Zhilan Courtyard.

The ladies chatted about family matters, while the unmarried young ladies drank tea, admired flowers and talked about interesting things.

Seeing Pei Lingbi coming, everyone greeted her and saluted.

Pei Lingbi is a royal princess. Even though she is arrogant and proud, there are still a lot of people surrounding her, praising her and praising her in various ways.

Pei Lingbi also enjoyed the feeling of being pampered. After exchanging a few words with them, she turned her gaze to Zhou Muyan, who was wearing a layer of light white veil.

A smile flashed across her eyes, but she said in surprise and concern, "Hey, sister Mu Yan, you're here too? I heard you say you had spring rash before, are you feeling better now?"

Zhou Muyan's expression was a little subtle, and she lowered her eyes and replied, "Thank you for your concern, cousin. I'm feeling better now."

"That's good. I was really worried about you when I heard my mother talk about this before." Pei Lingbi stepped forward and took her hand, staring at her face which was covered with a thick layer of powder but still had a light red scar. She thought to herself that her wound hasn't healed yet, but she's already rushing out to join in the fun. She's really restless.

A pair of cousins ​​were chatting with each other. To outsiders, it seemed that they had a very good relationship, which was enviable.

Pei Lingbi knew that Zhou Muyan and Tao Ti had a conflict outside. When she saw Zhou Muyan, she pretended to be gentle and comforted her, "The Crown Princess has always been difficult to deal with. Not to mention you, she is also rude and rude to me."

"Ah, she treats you like this too?" Zhou Muyan exclaimed exaggeratedly.

Pei Lingbi nodded and sighed, "Oh, I really pity my brother the crown prince. It's so unlucky that he married such a woman."

The voices they spoke were neither too loud nor too soft, but just loud enough for people around them to hear.

The noble ladies had all seen Tao Ti from the Yongwei Marquis's mansion before. In their impression, she was a "good-looking, but reserved, taciturn, and dull" woman. If she had not been engaged to the prince since she was a child, with such character and talent, she would never be worthy of being the crown princess.

The crown prince Pei Yan was handsome, dignified and serious, but he was weak and sickly, and his life was short. In the eyes of the noble ladies, Pei Yan was like a bright moon, pure and gentle. Most of them admired him with a kind of "only to be admired from a distance, not to be played with".

They might not want to marry him, but they would not want to see a mediocre woman like Taoti marry him.

A woman like this being paired with the prince is simply a defilement to the prince!

Now that they heard what Pei Lingbi and Zhou Muyan said, the noble ladies couldn't help but ask, "Is the Crown Princess really so rude and rude?"

Pei Lingbi was waiting for this question. She immediately put on a helpless sighing look and began to list all the faults of Tao Ti in detail.

Zhou Muyan also chimed in, wishing to ruin Tao Ti's reputation as badly as possible!

"Alas, the prince is such a kind-hearted man, but he married such a woman. It's like a bright moon shining on a ditch!" The eldest daughter of the Huang family sighed and turned to look at Song Yuning who was sitting on the side and remained silent. "Yuning, why don't you say anything?"

Song Yuning was wearing a light willow-colored dress today, with a slender waist, just like a soft and affectionate willow branch.

After hearing her companion's words, she glanced at Pei Lingbi and the others, took a handkerchief to cover her lips, and said in a low voice, "I won't comment on how much of what the Second Princess said is true or false. But what Zhou Muyan said is complete nonsense! We saw what happened in Tianyi Pavilion that time with our own eyes. Zhou Muyan is completely confusing right and wrong."

Miss Huang frowned and looked at Song Yuning strangely, muttering, "Yuning, this Crown Princess has snatched your sweetheart away, why are you still standing on her side..."

Song Yuning's face turned a little paler, her brows furrowed even tighter, and she shook her head and said, "Juan Niang, don't mention the sweetheart anymore."

Miss Huang thought that the words had touched upon her sore spot, so she shut her mouth in dismay and said no more.

Pei Lingbi started to make a fuss again. It turned out that Xu Wenchan couldn't hold it in any longer and couldn't help but retort -

"The Crown Princess is not like what you said!"

"She has a good temper and treats people kindly. Everyone in the East Palace respects her. The Fifth Prince and the Sixth Princess both regard her as a relative. As for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, he treats the Crown Princess very well. The two of them love each other very much and are inseparable. It's a great thing!"

