Tao Ti asked Linglong to prepare a plate of qingtuan for each of the fifth prince and the sixth princess.
Hearing that the green dumplings were made of mugwort, the fifth prince was surprised, "Can grass be eaten?"
"Yes, they are edible. In addition to mugwort, all kinds of wild vegetables grow all over the mountains and fields in spring. Some of these wild vegetables don't even need any other seasonings when you pick them. Just stir-fry them with lard and add a little salt before serving. They are fragrant, fresh and delicious with rice..." Tao Ti looked aftertastefully.
"Ati, please stop talking. You're making me want to eat stir-fried wild vegetables." Xu Wenchan swallowed a mouthful of qingtuan stuffed with pickled vegetables and tofu, and praised while chewing, "This pickled vegetable and tofu is really well made. The pickled vegetables are sour and refreshing, and the pickled tofu is just the right softness. The more you chew, the more delicious it is."
Seeing how delicious she was eating, the Sixth Princess also picked up a Qingtuan, opened her mouth wide, took a big bite, and her eyes lit up immediately, "Sweet, delicious!"
The little girl couldn’t find many words to praise it. She only knew that the green rice dumpling was extremely delicious and she couldn’t stop eating it.
This way, only the fifth prince was left.
This child has probably been pampered since he was young, so he has a bit of an awkward personality and likes to act pretentiously in front of strangers unconsciously.
Xu Wenchan didn't buy it and said to him with a smile, "Fifth Prince doesn't like this green dumpling? If you don't want to eat it, then I can eat it for you?" As he spoke, he stretched out his sinful little hand.
The Fifth Prince had probably never seen such a shameless and courageous person. He was startled. When he came to his senses, he didn't care about pretending to be cool anymore. He immediately protected the porcelain plate in front of him and said, "Who said I don't want to eat!"
As he spoke, he quickly picked one up and put it in his mouth. As soon as he took a bite, his expression was stunned.
Isn’t this grass-made food so delicious? !
Xu Wenchan failed in his attempt to snatch the food, and he curled his lips and gave Tao Ti a look that said, "Why is this little brat so weird at such a young age and yet he says one thing and means another?"
Tao Ti raised her eyebrows and looked back, "Are you really planning to snatch it from him?"
Xu Wenchan smiled sheepishly, picked up a sesame and peanut filling and started eating, "Hmm, this is good, the sesame and peanuts are fragrant!"
As they were enjoying their meal, Taoti called the Sixth Princess aside and asked her about the incident with the egg yolk pastry.
The Sixth Princess hesitated for a while and then told the truth.
After learning the truth of the matter, Tao Ti fell silent. Alas, it really proved the old saying that a child with a mother is like a treasure, and a child without a mother is a weed.
She looked at the Sixth Princess and unconsciously thought of Pei Yan again.
Although he was cared for by Emperor Zhaokang, he was an emperor with so many things to do and certainly could not take care of him all the time. Did he suffer a lot of grievances in secret when he was a child?
Tao Ti sighed in her heart, raised her hand and touched the Sixth Princess's head, and comforted her, "Eat a few more Qingtuan later, okay?"
When the Sixth Princess heard this, her big watery eyes blinked and she said sweetly, "Sister-in-law, you are so kind!"
Tao Ti smiled, took her little hand, and the two returned to the courtyard.
…
Before Pei Yan stepped into the gate of Yaoguang Palace, he heard cheerful laughter from afar.
He raised his hand to stop Fu Xirui's report, and slowly walked into the door. What came into his sight was a warm, harmonious and playful scene.
It was evening, the sky was filled with red clouds, brilliant as fire, peonies leaning against the wall were blooming brilliantly, and the air was filled with a faint floral fragrance.
In the huge courtyard, Tao Ti was standing in the middle with her hands behind her back. She was wearing a smoky pink long dress, like a graceful peony flower, charming and bright.
A black ribbon covered her eyes, revealing half of her fair face with a slightly reddish complexion. There was a hint of sweat on her smooth forehead, which showed how much fun she had had.
"Ten, nine, eight, seven..."
She called out softly and tenderly, with a cheerful tone in her voice.
The fifth prince and the sixth princess hid behind the flower garden and under the stone table respectively. Xu Wenchan also wanted to squeeze under the stone table, but she was too fat to hide, so she had to hide behind the lush tree in the yard.
"Are you all hidden? Stop moving, I'm coming to catch you--!"
Tao Ti raised her voice with a slight smile on her lips. After playing several games before, she already knew the places where these three guys usually hide. This time she caught them all!
