The beauty of April on earth is gone, but the peach blossoms in the mountain temple are in full bloom. There is a large peach forest planted on the back mountain of Baiyun Temple, which looks particularly special among the green mountains.
Under the pink and romantic peach blossom tree, Tao Ti, in a smoky pink dress, was enjoying the flowers and eating the plums in her purse, looking relaxed and at ease.
Pei Yan saw this scene from a distance, paused, lowered his eyes to look at the two red threads in his hands, his eyes moved slightly.
After a moment, he put his hands behind his back and walked slowly forward.
Hearing footsteps, Tao Ti slowly turned around. Seeing that it was him, she smiled and said, "Your Highness, you are done."
"Yeah." Pei Yan walked over and stood beside her.
"It's almost the end of April now, and the peach blossoms are still blooming so brilliantly... Well, based on this calculation, doesn't it mean we have to wait until June or July to pick peaches?" Tao Ti thought so and looked at the peach forest. The delicate peach blossoms were replaced by plump pink peaches.
"Is this a sweet peach?" Pei Yan said lightly, and suddenly his eyes fell on her black hair.
"I'm a little hungry, and I don't know if there's any for sale outside." Tao Ti had just finished speaking when Pei Yan said softly, "Don't move."
Taoti, "......?"
The man beside her raised his hand and gently placed it on her hair. Then, he twisted a pink and white peach blossom with his well-joined fingers.
With his hands outstretched, the flower lay quietly in the palm of his slender hand.
"There are flowers falling on my head." He explained lightly.
Tao Ti's butterfly-like eyelashes trembled slightly. She said thank you and whispered, "Maybe I accidentally rubbed it just now."
Pei Yan glanced at her light pink earlobes calmly, with the corners of his lips slightly raised.
The two found a pavilion to sit down, and Tao Ti generously shared the plums in her purse with him.
The plums are wrinkled and inconspicuous, but they are thick, dry and crispy, sour and sweet, and very satisfying.
Pei Yan took one, but didn't taste it immediately. He just pretended to be indifferent and said, "This Baiyun Temple is the most effective place for praying for marriage. Why did Ah Ti only ask about wealth and not marriage?"
Tao Ti was stunned, the ease between her eyebrows gradually disappeared, replaced by a look of nervousness.
She wanted to ask, but he came over so quickly that she was too embarrassed to ask.
But why did he suddenly ask this? Does His Royal Highness the Crown Prince also like gossip?
Her eyes wandered, and she smiled dryly, "Marriage seems a bit too far away from me. It's more reliable to make money... There is a saying that goes, the only way to relieve worries is to get rich quickly. As long as you have money, you can enjoy 99% of the happiness in the world..."
The more she spoke, the more excited she became. She kept talking about the wealth chicken soup and didn't notice the light in Pei Yan's eyes gradually dimming.
Pei Yan raised his hand and put the plum into his mouth. The first thing he tasted was the fine white powdered sugar on the outside, which was sweet. After the sweetness melted away, the sour taste of the plum came out.
Sour, sourer than expected.
Pei Yan frowned, unable to tell whether it was the sourness of the plums or the inexplicable bitterness in his heart that was gradually turning sour.
Seeing that he remained silent for a long time, Tao Ti looked over subconsciously. Seeing that he was frowning, she blinked in surprise, "Is it so sour? It shouldn't be like this."
As she spoke, she put a pill in her mouth and chewed it, mumbling strangely, "This isn't sour..."
The breeze blows gently, blowing down a few peach petals.
"Your Highness, what about you? Why don't you beg?" Tao Ti swallowed the words in her mouth and threw the question back.
Pei Yan lowered his eyes and said in a light voice, which seemed to carry a hint of mockery, "That's not necessary."
Tao Ti was slightly startled, her gaze lingering on his cold, jade-white profile. Suddenly she understood and felt a little annoyed.
For a person who is about to die, why should he ask for a good marriage? It is good enough if he can live well.
