When Concubine Xu heard that Emperor Zhaokang was coming, she was naturally surprised.

It was obvious which was more important, the egg yolk pastry or the emperor. She quickly fixed her hair and held the fifth prince with one hand, "Come on, follow me to welcome your father."

Before the mother and son reached the palace gate, they saw Emperor Zhaokang striding in.

Concubine Xu's appearance was not outstanding among the beauties in the harem, but her hands were very flexible and she was especially good at massage. Emperor Zhaokang had been busy with government affairs during this period and felt a little tired, so he thought of coming to Concubine Xu to have her massage him.

The fifth prince had always been in awe of Emperor Zhaokang, and after paying his respects, he wanted to run away. But before running away, he had to find a way to take the box of cakes out - otherwise, when he came back after his father left, the delicious cakes would have been eaten up.

Emperor Zhaokang saw the fifth prince's dark eyes rolling around, wondering what evil he was up to, so he waved at him, "Chen'er, come here, let me test your homework."

The fifth prince, “……!!!” was struck by lightning.

At this time, Concubine Xu smiled and said, "Yes, you have been studying Mencius these days, recite what you have learned to your father."

Children of this age don't like to study, and the prince is no exception. But with his parents sitting in front of him with expectation, the fifth prince had no choice but to bite the bullet and step forward, stuttering and reciting.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Concubine Xu placed the egg yolk pastry on the table and took a piece to eat.

The fifth prince was so happy that he almost cried. Is this really his biological mother?

Emperor Zhaokang also smelled a faint sweet fragrance, and when he looked to the side, he saw that it was the crispy cake that Concubine Xu had just put out. He had just had a bowl of rock sugar bird's nest soup before he came, but now... he inexplicably wanted to taste this crispy cake.

Seeing his mother eat a piece and his father also take a piece, the fifth prince was so sad. He was thinking wildly, this is karma, does the heaven spare anyone? He took his sister's food, and now his father and mother are taking his.

"This pastry is good. Is it new from the kitchen?" asked Emperor Zhaokang.

"That should be it." Concubine Xu coughed lightly and looked at the Fifth Prince, "Chen'er, what is the name of this pastry?"

The fifth prince curled his lips and said, "I don't know."

Concubine Xu thought that the boy was just sulking, and couldn't help but frowning and said, "You kid, you just ate two pieces of your pastry. I'll ask the kitchen to send some more later, and you can eat as much as you want, okay?"

The fifth prince raised his head, like a wronged puppy, "I really don't know."

"Where did you get this shortbread?"

"This, this... um..." The Fifth Prince stammered. Finally, unable to withstand the double gazes of his father, the emperor, and his mother, he had to explain the origin of the pastry.

Of course, he did not say that he had stolen the cake, he only said that the Sixth Princess gave it to him because she loved her brother.

After hearing what he said, Concubine Xu understood, "I didn't expect the cooking skills of the chef in the East Palace were so rare..."

Emperor Zhaokang didn't say much, but glanced at the fifth prince, "If you can memorize the Gongsun Chou chapter of Mencius, I will ask the chef of the Eastern Palace to make you another one, how about that?"

The fifth prince was surprised. "Really? Father, you must keep your word! I will go read the book now. I will memorize it today... oh no, I will recite it tomorrow!"

——

Tao Ti didn't know that the egg yolk pastry she baked had been passed around for several times and finally ended up in the emperor's mouth. At this moment, she was leaning on the soft pillow, busy reading the invitations sent by various prefectures.

As the Crown Princess, she also had to maintain certain social activities, such as a birthday banquet held by a certain duke, a new baby being born in the family of a certain prince, or the marriage of a certain general's wife... She didn't have to go to these occasions, but she would definitely receive the invitations.

After reading through the posts one by one, Tao Ti thought that the banquets held by the royal nobles of the Great Yuan Dynasty were quite rich.

When she picked up a visiting card inlaid with gemstones and gold embroidery that looked like a work of art, she smacked her lips and asked, "Whose card is this?"

This gorgeous gold thread, these sparkling jewelry, this aura of luxury that comes over you... I love it!