She had a loud voice and was a little emotional, so after she finished talking, her neck was red and her chest was a little out of breath.

All the ladies were silent for a moment.

When they came to their senses, every beautiful face, some with heavy makeup, some with light makeup, showed a disdainful smile.

They usually looked down on Xu Wenchan, and now they heard an unlearned idiot making excuses for another mediocre and eccentric idiot, they just found it funny.

"It's true that birds of a feather flock together." Pei Lingbi gave a sarcastic smile.

Immediately, all the ladies burst into laughter.

Xu Wenchan's face turned even redder, tears welled up in his round eyes, and he clenched his fists tightly. He really wanted to rush up and punch each of them in the face.

At this time, the housekeeper walked in quickly, went straight to the Prince of Yu's wife, and reported, "Princess, the prince sent a servant to tell you that the carriage of the prince and the princess has entered the alley, and the prince wants you to join the others to welcome them."

When the Crown Princess heard this, she quickly got up and walked out.

Naturally, the other ladies did not dare to delay and followed behind him to greet him at the door.

Pei Lingbi muttered as she walked, "Just come, why make such a big fuss?"

"Who said I'm the Crown Prince?" Zhou Muyan stepped forward and whispered in her ear, "When Brother Changzhou becomes the Crown Prince, Sister Bi, as the Crown Prince's biological sister, you will naturally have such a pomp and ceremony."

Pei Lingbi felt relieved after hearing this. She raised her chin and chuckled, "That's right."

The gate of Prince Yu's Mansion was opened, and Prince Yu's son and princess stood at the door to greet them, with other guests standing on both sides.

On the street, leading the way were four pairs of eunuchs in red riding horses, followed by some holding incense sticks, some holding golden umbrellas with curved handles, and some holding "avoid" signs. Behind them, a carriage with a golden roof, a gorgeous canopy and green curtains slowly came.

Everyone bowed and saluted until the carriage stopped at the gate. The prince's dignified and gentle voice came, "No need to be polite, everyone."

At this time, everyone straightened up.

When everyone saw the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess holding hands tightly together, a flash of surprise appeared in their eyes.

Suddenly seeing so many strangers, Tao Ti, who suffers from social anxiety, became a little nervous.

As if sensing her restraint, Pei Yan gently pinched her fingers, lowered his head slightly, and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear, "It's okay, I'm here."

Hearing this, Tao Ti felt inexplicably relieved and nodded at him.

The subtle movements of the two people were seen by others, and they were all surprised - wasn't it said that the Crown Princess had always been unwilling to marry into the Eastern Palace, and that her relationship with the Crown Prince was very bad? But now it seems that the two have a good relationship.

Pei Yan held Tao Ti's hand, exchanged a few words with Prince Yu and the Princess, and then went into the palace together.

After sitting in the main hall for a while and drinking half a cup of tea, the Crown Prince's wife stood up and took Tao Ti to play with the female relatives.

Pei Yan looked at Tao Ti and asked with his eyes: Can you handle it yourself?

Tao Ti nodded at him and smiled back: Sure.

She originally thought that she didn't know anyone familiar in this mansion, but when she saw Xu Wenchan in the crowd just now, she suddenly felt a sense of reliance as if she had found a companion.

Of course, she was now a guest at someone's house, so she had to have a good chat with the Crown Prince's wife and other ladies.

In fact, she didn't need to say much. She just had to sit quietly in the seat of honor and listen to the flattery and praise from the people around her.

Before Tao Ti came, Pei Lingbi was the most noble female member in the hall, but after Tao Ti came, she, the Crown Princess, definitely overshadowed Pei Lingbi, the Princess.

When they first greeted her at the door, the ladies did not dare to look up. But now that they were in the backyard, they could not help but secretly look at Tao Ti who was sitting in the upper seat.

Today, Tao Ti wore a honey-colored brocade long gown with a sunflower pattern sprinkled with gold thread, and a tea-colored Lu silk spiral-patterned skirt underneath, revealing a pair of small shoes embroidered with double-petal lotus flowers in gold thread. The pointed toes of the embroidered shoes were embellished with two thumb-sized oriental pearls. These oriental pearls were given by Xu Wenchan. The little chubby girl was always generous to her friends. Last Cold Food Festival, she gave Tao Ti a bucket of pearls.