Besides, even if there is a marriage, what can it do?
After a short period of love, we have to face death. At that time, the deeper the love, the deeper the pain.
Why mislead others and yourself?
Thinking of this, her mood unconsciously became depressed.
For a moment, you didn't speak, and I didn't speak either. It was extremely quiet around us, and only the sound of the wind passing through the forest could be heard.
After a long time, Pei Yan finally stood up, narrowed his peach blossom eyes, and asked softly, "Are you hungry?"
Tao Ti looked at him and nodded, "Well, I'm hungry."
In fact, she felt a little hungry when she started waiting for him, but she was embarrassed to say it, thinking that he had not yet fully appreciated the peach blossom forest, and it would not be too late to suggest having a meal when he had seen enough.
Pei Yan said to her, "Let's go, the fasting food should be ready by now."
"Okay!" Upon hearing that there was something to eat, Tao Ti stood up quickly, her dark eyes full of anticipation, "I wonder what dishes will be in the lunch."
Pei Yan smiled and said, "You'll know when you get there."
The two walked towards the temple dining hall together. At first, they walked side by side. As they walked, Pei Yan slowed down his pace and fell two steps behind. Tao Ti was talking to Ling Long and didn't notice for a while.
Pei Yan opened his palms and looked at the red ropes he had been holding in his hands. The two red ropes were tangled together and looked entangled, but in fact they would separate if pulled.
After a moment, he looked at the petite figure in front of him again. After a moment of silence, he pulled the corner of his mouth, and finally put the red rope into his chest lapel.
Now is not a good time to send it out, let's wait a little longer.
He was always patient, with everything else, and even more so with her.
The little girl in front turned her head, her eyes widened, and waved at him, "Your Highness, why are you walking so slowly?"
Pei Yanyun smiled calmly, "I'm here."
………
Baiyun Temple is very famous in Luoyang. Many dignitaries come here to worship. In order to better serve these generous pilgrims, many private rooms have been built in the temple for the dignitaries who stay in the temple at noon to rest and eat.
The private room was not big, but small and elegant, with a rattan blanket, a small table and a few cushions, and an unknown landscape painting hanging on the wall. The small window was half open, and there was a small wild flower in front of the window, quietly blooming, with a unique rustic charm.
Soon after Tao Ti and Pei Yangang sat down, the table was filled with vegetarian dishes.
Tao Ti took a quick look and saw steamed white jade Buddha's hand, mixed lettuce shreds, pumpkin rolls with bean curd dregs, braised gluten with mushrooms, vegetarian balls, bamboo shoots and loofah stew, stir-fried three shreds, winter melon and lotus seed soup, and shepherd's purse and tofu soup. The dishes were beautifully presented and looked delicious.
"It looks really good." Tao Ti gave a positive comment, picked up the chopsticks, and tasted a piece of mushroom and gluten first. The mushrooms were fresh and fragrant, the gluten was cooked well, and absorbed the delicious soup, so it tasted a bit like meat.
Pei Yan was in no hurry to eat. He first served two bowls of tofu soup and placed one in front of her. "Drink some soup to fill your stomach."
Seeing him so considerate, Tao Ti felt warm in her heart and said with a smile, "Thank you, Your Highness."
She picked up the bowl of soup and drank it slowly. The tofu soup was smooth and tender, melting in her mouth. After drinking it, her stomach felt warm and comfortable.
After drinking the tofu soup, Tao Ti's appetite was completely aroused, and she started to eat it without any hesitation.
Pei Yan was always slow and leisurely. He was very polite even when eating. He would pass Tao Ti some water from time to time or remind her to eat slowly, like a parent taking care of a child.
Fu Xirui and Linglong, who were guarding outside the door, were extremely happy when they heard the noise inside the house.
But besides being happy, I can't help feeling a little worried.
It would be great if the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess could continue like this forever.
Thinking of this, the two of them couldn't help but put their hands together and bowed towards the Buddhist temple.