Linglong looked up and said, "Princess Consort, this is a visiting card from Miss Xu of the Zhenbei Marquis's Mansion."

Miss Xu? Tao Ti thought for a moment, and an image of a chubby girl instantly appeared in his mind.

Miss Xu Wenchan was one of the few friends of the original owner. She grew up in the frontier and returned to Chang'an only two years ago.

The Marquis of Zhenbei and his wife had always wanted a daughter. They had worked hard for 20 years but had given birth to seven sons. After the couple's unremitting efforts, they finally gave birth to a precious pearl when the wife was 42 years old.

Zhenbei Hou immediately ordered: Pet, pet me as much as you can! !

The people in the frontier areas were tough by nature, and the Zhenbeihou family spoiled Xu Wenchan like a treasure, gradually turning her into a chubby little girl who only knew how to eat, drink and have fun.

She was not good at playing the piano, chess, calligraphy, or painting, nor was she good at embroidery or flower arrangement. Instead, she loved to wield swords and spears, play with cats, and walk dogs. In addition, thinness and fair skin were considered beautiful in this dynasty, and Xu Wenchan was fat and had dark skin... People like her were simply an anomaly among the noble ladies.

At a banquet, Xu Wenchan was forced to drink wine by the noble ladies for fun. He felt uncomfortable and wronged. At this time, the original owner appeared.

Instead of standing up for her, the original owner simply handed her a handkerchief to wipe her tears.

But such a small act of kindness made Xu Wenchan burst into tears of gratitude, and from then on she regarded the original owner as her first good friend in Chang'an City.

As for the original owner's attitude towards Xu Wenchan, based on the remaining memories in her mind, Tao Ti thought, well, they were neither close nor hostile... they could be barely called friends, right?

Tao Ti opened the post and the content was very simple: the day after tomorrow, Miss Xu wanted to come and play with her.

After thinking for a while, Tao Ti said to Ling Long, "Bring me paper and pen. I will reply to this one myself. As for the others, you can sort them out. If you want to give gifts, send them according to the regulations."

"Yes." Linglong agreed and quickly came back with pen, ink, paper and inkstone.

Tao Ti bit the tip of the pen and thought for a while, then started writing, welcoming her to visit the East Palace.

She may have to live in this abyss for the rest of her life, so she can't be alone forever. Although she may not remarry after divorce, she can still make some close friends.

She thought that this Miss Xu was quite good, enthusiastic and sincere, much better than those fake sisters in the Yongweihou Mansion.

Linglong was slightly surprised when she saw the Crown Princess personally reply to the post, "The Crown Princess has a good relationship with Miss Xu?"

Tao Ti nodded softly, and carefully handed the written reply to Linglong, asking her to send it out together.

——

That night, the sky was a thick ink color, with no moon or stars.

Zixiao Palace.

Fu Xirui had just finished serving Pei Yan the medicine and was about to come out with the bowl when he saw Li Gui, the chief steward of Emperor Zhaokang, coming in the night.

Fu Xirui hurried forward to greet him, "Master Li, what brings you here at this hour?"

Li Gui held the whisk and asked, "Your Highness, have you rested?"

Fu Xirui said, "I just took the medicine and now I am still reading a book inside."

"Your Highness is really hardworking. But you should also encourage him more. Studying is important, but health is more important."

"Yes, yes, yes." Fu Xirui responded immediately and then asked, "General Manager Li, what are you doing...?"

Li Gui groaned and said, "Yesterday, the Fifth Prince got a portion of pastry made by your East Palace chef, and he liked it very much. But the portion was small, and the Fifth Prince couldn't eat enough. His Majesty saw that the Fifth Prince was so greedy, so he said that if the Fifth Prince could recite the book, he would let the East Palace chef make him another portion. Guess what, the Fifth Prince really stayed in his room and recited the book for a whole day. Although he recited it with some hesitation, His Majesty was very happy... Look, he immediately asked me to come over and invite the chef."

At this point, Li Gui looked at Fu Xirui with a smile, "I wonder who that chef is? The snacks he made can make the masters so satisfied. This time he is going to be rich!"

