After dinner, they both washed up.

When Pei Yan came out of the bath, Tao Ti was sitting on the couch, holding a pen in his right hand and supporting his chin with his left hand as if thinking.

He walked over slowly and asked, "What are you doing?"

Seeing him, Tao Ti's eyes lit up and she said hurriedly, "Your Highness, you came at the right time. I was thinking about how to deliver those Qingtuan."

"I made more than a hundred Qingtuan in total, eight in each box. Four boxes have been sent out today, so there are seven boxes left... Well, I plan to send two boxes to the Yongwei Marquis's residence, two boxes for you to eat in the Zixiao Palace, one box for you to give to His Majesty, and one box for Nanny Lan... There is one box left, do you want to send it to the Queen?"

Pei Yan didn't expect that she was thinking about this. He glanced at the booklet on the table with an indifferent look and said softly, "You don't need to send it to the Queen. She won't eat it even if you send it to her. It would be a waste of your kindness."

When Tao Ti heard what he said, she couldn't help but look up at him.

His long hair was loose and a little wet, with jet-black hair, cold white skin, and snow-white pajamas. Under the dim light, he looked like a landscape painting in ink.

His expression was indifferent. When he saw her looking at him, his brows moved slightly. "What's wrong?"

Tao Ti shook her head, thought for a moment, and said, "Then I'll listen to you. I won't send it to you... It's just right for me to keep it for myself."

After her observation over time, Pei Yan's attitude towards the Empress... well, how should I put it, it was neither cold nor indifferent, like they didn't interfere with each other. Of course, he still appeared to be friendly on the surface.

It is understandable if you think about it. The stepmother has her own biological children, so how good will she be to the child left by his ex-girlfriend?

What's more, Pei Changzhou and Pei Lingbi are a pair of unkind siblings. Just because they used the original owner to get the crown prince, it is clear that they have bad intentions...

If it were me, I would have fallen out with them long ago. Why would I still maintain a semblance of harmony?

After arranging the distribution of a few boxes of Qingtuan, it was getting late, so the two went to bed together.

…

The next morning, Tao Ti received another thank-you gift from Concubine Xu.

Yesterday, when the Fifth Prince brought back the Qingtuan, Concubine Xu tasted it and praised it highly. She even picked out a few pieces of colorful brocade from the warehouse and had them delivered to Yaoguang Palace.

"The Royal Concubine said that the Fifth Prince bothered the Crown Princess a lot yesterday and that she was sorry for the trouble. These six pieces of satin are all new materials donated by Suzhou Prefecture at the beginning of spring. The patterns and colors are most suitable for your age. The Royal Concubine also said that if you have time, you can come to Mingyue Palace to drink tea and appreciate the flowers anytime." The maid who presented the gift smiled respectfully and docilely.

"Okay, thank the Royal Concubine for me. I'll come to visit you when I have time next time." Tao Ti said with a polite smile.

After seeing off the maids from Mingyue Palace, Tao Ti turned around and touched the silky and gorgeous brocade, feeling emotional:

Concubine Xu was really generous. Every time I sent her some snacks, she would always give me some gifts in return. The value of these few pieces of brocade was not worth even one box of Qingtuan, let alone ten thousand boxes of Qingtuan.

"Linglong, send this willow-yellow and alizarin-red horse to the Neizhi Bureau and make two summer clothes for me." Tao Ti picked two of her own colors and said, "As for the other four, put them in the warehouse first."

"Yes." Linglong agreed.

Tao Ti went back to her room, picked up her small account book, and added a payment on it - six pieces of brocade satin, sent by Concubine Xu.

Although the specific date of leaving the palace is still unknown, it is better to sort out how much property she has. In this way, even if Pei Yan suddenly... passes away in the future, after she leaves the palace, she can plan her future arrangements as soon as possible based on the assets on hand.

To use the words of our next-door neighbor, Xiao Pixiu, you have to know how to manage money and how money can make money. Isn't it great to make money while lying down? Who would complain about having too much money?

While Tao Ti was calculating the assets, boxes of Qingtuan were delivered to the palace and outside.

Inside the Qinzheng Hall.