………
After the fasting meal, Pei Yan and Tao Ti listened to the great monk preaching together.
Buddhist teachings are profound. As Tao Ti listened, her eyelids became heavier. Sometimes she performed the chicken pecking at rice, and sometimes she performed the tumbler.
Seeing that she was about to fall to the side, Pei Yan calmly reached out his hand and lifted her little head onto his shoulder.
With someone to lean on, her brows relaxed and she soon fell asleep peacefully.
The big monk sitting opposite was twisting his Buddhist beads, "..."
It was unknown how much time had passed, but when Taoti woke up again, she was already on the carriage for the return trip.
When she opened her eyes, she was still a little confused. Could she teleport?
Her misty black eyes blinked twice, and she realized belatedly that not only was she no longer in the meditation room, but she seemed to be in someone's arms!
Her head tilted back, revealing a sleeping beauty's face.
Pei Yan supported his head with one hand, his eyes closed. The fragmented light of the afternoon shone through the bamboo curtain and fell on his cold pale face. The light and shadow intertwined, making him look very charming.
I am so happy.
Such a feeling popped up in Tao Ti's mind. He is a stunningly handsome man at the first glance. Who wouldn't love such a life?
She admired him for a while before returning to the topic, thinking about how to get out of his arms.
She thought she had moved very gently, but just as she straightened her back, the person behind her woke up.
"woke up?"
His voice was a little hoarse, like he had just woken up, and it was both dreamy and sexy.
Tao Ti shuddered slightly, and sat up from his arms, and smiled at him, "Yes, I'm awake. Your Highness, how did I fall asleep? Wasn't I still in the meditation room listening to the monk's lecture?"
Pei Yan also sat up straight, tapped her twice with a finger, and chuckled, "I was just saying that. You slept so soundly in the meditation room that even the head monk couldn't stand it, so he closed his eyes while preaching."
Hearing this, Tao Ti blushed and touched her nose embarrassedly, "I, I won't do it again next time."
Outside the carriage, noisy voices gradually rose. Tao Ti lifted the curtain and looked, only to find that they had already returned to the main city.
Coincidentally, she casually glanced around and saw a street vendor selling fruits with baskets on his shoulder. One of the baskets was filled with pink and tender peaches.
"Your Highness, can you stop the car for a moment?" she turned her head and asked.
"Um?"
"I saw some peaches for sale outside. They looked good. I wanted to buy some to take home."
When she asked someone for help, her eyes would unconsciously appear rounder, sparkling and shining like stars, making it really hard to refuse her.
Pei Yan replied calmly, "Okay."
The carriage stopped and he asked Linglong to go and do the buying. She didn't even have to choose, she just bought the whole basket.
The peddler was so overjoyed at the huge business opportunity that he kept bowing to the carriage to express his gratitude.
Tao Ti lazily leaned on the carriage, her mind spinning as she muttered, "Peaches, eat a few fresh ones and make something else with the rest, peach preserves, stir-fried chicken with peaches, roasted beef brisket with peaches, caramelized peach pork belly, candied peach shrimps..."
Pei Yan frowned slightly and asked in confusion, "Can peaches be used in cooking?"
It’s a bit dark to think about it.
Tao Ti said, "Of course you can cook it! Although it sounds a bit strange, it tastes very good when cooked. Peaches have a refreshing, sweet and sour taste. If you cook them with meat and vegetables, they can just neutralize the greasiness of the meat and vegetables, making the taste more refreshing and the flavor richer."
Seeing Pei Yan still looking doubtful, Tao Ti's obsession with food came up and she said to him, "Facts speak louder than words."
So, as soon as she returned to the palace, she didn't even take a rest, and couldn't wait to go to the kitchen with a basket of peaches.
When the palace servants heard that the Crown Princess wanted to use peaches to cook, they all showed expressions of incredible surprise, and they all felt that the Crown Princess was likely to fail this time.