Fu Xirui was confused. Chef? What chef? The Fifth Prince had never been to the Eastern Palace. How could he get the Eastern Palace cakes?

"What is the name of that cake? What does it look like?"

"It's round, small, and golden, so pretty. Wow, it smells so good, I was drooling over it just by smelling it."

Fu Xirui's expression froze. After hearing this description, could it be... the egg yolk pastry that the Crown Princess made yesterday?

Inside the hall, Pei Yan was wearing a thin robe, a light green gown with bamboo leaf patterns draped over his broad shoulders, his black hair was tied up, and under the warm yellow candlelight, his overly handsome face seemed so beautiful that he did not seem to be of ordinary people.

Seeing Li Gui coming, he coughed twice and smiled gently, "Chief Executive Li, does the emperor have any instructions?"

Li Gui hurriedly explained the purpose of his visit, and at the end he did not forget to say with concern, "Although it is spring, it is still a bit cold at night. Your Highness should wear more clothes."

Pei Yan responded, and Fu Xirui said cautiously, "Your Highness, I think... the pastry that the Fifth Prince wants to eat should be the egg yolk pastry made by the Crown Princess."

Li Gui was shocked, "The Crown Princess did it?"

Pei Yan smiled faintly, "She likes to make some snacks when she's free. She must have given a box to Xiaoliu yesterday, but I don't know how Xiaoliu gave it to my fifth brother."

Li Gui was in a dilemma for a moment. If it was just an ordinary cook, he could just take her to Mingyue Palace. But now the one making the cakes was the Crown Princess!

Pei Yan naturally knew Li Gui's difficulties, and said softly, "General Manager Li, why don't you go with me to Yaoguang Palace to see if there are any left, so that you can take them back and report."

Li Gui naturally wanted it more than he could ask for, and quickly thanked him.

Fu Xirui followed behind, a little confused: For matters like this, His Highness could just send him to Yaoguang Palace, why did he need to go there in person?

Could it be that... His Highness is concerned about the Crown Princess and wants to place her in Yaoguang Palace? !

——

Tao Ti was getting ready to go to bed when she suddenly heard Pei Yan coming. She was a little surprised.

He casually put on a green and gold embroidered round-necked double-breasted long gown and went out to greet the guests.

When she saw Pei Yan was also wearing a light blue coat, Tao Ti was slightly startled. What was going on with this sense of couple outfits?

Li Gui bowed to her behind the screen. Tao Ti was even more confused and asked Pei Yan in a low voice, "Why is Chief Li here?"

After Pei Yan explained his purpose, Tao Ti spread out her hands with some regret, "It was gone yesterday. I ate some myself, and the rest was shared by the palace maids."

After a pause, she raised her head and looked at Pei Yan with her bright black eyes, "If it really doesn't work, I'll do some more?"

"No need." Pei Yan denied it decisively. His long eyelashes cast a shadow under his eyes, making his eye sockets even deeper.

"But……"

"You are my Crown Princess, not my cook. If you feel like it, just cook for yourself. If others ask you to cook, you don't have to care."

Pei Yan said this in a very calm tone. Tao Ti didn't know if it was her illusion, but she vaguely felt that his aura was different, eerie, cold and very unfamiliar.

She raised her eyes to look at his handsome profile, calm and composed, just like usual.

Maybe I was overthinking it? But with Pei Yan's words, she was relieved. It was almost time to go to bed, and she really didn't want to bother herself any more.

She glanced outside the screen and said, "What about Manager Li?"

"Just tell her the truth. Concubine Xu won't be confused about this matter."

Tao Ti nodded, and suddenly remembered something, and called Linglong over, "Go get a jar of rose jam that I made this afternoon."

Soon after, a small sealed jar of rose jam was brought over.

Tao Ti stood behind the screen and said softly, "Mr. Li, you have made a hard trip here, and it is not right to let you go in vain. Please bring this rose jam to Concubine Xu. The jam will be ready in five days. Whether you use it to cook porridge or rinse water, it will taste great."

Li Gui thanked him quickly and left with the jar of flower sauce in his hand.

The hall suddenly became quiet.

Tao Ti looked at the tall and graceful Pei Yan and asked softly, "Your Highness, it's getting late..."