The long braid in front of her eyes was tied tightly, and everything in front of her was pitch black, with only a faint hint of light coming through the edges.
She raised her hands, groped her way forward, and listened carefully to the movements around her.
It was quiet all around, much quieter than the first few games.
Tao Ti thought that they had become smarter and knew not to make any noise.
But she had plenty of ways to get them to speak up, "A Chan, Xiao Wu, Xiao Liu, do you want to stay for dinner? I'll make you red-roasted pork, goldfish dumplings, garlic and spicy chicken, pork tenderloin, and crispy chicken fillet..."
Hearing this, the fifth prince, the sixth princess, and Xu Wenchan all swallowed their saliva at the same time.
No, hold it in, I'm playing a game now!
They won't be tempted... Wow, I want to eat it so much.
"Oh, and there are braised chicken wings. Let me tell you, the braised chicken wings I make are delicious, fresh, fragrant, tender, and melt-in-your-mouth. I guarantee you'll want two more after eating one..."
Tao Ti continued to seduce, and this time she finally heard some movement.
It seems like the sound came from the front. Is there someone hiding at the door?
She moved forward, waving her arms, with a confident smile on her face.
Gradually, she vaguely felt that there was someone standing in front of her, and she couldn't help but laugh, "Don't move, if you move, you're just being naughty!"
As she spoke, she took a few steps forward, and when her hand touched someone's body, the smile on Taoti's face became even bigger.
This height should be Achan.
"Haha, A Chan, I caught you!" She smiled with a little pride, opened her arms and hugged the person in front of her to prevent him from running away.
But after this hug, she immediately felt something was wrong——
Ah Chan is chubby and feels soft and comfortable when I hold her, but the one I'm holding now is hard and has no breasts...
Moreover, the smell on his body was not right. Ah Chan had the faint sweet scent of rouge, but this person had the light and cold scent of pine.
This scent!!
The smile on Tao Ti's face froze abruptly. Before she could make any move, two cold fingers touched her brow bone, as if a snowflake had fallen on her forehead.
At the same time, the man's other hand gently reached behind her head and untied the knot as if opening a carefully prepared gift.
The darkness gradually disappeared, and everything in front of me became bright.
In astonishment, Tao Ti was greeted by a pair of deep and cold peach blossom eyes. The afterglow of the setting sun was shining, and the man's long eyelashes seemed to be stained with a layer of light, which was beautiful beyond words.
"Your Highness..."
Tao Ti tilted her head back, her eyes misty, with a hint of confusion and panic.
Pei Yan held the fluttering ribbon in his hand, his expression gentle, his voice carrying a hint of laughter, "Is there any punishment for being caught by you?"
He spoke slowly, but Taoti kept thinking in her mind: His waist is so thin.
Broad shoulders, narrow waist, and pectoral muscles... such a stunning sight!!
Pei Yan saw her innocent and cute look, narrowed his eyes slightly, and gently tapped her forehead with his finger, "How long are you going to hold me? It's not good for the children to see it."
Children? Where are the children?
No!
Xiaowu, Xiaoliu, and Achan are all here!
Tao Ti woke up as if from a dream. She immediately let go of his waist and took two steps back.
The fair little face looked like it had been burned by fire, incredibly red, as if it had been evenly smeared with rouge. She lowered her head, her heart was beating fast, and she kept bending over to apologize, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it..."
Was I possessed by a pervert just now? I should have let him go at the first moment!
Pei Yan smiled and said softly, "It's okay. I came here suddenly."
In fact, he could have hidden away before she caught him.
But at that moment, he didn't want to hide.
Of course, he didn't expect to be suddenly hugged by her.
Her embrace was so soft, as if he was wrapped in a warm cloud, and his nose was filled with a sweet fragrance, which made him want to hold her tightly in his arms for a moment and never let go.
Hearing that he didn't mind, Tao Ti breathed a sigh of relief, but still didn't dare to look Pei Yan in the eye.
However, the more embarrassing thing is yet to come——
When she turned around, she saw the Fifth Prince, the Sixth Princess and Xu Wenchan walking out one by one with their eyes covered, looking as if they saw "I didn't see anything".
Tao Ti's mouth twitched. Could this attempt to cover up something be any more obvious?
Several people hurriedly bowed and greeted Pei Yan, and Pei Yan accepted them one by one.
Although his attitude was very gentle, after his arrival, several people did not feel so comfortable at first, especially since Tao Ti hugged the wrong person just now, and the atmosphere became mysterious and weird.
Tao Ti coughed lightly and said to Pei Yan, "Your Highness, I made some steamed qingtuan today. Would you like to try some?"