Emperor Zhaokang sat at his desk reviewing memorials as usual. Li Gui counted the time. Seeing that the emperor had reviewed about twenty memorials, he served him tea and snacks and advised, "Your Majesty, have some tea and snacks and take a rest."

"Hmm." Emperor Zhaokang pinched his eyebrows with one hand, and took the Yunding scented tea handed to him by Li Gui with the other hand. After taking a big sip, he swept towards the plate of snacks on the table.

The jade-like green dumplings are placed on a white porcelain plate. They are shiny in color and cute in shape, which makes people's eyes bright.

"Is this Qingtuan?" Emperor Zhaokang said indifferently, "Hasn't the Cold Food Festival already passed? Why did the kitchen send this?"

"Your Majesty, this was sent by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince this morning. He said it was made by the Crown Princess herself and it tastes delicious. He sent it specially to honor you." Li Gui bent down to explain.

"Sent by the prince..." Emperor Zhaokang remembered that this seemed to be the case.

Since it was sent by the prince, he thought for a moment, then picked up the silver chopsticks and picked up one.

As soon as the Qingtuan is brought to your mouth, the faint aroma of mugwort rushes into your nose. Take a light bite, the soft and glutinous skin mixed with the salty and delicious fillings gives your taste buds a great enjoyment.

There was a flash of surprise in Emperor Zhaokang's eyes; it was the first time he had eaten the salty green rice dumpling.

The Qingtuan in my memory is sweet and greasy, and one bite can make you choke for a long time. But the Qingtuan I eat now is not only fragrant and refreshing, but also not greasy at all. The salted vegetables are just the right amount of sour and salty, and the salted tofu is endlessly fragrant. Even if taken out alone, it is very good to go with wine...

Seeing the emperor eating a green dumpling the size of a baby's fist in just a few bites, Li Gui felt jealous.

"You said this was done by the Crown Princess?" asked Emperor Zhaokang.

"Yes. His Royal Highness also said that the Crown Princess made four flavors in total, both salty and sweet, with different flavors. If Your Majesty likes them, you can try them all."

Emperor Zhaokang uttered a slow "hmm" from his nose, then picked up the teacup and took a sip of tea to moisten his throat.

Li Gui was watching from the side and thought, Your Majesty, are you not going to eat anymore? Didn't you enjoy the meal just now?

Just as he had this thought, the next moment he saw Emperor Zhaokang pick up another one and slowly put it into his mouth. This time it was filled with red bean paste, fragrant and tender, with a strong rose aroma. Eating such a piece made his teeth and cheeks fragrant.

Next, Emperor Zhaokang ate bamboo shoots and pork stuffing and sesame and peanut stuffing. Li Gui, who was standing beside him, was stunned and hurriedly advised, "Your Majesty, this Qingtuan is made of glutinous rice. It's hard to digest if you eat too much. Please take it easy."

After eating four green dumplings, I still felt a little unsatisfied, but it was really hard to eat any more.

Emperor Zhaokang wiped the corners of his mouth with a handkerchief and ordered Li Gui, "Go, pack up the remaining four and follow me to Fengyi Palace."

Li Gui was startled for a moment, then understood. Qingtuan was mostly used for sacrifices. Your Majesty wanted to offer it to the late queen, so that her spirit in heaven could also taste the delicious food.

However, what he didn't know was that Fengyi Palace had already served this green dumpling.

When Nanny Lan received the green rice dumplings sent by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince in the morning, she was reluctant to eat them and offered them directly on the mourning hall.

"My queen, I heard from the eunuch who delivered the green rice dumpling that this was made by the Crown Princess herself. She is such a thoughtful lady. Although you are gone, she still cares about us. It's really great..."

Nanny Lan carefully wiped the black tablet with a handkerchief, muttering, "I've heard from people that the Crown Princess is very skillful and has great cooking skills. She cooks all kinds of delicious food for His Highness all day long. With her accompanying His Highness, you can rest assured."

Nanny Lan was cleaning the mourning hall carefully. She didn't know how much time had passed when she heard the announcement that His Majesty had arrived.

She paused in her wiping motion.

Immediately, she hurried to the front of the hall and turned the tablet of the eldest prince around. After making sure that it could not be seen from the front, she went out to receive the carriage.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. May your Majesty be blessed with good health."