Qiantaici, isn't it time for you to go back to Zixiao Palace?

Hearing this, Pei Yan slowly lowered his eyes and looked at her with his deep eyes.

I saw her dark hair flowing softly behind her, and her petite body draped in a thin blue shirt. Perhaps because she got up in a hurry, her collar was slightly open, revealing her long, white neck, and her delicate collarbone could be vaguely seen.

Tao Ti felt his gaze, pulled her clothes together awkwardly, and explained with her head down, "I, I was just getting ready to go to bed."

"I'm sorry to bother you." Pei Yan turned his head and glanced out the window. It was already late at night.

“……” Tao Ti waited quietly for him to leave.

However, the next moment, a cough broke the silence.

"Cough, cough, cough..." Pei Yan took out a handkerchief and pressed it against his thin lips, as if he was trying hard to suppress the discomfort. His cold and pale face flushed an unhealthy red.

"Your Highness, are you okay?" Tao Ti was startled and subconsciously reached out to help him, "Come, come and sit over here."

Through the thin clothes, Pei Yan could feel the warmth of her palm and the soft touch, like a ball of fluffy clouds.

Fu Xirui, who was outside, was very nervous when he heard the noise. He wanted to come in but was afraid of a collision, so he could only ask through the screen, "Your Highness, what's wrong? Do you want me to call the doctor over?"

Pei Yansha said in a hoarse voice, "I'm fine... cough cough... I probably caught a cold when I came here, so I'm coughing a little now... There's no need to call a doctor."

"Your Highness, please sit down first." Tao Ti helped him sit down and poured him a glass of water.

She was standing beside him, very close, and his nose was filled with the sweet fragrance of her body. Her slender waist, which was so thin that it could not be grasped, was bent like a soft willow branch that was very easy to break.

"Your Highness, please have a cup of hot tea first."

A pair of snow-white hands holding a teacup appeared in front of him. Pei Yan lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes covering the dark light in his eyes. He said in a low voice, "Thank you."

When taking the teacup, their hands accidentally touched.

His fingertips were still cold, like frozen snow.

Her palms were warm, like the sunshine in spring.

Pei Yan's eyes flickered slightly, and he picked up the teacup to cover up the almost undetectable abnormality.

Tao Ti didn't take the unintentional touch seriously. Seeing him holding the teacup and drinking water in small sips, like a weak and helpless little kitten, her tone became softer, "It's cold at night. You don't have to come in person. Just send someone to pass on the message..."

Pei Yan said, "I'm worried that you'll be nervous and uneasy when you suddenly see Li Guixun coming...it's better for me to come here in person."

How thoughtful. Tao Ti's clear eyes became softer, and she said softly, "Then don't wear so thin clothes in the future, wear more..."

Pei Yan raised his face, looked at her straight with his dark eyes, and suddenly smiled softly, "Well, I know."

When he smiled, Tao Titon felt her heart beating wildly: He looked so cute and adorable!

Pei Yan had a pair of extremely beautiful peach blossom eyes, which had grown bigger and looked a little rounder, adding a bit of clean and thorough boyish feeling to his eyes, like a snow-white ragdoll cat of noble descent.

Tao Ti seemed to suddenly understand the excitement of the star-chasing girls when they saw the high-definition photos of their brothers. With such a handsome face in front of them, who can resist it! ?

Realizing the mess in her mind, Tao Ti turned her face away with mixed feelings and took a deep breath.

No, no, such a weak and poor little thing should be well protected. How could I have such evil thoughts to press him down and ravage him? It was all because of that lecherous dog Qiongqi. He always recommended Haitang and Granny to her before, and he corrupted her!

After adjusting her mood, Tao Ti's cheeks were hot and she said in a low voice, "Why don't you sleep here tonight? ... Well, you don't have to run back and blow the cold wind again."

Pei Yan looked at her slightly red ears, his eyes were clear, and his thin lips curled up, "Okay."

…

The two of them lay side by side in the red tent. After chatting for a while, Tao Ti mentioned that Xu Wenchan would come to play with her tomorrow. Pei Yan listened quietly, occasionally agreeing.