Pei Yan nodded slightly, "Okay."
Tao Ti quickly winked at Linglong, who immediately understood and went to the kitchen to prepare.
Pei Yan did not enter the hall, but sat on a stone bench and waved to the fifth prince and the sixth princess, signaling them to come over and talk.
Xu Wenchan held Tao Ti's hand and whispered, "Ah Ti, it's getting late, so I'll leave first?"
Tao Ti glanced at the sky and said softly, "Okay, wait here for a while, I'll get you two boxes of Qingtuan, one for you to eat and one for your uncle and aunt to taste."
"Wow...Ati, you are so nice." Xu Wenchan looked at her with gratitude in his eyes, his heart softened.
"It's just a snack." Tao Ti patted her hands, turned around to see Pei Yan talking to the two children, and went straight to the kitchen.
Xu Wenchan sat at one side somewhat awkwardly. She had met the prince at a banquet before. When she looked at him from a distance, she thought he was like a god. But now when she looked at him up close, he was really as handsome as a painting.
I just saw how A-ti and him get along, it seems like they get along well? Alas, it's a pity that the prince is not in good health. There seems to be a century-old ginseng at home. Why don't we give it to A-ti and let her give it to the prince?
Xu Wenchan was daydreaming about all sorts of things when she suddenly felt a cold and piercing gaze coming at her, which made her shiver inexplicably.
She looked up subconsciously and saw Pei Yan looking at her. He looked gentle and very talkative.
It must be my illusion, right? Xu Wenchan smiled at Pei Yan innocently, not knowing what to say. He turned his head and looked towards the kitchen.
Fortunately, not long after, Tao Ti came out with a red-painted nine-piece food box and handed it to Xu Wenchan, "Here."
The two little sisters said a few reluctant goodbyes and Xu Wenchan left.
Tao Ti turned back from the door and saw the fifth prince and the sixth princess sitting on Pei Yan's left and right, chattering -
“The ones with red bean paste are the best! Glutinous and fragrant, not greasy at all!”
"Brother Crown Prince, please try the one with fresh meat and bamboo shoots. It's the best. The one with salted vegetables and tofu is also good!"
"I think the sweet ones are the best. The sesame and peanut ones are so fragrant!"
"Then you should eat less of the fresh meat and bamboo shoots just now..." said the Sixth Princess.
"..." The Fifth Prince's face turned red again. What's wrong with this Little Six? Why does he start to tear him down in various ways as soon as he arrived at the East Palace?
Pei Yan listened to their quarrel and although he did not show it on his face, he found it noisy in his heart.
He doesn't like children, he dislikes them because they are noisy, talkative... and fragile.
Fortunately, it was not too late, and Concubine Xu sent a eunuch to take the fifth prince back.
The fifth prince was still reluctant to leave, and tried to send a message to Pei Yan, asking him to ask him to stay for dinner. As long as the crown prince asked to stay, Concubine Xu would definitely not say anything.
Pei Yan received the Fifth Prince's puppy-like look, and chose to pretend that he didn't understand, and said gently and seriously -
"It's getting dark, you should go back."
As a result, the fifth prince and the sixth princess had no choice but to go back obediently.
The only consolation was that before they left, Taoti gave each of them a box of qingtuan, "Take this back and eat it slowly."
After a pause, she called the Fifth Prince aside, bent down and said patiently, "Xiaowu, I know you are a good boy with a good heart... I already know what happened with the egg yolk pastry last time..."
The Fifth Prince's face suddenly turned red, and he asked in embarrassment, "She, she complained to you?"
"No, I asked her." Tao Ti said, "I just want to tell you that Feifei lost her mother early, and she is not as favored by the emperor as you are. It is not easy for a lonely little girl to live in the harem. She is your sister, I don't ask you to take care of her more, but you shouldn't bully her either."
"I didn't mean to bully her, I just... was teasing her..."
"If someone snatches your Qingtuan away on your way home later, would you think he is teasing you?"
"Who dares!!"
"Well, where's the third prince? Where's the second princess?"
“……” The Fifth Prince choked.
"Actually, you are very smart. You know they are stronger than you, so you don't dare to snatch them away. What about Feifei? You are stronger than her, so you snatch her away? Xiaowu, don't do to others what you don't want others to do to you."
Hearing this, the Fifth Prince suddenly became angry. He felt that his despicable little thoughts had been seen through by the Crown Princess.
He stiffened his neck, his eyes turned red unconsciously, and he felt ashamed and guilty. He lowered his head and said, "I, I know I was wrong."