"Get up."

Emperor Zhaokang said casually, striding towards the mourning hall. But when he saw the green dumplings on the table, he was slightly stunned, "What is this green dumpling?"

Nanny Lan quickly replied, "The Crown Princess sent it here specially."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Zhaokang raised his eyebrows slightly and said in a deep voice, "She is thoughtful."

Nanny Lan quietly raised her eyes to look at Emperor Zhaokang, and then looked at the food box in Li Gui's hand. Li Gui and Nanny Lan had known each other for many years, so she exchanged glances with her. Nanny Lan immediately understood what was going on and silently stepped aside and stood quietly.

After a moment of silence, Emperor Zhaokang ordered, "Li Gui, I remember that Lingnan recently sent some new ornaments. Among them is a two-color agate flower vase with a double fish pattern, which is quite nice. Take it out. Also, pick two pearl hairpins and five pieces of silk and satin and send them to the Crown Princess."

Li Gui agreed without hesitation.

Emperor Zhaokang said again, "You all should leave. I will talk to the Empress for a while."

Li Gui and Nanny Lan left together and closed the door.

Inside the mourning hall, sunlight shone through the windows, casting a bright golden glow on the ground.

Emperor Zhaokang walked straight towards the pitch-black tablet, reached out and took it down, stared at it for a while with an indecipherable expression, then put it in his arms and walked step by step towards the bedroom on the right.

Everything in the bedroom was the same as before, the candlestick with a fairy crane flying in the clouds and Ganoderma lucidum, the purple purlin ivory carved plum blossom screen, the ebony gilded elephant bed, the brocade quilt with a bright red background and five bats holding clouds and flowers, and the bright red phoenix robe on the quilt, and the exquisite and gorgeous phoenix crown...

Everything was exactly the same as the day she closed her eyes.

Emperor Zhaokang sat down beside the bed holding the tablet, and gently touched the exquisite embroidery of the phoenix robe with his fingers. He still remembered very clearly how beautiful she was when she put on this phoenix robe. At that moment, it seemed as if everything in the world was eclipsed.

"Yuanyuan, the daughter-in-law you chose for Yan'er is quite filial and knows how to respect you, her mother-in-law."

"By the way, the Zhou family seems to have been a little complacent recently. Our son is still fine now, but they all wish that he would never get better... Yuanyuan, I want to transfer your brother and the others back to Chang'an to check and balance the Zhou family. What do you think?"

"Well, I know you care about them, and I promise you that I won't hurt them... Yan'er has grown up so big, but he has rarely seen the Gu family. Gu Changming is Yan'er's uncle after all, so he has to come back to help Yan'er, don't you think?"

He was holding a tablet, muttering to himself, with a hint of crazy in his eyes.

The sun was shining brightly outside, but the coldness and loneliness in the palace were growing wildly.

………

The Mansion of the Marquis of Yongwei and the Court of Wende.

"Madam, look, this is something our daughter specially sent back. It shows that she still cares about you." Zhang's personal maid bent down and opened one of the boxes of Qingtuan. Seeing the green and glittering Qingtuan, she couldn't help but praise, "Hey, Madam, look at this. These Qingtuan are so beautiful. They are worthy of the craftsmanship of the imperial palace kitchen."

"They are just some green dumplings. Are they worthy of your exaggeration?" Zhang sat upright on the couch, her eyes fixed on the green dumplings. Although she did not show it on her face, she felt comforted by the old woman's words.

"Madam, the gift is small but the sentiment is great..." The old woman looked at her expression and gently advised, "Are you still angry about what happened last time? Hey, why bother? The girl is young and suddenly left home and got married. She must be feeling wronged in her heart. She said some childish words. Madam, as a mother, can you argue with her?"

Zhang sighed, "I don't mean to argue with her, but what she said last time really...ah, it really made me sad..."

The old woman was slightly startled, and hurriedly said some nice words to comfort her, and then said, "Okay, Madam, don't think about those things, and try this green dumpling. How does it taste? This is a token of the young lady's love."

"Hmm." Zhang picked up a piece at random, thinking it was an ordinary pastry, but when she took a bite, she was stunned.

The old woman saw her expression and thought something was wrong. She asked in surprise, "Madam?"