Gradually, she felt sleepy. She said "good night" softly and fell asleep after closing her eyes.

An unknown amount of time had passed, and Pei Yan turned sideways, listening to the slow and even breathing beside him.

In the dim light, he stared at her like a lurking beast.

The curtains were filled with the sweet fragrance of his daughter. He slowly stretched out his bony hand, and finally gently placed it on her cheek.

Her cheeks are soft and elastic, with a delicate and smooth touch that makes people love them.

His deep black eyes showed a hint of confusion, but soon, this confusion was replaced by a strong and rich possessive desire.

He was clearly aware that he was interested in her.

For example, an inkstone, a sword, or a small pet, as long as he wants it, he will use any means to seize it and possess it, making it his thing.

Only now, those objects are replaced by women.

A woman he wanted to possess.

His slender fingers moved slowly from her cheeks to her plump, delicate, cherry-like soft lips. His rough fingertips caressed them very gently, again and again, with a bit of naughty teasing.

"Hmm..." Feeling the coolness on her lips, Tao Ti let out a soft moan in her sleep.

She had a hazy dream. In the dream it was a hot summer afternoon. She and Qianqi were squatting on the curb, each holding a green bean popsicle, looking at a beautiful woman.

Mung bean popsicles are cool, sweet and refreshing.

Tao Ti stuck out her tongue and licked it with a look of enjoyment.

Hmm, delicious.

Pei Yan's fingertips trembled, and a hint of surprise flashed in his indifferent eyes.

"Eat...it's delicious..." she murmured softly, smacking the food with her little mouth as if she was not satisfied yet.

The fingertips seemed to still retain the warmth and moisture of her tongue. Pei Yan chuckled softly, and then his eyes looked at her with darker colors.

What a greedy little cat.

…

Qinzheng Hall.

It was late at night, but the hall was still brightly lit.

The master of the palace sat on the throne. After listening to Li Gui's report, he snorted, "I didn't realize she was a good cook."

Li Gui smiled and said, "Your Majesty, I have carefully observed for a while. The Crown Princess was very gentle and considerate when talking to the Crown Prince. I also heard from Fu Xirui that the Crown Princess has been sending snacks to the Crown Prince every now and then. The two get along very well. I think the Crown Princess did that before just on impulse. Now that she knows that our Highness is a gentleman with integrity and gentleness, she will naturally not make trouble again."

Emperor Zhaokang was very pleased to hear this. He relaxed his brows and said, "I have been raising Yan'er since he was young. His behavior is impeccable. If Tao can really settle down and live a good life with Yan'er, I will naturally not treat her and the Tao family unfairly."

Li Gui echoed, "Your Majesty is truly kind-hearted."

Emperor Zhaokang asked a few more questions about the prince's condition, then waved his hand, signaling Li Gui to leave.

The huge palace suddenly became extremely quiet. The window frames were open, and the night wind blew in. The lights on the candlesticks flickered and flickered.

Emperor Zhaokang slowly stood up, walked to the antique cabinet behind him, and gently turned a secret button. The next moment, a deep and long drawer opened with a "click".

Inside is a carefully preserved painting.

He took it out carefully, as if he was holding some priceless treasure.

The scroll was slowly unfolded on the rosewood table. It was not a painting by a famous artist, nor was it a rare ancient painting. It was just an ordinary picture of a beauty.

In the scroll, a woman in a crimson-purple brocade gown with a pattern of emerald leaves and clouds sits by the railing. She rests her chin on one hand and uses the other to catch a falling plain locust flower. There is a kind of careless tenderness between her beautiful eyebrows.

"You personally arranged for Yan'er to marry that girl from the Tao family. Now it seems that she is okay and is a good match for our Yan'er..."

Emperor Zhaokang gently touched the painting, his slender fingers resting on her temples. His eyes, which were always deep and invisible, revealed a deep fascination and a hint of madness that was barely perceptible.

"If you were still alive, you would be very satisfied to see Yan'er and his wife treating each other with respect, right? But why were you so cruel back then...abandoning me and Yan'er..."