After looking at her clothes, people turned to look at her hair and makeup.

Her hair was in a very common concentric bun, with two pearl silk flowers on her temples and a flying swallow hairpin with eight-treasure beads inserted diagonally. The pendants hanging from her ears were also inlaid with beads, and on her slender and fair neck she wore a string of pure white and gorgeous South China pearls. The round and crystal-clear South China pearls made her look elegant and dignified, and on the contrary, they set off her crystal-clear and fair skin, as if she was coated with a layer of silvery white soft light.

Her makeup was not heavy, she had distant mountain-like eyebrows, bright smiling eyes, and a little red lips, but the clear waves between her eyebrows and eyes were so bright and dazzling that people could not take their eyes away.

The noble ladies were wondering: Is this the same Crown Princess they had seen before? How come she looked like a completely different person?

The face is still the same face, but the spirit and energy emanating from him is completely different.

Tao Ti had been chatting politely with the ladies until almost noon, when they were about to start the banquet, when she finally found a chance to talk to Xu Wenchan.

Seeing that Tao Ti and Xu Wenchan were on good terms, the Crown Princess moved Xu Wenchan's seat forward to be next to Tao Ti so that they could talk more conveniently.

"Ati, you look so beautiful dressed up like this today. I was so stunned that I thought you were a fairy from heaven."

Xu Wenchan chattered, and then secretly glanced at Pei Lingbi and Zhou Muyan who were sitting opposite him, and laughed, "They must be very upset when they saw how beautiful you are. When you were not here, they said a lot of bad things about you, which made me so angry!"

Say bad things? Tao Ti narrowed her eyes. Even without Xu Wenchan telling her, she could guess how they were plotting against her behind her back.

"Anyway, they said something weird. If you want to know, I'll tell you after dinner. If I tell you now, you won't be able to eat." Xu Wenchan said.

Tao Ti smiled and said, "Let's talk about it after dinner. Aren't you afraid that I will get so angry that I vomit?"

Xu Wenchan was startled, "Oh, yeah, what should I do then..."

Tao Ti stopped teasing her, "Okay, I don't want to hear them say bad things about me. Why bother yourself? They have their own mouths, I can't possibly sew them up with needle and thread, can I?"

"Then let's not talk about the unhappy things." Xu Wenchan blinked his almond eyes, thinking that Atiko was really kind. He glanced at the delicious dishes in front of him and praised, "I've heard that the chefs in Prince Yu's Mansion have excellent cooking skills. Now it seems that they are indeed very good."

She pursed her lips at Tao Ti and introduced, "Especially this cherry meat dish. I heard that Prince Yu's Mansion specially invited a famous chef from Suzhou to make it for this birthday banquet."

Tao Ti looked over and saw that in the middle of the clean white round porcelain plate were neatly arranged pieces of meat the size of cherries. The small and exquisite pieces of meat were round in shape, bright red, like agate, and covered with a layer of crystal clear sauce, which made the meat even more attractive.

The meat is surrounded by a circle of emerald green pea sprouts, which set off the tempting red cherry flesh. It seems as if the leaves are holding up full cherry fruits, and it is as delicate as a painting.

Tao Ti had eaten cherry flesh in her previous life, but she was born late and was not able to taste the proper cooking method. What she ate were the ones that were modified by modern people based on old recipes.

Although the improved version tastes good, every time Uncle Thirteen likes to brag in front of her, "Most of these improved ones use red yeast rice for coloring. They taste good, but they lack something. The best cherry meat is the one I had in the Emperor Qianlong's Palace. Put fresh cherries and lean pork belly in a purple clay pot and simmer for two hours over low heat... Tsk, it's so delicious when you take a bite. Even if you are a god, it's not as delicious as that!"

When she was little, Tao Ti always burst into tears because of her uncle's words. She would run to her parents with tears in her eyes, asking why they didn't give birth to her earlier and why the Qing Dynasty was destroyed!

Tao's father and mother felt both distressed and amused when they saw their daughter crying and drooling.

Tao's father said, "Wife, you comfort our daughter while I go deal with that kid Thirteen."

Tao's mother said, "Hubby, Thirteen is just teasing Ati... Don't be too harsh, just give her a few kicks~"

Then, Uncle Thirteen was beaten by his father and screamed loudly. He begged for mercy and said he would not do it again next time...

Thinking of the interesting things at home, Tao Ti couldn't help but chuckle.