Zhang came back to her senses and shook her head, "It's okay."

As he spoke, he ate the green dumpling filled with rose bean paste in his hand, bite by bite.

Seeing how she enjoyed the meal, the old woman smiled and said, "The cakes made by Chef Yu are really different. We also made some Qingtuan at home, but I didn't see you like it so much."

Zhang seemed a little embarrassed. She took up her handkerchief to cover her lips and said softly, "It tastes quite good. You can try one too."

The old woman refused again and again, but Zhang finally forced one into her mouth. After eating it, she immediately opened her eyes wide and exclaimed, "My God, this is something that gods eat, right? I have never eaten such a delicious snack in my life... I am not exaggerating, but it is worth my life to be able to taste such a bite in this life."

Zhang was amused by her, "How can it be so exaggerated?"

"Yes, yes." The old woman couldn't bear to finish half of it, so she wrapped it carefully with a handkerchief, thinking of taking it back for her grandson.

"Madam, the girl brought you such delicious green dumplings, maybe she wants to make up for what happened last time." The old woman said, "Please don't be angry with her. There is no overnight hatred between mother and daughter."

Zhang pursed her lips, stared at Qingtuan for a while, and suddenly whispered softly, "It's not..."

What's wrong with A-ti? Last time when she came back, she didn't make any noise or fuss. She just left a few words and then left indifferently.

But such a distant and cold attitude made her extremely scared, as if she was going to lose her daughter in the next moment.

"What do you think? Should I find an opportunity to visit her in the palace? I don't know if she can adapt to the life in the palace." Zhang pursed her lips unnaturally and whispered, "Maybe I pushed her too hard before, which made this child resent me..."

The old woman didn't know how to answer and just hesitated without saying a word.

"But I did all that for her own good. I'm her biological mother, how can I not wish for her well? Why doesn't she understand me?" Zhang seemed to be explaining, but also seemed to be finding an excuse to comfort herself.

As for her daughter, she kept blaming her, saying that she was cruel and arranged this marriage with the prince...

Zhang closed her eyes heavily. When she and Yuanyuan arranged the marriage of their children, she never thought that Yuanyuan would pass away soon after. She also never thought that the prince would fall into the icy lake and thus ruin his body and become a frail person.

But the marriage has already been decided. Yuanyuan and I have been friends for many years. How can I go back on my word and cancel the marriage after her death?

What's more, the marriage with the royal family cannot be cancelled just because she wants to.

Thinking about the past, Zhang felt filled with sorrow. She wanted to blame someone, but she didn't know who to blame. In the end, she could only blame the unpredictable world and fate.

…………

Tao Ti, who received a lot of rewards for Qingtuan during the Cold Food Festival, kept a satisfied account and even wondered whether she should send more food to the emperor and the concubines in the future so that she could receive more rewards.

Of course, she was just thinking about it. Giving too much would seem too deliberate.

Ever since they ate qingtuan (a kind of rice dumpling) and played a few rounds of blind man's game together last time, the fifth prince and the sixth princess have been visiting Tao Ti almost every time they have time, and they seem to be treating her Yaoguang Palace as their second home.

Tao Ti had never expected that she would be so popular with children, but she also knew that a big part of the reason why these two kids went to Yaoguang Palace so diligently was to try her delicious food.

On this day, the fifth prince and the sixth princess came to Yaoguang Palace again.

Tao Ti cooked a pot of red bean and taro stewed in milk, and also fried a plate of crispy chicken fillets. These two snacks are easy to make and taste good, and both adults and children love them.

To make red bean and taro milk stew, first boil the soaked red beans until soft, steam the taro, peel it and cut it into small pieces, then cook these two ingredients together with milk.

In ancient times, there was no condensed milk, so Taoti added some maltose and rock sugar. The milk was bubbling, and the rich aroma of milk and sugar filled the air, making the air soft.

After the dessert was ready, Tao Ti asked the palace servants to serve it in three bowls and let it cool down a little.

She turned around to make crispy chicken fillets. She selected fresh chicken breasts, patted them a few times with the back of a knife to make the meat more tender and firm, then cut them into small strips along the grain of the chicken, coated them with egg liquid, dipped them in breadcrumbs, put them into a pan, and fried them until golden brown. The kids next door... Oh no, the palace maids in Yaoguang Palace and the fifth prince and sixth princess were all crying!