With his hands clenched into fists on the table, Emperor Zhaokang stared at the person in the painting with his deep eyes, his expression becoming more and more crazy. Finally, he closed the scroll and slumped down on the dragon chair.

Looking at the magnificent yet empty palace, he chuckled and closed his eyes tiredly.

When he opened his eyes again, he regained his majestic and majestic appearance as an emperor and ordered in a deep voice, "Go to Fengyi Palace."

On the other hand, upon learning that Emperor Zhaokang had gone to Fengyi Palace to settle down in the middle of the night, Empress Zhou's beautiful face revealed a bit of viciousness.

"That bastard has been dead for so many years, but he still can't forget him! He can't even see me, a living person... What does he think of me?"

"Your Majesty, please calm down. Why are you fussing over a dead person?" the maid of honor advised softly.

"Oh, I've been with him for so many years, but I'm still no better than a dead man. It's ridiculous, really ridiculous." Queen Zhou's eyes were full of mockery.

The head maid was silent. When she calmed down a little, she advised, "Your Majesty, please think positively. Even if His Majesty is concerned about her, what's the point? The Gu family is far away in the bitter cold land of the northwest, and her only son is a sickly child who will soon meet Prince Yan... Please be patient for another year or two. Once that sickly child dies, our Third Prince will ascend to the throne of Crown Prince, and then you will be able to get out of this!"

Hearing this, Queen Zhou's expression eased slightly. She reached out and gently stroked the corner of her eye. A cold light of confidence flashed in her eyes, "That's right."

Many years ago, she was able to replace Gu Yuan and sit on the queen's throne.

In another two years, her son will replace Gu Yuan's son and take the throne of crown prince.

She will become the supreme and respected empress dowager. As for Gu Yuan and Pei Yan...oh, let them, mother and son, become wandering ghosts!

…

The next morning, Tao Ti received a bunch of gifts from the imperial concubine, one as a compensation for her disturbance last night, the other as a thank you gift for the rose jam.

Looking at this pile of generous gifts, Tao Ti felt a little embarrassed, and thought about sending some to Mingyue Palace next time she made other snacks.

Two days later, Xu Wenchan, led by the young eunuch, arrived at Yaoguang Palace.

Not to mention the people in the East Palace, even Tao Ti was a little stunned when she first saw this Miss Xu.

She wore a purple shirt with a blue fairy skirt, and had her hair in a double bun. Her ears, neck, and wrists were adorned with golden jewellery. Even her embroidered shoes were inlaid with thumb-sized luminous pearls. Her whole body exuded the meaning of being rich.

"Your humble servant pays respect to the Crown Princess. May the Crown Princess be blessed with good health and happiness."

"No need to be so polite." Seeing that she clearly wanted to get close but was reserved, Tao Ti chuckled and said, "Come and sit down."

When Xu Wenchan saw this gentle and amiable smile, she was still a little stunned. Although A-ti would smile at her in the past, he would never smile like this... Well, how should I put it? Ah, my stupid brain, I can't find the right words without reading. However, it's great that A-ti can treat me so kindly!

She walked over to sit opposite Tao Ti and chuckled, "Ah, Crown Princess."

Tao Ti looked at the girl in front of her. She was not ugly, with regular features, a pair of beautiful almond eyes, and two deep dimples. But her skin was dark, her figure was fat, and her clothing was a bit exaggerated, which brought down her overall image.

She could see that Xu Wenchan was a little nervous, so she dismissed the palace maids and put on a friendly attitude, smiling and saying, "You should call me A Ti as you did before."

"Can I still call you that?" Xu Wenchan was a little excited, and then he seemed to think of something and said sullenly, "Before I entered the palace, my mother told me many times to pay attention to etiquette and not to be as unruly as before..."

"We are friends. There is no need to be so polite among friends."

"Friend..." Xu Wenchan murmured in a daze, and suddenly raised his head, staring at Tao Ti with his sparkling almond-shaped eyes.

"What's wrong?" Tao Ti was a little confused by her look.

Xu Wenchan's smile was a bit silly, yet also a bit cute, with deep dimples on his cheeks. "This is the first time you said we are friends, Artie... I, I am so happy."

Tao Ti was surprised, then smiled, "I am happy too."

