but he was also worried that she would be pointed out to Pei Changzhou by his uncle. At that time, he thought that no matter whether Xu Wenchan liked him or not, he had to fight for it.

After that, he tried to explain to her many times, but she avoided him.

Young Master Xie was very worried. He felt that the sweet honey and kumquat juice had turned bitter.

Is there something wrong with him? He asked himself.

The birthday party started in such an inexplicably awkward atmosphere.

The palace maids removed the dried fruits, preserves, and cakes from the table and replaced them with four kinds of sauces: osmanthus chili sauce, dried purple mustard, assorted coriander, and cucumber with shrimp sauce, and a cup of Junshan Yinzhen tea for each person.

Then came the cold dishes, appetizers, soups, main dishes, snacks, porridge, etc. Soon the big round table was filled with dishes. Most of the dishes were made by the kitchen chef, Tao Ti made six main dishes, including the fragrant Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, the bright red spicy chicken cubes, the tender and delicious crab meat and bamboo shoots, the sweet and sour shrimp balls, the spicy boiled fish fillet, and finally the breaded lamb leg with a strong ethnic flavor.

Emperor Zhaokang scooped a bowl of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall and drank it. The soup in the clean white porcelain bowl was clear and he could smell the lingering aroma of wine when he put it under his nose.

Take a sip and you’ll find that the essence of forty kinds of precious ingredients, including sea cucumber, abalone, shark fin, dried scallops, pigeon eggs, fish maw, scallops, pigeons, etc., are fully dissolved in the soup, making the soup rich and fragrant, salty but not greasy, soft and tender, with endless flavor.

Emperor Zhaokang finished drinking half a bowl of soup before looking up at Tao Ti, "This soup is good, but why is it called Buddha Jumps Over the Wall?"

Tao Ti answered humbly, "The original name of this dish was Fu Shou Quan. Later, a scholar came here to try it. He happened to smell the rich aroma when the dish was cooked and was instantly conquered by it. He wrote a poem on the spot, 'The fresh fragrance from the jar spreads to the surrounding area, and the Buddha jumps over the wall to eat it'[1]. The meaning is that if the Buddha smelled the fragrance, he would jump over the wall to eat it. This is an interesting story, and gradually, the name of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall became popular."

Emperor Zhao Kang narrowed his dark eyes and asked calmly, "Didn't you come up with this dish yourself?"

Tao Ti said honestly, "My daughter-in-law found this dish in an old cookbook. The person who invented this dish is a chef from Fujian. My daughter-in-law just imitated the recipe and made a pot of it."

Emperor Zhaokang asked casually. Seeing that she answered honestly, he hummed softly, then turned aside and gently advised Princess Jingyang and Pei Yan beside him, "You should also try it. The soup is thick but not greasy, and the aroma of wine is fragrant. It's worth a try."

"Yes." Princess Jingyang and Pei Yan smiled and replied, and scooped a bowl. After tasting it, their eyes lit up and they praised, "Not bad, fragrant and fresh."

The people at the top seats were drinking soup, while the Fifth Prince could not wait to scoop a large spoonful of Gong Bao Shrimp Balls. He was enjoying his meal, but he did not forget the Sixth Princess, and hurriedly said, "Little Six, these shrimp balls are delicious. One bite at a time, sour and sweet, you should try some too."

The Sixth Princess said obediently, "Okay."

Xu Wenchan was more interested in the breaded lamb leg. A whole tender lamb leg was wrapped in golden and crispy bread. Just looking at the crispy bread on the outside was enough to make people salivate.

But no one has tried this dish yet, so she couldn't go beyond the rules. She could only hold back her saliva and pray in her heart: "Please take a look at this breaded lamb leg!" It's so fragrant and so big, don't you want to eat it? If this lamb leg gets cold, the taste will be greatly reduced!

Just as she was shouting in her heart, a voice suddenly sounded from the opposite side, "Uncle, mother, do you want to try this lamb leg? This method is rare and it should taste good."

Xu Wenchan was startled, then raised his eyes quietly and saw the handsome profile of Young Master Xie.

Her heart seemed to skip a beat and she quickly lowered her head like an ostrich.

It would be a lie to say that I didn't feel a bit happy just now, but... Xu Wenchan, ah Xu Wenchan, don't think too much, just eat the lamb leg honestly!

She rudely suppressed the little deer in her heart that wanted to jump. The little deer let out a weak cry.

Breaded lamb leg is a delicacy in Xinjiang. It is made with fresh lamb legs, sprinkled with salt, cumin and chili powder, then kneaded into dough, which is then rolled into a thick pancake. The whole marinated lamb leg is then wrapped in the dough, sprinkled with a layer of onions to remove the smell and enhance the flavor, and finally roasted in the oven.

Because the temperature of roasting lamb legs is very important, Tao Ti not only sent two eunuchs to guard the kiln, but she also took a walk around the kiln whenever she had time. Only in this way could she make this crispy outside and soft inside breaded lamb leg.

Because of Young Master Xie's reminder, Princess Jingyang ordered the palace servants to cut the bread and give everyone present some meat and bread. After tasting it, everyone praised it highly.

"The wheat aroma is strong and becomes more fragrant the more you chew it. The mutton is so tender that gravy comes out of your mouth when you take a bite." Concubine Xu said.

"Yes, it smells really good, especially the bread on the outside, which is crispy and chewy!"

"The mutton inside is also good, just the right amount of tenderness, and the sauce is well-marinated, spicy and delicious."

The princess put down her chopsticks gracefully and looked at Tao Ti with admiration, "Ah Ti, you must have put a lot of effort into this dish, right?"

Tao Ti smiled, "It took a whole morning. But as long as it tastes good, it's worth it."

Pei Yan tasted it and said softly, "There is a hint of fruit wood aroma in this mutton and bread."

Tao Ti raised her eyebrows, "Because it is roasted with fruit wood charcoal, it will be more fragrant."

Pei Yan looked at her proud face, his eyes becoming more gentle. If there weren't so many people present, he would definitely hug her and kiss her, but at this moment, he could only restrain himself.

"You've worked hard to cook so many dishes today, Ati."

After a pause, he moved closer to her and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear, "I'll give you a shoulder massage when we get home tonight."

His hot breath brushed over Taoti's skin, and her ears felt hot unconsciously.

Last time he said he wanted to rub her waist, and after rubbing it for a while, her waist became even more sore after all the torment!

"There's no need to massage my shoulders. Today is your birthday. I'll ask Linglong to massage my shoulders later." Tao Ti refused with a firm look. She was scared.

Pei Yan's eyes narrowed, and when he saw the tips of her fair and tender ears dyed pink, he understood.

He raised the corners of his mouth, feeling a bit amused.

He really didn't mean that when he said that just now. He didn't expect her little head to jump so far.

However...

Pei Yan stared at her charming and rosy face, his eyes deepened.

He wouldn't mind having another good meal at night.