Tao Ti raised her hand and patted his small shoulder, smiling slightly, "It is a great thing to admit your mistakes and improve yourself. I was right in judging you." She added, "Little man, please don't shed tears."
The fifth prince sniffed and hummed.
Not far away, Pei Yan looked at the scene in the corner, his black eyes moved slightly, as if thinking about something.
After the fifth prince and the sixth princess left, he looked at Tao Ti and asked abruptly, "Do you like children?"
Taoti was stunned for a moment, tilting her head to think, and then she answered, "Well, I like children who are pretty, smart and polite."
Those unreasonable naughty kids are creepy just thinking about them, so let's just forget about them.
Pei Yan listened to her answer and lowered his eyes slightly.
Beautiful, he is not bad looking and she is bright and lovely, this can be achieved.
Smart, there should be no problem.
If a child does not know etiquette, it is the fault of the father. If the child does not teach strictly, it is the laziness of the teacher. If he were a father, he would naturally teach his child well, and when the child grows up, he would find a few virtuous teachers to train him carefully...
"Your Highness, Your Highness?"
"Hmm?" Pei Yan's eyelashes moved slightly and he slowly raised his head.
Tao Ti leaned half of her body towards him, her clear and beautiful eyes showing some concern, "What were you thinking about just now? I called you several times but you didn't hear me."
"Sorry, I was distracted. What did you say to me just now?"
"It's nothing. I just asked you if you want to eat shredded chicken cold noodles. Isn't it the Cold Food Festival? If you want to eat cold food, shredded chicken cold noodles are pretty good." Tao Ti said.
"Chicken shredded cold noodles?" Pei Yan raised his eyebrows.
"Yes, today when Manager Sun sent fresh bamboo shoots, he also sent a basket of chicken mushrooms. I think the chicken mushrooms are very good. I can fry some chicken mushrooms with them and mix them with cold noodles. It will be absolutely delicious!" Tao Ti couldn't help drooling when she thought of the spicy and fragrant taste of the shredded chicken cold noodles.
Pei Yan saw her eyes sparkling, and knew that she was interested in this, so he smiled and said, "Okay, I will eat whatever you make."
Tao Ti looked at him with admiration. Men who are not picky about food are the cutest!
………
The fifth prince was tangled all the way, but finally couldn't help himself and called the sixth princess at the fork in the road, "Little Six."
Being called suddenly, the Sixth Princess subconsciously remembered the last time she was robbed of her food. Her shoulders couldn't help but shudder, with a hint of alertness and tension between her eyebrows, "Fifth, Fifth Brother?"
The fifth prince walked up to her with a stern face and stood still, his lips tightly pursed.
The Sixth Princess quietly pinched her fingers together, her big dark eyes unconsciously filled with tears. Was she going to be snatched away again...
Suddenly, the fifth prince raised his hands, pressed her shoulders, and lowered his head very seriously, "Xiao Liu, I'm sorry!"
The Sixth Princess was stunned.
Even the eunuchs and palace maids beside him were stunned. Oh my God, was the sun rising from the west, or was it raining red? The little tyrant Prince Five actually said sorry, and apologized to the Sixth Princess! ?
The Fifth Prince's childish face was full of seriousness. "The Crown Princess's sister-in-law told me not to do to others what you don't want others to do to you. I was wrong to steal your egg yolk pastry last time. I will never steal your things again in the future. I hope you can forgive me."
It took the Sixth Princess a long while to come back to her senses, but she was still a little bit incredulous, "Okay, okay..."
"So you're not mad at me anymore?"
"Um……"
"That's great! Xiaoliu, I will protect you from now on. If anyone bullies you, just tell your brother and I will help you get justice!" The Fifth Prince patted his chest and resumed his usual majestic and domineering demeanor as a little overlord.
The Sixth Princess thought to herself, "Only you bully me, and few others bully me." But since he said so, she naturally responded obediently, "Thank you, Fifth Brother."
The brother and sister talked in harmony for a while, and then went back.
The nanny sighed, "It's strange that the Fifth Prince has suddenly become a good person. But he won't cause you any trouble in the future, thank God!"
The Sixth Princess's long eyelashes drooped slightly, and her soft and tender voice was very calm, "What's the use of thanking the heaven and earth? You should thank your sister-in-law instead."
The nurse didn't hear clearly for a moment, "Princess, what did you say?"
The Sixth Princess took out a bamboo shoot and diced pork dumpling, took a bite, and said vaguely, "Nothing special."