Compared to the gentle sweet aroma of red bean, taro and milk stew, the aroma of fried chicken fillets is more tempting, and the aroma of meat fills the entire kitchen in an instant.

Looking at the brightly colored, crispy chicken strips being taken out of the pan, the Fifth Prince and the Sixth Princess couldn't help but swallow their saliva.

“It smells so good!!”

"Sister-in-law, can we eat now? I'm hungry!"

"You two little greedy cats, go wash your hands before eating." Tao Ti said with a smile, and prepared two servings of dipping sauce for the chicken fillets, one of chili sauce and the other of sweet and sour sauce.

Bringing the snacks into the hall, Tao Ti first picked up a chicken fillet and dipped it in the sweet and sour sauce.

The chicken fillet was fried to the perfect temperature, golden and crispy. When you bite into it, the crispy skin makes a crackling sound. The chicken inside is not dry or tough, but tender and juicy. You can feel the shiny and delicious chicken juice flowing on the tip of your tongue. The sweet and sour sauce has a moderate taste, and it has a different flavor with the chicken fillet, which is appetizing and delicious.

While eating, Tao Ti thought that she would make some ketchup when she had time so that she could dip the French fries in it.

The fifth prince and the sixth princess quickly came back after washing their hands. As soon as they sat down at the table, they started eating happily, with food crumbs hanging at the corners of their mouths.

The two of them especially liked to eat crispy chicken fillets. They put them into their mouths one by one, crunching like two hamsters chewing melon seeds. Before long, the big plate of crispy chicken fillets was finished.

The Fifth Prince's lips were shiny as he drank a mouthful of the sweet and warm red bean and taro stewed in milk. He asked casually, "Sister-in-law, I heard from my mother that it will be Fourth Uncle's 80th birthday soon. Father seems to want to invite the Crown Prince to the banquet to celebrate his birthday. Will you go with him then?"

Tao Ti was startled, then calmed down and asked curiously, "Fourth Uncle... who is he?"

Hearing this, the Fifth Prince immediately gave her a look that said, "No way you don't even know who your Fourth Uncle is."

Tao Ti raised her eyebrows slightly, and was about to take away the red bean and taro stew in milk in front of him. The fifth prince hurriedly said, "No, no, sister-in-law, let me tell you something!"

Tao Ti and the Sixth Princess couldn't help laughing when they saw the Fifth Prince turning into a bootlicker in a second for the sake of delicious food.

The fifth prince blushed, coughed pretentiously, and began to popularize science——

The fourth uncle mentioned by Xiaowu is the fourth uncle of Emperor Zhaokang, Prince Yu of the Dayuan Dynasty. The old man has survived three emperors and is still healthy and vigorous. He is the oldest and most respected elder in the royal family.

In five days, it would be Prince Yu's eightieth birthday. Emperor Zhaokang specially asked the Crown Prince to go and congratulate him as a sign of honor.

"I heard that all the dignitaries in Chang'an will be there, so it must be very lively! Alas, it's a pity that Xiaoliu and I are still young and can't leave the palace to join in the excitement. Sister-in-law, when you go there, if you encounter anything interesting, come back and tell us about it."

Tao Ti touched her nose awkwardly, "But your prince brother hasn't mentioned this to me yet..."

"Don't worry, sister-in-law. The Crown Prince will definitely take you there. Fourth Uncle likes the Crown Prince very much and has always been looking forward to the Crown Prince getting married. Now that the Crown Prince has married you, he will definitely take you to meet Fourth Uncle." said the Fifth Prince.

The Sixth Princess also nodded her head, "Hmm!"

Tao Ti blinked and said, "Then I'll ask him tonight."

But I couldn't help wondering in my heart, did Pei Yan plan to tell me later, or did he never plan to take me there at all?

However, in such an occasion, there would certainly be many royal relatives, wives of dukes and marquises, and noble ladies from aristocratic families. Just imagining the scene of competition and flamboyance, Tao Ti could not help but purse the corners of her lips.

It’s definitely a large social Shura scene!