Xu Wenchan looked at her curiously, "Ati, what are you laughing at?"

Tao Ti came back to her senses and shook her head, with a little melancholy in her eyes, "It's nothing, I just thought about my family."

Xu Wenchan understood and nodded, "You regret not meeting your mother, right? I asked my mother and she said that your mother caught a cold, so she didn't come today."

Tao Ti was stunned and looked at Xu Wenchan in surprise, "My mother has caught a cold?"

"Yes, that's what my mother said. It seems your father didn't come today, but your half brother and cousin did. If you are worried, you can go ask them. But it's just a cold, it shouldn't be serious, don't worry."

"Okay, I'll find a chance to ask later." Tao Tili nodded.

Xu Wenchan picked up the chopsticks and happily picked up a piece of cherry flesh. After taking just one bite, his eyes immediately widened and he hurriedly urged Tao Ti to taste it as well.

Tao Ti picked up the chopsticks and reached for the plate of cherry flesh that looked extremely good. With a slight push of the chopsticks, the plump and tender flesh was picked up. The skin of the flesh was as chewy as jelly and trembled.

As soon as it is brought to your mouth, the tempting aroma of pork belly penetrates into your nose, making you salivate unconsciously. The cherry meat melts in your mouth, fragrant, soft and delicious, fat but not greasy, the sweetness of cherry is completely stewed into the meat, the rich meat aroma is slightly sweet and sour, very refreshing and delicious.

A piece of cherry meat, paired with a handful of crispy stir-fried pea sprouts, and then a mouthful of rice, really gives people a full sense of happiness.

Tao Ti chewed the rice with enjoyment, thinking that today she finally got to eat the cherry flesh that her uncle had mentioned, and that this made up for a small regret from her childhood.

She was eating happily, and Xu Wenchan was also eating happily. The two little foodies sat together and kept eating, which... attracted a lot of attention.

Seeing them finish a bowl of rice and preparing to ask the maid to serve the second bowl, Zhou Muyan, who was sitting opposite, slowly wiped the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief and asked Pei Lingbi with a smile, "Sister Bi, if I remember correctly, the kitchen should provide a lot of food for the women in the palace, right? Why does the Crown Princess eat like she hasn't had a full meal in 800 years..."

Pei Lingbi raised her eyelids and sneered, "Perhaps the Crown Princess went out in a hurry this morning and forgot to have breakfast, so she is hungry now."

Tao Ti naturally heard their ridicule, but was too lazy to pay attention to them and continued to eat.

She couldn't understand what these people were thinking about all day long. Not only did they leave such delicious food alone, they also mocked others for eating too much. Are they sick?

Seeing that Tao Ti didn't even raise her head, Pei Lingbi's expression froze.

But Tao Ti was her sister-in-law in name only, so she didn't dare to act rashly. With nowhere to vent her anger, she turned her anger to Xu Wenchan, "Miss Xu, the Crown Princess has a slim figure, so it's okay for her to eat more. You are already plump enough, so it's better to control your appetite..."

Zhou Muyan laughed and said, "Yes, Xu Wenchan, you are still eating even though you are in this state. Be careful or your summer clothes will have to be resized again."

Xu Wenchan paused holding the chopsticks and lowered his head.

Tao Ti could feel her anger and inferiority, and she also felt a surge of rage in her heart. Will these two women ever stop?

After pondering for a moment, she slammed the chopsticks on the table.

There was a "bang" sound, not particularly loud, but everyone at the table was startled.

Pei Lingbi and Zhou Muyan's hearts trembled, and they were obviously frightened by this.

When she came back to her senses, Pei Lingbi frowned and stared at Tao Ti with dissatisfaction, "Crown Princess, what are you doing..."

Tao Ti raised her head and stared at her coldly, "Don't talk while eating or sleeping, do you still want to eat well?"

Pei Lingbi, "..."

Zhou Muyan, "..."

The Crown Prince's Consort smiled awkwardly and said, "Crown Princess, I'll have someone get you a new pair of chopsticks."

Tao Ti looked at the Crown Princess and put on a gentle and polite smile, "Thank you for your help."

She smiled and said to the other women at the table, "My hand slipped just now and my chopsticks dropped accidentally, which startled everyone."

Everyone laughed dryly and said, "It's okay, it's okay."