………
Chicken mushroom is a very delicious wild delicacy. It is known as the king of mushrooms because of its delicious taste and rich nutrition. Fresh chicken mushrooms are white and tender, with a unique fresh fragrance of mushrooms. When fried in oil, the fragrance is stimulated to the greatest extent by the hot oil, and combined with chili segments, peppercorns, garlic cloves and sesame seeds, the whole small kitchen is filled with the strong and overbearing aroma.
After tasting half a green dumpling in the afternoon, the palace servants in Yaoguang Palace could not stop praising Tao Ti, praising her to the highest heaven.
When I smelled the fragrance, my attention was immediately attracted.
"Oh my god, what is the Crown Princess cooking? It smells so good."
"Nonsense, when has the Crown Princess not smelled good while cooking? ... But this time it really smelled good, is she frying meat?"
"Who knows? But the Crown Princess is really good to Your Highness. She always finds ways to make delicious food for Your Highness! Every time Your Highness comes to our Yaoguang Palace, he has a good appetite."
While the palace servants were chatting animatedly, Tao Ti had already fried the chicken with mushroom oil and was now cooking noodles.
The chicken shredded cold noodles need to be mixed, so the noodles cannot be cooked too soft, and the degree must be mastered. Tao Ti used chopsticks to probe into the pot, and she knew the measure in her mind. She picked up the noodles in time, divided them equally into two large white porcelain bowls, dripped some sesame oil, and gently shook and stirred to ensure that the white noodles did not stick to each other, and then put them aside to cool.
Place the prepared cucumber shreds, chicken shreds, bean sprouts, and radish shreds on the cooked noodles, sprinkle with sesame seeds and chopped green onion, pour a large spoonful of fragrant and delicious chicken soup, then pour a spoonful of chicken fir oil, add some chopped peanuts left over from making green dumplings, and a bowl of chicken shredded cold noodles with full color, flavor and flavor is ready!
Tao Ti tidied up a bit and then asked the palace servants to bring two large bowls of cold noodles with shredded chicken to the table, along with a small dish of vinegar, a small dish of chili sauce, and several small sauces.
When Taoti fried the chicken mushrooms, she couldn't resist the aroma. As soon as it was served, she couldn't wait to pick up the chopsticks and stir it. "Your Highness, you stir the noodles like I did, and make sure the noodles are covered with sauce. You can also add some vinegar and chili according to your taste. It's sour and spicy, very appetizing."
"good."
Pei Yan responded and imitated her movements to mix the noodles. Every white noodle was immediately covered with the shiny and tempting soup. The delicious chicken soup and the dry fragrance of chicken fir oil went straight into his nose.
Tao Ti took the first bite. Her mouth was stuffed full, her face puffed up slightly, and her plump little lips were stained with a layer of sauce. "Mm, it's delicious!"
It's so delicious, I am worthy of it!!
Pei Yan looked at her enjoying the food wholeheartedly, and his mood gradually relaxed.
Her happiness is always so simple. A bowl of rice, a bowl of noodles, or a piece of cake can make her face relax and smile.
This simple happiness is really enviable.
"Your Highness, why don't you eat?"
Tao Ti took her third bite when she realized that the person opposite her was looking at her. She hadn't touched the noodles in her bowl yet. She couldn't help but wonder, could it be that he didn't like eating noodles? That shouldn't be the case, they smell so good!
Pei Yan said, "You eat very deliciously. I was fascinated by it for a while..."
Tao Ti was stunned, then gave two embarrassed dry laughs, "I may not be very polite when eating, sorry to embarrass you, I...I will be more careful next time."
Pei Yan shook his head, "No need to change, you are good the way you are."
After a pause, as if to make Tao Ti believe that what he said was true and not just a pretense, he said, "When I eat with you, I can always eat more."
Tao Ti was delighted. It turned out that she could stimulate appetite?
"Okay, then eat quickly." She smiled brightly at him, then buried her head and continued eating noodles.
Pei Yan also picked up a chopstick and put it in his mouth. The noodles were filled with delicious and spicy juice, refreshing and delicious, very chewy. The fried chicken mushrooms had a light sweet fragrance, spicy and numbing, the shredded chicken was fresh and tender, and the shredded cucumber, radish, and bean sprouts were sweet and crisp, making the cold noodles taste richer.
On the night of the Cold Food Festival, the two of them devoured two large bowls of cold noodles with shredded chicken.
In the dim light and shadow, the two people who had eaten and drunk their fill looked at each other, and there was a calm joy in their eyes.
Pei Yan suddenly thought, how great it would be if it could continue like this.