No matter what time it is, food is always a good way to start a conversation and promote relationships.

In order to welcome her friends, Tao Ti prepared snow-white egg yolk pastry, pork jerky, glutinous rice balls, red bean double-skin milk early in the morning, as well as some pastries made by the East Palace kitchen, filling the table.

When seeing these delicacies, Xu Wenchan couldn't help swallowing his saliva, "Ati, you are too... polite!"

After a pause, she suppressed her restless hands and said depressedly, "But my mother told me to eat less, saying that if I eat more, I won't even be able to find my husband's family."

Tao Ti was stunned for a moment and said, "Then should I have them removed?"

"Hey, don't..." Xu Wenchan raised his hand quickly and said seriously, "Although my mother doesn't let me eat it, my father told my brothers that it doesn't matter if I can't find a husband, they will support me for the rest of my life! Hey, these look really delicious..."

Taoti, "..."

Sure enough, regardless of ancient or modern times, most girls say they want to lose weight, but when faced with delicious food, they can't control themselves.

Xu Wenchan had eaten chestnut cakes, milk and water chestnut powder cakes, and lotus root powder and osmanthus sugar cakes made by the kitchen before in the Marquis's Mansion, so she didn't try them. However, she had never seen the food made by Tao Ti before, so she started eating it immediately.

She first ate the double-skin milk. The first bite had a sweet and soft milk skin with a rich milky aroma. The second bite had another extremely smooth texture, paired with sweet and sandy red beans. It was simply delicious.

After eating half a bowl, she picked up a cute light yellow glutinous rice ball. The soft and glutinous little ball was covered with fried soybean powder. When she took a bite, the bean fragrance filled the air. The glutinous rice ball was just the right softness and chewiness. The more she chewed, the happier she felt.

After eating the first two sweet dishes, Xu Wenchan tried the salty and sweet pork jerky and egg yolk crisps, and once again showed the surprise of discovering a treasure on his face, "Wow, you are worthy of being the royal chef, these snacks are so delicious."

Taoti took a sip of the rose tea and said with a smile, "I made all the things you ate."

Xu Wenchan, "???"

Xu Wenchan, "Ati, you are so amazing!!!"

Tao Ti smiled faintly, "As long as you like to eat it."

Thinking that Ati prepared so many delicious foods just to entertain him, Xu Wenchan was deeply moved. He thought how lucky he was to have such a good friend!

As she thought about it, her eyes gradually turned red, "Wow——"

Taoti, "......???"

Again?!

The Sixth Princess cried a few days ago, why is she crying again today?!

Xu Wenchan sniffed, tears glistening in his eyes, "Ati, you are so kind, I thought you would not play with me anymore after you became the Crown Princess. I didn't expect that you not only treat me as a friend, but also cook for me in person. Woohoo, I am so happy... Don't worry, I will never let you down, I will eat up everything you cook."

Taoti, "..."

You don’t have to eat it all…

She handed a handkerchief to Xu Wenchan and said softly, "There are still many delicious foods for lunch. Save some for later."

Xu Wenchan nodded, took the handkerchief and wiped his mouth, "Okay!"

Xu Wenchan was a chatterbox who loved to share. While eating, she told Taoti about various interesting things that had happened recently. As they chatted, she suddenly thought of something, and with some concern in her almond eyes, she looked at Taoti intently, "Ati, you... did you really... take poison?"

Tao Ti paused in her movement of holding the glutinous rice cake, then nodded calmly, "Yeah."

Xu Wenchan was stunned for a long time. When he came to his senses, his eyebrows drooped and he said worriedly, "Why...why are you so stupid...even if you don't want to get married, you can't joke with your life!"

At this point, she leaned forward and said in a low voice, "At worst, after the Crown Prince dies, you can move out of the palace. I'll be a widow in public, but it's okay to keep one or two male concubines in private."

Taoti, "???"

Xu Wenchan added, "And don't worry, I will accompany you. I have made up my mind. If I can't meet a good man like my father who is determined not to take concubines before I am seventeen, then I will set up my own house and not marry. It is so cool to eat, drink and have fun alone! If you want a man, go to Zuixianju and find some handsome young men. When you become a widow, we can buy a mansion together, and then we can go to Zuixianju together!"