Until waves of alluring aromas wafted out of the kitchen, as if opening the door to a new world for them.
"This fragrance, it seems to smell very good?!"
"Not only is it good, it smells so good! I just went in to take a look at the braised pork in the pot. The meat pieces are small and bright red. They are stewed with peach pieces. It smells so good. I think it smells like cherry meat!"
"I just saw the Crown Princess take a jar and soak peaches, basil and young ginger together. She said it was a cold dish called basil peach ginger. I don't know what it tastes like."
"Hey, these hot dishes are so delicious, the cold dishes must be good too!"
"That's true. The leftover brine-curd and lotus root slices from yesterday tasted so good. Tsk tsk, I dreamed about the taste at night. When I woke up in the morning, my pillow was wet..."
"Hey, please stop talking. My mouth is watering."
As the palace servants chattered in low voices, it gradually grew darker, and lights were lit in every part of the palace.
Tao Ti made four peach dishes: stir-fried chicken with peaches, braised pork with peaches, candied peaches, and peach glutinous rice.
Leaving aside the ingredients, these dishes are impeccable in both appearance and aroma. The peaches, whether diced, cut into pieces or shredded, are perfectly matched with the other ingredients without looking out of place.
"Your Highness, do you want to taste it?"
Under Tao Ti's expectant gaze, Pei Yan picked up the chopsticks and tasted them one by one.
Stir-fried peach with diced chicken is salty and delicious, the chicken is tender and the moist texture of the peach is well preserved. When eaten with diced chicken, it has an extremely wonderful taste, fragrant and sweet.
The peach braised pork is bright red in color, and the thick sauce wraps the braised pork and peach chunks. Just as Tao Ti said, when it is cooked together with the meat dishes, the sourness of the peaches neutralizes the greasiness of the dishes and adds a fresh fragrance, increasing the natural flavor.
Compared with the first two dishes, both the candied peaches and peach glutinous rice rice are sweet. The candied peaches are sweet and delicious; the peach glutinous rice rice is soft, sticky and sweet. The aroma of glutinous rice is mixed with the fragrance of peach, which is delicious and refreshing.
After finishing the meal, Pei Yan looked at Tao Ti with a little more appreciation——
Her shining points cannot be ignored.
While appreciating it, the doubts that had been weighing on my heart came up again.
Is she really Tao Ti, the legitimate daughter of the Yongwei Marquis?
It is really unnatural that a daughter of a marquis who lives a life of luxury can master the cooking methods of so many dishes.
Tao Ti had no idea what was going on in Pei Yan's mind. After she finished the last piece of peach-red roast pork, she finally put down her chopsticks, touched her stomach, and leaned back in her chair lazily.
Ah, life is so beautiful, how can there be so many delicious foods in the world!!!
The two were sitting leisurely digesting their food when Linglong lifted the curtain and walked to Taoti's side. She bowed and handed over a visiting card, "Crown Princess, this is the card sent by Princess Mu this afternoon."
Tao Ti, "Princess Mu?"
Upon hearing these three words, Pei Yan's fingers holding the teacup suddenly tightened, and his handsome face turned pale.
After waiting patiently for Tao Ti to finish reading, he asked solemnly, "What does the post say?"
Tao Ti said, "Princess Mu invited me to her house the day after tomorrow to appreciate the flowers."
Pei Yan stared, "What else?"
Taoti, "......?"
Pei Yan: "For example, taking a pleasure boat to cruise on the lake."
"Ah? This is not written on the visiting card." Tao Ti looked at him in confusion, "Why do you ask this, Your Highness?"
Pei Yan slowly put down the teacup and put away the gloomy and cold look in his eyes.
He didn't want his little Crown Princess to know those dirty and despicable things. She just needed to continue to be an innocent, happy little girl who enjoyed eating, drinking and having fun under his protection.
Looking up again, he smiled at her gently, like the breeze and the bright moon, "No, just a casual question."