Tao Ti smiled more and more politely, "Today's banquet is really good. It can be seen that the Crown Prince's Consort has prepared it carefully. We must not let her down. Please continue to eat."

The words were spoken in a thoughtful and polite manner, and they gave the Crown Prince's wife enough face. All the women at the table agreed and continued eating.

Tao Ti slowly turned around and looked at Pei Lingbi and Zhou Muyan opposite her again. She put on a cold expression and said in a low but inexplicably harsh voice, "Today is the birthday banquet held in Prince Yu's Mansion. It is a great event. If you want to cause trouble on this auspicious day, and the news reaches His Majesty's ears, you will be in trouble!"

Pei Lingbi was naturally aware of her father's respect for her fourth uncle. She bit her lip unwillingly and lowered her head.

Seeing this, Zhou Muyan lost his arrogance.

"Oh..." Xu Wenchan looked at Tao Ti with red eyes, his lips trembling, looking like he was about to cry.

Tao Ti quietly squeezed her hand under the table and coaxed her, "Be good, so many people are watching, control yourself."

Xu Wenchan sniffed, "Hmm!"

Next, the banquet went smoothly.

After the meal, the Crown Princess led a group of female relatives to Changya Pavilion to watch a play.

Xu Wenchan took the opportunity to introduce her mother, Lady Zhao, the wife of the Marquis of Zhenbei, to Tao Ti. Zhao was grateful for Tao Ti's protection of her daughter, and she was very affectionate to Tao Ti as soon as she saw her, and said many words of gratitude to her.

Hearing that Tao Ti was worried about Zhang's health, Zhao immediately said, "Don't worry, I will go to the Yongwei Marquis's residence tomorrow to visit your mother for you, and then I will return to the palace to give you a message."

When we arrived at Changya Pavilion, the opera troupe came on stage and sang lively and noisy.

Xu Wenchan was also busy. He took a bite of the cake and shook his head, saying, "It's far inferior to the egg yolk pastry and green rice dumpling you made, A-Ti."

He picked up another piece of preserved fruit and ate it, took a bite, shook his head and said, "The honeyed kumquats, snowflake hawthorns, and rouge apricot preserves you made are so delicious, Ati... Oh, Ati, it would be great if you were not in the palace, then I would go to your house every day to eat."

Tao Ti laughed when she heard this, "You want to eat for free? I have to charge you for the meal."

"Take it, take whatever you want, one ingot of gold for each dish, I'm willing to pay!" Xu Wenchan waved his hands and said with a smile, "Anyone who has tasted your cooking will definitely be willing to pay this money. If you don't believe me, go back and ask His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, you will definitely think the same."

Hearing this, an idea suddenly flashed through Taoti's mind -

Life is quite long, and I’m free anyway, so why not try my hand at the ancient catering industry, earn some extra money, and become a richer widow?

…

The opera excerpts on the stage were still being sung. After one act, another was about to begin. Tao Ti felt drowsy from listening to them, so she made an excuse of going to the toilet and took Linglong out of Changya Pavilion.

As soon as I got outside, I heard the chirping of birds, the fragrance of flowers, and the gentle breeze on my face, and I immediately felt better.

The master and servant strolled along the zigzag bridge. The garden of Prince Yu's Mansion was beautifully built, with pavilions, towers, rugged rockery, lake views, flowers, and lush ancient trees. Every step was a scene.

When they came to a rockery pavilion, they sat down to rest.

Tao Ti was bored and lay on the railing looking at the fish in the water. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw an old man in a gray robe fishing with a fishing rod beside the short bridge across the street.

It's fine to fish, but this old man would put one fish back every time he caught one.

Fish once, release once; fish again, release again…

Tao Ti thought to herself: How boring.

But it's so boring, and I've been staring at it for so long, I seem to be even more bored.

When the old man caught another fat and fresh grass carp and was about to unhook it and release it, Tao Ti could no longer hold back and ran towards him with her skirt lifted up.

Looking at the breathless little girl in front of him, the old man in gray robe frowned, "What are you doing...?"

Tao Ti sighed, staring at the plump grass carp with burning eyes, and said with great regret, "This fish is so fresh, why did you let it go after catching it? Wouldn't it be delicious to use it to make boiled fish fillet, fish ball soup, fish fillet porridge, pickled fish, chopped pepper fish head, stewed fish fillet, sweet and sour crispy fish?"