The more she thought about it, the more beautiful it seemed. She even began to wonder which market would be more economical to buy land in.

Taoti, "..."

Girl, your idea is a bit dangerous, but... I like it!

When Linglong lifted the curtain and came in, she just heard Xu Wenchan talking with joy and gestures about Master Wuchen, Master Nongyu, and Master Feiliu of Zuixianju, while her own Crown Princess held her face with her hands, listening with great interest.

Zuixianju? Is it a wine house in Chang'an?

Linglong pondered and respectfully stepped forward and said, "Crown Princess, it's almost noon. Do you want to order lunch?"

Tao Ti came back to her senses and nodded, "Okay, let's ask the kitchen to prepare the menu I drew up."

Linglong withdrew in response. Tao Ti also stood up and took a pile of storybooks and placed them in front of Xu Wenchan, saying, "Please pick the ones you are interested in. I will go to the kitchen to add another dish."

"Isn't lunch prepared in the kitchen? Don't go to the kitchen. It's too troublesome." Xu Wenchan said.

"It's just an additional dish. It's no trouble. Just sit still and I guarantee you'll enjoy your meal later." Tao Ti said as she bent down and pinched Xu Wenchan's chubby little face.

Xu Wenchan: "..."

Strange, why is my face hot?

About a cup of tea later, a strong and tempting aroma of meat filled the entire Yaoguang Hall.

The palace servants sniffed the fragrance greedily and swallowed their saliva involuntarily.

"What are you doing, Princess? This smells so good."

"Are you stewing meat? But the stew in the kitchen doesn't smell this good. My mouth is watering."

"Is this a meat dish specially made to entertain the eldest daughter of the Xu family? It smells so good that it makes me hungry. I'm going to eat two bowls of rice after I get off work..."

At this moment, Xu Wenchan's saliva was no less than that of the palace maids. She stood in the kitchen, staring at the bubbling meat in the pot without blinking.

"Ati, can I eat now?" She seemed to have asked this question seven or eight times.

This time, Tao Ti finally gave a positive answer, "Well, it's almost there."

Xu Wenchan was very excited and said hurriedly, "Then serve it out quickly! My God, I didn't expect pork to be so delicious."

Seeing her like this, Tao Ti teased her, "Are you not going to lose weight?"

Xu Wenchan looked at the tempting stewed tofu and pork in the pot and waved his hand, "Don't worry, don't worry. I've been fat for more than ten years anyway, so I don't mind having a bite of this."

After cooking over medium heat until the sauce thickened, Tao Ti divided the square, golden and shiny tofu into two plates, sprinkled the remaining thick sauce evenly on the tofu, and sprinkled a layer of green onions on it as a garnish. It was truly a feast for the eyes, nose and throat!

"Your Highness should be having dinner by now. This dish goes well with rice. Linglong, please go to Zixiao Palace and let His Highness have a taste of it." Tao Ti pointed to another plate of stuffed tofu with pork.

"Yes, I'll go right away." Linglong responded with a smile, thinking to herself, the Crown Princess is really considerate, she always thinks of Your Highness when making delicious food.

In the hall, the dishes from the kitchen have also been placed on the table, including fried quail with bamboo shoots, pan-fried three-color seafood, Huai white fish cooked in wine, dragon beard vegetable in clear soup, rabbit with green onions, golden tripe soup, bamboo shoot soup with ham... and stuffed tofu with meat was placed in the middle.

As soon as he sat down, Xu Wenchan couldn't wait to pick up his chopsticks and reach for the dish of fried tofu and stuffed pork.

Just when Tao Ti wanted to remind her to pay attention to the boiling juice inside, Xu Wenchan had already put the whole piece of fermented tofu into his mouth.

The fried tofu is fried in advance. When making the stuffed meat, just cut a hole in the fried tofu, scoop out the tofu inside, and then stuff the prepared meat stuffing in. Fry first and then stew, so that the aroma of the tofu and the taste of the meat blend perfectly together.

When you take a bite, the golden fried tofu is full of delicious juice.